The Cabrillo Conquistadores assured themselves of at least a tie for the Los Padres League water polo championship Tuesday as they held off the Santa Ynez Pirates 9-8.

At Cabrillo where deep is shallow and shallow is ridiculous, the teams stood on the floor and pummeled each other for 28 minutes until, with two minutes to play, SY/s leading scorer Hunter Hamaker rifled in a shot to bring the score back to a one-goal margin. Then the brawl began in earnest.

With 35 seconds to play Hamaker, Cabrillo/s Daniel McNutt draping him like a bear rug, bid to tie the contest but his shot to the right side of the big shallow-end goal was blocked by the left arm of Cabrillo goalie Kris Rosson.

&#8220I was watching 10 (Hamaker) and 14 (Bobby Geiger),C said Rosson. &#8220I was looking for anything. It was the biggest stop I ever made.C

For the final 21 seconds Cabrillo/s Joey Gullikson held the ball while Fabiano Reuter of Santa Ynez sought to take it away.

&#8220I was just thinking keep my back to him and don/t let him have it,C shrugged Gullikson who was knocked around like a piñata waiting for the buzzer.

With the victory Cabrillo is now 4-0, Santa Ynez 3-1. The two meet again with the second meeting in Santa Ynez/ deep-shallow pool.

&#8220It/ll make huge difference,C Pirate coach Jake Kalkowski said of his home pool.

&#8220It/s wider as well. We/ll be able to open up our offense which we couldn/t do here. We were pretty flat on offense.C

Cabrillo led all the way. The Conqs built a 3-2 first quarter score to 6-3 by halftime but the Pirates outscored them 3-1 in the third quarter to narrow the score to 7-6 entering the final quarter.

Nick Darling led Cabrillo in scoring with three, Gullikson added two, and McNutt, Casey Owen, Byron Mikowicz and Wes Hain added one apiece. Mikowicz/ ejections-drawn total of seven provided evidence to the physical style of play.

&#8220Balanced scoring,C added Cabrillo coach Joel Jory. &#8220Pretty good for a league championship game.C The balance resulted partially from the absence of Cabrillo/s big Ethan Hadley, lost for 4-6 weeks due to a broken arm suffered Friday while skateboarding.

Hamaker and Ian Blumenthal had three goals each to lead Santa Ynez. Jory said another key to the outcome was Gullikson/s defense on Hamaker. &#8220One of his goals came on a penalty shot, so we held him to two goals from the field,C he said. Reuter and John Swift made one goal each for SY.

Cabrillo, LPL champion six of the last eight years, hosts Santa Maria Thursday. The rematch with Santa Ynez takes place Nov. 3.

Lompoc 10, Nipomo 9 (OT)

Before a delirious crowd at Lompoc High/s shallow-shallow pool the scrappy Lompoc Braves, winless until last Thursday, won their second straight LPL contest and moved into third place despite their ungainly 2-18 overall record. They are 2-2 in league.

Behind 5-2 at halftime and 7-5 after three quarters the Braves rode the arm of sophomore Brad Deegan for four of their last five goals including the clincher with 35 seconds to play in the second overtime period.

&#8220He was fouled outside the seven-meter mark,C described coach Kevin Hicks. &#8220He picked it up and shot immediately to the right corner.C It was the rookie/s fifth score of the day and came on his longest shot.

&#8220I told the guys after three quarters >we/re OK. We/re at home and we/re shooting deep,C Hicks confided.

Almost five of the fourth period/s seven minutes were gone however before Deegan connected with 2:20 left, and only 46 seconds remained when Beau Mabery tied the score at seven.

Deegan scored in the first three-minute OT period but Nipomo/s R.J. Edie returned the favor to open the second OT. Deegan put the Braves up 9-8 with 1:18 to go but Eric Martin of the Titans tied it again at 1:08.

Besides Deegan/s five, Sam Holt scored three goals, Mabery one, and Chris Munkres one. Holt dished four assists.

Hicks called attention to his team/s defense against 6-on-5 situations. Nipomo benefitted from 12 such opportunities but could capitalize on only three.

In goal Lompoc/s Kolten White blocked five shots including his fifth penalty shot of the season. &#8220That/s unheard of,C exclaimed Hicks.

The Braves host Santa Ynez Thursday.

LPL volleyball

Cabrillo 3, Santa Maria 1

At Santa Maria High the visiting Cabrillo Conquistadores overcame a rocky start to snap a two-match losing streak 21-25, 25-19, 25-18 and 25-18.

The Conqs must have been a veritable forest fire on the court as coach Sue Slavens called three different CHS players &#8220on fire.C She included Jessica Kennedy with her 30 digs and 13 kills, Jessica Shekell with 16 digs and seven kills, and Brisha Ogan who racked up a phenomenal 35 digs.

&#8220We played very well,C Slavens said. &#8220We never gave up and we played very smooth.C

The Conqs are now 4-5 in league, 4-8 overall. They travel to St. Joseph on Thursday.

St. Joseph 3, Lompoc 0

At St. Joseph the Knights bounced the winless Braves 25-10, 25-20, 25-12.

&#8220We made them earn those points in the second game,C said Lompoc coach Don Savella. &#8220I think we played better defense in that second game. We had fewer service errors.C

Katelyn Lynch led the Braves with five kills and 12 digs. &#8220She was all over the court,C exclaimed Savella.

&#8220The girls are doing their very best.C

Lompoc, now 0-9 in league play, travels to Nipomo on Thursday.

Sports writer John McReynolds can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 106, or jmcreynolds@lompocrecord.com

October 19, 2005