ORANGE COUNTY ALL-STAR WATER POLO : Balanced Scoring Attack Lifts South Over North

The South was the beneficiary of a balanced attack as six players scored two goals in a 13-9 victory over the North in the eighth Orange County all-star water polo game Saturday at Tustin High School.

The South, with a 5-3 edge in the series, got two goals from Brandon Stout and Bill Pinciroli of El Toro, Phinney Gardner of San Clemente, Jake Yokota of Capistrano Valley, Crosby Grant of Corona del Mar and Sam Grayeli of Costa Mesa.

The North was led by Foothill’s David Hay with four goals and La Habra’s Brian Vaden, who scored twice.

The South took a 5-3 lead after the first quarter and stretched it to 7-4 by halftime. Vaden’s first goal cut the lead to 7-5, but the South scored three consecutive goals in the third and fourth quarters to take a commanding lead.

With coaches from USC, UCLA and Pepperdine watching, the game was more than just an opportunity to team up with former opponents.

“The college coaches are usually in the stands for the big games anyway,” said Gardner, an All-South Coast League player. “It’s mainly nice to play against such good players, especially the ones from La Habra and other schools we didn’t play in the regular season.”

A steady rain arrived midway through the game, sending the spectators running for cover and causing a thick steam to rise from the pool.

“The rain wasn’t much of a factor,” Gardner said. “It just made my shoulder stiffen up a bit.”