The562’s coverage of aquatic sports in Long Beach in 2026-27 is sponsored by Watersafe Swim School.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
There’s been no doubt about the growth of the Millikan boys’ water polo program in recent years under head coach Luke Garrison, but one thing has continued to elude the Rams—playoff success.
Millikan entered this season without a playoff win since 2020, and Garrison made it clear that ending that drought was his team’s biggest goal. On Thursday night, the Rams finally broke through, defeating Fullerton 12-7 in their CIF-SS Division 3 opener at the Wilson Aquatics Center to earn their first playoff victory in six years.
“We definitely had some nerves before the game, but for these boys to get the win and to see the relief on their faces—it means a lot,” Garrison said. “Moving forward, they now know the expectation and that they can hang with anyone. This year, we really simplified it. It’s a big division, and there’s plenty of familiar teams, but we were just focused on the opponent in front of us, and now we’re able to move on to Tuesday.”
It was a fast and physical start on Thursday night, with the game’s first three goals coming on five-meter penalty shots. Fullerton’s Anthony Jacobs opened the scoring before Millikan drew back-to-back penalties of its own, turning to senior Stephen Fischer for both attempts. Fischer buried both shots to give the Rams a 2-1 lead, and Millikan never trailed again.
The senior finished with a game-high four goals, leading a balanced Millikan attack that saw six different Rams find the back of the cage. Lucian Velasco added a hat trick, Max Cortez chipped in a pair of goals, and Kody Rankin, Adam Wells, and Taj Dahul each scored a goal.
“We worked for this all year, and it just feels great,” Fischer said after the game. “I’ve been playing for [Garrison] for the last three years, and I’ve never played in a game that felt like more of a brotherhood than tonight. For everyone to get the chance to score—we all love it, and we’re all hyped.”
Much of Millikan’s offensive success came off the counterattack, fueled by a physical press defense that has defined the Rams’ identity all season. That aggressive approach helped Millikan force turnovers and draw ejections, while standout goalkeeper Kollin Seeds anchored the defense with 10 saves in the win.
“When you have a guy like Kollin, it makes everything a lot easier,” Garrison said of Seeds. “He’s really good at reading center, and credit our assistant coach [Ian Minsterman], who’s in the water with him every day. It’s not every day you have a three-time national champion shooting on you at practice, and Kollin’s reaction has gotten so much better as the season’s gone on, along with his trust in the defense. He makes my life a lot easier.”
“There was a lot of pressure, but this team hasn’t won a playoff game in six years, and we really wanted to break that tonight,” Seeds said. “It’s pretty special for us. Everyone’s having fun and celebrating—it’s a good feeling.”
Millikan pulled away in the second quarter after a Fullerton goal knotted the game up at 2-2, prompting a stretch before halftime where the Rams outscored the Red Hawks 4-1. That stretch included goals from Wells, Rankin, Velasco, and Dahul, as the Rams doubled up Fullerton at halftime, 6-3.
The Rams continued that success into the third quarter, scoring three straight at one point during the frame with back-to-back goals from Cortez and another from Velasco. Millikan then opened the fourth quarter with a 3-1 run that included consecutive scores from Fischer, prompting Garrison to empty his bench in the final minute.
With the win, Millikan advances to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs and will host La Serna on Tuesday.
