Soquel High's boys water polo coach Trevor Wiens didn't have high expectations heading into the season. He started with a small, eight-player roster after a few seniors he thought might play didn't try out.
Any way you dice it, the Soquel High and Santa Cruz boys water polo programs played each other even in four meetings this season.
But the players and coaches' faces told the real story: It's not about how many times you beat your rival, it's about winning the most recent meeting.
The No. 3 seed Soquel High girls water polo team has some spectacular senior leadership. But to reach its third straight Central Coast Section Open Division championship match, the Knights were forced to rely on its youth.