SAN JOSE >> Until someone knocks the Padres off, the road to the Central Coast Section Division IV boys’ basketball playoffs still goes through Carmel High.

The Padres, however, will be the No. 2 seed in Division IV after King’s Academy of Sunnyvale did not gather enough support to be placed in the Open Division, earning the top seed instead in Division IV after Wednesday’s seeding meeting in San Jose.

Carmel, which defended its Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division title, has nearly the same record as last year at 18-5, as compared to 19-3 this time last winter. It’s 13-1 in its past 14 games.

“There is a criteria, based on your body of work,” Carmel coach Kurt Grahl said. “If you’re going to win this year, you’re going to earn it. Even though we didn’t get the No. 1 seed, we still have a chance to host two home games. The title game is at a neutral site.”

The Padres won’t begin defense of their CCS title until Tuesday in the quarterfinals, earning a pair of byes. They will have gone 11 days between games.“We took some time off after the regular season,” Grahl said. “We had a fast-paced practice when we returned. There are a lot of things at this point in the season, where what you are doing can be intense and fast moving. Our practice was spirited.”

Palma was awarded the No. 2 in Division V and won’t return to the court until Tuesday, where it will make its 20th straight playoff appearance, hosting a yet to be determined opponent.

Coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons, the Chieftains won 19 games under first-year coach Brian Driscoll. They were dropped to Division V this year after the addition of girls on campus lowered their boy’s enrollment.

“I think the consensus was we would be a top 2 seed,” Driscoll said. “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this team and how we’ve grown through the season. These kids have put in the work. We have connected as a group.”

The Chieftains, who have just one senior on this year’s roster, will go 11 days between games, something Driscoll has dealt with in the past in previous stops as an assistant at De La Salle.

“The one thing you have to balance as a coach is you want to make sure you’re fresh,” Driscoll said. “But as a coach, you get leery to not go for 11 days. I feel we’ve had a tremendous week of practice. I hope we can make a deep run.”

Defending state Division IV champion Monterey earned the No. 3 seed in Division III and will not set foot on the court again until Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

“I thought we should have been the top seed or No. 2,” Monterey coach Greg Daniels said. “It’s all subjective. It’s how you’ve done recently, common opponents. The committee felt different. I’m not in the room. I just get the bracket.”

Runner-ups in the Gabilan Division to Carmel, the Toreadores (19-5) were placed behind top-seed and Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion Aptos and defending CCS Division III and Northern California DIII champion Santa Cruz.

Last year Monterey was ousted in the CCS Division III semifinals by Santa Cruz, before being extended an invitation to the state Northern California Division IV tournament, where it went on the road and won five straight games to capture a state title.

“It will be important to get off to a fast start, relax and realize it’s a basketball game,” Daniels said. “Of course, if you lose, you go home. But if you make the game too big, it will overwhelm you. We have to keep it in perspective. Don’t change who you are.”

The Toreadores, who have won three CCS Division III titles in the past seven years, will be making their 17th straight postseason appearance.

“A lot of these kids weren’t a part of last year’s state title team,” Daniels said. “So many know nothing about it. Those that were have a whole different role this season. This is their moment.”

Joining Carmel in the Division IV playoffs will be Pacific Grove, which has missed the playoffs just once in the last 31 years. It will host the Capuchino-Gunderson winner on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Breakers (12-12) have the distinction of having knocked off Carmel during Gabilan Division play. Stevenson (11-13) got into the Division IV playoffs and will visit No. 9 Scotts Valley on Friday at 7 p.m., while Marina (12-14) returns to the postseason, visiting No. 12 Harker.

Mission Division champion North County (17-7) was seeded No. 9 in Division III and will host Greenfield on Friday at 7 p.m., while Soledad (14-10) was seeded No. 10 and will entertain Live Oak.

Alisal, which was bumped to the Gabilan Division this year, was awarded the No. 8 seed in Division I after a 18-win season and will host the Evergreen Valley-Piedmont Hills winner on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Joining them in Division I is North Salinas (12-12), which will visit No. 10 Watsonville on Friday at 7 p.m. The Vikings are making their first postseason appearance since 2018.

Santa Lucia Division champion York (13-6) will visit KIPP of San Jose on Friday at Independence High in the Division V bracket. Cypress Division champion St. Francis of Watsonville (21-3) was seeded No. 5 and has a first-round bye.

Rancho San Juan (13-11) was seeded No. 10 in Division II and will play host to Leland of San Jose on Friday at 7 p.m.

Girls

Gabilan Division champion Salinas, which closed the season with eight straight wins, received the No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs and won’t play until Tuesday.

“I hoped for one bye and a home game,” Salinas coach Jens Gordon said. “I am excited about being the fourth seed. There are advantages and disadvantages of being off for 11 days. In this case, the advantages outweigh that, as long we keep each other sharp in practice.”

Salinas, which is 14-1 in its last 14 games, hasn’t hosted a postseason game since 2020. It has won eight consecutive home playoff games.

“You impress upon the girls that it’s a different season,” Gordon said. “The preseason was about figuring out who we were. League is where we discovered our identity. The playoffs are one-and-done if you don’t bring your game.”

Watsonville was seeded No. 5 in Division I and will host the Homestead-Santa Teresa winner on Saturday at 7 p.m., while Alisal (15-9) drew the No. 7 seed and will host Carlmont-Milpitas winner at 6 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the boys.

Mission Division champion Pacific Grove (19-5) was seeded No. 8 in Division IV and will host the Stevenson-Marina winner on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“I kind of figured that Woodside game hurt us a little bit,” said Pacific Grove coach Marquis Pickrom, in reference to a 53-52 non-league loss on Feb. 8. “But there is some familiarity with the opponent we will face on Saturday.”

The Breakers, who more than tripled their win total this past season with 19, rattled off a county-best 12 straight wins this season and are 14-1 in their last 15 games.

Soledad (14-10), which went through a coaching change in midseason, earned the No. 5 seed in Division III and will host Friday’s King City-North County winner on Saturday at 7 p.m. Greenfield will travel to face No. 9 Live Oak on Friday at 7 p.m.

Palma (21-3) will make its postseason debut in girls’ basketball as the No. 5 seed in Division V, where it will host the Pescadero-Luis Valdez winner on Saturday at 7 p.m. Cypress Division champion St. Francis gathered the No. 3 seed.