Carpinteria High boys water polo suffered a 12-10 season-ending loss to Aquinas in the second round of the CIF-SS D4 playoffs on Tuesday at the Carpinteria Aquatics Center.
“Our commitment was high, and once again, our Warrior spirit shone through during our comeback efforts in the third and fourth quarters,” Carpinteria High head coach Russell Russo said. “The game didn’t unfold exactly as we had hoped, with a few calls going against us, but the boys never lost their spirit.
“The energy from the spectators made it a memorable night for the team. The coaching staff was proud of the boys’ effort throughout the season and the tremendous individual growth and progress each player demonstrated.”
Aquinas jumped out to a lead in the early stages, but Oscar De Leon and Ryder Shaw each scored twice for Carpinteria to keep the game close. Aquinas led 7-4 at halftime.
In the second half, the Warrior duo of Chris Reed and Junius Fedders sparked a comeback effort on the offensive end. Meanwhile, Stefano Piccoletti totaled 15 blocks in the cage for Carpinteria.
Carpinteria continued to fight down the stretch, but Aquinas held on to its lead in the fourth to pull out the win.
