El Toro, Newport Harbor reach final

El Toro's boys water polo team designed its final play Wednesday for Nick Rascon. The ball never made it to the senior, but Joey Fuentes made sure it still found Loyola's net.

The left-hander attacker scored on a lob shot from the slight wing with 2.22 seconds left to lift the fourth-seeded Chargers past the top-seeded and undefeated Cubs, 10-9, in a thrilling Division I semifinal at John C. Argue Swim Stadium in Los Angeles.

El Toro (28-3) will face No. 2 Newport Harbor in Saturday's 6:30 p.m. final at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine.

Fuentes scored on an El Toro timeout play that wanted to free Rascon at the point. But when El Toro coach Don Stoll saw Loyola (31-1) had Rascon's area covered, he instructed goalie Garrett Danner to pass to Fuentes.

Fuentes quickly found himself unmarked.

"I just saw it," the sophomore said of his chance from about 7 meters. "I guess they had the idea it was going to Russell (Renteria). ... I was left open and I just put my shot away."

Loyola's Nikola Vavic got a shot off from midpool before the final buzzer but Rascon knocked him off balance the ball sailed wide of the cage.

Renteria, a junior, powered El Toro in the fourth period. He scored four of his match-high five goals, including back-to-back strikes at 2 meters with 2:40 and 2:05 left in the fourth to tie the score, 9-9.

Loyola had three shots nearly beat Danner (14 saves) in the final three minutes but El Toro's defense got its final turnover with 8.95 seconds left to set up Fuentes, who finished with three goals.

After this eventual-winning shot, the El Toro crowd started cheering, "Joey! Joey! Joey!"

"My brother (former El Toro standout T.J. Fuentes) has been throwing that shot since he was in high school," Fuentes said. "I guess (it) passes on through the family."

Loyola defeated El Toro, 8-5, in the finals of the South Coast Tournament in late September. And going into the fourth period Wednesday, the Cubs led, 7-5. But Renteria scored the first two goals of the fourth - one from the perimeter and one from center against a double team - to tie the score.

But Loyola answered. Alex Fortis skipped in a perimeter strike from 6 meters with 4:44 left and Jack Plaga converted a cross pass from Vavic 42 seconds later to give the Cubs a 9-7 lead.

"Coming in off (the third period), I just knew someone that someone had to step up," Renteria said. "I'm just happy we won. I don't care who made the game-winning shot. It happened. I'm just overwhelmed. I'm so happy."

Loyola scored the first two goals of the match before El Toro answered with a 3-0 run in the first. But matt  Schwartz scored on extra with 1:59 left in the first period to make it, 3-3.

Danner made one of his best saves early in the second, stopping Schwartz on a one-on-one chance. El Toro briefly took a 4-3 lead on Rascon's penalty score -which he drew - with about 2:30 left but Loyola finished with the half with a 3-0 run, including Schwartz's near-side goal with 18 seconds left.

While Loyola hit three posts late in the fourth period, El Toro ended the first half by blasting two shot off posts.

Early in the third, the Cubs had a chance to take their first three-goal lead by Vavic missed a penalty shot with about 4:30 left in the frame. The teams then traded goals before going to the fourth period.

"It's memorable," later said of the game. "Because we're so young."

El Toro started freshman Colton and sophomores Danner, Fuentes, Rude and Zack Nelson.

Rascon finished with one goal but three ejections plus the penalty. He also had three steals.

In the other Division I semifinal:

Newport Harbor 14, Corona del Mar 10: The Sailors (26-4) scored three counterattack goals in the first period and finished 6 for 8 on the power play at Woollett to beat the Sea Kings (24-6) for a third time.

"I thought that we had control early," Newport Harbor coach Jason Lynch said. "I want to credit goalkeeper Chris Whitelegge and our defense overall, especially our 5-on-6, for setting the tone early. It's all about defense when it is championship time."

Newport Harbor and Whitelegge held Corona del Mar to a 1-for-5 effort with the extra attacker through three periods.

Whitelegge finished with 11 saves, including four against the power play, and two steals.

Blake Kelly led six Sailors in scoring with four goals. Zach Lucas notched three goals while fellow starters Dane Sequeira, Jack Yeager and Matt Russell each added two. Farrel South had one goal.

Lynch later called the effort the Sailors' best this season.

"This is the best we've played as team," he said. "Hopefully, we can do that one more time."

The Sailors opened a 6-3 lead after seven minutes. Kelly netted two counterattack goals in the first while Lucas added one. Russell provided the prescene at 2 meters with two goals at set.

Newport Harbor twice led by six goals in the second half. Corona del Mar's Max Bergeson four of his match-high six goals in the fourth period to cut into the Sailors' lead.

On the attendance front, organizers estimated that Wednesday's total was about 2,600.