For the first time in decades, the Turlock High varsity boys water polo team will be making an appearance in the semifinal round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs after dominant wins in their first two Division 1 postseason matches at the Steve Feaver Aquatic Center last week.
On Nov. 6, the No. 3 Bulldogs blanked No. 14 Pleasant Grove, 29-0, before taking care of No. 6 Lodi, 33-14, on Friday evening.
Longtime head coach Nic Serratos admitted that he is unsure of when the Bulldogs’ last playoff appearance took place, though he knows that it’s been at least 20 years since he has access to the section playoff brackets dating back to 2004.
The semifinal round gets underway today, with the Bulldogs set to face No. 2 Davis Senior at American River College in Sacramento.
In their playoff opener against Pleasant Grove, this year’s undefeated Central California Athletic League champions (25-5 overall) saw 15 different players score throughout the course of the night. Seven of them scored multiple times and four (Brayden Shively, Lars Wenstrand and Shane Petty), notched hat tricks. Shively and Wenstrand, two All-CCAL first team selections this year, and Petty were not to be outdone by Michael Rowan, the league’s Most Valuable Player this year, who led the team with six goals and an assist. Each of his scores came in the first quarter.
“The work he put in during the offseason is what got him into this spot,” Serratos said of Rowan. “Last year, he was Defensive Player of the Year and a really one-dimensional player. He's been playing since last year ended, just to kind of refine his game and add that offensive side, add those leadership skills and confidence.
“I’m just super proud to see how much he's matured in the last year. The way he carries himself on and off the pool deck has really changed.”
Pleasant Grove, meanwhile, only had four shots-on-goal the entire game. Two were off target while the others were handled by Abraham Wooley, CCAL co-Goalkeeper of the Year. Wooley scored a goal himself, firing the ball the length of the pool and into the back of the opposing net right before the halftime buzzer.
Against Lodi, in their first home quarterfinal game in program history since the section switched to seeding the bracket in 2015, nine different players scored, led by CCAL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Harris, who had seven. Jacob Packwood, a first-team all-league selection pitched in six. And once again, it was Wooley who helped keep the Flames at bay alongside fellow goalie, Jonas Bornmann, who combined for 10 saves.
Also awarded league honors was Jack Brem, who was named to the All-CCAL second team, and Caleb Tucker, who was an honorable mention.
Pitman boys take home awards after strong season
Like Turlock, the Pitman boys water polo team opened up the postseason at home. The No. 8 Pride hosted No. 9 Oak Ridge to open their Division 1 playoff journey in their home pool on Wednesday, and held on to an 11-10 win. Their reward was a date with top-seeded Rio Americano in Sacramento on Friday, where they fell by an 18-6 score.
With the loss, the Pride ended their season with a 17-9 overall record, including an 8-2, second-place finish in the CCAL standings.
They also had a handful of student-athletes who received league recognitions. Caden Johns shared the Goalie of the Year honor with Wooley, while Braden Silveira was given the title of Defensive Player of the Year. The Pride were also represented on All-CCAL second team by Brycen DeRose and on the honorable mention list by Cristian Perez.
Turlock and Pitman girls eliminated in quarterfinals
The parallels between the Pitman and Turlock girls water polo programs, this year’s co-CCAL champions, continued through Thursday, as each of their seasons concluded in the quarterfinal round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 playoffs. The losses came after each had convincing wins in the opening round last Tuesday evening.
The No. 7 Pride fell to No. 2 Davis Senior in Sacramento by a 20-1 score. Closer to home in Stockton, the Bulldogs dropped their game 17-5 to No. 3 St Mary’s.
Turlock’s season ends with a 15-11 overall record while the Pride finished 21-6 on the year.
