THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

Santa Margarita, the top-ranked team in the nation, went 7-0 last week. On Dec. 23, the Eagles defeated Winter Park (Fla.), 4-0, in the premier bracket championship game of the Student Sports tournament in Tampa, Fla. Five days later, they beat El Toro, 1-0, to win the Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills tournament. Cathedral City and Pomona Garey make their first appearances in the top 10 after winning the Riverside Poly and Upland tournaments, respectively.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Santa Margarita (14-0, SS-Division I)...1

*--* BOYS’ SOCCER

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2. Woodbridge (6-1, SS-Division II)...2

3. Mater Dei (12-1-2, SS-Division I)...5

4. Cathedral City (11-2-1, SS-Division IV)...NR

5. Riverside Poly (9-2-1, SS-Division II)...4

6. Garey (12-2, SS-Division III)...NR

7. Santa Barbara (12-2-2, SS-Division II)...6

8. Long Beach Wilson (13-0-1, SS-Division I)...8

9. Brea Olinda (6-1-2, SS-Division II)...9

10. Damien (12-1-2, SS-Division I)...10

-- John Ortega

*--* GIRLS’ SOCCER

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Dana Hills takes over the top spot after winning the Foothill Excalibur tournament with its determined defense and impressive offense. Capistrano Valley drops to No. 4 after losing a shootout to Aliso Niguel in the ninth-place game. Los Alamitos drops to No. 9 after struggling through three games in the Excalibur tournament, including losses to Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo, which moves back into the rankings after a one-week absence. El Camino Real made its second consecutive appearance in the Hart tournament championship game, winning it this time, 2-1, over Valencia.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Dana Hills (11-1-1, SS-Division 1)...8

2. Harvard-Westlake (8-0-2, SS-Division I)...2

3. Santa Margarita (9-4-1, SS-Division I)...3

4. Capistrano Valley (10-2-1, SS-Division I)...1

5. Edison (10-2-1, SS-Division I)...5

6. Esperanza (7-1-2, SS-Division I)...7

7. Mission Viejo (7-2-3, SS-Division I)...NR

8. San Clemente (7-3-1, SS-Division I)...6

9. Los Alamitos (7-2-3, SS-Division I)...4

10. El Camino Real (9-1-2, City)...10

-- Lauren Peterson

*--* GIRLS’ WATER POLO

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Foothill took on the region’s best last weekend at the Corona del Mar/Newport Harbor Holiday Cup and proved it’s still the team to beat. The Knights beat Newport Harbor, 8-7, in the title game, only a few hours after defeating Corona del Mar, 10-7, in a morning semifinal. In each game, the score was 7-7 in the fourth quarter, but Foothill had the poise and experience to pull away. Santa Margarita lost its final two games of the tournament, to Newport Harbor in the other semifinal and Corona del Mar in the third-place game. Santa Barbara, which lost in overtime to Santa Margarita in a nonleague game Thursday, finished fifth in the tournament after defeating Poway, 9-3.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Foothill (7-0, SS-Division I)...1

2. Corona del Mar (7-1, SS-Division II)...3

3. Newport Harbor (6-2, SS-Division I)...4

4. Santa Margarita (5-3, SS-Division I)...2

5. Santa Barbara (8-2, SS-Division IV)...5

6. Long Beach Wilson (7-2, SS-Division I)...6

7. Riverside Poly (12-1, SS-Division V)...7

8. Upland (10-2, SS-Division V)...8

9. Los Alamitos (10-1, SS-Division I)...9

10. El Toro (6-1, SS-Division I)...10

-- Dan Arritt

*--* WRESTLING

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Though several ranked teams wrestled over the weekend, the rankings remain unchanged because the teams were in different tournaments. Santa Ana won the Pacific Coast Championship in Washington, Rosemead was fourth in the El Cajon Invitational, El Modena finished sixth at the 89-team Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno and Northview took second at the Leemore Bash. El Modena and Ayala are among the 63 teams in this weekend’s Ayala tournament, which also includes San Diego Section power Vista and Central Section power Clovis West. North Torrance and Rosemead will meet for the third time this season during the 50-team North Torrance tournament, whose field includes Yucca Valley.

Rank School (Record, Section-Division)...Last Week

1. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (SS-Division I, Inland)...1

2. Santa Ana (SS-Division I, Southern)...2

3. Temecula Valley (SS-Division I, Coastal)...3

4. Rosemead (SS-Division II, Eastern)...4

5. Orange El Modena (SS-Division I, Eastern)...5

6. North Torrance (SS-Division II, Central)...6

7. Atascadero (SS-Division I, Northern)...7

8. Covina Northview (SS-Division III, Southern)...8

9. Chino Hills Ayala (SS-Division I, Inland)...9

10. Yucca Valley (SS-Division III, Northern)...10

-- Peter Yoon