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Tonight should be a big night for the Bay League in a variety of sports, starting with girls volleyball where Mira Costa and Redondo will renew their rivalry tonight at 7 p.m. at Mira Costa. Redondo finally got over the hump with a league title last season, but expect the Mustangs to be out for revenge. With both teams off to a 3-0 start in league play this will go a long way toward deciding the league champion.

DAILY BREEZE BOYS WATER POLO TOP 5

1. Palos Verdes (10-2): Senior Charlie McBee was the hero in PV's 8-7 win over Mira Costa -- James Robinson, Erik Najarian and goalkeeper Alek Ruzic are among the others who make the Sea Kings No. 1 in the pool.
2. Peninsula (11-3): Panthers feature a balanced attack led by Charlie Wood, Connor Ryan and Jim Blackwood and boast an experienced and savvy netminder in senior Nick Lopez.
3. Mira Costa (6-8): Matt Thornton leads a stellar defense for the Mustangs, who must find guys who can score in crunch time.
4. Chadwick (11-4): The Blake Range & Matty Gallas Show has received contributions from its supporting cast lately, which will come in handy against top teams.
5. El Segundo (6-7): Evan Peterson is the main man for the Eagles -- Oscar Chen and Parker Blacksten are among the others looking to become legitimate offensive threats to help him out.

   Many of you likely saw the weekend story about recent Serra graduate Marqise Lee being named Cal-Hi Sports' Boys State Athlete of the Year. 

http://www.dailybreeze.com/preps/ci_18588902

   Columnist Mike Waldner also touched on Lee in a column this morning about Lee and his former Serra/current USC teammates George Farmer and Robert Woods.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_18606191

   To put in perspective the elite list Lee just joined (and Woods joined the year before), here's the all-time Cal-Hi list, which includes retroactive selections for athletes before the 1978-79 school year.

   El Segundo's Scott McGregor is also on there, but so are the likes of Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, John Elway, Jason Kidd, Mark Spitz, Greg Louganis, Darryl Strawberry and C.C. Sabathia among a host of others.  Any way you slice it, some pretty elite company for a pair of Cavaliers who appear to have bright futures at USC and beyond.

   Here's the list ...

ALL-TIME BOYS STATE 
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR 
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports) 

2010-11 - Marqise Lee, Gardena Serra (football, basketball, track) 
2009-10 - Robert Woods, Gardena Serra (football, track) 
2008-09 - Tyler Gaffney, San Diego Cathedral Catholic (football, baseball) 
2007-08 - German Fernandez, Riverbank (cross country, track) 
2006-07 - Mike Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2005-06 - Chase Budinger, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (basketball, volleyball) 
2004-05 - Drew Shiller, Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2003-04 - Kenny O'Neal, Oakland Skyline (football, track) 
2002-03 - Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft (football, basketball, track) 
2001-02 - Aaron Piersol, Newport Beach Newport Harbor (swimming) 
2000-01 - Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh (football, basketball, track) 
1999-00 - D.J. Williams, Concord De La Salle (football, track) 
1998-99 - Chris Lewis, Long Beach Poly (football, volleyball) 
1997-98 - C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo (football, basketball, baseball) 
1996-97 - Ken-Yon Rambo, Long Beach Poly (football, track) 
1995-96 - Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North (football, basketball) 
1994-95 - Eric Guerrero, San Jose Independence (wrestling) 
1993-94 - McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West (football, baseball) 
1992-93 - Calvin Harrison, Salinas North Salinas (track, basketball) 
1991-92 - Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph (basketball, baseball) 
1990-91 - Rob Johnson, El Toro (football, basketball, baseball) 
1989-90 - Ryan Hancock, Cupertino Monta Vista (football, baseball) 
1988-89 - Lorenzo Neal, Lemoore (football, wrestling) 
1987-88 - Adam Keefe, Irvine Woodbridge (basketball, volleyball) 
1986-87 - LeRon Ellis, Santa Ana Mater Dei (water polo, basketball, track) 
1985-86 - Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline (football, baseball) 
1984-85 - George Porter, Lompoc Cabrillo (basketball, track) 
1983-84 - John Williams, L. A. Crenshaw (basketball) 
1982-83 - Mike Smith, Hacienda Heights Los Altos (football, basketball, volleyball) 
1981-82 - Jim McCullough, Hemet (football, wrestling) 
1980-81 - Kevin Willhite, Rancho Cordova (football, track) 
1979-80 - Darryl Strawberry, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball, baseball) 
1978-79 - John Elway, Granada Hills (football, baseball) 
1977-78 - Jesse Vasallo, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1976-77 - Brian Goodell, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1975-76 - Greg Louganis, El Cajon Valhalla & Santa Ana (diving) 
1974-75 - Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (basketball) 
1973-74 - Tim Shaw, Long Beach Wilson (water polo, swimming) 
1972-73 - Lonnie Shelton, Bakersfield Foothill (football, track) 
1971-72 - Scott McGregor, El Segundo (baseball) 
1970-71 - Anthony Davis, San Fernando (football, baseball) 
1969-70 - James McAlister, Pasadena Blair (football, track) 
1968-69 - Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson (football, baseball) 
1967-68 - Mark Spitz, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1966-67 - Mickey Cureton, Compton Centennial (football) 
1965-66 - Tim Danielson, Chula Vista (track) 
1964-65 - Paul Wilson, Downey Warren (track) 
1963-64 - Don Schollander, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1962-63 - Tommie Smith, Lemoore (football, basketball, track) 
1961-62 - Forrest Beaty, Glendale Hoover (track) 
1960-61 - Ulis Williams, Compton (track) 
1959-60 - Dennis Ralston, Bakersfield (tennis) 
1958-59 - Dale Story, Orange (track) 
1957-58 - Willie Davis, L. A. Roosevelt (basketball, baseball, track) 
1956-57 - Bill Kilmer, Azusa Citrus (football, basketball, baseball) 
1955-56 - Fred Lacour, S.F. St. Ignatius (basketball) 
1954-55 - Dick Bass, Vallejo (football) 
1953-54 - Don Bowden, San Jose Lincoln (track) 
1952-53 - Ronnie Knox, Santa Monica (football) 
1951-52 - Marty Keough, Pomona (football, basketball, baseball) 
1950-51 - Charlie Powell, San Diego (football, baseball) 
1949-50 - Lang Stanley, L.A. Jefferson (track) 
1948-49 - John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (football, basketball, track) 
1947-48 - Bob Mathias, Tulare (football, track) 
1946-47 - Bill McColl, San Diego Hoover (football, basketball, baseball) 
1945-46 - George Stanich, Sacramento (basketball, baseball, track) 
1944-45 - Jackie Jensen, Oakland (football, baseball) 
1943-44 - Bill Sharman, Porterville (football, basketball, baseball) 
1942-43 - Glenn Davis, La Verne Bonita (football, baseball) 
1941-42 - Irv Noren, Pasadena (basketball, baseball) 
1940-41 - Tommie Fears, Los Angeles Manual Arts (football) 
1939-40 - Howie Dallmar, San Francisco Lowell (basketball, baseball) 
1938-39 - Jim Jurkovich, Fresno (football, track) 
1937-38 - Frankie Albert, Glendale (football, baseball, tennis) 
1936-37 - Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Muir (football, basketball, baseball) 
1935-36 - Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont (pro baseball) 
1934-35 - Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover (baseball) 
1933-34 - Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo (basketball) 
1932-33 - Don Budge, Oakland University (tennis) 
1931-32 - Corney Johnson, Los Angeles (track) 
1930-31 - Frank Sobrero, Oakland (football, basketball, baseball) 

Note: List continues back to 1890-91 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis

With the exception of Mira Costa and Palos Verdes, Wednesday was an excruciating day in boys water polo for South Bay teams.
Three teams -- Peninsula, El Segundo and Chadwick -- lost on a goal by their opponent in the final seconds of regulation time in first-round games.
For El Segundo, it was especially tough. The Eagles battled back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the score, 9-9, with 15 seconds left in the game. But then Aliso Niguel quickly earned an exclusion and had a power play, which it executed on with the game-winning goal with two seconds left.
It was a gut-wrenching loss after an up-and-down season for El Segundo and first-year coach Jordan Watson, but he couldn't argue with the effort the team exuded in the playoff loss.
"You know, I was very proud of them today," Watson said. "They executed everything we taught them, they played hard."
El Segundo graduates just two starters, and could be a force next season.
"We feel really good about next year," Watson said.
In the Peninsula game,  the Panthers tied the score, 8-8, with 12 seconds left on a goal by Travis Larsen in its first-round Division III playoff tilt at Santa Monica. But the exhilaration was halted soon after, when Santa Monica scored the game-winner with four seconds left.
Chadwick endured a heart-breaker in Division V, losing when host Glendale scored with 15 seconds left in the game. Chadwick came back from an 8-4 deficit to tie the score, 8-8, and took a 9-8 lead early in the fourth quarter before letting it slip away.
"I'm disappointed we lost early in the playoffs, we thought we could have made a good run at it," Chadwick  coach Will Didinger said. "But  the boys played well, and they had a good year. They got better as the season went along."
Palos Verdes, ranked third in Division III, and Mira Costa, ranked fifth, are the only South Bay teams left swimming. Both teams are trying to reach a CIF final for the second straight year. On Friday, Palos Verdes hosts No. 6 Capistrano Valley at 2 p.m., while Mira Costa hosts No. 5  La Canada at 3:15 p.m.

The Peninsula boys water polo team thought this might be the year they join Mira Costa and Palos Verdes among the elite in the Bay League. But Mira Costa and Palos Verdes are not cooperating.
Mira Costa, ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section Division III, has handed Peninsula a pair of league losses, and third-ranked Palos Verdes beat Peninsula on Wednesday handily in the first of their two scheduled league games. Not that it was always smooth sailing for Palos Verdes at Peninsula's pool. The Sea Kings were handed 17 exclusions to the Panthers' four, but it didn't affect the scoreboard. Palos Verdes led, 8-1, at halftime and swam to a 16-8 win.
"It's a small pool with a shallow end, it's a different game with a lot more turnovers," Palos Verdes coach Chris Murin said. "It's tough to play in their pool. But we kept our composure, went to their house and got the win."
It looks like Palos Verdes and Mira Costa will finish as co-champions of the Bay League. Peninsula will finish  third and could have a tough draw in the first round of the CIF Division III playoffs.

The Chadwick boys water polo team made probably the biggest splash in the first round of the South Bay Tournament on Friday afternoon, but Peninsula, Mira Costa and El Segundo stole the show in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
Chadwick opened the tournament by downing Crescenta Valley in sudden-death overtime, 9-8, at the El Segundo Plunge.
Chadwick, ranked ninth in CIF Division V, was happy to get a crack at Crescenta Valley -- ranked first in Division V -- and made the most of it.
"I was happy when I saw that we were going to play them because they are at the top of our division," Chadwick coach Will Didinger said. "It's a pretty big win, the kids did a good job of taking smart shots and they played great defense."
Matty Gallas scored a goal with 31 seconds left to tie the score, 8-8, and send the game into sudden-death overtime.
Range scored with 1:28 left in overtime to give Chadwick the win.
Range had five goals, Gallas had two goals and Kevin Wang and Cameron Turner added goals for Chadwick. Matthew Jamele made nine saves for the Dolphins.
But the party crashed early for Chadwick, which lost in the quarterfinals to Hill rival Peninsula, 10-5.
Mira Costa and El Segundo each won a pair of  games on Friday to reach the semifinals Saturday.
El Segundo  will play Peninsula at 10:40 a.m. in one semifinal, and Mira Costa will play Santa Monica in the other semifinal at 11:45 a.m. The third-place game takes place at 5:35 p.m. and the championship game is slated for 7 p.m. All games are at the El Segundo Plunge.

The 41st annual Henry Stuart South Bay Water Polo Tournament opens Friday at the El Segundo Plunge and Mira Costa High.
The 16-team tournament includes some intriguing first-round matchups, including Chadwick vs. Crescenta Valley, Mira Costa vs. Torrance and Peninsula vs. San Marino.
The first round and quarterfinals take place on Friday, with the semifinal, third-place and championship games taking place on Saturday at El Segundo. Semifinal games are slated to take place at 10:40 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.. The third-place game is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. and the championship game is set for 7 p.m.
Mira Costa won the tournament last year, defeating Crescenta Valley, 10-6, in the final. The Mustangs appear to have a good chance to repeat as tournament champions.

SOUTH BAY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday at El Segundo Plunge: El Segundo vs. Beverly Hills, 3 p.m.; Brentwood vs. West Torrance, 3:50 p.m.; Chadwick vs. Crescenta Valley, 4:40 p.m.; Peninsula vs. San Marino, 5:30 p.m. Winners advance to second round at El Segundo at 6:20 and 7:10 p.m.
Friday at Mira Costa High: Mira Costa vs. Torrance, 3 p.m.; South Pasadena vs. Redondo, 3:50 p.m.; Santa Monica vs. Culver City, 4:40 p.m.; Westlake vs. Mira Costa "B," 5:30 p.m. Winners move to second round at Mira Costa at 6:20 and 7:10 p.m.
Saturday at El Segundo: Semifinals at 10:40 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.; Third-place game at 5:35 p.m.; Final at 7 p.m.

The defending NCAA champion USC boys water polo team is off to another stellar start this season, and local players are leading the charge for Troy.
USC is 11-0 and has won  the NorCal Tournament at Cal and the Lancer Invitational in Riverside.
Contributing to USC's success has been former Mira Costa star Matt Burton, who has 19 goals in the team's first 11 games; and former Palos Verdes High standout Connor Virjee, who has seven goals.
Former Loyola star Nikola Vavic, who resides in Rancho Palos Verdes and is the son of USC head coach Jovan Vavic, had 20 goals in the team's first 11 games.
Last year's CIF Division IV Player of the Year Paul Mitre and Riley Burke of Palos Verdes High also are on the roster for USC.

The El Segundo boys water polo team seems to be in good hands with first-year coach Jordan Watson, a former Palos Verdes High and Pepperdine University standout. El Segundo took 21st place out of 64 teams in the Riverside Poly Tournament, which boasts very good competition.
"We have a pretty young team, so it was a great weekend, everyone improved," Watson said.
Watson inherited a CIF Southern Section Division V championship team, but only a couple starters remain from that squad in 2-meter man Jackson Hogoboom and goalkeeper Chris Cordobes.
"People say you can build a team around a 2-meter man and a goalie," Watson said. "And Jackson brings a lot of energy, he's passionate about the game."
El Segundo (4-2) was moved up to Division III this season.
"We have something to prove in the new division," Watson said. "I'm excited about the season."

Due to the heavy rainstorms in the Torrance area, the Daily Breeze suffered a power outage that knocked out electricity and phone service to its building for much of Friday night. The Breeze apologizes to those coaches and scorekeepers who were trying to call in their game scores. We appreciate your patience in this situation. We tried to reach as many of you directly as we could.

Rainouts
Coaches and administrators, if your school had a competition rained out Friday, please inform us about the rescheduled date at sports@dailybreeze.com.