Rancho Christian’s basketball programs both bound for CIF Southern Section Finals

Historic seasons lift Eagles through the playoffs

JP Raineri

Sports Editor

TEMECULA – Rancho

Christian’s gymnasium was almost standing room only Friday, Feb. 17, thanks to an overwhelming showing from AGBU fans that made the drive out from Canoga Park. For almost the first two quarters of play in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A boys’ basketball semifinals, it almost seemed like the drive home was going to be a happy one for the AGBU fans. While the Eagles jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead, the unimaginable happened. AGBU went on a 17-4 run, taking some of the wind out of the Eagles’ sails.

That’s when Rancho Christian head coach Ray Barefield changed things up. The Eagles restored order after changing to a full court press midway through the second quarter, and never looked back. Kevin Patton Jr. dropped 27 points on AGBU, with Rodney Brows Jr. adding 18 pts for the Eagles, helping their squad advance to the Division 2A finals against La Mirada with a 69-50 victory over AGBU.

The La Mirada Matadores boys’ varsity basketball team is 25-8 overall and defeated Orange

County’s Pacifica Christian 55-37 to advance to finals from their side of the bracket. In this next matchup, Rancho Christian, the No. 1 team from the Ivy League, will face the No. 1 team from the Gateway League. The Matadores top scorer see EAGLES, page C-3

Murrieta Valley wins CIF-SS Division 2 girls’ water polo title

Raineri

JP

Sports Editor

It is Bryan Lynton’s first season back as the head water polo coach at Murrieta Valley High School. You know, the coach that guided the boys’ water polo program to 19 consecutive league championships and seven appearances in CIF Southern Section title matches. Also, the same coach that led the girls’ water polo program to

15 league championships with six trips to the section finals.

Lynton and his boys won Southern Section titles in 2006 and 2015, and captured titles in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2016 with the girls.

Lynton, who arrived at Murrieta Valley in 1998, stepped away from coaching at the high school level after the 2016 season. Over the past five years, he has worked with the USA Water Polo U-18 Men’s National Team and is still currently the technical director for USA Water Polo’s Olympic Development Program. Chris Boyer, who is now an assistant for Lynton and helps operate the Elite Water Polo club, guided both Nighthawk programs for the past three seasons.

This year, in his first season back, Lynton, and the Murrieta Valley girls’ water polo team not only won another title in the Southwestern League, but swam their way through the postseason, posting a 20-14 overall record. The Nighthawks were victorious over Centennial (14-4), Woodbridge (10-5) and Downey (6-4) in the playoffs. Murrieta Valley was looking to add that 21st win this past Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine when they faced Millikan High School, who got to the finals with wins over Camarillo (21-6), Riverside Poly (7-6) and Dana

Hills (15-6).

In the first quarter, Murrieta Valley got out to a 3-1 lead with goals from Kristen Alexander, Amy Pearce and Mackenzie Wood, but Millikan would answer back late in the quarter behind an Avery Jensen score. The Rams would then even things up when Faye Garcia and Jensen scored goals in the second quarter. Wood would see POLO, page C-2