Newport Harbor boys’ water polo earns No. 2 seed in CIF Division 1 playoffs
![Senior defender Reed Stemler, shown shooting against Coronado on Sept. 7, is a key player for the Newport Harbor boys' water polo team.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/29d2504/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2Ff7%2F18aaf94b4847904ddec3f6355bcb%2Ftn-photos-freelance-contract-tn-dpt-sp-nb-newport-coronado-polo-20190907.04.jpg)
The Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team has earned the No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs as the section released brackets on Saturday.
The Sailors are the only local team seeded top-four in their division. However, eight other teams will compete in the playoffs, including Huntington Beach (Division 1), Corona del Mar (Division 2), Laguna Beach (Division 2), Edison (Division 3), Costa Mesa (Division 3), Los Amigos (Division 5), Estancia (Division 5) and Marina (Division 5).
Surf League champion Newport Harbor (24-3), last year’s Division 1 runner-up, will host Marmonte League champion Westlake Village Oaks Christian (21-7) in a Division 1 quarterfinal match Thursday at 5 p.m.
Huntington Beach (17-8), the Surf League runner-up, will play on the road against Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran (16-9) in a quarterfinal match Thursday.
Each of the first-round matches in Divisions 2-5 are also scheduled for 5 p.m.
In Division 2, CdM (18-10) plays at Del Rio League champion Whittier La Serna (13-14) in the first round Wednesday. Laguna Beach (15-12) plays at Ivy League champion Riverside Poly (21-9). The Sea Kings and Breakers finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Surf League and each earned at-large bids to the postseason.
Orange Coast League champion Costa Mesa (10-4) and Wave League runner-up Edison (12-15) each earned home matches in the first round of Division 3 on Tuesday. Costa Mesa hosts Rancho Cucamonga (14-9), the third-place team from the Baseline League. Edison hosts Rio Hondo League runner-up Temple City (13-15).
Division 5 first-round matches are also on Tuesday, and there is a local-local pairing as Orange Coast League runner-up Estancia (20-8) will host Marina (13-13), the third-place team from the Wave League. The match has been moved to Costa Mesa High at 6 p.m.
Estancia and Marina split two previous meetings this season.
Los Amigos (8-18) earned the Garden Grove League title. The Lobos will host Trabuco Hills (16-7), an at-large team from the Sea View League.
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