Golden West, OCC Facing an Important Week

Golden West and Orange Coast, two of the top women’s water polo teams in state, meet at 4 p.m. Friday in a nonconference game at OCC.

But both teams have some important matters to attend to before that game. Golden West, 26-0 and the top-ranked team in the state, takes on Long Beach (17-8-2) in a South Coast Conference game at 8 p.m. Friday at Belmont Plaza that will decide the conference title. Each team is 4-0 in conference.

Orange Coast, ranked third in the state, is 17-5-1 and tied for first in the Orange Empire Conference with Grossmont and Riverside at 4-1.

The Pirates are at Cypress at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

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Football poll: Bakersfield (5-0) remained in the top spot in the weekly Southland football poll despite having a bye. Long Beach (6-0) is second, Mt. San Antonio (6-0) is third, Los Angeles Valley (4-1) fourth, Cerritos (5-1) fifth, San Bernardino Valley (4-1) sixth, El Camino (3-2) seventh, Saddleback (3-2) eighth, Los Angeles Harbor (4-1) ninth and West Los Angeles (4-1) is No. 10.

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Cross-country poll: Orange Coast is the top-ranked women’s cross-county team in the Southern California coaches’ poll. San Diego Mesa is second and Saddleback third.

San Diego Mesa is the No. 1 team in men’s poll with Moorpark second and Glendale third. Saddleback is fourth and Santa Ana fifth.

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Blue Diamond Growers will be the title sponsor for the state football championship game.

The game will be played at 1 p.m. Dec. 13 at Cal State Fullerton. The state office will rank the top two teams in Southern and Northern California and those teams will meet in Dec. 6 bowl games.

The winners will advance to the state title game.