Bonded and determined

Bryce Alderton

With the finality that he would indeed be the Corona del Mar High

boys water polo coach, Sam Bailey could fully concentrate on ways to

prepare his team for the fall season.

A trip to Catalina Island was first on the list.

Bailey, a staunch believer in team bonding, and his players

retreated to the island for a few days of running and hiking as a

prelude to preseason practices that began Aug. 25.

The Sea Kings hoped the preseason preparation would help them

improve upon an 8-19 season a year ago that included a Pacific Coast

League title and a loss in the CIF Southern Section Division I

quarterfinals.

Bailey, 27, named the Sea Kings’ head coach Aug. 18 after serving as interim coach during the summer, said players came into preseason

workouts motivated, which amplified his optimism of the upcoming

year.

“The kids are working hard and seem excited,” Bailey said. “There

is definitely a lot of talent in the pool.”

The Sea Kings feature nine returners, including senior goalkeeper

Gaston Sanford, who earned first-team All-Pacific Coast League

laurels when he averaged 8.25 saves per game last season.

Senior Thomas Pearson, who led the Sea Kings with 52 goals last

season in earning first-team all-league honors, will be the team’s

primary two-meter man, according to Bailey.

“[Pearson] is a big and versatile player,” Bailey said. “He has a

real quick release and has worked a lot on his shot.”

CdM’s offense features several weapons that include senior Spencer

Pirdy, and junior Tom Money, who scored 36 and 35 goals,

respectively, a year ago. Pirdy, along with senior Bryan Buhagiar,

provide strong defense, too, Bailey said.

“Brian [who finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke in last

spring’s PCL swim finals] is the fastest person in the pool,” Bailey

said.

CdM will also be bolstered by returners who include seniors Walker

Russell, Chad March and James Blackford, as well as juniors Jacob

Murphy, Kyle Hersh, Tyler Kent, Scott Sanford and Blake Schoenberg.

Both Murphy and Hersh add aggressiveness, which pleases Bailey.

Scott Sanford spent time this summer competing for the Canadian

national youth team.

Sophomores Mike Berry, a lefty, and Trevor Gladych are two utility

players Bailey said could also make an impact this season.

Bailey, who played two-meter defense at San Clemente High and then

for national championship teams at UCLA, said focus will be divided

equally among offense and defense this season.

“All good offense starts with a good defense,” Bailey said. “And,

sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. Water polo is the kind

of game where you need to be well-rounded. Certain teams can take

advantage of one strength or the other.”

CdM’s schedule harbors plenty of perennial water polo powers that

should provide stern tests, including home dates against Foothill and

defending Division I champion Long Beach Wilson on Sept. 17 and 21,

respectively. In addition, there’s an away game at Division I

runner-up Harvard-Westlake Sept. 28.

“We have tough competition and league will be challenging as

well,” said Bailey, who took over as coach after Mike Evans was fired

after one season. “I think that Tesoro has improved a lot over the

years and Laguna Beach is going to be a really good game [Nov. 6 at

Laguna].”

Bailey has stressed teamwork in practice and said players came in

eager to return the luster to a program that has 12 CIF Southern

Section titles to its credit, the last coming in 2001 under

then-coach John Vargas, who now coaches the Stanford men’s team.

“I’m proud of these guys and the way things are going,” Bailey

said.