Santa Barbara High had complete control the whole way through in Thursday’s 12-4 boys water polo win against visiting San Marcos, sealing the deal early and taking a 10-1 lead into halftime.
Now that the match is over with, it’s time for both teams to focus on Tuesday.
That’s the day when the tenth-ranked Dons will host No. 4 Dos Pueblos in a much-anticipated crosstown-showdown. The Royals, meanwhile, will simultaneously be hosting Buena, trying to avenge an earlier 13-12 loss and also fighting for a shot at the postseason. If San Marcos wins, it will be eligible to petition for an at-large bid into the playoffs.
“I’ve definitely got that circled on my calendar. We’re just going to have to work hard in that match,” said Royals senior Travis Johnson. “This was our second time playing Santa Barbara and I thought we did better this time, so we’re more prepared for Buena this time around.”
Santa Barbara co-captain Kenny Myers, meanwhile, is going into the DP match with a level head.
“Yes, they’re the better team and we’re the underdogs. Does that mean we don’t have a chance? Of course not,” he said.
Sam Foley led the Dons with four goals on Thursday, all in the first half. Brendan Kerwin-McElroy scored three goals and had two assists — all in the first quarter. Coach Mark Walsh played his younger players in the second half, and added that he thought Torrey Plana was the team’s standout player for the day. Plana had four assists and five steals.
Despite being outmatched, San Marcos (10-14, 0-5) made plenty of solid plays. Tyler Lisea and Travis Frohlich each had a pair of goals, and Johnson — a former goalie — was outstanding with seven saves after moving into the cage in the second half. The Royals didn’t score, however, until Frohlich’s no-look shot with 3:20 left in the first half. Santa Barbara (12-7, 3-1 Channel League) had already scored seven goals.
Myers said that Santa Barbara’s performance against the Royals was a good one heading into the DP match.
“We had a little bit of a let down against Buena (a 9-6 win on Tuesday), but I thought we were much better today,” he said.
SANTA BARBARA 12, SAN MARCOS 4
San Marcos…0 1 2 1 — 4
Santa Barbara…5 5 0 2 — 12
Goals — SM: Frohlich 2, Lisea 2. SB: Foley 4, Kerwin-McElroy 3, Schu 2, Robertson 1, Linz 1, Myers 1.
Saves — SM: Johnson 7, Bebb 2. SB: McGee 5, Stilwell 4.
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