Bay Area News Group water polo Top 10
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
(Records through Monday)
BOYS
No. 1 SACRED HEART PREP (19-10)
Final word: Beat De La Salle 9-7 to capture the CIF NorCal Division I title. SHP has won the last four NorCal championships.
No. 2 DE LA SALLE (22-7)
Final word: Beat Miramonte 14-13 to capture the NCS Open Division title. Lost to SHP 9-7 in the NorCal Division I championship game.
No. 3 MIRAMONTE (17-11)
Final word: Lost to SHP 12-11 in the NorCal Division I semifinals.
No. 4 CAMPOLINDO (18-10)
Final word: Lost to De La Salle 14-8 in the NorCal Division I semifinals.
No. 5 ST. FRANCIS (22-9)
Final word: Lost to Campolindo 12-7 in the first round of the NorCal Division I playoffs.
No. 6 MENLO SCHOOL (16-8)
Final word: Won the NorCal Division crown after beating Clovis 12-6.
No. 7 LOS ALTOS (24-9)
Final word: Beat Serra 9-7 in overtime to win the CCS Division I title. Lost to Ripon 16-10 in the NorCal Division III championship game.
No. 8 HARKER (18-10)
Final word: Lost to Redwood 14-13 in the first round of the NorCal Division II playoffs.
No. 9 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (12-17)
Final word: Defeated Leland 13-11 to capture the CCS Division II title. Lost to Ripon 11-10 in the NorCal Division III semifinals.
No. 10 BELLARMINE (14-12)
Final word: Lost to Harker 15-14 in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs.
WAY-TOO-EARLY TOP FIVE FOR 2025
No. 1 SACRED HEART PREP
Early word: The Gators have won the last four CIF NorCal Division I titles and there’s no indication their dynasty will end with goalkeeper Murdoch Baker-Matsuoka and sharp shooter Gates Gamble set to return next season.
No. 2 MIRAMONTE
Early word: The Matadors are graduating just five seniors to a team that made a deep section and regional playoff run. Expect underclassmen Griffin Maclear, Tristan Tucker, Michael Robinson, Mason Tunney and Trent Smith to take big steps forward next season.
No. 3 DE LA SALLE
Early word: De La Salle has been a model of consistency with just one losing season since 2009. With Hayden Tully and Sloan Brown back in the fold, the Spartans should be in contention for a NorCal title next season.
No. 4 CAMPOLINDO
Early word: The Cougars will be loaded with talent next season as their talented class of 2027 trio of Ellis Culleton, Will Maguy and Cade O’Hare expected to return.
No. 5 MENLO SCHOOL
Early word: Freshman Hunter Coleman was a star freshman who led the Knights to a NorCal Division I championship and is slated to return next year.
Sacred Heart Prep’s Gates Gamble (19) looks for a shot before scoring a goal while being guarded by De La Salle’s Lukas Peters (12) during their CIF NorCal Water Polo Championship in Atherton, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
GIRLS
No. 1 SACRED HEART PREP (27-2)
Final word: Beat Carondelet 11-4 to win the CIF NorCal Division I title. Defeated Soquel 12-2 in the CCS Open Division championship game.
No. 2 CARONDELET (23-6)
Final word: Won the NCS Open Division title after beating Campolindo 8-6. Lost to SHP 11-4 in the NorCal Division I finals.
No. 3 MIRAMONTE (19-8)
Final word: Lost to Sacred Heart Prep 9-4 in the NorCal Division I semifinals.
No. 4 CAMPOLINDO (19-7)
Final word: Lost to Miramonte 5-4 in the first round of the NorCal Division I playoffs.
No. 5 SAN RAMON VALLEY (23-8)
Final word: Captured the NorCal Division II championship with a 12-10 victory over Stevenson. Won the NCS Division I title after beating Las Lomas 9-7.
No. 6 ACALANES (18-9)
Final word: Lost to Carondelet 10-5 in the first round of the NorCal Division I playoffs.
No. 7 LELAND (19-11)
Final word: Lost to Stevenson 13-11 in the NorCal Division II semifinals.
No. 8 LAS LOMAS (19-9)
Final word: Lost to San Ramon Valley 9-7 in the NCS Division I championship game.
No. 9 MONTE VISTA (16-10)
Final word: Lost to Archie Williams 11-10 in the NCS Division I semifinals.
No. 10 LEIGH (13-9)
Final word: Beat Los Altos 9-8 to win the CCS Division I crown. Lost to Morro Bay 9-8 in the first round of the NorCal Division III playoffs.
Related Articles
NorCal water polo championships 2024: Sacred Heart Prep girls, boys capture Division I titles
Preps spotlight: How Los Altos made history and won its first CCS girls tennis crown
NorCal water polo playoffs 2024: De La Salle, Sacred Heart Prep, Los Altos punch tickets to regional finals
CIF NorCal water polo playoffs 2024: Miramonte, Sacred Heart Prep, De La Salle, Campolindo, Leland advance
Leland, sophomore superstar Chrissy Flynn take on NorCal water polo with lessons from Olympic sister Jenna
WAY-TOO-EARLY TOP FIVE FOR 2025
No. 1 SACRED HEART PREP
Early word: The Gators will be the early favorites to win another NorCal title as sharp shooter Kiernan Hogan is set to return for her junior season.
No. 2 CARONDELET
Early word: The Concord school won an NCS Open Division title with a team that had just three seniors. Josie Haast, Clara O’Connor and Quinn Arroyo will be cornerstone pieces for the Cougars next season.
No. 3 MIRAMONTE
Early word: Miramonte hasn’t had a losing season for over 15 years and expect that trend to continue next season with attacker Roxie Tarantino set to return for her senior season.
No. 4 CAMPOLINDO
Early word: The Cougars won the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division regular season title. Sophomore attacker Lily Holloway was one of the best scorers in the area this season, totaling 72 goals across 23 games.
No. 5 LELAND
Early word: Leland graduates just one senior from this year’s team that went to the CCS Open Division and NorCal Division II semifinals. Look for sophomore Chrissy Flynn to build upon a successful 2024 campaign.
Carondelet’s Clara O’Connor (7) makes a shot and scores against Campolindo High during their NCS Open Division water polo championship game at Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
