STORY & VIDEO BY MATT SIMON
Under the lights at Cabrillo High School, Ava Bishop and Sean Tunniclif led the way for Wilson as the Bruins swept Millikan during Friday night’s water polo doubleheader.
The girls’ game was first and BIshop scored a game-high five goals to lead a balanced attack as the Bruins defeated the Rams 18-6.
“It’s so incredible,” Bishop said of being back in the pool. “I feel so insanely grateful for the opportunity to do this again because I didn’t think it was going to happen. This last week we’ve been playing games has been the best week in so long.”
Bishop scored a hat trick in the first quarter as Wilson took a 6-0 lead and led wire-to-wire.
In the second quarter, Millikan outscored Wilson 3-2 to cut the lead to 8-3 at halftime.
“I was really happy with the first quarter,” Wilson coach Barry O’Dea said. “Defensively we have a first-year varsity athlete playing goalie right now, so she’s coming along and she’s learning.”
After the break, Wilson took control and a 13-4 lead into the final period.
“For as little contact as we’ve had playing contact water polo – I think we look pretty good,” O’Dea said. “My centers are picking up a little bit where they left off last year.”
Along with Bishop, Zoe Grover and Maya O’Dea scored three goals apiece while Ava Smith and Kaylee Stigar scored two goals for Wilson Charlotte Echlin had five saves. Millikan’s Bailey was the Rams’ leading scorer with two goals.
In the final game of the night, the Wilson boys continued their fast start jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first period as Tunniclif, Carson Krueger and Kade Margain each scored two goals as Wilson defeated Millikan 17-5.
“The mentality is that our team is pretty well-rounded,” Tunniclif said of Wilson’s ability to have any player score at any time. “We’re trying to get the best scoring opportunities possible and we’re just working as a team and it just happened to be me tonight.”
With Zac Crenshaw and Gray Carson away from the team competing at a tournament in Utah, the Bruins didn’t miss a beat as Krueger, Margain and Cooper Zuanich scored three goals each.
“I’m really stoked to see all the guys get a chance to get an opportunity in there,” Wilson coach Jeff Nesmith said. “That’s good to see. We haven’t been able to play for so long, so to see all the guys in there and they’re having fun. It’s great to play against the other competition in Long Beach.”
Millikan’s Max Miller scored the final goal of the first half to get the Rams on the board as they trailed 10-1 at halftime. Miller led Millikan with two goals.
