Coach Steve Yancey and Capistrano Valley’s boys water polo team combined forces Saturday to write some long-sought history.
Goalie Anthony Celestino made seven of his 15 saves in the fourth period to help lead the host Cougars past visiting Yorba Linda, 12-7, in a CIF Division 3 quarterfinal that sent Capistrano Valley to the semifinals for the first time in 14 seasons under Yancey.
The veteran coach has guided the Cougars to multiple CIF titles in boys swimming. And Yancey’s water polo players weren’t born during his last semifinal run with San Clemente in 1994.
So, Capistrano Valley (19-11) filled a major void Saturday in advancing to play top-seeded Laguna Beach, a 19-6 winner at Aliso Niguel, in the semifinals Wednesday at Woollett at 3:30 p.m.
“This was something we’ve been building to,” Yancey said. “It’s really exciting.”
Celestino anchored a defense that nearly shut out Yorba Linda (20-9) in the second half. The Cougars scored the first five goals of the second half to open a 12-6 lead before Nick Bui scored with 25 seconds left in the fourth.
Capistrano Valley’s Max Gonter and Ryan Melford each scored on counterattacks in the first two minutes of the third to spark the outburst.
Celestino then made four saves against the power play in the fourth, including one off his head. The Cougars held Yorba Linda to a 1-for-9 effort with the extra attacker in the second half.
“He was the one who shut the door on the game,” Yancey said of Celestino, a first-year starting senior.
Capistrano Valley’s 1-2 scoring punch of Jacob Rendina and Austin Sechrest combined for seven goals, while Yorba Linda’s Nathan Repasky netted three goals.
Also in Division 3:
Laguna Beach 19, Aliso Niguel 6: Cade Baldridge scored five goals and Jakob Colladay added four to lead the visiting Breakers (23-6).
In other quarterfinals:
In Division 2:
Foothill 9, El Toro 6: Sophomore Arash Izadmanesh made 13 saves to lead the top-seeded and visiting Knights (23-6), who play Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach in the semifinals Wednesday. Mira Costa beat San Clemente, 10-7.
Dana Hills 20, M.L. King of Riverside 7: Marko Asic scored 10 goals to lead the visiting Dolphins (20-10), who will make their first semifinal appearance since 1991 when they take on Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday.
In Division 6:
Segerstrom 8, Valencia 6: An ill Nick Navarro came off the bench to score twice in the fourth and Balsam Boudiab added two more in the fourth to lead the host and second-seeded Jaguars (25-3). Segerstrom plays Temescal Canyon, a 4-3 winner against Hemet, in the semifinals Wednesday at Mt. SAC at 6 p.m. Kyle Metcalf made 13 saves for Valencia.
