Local polo quartet looks to make splash in CIF playoffs

Four local boys’ water polo squads are set for teh postseason when the CIF Southern Section playoffs get underway Tuesday, as they learned their fate when the CIF office released playoff pairings Saturday morning.

Pacific League champion Hoover High and third-place Crescenta Valley will take part in the Division II playoffs, while Prep League tri-champion Flintridge Prep was placed in Division IV and Rio Hondo League titlist La Cañada is highly-seeded in Division V.

The first round of the 16-team, four-round Division II playoffs will commence Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Despite finishing with a sterling 21-5 record that includes a first-ever South Bay Tournament championship, a Pacific League Tournament win and the program’s first league crown since 1989, Hoover was unseeded and ranked only No. 8 in the division.

The Tornadoes, who have won 10 straight, will host Channel League at-large team Dos Pueblos. The Chargers finished fourth in their league and posted a 15-14 record.

Last season, Hoover defeated San Luis Obispo, 18-10, in the first round of the Division IV playoffs before losing to El Segundo, 13-5, in the quarterfinals.

A Hoover win would advance the Tornadoes into the quarterfinals on Saturday against top-seeded Orange Coast League champion Laguna Beach (12-1) or Ocean League second-place Santa Monica (17-11).

In regards to 2015, no team enjoyed a more magical run locally than Crescenta Valley.

The Falcons finished with a 26-7 record and advanced to the program’s first CIF title game since 2008 before losing to top-seeded Righetti, 11-2, in the Division IV championships at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine.

The path back to a title game is a treacherous one for Crescenta Valley and begins with an immediate challenge as the Falcons travel to fourth-seeded Moore League champion Long Beach Wilson (15-12). The game will be played at Belmont Plaza pool.

While Crescenta Valley moved up two divisions in the offseason, Wilson is coming down from Division I, where it reached the quarterfinals last year before losing to eventual Division I champion Mater Dei.

An upset win for the Falcons would vault them into Saturday’s quarterfinals against Southwestern League champion Murrieta Valley (18-9) or Pacific Coast League runner-up Beckman (12-11).

Maybe the biggest comeback story of 2016 is in Division V, where La Cañada received the area’s highest seed at No. 2 in the 32-team, five-round tournament and will open the first round Tuesday at Pasadena City College at 5 p.m.

The Spartans are red-hot, having won eight of nine games. On Thursday, La Cañada defeated San Marino, 15-10, to clinch an outright Rio Hondo League title and finish with a 17-8 overall record.

“It’s really exciting because the No. 2 seed is a testament to the boys’ hard work,” La Cañada first-year Coach Josh Rodriguez said. “As a coach, I just want to see my team play at the highest-level and we’ve been doing that.”

It was only a year ago that La Cañada missed the playoffs for the first time this century.

The Spartans will open against Pac-8 League third-place finisher Atascadero (13-12).

A win would send La Cañada into Thursday’s second round against Inland Valley No. 2 seed JW North (15-12) or Tri-Valley League No. 2 Carpinteria (5-5).

“We’ve had a lot of growing pains this year, but we’ve got the team to focus and forget about the individual,” Rodriguez said. “They’re playing together as a team and that’s exciting to see as well.”

Flintridge Prep will begin its postseason run in Tuesday’s first round of the 32-team Division IV playoffs.

The Rebels will host Pac-8 League fourth seed San Luis Obispo (13-13) at Pasadena Poly at 3 p.m.

This is the third straight postseason the Rebels will face a squad from the Pac-8 League.

Flintridge Prep is 0-2 during that stretch with a 16-4 quarterfinal loss to Righetti coming in 2015, which came after a 13-10 defeat to Arroyo Grande at home in the first round of the 2014 Division IV playoffs.

Over the last four postseasons, the Rebels are a combined 3-2 against playoffs teams from other leagues.

“I’m really excited to be in another postseason,” Flintridge Prep Coach Dan Hare said. “I don’t remember the last time we’ve entered the playoffs with so much momentum. We had the toughest games of the year right at the end and I think that will serve as our benefit.”

Flintridge Prep does enter with momentum, having beaten Brentwood and Chadwick in the final two games of the regular season to forge a three-way tie for the league crown.

“That clinched our third straight league title and we have a couple of seniors who have been part of the three championships and have a 27-3 league record, which is awesome,” Hare said. “I’d love for them to add another playoff win.”

A win sends Flintridge Prep into Thursday’s second round against Moore League No. 2 Long Beach Poly (12-16) or Mission League at-large team Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (14-11).