CdM, Newport start big test today

It’s finals week at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools.

But while the water polo equivalent — the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs — is still two weeks away, this week amounts to at least a difficult midterm in the water.

Both the Sailors and Sea Kings won league games on Wednesday, and both are entered in the Irvine Southern California Championships, which begin today, run through Saturday and feature an impressive 32-team field.

Counting the league games, both teams should play six games over a four-day span.

“What other sport can you say that about?” CdM Coach Aaron Chaney said. “It’s a good opportunity to play some good water polo. The biggest thing is trying to keep the girls mentally engaged, focused and prepared.”

CdM (15-5) and Newport Harbor (14-7) are both top seeds of their eight-team groups. They’ll play games at the host pools of CdM and El Toro, respectively, today and Friday. Tourney defending champ Foothill and Montebello are the top seeds at the Irvine High swim pool and water polo pool.

Corona del Mar, ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division I, opens its tournament today at 3 p.m. against Capistrano Valley at CdM. A win in the first game would put the Sea Kings into another pool-play game tonight at 7 against either Dos Pueblos or Mira Costa.

The Sea Kings, who reached the title game last year, could potentially face either Whittier (ranked No. 1 in Division III), or Long Beach Wilson (No. 6 in Division I), in a quarterfinal game Friday at 6 p.m., at CdM.

“A lot of it comes down to mental toughness,” Chaney said. “At this time of the season, you’ve been practicing for 10, 11 weeks. Maybe things aren’t as fresh for the girls as before. But it’s important for us to continue playing well.”

Coach Bill Barnett’s Sailors, ranked No. 4 in Division I, open play today at 3 p.m. against Canyon, at El Toro. With a win, the Sailors would advance to play either Villa Park or Cabrillo tonight at 7.

If the brackets play out, Newport Harbor could advance to play either Agoura (ranked No. 2 in Division II) or El Toro (No. 7 in Division I) in a championship quarterfinal Friday at 6 p.m.

The semifinals and title game are on Saturday at Irvine High. CdM and Newport Harbor hope to meet in an all-Back Bay semifinal at 11 a.m. The title game is scheduled for 3 p.m.