San Marcos Shane Hauschild, left, and Dos Pueblos’ Blake Parrish, right, fight for position during the second half of Tuesday’s water polo match. (Presidio Sports Photos)
Dos Pueblos needed a strong fourth quarter to overcome San Marcos in Tuesday’s 10-7 Channel League decision at Elings Aquatics Center.
The two teams entered the final period locked up at 5-5 before the Chargers put the game away in the last four minutes to best San Marcos for the second time this season. The first meeting between the two teams went to overtime with DP claiming a 15-12 victory.
San Marcos had fallen behind 5-2 in the third quarter before coming back to make a game of it.
“You got to give credit where credit’s due. I think San Marcos didn’t give up. They just kept coming back,” said Chargers head coach Chris Parrish,
Jake Griffin scored four times in the final quarter for the Chargers and totaled five goals for the game.
Shane Hauschild was San Marcos’ high scorer with three. Hauschild’s last two shifted momentum in the Royals’favor during their third-quarter rally.
“We left the ball in their shooters’ hands and they made some pretty good shots,” Parrish said.
San Marcos head coach Jeff Ashton also credited George Kuesis, Daniel Chan and Jason Rose for the comeback.
“I thought those guys provided good minutes,” Ashton said.
The game was tied 6-6 until Griffin scored with 4:22 left in the game. DP scored twice more – one by Parrish, another by Griffin – to gain a three-goal cushion with only a minute to go.
“It’s frustrating getting that close,” Hauschild said. “In the first game blowing our lead and this game almost having it and almost taking it away.”
The result makes Dos Pueblos 5-1 in league play while the Royals fall to 2-3. With just two games left in their league season, the Chargers gave themselves a shot at a share of the league title while guaranteeing at least second place and a CIF berth.
The Royals can lock up a CIF spot with victories against Buena and Ventura. Or, barring a Dos Pueblos upset of league-leading Santa Barbara, if Ventura can upset Dos Pueblos in their second meeting, then San Marcos could still tie for second. But it’s a long shot for the Royals after Tuesday’s outcome.
“That was kind of the battle for second I think,” Ashton said.
San Marcos has Ventura on Thursday while Dos Pueblos hosts Esperanza on Friday night.
DOS PUEBLOS 10, SAN MARCOS 7
SM 1 0 4 2 – 7
DP 3 1 1 5 – 10
SM Goals – Hauschild 3, Kemp 2, Bebb, Golizadeh
DP Goals – Griffin 5, Parrish 3, Schroeder 2
San Marcos Keyvan Golizadeh gets a shot off in front of the Dos Pueblos cage and defender Jake Griffin.
