NCS basketball, soccer playoffs start this week

Even as spring blossomed all around them, the best of Petaluma’s high school winter sports team will push winter back by participation in the North Coast Section playoffs.

What amounts to a short, but exciting, second season begins Tuesday night with the Casa Grande and Petaluma girls teams and Petaluma boys teams participating in the NCS basketball playoffs. On Wednesday, the Casa and Petaluma girls soccer teams, along with the Casa boys team, begin their playoffs.

The Vine Valley Athletic League champion Casa Grande girls basketball team (No.3 seed) starts Division 2 play at home against Antioch (No. 14).

Petaluma No. 9), second in the VVAL to the Gauchos, opens in Vallejo against Jesse Bethel (No. 8).

On the boys side, Petalu1ma ( No. 15) begins the NCS road in El Sobrante against De Anza (No. 2).

Both local girls soccer teams open at home on Wednesday. VVAL champion Casa Grande (No. 7 in Division 2) hosts Alameda No. 10) and VVAL runner-up Petaluma (No. 6 in Division 3) plays against Tennyson (No. 11).

Casa Grande’s boys (No. 10 in Division 2) plays at Windsor (No. 7).