Friendly Gangs Splash It Out at Bonita Pool

Bonita defended its home pool in fine style once again.

For a while, the Bonita-Walnut water polo contest was a war between two gangs – the one that could shoot straight and the one that couldn’t.

At one point late in the third quarter, Bonita led 10-0, getting goals in rapid succession from Matt Zachary, Nick Wallman, Keaton Renta, Renta again, Zachary again, Kevin Webb, Lorenzo Lizardi, Eddie Dominguez, Renta one more time and Wallman again. The players demonstrated good passing and patience, scoring from both the inside and outside.

Meanwhile, Walnut’s attempts were banking and clanking off goal posts or the outstretched hands of goalie Caleb Guarino, who seemed to know in advance exactly where the Walnut offense was aiming. Call it pool presence or pool prescience.

For Bonita’s final home appearance before the start of the playoffs, the No. 1-ranked Bearcats looked  impressive on Senior Day, a day in which senior Matthew Cui fittingly scored Bonita’s final goal in defeating the Mustangs 13-6. R.J. Massro also scored a pair of goals for the Bearcats.

Don’t let the final score fool you. Bonita coach John Ashby pulled Guarino from his familiar goalie spot in favor of first Renta and then Webb, who play in the net about as often as Haley’s Comet passes by.

The league champions will now tread water with a couple of road games remaining on the schedule against West Covina and Rowland before the team’s 2011 CIF-SS Div. 5 run begins.

While Assistant Principal Mike MacCormick knows how to cook a mean hot dog, he still hasn't learned how to conceal his tie from grill grit, as demonstrated by his mentor, Principal Bob Ketterling.

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