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Once rare victory becomes old hat for Flintridge Prep boys’ water polo

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There was a time not long ago for the Flintridge Prep boys’ water polo team when defeating archrival Pasadena Poly was the biggest of challenges.

Before 2014, the Rebels had gone seven seasons without beating the Panthers, who for years were the perennial Prep League champions and the 2012 CIF Southern Section Division V titlists.

Yet, times have certainly changed since the Rebels first bested the Panthers and snapped a seven-year losing streak in 2014.

Two-time defending Prep League champion Flintridge Prep won its sixth straight game over the host Panthers by the largest margin during that winning streak, 19-2, on Wednesday afternoon to secure a 2-0 season sweep.

The victory came in the first game of the second half of league play, as the Rebels improved to 7-7-1 and 4-2 in league. Currently, the squad sits in third behind Brentwood (13-11, 6-0 heading into Wednesday) and Chadwick (14-4, 4-1 heading into Wednesday).

“I think we’re really fortunate,” Flintridge Prep Coach Dan Hare said. “It’s a matter of verbalizing our goals and indoctrinating a team that has always had success against Poly. That means a lot to me.

“The margin of the score doesn’t mean a whole lot, because it wasn’t too far back when they were putting up those scores against us. There were years we weren’t able to compete and it’s nice to be in a position where we can win games.”

It was near a total whitewash for the Rebels on Wednesday as they could do no wrong.

Flintridge Prep forced 25 turnovers, while committing 10 and finished a rare and perfect five for five on six-on-five chances. The Panthers (11-11, 2-5) also endured two 10-minute-plus scoring droughts courtesy of a stifling Rebels’ defense.

“It feels great to walk in this pool deck and know you’re just here for business and just here to win,” said Flintridge Prep senior Scott Fordham, whose varsity team lost to Poly, 9-8 and 8-7, his freshman year. “It’s totally different now. We’re the ones showing them how to play water polo.”

Junior Kasen Barraclough led all players with six goals, four assists and four steals, while Fordham added five goals, four steals and two assists and Evan Havunjian tallied three goals for Flintridge Prep.

The Rebels iced the game with a dominant second quarter, winning the frame, 7-1, while taking a 10-1 advantage into the break.

In the second quarter, Flintridge Prep outshot Poly, 10-4, while forcing seven turnovers and converting three man-advantage opportunities.

Barraclough put on a clinic in the second quarter by scoring five goals, including two behind-the-back shots over the final 90 seconds to send the Panthers up by nine into the break.

“The importance of this game was changing our mentality going into the second half of league,” Barraclough said. “We’re more serious, especially after our losses to Brentwood and Chadwick. If we want to win league, we have to beat them.”

The Panthers netted their lone goal of the first half on a score from Isaac Harris with 3:48 remaining in the second quarter.

Flintridge Prep won the third quarter, 3-0, before claiming the fourth quarter, 6-1.

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