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Birmingham looks to take its best shot in City Section Open Division playoffs

Devante Doutrive and Birmingham are ready to flex their muscles in the City Section Open Division playoffs.
(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
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These are exciting times for 34-year-old Nick Halic. He and his wife are buying a house in Huntington Beach. And he’s the head coach for the No. 1-seeded Birmingham Patriots boys’ basketball team that begins the City Section Open Division playoffs Friday at home against No. 8 Dorsey.

“Honestly, the seedings don’t matter,” he said. “The only thing is we don’t have to go on the road. We’re just a target. That’s how we’re looking at it.”

Birmingham has never won a City basketball title, but the Patriots are 24-3 and navigated through their toughest schedule ever, with victories over Santa Margarita, Narbonne, Westchester, Taft three times, Etiwanda, Oak Park and a close loss to Santa Ana Mater Dei.

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“I feel confidence because of our schedule,” Halic said. “We’re not taking being the No. 1 seed lightly. It’s not going to mean anything if we don’t win the whole thing.”

Fairfax (24-3) earned the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 El Camino Real. No. 3 Westchester hosts No. 6 Washington and No. 4 Narbonne hosts No. 5 Taft. The semifinals will be played as a doubleheader Feb. 25 at Roybal and the championship game is March 4 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Birmingham has three future NCAA Division I players in seniors Devante Doutrive and Deschon Winston, and junior Devonaire Doutrive. Most of the Patriots’ top players are seniors. In contrast, Fairfax is loaded with underclassmen.

Rematches could be the story if the seedings hold up. A Birmingham win would send the Patriots into a second meeting with Narbonne or a fourth meeting with Taft. Fairfax and Westchester could meet for a third time if both win their opening games.

But let there be a big warning.

“This is the most balance in years,” Westchester Coach Ed Azzam said.

The games are expected to be hard-fought and close.

In Division I, Crenshaw received the No. 1 seed. Carson is the No. 1 seed in Division II and Van Nuys is No. 1 in Division III.

In the Open Division girls’ tournament, Fairfax is the No. 1 seed and will open Feb. 18 against No. 8 Legacy. Other openers have No. 7 Narbonne at No. 2 Palisades; No. 6 Carson at No. 3 El Camino Real and No. 5 Eagle Rock at No. 4 Granada Hills.

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Devante Doutrive scores 34 points in 116-81 win

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Twitter: latsondheimer

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