Sea Kings earn a shot at title

Richard Dunn

If defense wins championships, then Corona del Mar High’s boys

water polo team has a chance to upset undefeated and top-seeded Long

Beach Wilson in the CIF Southern Section Division I title game

Saturday night at Belmont Plaza.

“This is what we wanted (a shot at the title), and we’re

confident,” said CdM senior standout John Mann, whose play at

two-meter guard helped preserve the Sea Kings’ 3-2 semifinal victory

Wednesday over visiting Harvard-Westlake at Newport Harbor High.

In the game’s final possession, Marty Matthies of the Wolverines

(22-5) attempted a wild shot at set, forced by Mann, and CdM goalie

Beau Stockstill left the cage to recover the loose ball as the horn

went off and the Sea Kings celebrated.

“It’s one of the those plays where you don’t really think, you

just react, but your heart’s pounding,” said Stockstill, who recorded

16 saves and four steals as the second-seeded Sea Kings (22-7) won a

defensive thriller.

“That’s exactly the kind of game I wanted. I love defense,” Corona

del Mar Coach Tim Salvino said. “That’s one of the best defensive

games I’ve ever seen. That’s exactly what we were hoping for.”

In the second game of the semifinal doubleheader at Newport

Harbor, Wilson and El Toro scored more goals in one quarter than in

the previous game as the 29-0 Bruins defeated the Chargers, 13-11.

“We’ve played them three times (and lost all three against the

Bruins), but we’ll be ready for them Saturday night (at 8:15 p.m.),”

Salvino said after Wilson’s victory. “It’s the No. 1 seed against the

No. 2 seed. It’s what everybody thought.”

In the Sea Kings’ win over Harvard-Westlake -- winning the rubber

match of the season’s three-game series -- they advanced on defense.

CdM, winners of the last three CIF Division II titles, stopped a

Wolverine man-advantage opportunity when Mann was ejected with 2:51

left in the fourth quarter. A Harvard-Westlake shot hit the crossbar

and a second attempt in the series was blocked by Stockstill.

With less than 40 seconds remaining, Stockstill knocked away an

attempt by Harvard-Westlake’s Juan Delgadillo, who rebounded the ball

and quickly tried again, this time on a short lob, which Stockstill

tipped over the cage for his final save with 0:33 to play.

After a CdM turnover, the Wolverines had one more chance, but

CdM’s best two-meter defender bested Harvard-Westlake’s best at two

meters.

“(Matthies) got a decent shot off, but I’m glad I was able to turn

his hips around,” said Mann, who forced him to shoot wildly, about

five meters from the cage.

“That was our goal,” Mann added, “to keep it as low a score as

possible.”

Mann, an All-CIF Division II selection last year along with

teammate Artie Dorr, scored both goals in the first half for the Sea

Kings, who held a 2-1 intermission lead. Mann scored from the hole

with 1:13 remaining in the first quarter on an assist from Dorr and

fired one from 10 meters with 3:20 to play in the second quarter to

give the hosts an edge.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Sea Kings pulled in front,

3-1, on John Money’s goal from seven meters on a pass from Ryan Moore

with 4:28 left in the game.

That’s when Harvard-Westlake called timeout, but Stockstill

blocked a Wolverine shot on the visitors’ attempt after the break.

But after a CdM turnover, the Wolverines cashed in on an ejection

as Brooks Cook scored a man-advantage goal with 3:29 left. CdM’s

defense, however, shut down the Wolverines the rest of the way.

“The whole 28 minutes was intense,” Stockstill said.

Money had three second-half steals and two shot deflects, while

Jason DiRocco, Griffin Gentry and David DiRocco had solid defensive

efforts.

CdM will be aiming for its 13th CIF title in the sport.

CIF DIVISION I SEMIFINAL

CdM 3, Harvard-Westlake 2

Score by Quarters

Harvard 1 0 0 1

-- 2

CdM 1 1 0 1

-- 3

Harvard-Westlake -- Warner 1, Cook 1. Saves -- J.

Connolly 4.

CdM -- Mann 2, Money 1. Saves -- Stockstill

16.