The Diamond Bar High School administration might wonder why it had not built an aquatics facility sooner.
The Brahmas’ boys water polo team reached the CIF Southern Section Division 6 semifinals in their third season in the team’s first postseason appearance last November.
Diamond Bar’s girls are doing one better than the boys. The Brahmas will play for a CIF-SS Division 7 title at 4 p.m. Saturday against Santa Ynez at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center, next to Irvine High. It is also their third season and their first postseason appearance.
The school built the swim facility in 2013.
“It’s very exciting time for both programs,” co-coach Alex Matal said. “We feel we are just getting started establishing a foundation.
“The girls from the very beginning have been putting in the commitment during the season and offseason. It’s been a lot of hard work on the girls’ part.”
Diamond Bar is one of three San Gabriel Valley-area teams playing for a CIF-SS crown at Woollett Saturday.
The Brahmas (27-7) face top seed Santa Ynez (20-10).
Diamond Bar, the third-place team from the Palomares League, defeated Chaffey 11-3 in the semifinals with junior Ashley Yoo scoring four goals and making three assists, junior Kaitlyn Savolt made four steals and junior goalkeeper Hannah Murray had nine saves. Yoo and junior Phoebe Tsui have scored 63.6 percent of the Brahmas’ goals this season.
The Los Padres League runner-up defeated Whittier 7-5 in its semifinal. It is the first time the Pirates have been to the final.
Division 5
Pasadena Poly (21-5) vs. Xavier Prep (26-7), 1 p.m. >> The top-seeded Panthers will be making their third title-game appearance in six seasons. They defeated Ocean View 10-4 two years ago and lost to Warren 15-10 in 2012, both in Division 6 games.
Colleen Woo and Kate Penner were on the ’15 team and are among four seniors on this season’s team. Freshman Talie Wilmans and Woo easily lead the co-Prep League champions in scoring and Woo has had a whopping 112 steals. Wilmans scored both overtime goals in a 6-4 semifinal victory against Santa Ana Valley.
The No. 3 seed Saints of Palm Desert defeated Tesoro 8-7 in the semifinals.
Division 2
Schurr (30-2) vs. Riverside Poly (21-9), 11:30 a.m. >> It’s a rematch from earlier this season. Poly defeated visiting Schurr 10-6 in a nonleague game in the Spartans’ fourth game of the season in December.
Schurr scored perhaps its biggest victory in program history by rallying to defeat top seed Agoura 7-5 in the semifinals at Woollett Wednesday.
The Almont League champion’s best previous postseason run was to the second round.
Senior Jassmine Kezman and sophomore Cynthia Rosa lead the fourth-seeded Spartans in scoring. Kezman has made 67 steals. Sophomore goalkeeper Itzahiana Baca has made 22 saves.
The No. 2 seed Bears lost to Royal in the Division 4 title games the last year two years. The Inland Valley League champions are making their fourth consecutive title game appearance. They have won four CIF-SS titles, the last in 2014.
