Sports
Video: Sharks Chomp Hemet in Playoff Opener
The Malibu High School boys varsity water polo team starts its playoff run with a strong showing in a 16-5 win.
The Sharks' first playoff game figured to favor the boys varsity water polo team, and on Thursday afternoon at the Shark Tank, the boys showed they are ready for a run at the CIF Southern Section Division 6 title. No one knew much about the Hemet Bulldogs, and it turned out they are well-coached and play decent water polo, but the Sharks were more than they could handle.
The game started with Jordan Clarke finding Michael Mitze in front of the goal to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead. Next, George Karaghossian made one of his six assists by passing to Clarke, who fired it in from outside for a second Shark score. Hemet reduced the deficit with a lob shot goal, but Karaghossian responded with his second assist on a pass to Theo Guillemot. The quarter ended with the Sharks ahead 3-1.
The second quarter opened with Guillemot stealing the ball, swimming the length of the pool and scoring his second goal. After Malibu missed a couple golden opportunities, Hemet countered with a goal, and the score was 4-2. But with a man advantage, Karaghossian made yet another great pass for an assist to Guillemot in front of the goal. Karaghossian followed it up with a great weak-side pass to Henry Buckley for yet another goal. The Sharks went into halftime with a 6-2 lead.
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At the start the third quarter, Emmet Pierson found Karaghossian, who got his first goal of the game. Hemet countered with a goal of its own, but then Morgan Hathorn found Clarke open for yet another Shark score.
In a quarter with lots of offense, the Sharks weren't done. Following a Pierson steal, Karaghossian passed for another assist and Guillemot finished for the score. Pierson then made up for a missed breakaway goal attempt in the second quarter and scored on a breakaway. Clarke did the same after a block and long pass from goalie Dane Sartorius to give the Sharks an 11-3 lead.
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Hemet managed a couple goals, but the third quarter ended with the Sharks up 11-5 and lots of happy fans celebrating in the stands.
The fourth quarter was all Sharks as it appeared the Bulldogs ran out of gas.
Guillemot, Mitze, Pierson and Clarke scored, but the crowd cheered loudest when head coach Mike Mulligan put in the top junior varsity players that he moved up to the varsity team for the playoffs. Jack Thompson made a great save in goal and the crowd roared when the last goal of the game was scored on a pass from Owen Franz to Alec Wilovsky.
The Sharks had great team play and there were quite a few players who had solid statistics for the game. Karaghossian had six assists, three steals and a goal. Clarke had four goals, one assist and one steal. Guillemot had five goals and a steal. Pierson had four steals, two goals and an assist. And Sartorius recorded 12 saves.
Next up for the Sharks is the quarterfinals and the long drive to Lake Elsinore to play the third-ranked Temescal Canyon Titans, who easily defeated Western 18-6 on Thursday. This game should be a real test for the Sharks, not just to win, but to see if they are truly ready for a run at the championship.
