The Bonita Vista High School boys water polo team defeated High Tech High San Diego, 13-3, last Friday at the new Southwestern College aquatics complex to open what could be a promising 2018 season.
Seniors Emiliano Castro and Kyle Rex led the Barons with four goals each. Bonita Vista held a tenuous 2-1 advantage through the first quarter before outscoring the Storm 8-1 in the second and third quarters to take full command of the game with an eight-goal lead.
Seven players scored goals in the game for the Barons in their season debut, including five players each with one goal. Senior goalie Josh Roman beat the halftime buzzer with a pool-length shot to add his name in the scoring column.
Head coach Betty Alexander sees good things ahead this year for the group, which will be out to reverse a 9-20 finish last season, including a 4-6 mark in Mesa League play.
“We’ve got most of our team back — we only graduated two players,” Alexander said. “The ones who are returning have improved since last year.”
Alexander said the team definitely benefits from more maturity this season. “Going from juniors to seniors, you get these man muscles,” the BVHS coach noted. “We have had a young team the last few years; this year we’re mostly juniors and seniors.”
Bonita Vista faced off preseason play by defeating Rancho Buena Vista, 17-4, in the Draz Classic Aug. 10 at Granite Hills High School.
Senior Jon Ibarguren scored the opening goal in last Friday’s official season debut. High Tech’s Antonio Bradford quickly tied the score, 1-1, but junior Arie Jajati came back to give the Barons a 2-1 lead.
Roman made three consecutive point-blank saves to enable Bonita Vista to maintain its one-goal lead before the team’s offense began to get into rhythm. The Barons did all the scoring in the second quarter with five goals to enter the halftime break with a six-goal advantage on the scoreboard at 7-1.
Bonita Vista continued to remain on the offensive to start the second half while pushing its lead to 10-2 at the end of three quarters.
The Barons will stake their postseason fortunes in this year’s San Diego Section Dvision III playoffs after moving down a division level. It is familiar territory for Bonita Vista, which posted a runner-up finish in the 2015 Division III championship game to Point Loma.
“I think we have the potential to do well in the Division III playoffs this year, and also in league,” Alexander assessed. “A lot of teams in our league lost players to graduation, so everybody is kind of in the same boat.”
Bonita Vista rematches with RBV in a non-league game Thursday, Aug. 30, at the Southwestern College pool (5:45 p.m. start). The Barons will take on Otay Ranch the following day, on Friday, Aug. 31, in another non-league contest. Game time is 5:30 p.m. at SWC.
Otay Ranch defeated RBV in a non-league matchup on Monday after starting the season with an 18-14 win at Monte Vista on Aug. 22 and a 16-11 loss at Pacific Ridge last Friday.
The Mustangs finished 3-16 last season, including 0-10 in Mesa League play, but move to the South Bay League this season.
CIF champion Cougars hope to make a splash in boys water polo season
Steele Canyon defeated Santa Fe Christian, 14-7, to win last year’s San Diego Section Division III boys water polo championship. It was the perfect ending to the season for the Cougars, who were making their first championship game appearance in school history.
The 2018 season looks to be more challenging as Steele Canyon moves up to the Division II competition level. But head coach Dan Way said it is business as usual for his team.
“Our goal is to be Division II champions,” Way said. “We’ve returned everyone from the starting lineup.”
The Cougars certainly looked like a championship team in every facet of the game in dismantling the Eastlake Titans by a 14-6 score in a non-league played Aug. 22 at Southwestern College’s new aquatic complex to face off the 2018 campaign.
Steele Canyon reeled off the opening five goals in the game and led 10-2 at halftime.
Junior Trevor Moore scored the first four goals in the game, scoring every way possible in a water polo game, to fuel the Cougars’ varied offensive attack.
Junior Hayden Newmann and sophomore Henry Williams each finished the game with three goals while junior Sam Greenbergs and senior Spencer Van Every each scored two goals.
Following the win over Eastlake, Steele Canyon competed in the Rancho Bernardo Invitational tournament Aug. 23-25, finishing 4-1 with wins over Mt. Carmel (16-2), Del Norte (15-2), Mar Vista (15-9) and Torrey Pines (8-7) and a loss to fourth-ranked Bishop’s (11-6).
Moore and Williams are both seasoned water polo players, each earning a bronze medal with the San Diego Shores U16-A club team over the summer at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympic national championships in San Jose.
As a matter of reference, 120 teams competed in the 16U division at the July tournament.
The Cougars face off Grossmont Hills League play Sept. 18 at Valhalla, which entered the season ranked seventh among section teams. Grossmont, which won last year’s Division I championship, is also a league championship contender.
“It should be very competitive — all the games should be one-goal games,” Way said.
Grossmont opened the new season with an 11-4 non-league win against Mar Vista last Friday.
Eastlake, meanwhile, is coming to terms with the loss of 12 players to graduation, including four starters and the team’s first player off the bench, according to coach Stuart Sokil.
He called the season opening loss to Steele Canyon “sloppy.”
“There are flashes where the team plays well, then there are flashes were we obviously have more work to do,” Sokil explained. “Awareness is something you can’t teach. They have to buy into it.
“As far as goals, it’s the same every year — win league and make a run in CIF, just be the best team we can be.”
Eli Stewart led the Titans with three goals in the loss to the Cougars while Diego Scheitt, Jake Rose and Giancarlo Valverde each were credited with one goal.
Eastlake faced off the Rancho Bernardo Invitational tournament Aug. 23-25 with an 11-7 loss to Granite Hills before topping Point Loma (9-5) and Mater Dei Catholic (9-5) as tournament play continued.
Mater Dei Catholic finished 10-0 in league play as last year’s Mesa League champion before ending its season with a 13-10 loss to Rancho Bernardo in the Division II semifinals. The Crusaders finished 22-5 overall in 2017.
Eastlake capped last season with a 7-3 league finish and 14-16 overall mark, inclusive of a 10-7 loss to Rancho Bernardo in the preceding Division II quarterfinals.
Wet shots
Steele Canyon concluded last season’s schedule with a loss to eventual champion Orange Lutheran in the Southern California Division II regional championship tournament. The Cougars capped 2017 with a final 19-8 record.
Grossmont defeated Canyon Crest Academy, 8-7, to win last year’s Division I section title. The Foothillers ended the season with an overall 22-12 record following a loss to Huntington Beach in the SoCal regional playoffs.
Clairemont defeated Rancho Bernardo, 10-5, to win last year’s Division II championship.
Early season rankings for 2018 have Coronado, Cathedral Catholic, La Jolla and Bishop’s on top.
Mesa League previews:
Hilltop Lancers looking to be competitive in rebuilding mode
Hilltop is rebuilding this season after graduating several standouts to the collegiate level: Mark Estrada to Southwestern College, Angelo Rayoan to Mesa College and Daniel Ryan to UC San Diego.
“Hilltop is working to make CIF playoffs and be competitive in a tough schedule this season,” Lancer head coach Ernie Medina said.
Hilltop, which finished 15-13 last season, edged Escondido, 7-6, in a non-league win on Tuesday at the Parkway pool. The Lancers next play Chula Vista in a rivalry game on Sept. 4, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the same site.
Returning varsity players for Hilltop include senior Skylar Garces, a four-year varsity performer, team captain and second team all-league selection last season, and senior Lorenzo Rodriguez, a second-year varsity performer, team captain and all-league honorable mention last year.
Both have CIF playoff experience and both play year-round club water polo on the California State Games gold medal-wining South Coast Water Polo Club.
Juniors Isaiah Macias, Oscar Casillas, Dominick Carlucci, Alberto Ventura, Alec Lizarraga and Alex Meza are expected to make an impact on varsity.
Freshman Raul Rico is a newcomer with good club water polo experience.
The Lancers finished 4-6 in Mesa League play last season.
Mariners have talent to challenge for league, CIF top spot
Mar Vista finished 15-13 last season, 5-5 in Mesa League play. The Mariners return proven talent this season, as well as a class of talented newcomers, that should make the team a contender for the league title.
The list of top returners is headed by seniors Zack Hastings, Bryce Heber and Jeremy Longworth along with junior goalie Levi Lord.
Hastings, Heber and Longworth all served as team captains in 2017. Hastings earned first team all-league recognition while Heber and Longworth were both second team all-league picks.
Hastings racked up 120 goals and 150 goals last season while Longworth followed with 43 goals and 112 points. Heber tallied 61 goals and 97 points.
Impact newcomers include freshmen Fletcher Field, Carlos Ibarra and Ethan Hastings. All have earned starting positions as ninth graders.
Veteran coach Chad Kavanagh is looking for good things for his team in 2018.
“The team is looking to be league champions and to become the Division II champions in CIF,” the Mar Vista coach said. “They have big goals and believe that their talent, hard work and teamwork can give them success in their goals.”
The Mariners opened the season with key wins over Rancho Bernardo (14-10) and Classical Academy (8-6) in a pair of games played on Aug. 23 and edged San Pasqual, 9-8, in its latest game on Tuesday.
Zack Hastings led Mar Vista in the water with four goals and two assists while Longworth scored three goals. Heber contributed a goal and assist while Ibarra scored once.
The Mariners host San Dieguito Academy on Thursday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m.
South Bay League champion Cougars move up to take on Mesa League foes in 2018
San Ysidro moves to Mesa League play this season after winning last year’s South Bay League championship and advancing as far as the Division III quarterfinals.
Top retruners for coach Tom Grall include seniors Enrique Balvaneda, Dylan Godoy, Angel Zepeda, John Huh, Edwin Inzunza and Eduardo Zepeda along with sophojore goalie Pablo Wells.
All players were starters on last year’s South Bay League championship team that went 8-0 in league play, 20-10 overall and advanced two rounds into the CIF playoffs.
Balvaneda earned first team all-league honors in 2017 while Angel Zepeda and Inzunza (a CIF-caliber swimmer) received second team all-league selection.
This year San Ysidro moves up to the Division II competition tier for playoff qualification.
Grall said freshman Ian Osuna looks to be a promising newcomer to the varsity team.
The Cougars will play Escondido in a non-league game Sept. 5, starting at 7 p.m. at Loma Verde pool.
