I've completed the final county poll for boys water polo for 2008, and the list starts with Jay Lovero (left) and the Division I champion Knights:

1. Foothill
2. El Toro
3. Los Alamitos
4. Mater Dei
5. Newport Harbor
6. Corona del Mar
7. Servite
8. JSerra
9. Villa Park
10. Esperanza

Albano's comment: Foothill defeated El Toro in the two biggest matches of the season (Sea View League final, CIF Division I final). And in both games, the Knights were clearly the better squad. El Toro played well in capturing Masters but at this point, the peak events are the section finals.

The draw for the 16-team event was released Monday. The third-year tournament will be played Friday at Capistrano Valley and Mater Dei. The games on Saturday will be at Newport Harbor.

Top-seeded Foothill (24-7) opens Friday against Division VII champion Katella (22-9) at Capistrano Valley at 9 a.m.

The first-round match will pit Foothill against Katella co-coach Dave Mikesell, a former age-group coach for several Foothill players.

Second-seeded El Toro (29-3) will meet Division VI champion Crescenta Valley in the first round Friday at Mater Dei.

The Chargers' side of the draw also includes Division II champion and third-seeded Mater Dei (24-7) and at-large entries Newport Harbor (21-8) and Corona del Mar (18-10). Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar, seeded sixth and seventh, each lost in the Division I quarterfinals.

El Toro is a two-time Masters runner-up.

Defending champion Los Alamitos (25-6) is seeded fourth and will start on Foothill's side of the bracket. The Griffins open against at-large entry Villa Park (22-8) on Friday at Capistrano Valley.

Servite and JSerra also are on Foothill's side of the draw. The eighth-seeded Friars (20-14) open Friday against Division IV champion and No. 9 Cerritos (24-9) at Capistrano Valley. Servite edged Cerritos, 12-11, in a tournament late in the regular season.

JSerra (19-10) is seeded 12th and opens against Division II semifinalist and No. 5 Santa Barbara (23-8) at Capistrano Valley at 11:30 a.m.

“It's hard to seed because they are so many good teams,” said Foothill coach Jim Brumm, who helped with the tournament draw.

Masters tournament
Upper bracket
(All games at Capistrano Valley High)

Foothill (No. 1 seed) vs. Katella (16), 9 a.m.

Servite (8) vs. Cerritos (9), 10:15 a.m. 

Santa Barbara (5) vs. JSerra (12), 11:30 a.m.  

Los Alamitos (4) vs. Villa Park (13) at 12:45 a.m. 

Lower bracket
(All games at Mater Dei)

Mater Dei (3) vs. Los Osos (14) 9 a.m.

Newport Harbor (6) vs. Riverside Poly (11) 10:15 a.m. 

Corona del Mar (7) vs. Montebello (10) 11:30 a.m. 

El Toro (2) vs. Crescenta Valley (15) 12:45 p.m.

BOYS WATER POLO

DIVISION I

EL TORO (29-2) VS. FOOTHILL (23-7)

Site, time: William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center (adjacent to Irvine HS), 8 p.m.

Outlook: For as intense as this rivalry has been at times, the teams have rarely met in the playoffs. Foothill leads the teams’ postseason series, 2-0. The Knights won a Division I quarterfinal in 2004 and a Division I semifinal in 1995 en route their only section title. The teams have split two matches this season but Foothill captured the most important one. Foothill won the match for Sea View League title, 11-10, in overtime. An apparent goal by El Toro at the end of overtime was waved off because time expired. Goalie Jay Lovero led Foothill in the thrilling match with a career-high 23 saves, including a tone-setting block against El Toro standout Griffin White (119 goals) on a early breakaway. El Toro won the teams’ first meeting, 6-5, at the South Coast Tournament. White and Foothill’s Paul Reynolds each have scored a combined six goals in the teams’ two matches. The Chargers are coming off an 11-4 victory against Los Alamitos, the most lopsided Division I semifinal match since ’98. El Toro is 4-1 in Division I finals under Coach Don Stoll. Foothill is 1-4 in Division I finals under Coach Jim Brumm. Three of Foothill’s losses came against Long Beach Wilson.

DIVISION I SEMIFINALS

SANTA BARBARA (23-7) VS. FOOTHILL (22-7)

SITE, TIME: William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, 7 p.m.

PREDICTION: The defense will cancel each other out, so this one comes down to offense. With the driving of Paul Reynolds, the power of Brenden Verloop at 2 meters and the perimeter strength of Paul Pickell and Clayton McFadden, the Knights will find more ways to score against a tough and physical Santa Barbara defense. Foothill advances to faces El Toro.