Something Missing From Division I Game

Orange County’s hold on the highest level of high school water polo slipped this season--for the first time in 36 years there is no county team in the Southern Section major division championship game.

The only county teams remaining in the playoffs--Servite and Marina--will play for the all-Orange County Division II title at 3:30 p.m. today at Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach.

It’s no consolation prize. Both the top-seeded Friars and the second-seeded Vikings have one of their best teams.

Servite (26-3) has lost only to Long Beach Wilson (twice) and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, which coincidentally are playing for the Division I title in the same pool tonight.

Marina (25-3) has lost to Division I Capistrano Valley and twice to Servite, 9-4 in the Vikings’ second game of the season and 11-6 in their last game of the regular season.

Marina, seeking its first section water polo title, is led by seniors Jeff Larson and Justin Fassnacht.

Servite, which won the Division 2-A title in 1982, has a strong defense, led by sophomore goalkeeper Mark DeGrasse, seniors Philip Garcia and Eric Woolery and sophomore Michael Rustemeyer. Senior Michael Kim is the leading scorer.

Harvard-Westlake will try to stop unbeaten and two-time defending champion Long Beach Wilson in the Division I game at 7:30 p.m.

In the Division VI title game at 5 p.m., top-seeded Rowland Heights Rowland will play second-seeded La Verne Bonita.