The first top 10 vote of the season is difficult in any sport, but especially so for baseball. Teams beat better teams because the better team went with its No. 4 starting pitcher, or brought up a JV guy who won’t pitch in a varsity league game, etc.
But here it goes — first top 10 vote of this baseball season …
El Toro pulled out an early lead over El Camino that the Wildcats couldn’t recover.
This was the first round of the California State Playoffs keeping Charger hopes of a statewide victory alive.
Video by Scott Bagley, OCVarsity.com.
Click here to read game recap and view photos.
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Mater Dei was placed into the Open Division as expected in the CIF Southern California Regionals. The Monarchs will have a first-round home game.
El Toro and Mission Viejo also have first-round home games, in Division 1. Villa Park has a first-round home game in Division 2, and Tustin is at home in the first round in Division 3.
This is the first season of the Open division in the CIF State Championships. Teams have to meet standards, like having qualified for the Regionals in three of the past four years, to be selected to the Open Division. There seven teams in the Open Division in the CIF Northern California Regiaonsl and seven in the Open Division in the CIF Southern California Regionals.
Regionals champions in six divisions meet in the CIF State Championships in Sacramento, March 22 and 23.
Many teams that lost in CIF-Southern Section semifinals were selected to the Regionals, including Mission Viejo, Dana Hills, Ocean View and Tesoro.
A first-round game featuring two Orange County teams playing each other is rare, but it is happening inn Division 3 on Wednesday when Ocean View plays at Tustin.
First round games are Wednesday in all divisons expect for the Open Division, in which first-round games are Friday.
Regionals brackets for boys and girls basketball are here.
The Chargers shot a combined 2/24 from 3-pt land, and fell to Santa Monica 66-56 in the Division I-A championship game.
Video by Jonathan Khamis, for OCVarsity.com.
Click here to read game recap and view photos.
More videos on the OCVarsity blog:
El Toro honored one of its own earlier this week.
The Chargers recognized their former water polo standout, Brent Danna, pictured far left, during halftime of El Toro’s CIF boys basketball game against visiting Crescenta Valley.
Danna guided Crescenta Valley’ girls water polo team to the CIF-SS Division 5 championship on Feb. 23 in Irvine. Crescenta Valley defeated Riverside Poly, 10-5, and Danna celebrated afterward with a flip into the pool.
He is believed to be the first product of legendary coach Don Stoll, pictured with Danna, to capture a CIF Southern Section water polo title as a head coach.
Please send water polo news to Dan Albano at dalbano@ocregister.com
For CIF-SS basketball finals at Anaheim Convention Center, tickets are $7 for students and for children 13 and younger, and $13 for adults.
Mater Dei, El Toro and Villa Park might still be selling tickets in advance. Contact those schools for that information. It would be cash only for ticket purchases at the schools. Tickets are also at the ACC ticket office and at ticketmaster.com; both accept debit and credit cards for ticket purchases.
Parking is $12. Spectators are instructed to park in Car Park 1, the entrance for which is on Katella Ave. right across the street from the Disneyland parking lot — wait, that’s California Adventure now! — just east of the big Anaheim Convention Center sign. A parking map for the ACC is here.
Schedule for Orange County teams — Tustin vs. Royal today at 6:30 p.m., Santa Margarita vs. Damien today at 8:15 p.m.. Villa Park vs. JW North on Saturday at 4 p.m., El Toro vs. Santa Monica at 6 p.m., Mater Dei vs. Etiwanda at 8:30 p.m.
More boys basketball news from the OCVarsity blog:
The CIF-Southern Section today released dates and times for championship games.
Games involving Orange County teams, all at Anaheim Convention Center …
3AAA –Tustin vs. Royal of Simi Valley, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
3AA — Santa Margarita vs. Damien of La Verne, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.
Games potentially involving Orange County teams, all at Anaheim Convention Center …
2A — Westlake-Tesoro winner vs. Arroyo Grande-Redondo Union winner, Saturday, 2 p.m.
2AA — JW North of Riversde-Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach winner vs. Villa Park-Thousand Oaks winner, 4 p.m.
1A — El Toro-Crescenta Valley winner vs. Dana Hills-Santa Monica winner, Saturday, 6 p.m.
1Aa — Mater Dei-Inglewood winner vs. Etiwanda-Long Beach Poly winner, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
Tickets, $7-$13, will be available at participating schools Tuesday or Wednesday, and are available now at ticketmaster.com.
More boys basketball news from the OCVarsity blog:
WEDNESDAY’S CIF-SS GIRLS WATER POLO SEMIFINALS
DIVISION 2
El Toro (19-9) VS. SANTA MARGARITA (23-6)
Site, time: William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, 6:30
Outlook: The South County rivals have been top contenders in Division 2 all season but haven’t played. The second-seeded Eagles claimed the Trinity League title while El Toro captured the South Coast. Despite its lofty seeded, Santa Margarita has ground out two difficult wins against San Clemente (18-13) and Murrieta Valley (7-6 in overtime).
Here’s the semifinal schedule for Orange County’s girls water polo teams Wednesday (the county could be represented in as many as five divisional finals Saturday – which would shatter the county record of three divisions):
Division 1 at Woollett
CdM-Foothill, 5 (OCVarsity spotlight game)
Santa Barbara-Newport, 6:45
Division 2 at Woollett
Santiago/Corona-Mater Dei, 5
El Toro-Santa Margarita, 6:30 (OCVarsity spotlight game)
The Orange County media polls conclude at the end of the regular season. If the polling continued through the playoffs, this is how I would have voted today on the Orange County boys basketball top 10 …
1. Mater Dei (Division 1AA) 27-1
2. Mission Viejo (1AA) 25-3
3. JSerra (4AA) 17-8
4. Tustin (3AAA) 27-2
5. El Toro (1A) 24-5
6. Orange Lutheran (1AA) 18-9
7. Villa Park (2AA) 21-6
8. Servite (3AAA) 17-12
9. Sonora (3AAA) 24-4
10. Canyon (2A) 18-7
More boys basketball news from the OCVarsity blog:
How I voted today on the final Orange County boys basketball poll of the 2012-13 season.
Note: Mater Dei has been No. 1 in the final rankings every season since 1988-89, when Saddleback finished at No. 1.
My ballot …
1. Mater Dei (26-1, Trinity champ)
2. Mission Viejo (24-3, South Coast co-champ)
3. JSerra (15-8, Triniity 3rd)
4. El Toro (23-5, South Coast co-champ)
5. Tustin (25-2, Empire champ)
6. Orange Lutheran (17-9, Trinity 4th)
7. Sonora (23-3, Freeway champ)
8. Villa Park (20-6, Century champ)
9. Canyon (18-9, Century co-2nd … beat VP and Foothill last week)
10. Foothill (21-5, Century co-2nd)
Others I considered … Fountain Valley (20-6, Sunset champ), Tesoro (18-9, South Coast 4th), Sunny Hills (23-3, Freeway 2nd), Ocean View (20-6, Golden West champ).
El Toro quarterback Conner Manning signs his letter of intent to play for Utah.
Record-setting El Toro quarterback Conner Manning has signed this morning with Utah, his family reports.
Manning was The Register’s offensive player of the year as a junior and a first-team All-County pick this past season.
Utah is expected to have a big day in Orange County today. Westminster defensive end Myron Aiava is expected to sign with the Utes around 1 p.m.
Please send football recruiting news to Dan Albano at dalbano@ocregister.com
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Slideshow: Hot Shots Overtime 1: Friday's Division 2 baseball games (5-17-13)
Slideshow: Hot Shots Overtime 2: Friday's Division 4 and 6 baseball games (5-17-13)
Slideshow: Hot Shots Overtime: CIF Track and Field Finals (5-18-13)
Slideshow: OCVarsity Hot Shots: Friday's baseball playoffs (5-17-13)
