Righetti boys water polo coach Layne Porter played for the 2015 Righetti team that won a CIF Southern Section divisional championship.
"We're just trying to bring some of that old tradition back," Porter said.
In fact, "There are at least three alumni at every practice," said four-year Righetti varsity player Dominick Sousa. "They're trying to bring back the tradition."
The plan seems to be working.
The 2024 Righetti squad is off to a 6-2 start. After beating Arroyo Grande for the first time in four years, the Warriors defeated San Luis Obispo 13-9 at Righetti's Rob Knight Pool Thursday to go to 2-0 in the Mountain League.
After the boys game, the Righetti girls beat San Luis Obispo 13-3 to complete a Righetti sweep of the doubleheader.
The Righetti boys will compete at the Villa Park Tournament this weekend. The Righetti girls will play a Mountain League game at Morro Bay next Thursday at 5 p.m.
Righetti boys 13, San Luis Obispo 9
Brayden Rodriguez and then Miles Necewanner scored on Righetti's first two possessions, and the Warriors stayed ahead.
Sousa scored four goals and, with three of them, did all the Righetti scoring in the fourth quarter. Nicewanner finished with three goals, and Rodriguez scored twice.
The Righetti defense kept coming up with turnovers in the first half, and the Warriors led 8-3 at halftime. The Tigers made two small runs in the second half, but Righetti repelled both.
San Luis Obispo pulled within 8-5 with two quick goals midway through the third quarter. Nicewanner and Brayden Alvarez answered to give the Warriors a five-goal margin again, 10-5.
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Trailing 12-6 at the 6:20 mark of the fourth quarter, the Tigers tossed in three unanswered goals in a span of 56 seconds to get within 12-9 at the 3:56 mark of the fourth. Sousa tossed in a rebound shot with 3:12 left, and that was it for the scoring.
Righetti goalkeeper Cole Morris made seven saves, with six coming in the second half.
Righetti 13, San Luis Obispo 3
Down 3-1 late in the first half, the Warriors scored 12 unanswered goals to move to 1-1.
"We got a late start to the season," said Righetti coach Megan Coyne, a former Righetti girls varsity water polo player. "We had to pull out of a tournament because we didn't have enough players."
As the game went along Thursday, decorated Righetti goalkeeper Riley Olney picked up where she left off from last year, repeatedly making a save then firing a dead-on accurate pass to a Righetti teammate who had swam past the Tigers in transition.
Olney made six saves in the second half and set the tone after intermission with her strong outlet passes.
"She's really been playing well lately," said Coyne.
Reese Evanoff tallied twice as the Tigers took a 3-1 lead late in the second quarter. It was all Righetti in the second half.
Melia Karamitsos scored the tying goal at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter with the first goal of the second half. Olney connected with Sadie McGehee on an outlet pass, and McGehee scored at the 5:09 mark of the third to put Righetti ahead for the first time.
The Warriors then steadily pulled away.
Seven Righetti players scored. McGehee finished with five goals, Tessa Hidalgo had three and Gia Bettencourt scored two.