Thirty-two Valley area boys' and girls' basketball teams will get their shot at winning a Los Angeles City Section championship, as the playoffs begin this week.

There are 15 boys' teams, five each in Division's I, II and III. There are 17 girls teams – five in Division I, eight in Division II, and four in Division III. Taft is the two-time Division I boys' champion. But the Toreadors are an eighth seed in this tournament. They get a first round home game against No.9 Los Angeles Washington; after that, Taft probably has to win on the road to get back to the final.

El Camino Real, which unseated Taft as West Valley League champion this season, is the Valley's highest seeded team at No.2. The Conquistadors, who last year won the Division II title, will host No.15 Canoga Park in the first round.

Other Division I entries are No.7 Birmingham, which hosts No.10 Harbor City Narbonne, and No.11 Cleveland, which travels to No. 6 Los Angeles University.

In Division II, Kennedy is the No.1 seed and entertains No.16 Lincoln. Also getting first round home games are No.2 Sylmar, facing No.15 Los Angeles Bravo, and No.3 Granada Hills against No.14 Reseda. Verdugo Hills, the eleventh seed, goes to No.6 Gardena.

In Division III, No.3 Chatsworth is home to No.14 Los Angeles Contreras; No.4 Poly hosts No.13 Los Angeles Manual Arts; and No.6 Grant has No.11 Los Angeles Marshall. North Hollywood, the ninth seed, must travel to No.8 Huntington Park. All first round boys' games are today, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. El Camino Real, at No.4, is the highest seeded Valley team in the girls' Division I bracket, and will host No.13 Van Nuys.

Taft, seeded fifth, hosts No.12 Venice. Both Chatsworth and Verdugo Hills are on the road; the No.11 Chancellors face No.6 Pacific Palisades, and the No.14 Dons play No.3 Los Angeles Fairfax.

In Division II, Monroe is the second seed and plays No.15 Los Angeles Dorsey. There are also home games for No.3 Granada Hills, who plays No.14 Belmont; No.6 San Fernando, who plays No.11 Los Angeles Jefferson; No.7 Birmingham, hosting No.10 Grant; and No.8 Cleveland taking on No.9 Arleta. In other games, No.12 North Hollywood visits No.5 Los Angeles Garfield.

In Division III, Reseda is the No.1 seed and plays No.16 Wilmington Banning. Kennedy, seeded seventh, hosts No.10 South Gate South Region #9. And No.8 Poly hosts No.9 Sylmar.

All first round girls' games are Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. One change this season: an Open Division has been added to the state playoffs, so it is possible additional City Section teams can qualify. In both boys' and girls' Division I and II, there are state play-in games for teams eliminated from the City playoffs. In Division I, there are two rounds for teams starting after the quarterfinals. In Division II, there is one round following the semifinals.

Winning the play-in rounds does not guarantee a berth in the state tournament, but it will make the winners eligible for selection. Below is a complete listing for all boys' and girls' first round games in Division's I, II, and III:

Boys

Division I

No.16 Fremont at No.1 Westchester; No.9 Washington at No.8 Taft; No.12 Dorsey at No.5 Fairfax; No.13 San Pedro at No.4 Palisades; No.14 Eagle Rock at No.3 Crenshaw; No.11 Cleveland at No.6 University; No.10 Narbonne at No.7 Birmingham; No.15 Canoga Park at No.2 El Camino Real.

All boys' Division I first round games are at 7 p.m. and in the gym of the higher seeded team. The quarterfinals will be Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The boys' semifinals will be at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Division I final is 8 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Division II

No.16 Lincoln at No.1 Kennedy; No.9 Banning at No.8 Venice; No.12 Hollywood at No.5 Roosevelt; No.13 Bernstein at No.4 Bell; No.14 Reseda at No.3 Granada Hills; No.11 Verdugo Hills at No.6 Gardena; No.10 Garfield at No.7 Carson; No.15 Bravo at No.2 Sylmar.

All boys' Division II first round games at 7 p.m., and in the gym of the higher seed team. The quarterfinals are Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The semifinals are Friday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Venice High. The Division II final is Friday, March 1, at 8 p.m. at Los Angeles Roybal Learning Center.

Division III

No.16 R.F. Kennedy at No.1 Los Angeles; No.9 North Hollywood at No.8 Huntington Park; No.12 Jefferson at No.5 Locke; No.13 Manual Arts at No.4 Poly; No.14 Contreras at No.3 Chatsworth; No.11 Marshall at No.6 Grant; No.10 King-Drew at No.7 South Gate; No.15 Franklin at No.2 Hamilton.

All boys' Division III first round games are at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The quarterfinals are Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the gym of the higher seeded team. The semifinals are Saturday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Venice High. The Division III final is Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Girls

Division I

No.16 Fremont at No.1 Narbonne; No.9 Huntington Park at No.8 Washington; No.12 Venice at No.5 Taft; No.13 Van Nuys at No.4 El Camino Real; No.14 Verdugo Hills at No.3 Fairfax; No.11 Chatsworth at No.6 Palisades; No.10 San Pedro at No.7 University; No.15 Bravo at No.2 Carson.

All girls' first round games are Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The quarterfinals are Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The semifinals are Saturday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Division I final is Friday, March 1, at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Division II

No.16 Wilson at No.1 Westchester; No.9 Arleta at No.8 Cleveland; No.12 North Hollywood at No.5 Garfield; No.13 Crenshaw at No.4 Roosevelt; No.14 Belmont at No.3 Granada Hills; No.11 Jefferson at No.6 San Fernando; No.10 Grant at No.7 Birmingham; No.15 Dorsey at No.2 Monroe.

All girls' Division II first round games are Friday, Feb. 15, at the gym of the higher seeded team. The quarterfinals are Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The semifinals are Friday, Feb.22, at Robert F. Kennedy High. The Division II final is Friday, March 1, at the Los Angeles Roybal Learning Center.

Division III

No.16 Banning at No.1 Reseda; No.9 Sylmar at No.8 Poly; No.12 Los Angeles at No.5 Jordan; No.13 Franklin at No.4 Gardena; No.14 Sotomayor at No.3 South East; No. 11 Hollywood at No.6 Marshall; No.10 South Region #9 at No.7 Kennedy; No.15 Locke at No.2 Eagle Rock.

All girls' Division III first round games are Friday, Feb.15, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The quarterfinals are Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in the gym of the higher seeded team. The semifinals are Saturday, Feb. 23, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Venice High. The Division III final is Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Cal State Dominguez Hills