SAN JOSE — As the brackets popped up, Palma High girls basketball coach Robbie Johnson was in a little bit of disbelief. A league title and 17 straight wins had warranted just a No. 4 seed in Division V.
"I thought we deserved the No. 1 seed," Johnson said. "I thought we worked hard for it. Our body of work demonstrated that. But at this point, you have to play and win regardless."
Moments later, a mistake was discovered when the Central Coast Section brackets were released, with Pacific Collegiate omitted altogether. It turns out that the original brackets showed that the Chieftains were indeed the No. 1 seed in Division V.
"That means two home games," said Johnson, who guided Palma to a 21-3 overall record. "In the playoffs, with it being one and done, it's advantageous playing in front of a home crowd, forcing an opponent to come to your house."
The Pacific Coast Athletic League's Mission Division champion Chieftains went 9-0 at home this year and have won their past 13 games dating back to last season, including a win in the CCS Division V quarterfinals last year.
Palma won't play until Tuesday in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m., where it will be a doubleheader on campus as the boys basketball team also earned the top seed in Division V.
Champions of the Gabilan Division, the Chieftains' boys program is 22-2 overall, having gone 13-1 at home this winter, with the one loss coming against North Coast Section power Dougherty Valley of San Ramon back in December.
"I'm happy for the guys and the program," Palma coach Brian Driscoll said. "We've worked extremely hard for this. There was some concern about being put in the Open (Division, the highest in the playoffs). And if so, we would have welcomed the challenge. But this is where we belong."
Four starters are back from last year's Northern California Division IV quarterfinal team, including Tai Suich, a member of The Herald's All-County team last season.
"It's been a two-year journey with these guys," Driscoll said. "We played five playoff games last year. I think it's a far different feel this year because we've been together so long and worked so hard at it for two years. We've been through it."
