The Mira Costa varsity water polo team from Manhattan Beach, CA, will play a neutral-site playoff game against Huntington Beach, CA, today at 5 p.m. This matchup is part of the 2024 CIF Southern Section Division I Boys Water Polo Championships.

HBHS vs Mira Costa Water Polo Game Info:

What: California High School Water Polo
Who: HBHS vs Mira Costa
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Bracket: CIF Southern Section 2024 Boys Water Polo Championships – Division I
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Game preview: HBHS vs Mira Costa

As Huntington Beach and Mira Costa prepare for their highly anticipated playoff game, let’s break down their season records, rankings, team stats, and head-to-head performance to see what each team brings to the pool.

Team Rankings & Records

• Huntington Beach
  • National Rank: 49
  • California Rank: 40
  • Section Rank: 19
  • Section Division Rank: 13
  • Overall Record: 15-14
  • League Record: 4-4
  • Win Percentage: 51.7%
  • League Win Percentage: 50%
  • Goals For (GF): 351
  • Goals Against (GA): 321
• Mira Costa
  • National Rank: 30
  • California Rank: 24
  • Section Rank: 11
  • Section Division Rank: 9
  • Overall Record: 18-11
  • League Record: 6-0
  • Win Percentage: 62.1%
  • League Win Percentage: 100%
  • Goals For (GF): 328
  • Goals Against (GA): 262

Team Scoring Averages

Analyzing quarter-by-quarter scoring averages:

• Huntington Beach averages 12.1 points per game.
• Mira Costa scores consistently across quarters, averaging 11.3 points per game, with each quarter generally contributing around 2-3 points.

Head-to-Head Matchup

• Previous Meeting: Mira Costa defeated Huntington Beach on September 28, 2024, with a final score of 12-8. The match took place at a neutral venue, where Mira Costa outperformed Huntington Beach in what was a close and competitive game.

Common Opponents Performance

Both teams have faced several common opponents, allowing us to see how they match up indirectly.

• Huntington Beach: Record against common opponents is 5-7.
• Mira Costa: Record against common opponents is 4-5.

Some key games against mutual rivals include:

• San Clemente: Both teams lost to San Clemente, with Mira Costa falling 16-8 and Huntington Beach 14-11.
• Orange Lutheran: Both teams won their matches, with Mira Costa achieving a 13-8 win and Huntington Beach edging out a 12-11 victory.
• Beckman: Both teams won comfortably.
• Corona del Mar: Both suffered losses to this strong team, although Mira Costa had two losses compared to Huntington Beach’s one.
• Loyola: Mira Costa managed to beat Loyola 9-8, while Huntington Beach lost 11-6.

Record Breakdown

• Huntington Beach
  • Home: 5-5
  • Away: 2-3
  • Neutral: 8-6
  • Playoff: 2-0
• Mira Costa
  • Home: 10-2
  • Away: 3-3
  • Neutral: 5-6
  • Playoff: 2-0

Final Analysis

Mira Costa has shown consistency throughout the season, especially in league play, where they remain undefeated. Huntington Beach has had a more balanced record but has struggled in non-league games. Their previous encounter gives Mira Costa a slight psychological advantage, but with both teams undefeated in playoff settings, this upcoming game promises to be a nail-biter. Huntington Beach will need to leverage its higher-scoring potential to overcome Mira Costa’s defensive edge.