Greatest stories of 2021 (No. 3)

Saddleback athletics celebrated one of the more entertaining years in history in 2021, with a number of programs reaching all-time highs and records being broken in many sports.  This is the list of the Top-10 stories in Saddleback athletics for 2021.

No. 3  Men's water polo claims third place at state

The No. 3 story of the year was the men's water polo team, which had arguably its best season ever and finished third at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships in November.  The Bobcats defeated Diablo Valley College, 21-15, in the third place game to finish 28-8 overall for the year.

Saddleback jumped out to a huge lead in the third place game against Diablo Valley, leading 8-4 after the opening quarter and 14-6 at the half.  Jack Stevens was the catalyst in the third place game, scoring three straight goals in the second quarter on way to a team-high of six for the game. 

Saddleback outscored opponents 589-292 for the year, winning 17 games by double-digits.  Andrew Barnuevo led the team with 104 goals for the year while Stevens was second on the team with 86. 

The 28 wins tied the program record of 28 wins by the 1998 team, and the third place finish equaled the previous best posted by the 1988 team.  Saddleback finished second in the Orange Empire Conference to eventual state champion Golden West College.  The Bobcats also finished second at the CCCAA Southern California Regional Tournament, equaling the program-best second place finish by the 1998 squad. 

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the season was that Saddleback was a freshman dominated team, with only a handful of sophomores on the roster.  Most of the team is expected to return in 2022. 

TOP-10 STORIES OF 2021