Three league champs to vie

First, crosstown rival Costa Mesa High and Estancia shared the Orange Coast League girls’ soccer championship. Now, they may share the same short-lived fate in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs that begin Thursday.

Pacific Coast League co-champion Corona del Mar is also in the postseason fray, though in Division II.

Sage Hill will test itself in the Division VI bracket.

Costa Mesa (10-6-7), which earned a piece of its seventh straight league title, also won the coin-flip tiebreaker with the Eagles to earn the league’s No. 1 playoff designation and a first-round home game. Coach Dan Johnston’s Mustangs play host to Cypress Thursday at Estancia High.

Estancia (10-7-5), which twice tied the Mustangs in their regular-season meetings, visits Westridge in a first-round affair.

But should either Costa Mesa or Estancia get past the first round, both would likely face seeded opponents in the second round Feb. 24.

Costa Mesa’s draw sets up what could be a second-round clash with No. 2-seeded Arroyo Grande.

Estancia, should it prevail Thursday, could be headed for a battle with No. 4-seeded Mayfair.

CdM (10-4-7), which also won its coin flip with University to become the league’s No. 1 playoff representative, opens at home Thursday against Rowland.

The Lightning (8-10-2), who finished second in the Academy League, will venture to Los Angeles to face Milken Community in the first round, Thursday.

All first-round games are scheduled for 3 p.m.

If victorious, Sage would face either San Dimas or Mammoth.

And a CdM win would set up a second-round meeting with either Canyon of Canyon Country or whoever emerges from today’s wild-card matchup between Montclair and Burroughs of Burbank.

The quarterfinals in all three divisions are Feb. 26, with the semifinals set for March 3.

The finals will be contested March 6 or March 7, with that schedule set after the completion of the semifinals.

— From staff reports