A slow start doomed the Dos Pueblos High girls’ water polo team as the Chargers dropped a CIF-SS Division 1 Quarterfinal match against Agoura, 10-9, on Wednesday night at the Elings Aquatic Center.
Agoura seized control early, capitalizing on three penalty shots and a power-play goal to build a 6-2 lead after the first period. The visitors extended the margin to 9-5 by halftime, repeatedly drawing exclusions and converting opportunities at the 5-meter line. Peyton Rosenthal scored four times from penalty shots to pace Agoura.
“We just had an abysmal first half. The defense wasn’t working and there was a lack of communication in the pool. I think it was essentially my fault having them run a different defense than they’ve been running all season,” said Dos Pueblos coach Chris Parrish. “They are resilient, but we didn’t do what we needed to do in the first half.”
Dos Pueblos regrouped in the second half, tightening its defense and limiting Agoura to one goal over the final two periods. A key adjustment came in goal, where regular starter Reagan Mack returned after recovering from a shoulder injury for the final three quarters. Mack sparked the comeback with precise outlet passes that led to transition goals and delivered several critical saves, including a diving stop late in regulation to keep the deficit at one.
Deveraux Wigo led Dos Pueblos with five goals, scoring three during the rally as the hosts trimmed the deficit to 10-9 midway through the fourth quarter. Keira McAvoy added two goals, and the defense forced key stops to give Dos Pueblos a final opportunity.
In the closing seconds, Wigo launched a long-range shot under pressure that deflected off a defender, grazed the underside of the crossbar and was cleared by Agoura goalkeeper Emma Lee Webber,clinching the victory for Agoura.
Agoura improved to 23-7 with the win, while Dos Pueblos finished its season with a 19-8 overall record.
