Back Bay water polo bonanza

STEVE VIRGEN

If there was a turning point in Newport Harbor High’s 10-8 victory

over Foothill in the March 2 CIF Southern Section Division I final,

it came with three minutes left in the second quarter.

That’s when the Sailors responded to a 3-2 deficit. And that’s

when they also started to display their team chemistry, something

they have been working on since the summer.

After offensive threats Jenna Murphy (UCLA) and Annie Wight (UC

Berkeley), and goalie Leah Grocki graduated last spring, the Newport

Harbor girls needed to start anew. They also needed to fill roles,

and they say they did it as a team.

In that second quarter against Foothill, once considered Newport’s

nemesis, the Sailors scored two goals before halftime to take a 4-3

lead they would not lose.

With her back to the Foothill cage, senior Carolyn Conway threw a

scoop-type shot over her shoulder and past the Knights’ goalie for

the 3-3 tie. Senior Sarah Mutt assisted. Then, with 39 seconds left

before the half, senior Jessica Ball scored at four meters on an

assist from junior Anne Belden.

The rest of Newport’s script went as planned and they beat

Foothill at its own game: defense.

When the Knights pulled to within 9-8 with 80 seconds remaining,

the Sailors seemingly drew a line in the sand by running out the shot

clock and daring Foothill to score with 45 seconds remaining.

Jillian Kraus took the last shot for the Knights with 21 seconds

left, but goalie Terin Cottam pulled it down with two hands and the

Sailors began to celebrate their first CIF Division I title since

1999. Foothill had won it every year since.

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Newport Coach Bill Barnett, in his 38th year coaching with the

Sailors, has been guiding the girls since they started in the 1997-98

school year.

Barnett’s appeared to be happier this year. He was still fiery and

intense, but there was a balance about him.

Of course, he still yelled at his girls when they made a mistake,

but Barnett seemed to have mellowed a bit this year. He had fun, he

said.

“The girls were a fantastic group to work with,” Barnett said.

“They were always real happy. They were hard-working, happy girls.

They all got along with each other. I had a great time.”

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With Conway going to Indiana University and Ball heading for

Michigan, the Sailors will try to start over and fill new vacant

spots next season. Barnett is confident Newport will have a great

chance to defend its title.

The Sailors will return starters Belden, Ashling Taylor and

Melissa Wheeler. Barnett is also expecting speedy Kally Lucas and

Leah Robertson to deliver key contributions as juniors.

The junior varsity and frosh-soph won Sea View League titles and

both squads defeated Foothill.

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Meanwhile at Corona del Mar, the quest for a fourth straight CIF

Southern Section title is well within reason.

“If you include Brittany Fullen and my top two [substitutes], out

of my top nine players, I have six of them coming back,” Sea Kings

Coach Aaron Chaney said. “I feel really good about that. We have a

good core of junior varsity players and frosh-soph players coming

up.”

Late in CdM’s dominating 13-3 victory over Peninsula in the CIF

Division II final March 1, Chaney inserted a lineup that featured all

freshmen, including Leilani Livingston, Taylor Harkins, Sarah

Hutchison, Katie Indvik, Cari Levine and Holly Van Hiel.

In addition, the Sea Kings will have Fullen, a 6-foot-1 goalie,

and junior-to-be Camille Hewko returning. The two shared Pacific

Coast League MVP honors and they’lll be joined by seniors-to-be

Katlin Kubas and Jordan Anae, also key returners.

Corona del Mar’s junior varsity and frosh-soph teams also won PCL

titles. The Sea Kings frosh-soph team split with Newport and

Foothill, losing just two games all year.