Beckman’s boys water polo team might be young but the Patriots showed Saturday they have no intention of backing down.
Counting on a starting lineup that included three sophomores and a freshman, Beckman finished second at the Poway Invitational for the second consecutive season.
Beckman (4-1) fell in the final to San Diego’s second-ranked team, The Bishop’s of La Jolla, 10-2, but earlier rallied to beat Grossmont of El Cajon in the semifinals.
Sophomore attacker Ian Holder scored a power-play goal off a pass from sophomore Mason Reynoso with seven-tenths of a second left in the fourth to lift Beckman past Grossmont, 12-11.
Sophomore Evan Kim scored in the final against The Bishop’s.
Beckman’s run to the final also included a 17-10 victory in the second round Thursday against Mt. Carmel, ranked 10th in San Diego. Mt. Carmel (Division II) and The Bishop’s (Division III) were CIF runner-ups last season in San Diego.
In other matches:
At the Weisz Cup:
Fountain Valley 11, Aliso Niguel 6: The Barons finished fifth in the El Dorado-hosted tournament. Palos Verdes defeated Peninsula, 16-11, in the final.
In a consolation game:
Tesoro 15, Royal of Simi Valley 7: Connor Suggs scored five goals to lead the Titans.