 | | | Tyler Abramson Photo Gint Federas | | | | | | The NCS released its playoff brackets Nov. 1 for boys and girls water polo. For the girls, the first round begins Wednesday, Nov. 4. The boys' tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 5.
Girls
The Lamorinda girls' programs earned the top three seeds in the Division II NCS bracket:
The No. 1 seed Miramonte Lady Mats (17-6 overall, 5-0 DFAL) ended league-play on a high note, beating both Acalanes and Dougherty Valley, polishing off a perfect record in league and securing the DFAL title. Also, on Oct. 27, the Mats handed San Ramon Valley - NorCal's top team and perennial powerhouse - its first loss of the season. The girls took fifth place at the NorCal Championships Oct. 31 at Sacred Heart (Palo Alto, Calif.), defeating the Campo Lady Cougars 10-7. On Wednesday, Nov. 4 the Mats will host No. 16 Marin Academy at 6:45 p.m.
On the other side of the bracket are the No. 2 seed Lady Cougars (13-9 overall, 3-2 DFAL) and the No. 3 seed Acalanes Lady Dons (14-8 overall, 4-1 DFAL). The two teams met last month in one of the season's most thrilling matches, where the Dons beat the Cougars at home in triple overtime. The Cougars will meet No. 15 Bishop O' Dowd in Moraga at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4; The Dons will host No. 14 Ukiah at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. The two teams could meet again in the NCS semifinal match on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Boys
In Division I boys' water polo, DFAL co-champions Miramonte (14-10 overall, 4-1 DFAL) and Campolindo (15-9 overall, 3-2 DFAL) find themselves in a unique situation. The No. 3 seed Mats and the No. 6 seed Cougars have met in the NCS championship each of the last two seasons - Campo won in 2013, Miramonte in 2014. This fall, however, the two are on the same side of the bracket and, should they win their opening-round matches Thursday, Nov. 5 - at home against No. 14 Washington (8 p.m.) and No. 11 Alameda (6:15 p.m.), respectively - the two would meet at Miramonte on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Mats beat the Cougars 9-7 in Orinda during the regular season on Oct. 14.
The No. 5 seed Acalanes Dons (13-10 overall, 3-2 DFAL) finds itself on the opposite side of the bracket as its rivals. The team had an up-and-down October, at one point dropping six of seven matches. The team ended the season on a high note, however, beating St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) 12-9, losing a close match to EBAL champions and No. 2 seed San Ramon Valley, and polishing off the regular season with a convincing 20-7 win over DFAL-rival Alhambra. The team will open the tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 at home against Mission San Jose (Fremont, Calif.). S. Silva
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA