The Bonita High School boys water polo team recently achieved a remarkable milestone by winning their first CIF Southern California Division 3 title, just a week after clinching the CIF-SS Division 4 championship. Demonstrating exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the playoffs, the Bearcats have been unstoppable.

In their final match against Palisades, held at Mt. SAC, Bonita High School emerged victorious with a score of 10-5. Max Distaso was a standout player, scoring four goals, while Jacob Carlson contributed significantly with three goals. Jeffrey Heaton and Parker Montgomery also added to the team’s success with two and one goals, respectively. Julian Falk, the team’s goalie, played a crucial role in the victory with nine saves.

Throughout the state playoffs, which included matches against Cleveland, Ayala, and Palisades, Bonita High School outshined their opponents with a combined score of 43-15, consistently scoring at least 10 goals in each of their eight postseason games.

The box score for the final game was as follows:

• Bonita: 2-3-2-3 (Total 10)
• Palisades: 1-2-0-2 (Total 5) Bonita’s scoring was led by Max Distaso (4 goals), Jacob Carlson (3), Jeffrey Heaton (2), and Parker Montgomery (1).

The season records stood at Bonita (24-12) and Palisades (19-13).

Bonita’s impressive journey through the CIF-SS playoffs included victories over El Modena (16-4), Malibu (18-5), Hoover (12-8), Temecula Valley (13-9), and Woodbridge (16-5). Their CIF State Division 3 Playoff results were equally dominant, with wins against Cleveland (16-8), Ayala (17-2), and finally, Palisades (10-5).

This historic achievement is a testament to the team’s hard work, dedication, and exceptional skill in water polo.