Jaguars hand Water Dawgs first league loss

By Joe Naiman

Ramona High School and Valley Center High School both brought 2-0 Valley League records into the Oct. 16 boys water polo game at Valley Center. The Jaguars’ 11-7 win removed the Bulldogs from their share of first place in the league standings.

“It didn’t go as well as I wanted,” said Ramona coach Donnie Williams. “We came up on the short end of the stick.”

Ramona scored the game’s first two goals and had a 2-1 lead when the buzzer sounded to end the first period, but the Jaguars led 4-3 at halftime and 7-4 after the third quarter.

“We struggled a little bit with our offense,” Williams said. “I think they know they’ve got to start communicating and finishing.”

The loss gave Ramona a 13-8 overall season record along with the 2-1 league mark.

“They had some pretty good strong shooters,” Williams said of Valley Center. “I thought we matched up well with them.”

The Bulldogs will spend Friday and Saturday at the San Diego Open tournament. On Oct. 30, Ramona will honor the team’s seniors prior to the home game against Orange Glen.