High School Sports' Final Month Marked by Intense Competition (also could be: Final Month Brings Heightened Competition in High School Sports)
May madness is here for high school sports! It's the final month of the 2024-25 season, with numerous championships to be won and preparations for the fall football season ongoing.
Let's dive into the calendar and potential happenings.
Swimming
The Southern Section finals are on May 11 at Mt. San Antonio College, and the City Section finals are the same day at L.A. Valley College. The state championships take place on May 15-17 at Clovis West.
Everyone will be watching four-year standout Teagan O'Dell from Santa Margarita before she heads off to Berkeley for her college career. She's dominated Division 1 and is aiming to break even more records while leading her team to a sixth consecutive girls' state championship.
Lacrosse
Palisades won both the boys' and girls' City Section championships last week. The Southern Section will hold its girls' finals on May 16 at El Modena, and the boys' finals are on May 17 at El Modena.
Loyola is seeded No. 1 in boys, and Mira Costa is No. 1 in girls.
Baseball
Corona is 26-2 and sits atop the Southern Section power rankings. Playoff seedings will be announced on May 12, and the championship games are scheduled for May 30 and 31 at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach. Division 1 is expected to field its strongest 32-team bracket ever.
Keep an eye out for Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez before he gets picked first, second, or third in baseball's amateur draft this summer. He's racked up 88 strikeouts and three walks in 42 1/3 innings. The Panthers also have another likely top-10 pick in shortstop Billy Carlson.
The City Section championships are set for May 24 at Dodger Stadium. Playoff pairings will be announced on May 10. Either Birmingham or El Camino Real will likely be the No. 1 seed as they'll battle it out for the West Valley League championship in a two-game series this week. Venice is 24-2 and looking good for a top-four seed.
The Open Division playoffs are changing from 12 teams to eight teams this year. Playoff games scheduled for May 14 and May 20 mean a single pitcher could lead a team to Dodger Stadium. According to Birmingham coach Matt Mowry, "It's not who has the best team but who has the best pitcher."
Softball
Norco, Rosary, and Orange Lutheran look like the teams to beat in Southern Section softball. Pairings will be announced on May 12, and the finals are May 30-31 in Irvine.
With the absence of a dominant pitcher, the hitters have a chance to lead their team to a championship, and few have been better than Orange Lutheran's Kai Minor, an Oklahoma commit.
In the City Section, a rematch between Granada Hills and Carson in the final would be exciting. Last season, Carson won on a 14th-inning walk-off home run. The final will be played on May 31 at a college field to be announced. San Pedro has won the Marine League title over Carson, so beware the Pirates.
Volleyball
Mira Costa is the No. 1 seed in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, which conclude May 16-17 at Cerritos College. The regional playoffs are the following week, then the state championships will be held on May 31 at Santiago Canyon College.
The City Section championships will take place on May 17 at Birmingham. Venice received the No. 1 seed for the Open Division tournament on Thursday.
Tennis
Palisades won its 16th consecutive City Section boys' tennis championship for legendary coach Bud Kling, who has accumulated 53 combined boys' and girls' titles.
Irvine University and Beckman are the favorites to win a Southern Section Open Division title. The finals are on May 16 at the University of Redlands.
Football
This month, schools are wrapping up spring practices with college showcases and seven-on-seven competitions against other schools.
One of the most intriguing events takes place on May 9 at Sierra Canyon, where Newbury Park and quarterback Brady Smigiel will face off against the Trailblazers' talented secondary, led by USC commit Madden Riordan.
Long Beach Millikan is hosting the first major seven-on-seven event on May 17, featuring 20 teams.
This month, the National Federation of State High School Assns. will release the first national rules for girls' flag football. It's expected to have a significant impact in California, with special teams used for the first time (punting), and defenses allowed to rush from one yard back of the line of scrimmage instead of seven yards last year. Coaches say that will lead to fewer touchdowns and fewer long passes.
Track
The Southern Section track and field finals occur on May 17 at Moorpark High, followed by the Masters Meet on May 24. The City Section finals will be on May 22 at Birmingham's new Mondo track. The state championships are set for May 30-31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.
The Arcadia Invitational was a good sneak peek for athletes, including Servite's group of young sprinters, Temecula Valley's Jack Stadlman in the 400, Santa Margarita's Leo Francis in the long jump, and Aliso Niguel's Jaslene Massey in the girls' shotput.
Bishop Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn ran the second-fastest 100 meters in the state this year when he won the Mission League finals in 10.32 seconds on May 5.
Golf
The City Section championships will take place on May 21 at Harding Golf Course. Luke Schultz of Palisades will defend his individual title there.
The Southern Section team finals are May 19-20, followed by the individual final on May 22. The state championships are on June 3 at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach.
Watch to see if St. Francis freshman Jaden Soong can compete for an individual title.
- The City Section golf championships will be held on May 21 at Harding Golf Course, with Luke Schultz of Palisades defend his individual title there.
- In the City Section track and field finals, scheduled for May 22 at Birmingham's new Mondo track, Bishop Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn could make a strong impression with his speed, having run the second-fastest 100 meters in the state this year.
- USC commit Madden Riordan's talented secondary at Sierra Canyon will face off against quarterback Brady Smigiel and his team in one of the most intriguing seven-on-seven competitions taking place on May 9.
- With preparations for the fall football season ongoing, numerous schools across California are wrapping up spring practices, participating in college showcases, and competing in seven-on-seven events, such as the first major seven-on-seven event hosted by Long Beach Millikan on May 17.
