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2007 Prep Boys Water Polo
San Diego Section

Prep Previews/Reports

2007 ALL-MESA LEAGUE
BOYS WATER POLO TEAMS

First Team
Austin Toogood (Bonita Vista) 12 (goalie)
Scott Kruse (Eastlake) 12
Chris Schmuckal (Eastlake) 11
Jono Newman (Bonita Vista) 11
Memo Vasquez (Bonita Vista) 11
Dane Schmidt (Bonita Vista) 11
Alex Castello (Otay Ranch) 11

Player of the Year: Austin Toogood (Bonita Vista)

Second Team
Justin Kruse (Eastlake) 11 (goalie)
Jon Garcia (Eastlake) 11
Anthony Gackstetter (Eastlake) 12
Sam Barrick (Eastlake) 11
Ryan Wheeler (Bonita Vista) 12
Jarrett Allen (Otay Ranch) 11
Anthony Osuna (Chula Vista) 12

Honorable Mention
Tristan Hallum (Otay Ranch) 12 (goalie)
Garred Hanono (Bonita Vista) 12
Cameron Freels (Bonita Vista) 11
Marco Hernandez (Otay Ranch) 11
Felix Dion (Eastlake) 10
Erasmo Ames (Chula Vista) 12
Bradley Bonney (Chula Vista) 9

South Bay League
All-League Honors

Players of the Year:
David Martinez 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Adam Villalobos 12th Hilltop High

First Team
David LeDuc 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Michael Porter 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Justin Trinidad 12th Hilltop High
Garry Wegener 12th Mar Vista High
Ivan Godoy 12th Southwest High

Second Team
Roger Espe 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Matt Milke 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Lance Watkins 12th Hilltop High
Scott Martinson 12th Hilltop High
Ryan Barr 12th Mar Vista High
Ryan Henderlite 12th Mar Vista High
Nathan Figueroa 12th Southwest High

Honorable Mention
Luis Ramirez 12th Mater Dei Catholic
Jose Gonzalez 11th Mater Dei Catholic
Sean Ellerbrock 11th Hilltop High
Blaine Nissen 11th Hilltop High
Marco Amaral 11th Mar Vista High
Hugo Medrano 12th Mar Vista High
Francisco Soto 12th Southwest High
Eddie Alvarez 11th Southwest High

Five East County teams gain entry into CIF boys water polo playoffs

Posted Nov. 6, 2007
The Granite Hills High School boys water polo team used its stature as Grossmont South League co-champions and its 17-5 overall record to secure the No. 2 seed in this year’s San Diego Section Division I playoffs. The Eagles, who tied Valhalla with a 7-1 league record, drew a home game against fellow league rival Helix in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Granite Hills, Valhalla and Helix were among five East County teams to gain admission to this year’s playoff tournament. Santana (15-8) received the No. 6 seed in the Division II playoffs and will host Canyon Crest (13-4) in first round play on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. Valhalla (14-7) received the No. 7 seed in the Division II field and will face Mt. Carmel (9-8) in opening round action on Thursday at La Jolla High School at 5:30 p.m.

El Capitan (12-6) drew the No. 12 seed in the Division II field and will open with a road match-up at fifth-seeded University City (12-8) on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Clairemont Rec Center.

First-round winners advance to the divisional quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 10, at La Jolla High School. Division I games will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by Division II match-ups at 1:30 p.m.

Granite Hills, led by standouts Chris Gwinn, Jeremy Atkinson and Derek Kuiper, opened the 2007 season with much promise by capturing the championship title of the 32-team Poway Invitational. The Eagles traded victories with arch rival Valhalla in league play to tie for the Grossmont South League title. Granite Hills took the early lead with an 8-5victory against the Norsemen on Oct. 3; Valhalla secured a league co-championship with a 9-8 win on Oct. 18.

Granite Hills previous defeated Helix by scores of 12-7 and 15-11 in league play. The Granite Hills-Helix winner advances to play the winner of the first-round pairing between seventh-seeded Fallbrook (10-9) and 10th-seeded Eastlake (13-9) at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.

The Eagles eliminated Eastlake in last year’s opening round en route to a trip as far as the Division I semifinals and scored an 8-1 win in non-league play this season. The Highlanders opened this season with a 17-6 loss to Eastlake, the runner-up team in the Mesa League.

Fallbrook finished 4-3 in Avocado League play behind league champion Carlsbad (7-0, 15-5) and runner-up Vista (7-1, 21-5). Carlsbad earned the No. 1 seed among Division I teams (meeting Valley League champion and 16th-seeded Escondido in the first round) while Vista was seeded third (meeting No. 14 La Costa Canyon in the first round).

Other Division I playoff qualifiers included Palomar League champion Rancho Bernardo (9-0, 14-7), which drew the No. 4 seed, fifth-seeded Westview (14-5), sixth-seeded Poway (10-11), eighth-seeded Bonita Vista (6-2), ninth-seeded Scripps Ranch (7-13), 11th-seeded Patrick Henry (17-5), 12th-seeded Torrey Pines (7-16) and 13th-seeded Rancho Buena Vista (9-13).

League champions received automatic entry into post-season competition. Bonita Vista (4-0 in the Mesa League), Patrick Henry (11-0 in the Eastern League) were among six league champions in the Division I field, joining Carlsbad (Avocado League), Rancho Bernardo (Palomar League), Granite Hills (Grossmont South League) and Escondido (Valley League).

A total of 10 North County teams filled the 16 Division I playoff slots, led by five from the Palomar League and four from the Avocado League.

The Division II bracket was a show of force for the City Conference’s Western League, as Western League teams filled the top five-seeded positions, led by league champion Coronado (8-1, 18-2), second-seeded Bishop’s (8-2, 15-6), third-seeded La Jolla (5-3, 14-6), fourth-seeded Cathedral Catholic (3-5, 14-7) and fifth-seeded University City (2-6, 12-8).

Santana earned automatic entry as the Grossmont North League champion based on its 7-0 league record and edged Valhalla for the No. 6 seed based on its 8-7 victory over the Norsemen in non-league play on Sept. 26.

The Santana-Canyon Crest winner will face either third-seeded La Jolla or 14th-seeded Valley Center (10-13) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at 4 p.m.

The Valhalla-Mt. Carmel winner will face either second-seeded Bishop’s or 15th-seeded Mission Bay in Saturday’s quarterfinals at 5:15 p.m.

The University City-El Capitan winner will face either fourth-seeded Cathedral Catholic or 13th-seeded Ramona (11-9) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at 2:45 p.m. The Vaqueros defeated Ramona, 6-4, in the championship game of this year’s East County Cowboy Invitational.

Mater Dei (13-3) qualified as the South Bay League champion and received the No. 16 seed and a first-round match-up against No. 1 Coronado. Point Loma (12-6 as the Eastern League runner-up) received the No. 8 seed and will host Santa Fe Christian (9-13), one of two independent teams (Canyon Crest being the other) to earn berths in this year’s playoff field.

Notepad
The strongest leagues in the section? All six Palomar League teams advanced to this year’s playoffs as did all six Western League teams. The Valley League qualified its top four teams to give North County teams 14 of the 32 playoff berths between the two divisions. The Grossmont South League and City Conference Eastern League each had three qualifiers.

A total of 20 teams applied for the 16 Division I playoff berths. Grossmont, which finished runner-up to Santana in the Grossmont North League with a 6-2 league recorfd and 11-9 overall record, finished as the No. 17 team in the division rankings, followed by Hilltop (18th), West Hills (19th) and El Camino (20th). West Hills finished 3-4 in Grossmont North League play, 10-11 overall. Santana defeated Grossmont by scores of 10-8 and 11-10 in league play.

A total of 19 teams applied for the 16 Division II playoff berths. Serra finished as the No. 17 team in the rankings, followed by Steele Canyon (18th) and Clairemont (19th). Steele Canyon finished behind Granite Hills and Valhalla in the Grossmont South League standings with a 5-3 league record.

It’s official: Mater Dei, Bonita Vista claim Metro water polo titles

Third-year Crusaders enjoy banner year

Posted Nov. 6, 2007
There were both reasons to cheer and be nervous last Friday at the Mar Vista High School pool if you were a member of the Mater Dei boys water polo team. The Crusaders were engaging Southwest in a South Bay League match to conclude an abbreviated regular season schedule because of the recent wildfires throughout San Diego County. The scenario was simple: A win would give Mater Dei an undefeated league record while a loss would relegate the Crusaders to second place.

Mater Dei emerged with a 17-10 victory against the last-place Raiders to claim sole possession of the 2007 South Bay League title — the school’s first league title in the sport. But coach Guy Souza had to be biting his nails as Southwest played the soon-to-be champions even up through the opening three quarters.

“Southwest played a great game and did a good job against us,” Souza said. “The score was 5-3 Southwest at the end of the first quarter, 6-6 at halftime and 8-8 at the end of the third. it was a good win and a physical game.”

Because not all the teams in the league finished with the same number of games, a Metro Conference rule states that the league championship be decided by winning percentage. Had the Crusaders lost to the Raiders, they would have finished league play 5-1 and placed second to Hilltop, which finished 6-1 in league play.
Last Friday’s championship-clinching victory gave Mater Dei a 6-0 league record and 13-3 overall mark, inclusive of two forfeit wins against a Castle Park team that issued a schedule but failed to field a team this season.

The win over Southwest was the Crusaders’ 10th straight to close the season.

“Conditioning has been the biggest factor in our success,” said Souza of his modest 11-man squad. “We’ve been behind in the score at halftime with many teams but we’ve managed because of our conditioning to win.”
Such was the case in last Friday’s title-clinching victory.

Team goal-scoring leaders include David LeDuc and David Martinez while Michael Porter has led the team in assists. Souza calls Porter, because of his play-making ability, the “straw that stirs the drink.”

Matt Milke is the team’s goalie. “He had a tremendous game against Hilltop,” said Souza of Mater Dei’s breakthrough 8-6 win against the preseason favorite Lancers on Oct. 5.

Souza credited Roger Espe and Luis Ramirez with clutch performance off the team’s bench, calling them the team’s “stunt men.”

“They do all the dirty work,” Souza said. “LeDuc and Martinez and Milke and Porter get all the glory on offense but these guys are the ones who get down and play all the positions that don’t show up in the scorebook.”

Porter played three years as a tight end in football before deciding to play water polo this season, according to Souza. He had eight goals in the regular season finale against the Raiders.

Martinez scored five goals in last Friday’s game while LeDuc had four goals. Milke was credited with five goalie blocks while Espe, in Souza’s words, “provided some great defense on their two-meter man.”

The Crusaders finished 4-1 in the East County Cowboy Invitational hosted by El Capitan High School to help start the team’s third season. Mater Dei lost its opening game, 15-4, to Ramona and then proceeded to best its remaining four opponents in the 16-team field. Wins came against El Cajon Valley, Mar Vista, San Marcos and Monte Vista.

The Crusaders finished 3-2 in non-league competition with two victories against Chula Vista and one win against Mt. Miguel and losses to Army-Navy Academy and Bonita Vista.

Mater Dei finished 6-0 in league play, inclusive of a pair of forfeit wins against Castle Park. Prior to the outbreak of the rampaging wildfires, the Crusaders had racked up in-the-pool wins against Hilltop (8-6), Mar Vista (13-9) and Southwest (19-5).

The team recorded a pair of wins against Castle Park last season. The 13 wins this season — as well as the history-making league title — set new standards for the program.

Respect outside the South County region will come as the program matures.

Mater Dei received the 16th seed in this week’s 16-team Division II playoffs and drew City Conference Western League champion Coronado in Thursday’s scheduled opening round game. Hilltop failed to secure a playoff berth despite an 11-6 overall record, finishing 18th in the Division I advisory committee rankings.
Quarterfinal-round winners advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal quadruple-header at La Jolla High School.

Road to a Championship
Mater Dei Crusaders
South Bay League
Mater Dei 8, Hilltop 6
Mater Dei 13, Mar Vista 9
Mater Dei 19, Southwest 5
Mater Dei 17, Southwest 10
Note: Mater Dei receives two forfeit wins against Castle Park.

Team Roster
Matt Milke 12
David LeDuc 12
David Martinez 12
Roger Espe 12
Luis Ramirez 12
Jose Gonzalez 11
Kalum Figuy 9
Mark Laturno 9
Alex Perigrin 11
Raymond Lugio 9
Michael Porter 12

Barons enter playoffs with 4-3 win over Torrey Pines

Posted Nov. 6, 2007
The Bonita Vista boys water polo team has had its journey to the San Diego Section Division I championship game stopped short the past two seasons with one-goal losses each time to the Torrey Pines Falcons.
The Barons got some revenge — and crucial respect points from this year’s playoff seeding committee — by topping the Falcons, 4-3, in overtime last Friday at UCSD.

Dane Schmidt scored two goals and goalie Austin Toogood made 20 saves to backstop the win.
BV coach Dan Way said the team’s post-season goals will be “to continue to take one game at a time, focus on defense and work, work, work!”

The morale-boosting victory gave the Barons a 6-2 regular season record and a major defensive posture that allowed just 3.25 goals per game in what is generally considered to be a high-scoring sport. It was the lack of contests — just eight — that likely kept the reigning Mesa League champions from climbing any higher than the No. 8 spot in this year’s Division I playoff seedings.

The Barons drew ninth-seeded Scripps Ranch (7-13) in Wednesday’s opening-round match-up at the Las Palmas pool in National City. The Falcons finished 0-8 in City Conference Western League play but 7-5 out of it.

Way felt his team could have been seeded anywhere from third to 12th in this year’s 16-team field. Mesa League runner-up Eastlake (13-9) drew the No. 10 seed and a first-round assignment against seventh-seeded Fallbrook (10-9) at the Wave in Vista.

The Titans entered Wednesday’s playoff game having defeated the Warriors, 9-8, as part of the America’s Finest City tournament earlier this season.

The Titans closed out regular season play with a 10-3 victory against Otay Ranch at the Loma Verde pool. Scott Kruse led Eastlake with five goals in the game.

If the Barons advance, they will take on either No.1-seeded Carlsbad (15-5) or No. 16 Escondido (16-4) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at 8:30 a.m. If the Titans advance, they will take on either No. 2-seeded Granite Hills (17-5) or No. 15-seeded Helix (8-13) at 12:15 p.m.

Road to a Championship
Bonita Vista Barons
Mesa League
Bonita Vista 18, Otay Ranch 3
Bonita Vista 4, Eastlake 2
Bonita Vista 4, Eastlake 3
Bonita Vista 13, Chula Vista 2

Team Roster
Austin Toogood
James Allison
Ryan Wheeler
Armando Vargas
Gabriel Escaba
Gerad Hanono
Jonathan Newman
Stephen Lopez
Dane Schmidt
Cameron Freels
Adam Glick
Guillermo Vasquez
Clinton Golder

Bonita Vista 13, Chula Vista 2
Nov. 2 at Parkway pool: Memo Vasquez and Jono Newman each scored three goals and Adam Glick and Cameron Freels both had two goals to lead the Barons to a perfect 4-0 Mesa League record. Gabriel Escaba, Stephen Lopez and Clinton Golder each scored one goal while Freels made five saves while also manning the goalie position. The Spartans (0-4 in league, 3-13 overall) received single goals from Narciso Marmolejo and Anthony Osuna.

Barons, drum roll, rack up title #21

Posted Nov. 2, 2007
Bonita Vista boys water polo coach Dan Way may appear as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar but after Wednesday’s Mesa League championship game at the Southwestern College pool — a momentous game in which his Barons claimed a 4-3 win over the favored Eastlake Titans — he had to take a moment away from the crowd as the emotional rush reached its peak.

The win gave Bonita Vista its San Diego Section-record 21st consecutive league title — something they weren’t supposed to do this season by nearly everyone’s best estimate while facing inarguably the best-ever Titan team.

But the Barons — hated by some for their perennial success and admired by others for the same attribute — would not take no for an answer this season. Nor — as Wednesday’s game proved — would they settle for a co-championship.

Instead, they earned a trip to the upcoming Division I playoff as undisputed league champs.

“I was nervous how the boys would react since they knew the worst they could be was co-champions,” said Way, whose overachieving squad recovered from a 2-1 halftime deficit with a 3-1 second-half scoring edge. “They showed the character to win. I’m very proud.”

Way lauded the efforts of both his team as well as the Titans, who entered the high stakes match-up ranked seventh among the section’s Division I teams and had played four times as many games this season than had the Barons.

“In the past, it was breeze through these league games and try to keep our focus for the playoffs,” Way said. “People thought we won because we had the best talent. But it’s always been because we worked (so exceptionally hard). This year proved that more than any other year. I give Eastlake a lot of credit. They have what it takes now to be a great program. My boys fought hard every play. They wanted to be champions, not co-champions. You hear so much about offense. But everyone on this team came to play defense and to battle.”

The teams’ first meeting on Oct. 19 was won by defense, with the Barons pulling off a rather shocking 4-2 victory. The rematch, though hindered somewhat by 10 days off due to the recent wildfires, was just as defensive-minded.

Memo Vasquez gave Bonita Vista (3-0 in league play, 4-2 overall) an early 1-0 lead but Eastlake (1-2, 12-9) quickly countered on a shot by Scott Kruse as the teams played to a 1-1 standoff through the opening quarter. Chris Schmuckal scored the lone goal of the second quarter on a six-on-five Titan power play.

BV varsity newcomer Dane Schmidt tied the score at 2-all with a man-up goal in the early minutes of the third quarter but Eastlake regained the lead at 3-2 on a man-advantage goal by Jon Garcia. Vasquez tied the game at three goals apiece on a restart in the waning stages of the quarter.

Ryan Wheeler made up for his kick-out infraction that led to Garcia’s goal by scoring what proved to be the game-winner with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter.

If there was one hero, it had to be BV senior goalie Austin Toogood, whose 14 saves kept his team afloat. At times, Toogood was just that — too good — as he stuffed several point-blank shots, including successive shots off rebounds in front of the cage.

Eastlake coach Chris Barrick remained upbeat despite the disappointing loss. “They beat us straight up. I take my hat off to them,” said Barrick, whose team is expected to earn an at-large berth in next week’s Division I playoffs. “We out-shot them. I thought we played great team defense. The officials’ calls went both ways. You give and you get. Their goalie Austin Toogood played a heck of a game. Both games against us he played out of his mind.”

“Over the break we were thinking about water polo,” Toogood said. “We knew we had to be ready play. Personally, I think I did as good a job as in the first game. It was hard for us to be off for 10 days and then play. Everyone said we weren’t going to win. It felt good to come out and make a statement.”

Hilltop Lancers assist in wildfire relief effort

Posted Nov. 2, 2007
Hilltop High’s boys water polo team has instituted a novel program it calls “help the needy day.” This year’s mission was especially worthy — and well-timed. It coincided with the recent wildfire tragedy across much of San Diego County.

The Lancers journeyed to Steele Canyon High School, one of the many evacuation centers set up across the region, and then from there teamed up in a convoy with Congressman Bob Filner. Team members were taken past roadblocks to Jamul Fire Station No. 6 where the convoy dropped them off while continuing closer to the fires.

At the fire station, the team was able to spend a brief moment with the firefighters and thank them for their courage and hard work.

“The firemen were blown away that a bunch of high school boys were delivering a truck full of needed supplies,” Hilltop coach John Salts said. “They were comparing us coming to Christmas. They said they had crews sleeping on the cement floors, wearing the same clothes for four to five days straight and their guys were starting to wear down. They mentioned the supplies came at a very good time and that it would boost morale for many crew members.”

In past years, the Lancers have visited homeless shelters. Salts said this year the team benefited from information on the needs of the fire victims and firefighters from Dave Nissen, who serves as chief of Cal Fire and is the father of Hilltop hole guard Blaine Nissen.

“Chief Nissen was able with the help of others to get information to us on the exact needs of everyone and we were then able with the help of our parents, athletes and teachers here at Hilltop and throughout our school district to donate these exact items,” Salts said “This has truly been an effort of many great people coming together for the needs of their fellow neighbors.

“Our water polo boys were able to witness the devastation and human need up close and in person,” Salts continued. “It was incredible to see the look and expression on these teenagers’ faces … the look of compassion was overwhelming. I love to hear people say how this generation is pulling society down, but it is then my opportunity to lift up this group of great teenagers and show people the greatness and compassion our teenagers can do when presented with the opportunity. I am very proud and honored to be able to not only coach these guys in sports but be a small part of their lives and witness the caring and dedication they have for others. They gave their time, their energy, their money and themselves and when all this was done, many of them asked if we could do it again.”

Salts said he would like to thank the many employees of the Sweetwater Union High School District and the citizens of Chula Vista who donated items to be taken out to the fire victims and firefighters.

Season wrap
Hilltop closed out its season with a 9-8 victory at Mar Vista on Halloween after having had its highest profile game of the season — Oct. 24 against Mater Dei — cancelled by the San Diego Section because of the wildfire crisis.

The win at the Imperial Beach school was the Lancers’ first in “at least seven years,” according to Salts.
Salts called the hair-raising victory “an incredible match — one that went down to the wire.”
Hilltop led from start to finish and was up by three goals two different times in the match-up between the longtime rivals. But they saved the best for last for both teams, according to Salts.

“Mar Vista had a never-say-die attitude and continued to rally throughout the entire match,” the Hilltop coach said. “I am very proud of our boys as well as very impressed with the boys at Mar Vista and their play. Our guys played team ball with everyone stepping up at various times throughout the match when it was needed.”

Senior standout and South Bay League Player of the Year candidate Adam Villalobos paced the Lancers with six goals while seniors Justin Trinidad and Lance Watkins, along with junior Blaine Nissen, all contributed one goal. Senior goalie Scott Martinson made 13 saves, including many at point-blank range.

“Scottie really came up big for us. He really kept us in the match,” Salts said. “I am so proud of him and happy for him for ending his high school water polo career with such an incredible game.”

The win left Hilltop with a 4-1 league record (6-1 including two forfeit wins against Castle Park) to end the shortened season due to the fires and the section’s decision to not allow teams to reschedule matches.

Hilltop wound up playing one extra league game than Mater Dei, with both teams finishing with the same number of victories. “If we had played those rescheduled games, it might have been different and it might have been the same,” Salts said. “One thing, for sure, is that this has been a great season -- both for Hilltop and South Bay water polo.”

Defense rests as Barons top Titans 4-2 to remain on top

Posted Oct. 26, 2007
Whether it was due to mystique or hard work, or a combination of both, it appears the Bonita Vista High School boys water polo team will add another year — No. 21 and counting — to its marathon San Diego Section-record league championship streak.

The Barons can do no worse than a tie for this year’s Mesa League title after edging eastside rival Eastlake, 4-2, in last Friday’s first-round match-up at the Southwestern College pool. Though the game may have been low on goals, it certainly was high on drama.

With Eastlake supporters brandishing signs proclaiming “Beat Bonita” in support of the school’s best-ever team and BVHS parents and students holding team banners, the contest pitting the top two teams in the sport in South County took on all the trappings of the best football rivalry. In the end, the reworked Barons once again ruled the waves.

“You rarely see me get excited after one of these league games but after this game I’m proud,” said BV coach Dan Way, who raised his arms in a show of triumph following the final buzzer. “We lost seven seniors (to graduation). For a team of our size, that’s a lot of talent. But we continued to work and get better every day. They responded beautifully. We aren’t a big offensive team but I think we played great defense. Our goalie played out of his head. He’s our senior captain and he played like a captain should. Every player picked it up.”

Add a little strategy, as well. In an effort to bring out the best in his bunch this season, Way moved team practices away from Southwestern College to the National City municipal pool and chose to play only a handful of games — essentially training contests — leading up to last Friday’s monumental clash against the Titans.

It worked.

The Barons, relying on solid defense and the wide arm span of goalie Austin Toogood, employed a slow-tempo game, thus playing up to its strengths. Bonita Vista led 2-1 at halftime and doubled that margin in the second half of play.

Ryan Wheeler, James Allison, Jono Newman and Guillermo Vasquez each scored single goals while Toogood racked up 10 saves.

Allison and Vasquez scored the critical second-half goals. The game turned when Toogood and the defenders in front of him blocked a shot to thwart an Eastlake power play with the score 3-2 in the Barons favor.

Felix Dion had both Titan goals while goalie Justin Kruse was credited with seven saves.

The teams rematch Oct. 31, also at Southwestern College.

“This was their whole season. They were training for this one game,” said a disappointed Chris Barrick, Eastlake’s coach. “I knew they were going to try to take us out of our game and they did. Dan Way is a very smart coach. That team was great. We missed our shots and their goalie played an unbelievable game. Our defense is solid but our offense is in a funk. It seemed like they played with a sense of urgency. If we are going to salvage our season, we’re going to have to beat them on Halloween. It’s an opportunity for us to share the banner. It’s going to be another one-goal game, I guarantee you.”

The titantic win raised the Barons’ modest record to just 3-2 on the season, 2-0 in Mesa League play. The loss dropped Eastlake to 12-8 overall, 1-1 in league play. The Titans had entered last Friday’s game ranked seventh among the section’s Division I teams.

This week’s rankings keep Eastlake at No. 7 with Bonita Vista unranked. Just more fodder for the rematch?
“We found a way to win,” Way said. “I told the team they can be proud of this game but be ready to get back to work on Monday.”

Barons, Titans brace for Metro water polo showdown

Posted Oct. 18, 2007
The Bonita Vista High School boys water polo team owns the San Diego Section record for most consecutive league titles at 20. Whether the Barons are able to extend that to 21 straight league championships will likely be determined Friday, Oct. 19, when they collide with the Eastlake Titans at the Southwestern College pool.

Game time is 5:30 p.m.

For the first time in the teams’ decade-plus rivalry, the Titans are favored to win this year’s Mesa League title. Bonita Vista, perhaps one of the best-coached teams in the entire section, has both the will and desire to keep their streak intact … and just maybe enough tenacity and talent.

“We have a young team. We lost seven seniors,” Baron coach Dan Way said. “Our goal has been to improve daily and be ready to compete in CIF at the end of the season. Our focus is on team play and constant improvement. I’m excited about Friday’s game. We have a good scouting report on them. Being the underdog for the first time is a good feeling.”

Eastlake is fielding its best team in school history and the Titans would like to think that their year has finally arrived. Eastlake topped the Barons to win the Metro Conference tournament title five years ago but has never beaten its eastside rival in league play.

The Titans entered this week ranked seventh among the section’s Division I teams.

“Both teams have good defenses and both teams have good goalies,” Eastlake coach Chris Barrick said. “It should be a great game.”

Perhaps the greatest game ever played by two Metro teams since the sport was refunded by the Sweetwater district in 1987.

The Titans (12-7 overall) opened league play Wednesday with a 14-2 victory against Chula Vista at SWC. Scott Kruse led Eastlake with four goals, five assists and four steals while Felix Dion had four goals and two assists. Benny Garduno had two goals and two assists while Chris Schmuckal scored two goals and contributed two steals. Jon Garcia and Justin Kruse each had one goal. Kruse also made four goalie saves in one half of duty.

Eastlake led 8-1 at halftime.

Scott Kruse leads the Titans in season scoring with 54 goals, 45 assists and 50 steals. He is followed by Schmuckal (36 goals, 28 assists, 44 steals), Garcia (31 goals, nine assists, 31 steals) and Anthony Gackstetter (17 goals, 11 assists, 20 steals). Justin Kruse has totaled 131 blocks in 19 games and 57 percent of shots taken against him.

Despite the upturn in the win-loss record this season, a spate of unforeseen injuries has left Eastlake with a sudden depth problem on the bench.

Both teams have played a common opponent in Canyon Crest this season. The Barons lost 4-2 to the Ravens on Sept. 25 while the Titans overcame a sluggish start to prevail 11-3 in a non-league encounter on Oct. 9. Canyon Crest entered the latter game 12-3 on the season.

The Barons, meanwhile, appear to have improved in recent weeks if Wednesday’s 18-3 victory against Otay Ranch in the teams’ league opener is any indicator.

Jono Newman and Memo Vasquez each had five goals against the Mustangs (6-8) while James Allison racked up four goals and Dane Schmidt had three goals. Cameron Freels had his team’s other goal.

Way lists Newman and Vasquez, both juniors, as the team’s top two defenders in support of senior goalie Austin Toogood. Schmidt is up from last year’s junior varsity squad and “has been filling a good role for us,” according to Way.

Over the summer, Newman and Vasquez captured silver medals as part of the San Diego Shores A 16-and-under team that competed in the water polo national age group championship Junior Olympics in San Jose.

“We haven’t lost (a league title) in 20 years,” Way said. “They (the Titans) have committed to a year-round program and I have respect for them. I have a lot of respect for my boys.”

Making waves
•Raul Lozano and Anthony Osuna had the Spartans’ goals in Wednesday’s match-up against the Titans.

•Alex Castello had two goals while teammate Jarrett Allen had one goal for Otay Ranch in Wednesday’s loss to the Barons. Castello leads the Mustangs in all offensive categories and recently made the all-tournament team at the Cowboy Invitational, where Otay Ranch placed seventh out of 16 teams. Castello had four goals while Tristan Hellum had 11 goalie saves in the Mustangs’ 6-4 non-league victory against Orange Glen on Oct. 9.

•Hilltop defeated defending South Bay League champion Mar Vista, 8-5, last Friday to move into sole possession of second place in the league standings behind Mater Dei (2-0). Adam Villalobos led Hilltop with four goals while Lance Watkins, Justin Trinidad, Sean Ellerbrock and Justin Jimenez each scored once in support of goalies Scott Martinson and Alex Clark. The Mariners, who were keyed by Hugo Medrano’s two goals, dropped to 4-7 overall, 1-2 in league play. Garry Wegener had seven goals in Mar Vista’s 17-8 victory against Southwest on Oct. 5.

•Hilltop and Mater Dei rematch Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. at the Parkway pool in a battle for first place in the South Bay League standings.

Scott Hopkins contributed to this story

Mater Dei shocks Hilltop, takes lead in boys water polo standings
Posted Oct. 11, 2007
David LeDuc scored four goals and David Martinez and Michael Porter each had two goals to lead the Mater Dei Crusaders to an 8-6 victory last Friday against the Hilltop Lancers to take an early lead in the South Bay League boys water polo standings.

The Crusaders built a 3-1 first quarter lead on the Lancers and upped that margin to 8-2 at halftime. Mater Dei held off a second-half Hilltop rally, leading 8-6 at the end of the third quarter. The teams played to a standoff in the final period, with each team making six turnovers but unable to score.

“Mater Dei played an unbelievable game,” said Lancer coach John Salts, whose team faced off league play Wednesday with a 21-4 victory against Southwest, also at the Parkway pool. “They played it very simple and fundamental. They shot off the drive and took advantage of our lapses. Offensively, I thought we’d run over them. Their goalie made some great saves. We had 11 shots that went right into his chest and six more that hit the crossbar. That’s 17 shots we missed. We also had seven shots that went over the net. We were saying ‘David vs. Goliath.’ They had 11 players. We had 43.”

Adam Villalobos led Hilltop with five goals while goalie Scott Martinson, who shut out the Crusaders in the second half, made seven saves.

Villalobos and Sean Ellerbrock each had six goals in the win against Southwest. Justin Jimenez and Roman Gonzalez both scored three goals while Justin Trinidad had two goals. Lance Watkins and Blaine Nissen both had one goal while Martinson had eight goalie saves. Ivan Godoy led the Raiders with three goals.

The Lancers test Mar Vista — 14-9 losers to Mater Dei on Wednesday — in a key South Bay League match-up Friday, Oct. 12, at 3 p.m. at the Parkway pool.

Making waves, Metro-style

Posted Sept. 28, 2007
One third of the way through the 2007 high school boys water polo season finds the Eastlake Titans reaching unparalleled heights while the Hilltop Lancers appear to be gathering momentum for a final run at the South Bay League championship banner.

The Titans qualified for last year’s San Diego Section Division I playoffs as an at-large team, finishing second in the Mesa League standings to perennial league champion Bonita Vista. The Barons, who have won a section-record 20 consecutive league titles, earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and advanced to the semifinals for the second straight year. Eastlake managed to crack the top 10 rankings toward the end of the regular season (ranked at the No. 10 spot) and was seeded No. 13 in the 16-team draw, exiting the tournament in the first round with a 21-11 loss against fourth-seeded Granite Hills, another eventual semifinalist.

The Titans began this season with designs on winning this year’s Mesa League title, thereby securing the Mesa League’s automatic playoff entry. And the way the team has started the season, Eastlake may see more playoff action than it had originally hoped for.

As for Hilltop, the Lancers recently were buoyed in their quest to close out their four-year stay in the South Bay League as champions when the Otay Ranch Mustangs recorded a rather convincing non-league victory against the Mar Vista Mariners, the reigning South Bay League champions. Hilltop defeated Otay Ranch, 9-2, in a preseason scrimmage.

The season might turn out a bit more interesting than Lancer coach John Salts originally imagined.

But there is plenty of polo still to be played this season, as both Salts and Titan coach Chris Barrick will readily offer.

Climbing the ladder
Eastlake opened the season with a 10th-place finish in the annual 32-team Poway Invitational. The Titans finished 3-2 with victories against Ramona, Helix and Santa Fe Christian. Losses came against University of Irvine (7-5 in the second game of the tournament) and to University City (14-10 in the ninth-place game).
Granite Hills defeated tourney-host Poway, 12-10, in the championship match on Sept. 15.

“Uni (Irvine) played Poway, runner up in the tournament, to a sudden death loss by one goal on a five-meter penalty shot with one second left in the sudden death period,” Barrick said. “Our boys played a super game against Uni. That was a stepping stone game for our program. We lost to University City 14-10 for the ninth place. The game was very close throughout, and we let down a little in the fourth quarter, but we played with them for three and a half quarters.”

Eastlake defeated Santa Fe Christian, 7-5, in a non-league game on Sept. 19 after defeating the Eagles by a 14-2 score in the Poway tournament. Barrick said his team will need to be both mentally and physically prepared for each game if it wants to accomplish its goals this season.

“We have to learn to play like champions and not play down to lesser teams,” Barrick said.

The Titans took that attitude — and a 7-2 record — into last weekend’s America’s Finest City Invitational, regarded as the measuring stick for area teams against some of the best competition in the western United States. Barrick said he felt his team’s almost honored presence in this year’s tourney would “be a real measure of how we rank among the better teams.”

Eastlake finished 2-3 in last weekend’s prestigious tournament, dropping a 13-2 contest against Agoura, which Barrick called “one of the best teams in the state, falling 7-5 to Valhalla and 12-5 to Vista.

The Titans defeated Scripps Ranch, 10-9, and Fallbrook, 9-8, and held an early 4-1 lead against Valhalla before encountering what Barrick termed a “second-half collapse.” In the game against Vista, Eastlake trailed 7-5 at the end of the third quarter and, in Barrick’s words, “just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter in our third game of the day against all very good teams.”

Officially, the Titans placed 22nd in the 32-team field.

“This was far and away the best, highest quality tournament we have ever played in with no easy games,” Barrick said. “We beat two teams ranked ahead of us in the coaches poll and climbed the ladder to No. 6 this week (among Division I teams). The AFC was a real stepping stone for us as we beat good teams that were ranked ahead of us.”

Eastlake carried a 9-5 record into Thursday’s non-league game (Sept. 27) at Mt. Carmel (ranked seventh among Division II teams).

Scott Kruse led the Titans with 31 goals, 21 assists and 32 steals through nine games, followed by Chris Schmuckal with 23 goals, 20 assists and 30 steals. Jon Garcia had 14 goals, four assists and 19 steals while Sam Barrick had 12 goals, nine assists and 11 steals. Anthony Gackstetter had 10 goals, five assists and 10 steals while Felix Dion had nine goals, five assists and 10 steals. Justin Kruse had one goal, seven assists, a 12.67 goals-against average and 15 steals from his goalie position.

One last shot
Hilltop joins the Metro Conference’s better teams next season in the Mesa League. Before the Lancers depart the South Bay League, they would like to accomplish some unfinished business, according to Salts.

“The team’s ultimate goal is to be league champions,” Salts said. “We’ve been training hard. The kids have been pushing each other harder than anytime in the past. They push each other. I’m just the voice in the back of their head. These guys have a lot of heart. They’re very hungry. We’ve had some guys who have stepped up. All our seniors have been leaders.”

Standouts include Justin Trinidad, Lance Watkins, Scott Martinson (goalie), Isaac Rodriguez-Wagner, Blaine Nissen and Adam Villalobos. Salts said Nissen is developing into one of the most solid players on the team.

The Lancers finished 2-3 in the Poway Invitational, coming up short against University-Irvine (14-2), Ramona (14-7) and West Hills (8-6). Wins came against Mission Hills (17-8) and Oceanside (9-6 in the game for 27th place).

Goal leaders in the five games included Villalobos (10), Trinidad (eight) and Watkins (seven). Martinson was credited with 39 goalie saves and Alex Clark with 11 goalie saves.

“Overall, we faired OK at the Poway tournament this year,” Salts said. “Of course, I expected better results in the win column. I feel we are a better team than the overall outcome showed. I felt the two losses to Ramona and West Hills were matches that we dominated early — both games started with us scoring in under 10 seconds and increasing our leads to early 3-0 starts — but we were unable to hang on toward the end. Conditioning was a small factor, but concentration and game time knowledge of what to do in each situation definitely played the bigger role. Our players have a lot of heart, but they are still trying to put together the ‘what to do in each situation’ part of their play.

“All of this is par for the course at this stage of the season. A lot of the schools that enter the Poway Invitational do so to jockey for those county rankings and to see how they match up for this season. We use it as a great opportunity to get our players some good game time experience and prepare us for league play.

“The difference between the two philosophies is simple," Salts continued. "Most of the other schools in the county with water polo programs have their own campus pools and are able to practice year around, during school as a P.E. class and after school for any set amount of time they desire. This enables these schools the opportunity to build excellent programs that are competing at a high level of play right from the start of the boys season. We are in a sense starting over every year, trying to get our kids, who don't have the luxury to afford club teams, back into the mind set of water polo. It takes most of the teams down here about a month to get clicking on all cylinders. With the exception of Mar Vista, none of the South County teams have an On-campus pool. As of now, only Bonita, Eastlake and Otay Ranch have the private funds to afford renting pool time at our public pools or Southwestern College and thus these are the schools that usually dominate this area in water polo. This is the major reason why the conference teams are constantly trying to find corporate sponsors and district support in order to get pools built at our local high schools. On-campus pools will provide our district Teams the opportunity to build larger programs that will lead to greater success inside the pool and out.”

Salts isn’t far off in his assessment of the obstacles faced by his squad. Hilltop seems to peak at the very end of the season, playing catch-up for most of the season. “The last four years we’ve felt we had the best team in the league but Mar Vista has stood in the way each time,” Salts said. “It seems that whenever we play Mar Vista anything can happen. The biggest obstacle for us to overcome is the mental aspect of the game. That has been our demon.”

Hilltop faces off South Bay League play with games against Southwest (Oct. 3) and Mater Dei (Oct. 5), both at 5 p.m. at the Parkway pool.

The Lancers (5-4) tuned up for next week’s league matchups by defeating Chula Vista, 13-3, in non-league play Wednesday (Sept. 26). Villalobos and Justin Jimenez each scored three goals while Watkins contributed a pair of goals and Martinson collected 10 saves.

New beginnings
The Mater Dei Crusaders won their opening two games of the 2007 season under their new school name, defeating Chula Vista by a 20-8 score and following with a 20-1 non-league victory at Mt. Miguel.

First-year coach Guy Souza said he was pleased with the start, despite his team dropping its last three contests.

“It was a real confidence boost for the kids and the school,” Souza said. “It was nice to show that we have a water polo team besides a football team at the school. We’re having a good time.”

Two players remain from the Crusaders’ first team three years ago: David LeDuc and David Martinez. Perhaps not surprisingly, both are the team’s scoring leaders.

LeDuc and Martinez combined for eight goals in the win against Chula Vista while LeDuc had seven goals, Martinez had five goals and Michael Porter had six goals against Mt. Miguel.

The Crusaders’ three losses have been to Army-Navy Academy, Bonita Vista and Ramona (as part of this week’s El Capitan tourney).

LeDuc inferred it was impossible to compare this year’s team to that inaugural squad three years ago. “We’ve improved a lot,” he said. “When we first started, it was like nobody knew how to play.”

Second-year players include attackers Roger Espe and Alex Pergrin and goalie Matt Milke. The team’s top newcomer this season, according to Souza, is freshman Kalum Figuy.

There are 11 total players on this year’s Mater Dei squad.

“We’re looking to build,” Souza said. “As the school gets larger, the team should as well. Our goal is to get a pool built on campus in the next three years. If we can get a pool and continue to grow, that will be an accomplishment.”

Spartans place 8th at tourney
Chula Vista High’s boys water polo team came out of this year's Cowboy Invitational at El Capitan High School with an eighth-place finish and its second victory of the season.

The Spartans, riding the momentum of their first win of the season, 19-10 over Southwest on Sept. 21, opened the 15-team varsity tourney on Sept. 24 with a thrill-packed 11-10 victory against Monte Vista. In that game, Chris Rubio paced Chula Vista with five goals.

The Spartans (2-7) dropped subsequent tourney match-ups to finish eighth, falling 17-4 to El Capitan, 15-2 to West Hills, 15-1 to San Pasqual and 15-5 to Otay Ranch. CV coach Phil Disney noted his team “played iron-man water polo” its final three games — that is, without substitutes.

Anthony Osuna scored six goals, Sergio Candaleria scored four goals and Wesley Moore and Raul Lozano each scored three goals to lead the Spartans past the Raiders. Erasmo Ames and Josh Briles shared goaltending duties, with Briles recording three saves.

“We came out slow in the first quarter. We came out stronger in the second quarter and we started pulling away after that,” Disney said. “The players are starting to mature and progress. Our underclassmen are stepping up.”

Making waves: Eagles win 32-team Poway Invitational
New horizons have arrived for the Granite Hills High School boys water polo team after the Eagles soared above the competition to win last weekend’s 32-team Poway Invitational. Granite Hills defeated tourney-host Poway, 12-10, in the championship game played Sept. 15 at the North County school.

The milestone event pushed the Eagles’ early season record to 7-0.

Chris Gwinn led Granite Hills in the title game with six goals. Jeremy Atkinson scored on a penalty shot with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter to push the Eagles ahead 8-7. Granite Hills had opened the game trailing 4-0. Derek Kuiper, another returner from last year’s Division I semifinalist team, was credited with 10 goalie saves.
The championship game appearance was the first for the team in head coach Rhett Gaeir’s 13 years at the helm. Granite Hills edged Vista by a 10-8 score in the semifinals to advance to the final.

The Eagles, who finished third at last year’s tourney, opened this year’s tournament with a dominating 15-1 victory against Oceanside on Sept. 13.

Eastlake chasing Barons for league title this year
CHULA VISTA, Sept. 12, 2007 -- Eastlake High School boys water polo coach Chris Barrick summarized the foremost of his team’s season goals in two words: “Beat Bonita.”

That battle cry says much about the grit and determination of the 2007 Titans.

“To my knowledge, Eastlake has never won a league title in the sport of boys water polo. We’d like to change that this year,” said Barrick, who is entering his third year at the helm of the Titans.

Those are strong words but Barrick believes it is not wishful thinking — this year.

Bonita Vista owns rights to the last 20 league titles — a San Diego Section record for the sport. The Barons are coming off two consecutive appearances in the Division I semifinals and look once again to field a competitive — if not imposing — team.
Barrick thinks the Titans might just have the right combination of talent and drive this season to put an end to Bonita Vista’s intimidating streak of league championships.

The last time Eastlake defeated the Barons came in the finals of the 2002 Metro Conference tournament. The victory earned the Titans an automatic berth in the section playoffs, though Bonita Vista owned the rights to the league championship based on regular season records.

Eastlake qualified as an at large team for last year’s Division I playoffs after finishing runner-up to the Barons in league play.
The two Mesa League powers will meet twice this season in league play with much on the line for both teams.

That is a tribute to the upward development of the sport in South County over the past few years.

The Titans are every bit a major role player in the Metro’s current “Renaissance period.”

“Our guys have worked hard to get the program to where it is now, as have the coaches and the parents. Our parental support is phenomenal,” Barrick said.

This year’s team looks to reap a lot of that hard work and dedication put in over the past few years.

Barrick pointed to a watershed moment for the program when 2007 EHS graduate Gavin Fluhart received a full scholarship to play water polo at the Air Force Academy this past summer. Fluhart’s admission to the Air Force Academy remains a source of pride for Barrick and the team as a whole.

Great things could be destined for members of this year’s team.

Eastlake is braced by top returners four starters: seniors Scott Kruse and Anthony Gackstetter and juniors Justin Kruse and Chris Schmuckal. Impact newcomers include juniors Jon Garcia, Ismael Alvarez and Sam Barrick as well as sophomore Felix Dion.

Chase Fluhart, another underclassman, is recovering from a non-sports related injury.

The strongest attribute of this year’s team, according to Chris Barrick, is the players’ willingness to play as a team.

“We don’t really have any real superstar, but when they play together, they can be successful,” the Titan coach said. “It takes six to play together 100 percent of the time, not two.”

Eastlake jump-started the 2007 campaign with a decisive 22-8 non-league victory against Mira Mesa on Sept. 4. In the season opener, Schmuckal keyed the Titans with four goals and six assists while Scott Kruse had three goals and four assists and Garcia pumped in four goals and added one assist. A total of nine players recorded goals in the game while Justin Kruse made 11 goalie saves, one assist and two steals.

Benny Garduno chipped in with three goals and two assists while Dion and Sam Barrick each contributed two goals and two assists. Gackstetter had two goals. Scott Kruse and Garcia led the defensive effort with four and three steals, respectively.

In Monday’s non-league encounter against Helix at Southwestern College, Scott Kruse led the Titans’ 17-6 victory with seven goals, two assists and three steals. Schmuckal had three goals, one assist and three steals while Alvarez contributed two goals and two steals. Nine players once again registered either a goal or assist, with Justin Kruse finishing the game with 10 saves, three assists and one steal.

The win was the first over Helix in the elder Barrick’s reign.

“The guys are communicating well now and their clock management is better,” the Titan coach said. “They react to the ball better than last year. Our defense will carry us this year. We played fairly well defensively inside. We’re still learning.”
Barrick called Wednesday’s 15-5 non-league victory against La Costa Canyon at Southwestern “a huge one.”
“They (the Mavericks) were coming off a close loss (11-9) to a quality team (Canyon Crest Academy),” he said.
Scott Kruse and Schmuckal shared the scoring burden with four goals apiece. They were joined by six teammates, including Jon Jeffery with two goals. Justin Kruse had 12 saves and scored a rare goal from the goalie position on the final shot of the first quarter. Other goals went to Garcia, Gackstetter, Dion and Alvarez.

A strong showing in this weekend’s Poway Invitational could bring the Titans a coveted section ranking.

‘Hungry’ Lancers could be making waves in 2007
Hilltop boys water polo coach John Salts uses the word “hungry” to describe this year’s team. The Lancers’ appetite may not be satiated until a league championship is in hand.

“These guys are hungry more than anything,” Salts said after Hilltop's 9-2 scrimmage victory against Otay Ranch Aug. 28 at the Loma Verde pool. “We didn’t have a pool for practice during the summer. We did weight room training, dry land training and core exercises. They are hungry to finally get back in the water.”

Seniors Justin Trinidad, Lance Watkins and Adam Villalobos are the team’s three leaders this season. Trinidad and Villalobos were each credited with four goals in Tuesday’s win. Other key players include goalie Scott Martinson, Blane Nissen, Anthony Andriopolus, Chris Jaggers, Sean Ellerbrock and Isaac Rodriguez-Wagner.

Hilltop 18, Chula Vista 5
Lance Watkins and Adam Villalobos each scored four goals to lead Hilltop to an 18-5 non-league win over Chula Vista in boys water polo action Tuesday (Sept. 4) at the Parkway pool. The game was the first in regular season play for both teams.

“One thing we have worked hard on is maintaining our consistency,” said Hilltop coach John Salts, whose team was coming off a 9-2 scrimmage win against Otay Ranch the previous week. “We have lacked it in the past and I think that will be our demon this year.”

The Lancers quickly racked up a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and led 10-1 at halftime. The lead grew to 15-1 at the end of the third quarter before the Lancers freely substituted their younger players.
Justin Jimenez, Justin Trinidad and Roman Gonzalez each were credited with two goals. A total of nine players recorded goals for Hilltop in the game. Scott Martinson made three goalie saves in the first half with Alex Clark recording seven saves in second-half action.

Rory Hernandez, Sean Ellerbrock, Blane Nissen and Austin Clark each were credited with one goal.

Chula Vista coach Phil Disney was encouraged by the play of his team in the second half. Chris Rubio had two goals to lead the Spartans, who are led by seniors Raul Lozano and Anthony Osuna this season.

“We have a group of young quality players coming up. I see this team as a good rebuilding team,” said Disney, whose team was scheduled to test Mater Dei in non-league play on Thursday. “I look forward to the rest of the season. We have a lot of talented kids who want to play.”

Hilltop will host its annual alumni game Friday (Sept. 7) at 5 p.m. at the Parkway pool. A barbecue feting both varsity and alumni players and families will follow the game.

In other regular season openers, Otay Ranch edged visiting La Jolla Country Day, 7-6, while Eastlake topped host Mira Mesa 22-8.

Who will rule the waves in 2007?
Six Grossmont Conference boys water polo teams qualified for last year’s section playoffs. Santana (Grossmont North League champion), Valhalla (Grossmont South League runner-up), Steele Canyon and El Capitan all competed in the Division II playoffs. Granite Hills (Grossmont South League champion) and Grossmont (Grossmont North League runner-up) both participated in the Division I playoffs.

Granite Hills (10-0 in league play) made it the farthest of the six East County playoff qualifiers with an appearance in the Division I semifinals against eventual champion Carlsbad. The Eagles, seeded fourth, eliminated 13th-seeded Eastlake, 21-11, in the opening round and then ousted fifth-seeded Vista (18-12) by a 10-6 score in the quarterfinals.

Granite Hills ended its season with a 24-7 record following a 17-11 loss to top-seeded (and defending division champion) Carlsbad. The Lancers crowned their championship season with a 15-4 finals victory against second-seeded Torrey Pines (24-8).

Grossmont, which finished 6-2 in league play, drew Mesa League champion Bonita Vista in the opening round of the Division I playoffs. The third-seeded Barons, riding the momentum of their 20th consecutive league championship, eliminated the 14th-seeded Foothillers (11-12) by a 19-5 score before going on to topple sixth-seeded Poway (17-9) in the quarterfinals.

Torrey Pines ended Bonita Vista’s run with a 10-9 win in the semifinals — a replay of the teams’ one-goal semifinal matchup of the previous season.

The division title was the fourth consecutive for Carlsbad and the Lancers’ fifth straight finals appearance.
The Division II playoffs were less kind to Grossmont Conference teams, though both Valhalla (21-10) and Santana (20-11) advanced as far as the quarterfinals.

The Norsemen, seeded fourth, topped 13th-seeded Serra, 18-7, in the opening round before matching up with the surprise team of the tournament — Santa Fe Christian — in the quarterfinals. Valhalla ended its season with an 8-6 loss to the Eagles, who would be destined to fly all the way to the championship game.

Santana, seeded sixth, topped Steele Canyon, 11-7, in an all-East County first round matchup before drawing third-seeded Coronado in the quarterfinals. The Islanders, with 13 consecutive finals game appearances to their credit, eliminated the Sultans, 12-5, to pair up against Western League arch-rival Bishop’s in the semifinals.

Bishop’s and Coronado had met nine times in a row in the finals prior to this season and the semifinal meeting precluded that streak from continuing. The Knights won 8-6.

Santa Fe Christian pulled off unquestionably the biggest upset of the 2006 section playoffs when the fifth-seeded Eagles eliminated top-seeded La Jolla by a 10-9 score in the Division II semifinals. The championship game appearance by the Eagles was the first in the short four-year history of the school’s water polo program, though SFC went on to fall 13-8 to Bishop’s.
The division title was the fifth consecutive for the Knights, who were making their 10th straight finals appearance (with six championships in that span).

El Capitan, keyed by all-league picks Tucker Warford, Austin McBrady and Jared Radtkey, produced one of its most productive seasons in recent memory with a 15-6-1 regular season showing and a berth in the Division II playoffs. The 10th-seeded Vaqueros, who finished third in the Grossmont North League standings at 5-3, ended their otherwise accomplished season with a loss to seventh-seeded University City in the opening round of post-season competition.

Who will rule the waves in 2007? A preview will be offered Saturday, Aug. 25, at La Jolla at the second annual Dick Draz Boys Water Polo Classic. Valhalla, Patrick Henry and Granite Hills have been tabbed to participate in the 16-team scrimmage-format event.

Valhalla and Patrick Henry will tangle in the pool while Granite Hills draws a tough opening assignment in Bishop’s.
A total of eight games will be played, beginning at 8:50 a.m. and running through 5 p.m. General admission is $6. Proceeds from the event support the section’s transportation fund for the playoffs.

Individual honors
Santana senior Cody Dodd earned honors as the 2006 Grossmont North League Player of the Year while Granite Hills senior Remington McKittrick was named the Grossmont South League Player of the Year.

Valhalla junior Luke Collins and Granite Hills senior Sean Little earned recognition as members of the San Diego Hall of Champions all-section team. Bishop’s senior Kevin May was named the 2006 San Diego Section Player of the Year.

Making waves:
Titan Water Polo club remains undefeated in Summer League play

The Titan Water Polo Club has opened summer league play in impressive fashion. The Titans, who practice at Southwestern College, won their first game in Norse Polo's 18-and-under boys summer league on June 21 — the first day of summer — by a 10-6 score against the Cowboy Water Polo Club and followed that with a 3-0 showing at a summer league tournament June 23, also at Valhalla High School.

In the tourney, the Titans topped Poseidon (Tierrasanta/Del Mar), Longhorn (Rancho Buena Vista) and Sultan (Santana), winning the latter contest in a shootout. “The boys played well,” Titan coach Chris Barrick said.

Jon Garcia led the Titans with four goals and three assists in the summer league opener against the Cowboy Water Polo Club, a collection of players from El Capitan and West Hills high schools. Chase Fluhart had time to score three goals when not playing defense while teammate Scott Kruse contributed two goals in the come-from-behind victory.

The Cowboys led early but the Titans, after shutting down the opposing two-meter position, dominated the second half of play.

Teams competing in the boys 18-and-under league include Poseidon, Suns, Longhorn, Eagle, Sunset, Foothiller, Bulldog, Marauder, Sultan, Cowboy and Titan.

Cole Bristow scored seven goals, Kyle Seaman scored five goals and Sean Young scored three goals to lead the Sultans to a 22-6 victory against the Marauders on opening night in boys varsity play.

In other games on June 21, the Suns (Helix/Point Loma) defeated Poseidon, 15-7, while Poseidon edged the Longhorns, 13-12. In Poseidon's win against the Longhorns, Brian Winstead and Scott Mackey each had four goals. In other games, Eagle and Sunset tied 12-12 while Foothillers (Grossmont) shut out the Bulldogs (Ramona) 14-0.