CdM, Servite, meets for “first” time

Joseph Boo

BELMONT SHORE - Never mind this year’s nonleague game on September

14 against Servite High. For Corona del Mar’s boys water polo team,

today’s CIF Southern Section Division II finals might as well be the

first meeting between the two this year.

In the season opener, the Friars destroyed a depleted CdM team, 14-5. In

that game, CdM was missing key players Garrett Gentry, David Fabian and

D.J. Jackson. And, Morgan Johnston was under the weather.

“I don’t think we can draw anything from that situation,” Servite Coach

Jim Sprague said.

So consider 3:30’s championship game at the Belmont Plaza to be the first

true meeting between the two. Top-seed Servite (23-5) will have to get

past a much tougher CdM team (17-9) to win its second straight Division

II championship.

For one thing, Gentry’s presence completely changes the landscape of the

game. CdM’s all-everything two-meter man, who can get in scoring position

with speed as well as strength, will give CdM the interior presence it

sorely lacked in the first game.

Gentry isn’t the only key returnee. David Fabian, second in the offensive

rotation, has played well in the playoffs.

For the Sea Kings to reverse the outcome, they have to contain last

year’s Division II co-player of the year Michael Kim, who burned CdM for

five goals from the two-meter spot.

But CdM’s defense has been suffocating at just the right time, giving up

a mere three goals against Los Alamitos in the semifinals. Besides a

pressing defense, Sea Kings’ goalie Brad Netherton has been a rock in

front of the goal, recording 11 saves against the Griffins.

“I’m very happy with our defense,” CdM Coach John Vargas said after a

quarterfinal win against El Dorado.

“I really don’t know how we’re going to get the ball into our two-meter

spot,” Sprague said. “They do a real good job collapsing on defense. We

have to work on our outside shooting.”

“(The Sea Kings) held Los Alamitos scoreless for over a half,” continued

Sprague. “We went to two overtimes with them. They totally controlled the

game. Los Al didn’t even come close to a goal.”

While CdM’s defense has been playing splendidly, the offense has been

inconsistent. Except for a 13-6 win over Edison in the first round, the

Sea Kings scored just enough to beat El Dorado in overtime and Los Al by

one.

While not as impressive statistically as CdM, Servite has also been

getting strong defense from Kim, and goalie Mark de Grasse has been

peaking at just the right time.

So 14 goals from one team probably won’t happen. The final could very

well be very low-scoring, and close.

“This makes for a really intriguing chess match,” Sprague said.