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LOS ALAMITOS — JSerra might be the fastest-rising boys water polo program in the CIF Southern Section but that doesn’t mean the Lions can’t be pushed.

Los Alamitos proved up to the task Tuesday night.

But JSerra responded when needed and posted a 12-10 victory on the heels of a title at the Santa Barbara Invitational, its biggest regular-season tournament title under Coach and Olympian Brett Ormsby.

The Lions (6-1), ranked second in Orange County, outscored the No. 5 Griffins 4-1 in the third period to build a four-goal cushion that held off a charge in the final quarter.

“Los Al gave us trouble,” said Orsmby, in his fifth season. “They played gritty,and played with a lot of energy and toughness. I didn’t think we responded particularly well. We got better in the second half but we want to be a consistently solid defensive team and we gave away some goals in the first half.”:

Both teams weren’t at full strength but still displayed plenty of talent in the water.

JSerra attacker Bode Brinkema, captain of the recent U.S. cadet team at the 16-and-under World Championships, scored four goals and added three assists and two field blocks.

The Lions scored the first two goals of the third period to open a 9-6 lead. Brinkema, a junior, assisted on a counterattack strike by Drew Vangrin for the first goal and added his own counterattack goal for the second.

JSerra sophomore Taylor Bell capped the third period with a late counterattack goal that pushed the Lions’ lead to 11-7.

Senior Nicholas Keane scored four goals to lead Los Alamitos (3-2).

The Griffins led briefly late in the second period on a power-play strike by Nicholas Leung, who scored off an assist by Tomas DeLuca for a 6-5 advantage.

But before the end of the half, Brinkema answered with a penalty shot off a 5-meter drawn by Will Schneider and a counterattack strike off an assist by Vangrin.

Schneider, a junior on the U.S. youth team, drew three penalty shots and added two goals and four steals.

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“They’re one of the best teams in the country,” Los Alamitos coach Scott Penttila said of JSerra. “(Our team) wanted to take down the giant and they were excited to do it and they gave it their best shot.”

JSerra goalie Jack Hefler made 11 saves in his duel with Los Alamitos transfer goalie from Joe Jenness, who recorded eight blocks.

The Lions were without Huntington Beach transfers Ryder Dodd and Tas Palcza among others. Both are observing the CIF-SS sit-out period. Los Alamitos played without attacker Cole Francisco.