October 12, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Top-seeded La Habra opens CIF 3AA playoffs Wednesday at home vs. Yorba Linda

Grayson Sinek leads La Habra into Wednesday’s CIF playoff opener. (Photo: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).

La Habra’s High School’s boys basketball squad is one of the teams to watch in the CIF playoffs that begin Wednesday.

The Highlanders, coached by Aaron Riekenberg, are top-seeded in the CIF Division 3AA. La Habra (24-4 overall) captured the Freeway League title with a 10-0 record.

La Habra will host Yorba Linda, coached by Jason Pietsch, Wednesday night. Yorba Linda (16-11 overall) is an at-large team from the Crestview League.

“We’re honored to receive the one seed,” Riekenberg said. “The boys have worked extremely hard and it’s nice to see them receive recognition for it. With that said we have a challenging first round opponent. Jason does an incredible job and they’re playing really well as of late. Nothing is easy at this stage of the season.”

La Habra is led by junior Grayson Sinek, who is averaging 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals a game. Sinek joined the 1,000-point club in January.

Sophomore Acen Jimenez is averaging 15.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds and junior Jaedon Anderson 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. 

The winner of Wednesday’s game moves on to face the winner of the Jordan vs. Mark Keppel game in the second round on Friday. South Pasadena is seeded second, Serra third and Hesperia fourth.

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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com