Young Griffins head to conference play

By Ramon Scott
Updated: September 28, 2026

2026 GROSSMONT COLLEGE MEN’S WATER POLO

EastCountySports.com Staff Report

EL CAJON — A young Grossmont College men’s water polo team is heading into conference play with four consecutive victories and an offense that produced 74 goals over a two-day weekend.

Now comes the opportunity to turn that early progress into a run at another Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title.

The Griffins (6-3) swept four games Sept. 25-26 at Rio Hondo and Citrus colleges, outscoring their opponents 74-35 ahead of Thursday’s conference opener at Southwestern.

For head coach Ty Lackey, whose opening-weekend roster featured 14 freshmen and only three sophomores, the sweep offers another measure of growth following an early schedule that included three games against four-year programs.

Grossmont remains 6-0 against community college opponents, with its losses coming against Occidental, Whittier and Ottawa.

The Griffins opened their latest trip Friday with a 24-9 victory over Santa Monica, followed by a 16-9 win against host Rio Hondo. They completed the sweep Saturday at Citrus, defeating El Camino, 16-8, and the host Owls, 18-9.

Luke Machin delivered 11 goals and 10 assists across Saturday’s two victories, while Aidan Keane contributed seven goals and six assists. Goalkeeper Carson Hall finished the doubleheader with 20 saves.

It was a productive finish to September for a program coming off a 16-13 season and an appearance in the 2025 PCAC championship game.

SATURDAY’S SURGE

Grossmont’s win over El Camino featured a balanced attack and a decisive second half.

The teams were tied 2-2 after the first quarter before the Griffins moved ahead 5-3 at halftime. Grossmont then scored seven times in the third quarter to build a 12-7 advantage, closing with a 4-1 fourth period.

Peter Nelson led the Griffins with five goals. Machin added four goals and five assists, while Juan Castillo, Evan Myhovich and Keane scored twice apiece. Zavior Ward supplied the remaining goal.

Connor Mangan collected four steals, and Hall recorded eight saves.

Machin took the scoring lead in the finale against Citrus, finishing with seven goals on nine shots and five assists.

Keane added five goals and four assists, while Castillo scored four times on five shots and drew four exclusions. Myhovich and William Carr each scored once, with Carr also credited with two steals.

Hall made 12 saves as Grossmont completed the weekend without allowing any opponent to reach double figures.

EARLY TESTS, EARLY LESSONS

The four-game sweep followed a challenging opening stretch.

Grossmont began the season Sept. 12 with victories over Santa Monica, 17-9, and Fullerton, 13-10, before falling to NCAA Division III opponents Occidental, 18-7, and Whittier, 20-10.

Despite those losses, Lackey saw encouraging signs during the opening trip.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how much we progressed with every game,” Lackey said of the Grossmont’s opening weekend. “We have a very young team featuring 14 freshmen and only 3 sophomores, but our best play of the weekend came against the toughest competition in the NCAA Division III schools. The results may not show it, but we became a better team throughout the trip.”

Castillo scored 18 goals and drew 12 exclusions during those first four games. Machin added nine goals, Keane distributed 10 assists and Hall made 49 saves.

A 10-9 loss to Ottawa on Sept. 18 dropped the Griffins to 2-3 before their unbeaten weekend lifted them three games above .500.

Through nine games, Machin leads Grossmont with 32 goals and 25 assists, with Castillo close behind at 31 goals. Castillo has converted 66 percent of his shots and drawn a team-high 27 exclusions.

Nelson has supplied 22 goals and six assists, while Keane has 11 goals and 23 assists. Ward has scored 10 goals, and Myhovich has added nine.

Machin and Keane also share the team lead with nine steals apiece.

A STANDARD TO CHASE

Lackey’s connection to Grossmont’s water polo tradition began well before he became head coach in 2014.

A former Griffin standout, Lackey earned All-American recognition and conference co-MVP honors in 2003, according to the college’s historical records.

He has since coached Grossmont to conference championships in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024, extending the success of a program whose conference-title history dates to 1971.

Last season, Grossmont defeated Palomar, 14-10, in the PCAC semifinals before falling to San Diego Mesa, 19-12, in the championship game.

This year’s team enters league play with a younger roster, but the same championship opportunity ahead.

CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS

Grossmont visits Southwestern on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. to begin its PCAC schedule.

The Griffins then head to the Saddleback tournament Oct. 2-3, with scheduled opponents including Saddleback, Modesto, Rio Hondo and Santa Monica.

The remaining conference schedule includes visits to Crafton Hills on Oct. 8 and San Diego Mesa on Oct. 22, along with home dates against San Diego Miramar on Oct. 14 and Palomar on Oct. 28.

The Mesa matchup will provide a rematch of last year’s conference final, while the PCAC tournament is scheduled for Nov. 4, 6 and 7.

For now, Grossmont heads into that next phase with an unbeaten record against community college competition and its most productive weekend of the young season.