VISTA – The Rancho Buena Vista water polo team has been shown the door in the first round of the last two CIF Division I playoff tournaments, as low seeds have led to difficult matchups.

The Longhorns are determined this year to not only avoid an early exit, but also make a deep run into the tournament.

RBV made a strong statement for a high seed Tuesday, defeating Poway, 11-8, at The Wave Waterpark, for its 17th win of the season. It was the Longhorns'second win over the Titans this season.

“This year our goal is to be a top-five team,” RBV head coach Adam Crosswhite said. “Obviously we want to make it further in the playoffs – the quarterfinals, if not the semis. (RBV) hasn't been to the quarterfinals in eight years.” Both CIF playoff losses came to Palomar League rival Rancho Bernardo, a team the Longhorns have defeated twice this year.

RBV should be one of the top five seeds for the CIF tournament, which starts Nov. 13, due to several quality wins as well as a difficult schedule.

“As long as we do everything right, we have a good chance of being a top seed,” said junior Brian Penney, who had three goals in the win over Poway. “I think we've progressed a lot.”

The Longhorns overwhelmed the visiting Titans in the first period with physical defense and quick transition scoring.

RBV 2-meter man Patrick Scahill had three of his four goals in the first, which ended with the Longhorns leading 5-1.

“The little things have killed us in the past,” said Scahill, who leads the league in scoring. “This is our year to grab the bull by the horns.”

Penney poured in two quick goals to start the second, but the Titans began to find their range, scoring three goals in the period and going into halftime trailing 8-4.

The deficit could have been smaller were it not for the play of RBV goalie Connor Buckendahl, who had five of his 15 blocks in the second.

Buckendahl, a junior, said this season has been a turning point for the RBV program.

“The past couple of years we've been right on the edge of being on that (elite) level,” he said. “Now I think we've reached that.”

Although the Longhorns have twice lost to five-time defending CIF-champion and league-rival Carlsbad this season, a high seed would ensure RBV wouldn't have to meet the Lancers until late in the tournament.

A top-five playoff seed would also ensure a home game in the first round for the Longhorns.

“We should have a home game,” Crosswhite said. “”It'll be nice to have that first game at home.”

RBV wasn't as sharp in the second half Tuesday. Poway outscored the home team 4-3 in the last 14 minutes.

“They got kind of lazy,” Crosswhite said. “They came out ready to go, but they definitely let down in the second half.”

The Longhorns play El Camino on Wednesday, and then finish out the regular season against Vista on Friday.

Although talented on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball, RBV's greatest strength is team unity, Crosswhite said.

“They've been playing together for three years,” he said. “They know each other well and get along. That shows in the pool.”

Matt Crosson: (760) 742-6744; matt.crosson@tlnews.net