Agoura’s Tough Schedule Pays Off in Playoff Romp

No need to tell Coach Jason Rosenthal of Agoura High the benefits of playing a tough schedule.

The 17-2 whipping the Chargers pinned on host Oxnard in a first-round water polo game of the Southern Section Division IV playoffs Thursday only justified what Rosenthal already knew.

“We’ve played every top 10 team in our division and the top three or four of the other divisions,” Rosenthal said. “We make our schedule as tough as we can. It’s all about the playoffs.”

Unseeded Agoura (19-8), which finished second in the competitive Marmonte League, knocked off an undefeated Pacific View League champion in the first round for the second consecutive year and will play the winner of today’s Dos Pueblos-Malibu game in a quarterfinal on Wednesday.

“Agoura’s got a solid program,” Oxnard Coach Rick Garcia said. “I knew they were going to be good. I knew it was going to be tough.”

Oxnard (17-8) was at its best, and Agoura at its worst, in the first three minutes of the game. The Chargers, who arrived late because of a tardy bus and traffic, started sluggishly and missed their first six shots.

But once Agoura got warmed up, it was all but over for the Yellowjackets.

Agoura scored three times in the final 3:43 of the first quarter and never let up.

“Once we got going, we got into the swing of things,” Rosenthal said. “In the first quarter, they gave us a good battle. Then they kind of gave up.”

Matt Monaco dominated from two meters. The senior finished with six goals in 2 1/2 quarters of play, misfiring only twice.

Agoura, which converted 17 of 29 shots, scored five goals in the second quarter and six in the third to take a 14-2 lead.

DIVISION I

Harvard-Westlake 13, Dana Hills 4--Will Noll scored three goals and two players added two goals apiece for the host Wolverines (19-5).

James Bloomingdale and James Singleton each scored twice and Harvard-Westlake took an 8-2 halftime lead.

Juan Delgadillo, Kevin Schwimer, Marty Matthies and Ted Zepfel also scored for the Wolverines. Goalie Luppe Luppen made eight saves.

El Toro 14, Crespi 1--Hernan Golbert scored for Crespi (20-7) at El Toro.

DIVISION III

Crescenta Valley 8, El Segundo 7--Daniel Besedick skipped a shot into the net from mid-pool with one second left in the third quarter for an 8-6 lead and the Falcons hung on at Crescenta Valley.

Besedick and David Mulcahey each finished with three goals for Crescenta Valley (22-4).

Goalie Mike Hoy made six saves in the fourth quarter for the Falcons.

Glendale 10, Peninsula 7--Zareh Galstyan and Matt Hahn each scored four goals to lead the Dynamiters (18-5) at Glendale.

Glendale plays La Canada in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

La Canada 16, Montebello 3--Matthew Yang led eight Spartan scorers with four goals at La Canada.

La Canada (14-11) led, 11-1, at halftime and scored seven goals in the second quarter.

Jeff Linden had three goals and Eric Murphy, John Yang and Jon Buchanan each scored twice. Spartan goalie Rob Low had five saves.