Boys water polo: CdM, Uni in CIF Division II showdown

Richard Dunn

LONG BEACH - Corona del Mar High boys water polo coach John Vargas

has been through the fire before, and, thus, his armor is better for it.

And, when his top-seeded Sea Kings (21-5) play University today for

the CIF Southern Section Division II championship at Belmont Plaza

Olympic Pool at 3:15 p.m., they will have gone through their growing

pains (read: three setbacks in one tough weekend) and realized how much

they despise losing.

“We just said, ‘OK, we hate losing,’ but we learned a lot from it, and

it showed (Saturday),” Vargas said, following his team’s semifinal

victory over Laguna Beach, 11-4, at the Los Alamitos USA Aquatic Center.

In order to capture their second straight Division II title, the Sea

Kings will need to shut down University’s Ted Peck, a 6-foot-5 senior who

is considered one of the best players in Division II.

“Ted Peck is a real fine player and (the Trojans) have a real solid

team,” Vargas said. “To beat Servite in the semifinals is really

something.”

While the Sea Kings have been on a mission since losing three in a row

against Coronado, Villa Park and Long Beach Wilson, University (18-7),

the third seed, has won by the edge of its seat in the playoffs, winning

back-to-back 9-8 decisions in the quarterfinals against La Habra and

semifinals against second-seeded Servite.

Coach Jon Pendleton’s Trojans lost to Corona del Mar, 12-5, on Oct. 25 at CdM in a showdown for the Pacific Coast League championship.

Corona del Mar, which also defeated PCL rival Laguna Beach twice this

season, beat Servite last year in the CIF Division II title game, 8-6.

The Sea Kings, who lost two games early this autumn when Vargas was

still in Australia coaching the U.S. men’s Olympic water polo team at the

2000 Sydney Games, are led by seniors Garrett Bowlus, Chriss Street and

Chase Emery, and juniors Sherwin Kim (first-half goalie), Michael March,

Bobby Messenger and Marcello Pantuliano.

Sophomores Artie Dorr (hole set) and Beau Stockstill (second-half

goalie) represent a strong future for the CdM program, which won nine

large-school division CIF titles from 1965 to ‘89, including three

straight under Vargas (1987-’89) with players like James Wagner, Chris

Oeding and Brandon Howland.

Bowlus has been playing as if he’s trying to join the aforementioned

trio of elite former CdM players and CIF Players of the Year. In the Sea

Kings’ 13-9 quarterfinal win over Edison, Bowlus scored a career-high

eight goals with some remarkable plays at set, then bullied Laguna Beach

with three goals and stifling two-meter defense, long a Vargas trademark.

“On top offensively, (Bowlus) can do what he wants, drive in the zone

or drive in two meters,” Vargas said after the quarterfinal win.

In the semifinals, the Sea Kings outscored the Artists in the first

half, 7-2, then focused on defense in the third quarter, before putting

Laguna Beach away with four goals in the fourth quarter.

Bowlus led the Sea Kings with two steals and a deflected shot attempt.