Through two weeks of play, the scores have been closer than has been traditionally the case in recent years in Mesa League boys water polo competition. But one thing remains constant: the Eastlake Titans remain on top.
Eastlake hiked its league record to 3-0 following Thursday’s 15-8 victory against the Hilltop Lancers in a game played at the Parkway pool. The Lancers had been off to a 6-1 start this season, including Wednesday’s 9-6 win over defending league champion Mar Vista.
But the Titans (9-7 overall) made short work of what many expected to be their chief challenger for this year’s league title by zipping to an early 7-0 lead.
“We executed our game plan perfectly,” EHS head coach Austin Legg explained. “We were helping down in set and kind of splitting up on top to force outside shots. The biggest thing was that we wanted the ball, not force any bad passes and convert on our six-on-fives.”
Eastlake did just that. Will Johnston got the Titans rolling with an early goal, Mitch Lannom then contributed a pair of goals and, when Kris Schauer popped in a shot, the visitors had a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Hilltop’s Anthony Torroll and Eastlake’s Peter Kolaric both received game ejections just before the end of the first period and both teams lost the services of key players for the duration of the contest.
It seemed to affect the deeper Titans less.
Eastlake reeled off three more goals to start the second quarter, with the same players – Lannom, Johnston and Schauer – each scoring single goals.
Hilltop finally gave its fans something to cheer for when Caleb Macias made it a 7-1 game just before halftime.
Johnston and Nate Niehaus scored back-to-back goals to start the third quarter to put the Titans up 9-1. Austin Kober scored Lancers’ second goal but Eastlake came back with three straight goals to zoom in front 12-2.
The Titans led 13-4 entering the fourth quarter when Legg began to rest some of his starters.
Hilltop chipped away and got as close as 14-8 in the dying minutes. But Johnston finished what he started by scoring the final goal of the game.
Eastlake’s Aaron Aitchison was credited with 10 goalie saves, though it appeared he might have made more. He stopped three consecutive point-blank shots at one point in the second half to draw “oohs and aahs” from fans of both teams in appreciation of a standout effort.
Hilltop goalie Danny Godinez, who made his fair share of dramatic saves, was credited with seven stops in the game.
Ryan Sears and Andres Uribe each scored two goals for the Lancers while Johnston racked up five goals for Eastlake. The Titans also received three goals from Lannom, two each from Niehaus, Schauer and Zack Randall and a single goal from Cayden Pangelinan.
Eastlake draws a rematch with Hilltop Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southwestern College pool.
Hilltop first faces Monte Vista in a non-league game Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. in Spring Valley.
Titans top Mustangs, Barons to start league play
The Eastlake High School boys water polo team has designs on recapturing the Mesa League championship it possessed for six consecutive years. But the same can be said about several other teams in the league that also have championship aspirations.
The Titans, however, appear the early team to beat after capturing their opening two league games. Eastlake defeated the Otay Ranch Mustangs, 12-4, last Friday and sank the Bonita Vista Barons, 10-4, on Wednesday in games played at the Southwestern College pool.
Both Otay Ranch and Bonita Vista sport much improved teams this season, as do the Hilltop Lancers, who won their league opener, 9-6, on Wednesday against defending league champion Mar Vista.
Mater Dei Catholic also figures into the mix somewhere, according to veteran Hilltop coach Ernie Medina.
But back to the Titans.
Will Johnston scored seven goals in the win over Otay Ranch while Nate Niehaus led the Titans with four goals against Bonita Vista.
Eastlake’s league opener against Otay Ranch had its stirring moments, especially after the Mustangs opened up a somewhat shocking 3-0 edge. But the Titans kept their composure, got their counter-attack going and outscored Otay Ranch 12-1 over the remaining three quarters.
The Mustangs couldn’t retain the intensity of their start, though they never gave up in the game. Otay Ranch goalie Matt Olimski played one of the better games in his career and clearly had Eastlake players frustrated early on.
Eddie Rosenfeld scored two of the Mustang goals while teammates Cooper Mestre and Angel Aguiar each chipped in with one goal.
Niehaus scored three goals for Eastlake while goalie Aaron Aitichison had 14 saves.
The early moments of Wednesday’s game were also tight, with Eastlake opening up a 2-0 advantage before the Barons scored to serve notice they were also in the pool. The Titans led 5-1 at the end of the first quarter and 8-2 at halftime.
Johnston and Randall each contributed two goals in the win while Mitch Lannom and Peter Kolaric each scored one goal. EHS goalie Aaron Aitchison was very active with 21 saves to his credit.
The Titans upped their overall record to 8-7 just past the midpoint of the season.
“We’ve played with some other teams (elsewhere in and outside the county), and I think we’re starting to come around,” Eastlake coach Austin Legg explained. “We’re playing with everyone together. There’s still a lot of games left in the season and room for improvement.”
Eastlake and Hilltop meet in a first-round league showdown Thursday afternoon at the Parkway pool. Varsity game action is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
Hilltop, ranked second among the section’s Division III teams, built a 7-1 lead over Mar Vista through the first three quarters before weathering a late Mariner comeback.
Danny Godinez made 20 saves for the victorious Lancers, stopping all eight man-down situations with clutch saves. Godinez also made three steals in the game.
Anthony Torroll led Hilltop with three goals, two assists and one steal, while Ryan Sears had three goals. Emilio Maldonado had two goals, two steals and three ejections earned, while Austin Kober had one goal, one steal, one ejection earned and one assist.
Andres Uribe had one assist and two steals while Caleb Macias had two steals and Enilio Cruz had one steal.
Faux Mahan and Gabe Caswell each had two goals to lead Mar Vista (0-1 in league, 3-5 overall) while Nicholas Bochichio had one goal and goalie Hector Ramirez made seven saves.
Hilltop improved to 1-0 in league play, 6-1 overall.
“It was a big win for Hilltop,” Medina said. “Watching us go up in the rankings in Division III and getting our first win in league is awesome.”
Point Loma remains on top of the Division III power rankings. Bonita Vista is third, followed by Classical Academy (fourth), Otay Ranch (fifth), Escondido (sixth), Mater Dei Catholic (seventh), El Capitan (eighth), Mission Bay (ninth), San Dieguito Academy (10th), Olympian (11th) and High Tech San Diego (12th).
Bonita Vista dropped to 8-4 overall, 1-1 in league play, following Wednesday’s setback. Emiliano Cruz scored three goals against Eastlake while Christian Montoya had one goal.
Otay Ranch dropped to 6-7 overall, 0-2 in league, following last Friday’s loss to the Titans. However, the Mustangs defeated Mater Dei Catholic, 10-6, on Wednesday to record their first league win of the season.
JV pride: Eastlake places second at Rancho Bernardo Invitational
Eastlake finished second at last weekend’s Rancho Bernardo Invitational. The Titans (7-2) defeated Valhalla, Rancho Bernardo and Mt. Carmel while losing to Westview in the championship game.
Coach James Hiney said the team remains “strong in fundamentals this season.”
“They play on a high level,” Hiney explained. “We’re lacking size, we don’t have a lot of big kids, but the kids play with a lot of determination. They don’t give up.”
A standout player in the tournament for the Titans, according to Hiney, was Josh Randall, who scored three of his team’s four goals in the championship game — a 7-4 loss to Westview.
Eastlake defeated Valhalla, 6-3, in the tournament semifinals.
This year’s Eastlake JV team is comprised largely of the group of 22 freshman players who entered the program two years ago. Sixteen of those incoming freshmen in 2014 have stuck with the program.
Besides Randall, Ryan Geisen ranks as the Titans’ top defender this season.
Eagles post first win of 2015 season — 19-3 over Castle Park
The Olympian High School boys water polo team recorded its first victory of the season and it couldn’t have ome at a better time: the South Bay League opener for the Eagles.
Olympian (1-0 in league, 1-3 overall) defeated Castle Park, 19-3, Wednesay behind six goals and two assists from D.J. O’Brien and five goals from Noah Collins. Austin Greenwell contributed two goals and three assists while Brandon Sanchez scored three goals and Aaron Valencia and Alan Contreras each added a goal and assist. Brian Cheung rounded out the Eagles’ scoring with one goal.
Collins led the team with six steals while goalie Anthony Segarra stopped five of the eight shots he faced in the game.
Olympian led 7-1 after the first quater and 14-2 at halftime.
The game was the first of the season for Castle Park (0-1, 0-1)
Mesa League Standings
(Through Oct. 7)
Eastlake Titans 2-0
Hilltop Lancers 1-0
Bonita Vista Barons 1-1
Otay Ranch Mustangs 1-2
Mar Vista Mariners 0-1
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 0-1
South Bay League Standings
(Through Oct. 7)
Olympian Eagles 1-0
San Ysidro Cougars 1-0
Chula Vista Spartans
Castle Park Trojans 0-1
Southwest Raiders 0-1
