Bell Gardens Is Perfect to the Finish

Capping a perfect season in which most every game was a cakewalk, Bell Gardens High defeated Riverside Arlington, 14-3, in the Southern Section Division III girls’ water polo final Tuesday night at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Bell Gardens (30-0) cruised to the final, outscoring three playoff opponents, 64-9.

“Their record kind of speaks for itself,” Arlington Coach Bill Grisham said. “I just prepared the team to get here and try to have the best possible game we could.”

Bell Gardens, which defeated Division IV champion Rosary, Division II champion Santa Barbara and Division I finalist Irvine this year, staked a claim to best team in the Southern Section.

“When I split this team up in practice and go six on six we have two pretty good high school teams,” Coach Robert Greenamyer said. “That’s when we have our best games.”

Jessica Lopez, who played on boys’ teams at Bell Gardens that reached Southern Section finals the last two years, had six goals to lead the Lancers.

Patty Cardenas had three of her four goals in the first half, as Bell Gardens took a 7-0 halftime lead.

Jennifer D’Anna scored twice for Arlington (26-4) in the final minute of the game.

DIVISION I

Newport Harbor 9, Irvine 5--Senior Jocelyn Manderino had four goals and four other players scored for Newport Harbor (23-6) at Belmont Plaza Pool, giving Bill Barnett another section title.

Barnett won 10 championships with the Newport Harbor boys, the last in 1984.

“This means a lot,” said Barnett, who coached the 1988 and 1992 Olympic teams. “It means just as much as any boys title, just as much as the Olympics. It’s great to be here and it’s great to win.”

Irvine (24-5) got three goals from Erin Lezak.

Katherine Belden had five of Newport Harbor’s 15 steals.

DIVISION II

Santa Barbara 11, San Marcos 4--Ann Edelman scored four goals and Thalia Munro and Meika Moseby each scored three at UC Santa Barbara as the Dons won their second consecutive title.

Lindsay Harris scored the other goal for the Dons, who led, 5-2, at halftime and scored five goals in the fourth quarter.

Santa Barbara goalie Charlotte Gray made seven saves.

DIVISION IV

Fullerton Rosary 6, Irvine University 5--Rosary (22-4) scored three times in the final 1:43 of the third quarter and then held off a late charge by University (17-12) at Belmont Plaza Pool.

Julie Henn and Colie Barson each scored twice for Rosary, which defeated University in the Division III final last year.