The Mesa League boys water polo circuit is shaping up to be particularly competitive this year. The Bonita Vista Barons look to be in that category.
“We have a lot of seniors this year, we have a couple players back who didn’t play last year, who took a year off,” BVHS head coach Betty Alexander explained. “I think we’ll do surprisingly well in league. We should be competitive with everybody.”
The Barons faced off the 2015 high school season with an 18-1 non-league victory against the Chula Vista Spartans Thursday at the Parkway pool. Nine Barons scored goals in the contest, including senior goalie Diego Sanchez, whose pool-length shot made the score 15-1 early in the fourth quarter.
Zach Courtney, one of the team’s returners, scored Bonita Vista’s first goal of the season. Courtney alternated goals with teammate Greg Schiefer as the Barons built a quick 4-0 lead.
Bonita Vista advanced to last year’s San Diego Section Division III quarterfinals, dropping a hotly contested overtime decision to league rival Otay Ranch.
The Barons defeated Castle Park, 22-4, in the opening round of last year’s CIF playoffs and would like to make a return to post-season play this season, if not challenge for the league championship.
The BV scoring was spread around. Courtney finished with three goals while Schiefer scored twice. Noah Glick had three goals, Ezekiel Flores scored three goals. Diego Gomez had two goals, Gabe Montoya scored two goals while Bruce Bello and Chris Montoya each scored one goal. Sanchez had nine goalie saves, three steals and two assists to go with his one goal.
Schiefer and Glick matched Sanchez with three steals leaders while freshman Emiliano Castro had two assists.
The Barons meet the OIympian Eagles in a key non-league divisional game Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Southwestern College. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
