Water Polo

In an early-afternoon game Saturday, the Burbank girls 10-and-under team took to the water to compete against Pasadena. But how well the Burbank side played wouldn’t matter because the team had to forfeit the game due to lack of girls competing. They were there as part of the city’s summer aquatics program at McCambridge Park pool. “We have to have at least three girls on the team, and two must be in the water at all times,” said Coach Bob Farmer. The water polo team is sponsored through the City of Burbank’s Park and Recreation and funding from LA 84, a foundation that came together during the 1984 Olympics games to support youth swim programs.

Andrew Kushner VAN NUYS -- It's a good bet that not too many in the CIF Southern Section girls' water polo community expected Burroughs High to be in the Diviusion III semifinals. Along with finishing in second place in the Almont League behind No. 1-ranked Bell Gardens High, the Indians got little respect during the season, never being ranked among the division's top 10. But there they were Friday, in a final-four match against No. 2-seeded Harvard-Westlake High at L.A. Valley College in Van Nuys.

For Mike Scott, water polo has been a constant since the fifth grade. That was when Scott abandoned soccer, volleyball and swimming in favor of the age group water polo program in La Cañada ? a decision neither he nor his twin brother Max ever regretted. Since then, Scott has spent many hours in the pool en route to the pinnacle of his high school polo career, this year?s CIF Southern Section Division III championship game. Playing against Montebello for the championship for the third year running, Scott scored twice in the first quarter and again in the third to help his team to an 11-8 win to secure the Spartans?

When lightning that accompanied Tuesday’s rain storm struck close to Burbank High, that was a call to action. Not wanting to put athletes in possible harm’s way, officials from the Pacific League decided to postpone girls’ water polo and boys’ and girls’ soccer matches that were scheduled for Tuesday. One of the biggest events affected was the Pacific League water polo preliminaries. Host No. 3 Burbank was to take on No. 2 Pasadena at 4 p.m. and No. 4 Burroughs was to face No. 1 Crescenta Valley at 5. “We had some pretty big lightning strikes,” Burbank High girls’ water polo Coach Carlos Pelayo said.

The local boys' water polo coaches at Burbank High and Burroughs know it's going to be tough going in the Pacific League this season. Glendale returns most of its team from a year ago when the Nitros advanced to the CIF Southern Section VI semifinals. Hoover, which made it to the division quarterfinals in 2009, will be paced by junior Hakop Kaplanya, who tallied 229 goals to set a new California record. In addition, Crescenta Valley has a strong water polo tradition and the Falcons seem to be able to reload with quality players every year.

The Burroughs High girls' water polo team couldn't have asked for a better draw for the first round of the CIF Southern Section V playoffs. Not only will the Indians began the postseason with a home match, but they will take on a team that they easily defeated earlier in the season. Burroughs (19-4) is fresh from a gutsy performance last week in the Pacific League championship. The Indians lost to Crescenta Valley, 8-6, to earn the No. 2 seed from the league. Burroughs will take on Elsinore (9-17)

Burbank High's LaChee Singleton has worked hard in the pool to get noticed among her girls' water polo peers. With cat-like reflexes, an uncanny ability to block shots, a driving passion to be successful and the willingness to be a leader, the senior has received her share of attention in her three seasons playing for the Bulldogs varsity team. However, Singleton has also had to deal with individuals who are preoccupied with pointing out just one thing about her — the color of her skin.

LA CRESCENTA — The Crescenta Valley High and Burbank girls’ water polo teams have recently enjoyed the spotlight in the Pacific League. The squads have combined to win the last five league championships. Crescenta Valley saw its bid to win a fifth straight league title derailed by Burbank last season. In search of regaining the top spot in league, Crescenta Valley Coach Pete Loporchio said he recently made it a point for the Falcons to attack early and often in their league matches.

BURROUGHS HIGH — With a convincing 18-3 victory Wednesday against cross-town rival Burroughs, the Burbank High girls’ water polo team completed a Pacific League sweep of its six league opponents. Accomplishing that feat in any other team sport in the Southern Section would give a team like the Bulldogs a league championship. However, in water polo, things are done a little differently. If Burbank wants to nail down its first-ever crown, it has to win two head-to-head matches against league foes in the Pacific League Tournament, which begins Tuesday at Burbank High.

BURBANK HIGH — Burbank High girls’ water polo Coach Carlos Pelayo said his team “suffered several mental lapses” and “played sluggish at times” Tuesday in a Pacific League match against Burroughs. A happy Indians Coach Carlos Ponce said his squad “played a very good game” and made the Bulldogs “play our type of game” in the cross-town rivalry contest. However, despite what the coaches’ comments seem to indicate, the outcome favored Burbank.

One was a strong offensive force who garnered her share of attention, while the other was a defensive stalwart who frustrated opponents with her quick reflexes and solid skills. Whatever their roles this past season for the Burroughs High girls' water polo team, senior two-meter standout Sam Buliavac and junior goalkeeper Ahsha Earwood were two of the key components that helped the Indians enjoy a successful season. The two helped Burroughs place second in the Pacific League, almost pull off a stunning upset of champion Crescenta Valley and advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs.

BURBANK - From the first match of the season until the conclusion on Saturday afternoon, Burroughs High girls' water polo Coach Danny Garcia saw marked improvement from his team - along with unprecedented success. The Indians won 20 matches for the first time in the program's history, vied for a share of the Pacific League championship and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs. "We had a great season," said Garcia, who saw it end Saturday following a 10-5 home loss against fourth-seeded Redlands East Valley.

BURROUGHS HIGH — If the Burroughs High girls' water team was going to win its CIF Southern Section first-round playoff match against Elsinore, it was going to have to do it without a significant contribution from Sam Buliavac. Buliavac, the team's leading goal scorer, was hounded every time she got near the ball. The senior was constantly double- and triple-teamed and had a hard time getting any scoring opportunities. That led the Indians to spreading the scoring around and attacking the Tigers from the outside.

The Burroughs High girls' water polo team couldn't have asked for a better draw for the first round of the CIF Southern Section V playoffs. Not only will the Indians began the postseason with a home match, but they will take on a team that they easily defeated earlier in the season. Burroughs (19-4) is fresh from a gutsy performance last week in the Pacific League championship. The Indians lost to Crescenta Valley, 8-6, to earn the No. 2 seed from the league. Burroughs will take on Elsinore (9-17)

After an unprecedented second-place run in the Pacific League, the Burroughs High girls' water polo team was rewarded with a first-round home playoff match. As released on Sunday, the CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoffs will see the Indians host Elsinore, the second-place team in the Sunbelt League. The winner will face either Redlands East Valley or La Sierra in the quarterfinals on Saturday. All games are scheduled for a 5 p.m. start unless a change is agreed upon by both teams.

BURBANK HIGH - Practicing man-advantage opportunities hasn't been something that the members of the Burroughs High girls' water polo team have spent a lot of time addressing. After what occurred Tuesday, one could hardly notice. Burroughs scored on five of its six extra-man advantages to pick up a 6-3 overtime victory against Pasadena in a semifinal match of the Pacific League Tournament at Burbank High. Burroughs (19-3, 6-1 in league) will meet Crescenta Valley (27-0, 7-0)

BURBANK - Leading into the start of Pacific League play, Crescenta Valley High's girls' water polo team was the prohibitive favorite to defend its league crown with many prognosticating Glendale or Pasadena as the top challenger. Enter Burroughs, as the upstart Indians surprised many as they set up Thursday afternoon's showdown against the Falcons, which both teams entered undefeated in league. But as the match came to an anticlimactic finish, the Falcons made an emphatic statement that nobody's yet to challenge them for league supremacy after throttling the host Indians, 16-4.

BURBANK - With the Glendale High and Burroughs girls' water polo teams undefeated in their first two respective Pacific League matches, Tuesday's league contest between the teams provided an opportunity for one to create separation. It took until the final minute for a gap to be created. Sam Buliavac capped her five-goal scoring performance with a five-meter goal with 43 seconds left to give host Burroughs a 7-6 victory. Burroughs improved to 15-2, 3-0 in league and maintained a first-place tie with Crescenta Valley, which posted a 21-10 win against host Pasadena on Tuesday.

BURROUGHS HIGH - With senior-laden squads, there is a palpable sense of urgency with the Burroughs High and Pasadena girls' water polo teams this season. The fact that both programs will lose a large number of impact players to graduation, the Indians and Bulldogs realize that this year will likely be their best chance to vie for a Pacific League championship. With that motivation, the teams met Thursday in a league showdown. Although Burroughs was able to take a sizable lead in the early going, it had to hold off a surging Pasadena squad to notch a 9-7 victory.

BURROUGHS HIGH - Most of the girls' water polo players from Burroughs High and Burbank were well aware of the dominance the Bulldogs have had in their rivalry in recent years. Heading into Tuesday's Pacific League opener for both teams, the Indians hadn't defeated their cross-town counterparts in a decade. However, motivated by an early lead and sparked by a defense that held Burbank in check for most of the contest, the Indians were able erase 10 years of futility with a resounding 20-5 victory against the Bulldogs at Burroughs.