The San Diego Section basketball and soccer playoffs have been especially rife with upsets so far, and the elite Open Division is no exception.
The boys basketball bracket saw one higher-seeded team go down in the opening round while the girls basketball bracket saw two lower-seeded team pull off upsets.
Both were stunners.
Seventh-seeded Grossmont (22-4) shocked No. 2 Mater Dei Catholic, 62-54, with a late surge while No. 6 Westview (19-8) upset No 3 Cathedral Catholic, 55-40
Thus, Grossmont hosted Westview in Wednesday’s semifinals for the right to advance to Friday’s division championship game at 8 p.m. at Frontwave Arena.
“We knew coming into the Open Division this year that the level of competition would be elite every single week.” Grossmont coach Grace Campbell said. “The Open Division is where you want to be if you consider yourself one of the top programs in the section. There are no easy nights. For our players, it wasn’t about just qualifying; it was about proving that we belong in those conversations consistently.
“Coming in as the No. 7 seed and knocking off a No. 2 seed definitely had people thinking twice about us. That win sent a message. It showed the resilience, preparation, and belief this group has built all season. We’ve embraced being overlooked at times … it fuels us.”
Playing elite competition is nothing new for the Lady Foothillers, who advanced to the state championship game in 2014, placing runner-up in the Division IV final.
Mater Dei Catholic won the Division IV state title in 2009 and finished as Division III state championship runners-up in 2025.
“Beating Mater Dei Catholic was a huge statement win for us,” Campbell said. “They’re a physical program with a strong playoff history, so we understood the challenge in front of us. Our mindset going in was simple: stay composed, trust our preparation and play four complete quarters.
“When we got down, there was no panic on the sideline. The key to the comeback was discipline. We cleaned up execution and leaned on our defensive intensity. Once we started winning the small moments — defensive stops, extra possessions — the momentum shifted. I kept telling them ‘keep chipping away, we have plenty of time.’”
All eight Open Division teams qualify for the Southern California regional playoffs. The season for both Mater Dei Catholic (23-3) and Cathedra Catholic (22-7) is not over, neither will it be for Wednesday’s semifinal losers.
“The Open Division also puts us in position for the state playoffs, which is always a goal,” Campbell said. “Competing at this level prepares you for that next stage. Even if the road is tough, being battle-tested matters.”
Top performers include juniors Aakash Price (14.3 points per game/11.0 rebounds per game) and Jaliyah Feming (12.5 ppg), sophomore Esther Agoh (9.5 ppg/7.7 rpg) and freshman Maya Shehee (9.4 ppg).
“As far as leadership this season, we’ve had strong contributions on both ends of the floor,” the Grossmont coach said. “Our young core has really set the tone with composure and work ethic, and our underclassmen have stepped up in big moments. Offensively, we’ve been balanced, multiple players capable of scoring in double figures, and defensively we’ve had girls who embrace tough assignments and take pride in getting stops.
“Next up, our focus is continuing to build consistency as we head toward postseason play. At this point in the season, it’s about sharpening execution, staying healthy, and maintaining that hunger. We don’t want to just be in the Open Division, we want to compete deep into March.”
