Santa Ana’s boys water polo team celebrates after winning the league title. (Photo courtesy Santa Ana Athletics).
Santa Ana High School’s boys water polo team, coached by Maer Cruz, finished 6-0 in the Golden West League to capture the championship.
The team defeated Tustin 13-9 Wednesday night to clinch the title outright, according to Athletic Director Brian Lillie. It’s the first league title in school history, Lillie said.
Other teams in the league are Ocean View, Segerstrom and Westminster.
Leading the Saints offense were senior Yediel Cecilio, who finished the regular season with 117 goals and senior Isaiah Simmons who had 110 goals, according to Lillie.
“Defenders Matthew Macedo (a senior) and Shaun Gonzales (a junior) did an amazing job disrupting opposing teams’ offenses, and goalie Paul Gonzalez (a junior) stepped up repeatedly to make key blocks and set the pace for the team,” Lillie said.
“It’s been an amazing year for Coach Cruz and the boys, finishing the regular season with an overall record of 24-3. They’ve worked extremely hard to get here, and winning the school’s first water polo league championship is a well-deserved honor for all of them.”
CIF playoff pairings will be announced Friday.
Send water polo news to timburt@ocsportszone.com
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