The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Martinez, Chaparral get first CIF championship
WALNUT >> Chaparral girls water polo coach Josh Stone said Saturday evening’s CIF Southern Section Division 5 championship match was a microcosm of the season and the high school careers of a handful of his players.
“Lots of ups and down, right?” Stone told his players after the 11-8 win over Troy at Mt. San Antonio College.
Ariah Martinez pocketed a match-best seven goals and Holly Handler registered 12 saves inside the cage, as the Pumas overcame early inconsistent play and rode two second-half scoring runs to claim the first section title in program history.
It also marks the school’s first section championship in a girls sport in 21 years (volleyball).
“We have seven seniors on this team, and for many of them the COVID year was their first high school season,” Stone said. “That was difficult to start at that point, but I just kept telling them to keep on grinding and the dividends will be there. It can be difficult for teenagers to see the big picture, but they stuck to it and got there.”
Chaparral (23-5) took a brief lead in the first period following goals by Martinez and Natalia Ferrette, but the Pumas found themselves chasing the rest of the half. Troy scored the final two goal of the first quarter to take a 3-2 lead. Martinez achieved her hat trick and helped Chaparral level the score at 4 at the break.
The Pumas came out firing, scoring on three of their first five possessions of the second half to surge to a 7-4 lead. Julie Neal kickstarted the run with her lone goal of the match, and Martinez added two more goals.
Troy (23-8) had an immediate answer, however, as Anisha Aluwihare scored on back-to-back possessions to trim the deficit to one goal. Blessing Cheng scored in the opening minute of the fourth period to tie things up.
Chaparral regained control when Aidan Mante corralled a weak-side pass from Ferrette and fired into the cage. Martinez scored her final two goals to extend the lead to 10-7, and Ferrette sealed things on a goal with a minute left on the clock.
“We pretty much started from zero, so to see us work our way up to winning a championship has been amazing,” Ferrette said. “This is a great team to be a part of. They are like a second family to me, so this means everything.”
Ferrette, Mante and Neal have been mainstays in the program for several years, and their experience played a vital role in the Pumas making this championship run. The missing piece proved to be Martinez, a junior transfer from Temecula Valley.
“I came here to do this,” Martinez said while wiping tears from her eyes. “It’s everything I’ve ever dreamt about.
“Every player out here has been working so hard to make sure we get better. And look at us now. We made it.”
Martinez has scored 20 goals over the past three matches and outscored the opposition in three playoff games.
“She’s our leading scorer, and we run the offense through her,” Stone said. “She was exhausted tonight, but she found a way in the fourth quarter to score some pretty big goals. She fights, and I’m so proud of her.”
Handler was another player who played strong down the stretch, holding Troy scoreless over the final four minutes.
“Last year we took a big step forward, but this year we took the biggest step you can ever take,” Stone said.