Presley Jones helps Laguna Beach girls water polo team make 50th matchup against rival Foothill a memorable one with sudden-death overtime win at Newport Invite

SANTA ANA – The 50th all-time meeting involving the girls water polo teams from Laguna Beach and Foothill was not only one of the most dramatic in the history of the rivalry, but also showcased the longest stretch without a goal in the series Saturday in the fifth-place semifinals of the Newport Invite.

Laguna Beach overcame a five-goal deficit late in the first half and eventually outlasted Foothill during the second sudden-death overtime period in a clash of two of the state’s winningest programs during the past three decades.

Post-tournament interviews

Presley Jones, a UCLA-bound senior, scored with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth three-minute extra session to lift the Breakers to a 7-6 victory at the Tom DeLong and Jim Brumm Aquatics Center at Foothill High.

Presley Jones of Laguna Beach | Photo courtesy of SET Water Polo Club

Laguna Beach improved to 29-21 against Foothill, including the first victory against the Knights since 2023, halting a stretch of five consecutive losses in the series. 

Foothill (12-11) built a 6-1 advantage with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter following a goal by Blake Hofley, before the Breakers (13-11) rallied with three goals in the third and two more in the fourth to force overtime.

Kara Carver, who led Laguna Beach with three goals, tied the score at 6-6 with 1:51 remaining in regulation.

Foothill had a potential goal by Hofley disallowed with 2:55 left in the fourth that would have extended the lead to 7-5 after officials ruled the scorer’s table didn’t properly indicate when Laguna Beach could return to full strength on defense following an athlete exclusion.

Unfortunately for the Knights, their scoring drought only continued to mount throughout overtime, as Foothill hit the post or crossbar a combined 10 times in the final 19 minutes of competition.

After neither lineup scored during the regular overtime periods, a three-minute sudden-death session included Foothill having a potential winning goal disallowed, as officials awarded a 5-meter penalty shot instead.

Laguna Beach senior goalkeeper Siena Jumani, who finished with 12 saves, three steals and an assist for the Breakers, blocked the attempt by Victoria Cordero with 1:08 left in the sudden-death period, extending the contest to a second three-minute golden goal session.

Foothill, who converted only 2 of 12 opportunities with a 6-on-5 advantage, was held scoreless for the final 26:33 of the match, with Laguna Beach ending its own drought of more than 13 minutes without a goal when Jones scored for the second time after contributing to the Breakers’ remarkable comeback in regulation.

Daniela Suh and Liv Taub also scored for Laguna Beach, which trailed 2-1 in the first quarter, before surrendering four unanswered goals and enduring a stretch of nearly 11 minutes without scoring, before Carver began the rally early in the third quarter.

Chloe Patist scored twice, with Natalia Barrot, Ava Rowe, Ashley Kwan and Hofley adding goals for Foothill, which received 11 saves from Emma Perrigo.

Foothill, which won the past two Newport Invite titles, rebounded in the seventh-place match with a 14-11 victory against The Bishop’s School from La Jolla, the second victory in as many days against the reigning San Diego Section Open Division champion, including a 13-10 pool-play triumph Friday.

Rowe had four goals, with Pickle Poisonnier and Kwan each scoring three times, along with Barrot and Patist both contributing a pair of goals for Foothill, which received eight saves from Perrigo.

San Marcos secured a 15-8 victory against Laguna Beach in the fifth-place match, producing the first five goals against a fatigued Breakers’ lineup and never relinquishing control.

Charlotte Raisin, Naomi Enright and Jade Pattison all scored three goals for San Marcos (19-8).

Jones had three goals and Taub scored twice for Laguna Beach, which cut the deficit to 6-3 at the end of the first quarter, before surrendering six unanswered goals during an eight-minute stretch extending to the early second half.

San Marcos also produced a 14-9 win Saturday against The Bishop’s School in the fifth-place semifinals, with Lucy Haaland-Ford contributing a match-high five goals and Raisin adding three goals.

Enright and Pattison both scored twice and Bethany King recorded six saves for the Royals, who broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter with three unanswered goals, holding The Bishop’s School scoreless for a stretch of more than 12 minutes that extended into the fourth.