New coaches take over teams

For more than a decade, the Burbank and Burroughs boys’ water polo

programs have had the advantage of thriving under some influential

coaches.

Mentors like Rey Rivera, Andre Setaghian, John Kunishima and David

Cohen have helped the locals find success and thrive.

This season, two individuals will get the chance to make their

mark as both the Bulldogs and Indians will be led by new coaches.

“[Burbank] has a new coach, Burroughs has a new coach and another

team in our league, Montebello, has a new coach,” said Adam Wright,

who oversees the Burbank aquatics programs and will coach the Bulldog

junior varsity team. “So, it should be very interesting in league

this season.

“But I think we are effected the least by the change, because our

coach has been an assistant with us and he has been associated with

the program.”

Last season, Burbank was coached by Setaghian, who left the

program to attend medical school.

John Abdou -- who was the girls’ coach for four years and a boys’

assistant -- was supposed to take over the boys’ program, but he left

school for an assistant college position at Bucknell.

With Abdou gone, Dro Hovanessian steps up from the JV ranks to

take over the reigns.

Hovanessian is a 2002 Burroughs graduate who had 115 goals, 28

assists and 43 steals his senior season, earning him All-Almont

first-team and All-Area first-team accolades. He left the Indian

program ranked third on the all-time career scoring list with 177,

behind Jason Falitz and Alfonso Tucay.

Although he is a former Indian, Hovanessian said he has no problem

pledging allegiance to his new school.

“Once I accepted the job at Burbank, I instantly became a

Bulldog,” he said. “This is where I’m at right now, and I’m excited

to have a head coaching job at Burbank High.”

Burroughs will turn to Oscar Delgado, who piloted the Indian

girls’ team last season.

“I told the guys when I took over that I will be having them learn

a different style of play,” Delgado. “We will drive a lot and we will

play a very quick type of game.

“And since I took over, the kids have really responded. They have

worked hard and they look forward to a successful season.”

Here is a look at how both teams are shaping up.

BURROUGHS

The Indians will be trying to climb back into the CIF Southern

Section Division III postseason. Last season, they made it to the

playoffs after finishing in a three-way for second place in league.

“The team won one game in league last season, and we want to take

it a little farther this season,” Delgado said. “I think this team

can win two games in the playoffs. That’s our goal.”

Under Cohen, Burroughs went 17-9. The Indians tied Bell Gardens

and Burbank for second place in league, but the Lancers won a coin

flip and went into the playoffs as the league’s No. 2 team.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they were left out of the

postseason.

Montebello captured the league championship.

The Indians opened the playoffs in overwhelming fashion, earning a

16-3 wild-card win against Muir at Pasadena City College. Garcia

scored three goals.

Burroughs faced No. 1-ranked La Canada in the first round, and the

result was a 25-6 loss at PCC.

The Indians return the most potent scorer in the area from last

season, senior two-meter player Danny Garcia.

Garcia put together an impressive season as a junior, as he proved

to be a team’s leader on offense as well as defense. Along with

scoring 92 goals, he also had 96 steals -- tops on the team in both

categories.

For his effort, he was a first-team all-league and third-team

All-CIF selection.

“Danny should be even better,” said Delgado, whose team has five

returning players.

Joining Garcia will be senior returning two-meter player Jake

Sizemore and junior goalkeeper Jarrod Przebieda, as well as junior

driver Michael Payton and Robbie Gidens.

“If we can compete with Montebello, that will tell what kind of a

team that we have,” Delgado said.

“We want to finish among the top two teams in league, so hopefully

we can get a good home playoff game.”

BURBANK

Hovanessian enters his first season as the Bulldogs’ coach with

enthusiasm and a great deal of desire. He also has a broad water polo

knowledge.

“I am lucky to learn the sport from some very good coaches,” said

Hovanessian, who played in college. “I was able to learn a lot, and

hopefully that will help me as a coach.”

After graduating from Burroughs, he played as a freshman at the

University of La Verne. However, his season was cut short when he was

involved in a car accident that involved a fatality.

He left La Verne and played briefly at L.A. Valley College.

With his knowledge, Hovanessian said he has set definite goals for

his Bulldogs.

“Our biggest goal this season is to play as a team,” he said. “We

have to learn to play together. When you play together, you win

together.

“On this team this year, we really don’t have one player who is

going to score most of our goals. We are going to have to rely on a

lot of guys to score for us.”

Burbank does have a fine group of returning players who helped the

team to a 15-8 record in 2004.

Leading the way is a couple of seniors, driver Soo Ho Park and

two-meter player Julian Miranda. Miranda is the Bulldogs’ fastest

swimmer, as he won the Foothill League 50-meter championship last

season.

Also returning are David Nelson, Greg Fields, Chas Harding, Aragas

Megrabi and goalkeeper Hunter Pitkin.

The Bulldogs, along with Burroughs, will be playing in the Almont

League for the last time. Beginning with the 2006-07 season, the

teams will move to the Pacific League.

In league, Hovanessian said he expects Montebello to have a

competitive team. However, he is quick to point out that league is a

long way off and the Bulldogs have a lot of matches before then.

“I really don’t want to think about league right now,” said

Hovanessian, whose team opens league against the defending champion

-- and CIF Division III champion -- Oilers at home Oct 11. “We just

want to concentrate on the games that are in front of us and not get

caught up thinking too much in the future.”