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.
It was hard to feel as if the Millikan boys’ water polo team ever really settled into its CIF-SS Division 3 second-round matchup against La Serna. The Rams trailed early and never led on Tuesday night at the Wilson Aquatics Center, as the visiting Lancers eventually pulled away for a 9-5 win.
“It was just execution,” said Millikan coach Luke Garrison of his team’s struggles. “We were a little rushed, and I think that we let the momentum of the game take away from what we were trying to do. Straight up, defensively, I felt we were a better team, but we had a few unlucky bounces and a bit of execution flaws.”
Millikan put 11 shots on frame compared to La Serna’s 17 throughout the match, with Lucian Velasco and Stephen Fischer each scoring twice while Kody Rankin added a goal. The Rams had another strong effort in the cage from junior Kollin Seeds, who anchored Millikan’s defense with nine saves.
Perhaps Millikan’s biggest struggle came within five meters, where La Serna’s press gave the Rams trouble connecting on entry passes, resulting in a handful of turnovers. Millikan also struggled to execute on man-up opportunities, going 1-for-5 on offensive possessions following a La Serna exclusion.
“I thought our centers were doing a great job fighting for position, but their guards were fantastic,” Garrison said. “I think what really hurt us was that our boys were a little tired. Credit to them, they pressed us out, and we’re usually the team doing that to opposing groups. It felt like every entry pass we had would sail while they were connecting really well. It just happens.”
La Serna was led by a hat-trick from both Aidan Limon and Ethan de la Mora, while the Lancers also received one goal from Levi Peery, Rome Ornelas, and Nick Sakoda. Defensively, La Serna received seven saves from goalkeeper Kiernan Campbell.
The Lancers were the first to strike, but Millikan was able to find frequent responses throughout much of the game. Limon and Peery opened the game with goals for La Serna before Velasco got Millikan on the board late in the first quarter to cut the lead in half. The Lancers then added a pair of goals from de la Mora, but Millikan responded with goals from Fischer and Velasco to head into halftime trailing 4-3.
Again, La Serna struck first to open the second half, getting goals from Ornelas and Sakoda in what was a low-scoring first six minutes of the half. Millikan put together another response with a penalty-shot goal from Fischer, but Limon found the back of the net before the end of the third to give the Lancers a three-goal cushion.
La Serna added back-to-back goals to open the fourth quarter, marking the fourth straight period the Lancers struck first, as de la Mora and Limon completed their hat tricks to open up a five-goal lead with just over a minute remaining. Millikan brought its goalie out of the cage and got a goal from Rankin in the final minute but ultimately couldn’t put together a comeback.
The loss comes after Millikan’s first-round win over Fullerton last week, which marked the Rams’ first playoff victory in six years. Despite Tuesday’s result, Garrison was still able to reflect on achieving that milestone in his second year at Millikan while expressing his excitement about the future of the program after another big step forward this season.
“I’m proud of the boys and what this group did this year,” he said. “We had lost a few games this season before coming together and doing a good job executing against Wilson, and that was the transitioning point this season. That’s what led to this—hosting two home games in the CIF. That doesn’t happen on a whim, and these guys have earned all of this.”
La Serna will advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 bracket, where it’ll host Norco on Friday.
