Mustangs ready for battle

The way the Orange Coast League is looking this year in boys’ water polo, overtime games could be the rule instead of the exception.

Makes sense to Costa Mesa Coach Justin Taylor, the first-year coach in name only. Taylor, a Mustangs water polo alumnus himself, was a Costa Mesa High assistant coach last season for boys’ water polo in the fall, girls’ water polo in the winter and swimming in the spring.

“It’s a positive for me,” Taylor said. “I went year-round, I got to know the kids and got to know the coaches. And they got to know me. Really, it’s one big cohesive unit now, the aquatics program.”

Taylor takes over as boys’ coach for Robert Grayeli, who left for the Golden West College water polo program. He said the four-team league that also includes Laguna Beach, Estancia and Sage Hill, could be wide open, each team battling for two available CIF Southern Section Division II playoff spots.

Costa Mesa returns four players, all starters from a year ago. Seniors Sam Edman and Skyler Twohig return at driver, while twin brothers Cody and Dustin Serrano are also back. Twohig was first-team All-Orange Coast League last season while scoring 71 goals, and Edman led the team with 48 assists.

Cody and Dustin Serrano had 93 and 78 steals last year, respectively, because the Serranos played primarily two-meter defense. However, the Mustangs lost two-meter offensive player John Roche to graduation. So this summer, Cody and Dustin, who were second-team All-Orange Coast League last year, took their turn at set.

It worked for the Mustangs, helping them to go 21-8 over the summer, including 6-0 in the Orange Grove night league.

“We didn’t really have a replacement set up for [Roche],” Taylor said. “No one had played that position other than him. But the Serranos did well over the summer. We lucked out there. I think Cody will probably be two-meter on offense, and Dustin will play two-meter defense. They’re workhorses, they have one speed and it’s full throttle.”

Goalie Scott Neslage, who last season broke Taylor’s Costa Mesa High career record with 313 saves, was another key loss for the Mustangs. Sophomore Jackson O’Connor will step in at goalie.

Taylor said senior Andrew Millian, a starter from a year ago, is focusing on basketball this year and won’t play water polo this year. But there are three other newcomers to the varsity level, including sophomore driver Marlo Afuang.

“He’s a little left-hander who did really well over the summer,” Taylor said.

Also on the team are senior Gabe Sanchez, who played water polo as a freshman and sophomore before taking a year off, and junior Garrett Frazier, who picked up the sport this summer.

Sanchez was the leadoff hitter for the Mustangs baseball team last spring, while Frazier was the MVP of the volleyball team.

“Both of those kids are great athletes,” Taylor said. “They really help to bolster the offense. We’re pretty well-rounded. We have a brand new offense. It really is helping us get all six kids involved. It’s not so much throwing it in to the two-meter guy and see what happens.”

Costa Mesa has Sage Hill in its sights this season. The Lightning topped Mesa in two different Orange Coast League games last season, 11-10 and 5-4, to deny the Mustangs a playoff berth.

“I know our boys want to play them,” Taylor said. “That was a real heartbreaker for the kids last year, and they remember it.”

At the same time, the league appears wide open.

“We definitely have a tough league,” Taylor said. “Sage Hill brings everybody back. Laguna Beach graduated a lot of kids, but they obviously have a strong program. Estancia [Coach John Carpenter] has been over there for at least 20-plus years. He is capable of producing winning teams.

“If I had to pick a league champion right now, I don’t know if I could. But if the summer is any indication, then we’ll do just fine.”

Costa Mesa is in the TYR Cup tournament at El Dorado High beginning Thursday. It opens at home Sept. 11 against Tesoro.