Local water polo fans can get a look at some of the top high school teams in Southern California this weekend at the first Santa Barbara Invitational.
The two-day tournament at the Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos pools has three top-ranked teams in the Southern Section in the 16-team field: Mater Dei (Division 1), Laguna Beach (Division 3) and Agoura (Division 4).
The field also includes top-10 teams Huntington Beach (4th in Division 1), Loyola (6th in Division 1), Royal (2nd in Division 4) and Murrieta Valley (5th in Division 5), as well as perennial San Diego power Cathedral Catholic and Northern California powers Sacred Heart and Saint Francis.
Santa Barbara, ranked 7th in this week’s Division 1 poll, opens pool play against Acalanes, the defending North Coast Section champion, at noon on Friday while Dos Pueblos plays host to Huntington Beach. First-day action will run through 7 p.m.
The tournament semifinals are at 9 and 10:05 a.m. on Saturday and the final is at 1:20 p.m. at the Santa Barbara pool.
