WINTER SPORTS RANKINGS/ FINAL REGULAR SEASON

BOYS’ SOCCER

Cathedral City supplants Irvine Woodbridge as the No. 2-ranked team after concluding the regular season Thursday with its 17th consecutive victory. Woodbridge played to ties in its final two games of the regular season. San Pedro makes its first appearance in the rankings after Moreno Valley Valley View upset No. 7 Riverside Poly, 3-1, in an Ivy League game. Riverside Poly defeated Woodbridge, tied Santa Margarita and lost to Cathedral City by one goal this season, but the Bears have suffered three other defeats to lesser teams.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Santa Margarita (19-1-4, SS-Div. I)...1

2. Cathedral City (23-2-1, SS-Div. IV)...3

3. Woodbridge (13-1-4, SS-Div. II)...2

4. Santa Barbara (21-2-2, SS-Div. II)...4

5. Long Beach Wilson (21-0-5, SS-Div. I)...5

6. Mater Dei (17-2-6, SS-Div. I)...6

7. El Toro (17-2-6, SS-Div. I)...8

8. Damien (21-1-3, SS-Div. I)...9

9. Loyola (19-1-5, SS-Div. II)...10

10. San Pedro (20-1, City)...NR

-- John Ortega

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GIRLS’ SOCCER

Mission Viejo, which did not make the playoffs last season, won a hard-earned South Coast League championship and winds up the regular season ranked No. 1 for the first time this season. Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley has had a forgettable last two weeks and falls to No. 6 after posting two ties followed by a 2-1 loss to Lake Forest El Toro and a 3-1 loss to Dana Point Dana Hills to end the regular season. Defending Division I champion San Clemente, the second-place finisher in the South Coast League, closed strongly with victories over Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills and Dana Hills. El Toro rebounded well from a difficult last two weeks to finish third and earn the last guaranteed playoff berth out of the South Coast League with a 1-1 tie with Mission Viejo and a victory over Capistrano Valley. The Cougars finished in a fourth-place tie in league with Dana Hills. Canyon Country Canyon suffered its only loss of the season last week, to Newhall Hart in a Foothill League game.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Mission Viejo (12-3-7, SS-Div. I)...5

2. Harvard-Westlake (15-0-5, SS-Div. I)...2

3. Santa Margarita (15-5-3, SS-Div. I)...3

4. Edison (18-3-4, SS-Div. I)...4

5. San Clemente (11-4-5, SS-Div. I)...6

6. Capistrano Valley (14-6-3, SS-Div. I)...1

7. El Toro (7-10-3, SS-Div. I)...9

8. El Camino Real (18-1-3, City)...7

9. Arcadia (15-0-6, SS-Div. II)...10

10. CC Canyon (18-1-0, SS-Div. II)...8

-- Lauren Peterson

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GIRLS’ WATER POLO

After some nudging from the folks at Villa Park, it’s time to forgive the Spartans for their short-handed, 5-4 loss to Upland at the Villa Park tournament in mid-December and recognize them for their excellent play of late. Villa Park finished the regular season by winning seven of its last nine games, with its only losses by one goal each to Santa Margarita and Long Beach Wilson at the Irvine Southern California Invitational. Santa Ana Foothill closed out an undefeated regular season with a 10-4 victory Wednesday over Newport Harbor. It was the 33rd victory in a row for the Knights and gave them their first Sea View title and fourth consecutive league championship.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Foothill (26-0, SS-Div. I)...1

2. Newport Harbor (22-5, SS-Div. I)...2

3. Corona del Mar (21-5, SS-Div. II)...3

4. Santa Margarita (18-8, SS-Div. I)...4

5. Santa Barbara (23-4, SS-Div. IV)...5

6. Long Beach Wilson (17-8, SS-Div. I)...6

7. Riverside Poly (25-3, SS-Div. V)...7

8. Villa Park (19-9, SS-Div. II)...9

9. Upland (27-2, SS-Div. V)...8

10. Los Alamitos (21-6, SS-Div. I)...10

-- Dan Arritt