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The toughest girls' water polo competition of the season will present itself this weekend when the annual NorCal Championships is held at the Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo-Atherton pools.

The field includes three-time champ Davis and two-time champions Sacred Heart Prep and Monte Vista (Danville).

The defending champion is St. Francis (Sacramento), which opens Friday against host Sacred Heart Prep at noon. The Gators dropped their first match in this tournament last year to Acalanes, but rebounded with three straight wins. That, however, only got SHP ninth place in the 16-team event.

The Gators are seeded No. 7 and won't be in the same first-day bracket as Acalanes, but could face No. 2 seed San Ramon Valley (the defending NCS Division I champ) in the second round on Friday afternoon at 4:20 p.m.

The other half of the bracket, at Menlo-Atherton, includes No. 1 Campolindo, No. 4 Leland (defending CCS Division I champ) plus Gunn, Menlo-Atherton and Castilleja.

M-A was the last CCS team to win this tournament, in 2009, with SHP last winning in 2007.

2012 NORCAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FRIDAY
At Sacred Heart Prep
Game 1 -- San Ramon Valley vs. James Logan, 10:55 a.m.
Game 3 -- Sacred Heart Prep vs. St. Francis (Sacramento), noon
Game 5 -- Clovis vs. St. Ignatius, 1:05 p.m.
Game 7 -- Clovis West vs. Monte Vista (Danville), 2:10 p.m.
Game 9 -- Loser 1 vs. loser 3, 3:15 p.m.
Game 11 -- Winner 1 vs. winner 3, 4:20 p.m.
Game 13 -- Loser 5 vs. loser 7, 5:25 p.m.
Game 15 -- Winner 5 vs. winner 7, 6:30 p.m.

At Menlo-Atherton
Game 2 -- Campolindo vs. Castilleja, noon
Game 4 -- Davis vs. Acalanes, 1:05 p.m.
Game 6 -- Leland vs. Menlo-Atherton, 2:10 p.m.
Game 8 -- St. Francis (Mt. View) vs. Gunn, 3:15 p.m.
Game 10 -- Loser 2 vs. loser 4, 4:20 p.m.
Game 12 -- Winner 2 vs. winner 4, 5:25 p.m.
Game 14 -- Loser 6 vs. loser 8, 6:30 p.m.
Game 16 -- Winner 6 vs. winner 8, 7:35 p.m.

SATURDAY
At Sacred Heart Prep
Game 17 -- Loser 11 vs. loser 15, 8:50 a.m.
Game 19 -- Loser 12 vs. loser 16, 10 a.m.
Game 21 -- Winner 11 vs. winner 15 (semifinal), 11:10 a.m.
Game 23 -- Winner 12 vs. winner 16 (semifinal), 12:20 p.m.
Game 25 -- Loser 17 vs. loser 19 (7th place), 1:30 p.m.
Game 27 -- Winner 17 vs. winner 19 (5th place), 2:40 p.m.
Game 29 -- Loser 21 vs. loser 23 (consolation final), 3:50 p.m.
Game 31 -- Winner 21 vs. winner 23 (championship), 5 p.m.

At Menlo-Atherton
Game 18 -- Loser 9 vs. loser 13, 8:50 a.m.
Game 20 -- Loser 10 vs. loser 14, 10 a.m.
Game 22 -- Winner 9 vs. winner 13, 11:10 a.m.
Game 24 -- Winner 10 vs. winner 14, 12:20 p.m.
Game 26 -- Loser 18 vs. loser 20 (15th place), 1:30 p.m.
Game 28 -- Winner 18 vs. winner 20 (13th place), 2:40 p.m.
Game 30 -- Loser 22 vs. loser 24 (11th place), 3:50 p.m.
Game 32 -- Winner 22 vs. winner 24 (9th place), 5 p.m.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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