CIF Championships: Prep Boys Lacrosse

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 3, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS LACROSSE
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

East County Sports.com

OPEN DIVISION
Thurs., May 7 – Quarterfinals
(5) Coronado at (4) The Bishop’s, 6 p.m.
— winner at (1) Torrey Pines
(6) Carlsbad at (3) La Costa Canyon
— winner ay (2) Cathedral Catholic

DIVISION 1
Wed., May 6 – First Round
(1) Granite Hills, bye (home on Sat., May 9, 6 p.m.)
(9) Point Loma (8) Santana
(12) Francis W. Parker at *5) St.Augustine, 5 p.m.
(4) Del Norte, bye

(3) San Marcos, bye
(11) La Jolla at (6) San Dieguito
(10) LJCDS at (7) Poway
(2) Santa Fe Christian, bye

DIVISION 2
Mon., May 4 – Play-In Game
(12b) Eastlake at(12a) Mission Hills

Tue., May 5 – First Round
(1) Westview, bye
(9) Grossmont at (8) Mt. Carmel
(12) Monday’s winner at (5) University Cty
(4) Scripps Ranch, bye

(3) Pacific Ridge, bye
(11) West Hills at (5) El Capitan
(10) Classical at (7) Rancho Bernardo
(2) Patrick Henry, bye (home, Fri., May 8, 6 p.m.)

DIVISION 3
Mon., May 4 – Play-In Game
(12a) Rancho Buena Vista at (12b) Hilltop

Tue., May 5 – First Round
(1) Valhalla, bye (home, Fri., May 8, 6 p.m.)
(9) Mission Bay at (8) Sage Creek
(12) Monday’s winner at (5) Bonita Vista
(4) Olympian, bye
(3) Clairemont, bye
(11) Fallbrook at (6) Preuss UCSD
(10) Foothills Christian at (7) Canyon Hills
(2) Del Lago, bye

EastCountySports.com staff report

EAST COUNTY TEAMS READY FOR CIF-SDS BOYS LACROSSE PLAYOFF RUN

The CIF San Diego Section boys lacrosse playoffs begin this week, with postseason play spanning four divisions — Open Division, Division I, Division II and Division III.

Play-in games start Monday, May 4, followed by first-round contests May 5–6. Championship games are scheduled for May 15–16 at Patrick Henry High School.

East County enters the bracket with strong representation across multiple divisions, highlighted by a top seed in Division I and a key head-to-head matchup in Division II.

DIVISION I: GRANITE HILLS SETS THE STANDARD

Granite Hills Eagles leads the East County field as the No. 1 seed in Division I and the No. 7-ranked team in the section, finishing the regular season at 15–3.

With a first-round bye and home-field advantage, the Eagles are positioned for a deep postseason run and stand as East County’s top championship threat.

Santana Sultans joins the division as the No. 8 seed and No. 16-ranked team, hosting Point Loma in the opening round.

DIVISION II: ALL–EAST COUNTY SHOWDOWN HEADLINES BRACKET

Division II features one of the most compelling local storylines, as El Capitan Vaqueros (12–5, No. 6 seed) hosts West Hills Wolf Pack (10–8, No. 11 seed) in an all–East County first-round matchup.

With both teams carrying competitive records, the game shapes up as one of the division’s most evenly matched contests, guaranteeing East County representation in the next round.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Patrick Henry Patriots (10–6) enters as the No. 2 seed and No. 15-ranked team, earning a bye into the quarterfinals and one of the clearest paths forward in Division II.

Grossmont Foothillers (10–7, No. 9 seed) opens on the road at Mt. Carmel and carries the profile of the No. 22-ranked team, making the Foothillers a potential factor early in the bracket.

DIVISION III: VALHALLA LEADS EAST COUNTY PRESENCE

Valhalla Norsemen anchors Division III as the No. 1 seed (11–7), earning a bye and home-field advantage in the quarterfinal round.

Foothills Christian Knights (5–11, No. 10 seed) rounds out the East County field and will look to advance out of the opening round on the road.

OUTLOOK: GRANITE HILLS HEADLINES, DEPTH FOLLOWS

East County’s postseason outlook is anchored at the top while supported by depth throughout the bracket:

Granite Hills (No. 7) — clear Division I title contender
Patrick Henry (No. 15) — strong Division II path
El Capitan vs. West Hills — guarantees advancement in Division II
Grossmont (No. 22) — early-round threat
Valhalla (No. 1 seed, D3) — division favorite

With a combination of elite positioning and competitive balance, East County teams are set to play a major role across the CIF-SDS boys lacrosse playoffs.