Girls Take Center Stage in Holiday Tournaments

The last week of the holiday tournament season brings with it the big guns. It is an especially big week for girls’ sports.

The Orange County Championships begin Tuesday, and bring together eight girls’ basketball teams that have been in the county’s top 10 poll. The top soccer showcase for girls in Southern California, the Excalibur tournament, begins Wednesday. Some of Southern California’s top girls’ water polo teams begin play Thursday in the Corona del Mar-Newport Harbor tournament.

The focus of boys’ basketball on a national scale shifts from Las Vegas to Del Mar, and the Marina tournament has some of the best boys’ soccer teams participating.

The following is a look at some of the showcase events on this week’s schedule of tournaments in the Southland:

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Torrey Pines National Prep Classic

Tuesday-Saturday, San Diego (four sites): Santa Margarita will enter the fray in the 16-team National Division, which includes L.A. City Section powers Fairfax, led by Craig Smith and Evan Burns, and Fremont, led by Mark Bradford. The National Division also includes defending Division I state champion Concord De La Salle and Rialto Eisenhower. Orange County will also be represented by Los Alamitos, Ocean View, Fountain Valley and Capistrano Valley in the tournament that includes a total of 58 teams in four divisions.

Brea Olinda Tournament

Tuesday-Saturday, Brea Olinda High: Host Brea Olinda looks to defend its title in a 16-team tournament that includes only one other Orange County team, Esperanza.

Orange Holiday Classic

Tuesday-Friday, Chapman University: It should be a wide-open tournament as Mater Dei has chosen to play elsewhere. Among the 10 county teams are Aliso Niguel, Valencia, Loara, Irvine, Tustin and Foothill. Games in the Hutton Sports Center begin at 9 a.m. daily, with the last game each day beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Century Holiday Classic

Tuesday-Saturday, Century High: In addition to the contingent from the Santa Ana Unified School District--Saddleback, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Valley and host Century--this tournament is heavy on local flavor. Only Bellflower St. John Bosco is from beyond the Orange Curtain.

Estancia Coast Holiday Classic

Tuesday-Saturday, Estancia High: El Dorado, ranked No. 5 in the Orange County sportswriters’ poll, appears to be the favorite. The Golden Hawks open against Corona del Mar in Tuesday’s late game. Marina, the defending champion, begins play on Wednesday afternoon against Riverside Notre Dame.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Ayala Tournament

Tuesday-Saturday, Chino Hills Ayala High: This tournament annually provides a sneak peek at many of the teams that will be playing in Southern Section finals in March. Host Ayala is strong as usual. With defending champion Harbor City Narbonne, also the state champion, traveling to North Carolina, Lynwood will be the team to beat.

Marina Holiday Classic

Tuesday-Friday, Marina High: Santa Margarita has been playing like it belongs in the Tournament of Champions. The Eagles aren’t the only county teams looking to nab a title. Capistrano Valley, Marina, El Dorado and Pacifica--which play Tuesday at 9 a.m.--all have their scopes aimed at the championship.

Garden Grove Christmas Tournament

Tuesday-Saturday, Garden Grove High: (First Round): Dec. 26, 3 p.m.--Century vs. Bolsa Grande, 4:30--Fullerton vs. Whittier California, 6--Paramount vs. La Mirada, 7:30--Magnolia vs. Downey Warren; Dec. 27, 3 p.m.--Anaheim vs. Saddleback, 4:30--Hacienda Heights Wilson vs. Sunny Hills, 6--Kennedy vs. Northwood, 7:30--Trabuco Hills vs. Garden Grove.

* Championship: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

* Defending champion: Anaheim

* Information: (714) 663-6173

Costa Mesa Winter Classic

Tuesday-Friday, Costa Mesa High: Woodbridge, ranked seventh in Orange County, is the team to beat, and Westminster is among those hoping to do it. Another team that could challenge for the title is Kirkland (Wash.) Lake Washington. Costa Mesa is the defending champion, winning last season for the first time in Coach Jim Weeks’ 18-year tenure.

Santiago Cavalier Classic

Wednesday-Saturday, Santiago High: Sonora, which won the Mission Viejo Jim Hill Memorial, goes for its second consecutive tournament title. Norco could provide the toughest challenge, and they will meet in a pool-play game on Thursday, 5 p.m.

Savanna Lady Rebel Holiday Tournament

Tuesday-Saturday, Savanna High: Dec. 27, 9 a.m.--Orange Lutheran vs. La Quinta, 10:30--Cypress vs. West Torrance, 12 p.m.--Compton vs. Downey Calvary Chapel, 1:30--Orange vs. Valencia, 3--Calgary (Canada) St. Mary’s vs. Downey, 4:30--Savanna vs. Santa Ana, 6--Port Hope (Canada) Trinity College vs. Torrance, 7:30--La Habra vs. Aliso Niguel.

* Defending champion: Valencia

* Information: (714) 220-4266

Orange County Championships

Tuesday-Saturday, Edison High: The top teams in Orange County, No. 1 Troy, the defending champion, and No. 2 San Clemente are the favorites and could provide a championship rematch of a 55-52 San Clemente victory a few weeks ago. No. 4 Rosary, No. 5 Esperanza and No. 6 Irvine are also on hand. The only out-of-county entry, Riverside North, is the defending section I-A champion and is beginning to put things together. Laguna Hills, the team that went 0-4 in last season’s tournament, went on to win a section title, so even the losers here can be winners.

* Championship: Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m.

* Information: (714) 962-1356

BOYS’ SOCCER

Mustang Cup

Wednesday-Friday, Trabuco Hills High: Woodbridge, led by national development players Roy Chingarian, Eric Ebert and Pieter Berger, is the team to beat in a tournament that also features Edison, Capistrano Valley, Santa Margarita and Fresno Clovis West.

Play begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday and the title match is at 7 p.m. Friday.

Marina Tournament

Wednesday-Friday, Marina High: Long Beach Millikan, the top-ranked team in Southern Section Division I, is the favorite in this tournament that also includes Mater Dei, top-ranked in Division II and in Orange County; Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Dana Hils and Esperanza, among others. Play begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. and the title match is Friday at 1 p.m.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Excalibur Tournament

Wednesday-Friday, Foothill High: The premier girls’ soccer tournament in the Southland is a 32-team, three-day event that annually features many of the top teams in Southern California.

Defending Division I champion Capistrano Valley is also the two-time defending champion in the tournament.

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday and concludes with the title game at 2:10 p.m. Friday.

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

Corona del Mar-Newport Harbor Tournament

Thursday-Friday, Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor highs: The two-day tournament will feature six of the county’s top 10 teams. Top-ranked Foothill, the Southern Section Division I defending champion, and third-ranked Santa Margarita, which won the Division IV title last season, are entered.

Top out-of-area teams entered include defending Division II champion Santa Barbara, Carlsbad, which won the San Diego Section Division I title last season, and El Cajon Valhalla and Poway.

The championship of the 18-team tournament is at noon Friday at Newport Harbor.