Bishop’s is tops in SoCal Division II boys water polo

Colton Bell played a pivotal role in his boys water polo farewell for La Jolla’s Bishop’s School in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II final Nov. 22.

The Knights senior scored goals to close the first half and start the second in helping top-seeded Bishop’s pull away from No. 2 Santana of Santee for a 12-6 victory at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut in Los Angeles County.

“It was very special to have this game with the boys,” Bell said. “We came into it with a lot of energy and anger, honestly, from the season. We knew we should have better, and we used that energy in the right way.”

Bell finished with four goals, adding to his season output of more than 100, while sophomore teammate Aden Shin also scored four times.

The Knights prevailed in the first final for both of the San Diego County schools in the eight-year history of the regional tournament.

“We played really together. The guys came in and did their role,” Knights coach Ian Davidson said. “We did a good job of staying steady and being very connected on defense.”

Bell gave Bishop’s a 6-4 halftime lead when he scored with six seconds before the intermission. His next goal 29 seconds into the third quarter triggered a run that resulted in a 10-6 advantage heading to the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Hanrui Liu contributed two goals for the Knights, who added this title to the 11 San Diego Section championships they own. Earlier this postseason, both Bishop’s and Santana had reached the section Open Division semifinals, where Bishop’s lost to La Jolla High.

— Glae Thien. La Jolla Light staff contributed to this report.