Lodi too much for Bear Creek in playoff opener
Flames race to 8-3 lead at halftime and don’t let up in win
One of the strengths that the Lodi High boys water polo team has is running its offense in the middle of the swimming pool.
But the Flames flexed another muscle against Bear Creek in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II opener at Tokay’s pool on Wednesday. That led to No. 4 Lodi (16-13) destroying No. 13 Bear Creek 17-6 in their second meeting this year.
The win advances the Flames to Friday’s quarterfinal meeting against No. 5 Ponderosa, which pounded No. 12 River City of West Sacramento 20-2 at Union Mine High’s pool in El Dorado.
Bear Creek had a shortlived 1-0 lead when Lodi took over the contest in the first period. The Flames scored four goals, one each from Ryan Westerterp, Benton Peterson, Brosnan Elrod and Alexander Elrod for a 4-1 score after seven minutes.
As Peterson, the Elrod brothers and Westerterp took their shots at the center of the pool, the Flames opened their game at the perimeter. That allowed Hayden Lewis and Alexander Elrod to take shots on the sides, which continued to build the Flames’ lead to an 8-3 halftime score. Westerterp and Brosnan Elrod had a goal each during the second period.
“Some of the perimeter players kind of held off their shots,” said Lodi coach Trevor Taylor. “We’ve been working on some drills, shooting from the outside, trying to encourage them to connect. They’ve got the arms.”
The Elrod brothers scored a goal each to start the third period for a 10-3 lead. This time, the Flames continued their onslaught of scoring from the center that was blended with communication and passing the ball.
At the beginning of the fourth period, Bear Creek, which trailed 11-5, provided a scare to the Flames. A follow-up shot by Cade Waterfield, who stayed with the ball as it floated in front of the cage, led to the Bruins making the score 11-6. Two Lodi turnovers led to offensive possessions for Bear Creek, which was unable to capitalize on its golden chances to make a runaway game into a closer contest.
“They were going to score a few,” Taylor said. “It was a closer game the first time we met with them (Lodi posted an 8-5 win in a non-league contest on Sept. 6). This one, our conditioning really showed. Our second string, they have a lot of speed. Once Bear Creek was kind of tired, you can see our guys were really eager in attacking really fast in the pool.”
In the final five and a half minutes of the game, Lodi’s defense and movement of the ball between players coming off the bench and blended with the starters silenced any type of come-from-behind win for Bear Creek. Lewis, along with Alexander Elrod, Westerterp, Frank Isola, and Braden Acosta accounted for the Flames’ final six goals; Acosta had two goals.