Beaumont Water Polo Wins 2nd Straight

Last season was a breakout campaign for the Beaumont High boy’s water polo team.

The Cougars won their first league title and reached the CIF-Southern Section Div. 6 final four.

This season the Cougars have already reeled off two impressive wins and another big season seems to be there for the taking.

On the Tuesday the Cougars improved to 2-0 with a 24-13 win over visiting Norco.

“We’re getting there,” Beaumont Coach Chris Carlson said. “We want to work a little harder on defense.”

Beaumont completed last season with a 22-10 overall record and that included a perfect 9-0 run through the Mountain Pass League.

Beaumont, which opened the 2011 season ranked atop the CIF Div. 6 poll, resumes play this weekend at the Riverside County Championships.

'We’d like to get to the championship pool,” said Carlson, whose team missed out on championship pool play last season. “It’s good to see that competition.”

On Tuesday the Cougars led Norco from start to finish. And it was no surprise that MPL MVP and CIF First Team selection Brody Wood led the way from the 2-meter position. Wood scored four goals in the opening period as the Cougars jumped out to a 7-4 lead.

Beaumont led 11-14 at the half and cruised to the win.

Wood finished with a game high 12 goals. Landon Carr, an All CIF first team driver, finished with five goals. All MPL selection Bilal Walker finished with two goals. Nick Jensen scored four goals and Cole
Salinas scored one goal.

“There is no other team that works as hard as this one,” Carlson said. “I’ve never pushed a team like this.”