South Coast Tournament to showcase Div 1 contenders

Mater Dei and senior attacker Nick Lavayan are seeded first for this week's South Coast Tournament, which the Monarchs have won four consecutive years. — Mater Dei and senior attacker Nick Lavayan are seeded first for this week’s South Coast Tournament, which the Monarchs have won four consecutive years.

By Dan Albano | dalbano@scng.com | Orange County Register

September 25, 2014 at 8:41 a.m.

The reigning CIF Division 1 boys water polo champion won’t be part of this week’s South Coast Tournament but there are plenty of other contenders to make it an important gathering for the Southern Section’s elite division.

Nine of the 10 teams ranked in the most recent Division 1 poll entered the early-season, 32-team tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at four Orange County schools.

The notable absentee is defending Division 1 champion Harvard-Westlake of Studio City (9-0), which traditionally doesn’t play in the tournament.

And while Division 1 is chasing the Wolverines, the group also is chasing Mater Dei, Orange County’s top-ranked team and the four-time defending South Coast Tournament champion.

Servite coach Mustafa Hassan said Harvard-Westlake and Mater Dei have separated themselves in Division 1 but he believes there is more parity throughout the rest of the division.

So perhaps at the South Coast Tournament, one of the contenders from the No. 3 spot or below will emerge as a stronger team or perhaps Mater Dei (5-1) will solidify itself as the top challenger for Harvard-Westlake.

Loyola of Los Angeles (5-1), seeded second and ranked third in the latest poll, leads the list of Division 1 contenders who could rise this weekend. Loyola’s company includes No. 5 seeded Huntington Beach (6-1), No. 6 seed Newport Harbor (2-6), No. 7 seed Corona del Mar (1-1), No. 8 seed Agoura, No. 11 seed Servite (7-3) and No. 12 Long Beach Wilson (5-0).

The intrigue will start in the first round Thursday. Santa Margarita (3-1) plays host to San Clemente (2-1) at 4 p.m. while El Toro (1-2) and No. 9 Los Alamitos (2-2) clash at Corona del Mar at 4 p.m. In the Santa Margarita-San Clemente, a few teammates from Orange County Water Polo Club will face off.

The El Toro-Los Al match pits Griffins coach Brent Danna against his alma mater. Orange Lutheran (5-2), tied for 10^th in the county this week with San Clemente, takes on nearby neighbor Villa Park (2-2) at Newport Harbor at 4 p.m.

Outside of Division 1, the top-seeded teams in Division 3 (Laguna Beach) and Division 2 (Foothill) are seeded third and fourth, respectively. The final is scheduled for Saturday at Newport Harbor at 4:05 p.m.