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  • Sunny Hills used a strong press defense en route to...

    Sunny Hills used a strong press defense en route to a 13-9 victory against Chadwick in a CIF Division 4 first round match at Splash! in La Mirada on Thursday.

  • Sunny Hills four-year varsity players, from left, Lucky Jordan, Matt...

    Sunny Hills four-year varsity players, from left, Lucky Jordan, Matt Chang, Jared Smith and Seth Nighswonger helped the Lancers reach the Division 4 quarterfinals.

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Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

Sunny Hills boys water polo coach Keith Nighswonger joked Thursday that he should have worn a USA jacket to the Lancers’ CIF Division 4 first round playoff match.

His Freeway League champion Lancers, after all, played host to Chadwick of Rolling Hills Estates and ex-U.S. Olympic assistant men’s coach and Olympic player Robert Lynn, the former Newport Harbor coach.

But after Sunny Hills scored the first four goals of the opening frame and collected a 13-9 victory at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center, Nighswonger’s mood was prideful.

Blog: Albanos’ playoff predictions

His son, Seth, scored the Lancers’ first two goals and three other four-year varsity players – Matthew Chang (four goals), defender Jared Wright (one goal) and Lucky Jordan (two goals, three assists) — contributed as Sunny Hills (21-8) reached the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.

“I really think we’ve gotten the most out of these kids,” Nighswonger said. “They’re just kids who have worked very hard for four years.”

The Lancers play host to top-seeded Righetti of Santa Maria on Saturday at Splash! at 2 p.m.

As for Lynn, he seemed comfortable with his new team, coaching with the same vigor as he brought to the pool deck at Newport Harbor. But Chadwick doesn’t feature the year-round players like during is Division 1 days, he said.

“I like it (at Chadwick),” he said. “It’s different than just water polo. I got moved into a position of P.E. teaching. … (But) I’m just encouraging (my players) to continue playing club all year round.”

Also in Division 4:

Crescenta Valley 12, Troy 9 (OT): The Warriors scored five goals in the fourth at Pasadena City College to force overtime but the fourth-seeded Falcons emerged with the victory. Warren Allen made 14 saves for Troy.

In other first-round games:

In Division 2:

El Toro 10, Damien of La Verne 9: Connor Wilde scored three goals and Rion Parenteau added two as the visiting Chargers (16-13) held for their first CIF victory since the retirement of Coach Don Stoll after the 2011 season. El Toro will play top-seeded Foothill, a 19-2 winner against Peninsula, in the quarterfinals Saturday. Chas Hornecker netted five goals for the Knights.

San Clemente 13, San Marcos 12: Colton Hamming scored six goals and Chase Hamming added four to lead the visiting Tritons, who take on fourth-seeded Mira Costa in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Dana Hills 18, Chino Hills 7: Bennett Williams scored six goals and Riley Zachary made 26 saves at San Juan Hills for the Dolphins, who play at ML King of Riverside on Saturday.

In Division 7:

Los Amigos 10, Baldwin Park 7: Celso Sanchez made 20 saves — giving him 38 in a two CIF matches — and Edward Chavez scored six goals to lead the visiting Lobos (10-16). Los Amigos, the county’s last hope in Division 7, takes on top-seeded Rio Mesa in the quarters Saturday. Rio Mesa beat Granite Hills of Apple Valley, 21-3.

In Division 6:

Segerstrom 19, Morro Bay 3: Seth Chavez scored five goals to lead the host Jaguars (24-3). The Jaguars advance to take on Empire League runner-up Valencia, a 16-12 winner against Nordhoff, in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Elsinore 13, Kennedy 12: Zachary Minott scored four goals before fouling out and Rodrigo Baca also scored four but the Empire League champions fell at home.