Joshua Coxford scored eight goals to lead Oaks Christian to a 12-7 victory over Loyola in the championship final of what the school called the AFC Tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the University of Southern California.
The teams were tied 4-4 at halftime, according to an Oaks Christian athletics Instagram post. The Lions outscored Loyola 8-3 in the second half to pull away.
Goalkeeper Ryder Bjork anchored the defense with 13 blocks. Kaan Avcibasioglu, a junior who competed for the Turkey U18 national team over the summer, added two goals.
Coxford, who represented Water Polo Canada internationally last summer, accounted for two-thirds of the Lions' scoring output. Bjork's 13 blocks kept Loyola well below its potential in the pool.
The Oaks Christian athletics account on X posted the final score Thursday, Oct. 8, highlighting Coxford's eight goals and Bjork's 13 blocks.
The win improved Oaks Christian to 13-3 overall and 5-0 in Marmonte League play, according to MaxPreps. The site ranks the Westlake Village school No. 14 nationally and No. 12 in California in boys water polo.
Head coach Jack Kocur has led the program for 12 years and has more than 20 years of coaching experience with USA Water Polo, according to an Oaks Christian school feature published Aug. 28. That article noted 10 Lions athletes competed internationally last summer, including Coxford and Avcibasioglu. Kocur said in the feature that the program trains its players for the highest level of the sport and for life beyond the pool.
The program has produced 2020 Olympic gold medalist Amanda Longan and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Adrian Weinberg, according to the school.
Last season Oaks Christian went 16-10 overall and 6-0 in league play, per MaxPreps. The current squad's 13-3 mark through the tournament title already surpasses last year's win total in fewer games.
Oaks Christian competes in the CIF Southern Section Division 1/2 bracket. MaxPreps ranks the Lions No. 12 in California heading into the heart of the fall schedule.
