It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. That’s what the Palisades High boys varsity water polo team took away from last weekend’s South Bay Tournament.
The Dolphins were seeded 17th going into the 24-team bracket and that’s exactly where they ended up.
They arrived in Manhattan Beach last Friday afternoon confident following a 22-7 rout of host Venice in which Mitchell Kim scored four goals, Kian Lotfi added three goals, three assists and five steals and Zach Senator had two goals, three assists and five steals.
Palisades, though, had to play top-seeded Mira Costa in its first game and suffered a 14-9 defeat despite five goals and three steals by Lotfi, two goals and five assists by Senator and 10 saves by Ross Aronson.
Later that day the Dolphins found themselves trailing by six goals in the fourth quarter against Oaks Christian and rallied to pull within a goal before falling 15-14, also in Manhattan Beach.
Lotfi scored five goals, Kim added three and Senator had five assists and two steals.
The venue switched to Peninsula High in Palos Verdes on Saturday and in its first game Palisades beat Peninsula 13-9 behind four goals, three assists and five steals from Senator and three goals apiece by Kim and Lucas Silva.
The Dolphins were back in the pool an hour later to take on Flintridge Prep and won 11-7. Kim had three goals and Senator added two goals, four assists and three steals.
In Palisades’ final game against Long Beach Millikan, Lotfi had six goals and nine steals and Senator had five assists and five steals as the Dolphins finished the tournament 3-2.
— Steve Galluzzo
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
