TIMES’ RANKINGS

Rancho Cucamonga moves to the top of the rankings after defeating Santa Ana Mater Dei, 2-1, in the championship game of the Inland Empire tournament on Dec. 8. The Cougars also have a 2-1 victory over La Verne Damien. Pomona Garey, led by forward Victor Portillo, midfielder Cesar Ramirez and goalkeeper Edgar Chavez, heads the list of newcomers to the rankings after outscoring its opponents by a 35-4 margin in the first eight games. Long Beach Millikan and Santa Ana Saddleback met in the Millikan tournament final Monday afternoon.

Rk. School (Rec., Sec.)...Last Week

*--* BOYS’ SOCCER

*--*

1. Rancho Cucamonga (6-0, SS-Div. I)...4

2. Mater Dei (5-1, SS-Div. I)...1

3. Millikan (9-0-1, SS-Div. I)...7

4. Garey (8-0, SS-Div. III)...NR

5. Woodbridge (3-0, SS-Div. II)...8

6. Capistrano Valley (7-1, SS-Div. I)...NR

7. Saddleback (7-0, SS-Div. III)...NR

8. Santa Barbara (5-1-1, SS-Div. II)...5

9. Esperanza (7-1-1, SS-Div. I)...2

10. Damien (6-1-1, SS-Div. I)...6

-- John Ortega

*--* GIRLS’ SOCCER

*--*

The initial rankings include many of last season’s champions. Among schools that won or shared section titles in 2003 are San Clemente and Mission Viejo (Southern Section Division I), Westlake Village Westlake (Division II) and Woodland Hills El Camino Real (City). The South Coast League is again the strongest from top to bottom, with three teams -- Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Dana Point Dana Hills -- in the top 10. Look out for Huntington Beach Edison, which is undefeated and might stay that way heading into the Excalibur tournament at Santa Ana Foothill High later this month.

Rk. School (Rec., Sec.)

1. Edison (7-0, SS-Div. I)

2. San Clemente (4-2, SS-Div. 1)

3. Westlake (4-0-1, SS-Div. II)

4. Aliso Niguel (6-2-1, SS-Div. I)

5. Dana Hills (6-1-1, SS-Div. I)

6. Arcadia (3-1-1, SS-Div. II)

7. Mission Viejo (2-2, SS-Div. I)

8. El Camino Real (2-0-1, City)

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

10. L.B. Wilson (3-2-1, SS-Div. I)

-- Elia Powers

*--* GIRLS’ WATER POLO

*--*

Defending Division I champion Santa Ana Foothill is No. 1, followed by Division IV champion Santa Barbara, which played the Knights closely in a 4-3 loss last week. The Dons have beaten Corona del Mar and top-10 contenders Villa Park and Anaheim Canyon. El Dorado tournament champion Long Beach Wilson is at No. 3. Montebello, which finished third in the El Dorado tournament, lost its only game to Long Beach Wilson. Los Alamitos was the Villa Park tournament runner-up, and Pico Rivera El Rancho won its own tournament.

Rk. School (Rec., Sec.)

1. Foothill (3-0, SS-Div. I)

2. Santa Barbara (3-1, SS-Div. IV)

3. Long Beach Wilson (5-1, SS-Div. I)

4. Newport Harbor (1-0, SS-Div. I)

5. Montebello (5-1, SS-Div. I)

6. Santa Margarita (2-1, SS-Div. I)

7. Upland (7-0, SS-Div. V)

8. Corona del Mar (1-1, SS-Div. II)

9. Los Alamitos (7-1, SS-Div. I)

10. El Rancho (5-0, SS-Div. III)

-- Lauren Peterson

*--* WRESTLING

*--*

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel finished fourth at the Clovis West Shootout, two positions better than it did last season. Temecula Valley fields a younger team than it has in years, but three state qualifiers return. Rosemead beat North Torrance, 32-28, at the Torrance 10-way dual meet. Atascadero placed third at the Coyote Classic in Bakersfield. Covina Northview beat Atascadero at the Nogales tournament but lost Artie Zuniga to a season-ending injury. Ayala took sixth at Clovis West. Laguna Hills finished first at the Huntington Beach Edison tournament and has dual-meet victories over Dana Point Dana Hills, Orange El Modena and Anaheim Esperanza. Dana Hills took sixth at the Coyote Classic, where El Modena finished eighth.

Rk. School (Rec., Sec.)

1. S.A. Calvary Chapel (3-3, SS-Div. I)

2. Temecula Valley (5-1, SS-Div. I)

3. Rosemead (4-1, SS-Div. II)

4. North Torrance (8-2, SS-Div. II)

5. Atascadero (9-0, SS-Div. I)

6. Northview (9-0, SS-Div. III)

7. Ayala (3-4, SS-Div. I)

8. Laguna Hills (3-0, SS-Div. I)

9. Dana Hills (1-2, SS-Div. I)

10. El Modena (3-3, SS-Div. I)

-- Rafer Weigel