After a controversial conclusion, followed by a delayed official ruling, the NCS declared Campolindo the winner over Acalanes in the NCS water polo game on November 11.
“We called a timeout with very little time left on the clock,” said junior Wylie Hughs. “But the timeout was not made clear so the game time expired. The referees reviewed the game and gave back 5 seconds.”
In those 5 seconds senior Garrett Felix managed to score. “It was one of the greatest goals I’ve ever seen,” said Hughs.
The Dons filed a protest on the grounds that the Campolindo timeout was not made clear. The Cougars left the pool thinking they had won, but shortly after the game, the referee ruled in favor of Acalanes. The NCS web site’s initial posting showed the Dons as the match winners advancing to the tournament final.
NCS Commissioner Gil Lemmon said that the final decision to give the win to Campolindo was a careful one. “We asked both schools to provide info. We recieved information from [both] Campo and Acalanes. Then we involved the rules of the guidebook,” he said.
Lemmon said that controversies of this magnitude happen fairly often. “I can’t say every year, but on many occasions there have been controversy in games,” he added.
Controversy about the game reached the internet within minutes of the first ruling . “Miramonte is dope, and everyone hates Campo,” said one Miramonte student on Twitter.
Some tweets were more supportive. “Much love to my Campo polo fam,” said a Campolindo student.
“High level competition can at times lead to increased emotions,” said athletic director Tom Renno. “We work with our athletes and coaches to insure fairness and sportsmanship are followed. ”
“Twitter hate is uncalled for. Before [this] game, no one cared about water polo,” said senior Scott Zurnacian. “It’s kind of sad seeing people hate on Campo as a whole.”
Both Zurnacian and Felix agreed that the officiating was the reason for the controversy. “Both teams played how they were supposed to play,” said Zurnacian. “The refs are at fault.”
Most of the outrage over the game came from parents and fans rather than the players themselves. “It is the semifinals, but in the end it’s just a game,” said Felix.
Campolindo plays Miramonte at Acalanes at 3:00pm on Saturday, November 15 in the final match of the the NCS tournament.
