Royal Streak Going, Going . . .

Royal High’s streak of Marmonte League boys’ water polo championships is so long it started about the time Mike Campbell began to swim.

He made it down the birth canal in October 1981, the same year the Highlanders began their 17-year hold on the title.

“It’s always been, ‘Oh, no, it’s Royal, we can’t beat them,’ ” said Campbell, an Agoura senior.

The defeatist attitude has been washed away, however, thanks in large part to Campbell, who scored four goals in the Chargers’ 8-7 victory over the Highlanders on Friday.

Agoura (13-7, 5-0 in league play) has defeated Royal (13-9, 3-2) twice, and with three league games to play is closing in on a championship that for so long seemed the private property of Coach Steve Snyder’s Highlanders.

“We worked so hard for this day,” Campbell said. “Our entire goal was to beat Royal, and it came true.”

The victory came in front of a crowd at Agoura so large it was SRO--swimming room only.

Stands were packed and students and parents stood four and five deep around the pool. Agoura Coach Jason Rosenthal gave extra credit to any of his students who attended the game.

“This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen here,” Rosenthal said. “We knew our intensity on defense had to be at a peak the entire game. This was a great atmosphere for water polo.”

Agoura trailed at halftime, 4-3, but a goal by Campbell with 3:41 to play in the third quarter tied the score and the Chargers seized the lead in the final minute of the quarter on a shot by Dusty Sloan on an assist by Hans Larsen.

Sloan scored again early in the fourth quarter for a 6-4 lead, and after Derek Anderson answered with a Royal goal, John Lee and Campbell scored to give Agoura an 8-5 lead with 2:27 to play.

“This was their day, and they played an excellent game,” said Snyder, the Royal coach of 18 years.

“This was going to happen sooner or later. It’s a tough loss, but we’ll be back strong. I hope nobody rules out Royal water polo.”

This was the third meeting between the teams this season, and every game was decided by one point.

Royal defeated Agoura, 7-6, in the final of the San Luis Obispo tournament, and Agoura won by the same score Oct. 7, ending the Highlanders’ 31-game league winning streak.

Royal threatened to run away early, but goalie Justin Rosa of Agoura made eight of his 13 saves in the first half and the Chargers stayed within 4-3 at halftime.