5 things to watch as Merced County teams begin high school basketball playoffs
The Sac-Joaquin Section high school basketball playoffs tip off Tuesday night, and Merced County teams are looking to make a splash.
The girls tournament begins Tuesday night; the boys start Wednesday night.
Here are five storylines heading into the postseason:
1. Can El Captian’s girls make a run?
No girls team in Merced County was as dominant during the regular season as El Capitan. The Gauchos went 10-0 to win the Central California Conference and are 25-2 overall. The Gauchos earned the fourth seed in Division 2, meaning they’ll play their first two games at home. El Capitan defeated 13th-seeded Patterson 55-42 on Tuesday night and will play fifth-seeded Woodcreak in the quarterfinals Thursday night. The Gauchos beat Woodcreek 63-44 back on Dec. 15.
El Capitan has a nice balance of experience and youthful talent. Mady Dietz, Avnoor Bains and Jordynn Middleton provide the senior experience. But watch out for sophomore standout Alexis Valenzuela, who got better as the season went on. Prior to the season, first-year coach Adam Her called Valenzuela “Probably one of the most skilled young players I’ve seen come through a Merced school in a long time.” The Gauchos will need Valenzuela to step up if they want to make a run to the championship.
2. Are Merced boys up to the task?
The Merced High boys won the outright CCC championship at 9-1, but needed help on the league’s final night to get it. The Bears claimed the outright crown when Buhach Colony upset Atwater by a point.
Merced received the eighth seed in the Division 2 playoffs, which is both good and bad. The Bears get to play their postseason opener at home Wednesday night against ninth-seeded Tracy (20-8). But a second-round matchup at No. 1 seed Jesuit will be a tall order.
Outside shooting is the Bears’ strength, with senior guards Diego Aguilar (14.7 points a game) and Jordan Thomas (11.8) leading the way.
Update: The Bears were knocked out of the playoffs Wednesday night with a first-round loss to Tracy, 77-57.
3. Can Stone Ridge Christian boys make it 3 in a row?
The Stone Ridge Christian boys are looking for their third consecutive section title. The Knights won back-to-back Division 6 championships, but have been moved up to Division 5 this season. Stone Ridge Christian, which went 12-0 to win the Southern League, is the third seed. The Knights (22-6 overall) will face No. 14 Leroy Greene Academy of Sacramento on Wednesday.
The Knights are talented and experienced. They feature nine players from last season’s section title team, including stars Daijon O’Neil, a senior guard, and Jordan Cortez, a junior forward. Both average 14.4 points a game.
4. Are Atwater’s girls capable of a huge upset?
The Atwater girls were second best to El Capitan in the CCC at 8-2. But the Falcons are the defending Division 2 section champions, and you can never count out a team with a championship pedigree.
The Falcons, who went 17-10 overall, are the eighth seed and open against No. 9 Lodi. A win Tuesday would likely mean Atwater will face top-seeded Antelope (22-4) in the quarterfinals. Senior Natalia Melgoza leads the Falcons on offense, scoring 10.1 points a game. Sophomore Isabella Villa averages 9.9 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds a game.
Update: The Falcons’ season ended Tuesday night with a 57-40 loss to Lodi. The Falcons trailed by just one point heading into the fourth quarter, but scored only four points the rest of the way.
5. What? When? Where?
Higher-seeded teams will host playoff games until the section finals. Tickets are available in advance at the section website, cifsjs.org.
Should any of the Merced County teams make a run to the championship game, they’ll head to the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The championship games for various divisions are scheduled to take place there on Feb. 27-28. General admission tickets are $16, with discounted pricing of $10 for children (2 and under), students with an ASB card, and seniors.
The state tournament begins March 3. State championship games will March 13-14, also at Golden 1 Center.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 2:41 PM.
