TCAL water polo tournament
Going into Wednesday’s TCAL tournament game with RLS, the Gilroy High boys’ water polo team was already dealing with the loss of one starter.
Losing two more during its game with the Pirates proved to be too much to overcome.
Already missing the injured Chris Hunt, the Mustangs suffered a severe blow when key players Travis Gamble and Steve Dickson both fouled out. As a result, Gilroy let a close game slip away and fell to Stevenson, 15-8.
“To tell you the truth, I’m too mad about the officiating to know what to say,” said Mustangs’ head coach Tom Clark, who noted the foul disparity between the two teams “was a little lopsided.”
Clark was particularly peeved about an RLS player throwing a punch at Gilroy’s Scott Castruita and going unpunished.
Not only was Castruita called for a foul, but four GHS parents were asked to leave the premises after arguing with the ref.
“It was not a good day,” Clark said.
The loss of Gamble, a senior who plays hole and hole D, was particularly costly for the Mustangs (16-7). He fouled out just minutes into the second quarter.
“When he fouled out, that was it,” Clark said. “It was a big loss. Our defense is just not as strong with him out.”
Gilroy, which was led by multiple goals from Lee Walton and Santiago Maciel, travels to Live Oak Friday to wrap up its season against Monterey in a battle for sixth place in TCAL at 3:30pm.
