IRVINE — The CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys' water polo playoffs are still about a month away, but it's never too early to start thinking about them.
Perhaps more accurately, it's never too early to start thinking about avoiding Mater Dei in the semifinals.
Newport Harbor took a big step in doing just that late Saturday afternoon at Woollett Aquatics Center. The Sailors defeated Long Beach Wilson, 7-5, in the third-place match of the 20th S&R Sport Southern California water polo tournament.
The Sailors are ranked No. 3 in CIF, and Wilson is No. 4. The rankings should stay that way for now, as Newport Harbor (16-4) notched its second victory over the Bruins this year. The Sailors also won he teams' nonleague meeting, 9-8, on Sept. 10.
"If we lost this one, Wilson has the right to say that they could be in the third position," Newport Harbor Coach Robert Lynn said. "Then I would have to say, 'Well, the head-to-head [nonleague] game counts more.' I don't want to [have to] say that. I want to say that every time we play them, we're going to win. It was big for us to win today. Our guys knew that, and they stepped up."
