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IRVINE – Riverside Poly’s boys water polo team wasn’t feeling overly confident Wednesday night but it had reasons to feel positive against top-seeded and host Woodbridge in the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
The Bears lost just six days earlier to the Warriors at the same pool by one goal and didn’t have speedster Liam Davidson, who was sick.
The eight-time section champion also had goalie Garret Griggs.
The 6-foot-8 junior delivered a season-high 23 saves, including two crucial one in the final 75 seconds, to lead Riverside Poly to a 10-8 upset that sent shock waves through a division ripe with parity this fall.
Riverside Poly lost 10-9 to Woodbridge last week.
“We know how it feels (to be upset),” Riverside Poly coach Mike Cardey said. “Last year (in Division 3) Villa Park knocked us off in the quarters. We were No. 1 and should have won and didn’t. … It’s the competitive equity that CIF is doing.”
Riverside Poly (22-7) will play host to Foothill, a 7-5 winner against visiting Palos Verdes on Wednesday, in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Riverside Poly quickly scored the only two goals of overtime to seize control. Davidson snapped an 8-8 tie by skipping a shot in off the top of the cross bar shortly after the Bears won the sprint for the first three-minute overtime.
Jack Sigloch extended the lead to 10-8 about 1 ½ minute later with a strike at center against single coverage.
Griggs capped his performance in spectacular fashion in the second three-minute overtime. After cheers of “He’s a wall!” from the Bears’ student section, he stopped an extra-man shot by the Pacific Coast League champion with about 1:50 left.
About 35 seconds later, he stoned a point-blank chance by Woodbridge star Riley Pittman, one of his teammates on the SOCAL club.
In the closing seconds, Griggs stopped a shot when Woodbridge held a two-man advantage on the power-play. He did it all as the Bears without sharp-shooter Evan Cain (three goals), who fouled out late in regulation.
“We had nothing to lose,” Griggs said. “(Our confidence) was a little shot after we lost (last week) but we were ready to come back here. We really wanted a second chance at them.”
Woodbridge, which captured its first league title, rallied from a 6-2 deficit to force overtime. The Warriors scored the final three goals of regulation, including a goal by Aria Shahzad-Ghajar off a drive and pass by Solan Kedzie with 1:57 left to tie the score at 8.
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