It prepared all season for this moment.
The Dos Pueblos boys water polo team played against the best teams in the state to make sure it was well prepared for a game like Wednesday’s CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinal showdown with top-seeded Mater Dei.
The Chargers (25-4) and Monarchs (26-3) square off at 7 p.m. at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine for a spot in Saturday’s championship. Loyola and El Toro meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m.
Dos Pueblos has beaten many of the top-rated teams the last couple of years, but it has yet to knock off Mater Dei, which is coached by DP alum and 2004 Olympic water polo player Chris Segesman.
The Chargers lost to the Monarchs last year, dropped a 12-7 decision to them in a non-league match in mid-October and fell 15-6 in a game at the North-South Challenge in late October. In that second meeting, DP was without starters Chase Racich (homecoming commitment) and Christian Terpening (injury).
Racich will be in the pool Wednesday, but Terpening can’t play due to a game misconduct penalty in the 9-8 quarterfinal win at Newport Harbor.
Still, the Chargers are solid. Racich, Derek Shoemaker, Kevin Cappon and Brady Moore have loads of experience playing in big games, and they’re intent on playing for a CIF title.
But getting past Mater Dei will be tough. The Monarchs, who won the Division 2 title last year, are led by Bret Boranni, who ranks second in Orange County in scoring with 144 goals. Freshmen James Walters and McQuin Baron have played beyond their years. Walters has scored 61 goals and Baron has been an outstanding goalie for coach Segesman.
Mater Dei enters the semifinal riding a 15-game winning streak.
Tough competition…, but DP’s a strong team. Go Chargers!