Water polo: Newport, CdM in spellbinding CIF semifinal doubleheader

Richard Dunn

LOS ALAMITOS - In one of water polo’s great smashup,

playing-for-all-the-marbles Newport-Mesa doubleheaders, Newport Harbor

and Corona del Mar high schools today, respectively, will seek berths in

the CIF Southern Section Division I and II championship games in

semifinal action at the Los Alamitos USA Aquatic Center.

Starting at 10:30 a.m., CdM Coach John Vargas’ Sea Kings will play

Pacific Coast League rival Laguna Beach, which lost to CdM earlier, 9-5,

in the CIF Division II semifinals.

Then at noon, Newport Harbor’s talented swimming force, led by seniors

Peter Belden and Ryan Cook, will battle El Toro (19-11) in the Division I

semifinals.

For top-seeded Newport Harbor (27-5), it’s another semifinal against

the South Coast League champion Chargers, a longtime Sailor nemesis.

The Tars defeated El Toro in a nonleague match Oct. 31, 14-6,

displaying their second-half counterattack strength as they’ve done

against virtually every opponent they’ve faced in 2000.

Belden and Cook are returning All-CIF selections, while goalie Brandon

McLain and drivers Joey Snelgrove, Brian Pentz, Steven Jendrusina and

Caine Littrell form a solid nucleus that will no doubt be looking for

payback from back-to-back semifinal shockers.

El Toro upset Harbor last year in the Division I semifinals in a

sudden-death overtime thriller, and knocked off the Sailors two years

ago, also in the semifinals, to deny Newport its first CIF finals

appearance since 1987.

The CIF finals are Wednesday at Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool.

CdM (20-5), top-seeded in Division II, also appears to have a target

set for Thanksgiving eve.

The PCL-champion Sea Kings not only defeated Laguna Beach this year,

they beat El Toro Oct. 3 in a nonleague game, 11-4, a day before playing

the Artists (21-9).

Servite (24-6) and University (17-7) square off in the other Division

II semifinal.

Following the Harbor-El Toro semifinal, second-seeded Wilson will play

Foothill (18-11) at the USA Aquatic Center.

Led by Garrett Bowlus, Michael March and Artie Dorr, as well as

goalies Sherwin Kim and Beau Stockstill, the Sea Kings play strong

defense and use speed on the counterattack to beat opponents.

Marcello Pantuliano, Chriss Street, Brandon Powers, Chase Emery and

Bobby Messenger have provided the Sea Kings with depth and tough defense.