Gondos Sail into City Playoffs

When the regular season ended Friday, the  boys basketball team was playing better than it had all season and head coach  was hopeful his team would get a chance to play a few more games.

He got his wish Saturday when the Gondoliers were awarded the No. 7 seed in the City Section Division II playoffs. Venice (12-15), which finished fifth in the always-tough Western League, will host 10th-seeded Verdugo Hills (18-9), the East Valley League runner-up, in the first round Thursday at 7 p.m. 

Should Venice win it would either host No. 15 Bravo Medical (18-7) or travel to second-seeded Narbonne (18-8) in the quarterfinals Feb. 22

Girls Basketball

The Venice High girls  did not make the City Section playoffs, but  (9-3), which finished second in the Ocean League, was seeded 15th in the City's  and will travel No. 2 Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (21-9) in the first round Friday at 7 p.m. 

If the Pirates can upset the Unicorns they will travel to either No. 10 Vaughn (9-11) or No. 7 Port of LA (11-13) for a quarterfinal game Feb. 23.

Boys Soccer 

Also optimistic about his team's chances is boys' soccer coach . The Gondoliers (7-4-3) are seeded 24th out of 32 teams in the City Large Schools draw and travel to ninth-seeded Lincoln (10-2-0) for its opening round game  Wednesday (kickoff at 3 p.m.). If Venice prevails it would either host No. 25 Hollywood (10-3-3) or travel to No. 8 Bell (11-4-8) in the second round Friday.

Girls Soccer

The Lady Gondoliers (9-5-4) are seeded 11th in the City Invitational playoffs and travel to sixth-seeded West Adams Prep (11-5-1), the Coliseum League champion, for their first-round game Thursday at 3 p.m. If Venice prevails, it would either host No. 14 Fremont (11-5-2) or travel to No. 3 Granada Hills Kennedy (14-5-3) in the quarterfinals Feb. 24.

Animo Venice (9-1-1), the Ocean league champion, is the No. 4 seed in the Small Schools Division and the Pirates will host Elizabeth Learning Center in the first round Thursday at 3 p.m.