Golden West to Appear in 22nd Consecutive State Championship Game

Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West men's water polo (30-3, 7-0 OEC) has surpassed the quarterfinals and semifinals of the 3C2A bracket to advance to the State Championship game. 

The Rustlers continue their historic run with 22-years in a row of a 3C2A State Championship game appearance. To get to this point, the team competed in the playoff bracket held at College of Marin. Golden West defeated Modesto 18-4 on Thursday in the quarterfinals and edged out a victory against Cuesta on Friday 13-11. 

11/16/2023 vs Modesto, 18-4

In their first appearance at the State Tournament, the Rustlers faced off against the Modesto Pirates. Modest was ranked as the fourth and final seed from the southern region as Golden West was placed as the first seed. The Rustlers showed why they earned the #1 seed ranking as they took charge from the beginning of the matchup. Golden West would hold the Pirates scoreless in the first frame and find the net for 11 unanswered goals, 11-0. To open the second quarter, the Rustlers made it 12 unanswered scores and only allowed one goal from Modesto in the first half, 13-1. 

It was smooth sailing for the Rustlers in the second half as the squad profited from their huge first frame. Though the Pirates scored three times in the second half, the #4 seed from the southern region were unable to establish their sea legs. Golden West closed out the big win in the quarterfinals to advance in the bracket, 18-4. The top scorer for the Rustlers was José Pedro Carvalho with four goals while Emiliano Tovar found the net three times. 

11/17/2023 vs Cuesta, 13-11

For a ticket to the 3C2A Championship game, Golden West had to get through the Cougars. Cuesta College battled their way to the semifinals with a nail biting overtime victory over Sierra, 17-14. Regulation was not enough for the Cougars and Wolverines as Cuesta outscored Sierra 5-2 in the overtime period. The Rustlers had a tough opponent in the Cougars, if they wanted to advance to their 22nd consecutive championship appearance. 

Golden West did not have the same hot start that they did in the quarter finals against Modesto. The Cougars scored twice in the first eight minutes but the Rustlers would double that to lead in the first quarter, 4-2. However in the second frame, Cuesta would outscore the #1 seed to come within one goal at halftime, 5-4. It was neck and neck in the third frame with both sides putting up five goals to keep the game at one score to head into the final frame. The Cougars fought hard to keep up and knock out the state's best program. Golden West would prevail in the end for the semifinal victory, 13-11 and continue their historical 3C2A streak. 

NEXT UP: Golden West will now advance to the State Championship Game to face the West Valley Vikings. The game will be held at College of Marin and begin at 11:15am.