LOCKPORT – With a young squad that features only two seniors, it looked as if Lockport boys water polo coach Joe Lewandowski might have to settle for a rebuilding season.

But so far, the Porters have had other ideas. They’re off to a strong start in the competitive SouthWest Suburban Conference with their latest victory coming Wednesday when they defeated Bradley-Bourbonnais, 13-6, at home.

Lockport (7-5-1, 5-2) only led 4-2 late in the first half, but scored just before the break and then collected all four scores in the third quarter and the first two in the final quarter to break it open. Bradley scored four times in the final 2:38 to make the final score closer.

Tyler Thompson led the hosts with six goals, Jack Lyons scored three times and Jake Sweis added two goals, while goalie Connor Hecker came up with eight saves.

The Porters have long put an emphasis on defense, and it’s no different this season. A good example of that effort was seen against the Boilermakers, who were held scoreless during a 16:45 stretch that ran from the second to the fourth quarter.

Lewandowski, who has led the program since it started playing at the varsity level in 2004, hopes to have his squad playing its best when it takes part in the Neuqua Valley Sectional, which features defending state champion Naperville Central.

“We’re playing with a lot of juniors and sophomores, and none of these kids ever played in an age-group program, so we’re real young,” Lewandowski said. “We had some big graduating classes of seven and nine, but because of that turnover, we have young kids who have been stepping up. I couldn’t be more proud of our sophomores and the way that the juniors have really taken a leadership role. It’s just outstanding.

“The defense that we’re running now is giving more of an effect on our counterattacks, so we’re seeing more 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s. And what I’m starting to see is the communication factor. They’re really starting to talk more out there. At the beginning of the year, that was probably our toughest thing, especially when you’re running a tough defense. If you’re not communicating, then somebody is off and other teams are going to score on you.”

While Lockport was placed in the Neuqua Valley Sectional along with two of the state’s best, defending champion Naperville Central and Naperville North, Lewandowski is hopeful that SWSC play, which features six squads ranked in the top 21 in Illinois, will prepare them for the challenge.

The Porters’ two captains, juniors Giovanni Onesto and Sweis, are encouraged by what they’ve seen so far and expect their squad to get better as the season progresses.

“Gio, Matt (Zalesko), Connor and me are juniors who played a lot last year,” Sweis said. “We’re a very young team and still have next year, so there’s still a lot of potential that we can uncover. The conference is very tough this year and there’s a lot of good competition. Lew is a phenomenal coach and the passion for the sport on this team is through the roof. Everyone plays well together and we have good chemistry, and that helps make us who we are.”

With their regular season wrapping up a month from now, there isn’t a lot of time left to work on things. But the Porters feel optimistic that they’ll be at their best for the sectional.

“When we were freshmen, we had the best group of seniors to build off, and they taught us a lot of what we know,” Onesto said. “After they graduated, it was time for guys like us to step up and do our part by trying to help the team as much as possible. We surprise ourselves every day with how good we can be. We’re stepping up a lot and I’m proud to see that. We have such a good coaching staff and kids who really play their hearts out. We’ve got a well-rounded team that communicates well and we have shooters and can play defense.”