CIF Sac-Joaquin Section releases soccer playoff brackets. Here’s who made it
The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section released its 2026 boys and girls soccer playoff brackets Wednesday afternoon with a loaded slate of teams from both its northern and southern portions.
Stanislaus District league champions Turlock, Gregori, Oakdale, Central Valley, Ripon and other top league finishers on the boys and girls side learned their first-round postseason matchups. They now begin to map out their journeys in the most important part of the season. Everyone chases a blue banner, but just two teams in Divisions I through VI will play for section titles later this month.
Girls first-round matchups are Friday, Feb. 13, and boys first-round matches are Saturday, Feb. 14. Play-in games for both boys and girls are Feb. 12.
All games are at 6 p.m. for facilities with lights. Alternate times are listed below.
Boys
In Division I, Central California Athletic League champion Turlock earned the No. 4 seed after claiming a 9-1 league record, beating last season’s D-II section champion, Pitman, twice. The Bulldogs outscored league opponents 29-8 and lost only a 4-0 match to Downey about midway through league play. The Bulldogs face off against No. 13 Edison and, with a win, advance to play the winner of No. 5 Chavez and No. 12 River City in the quarterfinals.
In Division II, defending section champion Pitman was rewarded with a top seed. The Pride are the No. 3 team in the division after being tested in the CCAL, a league that’s loaded with Division I schools and that sent four teams to the D-I postseason. Pitman hosts No. 14 Merced on Saturday.
In Division III, Patterson is the only Stanislaus District team with a home game. The No. 7 team in the division hosts No. 10 Johnson. Patterson tied for the Valley Oak League title with East Union, posting a 10-1-1 record. If the Tigers avoid upset, they either host No. 15 El Capitan or travel to No. 2 Valley of Sacramento.
In Division IV, Ripon travels to Natomas in the Play-in game on Thursday for the chance to play at No. 1 Lathrop. Co-VOL champion East Union was awarded the No. 2 seed.
In Division V, No. 4 Hilmar hosts No. 13 Riverbank in an all-Stanislaus District matchup. No. 8 Escalon hosts Calaveras in the other local home game Saturday at 6 p.m. Hughson travels to Dixon for a Friday night matchup.
In Division VI, No. 4 Ripon Christian hosts No. 13 Golden Sierra and No. 7 Vanguard College Prep hosts No. 10 Gustine in a pair of local home contests.
Division I
Play-in: No. 17 West Park at No. 16 Tokay
(Feb. 13) Tokay/West Park at No. 1 Inderkum at 7 p.m.
No. 9 Pleasant Grove at No. 8 Oak Ridge
No. 12 River City at No. 5 Chavez
No. 13 Edison at No. 4 Turlock
(Feb. 13) No. 14 Enochs at No. 3 Franklin of Elk Grove at 7 p.m.
No. 11 Sheldon at No. 6 Downey
No. 10 Gregori at No. 7 McClatchy
No. 15 Franklin at No. 2 Davis
Division II
No. 16 Tracy at No. 1 Granite Bay
No. 9 Elk Grove at No. 8 Atwater
No. 12 Lodi at No. 5 Jesuit
No. 13 Vacaville at No. 4 Woodcreek
No. 14 Merced at No. 3 Pitman
(Feb. 13) No. 11 Grant at No. 6 Whitney at 7 p.m.
No. 10 Johansen at No. 7 West
(Feb. 13) No. 15 Rio Americano at No. 2 Rocklin at 7 p.m.
Division III
No. 16 Burbank at No. 1 River Valley
No. 9 Vista del Lago at No. 8 Pacheco
No. 12 Yuba City at No. 5 Pioneer
No. 13 Sierra at No. 4 Ponderosa
No. 14 Ceres at No. 3 Christian Brothers
(Feb. 13) No. 11 Mira Loma at No. 6 Roseville at 7 p.m.
No. 10 Johnson at No. 7 Patterson
No. 15 El Capitan at No. 2 Valley
Division IV
Play-in: No. 17 Ripon at No. 16 Natomas
Natomas/Ripon at No. 1 Lathrop
No. 9 Weston Ranch at No. 8 Los Banos
No. 12 Oakmont at No. 5 Woodland
No. 13 Center at No. 4 Liberty Ranch
No. 14 Rosemont at No. 3 Venture Academy
No. 11 Lindhurst at No. 6 Nevada Union
(Feb. 13) No. 10 Lincoln at No. 7 Placer at 7 p.m.
No. 15 Livingston at No. 2 East Union
Division V
No. 16 Waterford at No. 1 Galt
No. 9 Calaveras at No. 8 Escalon
No. 12 Sonora at No. 5 Highlands
No. 13 Riverbank at No. 4 Hilmar
(Feb. 13) No. 14 Hughson at No. 3 Dixon at 7 p.m.
No. 11 Bret Harte at No. 6 West Campus
No. 10 Orestimba at No. 7 Delhi
No. 15 River Islands at No. 2 Summerville
Division VI
1 Woodland Christian — BYE
No. 9 Humphrey’s Able Charter at No. 8 Esparto
No. 12 Le Grand at No. 5 Bradshaw Christian
No. 13 Golden Sierra at No. 4 Ripon Christian
No. 14 Vacaville Christian at No. 3 Millennium
No. 11 Aspire Langston Hughes Academy at No. 6 Denair
No. 10 Gustine at No. 7 Vanguard College Prep
No. 15 Big Valley Christian at No. 2 Rio Vista
Girls
Gregori spent the entire season at the top of national, state and section leaderboards, climbing as high as a top-10 MaxPreps ranking in the nation and the No. 1 team in California near the midpoint of the 2025-26 campaign.
While their national and state rankings wavered, their spot atop the SJS stood pat. They were the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps rankings for the entire season and enter the postseason as the No. 1 team in Division I. They have not lost a game and their only blemish is a 0-0 tie to Oakdale early in the season. The Jaguars are stingy on defense and dynamic on offense, led by Oregon signee Kylie Farmer and UC Merced-bound Grace Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 14th in California in points (82) and goals (35) and Farmer is 16th in the state in assists (20) and adds 15 goals. They are 19-0-1 and have scored 86 goals and allowed just two.
After a heartbreaking loss in last season’s Division I semifinals, the Jaguars are motivated to play for their first ever blue banner.
In Division II, Johansen hosts Atwater in a play-in match and the CCAL’s third place team, Pitman, was given the No. 10 seed. The upset-minded Pride travel to Manteca Friday.
In Division III, Colfax earned the top seed and a first-round bye. Beyer earned a home game as the No. 5 team, hosting No. 12 Burbank. Patterson is looking for an upset as the No. 15 seed traveling to No. 2 Vista del Lago.
In Division IV, No. 1 Oakdale gets a first-round bye. The Mustangs are led by a young crop of talent that features a sister duo and a star freshman striker leading the team in goals. The Mustangs are 18-2-2 and claimed the league championship in the competitive Valley Oak League with a perfect 12-0 record. Freshman Layla Garcia-Gonzalez has 23 goals and 11 assists, Dakota Burford has 11 goals and 12 assists and Dakota’s younger sister Skyler, a freshman, has eight goals and eight assists. The Mustangs have been to the past two D-III title matches, falling 1-0 in both and have a belief that even though they are young, this could be their year.
In Division V, Hilmar hosts in the first round as the No. 6 seed at 6 p.m. and Riverbank, the 12-seed in the division, travels to No. 5 Dixon for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
In Division VI, defending section champion Ripon Christian followed up a banner season by earning the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. The Knights play the winner of No. 9 Woodland Christian at No. 8 Millennium on Feb. 6.
Division I
Play-in: No. 18 Edison at No. 15 Tokay, No. 17 Folsom at No. 16 Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge/Folsom at No. 1 Gregori
No. 9 Turlock at No. 8 St. Francis at 3 p.m.
No. 12 River City at No. 5 West Park
No. 13 Enochs at No. 4 Pleasant Grove
No. 14 Franklin at No. 3 Inderkum at 5 p.m.
No. 11 Central Valley at No. 6 Lincoln of Stockton
No. 10 Davis at No. 7 Franklin of Elk Grove at 5 p.m.
Tokay/Edison at No. 2 Del Oro
Division II
Play-in: No. 18 Armijo at No. 15 West, No. 17 Atwater at No. 16 Johansen
Johansen/Atwater at No. 1 Tracy
No. 9 Rio Americano at No. 8 Granite Bay
No. 12 Laguna Creek at No. 5 Whitney at 5 p.m.
No. 13 Elk Grove at No. 4 Vacaville
No. 14 Grant at No. 3 St. Mary’s
No. 11 Kennedy at No. 6 Woodcreek
No. 10 Pitman at No. 7 Manteca
No. 15 West/Armijo at No. 2 Rocklin at 5 p.m.
Division III
No. 1 Colfax — BYE
No. 9 Ponderosa at No. 8 Del Campo
No. 12 Burbank at No. 5 Beyer
No. 13 Christian Brothers at No. 4 El Capitan
No. 14 Mira Loma at No. 3 Sierra
No. 11 Antelope at No. 6 Roseville at 5 p.m.
No. 10 Pioneer at No. 7 Buhach Colony
No. 15 Patterson at No. 2 Vista del Lago
Division IV
No. 1 Oakdale — BYE
No. 9 Central Catholic at No. 8 Lindhurst
No. 12 Casa Roble at No. 5 Placer at 5 p.m.
No. 13 East Union at No. 4 Ripon
No. 14 Union Mine at No. 3 Oakmont
No. 11 Weston Ranch at No. 6 El Camino
No. 10 Nevada Union at No. 7 Lincoln of Lincoln
No. 15 Wheatland at No. 2 Twelve Bridges
Division V
No. 16 River Islands at No. 1 Liberty RAnch
No. 9 Delhi at No. 8 Sonora
No. 12 Riverbank at No. 5 Dixon at 5 p.m.
No. 13 Galt at No. 4 Sutter
No. 14 Linden at No. 3 Argonaut
No. 11 Ben Holt College Prep at No. 6 Hilmar
No. 10 West Campus at No. 7 Calaveras
No. 15 Amador at No. 2 Summerville
Division VI
No. 1 Ripon Christian — BYE
No. 9 Woodland Christian at No. 8 Millennium
No. 12 Big Valley Christian at No. 5 Vacaville Christian
No. 13 Gustine at No. 4 Golden Sierra
No. 14 Aspire Langston Hughes Academy at No. 3 Stone Ridge Christian
No. 11 Mariposa County at No. 6 Esparto
No. 10 Le Grand at No. 7 Bradshaw Christian
No. 15 Vanguard College Prep at No. 2 Denair
