Turlock High swept a Central California Athletic League water polo matchup against crosstown rival Pitman, earning a 17-4 boys’ victory and a 12-2 victory on the girls’ side.
Both Bulldogs squads are now 4-0 in the CCAL standings, while the Pride drop to 2-2 in the girls’ standings and 1-3 in the boys’ table.
For the boys, Brayden Shively, Cooper Harris, Cole Hackler and Jack Brem led a balanced offensive attack with three goals apiece. Braden Silveira also scored three goals for the Pride.
Turlock goalies Abraham Wooley and Wynn Brazil had eight saves apiece, while the team drew 16 exclusions — with two Pitman starters fouling out.
“Defensively, we were looking to control the pace and try to get as many advantages as we could,” said Turlock coach Nic Serratos, whose team was coming off a 15-9 win over second-place Downey. “We only missed five shots and committed eight turnovers, so it was a balanced, controlled game.”
On the girls’ side, Kaylee Amarant led the way with five goals for the Bulldogs, while Liv Romero contributed three scores. Goalie Reese Thomas stopped nine shots. Heidi Lancaster scored both of Pitman’s goals.
Turlock will see action again on Thursday when it hosts Gregori, while Pitman travels Wednesday to take on Modesto.
The girls will also be in action Friday and Saturday at the 45th annual Western States Invitational, which hosts 34 teams from throughout the western United States.
Turlock’s boys and girls will host Enochs on Monday in its annual Pink-Out game, when the players wear pink swim caps and students and fans wear pink Bee Positive shirts to honor the memory of former THS student Kayla Bernardi, who died of cancer, and whose brothers Dylan and Jared Bernardi played water polo for the Bulldogs.