WATER POLO ROUNDUP : Sunny Hills’ Reign Ended by La Habra

Dan Ploog scored eight goals in La Habra’s 11-3 victory over Sunny Hills, which ended the Lancers’ 24-year reign as Freeway League water polo champions, Wednesday at La Habra High.

The Lancers’ streak was the longest for any sport in the Southern Section.

The victory by the Highlanders (4-0 in league) gives next Wednesday’s game against Buena Park (4-0) championship implications.

Sunny Hills (1-3), which before this season had lost only one league game since 1970, had junior goalkeeper Cody Bitterlich as its lone returning starter.

“Everybody wants to say we’re down because we aren’t doing well in our league this season,” Lancer Coach Keith Nighswonger said. “Well, teams better get us this year because it won’t be like this again.”

La Habra took the lead on goals by Rashad Captain and Matt Jewett. Ploog scored his first goal after a Lancer turnover to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead after one quarter.

Ploog then hammered a shot past Bitterlich after a Sunny Hills ejection, but the Lancers answered with two Marco Barrera goals to make it 4-2.

Ploog put the game out of reach, scoring five goals to give his team a 9-2 advantage with 3 minutes 49 seconds remaining.