Back Bay polo units ready for rematches

CdM, Newport Harbor won’t have any secrets in scheduled games against Santa Margarita and Foothill, respectively.As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. Now that may or may not be true, but the girls’ water polo teams at Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar have gotten awfully cozy with some of their foes lately.

The Sailors met up with Foothill on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, where the Sea Kings squared off against Santa Margarita. As it so happens, they’ll all meet again this week.

Newport Harbor gets a return engagement with the Knights in a Sea View League game Wednesday at 3 p.m. The host Sailors will be looking for a little revenge after losing, 4-3, in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions.

Oh yeah, the winner will essentially earn the league title and a likely No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Nothing much riding on this match.

Meanwhile, Corona del Mar gets a rematch against Santa Margarita in a nonleague contest Saturday at 1 p.m. The Sea Kings would love nothing more than a repeat of their 7-2 win over the Eagles in a Tournament of Champions semifinal.

* High school boys’ basketball, Costa Mesa at Ocean View, 7 p.m. Tuesday: The Mustangs have done well early in the Golden West League, staying at the top of the league standings. Now comes a significant test as they take on Ocean View, one of the well-regarded programs in Orange County. A win here doesn’t guarantee anything but a leg up on the competition as the season begins to move toward the home stretch.

* High school girls’ water polo, Costa Mesa at Saddleback, 3:15 p.m. Wednesday: Heading into the season, Saddleback was considered the favorite in the Golden West League with Costa Mesa not far behind. Now, they’ll get a chance to face off against each other in the pool. With only one round of league play, this should settle much in the league race.

* College men’s basketball, UC Irvine at UC Riverside, 7 p.m. Thursday: It’s time for the first-place Anteaters’ latest close-up, as KVMD-TV broadcasts this Big West Conference matchup.

This could be a high-scoring affair as UC Riverside utilizes its take on the run-and-gun style. The Highlanders do have a win over conference power Pacific under their belt.

* High school girls’ soccer, Estancia at Costa Mesa, 3:15 p.m. Thursday: The intracity rivalry continues with this Golden West League showdown.

The Mustangs have picked up right where they left off, while the Eagles have made strides under new/old Coach Steve Crenshaw. Be sure to call ahead, as this game may move to Orange Coast College.

* High school boys’ basketball, Northwood at Corona del Mar, 7 p.m. Friday: With everyone else in the Pacific Coast League having sustained two league losses already, this is easily a championship-level game.

The Sea Kings figure to rely on their frontcourt strength to counteract Northwood’s guard play.

* High school wrestling, San Clemente Rotary Tournament, 9 a.m. Saturday: OK, no one’s making any claims about Corona del Mar or Newport Harbor being among the county elite in wresting.

Still, both squads are hoping to get a good feel for where they stand at this tournament hosted by one of the county’s top programs.

* College women’s tennis, Pepperdine at UC Irvine, 11 a.m.: It’s homecoming weekend for Newport Harbor High grads Natalie Braverman and Vanessa Dunlap, both members of the Waves. Both should see action in this nonconference match against the Anteaters, who make their home debut here.