‘Up-and-coming’ Buhach Colony runs into section power. Raiders too much in final.

When the season suddenly ends in the playoffs, most high school athletes have a tough times controlling their emotions.

The tears will start flowing for even the toughest of athletes.

There didn’t seem to be any sad faces belonging to the Buhach Colony boys water polo team on Saturday afternoon after a 9-3 loss to Rio Americano in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game at American River College.

There was only pride as players stood for pictures with their runner-up plaque.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Thunder senior Joe Bustabade. “I’m glad of the way we played. This game was a culmination of the four years of preparation that we put in.”

The third-seeded Thunder (24-7) battled top-seed Rio Americano (19-10) tough for a three quarters. The Raiders have now won seven of the last eight Division II championships.

Buhach Colony fought back from a 2-0 lead with the help of goals by Luke Bird and Bustabade to tie the gam at 2-2 at the half.

The Thunder then took a 3-2 lead when Will Seifert scored on a pas from Bird with 3:09 left in the third quarter.

“We never give up. We’re never going to surrender,” said Buhach Colony coach Dan McIlhatton. We knew it was going to come down to the fourth quarter.”

The Raiders showed their closing ability in big games by finishing the game with a 7-0 run.

Ian Bohn and Cole Dixon scored goals to give Rio Americano a 4-3 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Dixon then scored three of his game-high six goals during the fourth quarter as the Raiders put the game away.

“I don’t want to say we got tired,” Bustabade said. “It was a long game. We didn’t help on a couple plays where we should have. We made a couple bad passes. They put a few shots away and the game kind of got away from us. We couldn’t come back on the other end.”

“We have some great swimmers on our team,” McIlhatton said. “We just don’t have a whole lineup of them like they do.”

It was the end of the best season season for any Buhach Colony boys water polo team as the Thunder won their first Central California Conference championship since 2008 and reached a section championship game for the first time in school history.

“(Rio Americano) is a well established program and we’re up and coming,” McIlhatton said. “I’m very proud of our guys for getting here.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2017 at 3:22 PM with the headline "‘Up-and-coming’ Buhach Colony runs into section power. Raiders too much in final.."