The San Diego Section water polo playoffs are about to make a splash in both gender fields with championship games scheduled Saturday, June 19, at Granite Hills High School.
Both boys and girls teams that have advanced to the finals will participate in the day-long competition.
Eight gender championship games are scheduled that should make just about any water polo or aquatics enthusiast ready to jump into the water and celebrate with the winning teams.
Coaches across the board, regardless of how far their teams advanced in postseason play, are ecstatic the season has reached this point.
“I think there has been so much adversity to overcome together with graduation and everything,” said veteran El Capitan High School coach Robin Sanchez, who picked up his 450th career girls water polo coaching victory during the regular season. “I think tournament director Brian Wilbur and the advisory committee have done a great job. It’s the same thing with everybody — we’re glad we’re doing it.”
“The CIF finals are where everyone wants to play,” said veteran Hilltop coach Ernie Medina, whose boys team will get a chance to win a division championship this weekend. “To get here takes buying into the system, trust in each other, listening to the coach’s words and dedication.”
Time to shine
- The Division III girls final is scheduled for an early 9 a.m. start to face off the day’s championship events with top-seeded Valley Center (14-2) meeting second-seeded Mater Dei Catholic (10-6).
Mater Dei Catholic secured a berth in the title game after edging third-seeded Hilltop (12-4) by a tight 4-3 score in Monday’s lower bracket semifinal while top-seeded Valley Center topped fourth-seeded Ramona (5-10) by an 11-2 score in Wednesday’s upper bracket semifinal match.
- The Division III boys final is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and will pit top-seeded Hilltop (15-0) and sixth-seeded Ramona (8-8).
Finalists were determined in Monday’s semifinals at the Granite Hills pool as Hilltop slipped past fifth-seeded West Hills (9-13) by a score of 12-11 in double overtime and Ramona upset second-seeded Santa Fe Christian (10-4) by a score of 9-8.
- The Division II girls final is scheduled for a noon face-off between top-seeded Santana (19-0) and third-seeded La Costa Canyon (13-1).
Finalists were determined in Thursday’s semifinals when Santana edged fourth-seeded Santa Fe Christian (12-2) by a score of 10-9 in double overtime in the upper bracket while LCC scored an 8-5 upset win over second-seeded Patrick Henry (12-2) in the lower bracket.
- The Division II boys final is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. between third-seeded Helix (11-6) and fourth-seeded Santana (18-2) in an all-East County championship pairing.
Finalists were determined in Thursday’s semifinals as Santana dropped top-seeded and previously undefeated Clairemont (15-1) by a score of 12-7 in the upper bracket and Helix derailed second-seeded Mt. Carmel (11-4) by a 12-9 score in the lower bracket.
- The Division I girls final is scheduled for 3 p.m. between top-seeded Helix (11-5) and sixth-seeded Valhalla (10-7) in another all-East County pairing
Finalists were determined in Wednesday’s semifinals as Helix stopped fourth-seeded Rancho Bernardo (8-6) by a 12-8 score in the upper bracket and Valhalla stunned second-seeded Clairemont (13-5) in double overtime by a 14-12 score in the lower bracket.
- The Division I boys final is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. between third-seeded Valhalla (14-2) and fourth-seeded Poway (10-4).
Finalists were determined in Wednesdays’ semifinals as Poway shaded top-seeded Mar Vista (13-3) and fourth-seeded Poway (9-4) in by a score of 7-6 in the upper bracket and Valhalla shocked second-seeded Canyon Crest Academy (11-11) by an 11-3 score in the lower bracket.
- The Open Division girls final is scheduled for 6 p.m. between top-seeded Bishop’s (14-0) and second-seeded Carlsbad (15-1).
Finalists were determined in Tuesday’s semifinals as Bishop’s shut out fifth-seeded Cathedral Catholic (9-7) by a commanding 18-0 score in the upper bracket and Carlsbad swam past third-seeded Coronado (9-6) by a score of 9-5 in the lower bracket.
The Open Division boys final is scheduled to top off the day with a 7:30 p.m. evening clash between top-seeded Bishop’s (14-0) and third-seeded Cathedral Catholic (11-3).
- Finalists were determined in Tuesday’s semifinals as Bishop’s defeated fourth-seeded Grossmont (11-4) by a score of 15-6 in the upper bracket and Cathedral Catholic upset second-seeded La Jolla (11-4) by an 8-6 score in the lower bracket.
Making a splash
Juniors Haniah Avila, Christina Celentino and Miranda Vidrio, along with senior Anna Cetnar each scored goals in Monday’s semifinal win over Hilltop. Cetnar led the Lady Crusaders with three points on a goal and two assists while Avila and Celentino each contributed one assist.
Celentino led Mater Dei Catholic with five defensive steals while Vidrio had four steals in support of winning junior goalkeeper Adriana Sammartano, who made 12 saves. Amalia Koch also contributed with five field blocks.
The Lady Crusaders built a 3-1 halftime lead and managed to survive two second-half Hilltop goals.
“The game against Hilltop was a hard-fought battle by both teams,” Mater Dei Catholic coach Jennie Charlesworth said. “Mater Dei has focused all season on defense and was able to hold Hilltop to three goals during the game with great center defense from Amalia Koch and from goalie Adrianna Sammartano.”
This is the first time Mater Dei Catholic’s girls team has made it to CIF finals. The previous top performance was a loss in the Division III semifinals in 2017.
“Mater Dei has had a great season this year led by seniors Anna Cetnar and Amalia Koch,” Charlesworth said. “Anna Cetnar is the leading scorer for the Crusaders and Amaila is a very strong defensive leader for the team.”
Cetnar tops the Lady Crusaders with 36 goals and 13 assists for 49 scoring points while junior Miranda Vidrio follows on the tally sheet with 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points. Koch tops the team with 43 steals while Sammartano has amassed 208 saves.
“The Crusaders made vast improvements during the season and tied for second in the Mesa League standings,” Charlesworth added.
Mater Dei Catholic’s most notable wins during the regular season came against Eastlake (6-5 on May 27), Hilltop (6-4 on May 11), and Scripps Ranch (15-12 on May 5).
Later on Monday evening, Hilltop’s boys captured a one-goal OT thriller over the Wolf Pack as Aidan Garces scored what proved to be the game-winning goal.
The goal was set up as Nic Garces won the sprint and drove to the net. Aidan Garces fed his brother the ball. When Nic Garces drew a five-meter penalty shot, Aiden Garces took the shot.
Both teams had chances to score in the extra two periods, but the Lancers made their shots count.
“A one-goal game — this is what CIF is all about,” Medina said. “I believe the South Bay is well represented in this year’s CIF finals. I’m so proud of my kids. My girls team was one point away from the finals.”
The Lancers are bidding to complete the school’s first undefeated season in boys water polo and claim the school’s first CIF championship in the sport since 1980.
“It feels unreal,” said junior Raul Rico, the team’s scoring leader. “It’s an exceptional season; it’s all because of my teammates.”
Hilltop dominated Metro-South Bay League opponents during the regular season and even recorded a rare victory against longtime Mesa League power Eastlake (17-13 on May 7). But the playoffs have been played much closer to the vest.
Hilltop needed double overtime to slip past eighth-seeded High Tech High San Diego by a 12-10 score in last Friday’s quarterfinals after posting a 16-4 non-league win over the Storm back on April 30.
“When you get to this level, it’s mental,” Rico said. “You can’t underestimate the other team. It may not go the same way like it did the last time.”
Metro-Mesa League champion Mar Vista had a chance to make it three Metro Conference teams in this weekend’s finals after defeating eighth-seeded Torrey Pines, 5-4, in a cliff-hanger quarterfinal game on Monday.
The Mariners’ win over the Falcons (6-8) made amends for a 7-6 loss to Torrey Pines in the opening round of the 2019 Division I playoffs.
Junior Fletcher Field keyed Mar Vista in Monday’s quarterfinal win with three points on one goal and two assists while sophomore Trevor Rector contributed a goal and assist. Juniors T.C. Spaulding and Ethan Hastings, along with sophomore Bradford Dickson, each scored one goal while sophomore goalie Dylan Hartley had 12 saves.
However, the Mariners were unable to successfully navigate a path past Poway in Wednesday’s semifinals that resulted in a 7-6 loss to end the season.
Mar Vista ended an otherwise stellar season with a 13-3 record, including a perfect 6-0 in league play.
“A lot of time was spent in the pool not to share a co-championship with another team,” Hastings said. “It feels great to see just ‘champion’ on it.”
Hastings finished the season with 79 scoring points (52 goals, 27 assists) in 15 games, followed by junior Carlos Ibarra with 69 points (52 goals, 17 assists in 14 games, Field with 67 points (44 goals, 23 assists) in 15 games, Rector with 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 15 games, Spaulding with 39 points (24 goals, 15 assists) in 15 games, junior Luke Wilson with 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in 13 games, senior Jake Osthimer with 35 points (18 goals, seven assists) in 12 games, Dickson with 24 points (18 goals, six assists) in 11 games and sophomore Nathan Crosby with 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in 13 games.
Hastings keyed the team with 32 defensive steals while Hartley compiled 150 saves in 15 games.
Girls powered
Hilltop and Mater Dei Catholic both received byes to last Friday’s quarterfinals while sixth-seeded Chula Vista defeated 11th-seeded Otay Ranch, 10-6, in an opening-round match on June 8.
Cetnar keyed the Lady Crusaders in the win over the Lady Marauders with three goals and one assist while junior Adriana Petro contributed two goals and one assist. Celentino scored two goals while Vidro added a goal and assist.
Cetnar paced the defensive effort with five steals while Sammartano racked up 13 saves.
Southwest, the Metro-Pacific League co-champion, defeated Serra, 14-9, in a play-in game on June 7 to earn the No. 12 seed in the Division III girls bracket. The Lady Raiders were eliminated by fifth-seeded San Marcos, 18-1, in a first-round game on June 11.
Mater Dei Catholic, which tied for second place in the Metro-Mesa League standings with Eastlake, started its playoff run with an 8-3 win over seventh-seeded Mira Mesa in last Friday’s quarterfinals while Hilltop sped past Chula Vista, 15-3, to start its own playoff run.
Mesa League champion Mar Vista received the No. 5 seed in the Division I bracket and promptly handed 12th-seeded Torrey Pines a 16-5 defeat as junior Tatum Billings racked up seven points on four goals and three assists and seniors Annie Dickson (five goals, one assist) and Kayla Quinones (one goal, five assists) both collected six points in the game.
Senior Illiana Lopez contributed three goals and one assist while junior Gabriela Murrieta chalked up two goals and one assist in support of senior goalie Abbey Harbin (12 saves).
However, the Lady Mariners (6-0 in league, 11-5 overall) could not get past fourth-seeded Rancho Bernardo (8-5) in the quarterfinals while suffering an 8-6 defeat.
Tatum led Mar Vista with seven points (one goal, six assists) in the team’s final game of the season while Murrieta had four points (three goals, one assist). Harbin finished the game with 10 saves.
Sophomore Kayla Bruhn led the Lady Broncos with five goals and two assists while freshman goalie Ava Hoehner had 14 saves.
Billings finished the season with 80 points (46 goals, 34 assists) in 14 games while Dickson amassed 71 points (51 goals, 20 assists) in 16 contests. Murrieta collected 46 points (36 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games while Lopez had 40 points (24 goals, 16 assists) in 16 games.
Dickson led the team with 30 steals while Harbin mad 163 saves in 16 games.
Santana advanced to the semifinals with an 11-5 win over eighth-seeded Mission Bay in quarterfinal action on June 10.
Four East County teams qualified for the Division II girls playoffs along with Eastlake, the Metro-Mesa League runner-up.
Besides Santana, No. 6 El Capitan, No. 10 Granite Hills and No. 12 Steele Canyon also made the playoff cut.
Granite Hills recorded a 15-9 upset win over seventh-seeded Eastlake (5-9) in opening round play on June 8 but dropped an 8-5 decision to Patrick Henry in the quarterfinals two days later.
El Capitan (10-6) was upset, 16-8, by 11th-seeded San Pasqual (8-8) to end its season prematurely.
Steele Canyon pulled off a huge 8-1 upset win over fifth-seeded San Dieguito Academy (8-4) in the opening round on June 8 but the Lady Cougars’ season came to an end in the quarterfinals following an 8-4 loss to fourth-seeded Santa Fe Christian (12-2) on June 10 while Granite Hills.
Orange Nation
Valhalla High School’s girls and boys teams will get a rare chance to showcase themselves in a CIF championship double-header after both gender squads captured exciting semifinal matches Wednesday night at Granite Hills High School.
Sixth-seeded Valhalla dispatched second-seeded Clairemont, 14-12, in a climactic double overtime contest to continue its rampage of upset wins in the Division I girls bracket while the third-seeded Norsemen continued the trend by upending second-seeded Canyon Crest Academy, 11-3, in the Division I boys semifinal.
The VHS girls team opened the playoffs with a 15-10 win over 11th-seeded Canyon Crest Academy on June 8, then began its stunning run to the finals with a 6-5 win over third-seeded El Camino in the quarterfinals last Saturday.
Senior Kaia Jennings scored seven goals in Wednesday’s semifinal victory to lead the team’s latest charge.
Sophomore Emily Hansen added two goals while sophomore goalie Caydn Ruffer finished the game with a school record 20 saves and an overtime shutout.
“Kaia led the team, putting the ball in the cage from every angle with quick hand action in front of the cage,” Valhalla coach Breezy Gatavasky said. “Emily led by directing the offense with controlled passing into strategic positioning.”
Gatavasky credited several more players with key roles in the upset victory, including freshman Alex Schow, senior Annika Prado and junior Devyn Ruffer.
“Alex is a rising star on the team and plays with the intent to learn and improve even when scoring,” the VHS coach explained. “Annika Prado is the heart of the team. She stepped into multiple positions in the game and aided her team to victory. Devyn was the defensive powerhouse of the team, shutting the center opportunity down. Devyn also moved into offense and created many opportunities for her team to score.”
The Norsemen ladies finished in a tie for second place in the Grossmont Hills League standings with Helix Charter. Both teams posted 5-3 league records behind league champion West Hills (6-2 in league).
All three teams received seeds in the Division I playoffs. Helix carried a 9-5 record into postseason play as the division’s top seed after winning the the school’s first league championship last season while advancing to the Division I semifinals. Valhalla, which was 9-7, received the No. 6 seed. West Hills (12-7 in the regular season) received the No. 9 seed in the bracket.
Helix advanced with a 16-8 quarterfinal win over eighth-seeded Fallbrook after the Valley League champion Lady Warriors (13-3) cut West Hills’ season short with a 12-7 win in the first round.
Helix eliminated fourth-seeded Rancho Bernardo (8-6) in the ensuing semifinals to create an all-East County championship pairing.
“Valhalla came into CIF strong and determined to move past the quarterfinals,” Gatavasky said. “Playing in Division I gives them the opportunity to advance farther in the playoffs as they have proved to do — a feat that’s four years in the making for all of our five seniors. Having played our competitor for finals in league, ending with an even split, we look forward to what will be our most challenging and well-matched game of the season.”
The Highlander ladies fired the first salvo with a 13-9 league win on May 6 while Valhalla drew even in the team’s season series with a 14-11 victory on May 25.
Meanwhile, the Norsemen boys squad – runner-up behind Grossmont in the league standings – received a bye to the Division I quarterfinals against sixth-seeded San Pasqual. Valhalla won 12-10 to advance against Canyon Crest Academy, which had eliminated seventh-seeded Steele Canyon by a score of 10-8 in the quarterfinals.
Sophomore Louis Fehrensen keyed the VHS effort in Wednesday’s semifinal win with four goals and four steals while senior Grant Peters had two goals and steal. Junior Tate Clapham had two goals and two steals and sophomore goalie Ryan Munch had nine blocks while only allowing two goals.
Morgan Folz, Carson Voth and Johnny Brikho each scored one goal.
“We played CCA earlier in the year and lost a close one to them (11-7 on May 22),” new Norsemen coach Ken Toma said. “This time around we made some adjustments to our defense and I could not be more proud of the way they performed. We have had to overcome many obstacles to get to this point in our season and their determination has been amazing. A handful of athletes juggled multiple sports during our delayed season and they have really done a good job of balancing their athletics with the academics.
“Our season also went from the beginning of the school year to the very end; we will play our final game almost two weeks past senior graduation. Despite all that was thrown at them, we are really starting to work well together, and I think we will do well this Saturday in the championship game.”
Padres prep all-star game set for June 24 at Petco Park
The San Diego Padres High School All-Star Baseball Game will return for a third time to Petro Park on Thursday, June 24.
A home run derby will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m., followed by the nine-inning game at 6 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased online at Padres.com/hsallstars. A ticket to a future Padres game will be included.
Rosters are being split between East and West teams.
South County will be well represented at the event.
East team selections include Victory Christian Academy’s Michael Bishop, Otay Ranch’s Jorge Camarillo, Eastlake’s Ray Cebulski, Otay Ranch’s Xavier Martinez, Bonita Vista’s Daniel McElveny and Eastlake’s Nico Vallarelli.
Montgomery’s Adrian Herrera and Manny Huerta are highlighted on the West team roster.
Several members of this year’s all-star class have already made college commitments: Camarillo (CSU Northridge), Cebulski (Long Beach State), Martinez (CSU Northridge) and McElveny (San Diego State University).
The All-Star teams and home run derby contestants were tabbed by the San Diego Section baseball advisory committee on May 10.
The first Padres High School All-Star Baseball Games was played in 2018 with a 7-7 tie between the teams. The West team defeated the East team, 7-3, in 2019.
The event is one of the most highly anticipated to cap the high school baseball season and will follow in the wake of this weekend’s San Diego Section divisional championships at Poway and Eastlake high schools.
Eastlake received the No. 8 seed in the Open Division while Mesa League champion Bonita Vista was seeded eighth in Division I. Olympian received the No. 3 seed in Division III, Mar Vista the No. 2 seed in Division IV and Calvary Christian Academy the No. 1 seed in Division V.
