DIVISION 4-A WATER POLO SEMIFINALS : El Toro Edges Capistrano Valley; Sea Kings Ousted

El Toro High School presented a different version of the two-minute offense Saturday at Tustin High, one that produced points in the water.

The Charger water polo team scored twice with less than two minutes remaining in first half, and J.P. Mathot scored the game-winning goal with 1:54 to play as El Toro (25-3) defeated Capistrano Valley, 3-2, in the Southern Section 4-A semifinals.

El Toro will face Long Beach Wilson (22-6) in the final at 8:45 Wednesday night at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. Wilson beat Corona del Mar, 8-4, in the other semifinal. El Toro will be seeking its first 4-A championship after winning consecutive 3-A titles in 1988 and ’89.

“We might have an experience advantage over some teams,” Mathot said, “because we aren’t happy just to be in the finals, but we want to win the whole thing.”

Capistrano Valley (23-4) has dropped the past three meetings with El Toro, including last year’s 3-A championship game.

Mathot, who scored 31 goals in his previous five games, went scoreless for the first 22 minutes.

“The defense for both teams today was unbelievable,” El Toro Coach Ron Stoll said. “I thought J.P. was playing well, but he got frustrated because he tried to do too much.”

“I thought I played lousy today,” Mathot said, “but I tried to focus myself to do at least one thing right on that last play.”

With the game tied, 2-2, and two minutes remaining, Mathot zeroed in when he received the ball in the hole. He turned Capistrano Valley defender Dan Hancock at the two-meter line, then fired his game-winner past goalie Nick Kittredge.

“We didn’t crash down on Mathot on that play,” Capistrano Valley Coach Don Cholodenko said, “but we lost the game because we didn’t capitalize on our six-on-five advantages.”

The Cougars went zero for three on the one-man advantages, but El Toro converted on two consecutive Capistrano Valley kick-outs, with Greg Craycraft and Jason Kneitel scoring, to erase a 2-0 deficit late in the first half.