History was going to be made one way or the other when the Kennedy Golden Cougars and the Granada Hills Highlanders faced off in the finals of the CIF City Section D1 boys water polo finals. Neither team had won a title in water polo, and the winner would not only be hoisting the championship plaque, but would also be the second team to win since Division 1 was added to water polo last year. The first D1 champions were the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Highlanders wasted no time jumping out in front, scoring just over one minute into the game, and adding a second goal only 33 seconds later. Midway through the first quarter, Granada Hills would bunch two more goals in a 31 second span, both from junior Justin Villatoro. Later in the opening period of play, they would add three more goals in 55 seconds. Jason Bowden scored on a 5-meter shot with 2:19 left to increase Granada Hills’ advantage to 5-0 and then Gor Mesropian and Oneek Abramian would score their second goals of the quarter 33 seconds apart to give the Highlanders a 7-0 lead. Bruno Ortega got Kennedy on the board when he scored with seven seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The Golden Cougars appeared to settle down and assert a little more control over the game in the second quarter, despite conceding the first goal of the period to Levon Ipchyan under two minutes in. Down 8-1, Kennedy scored the next two goals with Andrew Joyce and Mateo Campos hitting the back of the net in quick succession to cut the deficit to a more manageable 8-3. Bowden and Joyce each scored 5-meter goals to end the first half with the Highlanders ahead 9-4.

Granada Hills was not looking to let Kennedy back into this match, and they showed it with two quick goals from Sebastian Villagrana and Ipchyan. Bowden and Mesropian added goals near the midway point of the third quarter to push the Highlanders lead to 13-4. The Golden Cougars attempted to fight back with two goals from Joyce in under one minute, but Granada hills answered back with two quick goals of their own from Bowden and Villagrana and the Highlanders took a 15-6 lead into the fourth and final quarter.

Villagrana scored his hat-trick goal less than one minute into the fourth quarter before Jorge Aguilar Gomez answered back on the Golden Cougars next possession. However, sophomore Ethan Kilimnik scored twice in 30 seconds for Granada Hills, essentially putting the game out of reach at 18-7 with five minutes to go. 

Kennedy did respond with two quick goals from Gomez, who also had a 5-meter shot stopped by Highlanders goalie Andrew Flores that would have been his third goal in less than 90 seconds. Mesropian capped Granada Hills’ scoring with two goals as time was running out before Joyce added his fifth of the game and both teams played out the clock for the Highlanders to celebrate their 20-9 victory.

Granada Hills will be competing in the CIF State tournament next week, with their opponent to be announced when brackets are released.