Boys water polo: Sailors take zap out of Chargers

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - A couple of alterations to the gameplan was all the

Newport Harbor High boys water polo team needed in Tuesday’s nonleague

matchup with El Toro.

With those improved strategies, the Sailors turned a close game into a

convincing 14-6 win over the visiting Chargers.

“With El Toro, you can expect just about anything,” Sailors’ Coach

Brian Kreutzkamp said. “We were able to change up on some things in the

second half and it paid off.”

Senior Ryan Cook led Newport’s attack with four goals and five

assists, while senior Steven Jendrusina added three goals.

Peter Belden and Greg Worthing each chipped in with two goals for the

Sailors (21-5), ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I, while

Caine Littrell, Ryan Bean and Joey Snelgrove each added single goals.

El Toro (14-11), ranked No. 4 in Division I, was paced by Brett

McCleave’s four goals, while Danny Pierson added two.

The Chargers sent only five defenders back on defense, while McCleave

stayed in Newport’s zone. This plan threw Newport slightly off-track in

the first half.

“We’d turn the ball over and Brett would be 1-on-1 with our defender,”

Kreutzkamp said. “And with Brett’s talent, he will win most of those

battles, so we had to make some changes. Give El Toro credit. We hadn’t

seen that all year.”

Clinging to a one-goal lead, Newport forced McCleave to play some

defense in the second half and the plan worked. The Sailors outscored the

Chargers, 9-2, during that time and held McCleave to only one second-half

goal.

“Instead of our goalie throwing the ball down to our end, we had

whoever McCleave was guarding take the ball up, forcing him to play some

defense,” Kreutzkamp said. “Plus, we were able to score from the 2-meter

position at even strength, which was important.”

In the third quarter, Newport ripped off four straight goals, turning

a 5-4 lead into a comfortable 9-4 advantage.

Cook, Jendrusina, Belden and Snelgrove were the Sailors responsible

for the offensive production in that stretch.

After a McCleave goal cut the lead to 9-5, Worthing, Cook and Littrell

each scored, padding the lead to 12-5.

Newport’s defense really clamped down in the second half, forcing the

Chargers to earn every goal they got. Goalie Brandon McLain came through

with 14 saves.

“We put some big arms in the middle and forced El Toro to shoot from

the arc,” Kreutzkamp said. “Brandon did a good job back there of stopping

some pretty hard shots that came his way.”

With the CIF playoffs approaching, Kreutzkamp is pleased with the

performance of his club.

“We’ve raised our level of play the past few weeks,” he said. “If we

stay focused, we have a shot to go a long way.”

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor 14, El Toro 6

El Toro 1 3 1 1 - 6

Newport Harbor 3 2 5 4 - 14

El Toro - McCleave 4, Pierson 2. Saves - Randall 8. Newport Harbor -

Cook 4, Jendrusina 3, Worthing 2, Belden 2, Snelgrove 1, Littrell 1, Bean

1. Saves - McLain 14.