Oaks Christian boys water polo team wins its first CIF-State SoCal Regional title
It was a notable achievement that extended well beyond this season, said the head coach.
The Oaks Christian School boys water polo team won its first CIF-State SoCal Regional championship Saturday and Jack Kocur said its more than an exclamation point at the end of this season.
"It's a big deal," he said. "We've never done this before and it's really about the culture we've tried to establish here. We always want to play among the very best teams. This is for all the guys who have played in this program and the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders who want to play here in the future.
"This is a win for our legacy."
Franco Scalamandre scored three goals and Michael Soybel tallied two clutch goals in the fourth quarter as host and top-seeded Oaks Christian staved off a tough challenge from Redlands East Valley to win the SoCal Division II Regional Championship, 8-7.
The Lions (19-15) fell short in their quest for a CIF-Southern Section Division 1 title a week ago, but the program's first SoCal Regional championship becomes a solid consolation prize.
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"It was disappointing to lose last week, but it's a good way to end the season," said Scalamandre, a senior 2-meter specialist. "It's a good win for our legacy. I'm proud of what we achieved in my four years here and I hope to leave behind to the younger guys the importance of hard work and effort."
Scalamandre tallied three goals in the first half in a game that was deadlocked 4-4 at halftime.
Goals by Colley Ochoa and Max Burstein produced a 6-5 lead after three quarters, but Redland East Valley — the CIF-SS Division 2 runner-up — never went away.
It remained for key scores by Soybel, a junior, to hold the advantage. The junior scored with 6:40 left in regulation for a 7-5 lead. His goal with 2:40 remaining pushed the advantage to 8-6.
"Our coaches do a great job of preparing us for all situations," said Soybel, a junior defender. "They teach us to stay calm, and that's what I tried to do. I had opportunities, and I needed to take advantage."
Oaks Christian's youngish roster features just three seniors on the 18-man squad. Included are goalies Nehemiah Pavoggi, a sophomore, and Jack Randel, a junior, who split time in the cage in all three regional games.
Kocur said the regional title becomes a building block for the program's ultimate goal.
"We always want to be an (CIF-SS) Open Division team," he said. "We hope to be that next year and this is a nice way to start that quest."
Loren Ledin is the Prep Editor for The Star. He can be reached at loren.ledin@vcstar.com or 805-437-0285.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oaks Christian boys water polo team wins its first SoCal Regional title
