Royal Teaches Agoura Another History Lesson : Water polo: With help from past, Highlanders improve chances for 14th consecutive title, 11-10.

SIMI VALLEY — The ghosts of Royal High’s 13-year Marmonte League water polo championship streak became much more tangible to the Highlanders’ Bill Bruininga this week.

They came in the form of his older brother, Andy.

“He said, ‘You lose this streak and I’m going to kick your butt,’ ” said Bruininga, whose brother played water polo at Royal until he graduated last spring.

The younger Bruininga appears safe for now.

With dozens of Royal water polo alumni on hand, the Highlanders beat Agoura, 11-10, on Wednesday at Rancho Simi Community Pool. The victory likely insured that Royal will hold at least a share of the Marmonte League title for the 14th consecutive season.

Although Royal (10-10, 3-1 in league play) has four league matches remaining and Agoura (15-4, 5-1) has two, it would be considered a major upset if either team lost another league match, which means the teams likely will tie for the title.

“This was monumental,” Royal Coach Steve Snyder said. “The Agoura kids, our kids, they were babies when we started this streak.”

The victory also avenged Agoura’s defeat of Royal earlier in the month, which snapped the Highlanders’ 66-match league winning streak.

Because Agoura beat Royal twice earlier in the season--once in the San Luis Obispo tournament--there was fear around Royal that another loss to Agoura would end the Highlander streak that began in 1981.

With that in mind, several former Highlanders came back to give the team moral support and also showed them a thing or two.

“They really helped a lot, showing us moves and helping with our passes,” Bruininga said

Royal had a balanced attack, with Matt Landre and Randy Owens each scoring three goals. Bruininga and Kris Kunkel each scored two.

But the key for Royal might have been stifling Agoura’s Chris Driscoll, who scored seven goals in the team’s last meeting but was held to two this time. Andy Cohen, David Arons and Joey Vona each scored two goals for Agoura.

Royal goalie Randy Zielinski made seven saves. Agoura’s goalie Chris Miko made 14 saves.

The game was tight early. Royal pulled away in the second half, then held off a furious Charger rally at the finish.

Royal took a 2-0 lead, but Agoura scored the next three goals. The teams traded goals throughout the second quarter. There were four lead changes in the first half, with Royal taking the lead for good on Landre’s goal with 1 minute 26 seconds to play in the half.

Royal scored the first three goals of the third quarter to pull away, 10-6. After the Chargers fell behind, 11-7, they scored three goals in the next four minutes.

Agoura had a final chance to tie the game, when the Chargers had a free pass in front of the goal with two seconds remaining, but were unable to get off a shot.

Afterward, Agoura Coach Jason Rosenthal was ambivalent about the game--a nice finish but a loss--and about the prospect of tying for the league title.

“It really isn’t (a good feeling), but we’ll take it,” he said.