Update: Boys soccer beats Orland 1-0 and will play Colusa at home Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
Boys, girls basketball will join boys soccer in playoffs
Three of Piedmont High School’s four winter sports received berths in the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs on March 2 and will see their seasons extended.
The girls basketball team earned the highest seed, No. 9 in the Division 1 bracket. The Highlanders will face Oakland Tech on the road on March 4 at 5 p.m. The game will be played as a double-header with the Oakland Tech boys following by hosting Redwood-Larkspur. Piedmont girls basketball game will be at Oakland Tech.
Piedmont is 21-5 on the season and qualified as one of six teams that made the North Coast Section Open Division. There, the Highlanders finished fifth, defeating Salesian after losing to Cardinal Newman. Oakland Tech is 20-8 after sweeping through the Oakland Athletic League.
The CIF has a seeding committee that is charged with placing the teams in order down the divisions. A variable number of teams are put in the Open Division at the top in Northern and Southern regionals. Then the next 16 teams are placed in Division 1 in the each region, then Division 2, etc. There are a total of seven divisions.
The winner will face top-seeded Folsom on the road on March 6. The regional championships are scheduled for March 11 and the state championships will be in Sacramento the weekend of March 14-15.
Piedmont’s boys basketball team also earned a nine-seed, this in the Division 4 bracket. The Highlanders will be at Natomas on March 4 at 7 pm.
Piedmont’s Ravi Silverberg (3) and Cash Panico (white right) press St. Patrick-St. Vincent’s Ronald Rhymes during the NCS Division 4 championship game. The Highlanders will play at Natomas in the opening round of the CIF Division 4 playoffs on March 4. 
Piedmont’s Logan Faucher (42) advances the ball against Roseland University Prep’s Miguel Santiago (10) and Miguel Perez (4). The Highlanders qualified for the CIF regional playoffs and will play at Orland on March 4.
Piedmont lost in the championship game of the NCS Division 4 tournament to St. Patrick-St. Vincent and is 15-15. Coach Ben Spencer said he doesn’t know much about Natomas (24-8).
“All I know is that they were 11-1 in league,” Spencer said. “They are well-coached, they are athletic and they play fast. We’ll try to get a quick film with a quick turnaround. It’s tough to get your team ready after one night of practice. Especially coming off a championship game.”
The Highlanders are in the state tournament for the third time in six years. (No tournament was held in 2021 due to COVID-19).
“For a small D-4 school, going to state is a pretty incredible thing especially with the league were play in. I’m proud of what my guys accomplished. We’re super excited. We’re ready to go against these guys.”
Piedmont’s boys soccer team received the fifth seed in the Division 5 Northern Regional and will play at Orland on March 4 at 5 p.m.
Unlike basketball, there are only regional tournaments for soccer, but state championship is expected to be instituted very soon, quite likely next year.
The Highlanders fell in the NCS Division 4 final on March 1 to Roseland University Prep, 2-0. They are 8-9-4 on the field this year. Orland is 11-7-4.
*Update: Boys soccer beat Orland tonight 1-0. Highlanders will take on Colusa this Thursday, March 6 at Witter.