HIGH SCHOOLS : Water Polo Teams Kept Afloat

Down to 40 schools participating last fall, water polo stood to lose nearly 25% of those when the San Diego Unified School District eliminated the sport and three others in an attempt to trim $200,000 from its secondary schools’ athletic budget late last spring.

Buoyed by 100% fund-raising, however, six of the nine city schools that offered water polo last year are competing again this season.

They are: Clairemont, Patrick Henry, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Serra and University City.

The least surprising of the still-afloat programs is Mira Mesa, whose aquatics athletes were easily the most recognizable and most vocal at the school district’s budget-slashing meeting in June.

Crawford, Kearny and Point Loma are not competing this year. Crawford, incidentally, is the only city school to have played in a water polo final. The Colts won back-to-back titles in 1970 and ’71 and were runners-up in ‘72, ‘76, ‘79, ’83 and ’84.

What does all this mean?

Predominantly, it’s encouraging news for boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ swimming and golf, the other sports no longer funded by San Diego Unified. City schools traditionally fare much better in these sports than water polo.

STILL WATER

Here’s an example of a water polo tournament director using his head. Poway’s Greg Ormsby has run the North County Invitational the past three years, and all matches were held at North County sites, including Poway. This year, when two of the regularly used pools became unavailable, Ormsby contracted with Granite Hills and Grossmont and renamed the tournament the San Diego Invitational.

The switch and increased travel apparently had little effect on Ormsby’s squad as the Titans beat Granite Hills, 9-6, in the championship at Granite Hills.

DAVID’S CRUSADE

Marian, which did not win a football game last year and scored only 21 points, is 2-0 and has scored 51 points this season under first-year Coach Mike David, a former assistant at USDHS.

What’s more, the Crusaders’ offense is ninth in the county in scoring and their defense is tied for sixth, having allowed only 12 points.

Albeit Marian’s schedule is not tough--upcoming games include El Cajon, Mtn. Empire, Army-Navy and Christian--but it is roughly the same as last year, and Marian could conceivably be 6-0 when it faces two-time defending City Harbor League champion St. Augustine on Oct. 24.

Running back Ian Sutlick has rushed for 179 yards and scored four touchdowns, and Junior King has 96 yards and one touchdown since returning from a preseason injury.

SIDE OUT

The realignment of the North County Conference’s two leagues this summer eliminated what is normally a terrific duel between Poway and Torrey Pines for the Palomar League girls’ volleyball championship.

Poway, the four-time defending Division I champion, should be an overwhelming favorite to win the Palomar League now that Torrey Pines, the two-time defending Division II champion, has moved to the Avocado League.

Poway was ranked ninth in the state in a preseason coaches’ poll and Torrey Pines 14th.

Poway juniors Kara Milling and Keri Byrne and Torrey Pines junior Carey May were listed among the top 30 players in the state. Milling made the list for the second consecutive year.

Both the Titans and Falcons will be seriously tested for the first time this weekend. Poway and Torrey Pines both play in the prestigious Power Classic at Redondo Beach and Mira Costa high schools.

SERRA TOURNAMENT

The 14th annual Serra Tournament, perhaps the best local girls’ volleyball tournament of the year, begins Saturday at Serra, Point Loma, La Jolla and Escondido high schools. The top 16 teams will advance to the finals, Oct. 3 at Serra.

Among the 40 teams entered are regional powers Monte Vista, the defending champion, Escondido, Grossmont, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, San Dieguito, Rancho Buena Vista, Bonita Vista, University City, San Pasqual and Christian.

Jennifer Miner, a senior from Mira Mesa, was the tournament MVP last year.

Other prominent players include: Jill Bowman (Bonita Vista), Shannon Catalano (Orange Glen), Annie Daniels (Bonita Vista), Leslie Darnell (Monte Vista), Amy Ferguson (San Dieguito), Casey Gregg (Monte Vista), Amanda Lehr (Clairemont), Leeana Miller (Christian), Kathryn Orgovan (Bonita Vista), Tory Rodger (Francis Parker) and Kathleen Snow (Coronado).

AROUND THE DIAL

KOCT-TV, Channel 37 in Oceanside, will televise five high school football games later this season on a tape-delay basis. (All five Friday night games will be shown the next day at noon and Sunday at 4 p.m.)

The opener is a natural--Oceanside at El Camino (Oct. 24).

1 or 2 Points?

Extra-point kicks

Week 1: 55-74 (.743)

Week 2: 92-117 (.786)

Two-point conversions

Week 1: 9-16 (.563)

Week 2: 9-19 (.474)