League titles hang in balance today

The Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar boys’ water polo teams have big games today, both with league title implications.

Newport Harbor plays host to Los Alamitos tonight at 7 in a Sunset League game. Both the Sailors (18-2, 3-0 in league) and the Griffins (19-6, 3-0) are undefeated in league, with just one more league game next week.

The Sea Kings, meanwhile, play host to University in their Pacific Coast League finale at 3 p.m. Both CdM (14-6, 3-0) and University (12-10, 2-0) also haven’t lost in league.

Newport Harbor Coach Jason Lynch and CdM Coach Barry O’Dea were both hopeful Tuesday that the games would be played, despite lingering smoke issues from the Santiago Canyon fire. A decision is expected to be made by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District superintendent this morning.

Lynch’s Sailors, the top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, are trying to defend their Sunset League title of a year ago. But No. 6-ranked Los Alamitos played Newport Harbor tough last year, before the Tars secured a 4-3 overtime win.

“They should be fired up again,” Lynch said. “I don’t think they’ll just roll over and hand [the league title] to us.”

Lynch said Los Alamitos’ best player is junior driver Austin Trinkle, who scores over four goals a game.

“He’s a perimeter shooter,” Lynch said. “Our goal is to contain him as much as we can. They have a kind of unorthodox offense ... I think we’re prepared. I liked the way we were playing defensively, and especially offensively, against CdM [in Saturday’s 14-9 nonleague win].”

Colin McKibbin and Clinton Jorth each scored four goals against CdM, and the Tars also got five goals out of the set position (David Linden, Matt Russell and Zach Osadche).

CdM, ranked No. 5 in Division I, knows University will also be fired up. The Sea Kings had a tough 7-5 victory at Uni last year on their way to their second straight Pacific Coast League title under O’Dea.

And, O’Dea said, the Trojans are even stronger this year.

“Their team is much more solid,” O’Dea said. “We played them a few times this summer, and they were all close games. They’re pumped up to play us.”

He added that his team, led by seniors Chris Cottrell and Evan Zepfel, will be taking nothing for granted, as University has a strong player at two-meters that the Sea Kings need to keep their eyes on.

“It’s two groups of high school kids playing against each other,” O’Dea said. “Anything can happen. We have to come out and play at a high level. League championships don’t just come, you have to win them.”

Both Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar will then travel north to the TruWest Memorial Cup Invitational, a two-day tournament in San Jose that begins Friday.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.