PREP NOTES

The El Toro water polo team, which has won three consecutive Southern Section championships and is the sixth-ranked team in Division 4-A, may not get a chance to defend its title this season.

As odd as that seems, it’s a harsh reality for the Chargers, who are fighting two other teams for the South Coast League’s third playoff spot. The league, consistently one of the strongest in the Southern Section, had four teams ranked in the top 10 in the latest divisional poll.

That only three will qualify for the postseason seems unfair to El Toro Coach Don Stoll, who points out that his team has defeated the probable champions of the Century, Empire and Freeway leagues.

“I think the whole situation of keeping out the best teams in CIF would never happen in football,” Stoll said. “I think they would find a way to have some wild-card teams.

“It’s just a crime.”

Add water polo: A convoluted scenario might occur in the Freeway League, where there could be a five-way tie for first place after today’s games.

Here’s the situation:

Buena Park (2-2 in league), which plays last-place Troy (0-4) today, should finish 3-2. Sunny Hills (3-1), La Habra (3-1), Fullerton (2-2) and Sonora (2-2) also would finish 3-2 if Fullerton defeats Sunny Hills and Sonora defeats La Habra.

And it could happen. Eight of the 12 games played in the league this season--all of the games not involving Troy--have been decided by one goal.

“I’ve seen tight leagues but nothing like this,” Sunny Hills Coach Keith Nighswonger said.