CIF-SS girls water polo playoffs
Division 3 breakdown
1st round starts: Feb. 15
Top 4 seeds: 1. Villa Park; 2. Redondo; 3. Santiago/Corona; 4. Righetti
Number of teams: 18 entries (16-team bracket)
League champions: More than you might think. There’s 11, one more than Division 1: Ocean View, Rio Mesa, Harvard-Westlake, Los Altos, Cabrillo/Lompoc, Warren, Westridge, Long Beach Wilson, La Serna, Redondo, Hillcrest.
There are even four first-round games pitting champions: Harvard-Los Altos, Warren-Westridge; LB Wilson-La Serna and Redondo-Hillcrest. This is a very competitive division.
Where are last year’s finalists? M.L. King won last year’s Division 3 crown but now resides in Division 2 as the No. 3 seed, on the same side of the bracket as No. 2 seed Riverside Poly. Arroyo Grande, last season’s Division 3 runner-up, also jumped to Division 2. The three-time CIF champs play host to Temple City in a tough first round Tuesday.
O.C. best hope: Villa Park. The Spartans finished second to Division 1 Foothill in the Crestview League, falling, 10-5, in a respectable showing.
Fun facts: Villa Park is competing in Division 3 for the first time and seeking its first CIF crown. The Spartans were twice Division 2 runner-ups to Corona del Mar. … Redondo has never reached a section final.
Final poll: 1. Villa Park; 2. Redondo; 3. Santiago/Corona; 4. Righetti; 5. Harvard; 6. Warren; 7. LB Wilson; 8. Rancho Cucamonga; 9. Rio Mesa; 10. La Serna
