San Marcos received the unlucky draw of having to travel for the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs after winning its league title for the third straight year.
The Channel League-champion Royals (13-2-3) will make the long trip to play No. 4 seed Montclair High for a Division 1 opener on Thursday. Montclair is 21-1-3 and the champion of the Mt. Baldy League.
San Marcos is one of three league champions in Division 1 drawn to open on the road. Oak Park of the Coastal Canyon League has to play at No. 2 Sunny Hills (Freeway No. 1) and Citrus Hill (Mountain Pass) visits perennial power Cathedral (Del Rey).
Cate (6-3-2, No. 3 Tri-Valley League) made the wild-card round of the Division 5 playoffs. The Rams will play Tuesday at Diamond Bar (7-4-2, Hacienda No. 2). The winner draws Pasadena Poly (12-5, Prep No. 1) on Thursday.
Laguna Blanca (9-2-3, Frontier No. 2) play the Division 6 main draw and will host Chaminade (13-7-3, Mission No. 3) of the strong Mission League in a first-round match on Thursday.
Dunn (8-3-2, TVL No. 2) opens Division 6 play at Nogales (13-9-4, Montview No. 2)
GIRLS
Cate (11-2-1), the Frontier League champion, will host wild-card game winner Hueneme or Campbell Hall on Wednesday in the Division 5 girls soccer playoffs.
Laguna Blanca, (9-7-0, Frontier No. 2) plays a Division 5 wild-card game on Monday at Fillmore (11-7-0, Citrus Coast No. 3).