Riverside Tops Golden West in Water Polo

Ben Carlson scored two goals to lead Riverside to a 6-4 upset of Golden West, the top-ranked team in the state, in the championship game of the Cypress men’s water polo tournament Saturday at Cypress College.

The Rustlers (24-2) never led in the game.

Riverside scored the first goal of the game and took a 3-1 lead into halftime. Doug Finfrom had 11 saves for Riverside.

Kevin Marsh scored two goals for Golden West, which made only 20% of its shots.

In a semifinal, Brian Murphy scored the first two goals of the third quarter to break a 4-4 tie and lead Golden West to a 14-7 win over Citrus. Marsh scored four goals and Jason Sanchez had two for the Rustlers.

In another Cypress tournament game:

Orange Coast 9, Grossmont 8--Vincent Giglio and Doug Jacobe scored early in the fourth quarter as Orange Coast won the consolation game.

In the Long Beach women’s water polo tournament final:

Golden West 9, Orange Coast 1--Anna Korobova scored five goals and Helen Finucane two as Golden West (26-1), ranked No. 1 in the state, beat second-ranked Orange Coast for the championship.

The Rustlers broke a 20-game winning streak for the Pirates (22-3-1), whose three losses this season have been to Golden West. Devon Wright scored the only goal for the Pirates.

In a semifinal, Tia Montalvo scored four goals and Wright had three as Orange Coast defeated Merced, 10-3.

In Mission Conference Central Division football:

Orange Coast 55, Golden West 21--Orange Coast gained 628 yards in total offense to break the school record of 587 set in 1950 against Los Angeles Valley.

Orange Coast (3-3, 1-0), which gained 363 yards rushing, took a 34-0 lead in the first half before quarterback Anthony Zaragoza scored on a one-yard run late in the first half for Golden West (0-6, 0-1).

Golden West receiver Brandon Huey then scored on a four-yard run early in the third quarter to draw the Rustlers to within 34-14, but Orange Coast quarterback Nick Higgs scored on a five-yard run and running back Eddie Vailolo scored on a 26-yard run eight minutes apart to put the game out of reach.

James Dawkins led the Pirates, who had five players rush for at least 40 yards, with 104 yards rushing, while Higgs completed 10 of 21 passes for 167 yards.

The loss was the Rustlers’ 26th in a row.

Palomar 52, Fullerton 12--Palomar took a 45-0 lead and cruised to the victory at home.

Fullerton (1-5) scored late in the third quarter on two 42-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Jeff Crooks to receiver Kenny Farley to make it 45-12. The scores came a minute apart after Fullerton recovered an onside kick following the first touchdown.

Crooks, who finished with 179 yards passing, was replaced early in the third quarter by Brian Bartczak. Bartczak completed his first five passes, but Palomar’s Alec Wisecup intercepted Bartczak’s sixth attempt and returned it 65 yards for a score.

The Comets (4-2) returned another interception for a touchdown to close out the scoring late in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Marco Chavez picked off a pass from Dave Lamberth, Fullerton’s third quarterback of the game, and ran it back 85 yards for a touchdown.

Saddleback 42, Santa Ana 28--Saddleback quarterback Jason Whieldon threw for 253 yards and a touchdown and also scored two touchdowns rushing as the Gauchos rallied past the winless Dons.

Santa Ana (0-6) took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on a five-yard run by Steve Warfield and a 20-yard scoring pass from Grant Wagner to Derrick Barnes.

Saddleback (2-4) came back to score the next three touchdowns and take an 18-14 lead, but Wagner hit Barnes with a 13-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 21-18 at halftime.

Saddleback blew open the game in the second half by scoring 24 consecutive points, capped by Whieldon’s 13-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to make it 42-21.

Santa Ana cut the lead to 42-28 when Wagner hit Kris Hall with a four-yard touchdown pass with 9:10 remaining, but the Dons could get no closer.

Whieldon completed 20 of 30 passes, including six to Chris McCormack, and also rushed for 53 yards.