CdM tries to cool Tars

They are in different CIF divisions now, but the rivalry remains very much in play.

After all, it’s the Battle of the Bay.

All bets may be off Saturday at Corona del Mar High, where the Sea Kings will play their Back Bay rival Newport Harbor in a game that should begin around 7 p.m.

The teams typically meet during at least one tournament during the year, but in recent years they have rekindled the tradition of scheduling a nonleague meeting as well.

Newport Harbor has won that match in three of the past four years, although CdM pulled off the upset in 2008.

The Sailors (16-2), ranked No. 4 in Division I, appear to be playing some of their best water polo of the year. They’re coming off a 14-5 Sunset League dismantling of Los Alamitos on Wednesday. Junior Farrel South, who has a team-best 70 goals, scored six times in that game. Newport also used standout defense from senior goalie Chris Whitelegge (17 saves), as well as senior Andrew Duhoux, sophomore Dan Stevens and South, to hold Los Al to just two goals until late in the contest.

Corona del Mar (10-7) is also leading its league, the Pacific Coast League. The Sea Kings, ranked No. 3 in Division II, are coming off Thursday’s 16-7 win over Northwood, in which senior Hayden Leach scored five goals and Ben Zepfel, Miles Carpenter and Chase Watson scored two each.

Watson, a center, leads CdM with 36 goals scored, while Leach has 29.

Newport Harbor beat CdM, 9-7, in the teams’ previous meeting this year, in the third-place game at the South Coast Tournament on Sept. 25. But that game was at the Sailors’ pool, while tonight’s game will be in the Sea Kings’ home waters.