Ryan Ulrich
Staff Writer
Ending the season with a loss in the semifinals of Division II California Interscholastic Federation, the boys water polo team ended the season on Nov. 19 with a 25-8 overall record.
In the semifinals, Costa faced off against Foothill High School, the number one-ranked team in CIF. The Mustangs started the game in the lead but they fell behind, allowing Foothill to edge out a 10-9 win.
“We had a great season,” Coach Jon Reichardt said. “But we just couldn’t pull through this time.”
During the first quarter of the game, junior driver Jake Miller-Tolt scored a quick goal. At the end of the quarter, senior team captain Andrew Todd scored, making the score 2-0. In the second quarter, Costa let down its defense and allowed Foothill to score four goals in a row. Costa tried to tie the score, but only managed to score once in the second quarter, bringing the score to 4-3.
“I think we played pretty well,” Todd said. “But they won because they were more mentally prepared.”
In the third quarter, Costa and Foothill scored four goals, leading into the fourth quarter with a score of 8-7. The Knights then scored twice, making the score 10-7. Costa only managed to score once more, ending the game at 10-9.
“It was a hard-fought game for everyone,” Todd said.
Even though the Mustangs didn’t advance in CIF, they viewed the season positively because, on Oct. 9, Costa crushed Redondo, 18-3, boosting confidence for the rest of the season.
“It didn’t matter who I played that game,” Reichardt said. “Our starters and subs all played well.”
In October, the Mustangs won the Henry Stuart South Bay Invitational Tournament. Costa defeated Montebello, 10-9, in the finals to secure the title.
“It was great to win because it showed how much we improved,” Miller-Tolt said. “We also hadn’t won this tournament since 2010.”
According to the boys, they believe they ended the season on a good note.
“Even though we did not end the way we hoped, we are all proud of the way we played throughout the season.,” Todd said.
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