Carey, coach of the Half Moon Bay High School girls' basketball team, got everything he hoped for from Sunday's Central Coast Section seeding meeting.
The Cougars picked up the No. 8 spot in Division IV, earning a 7 p.m., Thursday home game.
 John Carey was fearful of Half Moon Bay getting a low seed in the Central Coast Section playoffs as it lost to Oceana last week. Carey didn't have anything to worry about as Half Moon Bay earned the No. 8 seed and hosts a game Thursday. |
Carey wanted to get the No. 8 spot. In an effort to prevent first-round blowouts, the tournament was restructured with the top four seeded teams playing Saturday, seeds 5 through 8 hosting a game Thursday, and everyone else scheduled to play Tuesday.
Carey knew the Cougars hurt their own cause, by losing to Oceana, 46-34, in the first round of the Peninsula Athletic League tournament, Feb. 12. He figured Half Moon Bay would get a 9 or 10 seed.
"If we get 9 or lower, we will have one day to prepare, play, then one day to prepare for the next round," Carey said after the Oceana game.
Wimberly, the PAL South Division representative, nominated Half Moon Bay for the tournament after seven teams were seeded. Oceana was voted the No. 5 seed.
The King's Academy and San Lorenzo Valley were already on the board, when Half Moon Bay was nominated, along with Carmel.
Following a brief discussion, Half Moon Bay received 11 votes from the 17-member panel, earning the Cougars the right to play at Half Moon Bay Thursday.
"I am a little bit surprised with the seeding," Carey said. "We are starting to spread ourselves around. League reps are starting to know who we are."
Victories over Oceana (back in December) and San Leandro plus a strong preseason schedule helped the Cougars earn the No. 8 seed.
"I like coming here with a strong reputation," Carey said.
The restructured format allows Carey to scout.
"I don't know anything about either Del Mar or San Lorenzo Valley," Carey said. "I just have to find where San Lorenzo Valley is."
San Lorenzo Valley (14-14) finished tied for third in the Santa Cruz Coast League. Two of the Cougars' six nonleague wins were against teams with winning records.
Del Mar (11-13) finished third in the West Valley Athletic League. The Dons' only nonleague win was against Gunderson (2-19).
Half Moon Bay's seeding took away the sting of the loss to Oceana. The Sharks had a double-digit lead by late in the first quarter. Half Moon Bay pulled to within nine with two minutes left in the game.
"We took them too lightly," Carey said after the game. "We figured we would could walk on the floor and beat them. Oceana came out ready to play us."
The winner of Thursday's game plays top-seed Valley Christian of San Jose Saturday at Mercy of San Francisco. The starting time will be announced.
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