County Water Polo Teams Play 2-A Wild-Card Matches Today

Four Orange County water polo teams will face off today in wild-card games to open the Southern Section 2-A Division playoffs.

La Quinta will play at Valencia for the chance to play Palos Verdes on Thursday. Estancia will play at Magnolia with the winner playing Alhambra.

All games begin at 3:15 p.m.

Defending 4-A champion Corona del Mar, the second-ranked team in the county, was also among the wild-card teams announced Monday by the Southern Section office.

A forfeited league game dropped Corona del Mar (22-4) into a tie for the Sea View League title, but the Sea Kings lost a subsequent coin flip. Newport Harbor and University received the league’s two playoff berths, and Corona del Mar will play at Esperanza (10-5) Wednesday. The winner will play Friday at second-seeded Sunny Hills.

In the other 4-A Division wild-card game, Santa Ana Valley will play at Sonora for the chance to play third-seeded Long Beach Wilson Friday.

El Dorado (16-4) is the top-seeded team in the 4-A Division and will play host to Millikan (7-18) Friday. Fourth-seeded Newport Harbor (19-6) will play host to Long Beach Poly (15-11).

Costa Mesa (14-9), the second-seeded team in the 2-A Division, will play host Thursday to the winner of the wild-card game between Don Lugo and Bonita.

There are no county schools among the top-seeded teams in the 3-A Division.

Pairings on page C10.