IRVINE - It was about 30 minutes after the game and the majority of the Nogales High School boys water polo team was still in speedos and caps and hadn't left the pool deck.

There was a light rain coming down in contrast to a heavier version during the team's CIF-Southern Section Division 7 championship match earlier against top-seeded Santa Ynez on Saturday morning at Irvine's William Woollett Center.

So, there was time for photos and celebrations in the aftermath of the Nobles' dominating 15-8 victory.

The title caps a magical run for No. 2-seeded Valle Vista League champion Nogales (31-2), which earned the program's first-ever boys water polo title by winning its 21st consecutive game.

"This means so much, it does, it really does," Nogales junior goalie Christian Ortiz said. "You don't know how much it means. It's unexplainable."

After going into the half comfortably ahead 10-3, Nogales received its best challenge from Los Padres League champion Santa Ynez (24-7-1) in the opening minutes of the third quarter.

The Pirates pulled within five goals with two scores from junior utility player Luke Lastro off assists from Ryan Krause and Adam Taylor.

The second score came at 5:27 and was created off an exclusion of Nogales' Matthew Hernandez.