Schools
Heartbreak at the Shark Tank
The Malibu High School boys varsity water polo team falls in a close game against league rival Oaks Christian. The junior varsity Sharks score an easy victory.
The Sharks' much-anticipated rematch with league rival Oaks Christian turned out to be the intense boys varsity water polo match many people predicted. The game was hard fought and close throughout, with the Lions scoring the final goal to win 6-5 at on Thursday afternoon.
This marked the second game of the season between the Lions and the Sharks decided by one goal.
The rematch opened with a quick goal by Oaks, but Malibu fought back with three goals in a row, including two unassisted by junior Jordan Clarke and one by senior Michael Mitze on a pass from junior Morgan Hathorn. Oaks scored the only two goals of the second quarter, but junior goalie Dane Sartorius made two great blocks to make the score 3-3 at halftime.
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Oaks scored at the beginning of the third quarter, but Clarke scored his third goal of the game on a great pass from senior George Karaghossian. The Lions then scored again, and Malibu junior Emmet Pierson responded with a breakaway to tie the game at 5.
Oaks managed the lone goal in a hotly contested fourth quarter that had the fans yelling in disbelief at the referees' calls and non-calls. The Sharks had great chances right to the end, but were unable to get the ball in the goal.
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The loss breaks the Sharks' eight-game winning streak and brings their record to 10-5-1 heading into the Oxnard Tournament this Friday and Saturday. Several ranked teams will be at the tournament, including Rio Mesa, which beat the Sharks last season in the CIF Division 6 Finals.
The junior varsity Sharks had a much easier time with the Oaks JV team, beating them 12-3. The JV Sharks were led by Owen Franz and Arvin Abolfathi, who each scored three goals, and Jason Frankle and Oscar Cedillo, who had two goals apiece.
Both teams also won away games against Carpinteria on Wednesday. The varsity team won 13-4, with three goals each from Michael Mitze and Theo Guillemot. Guillemot also had three assists and six steals. The JV team won 15-2, with Jake Dvorsky leading the way with three goals and three steals.
