Win or go home. That’s the playoffs in a nutshell. But when the opponent is a familiar foe, it tends to add a dash of intensity.
That will be the case for four local teams in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs that start with first-round games Friday.
Marmonte League champion Oaks Christian will host Mission League second-place finisher Chaminade in the opening round.
Oaks Christian vs. Chaminade is box office stuff. The Lions are led by Terrianna Kelley, who has 51 hits and 11 homers in 28 games while batting .567 this season. Chaminade sophomore Finley Suppan, daughter of former MLB pitcher Jeff Suppan, is 14-1 from the circle with 103 strikeouts this spring.
That’s not the only double-local matchup in the first round of Division 1. Del Rey League champion Paraclete will host Marmonte League third-place finisher Westlake.
Mission League champion Notre Dame and at-large qualifier Agoura also earned Division 1 berths, giving the Daily News area six teams in the top division. In the first round, Notre Dame will host Canyon of Anaheim and Agoura will travel to Etiwanda.
Murrieta Mesa and Norco are seeded No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Division 1 bracket, which is a 32-team gauntlet — no byes.
Divisions 2, 4, 6 and 8 will play first-round games Thursday. Divisions 1, 3, 5, 7 will start Friday.
The championships will be held in Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine on May 28 through May 30.
All games, apart from championship games, are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
All championship games will be livestreamed by the NFHS Network.
SIERRA CANYON, SIMI VALLEY EYEING DEEP RUN IN D2
Sierra Canyon, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Saugus will compete for the Division 2 title.
The Division 1 field is top-heavy with juggernaut teams like Norco, Murrieta Mesa, Fullerton and La Mirada.
In Division 2, the talent level is more even, which could make for more compelling matchups. The bracket has 13 league champions and eight second-place finishers, which indicates a competitive field across the board.
In the first round Thursday, Thousand Oaks will host Warren, Simi Valley will host Alta Loma and Saugus will host Brea Olinda. Sierra Canyon will be at Warren and Moorpark will play at Long Beach Poly.
The first-round schedule for the other Daily News area teams:
DIVISION 3
Friday
Trabuco Hills at West Ranch
Quartz Hill at Riverside Prep
Oak Park at Valley Christian/Cerritos
Highland at Northview
Crescenta Valley at Dos Pueblos
DIVISION 4
Thursday
Harvard-Westlake at Lakewood
La Canada at Mission Viejo
Newbury Park at Chino
Hart at Burroughs
DIVISION 5
Friday
Leuzinger at Valencia
Rancho Christian at Grace
Alemany at Arrowhead Christian
Viewpoint at Jurupa Hills
DIVISION 6
Thursday
Serrano at St. Genevieve
Southlands Christian at Eastside
Hamilton at Lancaster
DIVISION 7
Friday
Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana at Faith Baptist
DIVISION 8
Thursday
Santa Clarita Christian at Avalon