Sailors initiate defense of CIF crown

The Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team begins defense of its CIF Southern Section Division I championship on Wednesday, when it will be among four Newport-Mesa schools taking part in first-round playoff games in their respective divisions.

The Sailors (20-7), ranked No. 5 in the final regular-season Division I poll, play host to University at 3 p.m.

Corona del Mar (17-9), the Pacific Coast League champion, ranked No. 6 in the final Division I poll, is also at home in the first round against Northwood.

Costa Mesa (18-10), which advanced to the postseason for the first time in three years after a second-place finish in the Orange Coast League, will visit Redlands East Valley in the opening round of Division III play.

Coach Justin Taylor’s Mustangs were ranked No. 10 in the final Division III poll, one spot behind their first-round foe.

Sage Hill (13-9), making its third straight playoff appearance after finishing third in the five-team Orange Coast League, will visit top-seeded Montebello.

Newport Harbor is a heavy favorite against University, the Pacific Coast League runner-up. And a victory for Coach Jason Lynch’s Sailors would likely set up a quarterfinal clash Friday with No. 4-seeded Santa Barbara, the Channel League champion.

The Sailors defeated Northwood, 11-3, in last year’s section title game, giving the Tars their 12th section crown.

Should CdM, as expected, get past Northwood, the third-place representative from the Sea View League, Coach Barry O’Dea’s Sea Kings would likely face No. 3-seeded Los Alamitos in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Foothill is the top seed in Division I, while El Toro is the No. 2 seed.

Should Costa Mesa earn a first-round triumph, it would likely meet No. 3-seeded Murrieta Valley in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The semifinals are scheduled Nov. 19 and the finals are set for Nov. 22. The Division I semifinals and finals are at Irvine High. In Division III, the semifinals are at Mt. San Antonio College, with the title game at Irvine High.

— Barry Faulkner