Lions make history

Oaks Christian’s girls’ water polo squad winsfirst Tri-Valley League championship



UNKNOWNS OUT OF NOWHERE—The Oaks Christian High girls’ water polo team celebrates itsfirst Tri- Valley League championship in school history after defeating Malibu 5-4 on the road last week. The Lions play host to Pacifica of Garden Grove at 5 p.m. today in a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 playoff opener.

UNKNOWNS OUT OF NOWHERE—The Oaks Christian High girls’ water polo team celebrates itsfirst Tri- Valley League championship in school history after defeating Malibu 5-4 on the road last week. The Lions play host to Pacifica of Garden Grove at 5 p.m. today in a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 playoff opener.

Oaks Christian High’s girls’ water polo team has arrived.

On Feb. 11, the Lions battled Malibu for a Tri-Valley League title. Hailey Benton, an Oaks Christian freshman, looked up at the home stands during halftime.

“We had about 200 people come out to support us,” Benton said. “I’ve never seen that many people at our games before. People were doing the wave. Everyone was having a good time.

“All the sports teams stopped their practices to come to our game. It was my best water polo experience.”

Oaks Christian defeated Malibu on back-to-back days last week to clinch the program’s first-ever league title. The Lions finished the regular season 9-2 overall, 9-1 against Tri-Valley foes.

“I liked the pressure,” junior goalie and co-captain Amanda Longan said. “We had to beat Malibu twice to be (outright) champs. We didn’t want to share the title.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win the school’s first league title. We’re so confident right now. Now we have our school supporting us. It’s been a great season so far.”

The Lions are peaking at the right time. They play Pacifica of Garden Grove at 5 p.m. today at home in the first round of the CIF- Southern Section Division 6 playoffs.

Oaks Christian enters the postseason on a six-match winning streak. The Lions’ only league loss was a 10-4 setback at Cate on Jan. 22. OCHS returned the favor with a 4-3 victory against Cate at home on Feb. 7.

With seven freshmen on the roster, the Lions entered this season optimistic about qualifying for the postseason. They didn’t envision winning a league crown, however.

“Girls were determined to improve during the summer,” junior driver and co-captain Caroline Sinclair said. “We were still unsure how this team would play, but I wasn’t too worried. We have a lot of new girls and they all stepped up.

“We gained confidence as the season went on. We started beating teams we usually never beat.”

Oaks Christian picked up a signature 10-9 triple overtime road win against league foe Carpinteria last month.

“That’s when we knew we had a chance to win league,” Longan said. “We came together as a team to pull out that win.”

Longan anchors the defense while Sinclair guides the offense.

Longan recorded a schoolrecord 31 saves against Malibu in a 5-4 road victory on Feb. 12 to close out the regular season. The Lions entered the fourth period trailing 4-2.

“I had no idea how many saves I had, but I had to get them all to win,” said Longan, who has received interest from UC Berkeley and UCLA to play college water polo. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just focused on helping my team.”

Oaks Christian beat Malibu with an identical 5-4 score at home the previous afternoon.

Sinclair leads the team in goals this winter. Her younger sister, Frances, a sophomore on the team, stands out in the pool.

Benton has been a key rookie contributor for the Lions. She’s a versatile playmaker with speed to defend and attack.

“The older girls like Amanda and Caroline have helped me so much,” Benton said. “They welcomed all the freshmen. I never thought I would do this well my first year. It’s one of my best water polo years.”

Benton was introduced to the sport by her father, Glen, when she was 6. Glen Benton played water polo at Royal High.

Hailey Benton took on a leadership role this season.

“Hailey’s a mature player,” Sinclair said. “Hailey has played a big role. She helps the girls with no varsity or water polo experience. The team responds well to her.”

Freshman utility Sarah Lambert is also having a breakout season.

Morgan Owen, Ariana Koch, Tatum Shackelford, Kassie Goldberg, Jing Li, Skylar White, Charlee Rae Bender, Laiken Pearson, Christina Gabertan and Jodee Shue contribute for the Lions.

“It’s unbelievable to think how far we have come,” Longan said, “but we can keep it going.”


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