The Agoura High girls' water polo team faced some of the best teams last weekend in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

The competition was so strong, the defending CIF-Southern Section Division II champion Chargers found themselves playing for last place.

The sixth-ranked Chargers edged Division III No. 3 Whittier 7-6. Agoura lost its opening game to Foothill 11-7. Agoura dropped a 10-8 decision to Division III No. 2 Ayala 10-8 and lost to Division I power El Toro 7-5.

"Casey Flacks played very well and led our team," said Rosenthal. "Casey Clark had a good weekend."

Agoura started the week at 11-6 overall.

Player to watch: Kiley Neushul, a freshman at Dos Pueblos, scored seven goals when the top-ranked Division II team recently defeated tournament host and fourth-ranked Division I Newport Harbor 7-6 and then defeated top-ranked Division I Foothill 7-5.

Neushul is probably the best player to come out of the Santa Barbara area since Cami Craig led the Dons to a CIF title win over Agoura three years ago.

"Cami was a big and strong girl," said Rosenthal.

Rosenthal compares Heushul to Flacks.

"She's slender and quick. She's one of the top players in the division. She's good for her age," said Rosenthal.

"If I had to pick a team, she would be in my starting six."

Flacks, a fourth-year starter, was the Division II player of the year last season.

Teams to watch: Santa Barbara was the consolation champion in the Tournament of Champions. The Dons lost by two goals against Laguna Beach, last season's Division II runner-up to Agoura.

"Santa Barbara has no superstars," said Rosenthal. "They play very well.

Rosenthal believes there's little difference between the top seven teams in Division II — Dos Pueblos, Laguna Beach, Villa Park, Santa Barbara, Palos Verdes, Agoura and Mira Costa.

Ventura, Royal and Dana Hills round out the top 10.

"You can flip a coin, who has it worst, the teams in our league or the Channel League," said Rosenthal.

Baby watch: Camarillo High's Tawny Safran is expecting a baby boy the first week of May.

Pacifica coach Christina Maggio is expecting a baby in mid-March.

Safran, a fifth-year swimming coach and fourth-year water polo coach, met her husband, Michael, at a junior lifeguard camp at Silver Strand nine years ago. Michael is a Los Angeles City fireman.

Safran will miss the CIF prelims and finals because of her pregnancy.

"I want to be there for the girls, but I have confidence in my assistant coaches," Safran said.

Safran said she'll coach to near the due date, despite experiencing the usual sickness which goes with expecting a baby. She'll have the summer to be with her baby and then plans on returning to coach and teach in the fall.

Currently, the Camarillo girls are in the thick of a heated Pacific View League race.

Last season, the Scorpions were third and reached the second round of the Division IV playoffs.

Last week, Camarillo defeated Oxnard 13-6.

Camarillo's water polo team was an academic award winner last season and many of those players are still leading the charge in swimming as well.

Michelle Nunn, Michelle Elrich, Maddie Schneider, Aarah Conners and Emily Andrews are all scoring threats.

Elrich, Nunn and Conners competed in the CIF swimming prelims last season.

Kristen Martin has played well at goalie.

Oxnard Pacific View Tournament: Oxnard, Buena and Rio Mesa pools will be in splash mode next Friday and Saturday as 25 teams converge for a championship run. Newbury Park, Pacifica, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Rio Mesa, Moorpark, Buena and host Oxnard will be competing.

Oxnard coach Rick Garcia is the tournament director.

Garcia said Rio Mesa and Division IV No. 5 Cabrillo are the favorites. Others from Division IV in the field include No. 6 Burbank, No. 7 Crescenta Valley and No. 10 Alemany.

Oxnard dropped its first two games in league against Pacifica and Camarillo.

On the road: Ventura and Malibu will spend next weekend at the Coronado Tournament.