The 2024 NCS Water Polo Championships: A Full Breakdown Of Every Champion And The Most Dramatic Overtime Thrillers
The 2024 North Coast Section (NCS) Water Polo Championships, which concluded in the Fall 2024 season, delivered one of the most memorable and dramatic playoff runs in recent memory, solidifying the region's reputation as a hotbed for elite high school aquatics talent. This year's tournament, spanning the Open Division, Division 1, and Division 2 for both boys and girls, was defined by stunning upsets, fierce rivalries, and championship games that stretched deep into overtime, captivating fans across the section. The championship run saw storied programs reclaim glory and up-and-coming teams establish themselves as future powerhouses, providing a thrilling capstone to the season.
The intensity of the competition was palpable, with the best teams from the North Coast Section—including perennial contenders like Miramonte, Campolindo, and De La Salle—battling for the coveted CIF-NCS titles. With the current date being December 26, 2025, the 2024 results remain the most recent and definitive measure of sectional dominance, highlighting the exceptional athletic achievements of the student-athletes in the North Bay and East Bay areas.
The 2024 NCS Water Polo Champions: A Full List of Winners
The 2024 NCS championships crowned six divisional winners across the boys' and girls' brackets. These teams navigated grueling playoff brackets, often facing multiple top-tier opponents, to claim the CIF-NCS title in their respective divisions. The champions list for the Fall 2024 season is a testament to consistency, depth, and peak performance under pressure.
- Boys Open Division Champion: De La Salle Spartans
- Boys Division 1 Champion: Redwood Giants
- Boys Division 2 Champion: San Marin Mustangs
- Girls Open Division Champion: Carondelet Cougars
- Girls Division 1 Champion: *Highly Contested Bracket* (San Ramon Valley was the #1 seed)
- Girls Division 2 Champion: Amador Valley Dons
The results underscore the competitive balance within the section, with titles being spread across multiple leagues and regions. The Open Division, in particular, lived up to its billing, featuring the section's four strongest programs in a high-stakes mini-tournament to determine the ultimate champion.
The Boys’ Open Division Final: A Sudden-Death Third Overtime Epic
Without a doubt, the most dramatic contest of the entire 2024 NCS tournament was the Boys’ Open Division Championship game between the De La Salle Spartans and the Miramonte Matadors. This final was not just a game; it was a battle of attrition that required every ounce of energy and focus from both teams, ultimately going into a rare and thrilling sudden-death third overtime period.
The game, held on November 16, 2024, was a rollercoaster from the start. Miramonte, the defending 2023 Open Division champion, came out firing, quickly jumping to an early 3-0 lead, signaling they were ready to defend their title. However, De La Salle, a perennial powerhouse, showed the grit and resilience of a champion, battling back to erase the deficit and keep the game tied through regulation and two standard overtime periods.
The tension peaked in the sudden-death third overtime. The game was decided by a single, spectacular goal, scored off a crucial feed from Michael Peeff. The goal clinched the victory for De La Salle, securing their seventh-ever NCS Open Division title and sending the Spartans' faithful into a frenzy. The final score was a narrow margin, a testament to the evenly matched nature of the two top programs in the North Coast Section. This contest will be replayed and discussed for years, serving as the benchmark for high-stakes, high-school water polo drama.
Division 2 Drama: The Triple Overtime Thrillers
While the Open Division stole the headlines, the Division 2 brackets delivered their own brand of heart-stopping action, proving that championship-level intensity is present across all divisions. The Boys’ Division 2 bracket featured a stunning run by the Cardinal Newman Cardinals, who reached the finals after prevailing in a grueling triple overtime thriller during their playoff journey [cite: 14 in previous search].
This path of endurance and clutch play set the stage for the final, where the San Marin Mustangs ultimately claimed the Boys Division 2 championship. San Marin’s victory highlights the depth of talent outside the Open Division, rewarding their consistent performance throughout the Fall 2024 season. The Division 2 final, though perhaps not as widely publicized as the Open game, was a reward for two teams—San Marin and Cardinal Newman—who battled through an incredibly competitive field that also included strong programs like Piedmont, Novato, and Clayton Valley Charter [cite: 10 in previous search].
Girls’ Dominance: Carondelet and Amador Valley Shine
The Girls’ NCS Water Polo Championships were equally competitive, showcasing the rising level of women's aquatics in the North Coast Section. The Carondelet Cougars demonstrated their elite status by winning the Girls Open Division title. This victory is a significant achievement, placing the Cougars at the pinnacle of the section's most competitive bracket, which included other top-ranked teams.
In the Girls Division 2 bracket, the Amador Valley Dons emerged as the champions. Their victory is a major accomplishment for the program, signifying a breakthrough performance against a tough field that featured teams like James Logan, Pittsburg, and Livermore [cite: 8 in previous search]. The Dons’ success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of their squad, securing a major CIF-NCS banner for their school.
The Girls Division 1 bracket was also a fiercely contested affair, with the San Ramon Valley Wolves entering the tournament as the #1 seed. While the exact final score is often elusive in the immediate aftermath, the intensity of the competition was evident from the early rounds, which saw teams like Archie Williams and Redwood battle through the bracket. The championships, which concluded with the Finals around November 16, 2024, provided a fitting end to the Fall 2024 season, celebrating the best in high school water polo and setting the stage for the next wave of talent in the North Coast Section.
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