There were plenty of fireworks when Dos Pueblos and Loyola clashed in the championship match at the 44th annual Riverside Invitational water polo tournament on Saturday.
In a see-saw battle between top-5 teams in CIF Division 1, No. 4 Loyola squeezed out a 13-12 victory over the fifth-ranked Chargers, who suffered their first loss of the season.
The action was heated from the start match as neither team led by more than two goals. DP coach Chris Parish and goalie Brady Moore both received red cards for questioning an official’s call and were ejected in the fourth period.
“We had a hard time with the officials,” said Parish
Trailing 13-11 in the final minute of the game, DP scored a goal with 38 seconds and got the ball back for a chance to equalize. But Loyola was able to hold off the fired-up Chargers.
“We couldn’t get enough offense going at the end,” said Parish.
Kevin Cappon carried the load for the Chargers (6-1). He scored five goals and drew two penalty shots.
Parish said that while it was a tough defeat, he was happy how his team rallied at the end in his and Moore’s absence.
Moore played a huge role in DP’s 9-8 semifinal win over Agoura. With his team down by one goal, he made three assists in a row on counterattacks to help the Chargers take a two-goal lead late in the game.
“We struggled in our halfcourt offense, so his passing really helped us,” said Parish.
The Chargers are off until Thursday when they travel to Orange County for the South Coast Tournament.
