Here’s my look at the Division VII boys water polo playoff bracket:

Top seeds: No. 1 Katella; No. 2 Valencia; 3. Los Amigos; 4.  Lakeside

Best first-round matchup Thursday: Pacifica at Santa Ana Valley. The Falcons are seeded fifth and open against a hot Pacifica team that it defeated, 11-9, early this season. Pacifica beat Cypress and Kennedy on Friday to clinch third place in the rugged Empire League.

Darkhorse: Santa Ana Valley. Fifth-seeded Falcons could face Sunbelt champion and No. 4 Lakeside in the quarterfinals. Lakeside is a top-four seed but hails from a league rated as the second weakest in the division.

Player to watch: Dillon Avila, Katella. The senior is the reigning Division VII player of the year.

Defending champion: Katella. The Knights defeated Valencia, 7-1, in the first year of the expansion division. Katella continues to be inspired by its late coach, Grafton Weiss.

League rankings (provided by CIF-SS)

1.  Empire

2. Orange

3. Garden Grove

4. Sunbelt

5. Mt. Baldy

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