Boys water polo: Sea Kings rule CIF Division II again

Richard Dunn

BELMONT SHORE - With a convincing victory in the CIF Southern

Section Division II boys water polo championship game, Corona del Mar

High will sit atop the division for as long as it takes.

“We definitely want to be moved up to Division I. Hopefully, if we win

this (division) a few more times, they’ll have to move us up,” CdM Coach

John Vargas said, following his team’s 15-7 triumph Wednesday over

University at Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool, which included two late goals

by the Trojans with CdM’s starters out the water.

For the top-seeded Sea Kings (22-5), who won their second straight CIF

Division II championship and 11th CIF title in school history, it was a

matter of shutting down University standout Ted Peck, a 6-foot-6,

220-pound senior two-meter player and considered one of the top Division

I college recruits in the nation.

With Corona del Mar junior Michael March guarding Peck one-on-one and

getting plenty of help every time the third-seeded Trojans (18-8) dropped

the ball into him at set, the Sea Kings’ unmatched defense neutralized

University’s offense and made it an easy victory.

“It makes it nice on a coach with a 9-2 halftime lead,” said Vargas,

whose team snapped a 2-2 tie late in the first quarter and scored seven

straight goals before intermission, including three by March.

Sort of like the Hack-a-Shaq defense, whenever Peck touched the ball,

CdM players swarmed him.

“That was tough,” Peck said. “I’m used to three guys on me, but not

three guys over 200 pounds. That’s my equal in size.”

Peck, who entered the game with 95 goals and 22 steals, was held to

only goal, the first of the game.

“Corona del Mar played this game better than I’ve seen all year,”

University Coach Jon Pendleton said. “We started out strong, but then

(the Sea Kings) got some defensive matchups that made it a lot tougher.

They put some of their best set guys on Teddy. Every time he touched the

ball, it was like the whole team crashed on him.”

CdM, which defeated University Oct. 25 in a Pacific Coast League

showdown, 12-5, went ahead for good in the CIF championship game in the

first quarter on a counterattack goal by junior Marcello Pantuliano with

1:39 left.

March scored on a man-up advantage with 1:01 to play, then added

another six-on-five goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Sea Kings

a 5-2 lead after one quarter.

The Sea Kings’ defense suffocated University in the second quarter,

holding the Trojans scoreless for seven minutes while pouring in four

more goals, the final one by March on a man-up advantage with 2:58 left

in the first half for a commanding 9-2 lead.

March, who scored a game-high five goals, figured the Sea Kings had

the title locked up “probably by halftime or a little before that.”

Seniors Chase Emery and Garrett Bowlus, along with 6-foot, 215-pound

sophomore hole set Artie Dorr, also scored in the second quarter for

Corona del Mar.

“We were hoping to stop their counterattack, and stop their first guy

and second guy, but it was (the Sea Kings’) fourth and fifth players that

got us,” Pendleton said. “Their whole team is outstanding. I thought we’d

give them a good game, but they really took off on that counterattack.”

March added two more third-quarter goals off the counterattack, with

assists from Bowlus, while Dorr scored from two meters on a backhand shot

with two Uni defenders hanging on him.

CdM outscored Uni in the fourth quarter, 3-2, and once held a 15-5

lead, after Bobby Messenger’s goal. Bowlus and Chriss Street also scored

in the final period.

Corona del Mar goalies Sherwin Kim and Beau Stockstill each had three

saves.

“This is just a great team,” Vargas said. “I thought Michael March

stepped up and did a great job one-on-one with Teddy Peck. March did it

all, on both ends of the pool. He scored five goals and is one of the

best defenders in CIF.”

Pushed for a CIF Division II Player of the Year candidate, Vargas said

Bowlus and March are worthy of sharing the award.

“We couldn’t do this without either one of them,” said Vargas, who

felt his squad came out a little “jittery” before settling down in the

first quarter.

March said he gets a lot of quality practice guarding set against his

own teammates. He said his five goals were mostly the result of

University’s defense “dropping off” him and leaving him open.

University, the PCL runner-up to CdM, is still seeking the school’s

first CIF water polo title. In the Division II playoffs, the Trojans

defeated Saddleback, La Habra and Servite.

Corona del Mar, which beat Servite last year in the CIF Division II

title game, 8-6, outscored four playoff opponents this fall, 56-23, or

twice as many as Katella, Edison, Laguna Beach and University.

CIF DIVISION II FINALS

Corona del Mar 15, University 7 Score by Quarters

Corona del Mar 5 4 3 3 - 15

University 2 0 3 2 - 7

Corona del Mar - March 5, Bowlus 3, Dorr 2, Emery 2, Street 2,

Pantuliano 1. Saves - Kim 3, Stockstill 3.

University - Nutt 2, Chen 2, Chukiat 1, Fyfe 1, Peck 1. Saves - Chow

4.