Cate ran up against a powerhouse in top-seeded and defending champion Yorba Linda in a CIF Division 6 first-round girls water polo match and suffered a 17-2 defeat on Thursday in Orange County.
The Rams trailed 3-1 after the first quarter and 5-1 at halftime.
“We played some of the best water polo of the season against the best team in the division until eventually running out of gas,” said Cate coach Nathan Alldredge.
Yorba Linda’s depth, speed and physical strength took over in the second half as it force turnovers and went on the counterattack.
Despite the onslaught, Alldredge said “the spirit of the Rams never wavered throughout the game.”
Caroline Montgomery and Chloe King scored for Cate, which enjoyed one of its best seasons in program history. The team went 12-3.
“By any measure, it truly was a great year, and Cate will be back and ready to go next season,” said Alldredge.
