Every year we countdown the top 10 Long Beach sports moments over the last 12 months, and it seems like every year one of the local high school sports has a few different schools produce historic campaigns. In 2023, that sport was water polo.
The Wilson girls won a 16th Moore League championship last January and then returned to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game for the first time since 2018. That epic final battle between Wilson and Santa Margarita had CIF administrators on the Woollett Aquatics Center pool deck talking about how it was the best game they’d ever seen. Wilson’s Hannah Szeszulski scored a hat trick while Maya O’Dea and Reece Haga each scored twice for the Bruins. O’Dea also dished out a game-high five assists.
Millikan girls’ water polo also reached a CIF championship game in Division 2, and it was the first final appearance in program history.
The Lakewood girls have been improving quickly under Dylan Thompson and reached the Division 5 semifinals after winning their fifth postseason game in the last two years. It was the first ever semifinal appearance for the Lancers.
Finally, the Cabrillo boys recorded a program-record 19 wins in the fall, reached a CIF semifinal for the second time ever, had its longest win streak (nine) in program history and won the most playoff games in the highest division in program history. Aharon Villegas-Resendiz and Emilio Jimenez both scored twice in the semifinal loss to Ayala.
