Scotties win four; SFC edges Wolf Pack

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 15, 2026

West Hills junior two-meter Adrian Kessler (11). / Vic Marano

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS WATER POLO

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA — Helix returned from a demanding tournament weekend with four victories, a one-goal loss and an emerging place among the San Diego Section’s leading boys water polo teams.

The Scotties won four of five games at the Villa Park Classic, improving to 7-2 and climbing to No. 5 in the current section ratings.

Helix defeated Valley View, Servite, Lake Oswego of Oregon and East County rival Santana before falling to Santa Margarita, 12-11, in its tournament finale.

It was a challenging weekend that tested the Scotties against unfamiliar opponents and left them one goal short of a perfect tournament run.

The most complete available account came from Helix’s 17-7 victory over Lake Oswego on Friday.

Helix took control immediately, leading 4-1 after the opening period before shutting out the Lakers in the second quarter. The Scotties carried a 9-1 advantage into halftime and stretched it to 14-3 through three periods.

Helix also defeated Valley View, 14-3, and Servite, 20-6, before meeting Santana in one of the weekend’s most revealing East County matchups.

The Scotties edged the Sultans, 10-9, in a meeting between teams now rated fifth and sixth in the section, respectively.

Helix then pushed Santa Margarita to the final margin before absorbing only its second loss of the season. The Scotties’ other defeat came against top-rated Bishop’s in their season opener.

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West Hills produced one of East County’s strongest performances of the week against No. 13 Santa Fe Christian.

The Wolf Pack pushed the 5-1 Eagles throughout a 15-13 loss, a particularly encouraging result for a West Hills team rated 43rd in the section.

Although the Wolf Pack fell to 1-3, each of its three losses has been decided by three goals or fewer. West Hills lost to Otay Ranch by two, El Capitan by three and Santa Fe Christian by two, demonstrating that its record does not fully reflect how competitive the team has been.

The performance also reinforced the potential balance in the Grossmont Valley League, where El Capitan has assembled the best early record but West Hills has repeatedly remained within striking distance against quality competition.

Santana also returned with four tournament victories, defeating Portola, Capistrano Valley, San Juan Hills and Los Alamitos.

The Sultans’ 14-6 victory over Capistrano Valley provided their most detailed performance of the weekend.

Santana led 3-1 after the first period, outscored the Cougars 5-1 in the second and carried an 8-2 advantage into halftime. The Sultans won every period and held a 12-3 lead entering the fourth.

Santana also defeated Portola, 15-8, San Juan Hills, 14-4, and Los Alamitos, 17-12. Its tournament losses came against Helix by one goal and top-rated Bishop’s.

The weekend strengthened the possibility that Helix and Santana could become the central contenders in the Grossmont Hills League race. Their first meeting was decided by the smallest possible margin, and the two programs now occupy consecutive places among the section’s top six.

Valhalla also took on a challenging tournament schedule.

The Norsemen defeated Esperanza, 19-10, and Servite, 12-10, while dropping games against La Jolla, Lake Oswego, Portola and Aliso Niguel.

Valhalla’s 10-8 loss to Aliso Niguel was its closest defeat of the weekend. The Norsemen remain 17th in the section ratings after facing one of the area’s more demanding early schedules.

While the Grossmont Hills teams received the largest tournament test, El Capitan quietly continued the area’s best start outside the section’s top tier.

The Vaqueros defeated Mar Vista, 15-6, and Pacific Ridge, 10-4, to improve to 6-2.

El Capitan has won six of its last seven games after opening with a loss to Clairemont. The Vaqueros have scored at least 10 goals in every victory and outscored their two opponents during the week, 25-10.

The Vaqueros are currently rated 24th in the section, but their collection of victories gives them an early advantage in momentum and experience heading toward Grossmont Valley League competition.

Grossmont endured a difficult five-game week but remained competitive in several tournament matchups.

The Foothillers’ victory came against Crean Lutheran, 14-6. They also lost to Redlands East Valley, 12-11, and Temple City, 12-10, dropping those two games by a combined three goals.

Losses to No. 11 Poway, San Marcos and Alta Loma left Grossmont at 2-6, but the Foothillers have already played five games decided by three goals or fewer.

That schedule could prove valuable for a program rebuilding around several returners from last season’s San Diego Section Division II finalist.

Granite Hills earned a 10-6 victory over Steele Canyon after falling to ninth-rated Mission Bay, 16-9. The Eagles are currently 30th in the section ratings.

The Granite Hills-Steele Canyon game was the first reported contest of the season for the Cougars.

The lower portion of the Grossmont Valley League also produced two breakthrough victories.

Mount Miguel defeated Montgomery, 10-9, before falling to Southwest San Diego, 12-8. The one-goal victory was the Matadors’ first of the season.

Monte Vista earned its first victory with a 12-8 decision over San Ysidro. The Monarchs entered the game rated 59th among the section’s 60 rated teams, one position ahead of San Ysidro.

Among EastCountySports.com’s expanded coverage teams, Poway delivered the strongest week.

The 11th-rated Titans defeated Grossmont, 14-8, and San Dieguito Academy, 16-4, winning twice by a combined score of 30-12. Poway improved to 4-4 after playing one of the section’s stronger early schedules.

Canyon Hills recorded a 16-4 victory over Southwest San Diego before falling to Otay Ranch, 13-5.

Ramona lost to Del Norte, 22-12, while Patrick Henry did not have a reported game during the week. Patrick Henry remains 16th in the section ratings, with Ramona currently 28th.

The latest results have created an early separation within the East County field.

Helix has built the strongest overall résumé and established itself as a top-five section team. Santana remains directly behind the Scotties after collecting four tournament victories, while El Capitan has used consistency to compile a 6-2 record.

The league races do not begin until later in September, but the tournament results offered an early preview of what could become a particularly competitive Grossmont Hills season.

And if the first meeting between Helix and Santana is any indication, the eventual difference at the top might be no larger than one goal.

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