The Frontier High School (Bakersfield, CA) varsity water polo team will host a playoff game against Santa Ynez (CA) today at 6:00 PM. This matchup is part of the 2024 Girls Water Polo Central Section Championships in Division III.

Santa Ynez vs Frontier Water Polo Game Info:

What: California High School Girls Water Polo
Who: Santa Ynez vs Frontier
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m.
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Game preview: Santa Ynez vs Frontier

Santa Ynez and Frontier High Schools’ water polo teams have shown strength and resilience throughout the 2024-25 season, securing impressive records as they head into playoff season. Both teams have exhibited solid performance, competitive head-to-head matchups, and strong statistics, making them noteworthy contenders in California high school water polo. Below is an in-depth analysis of their season performance, team comparisons, and key stats.

Team Records and Rankings

Santa Ynez Pirates

• National Rank: 155
• California Rank: 101
• Section Rank: 24
• Overall Record: 18-7
• League Record: 11-1
• Home Record: 7-0
• Away Record: 6-1
• Win Percentage: .720
• League Win Percentage: .917
• Goals Scored: 352
• Goals Allowed: 169

Frontier Titans

• National Rank: 136
• California Rank: 87
• Section Rank: 19
• Overall Record: 21-9
• League Record: 6-2
• Home Record: 9-1
• Away Record: 9-5
• Win Percentage: .700
• League Win Percentage: .750
• Goals Scored: 394
• Goals Allowed: 251

Frontier has the upper hand in the number of wins (21 vs. 18) and goals scored (394 vs. 352), while Santa Ynez boasts a slightly better win percentage, a more dominant home record (7-0), and stronger league performance (11-1).

Team Scoring Averages Per Quarter

Santa Ynez

• Q1: 5.7
• Q2: 3.4
• Q3: 3.3
• Q4: 2.9
• Final Average: 14.1

Frontier

• Q1: 4.1
• Q2: 3.8
• Q3: 2.6
• Q4: 2.9
• Final Average: 13.1

Santa Ynez generally starts strong, with higher average scores in the first quarter compared to Frontier. Their performance, however, tapers in later quarters, indicating that Frontier might have a slight advantage in maintaining consistency throughout the game.

Head-to-Head Performance

On September 7, 2024, Frontier dominated Santa Ynez with a 13-3 victory in a neutral tournament setting. The game’s score breakdown indicates a significant lead by Frontier early on, with a 6-0 lead in the first quarter alone. This result highlights Frontier’s robust start and Santa Ynez’s struggle to match their pace.

Upcoming, the two teams are set to face off again in an away playoff game, where Santa Ynez will seek redemption.

Team Stat Comparison

Key Stats

• Goals: Frontier edges out with 394 goals compared to Santa Ynez’s 353.
• Assists: Santa Ynez excels with 279 assists, significantly outpacing Frontier’s 196.
• Steals: Santa Ynez also leads with 422 steals against Frontier’s 377.
• Goals Against Average (GAA): Frontier’s goalie Hanna Bywater has an 8.7 GAA, lower than the national average of 10.7, demonstrating strong defensive play.

Santa Ynez’s higher assists and steals show they have a more collaborative and defensively active team, whereas Frontier’s focus on goal-scoring gives them an aggressive edge.

Team Leaders

Santa Ynez

• Goals: Haylee Fox (#11) – 90
• Assists: Jordan Gann (#10) – 63
• Steals: Weylin Hawkins (#12) – 72

Frontier

• Goals: Layla Vargas (#14) – 138 (well above the national average)
• Assists: Layla Vargas – 61
• Steals: Layla Vargas – 123
• GAA: Hanna Bywater – 8.7

Layla Vargas stands out as Frontier’s star player, leading in goals, assists, and steals, which makes her a formidable opponent and a key player for Santa Ynez to guard closely.

Performance Against Common Opponents

Both teams share a record of 9-3 against common opponents, showcasing evenly matched capabilities. Notable games include:

• Wins: Both teams defeated Lompoc and Liberty multiple times by significant margins, indicating strong offensive plays.
• Losses: Both teams fell to Edison, but Frontier managed a closer score (8-4) compared to Santa Ynez’s 13-4 loss, showing Frontier’s defensive resilience.

Conclusion

As Santa Ynez prepares for their next showdown against Frontier, they will likely focus on capitalizing on their defense and assists to counteract Frontier’s high-scoring playstyle. Frontier’s advantage in head-to-head matchups and offensive prowess makes them a tough contender, but with Santa Ynez’s stronger league performance and teamwork, this playoff game promises to be a closely contested battle.