Boys’ tennis: Top teams continue to hold serve in Division I

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We’re four weeks into the season and the playoff picture is starting to take shape in Division I. The top four ranked teams were in action Wednesday and each of them won to further solidify their positions.

Top-ranked Irvine University continues to play like the defending champion it is. The Trojans doubled up No. 6 Dana Hills, 12-6, to remain undefeated. University is still looking like the team to beat.

The jury is still out on second-ranked Harvard-Westlake, which added little to its resume in a shutout of Mission League rival Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. The Wolverines have the best player in the country in Ryan Thacher, but we’ll find out about his supporting cast when they travel to No. 5 Peninsula in April.

Meanwhile, third-ranked Santa Barbara continues to show the depth needed to win the division title. The Dons improved to 10-0 with a 11-7 victory over Peninsula, which is proving its mettle through a brutal nonleague schedule.

Mater Dei, smarting from last week’s one-sided loss to University, showed it’s still a serious championship contender by trouncing Trinity League rival Santa Margarita. The Monarchs are holding at No. 4 but are poised to move up a spot should someone ahead of them falter.

No. 7 Corona del Mar, No. 8 Mira Costa, No. 9 Troy and No. 10 Thousand Oaks are no slouches either. Top to bottom, Division I might be the deepest in the Southern Section but the elite squads have begun to separate from the pack.

-- Steve Galluzzo