Notes: El Toro secures No. 3 seed in Division 1
LOS ALAMITOS Most of the high playoff seeds awarded to Orange County boys water polo teams Sunday were expected. But there was intrigue surrounding one spot:
No. 3 in Division 1.
There was considerable debate in the days leading up to Sunday’s playoff pairing announcement whether the coveted No. 3 seed would go to El Toro or Loyola of Los Angeles.
El Toro (25-3) claimed the No. 3 position on Sunday, placing the Chargers and No. 2 seeded Newport Harbor (23-1) on the opposite side of the bracket of top-ranked and defending champion Mater Dei (27-0).
The El Toro-Loyola debate started last week when Loyola leaped El Toro for the No. 3 spot in the Division 1 coaches poll. The Cubs beat the Chargers on Sept. 23 at the South Coast Tournament but El Toro coach Don Stoll argued that his team had a stronger body of work and was playing better heading into the postseason.
The teams played again on Saturday – El Toro won by six goals -- but after the Southern Section’s 9 a.m. deadline for playoff entries. But on Friday, El Toro had been moved back to No. 3 for the final coaches poll.
“The (coaches) committee just felt that El Toro was playing stronger now,” said Kristine Palle, Southern Section assistant commissioner.
Defending section champions Corona del Mar (Division 2) and Laguna Beach (Division 3) also earned top seeds. Villa Park (Division 2, second), Capistrano Valley (Division 3, third), Troy (Division 4, fourth) and Ocean View (Division 7, fourth) also received top-four seeds. The playoffs start Tuesday and end Nov. 19 in Irvine.
SAY BYE TO DIVISION 2
Why are there so many first-round byes in Division 2? Palle explained that because there were 22 entries in the division, section rules call for a 32-team bracket to be implemented.
The division feature 10 first-round byes.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF MURRIETA VALLEY
Postseason stalwart Murrieta Valley (14-12, 7-1) finished with the best record in the Southwestern League but because of a loss in the league's postseason tournament, was the league's No. 3 entry to the Division 2 playoffs.
Murrieta Valley also wasn't ranked in the final Division 2 poll. Last season's Division 2 runner-up could play third-seeded Long Beach Wilson in the second round Thursday.
