Bell Gardens Comes Up Big in 15-9 Win Over Santa Monica

It wasn’t a typical blueprint for a water polo championship team, but Bell Gardens High used its quickness and strength to defeat Santa Monica, 15-9, in the Southern Section Division III boys’ final at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach Tuesday.

Joe Gonzalez scored five goals and Jason Sanchez and Ivan Cardenas each added four for the second-seeded Lancers (26-4), who scored the first six goals before coasting to their third section title in four years.

Not bad for a team that started the season without a goalie and with a two-meter man, Cardenas, who is 5 feet 7 and 140 pounds.

“We probably have the smallest hole-set in the section,” Bell Gardens Coach Robert Greenamyer said. “And we took volunteers to play goalie.”

Lupe Calderon started in goal for Bell Gardens Tuesday, but he didn’t have to make a save in the first half.

Jake Lafayette (four goals) and Andre Bollinger scored to pull Santa Monica (19-5) within, 9-6, with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter, but the Vikings couldn’t get any closer.

Arlington 9, Riverside Poly 8--Second-seeded Arlington held off a late rally in Division V to win its first section title.

Fourth-seeded Riverside Poly (17-11) held Arlington (23-7) scoreless for the final 11 minutes.

Brian Haas’ length-of-the-pool shot for a goal made it 9-6 late in the third quarter.

Riverside Poly’s Steve Waddell scored from mid-pool for his second goal with 14 seconds remaining to make it 9-8. But Arlington ran out the clock.