Sea Kings swarm Sailors

Bryce Alderton

Back Bay rivals Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar haven’t

scheduled nonleague boys water polo games against one another for the

last few years, meaning the only way they could meet would be in

tournaments.

By virtue of their performances Friday -- CdM and Newport each

went 1-1 in their first two games of the 11th annual S & R Sport

Water Polo Cup -- the CIF Southern Section Division I combatants met

once again Saturday in a fifth-place semifinal.

The Sea Kings jumped to a 4-1 lead after one quarter and relied on

a swarming defense to halt the Sailors for a 9-5 victory at the

William Wollett Jr. Aquatics Complex.

Tom Money scored four goals while Jacob Murphy scored three for

CdM (7-6). Bryan Buhagiar added two while junior goalkeeper Gaston

Sanford, who arrived just minutes before the game started after

taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test in the morning, made 13 saves for

CdM, which battled for fifth place Saturday night and lost to Los

Alamitos, 8-4. Newport (6-6) competed for seventh.

“We communicated well,” Money said. “We all wanted to win this

game because it is the Battle of the Bay.”

Nate Castillo led Newport with two goals, both coming in the

second half, as the Sailors tried to mount a comeback.

The Sea Kings, though, made it difficult for Newport to pass in

set, thus forcing several outside shots.

“That’s the best our defense has played all year,” CdM Coach Sam

Bailey said. “It was great team defense. They were more aware of what

was happening around them instead of focusing on just one guy.”

Kyle Hersh, who tallied three assists, started the third quarter

with a steal, which led to the second of Money’s two goals to give

CdM a 6-3 lead with 4 minutes, 52 seconds in the third quarter. Hersh

and Money connected again 54 seconds later on a 6-on-5 advantage to

up the Sea King lead to 7-3.

Newport’s Castillo scored off a Kenny Moad assist, cutting CdM’s

lead to 7-4 with 2:22 to go in the third quarter.

But the Sea Kings converted for the third time on four

man-advantage scenarios to go up, 8-4, when Buhagiar found the back

of the cage off an assist from Thomas Pearson with 47 seconds left in

the third period.

Newport inched within 8-5 less than a minute into the fourth

quarter after Castillo’s goal on the man-advantage -- Daniel Furman

assisted -- but CdM’s stingy defense prevailed.

Pearson tallied two steals in the second half while Hersh and

Murphy each added one. Pearson, Scott Sanford, Mike Berry and Money

all had field blocks.

The Sailors entered halftime trailing, 5-3, following goals by

Telford Cottam, Clay Jorth (four-meter penalty shot) and Jovan

Vranes. Jorth and Carson Hill each added a steal.

Senior goalkeeper Michael Robinson made five saves for the

Sailors, plagued by another slow start. Newport allowed seven

first-half goals in an 8-6 loss to Bellarmine of San Jose on Friday,

two days after surrendering six to Sea View League rival Foothill in

a 9-8 loss.

“We played as individuals, there was no leadership,” said

frustrated Newport Coach Jason Lynch.

*--*

S & R Sport Water Polo Cup

Fifth-place semifinal Corona del Mar 9, Newport

Harbor 5

Score by Quarters

CdM 4 1 3 1 -- 9

Newport 1 2 1 1 -- 5

CdM -- Buhagiar 2, Money 4, Murphy 3. Saves --

Sanford 13. Newport -- Castillo 2, Cottam 1, Jorth

1, Vranes 1. Saves -- Robinson 5.

*--*