DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:Newport’s Jorth stepping into the spotlight

In his first two years on the Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team, Clinton Jorth had developed a comfort zone.

He was able to fade into the background, working hard in practice and picking up assists in games. Jorth’s play made the older players happy, padding their stats along the way.

His talent was obvious, but Jorth did what the team needed and filled the role of defensive stopper.

Sailors’ Coach Jason Lynch still wonders what could have been had his top defender played in last season’s CIF Southern Section Division I final, which Newport Harbor lost, 14-11, to Long Beach Wilson.

In his first two years, Jorth was the other Jorth on the team, the younger brother of Clay, who dominated in the pool and was named a first-team California-Hawaii All-American and signed with UCLA.

This year, his junior year, Clinton Jorth needed to be different. As the only returning starter other than goalkeeper Bryce McLain, Jorth had to become more offensive minded.

“He needed to find the balance between being the guy always making the unselfish play and the guy who has to step up and take the shot,” Lynch said. “We need the best player to take more shots. He hasn’t had to do that before. Over the last month he has made steady progress on being that offensive threat.”

Jorth, the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, scored a team-high four goals in the Sailors’ first-round, 17-2, victory over Long Beach Wilson in the Division I playoffs.

“I told him ‘If you start exciting your team with your play, you’ll excite them to step up,’ ” Lynch said.

Jorth’s transformation started by Lynch challenging Jorth to reach goals of shots attempted in a game. Even his teammates asked him to shoot more. There were never any reservations that Jorth would become a ball hog.

“It gave me a lot of confidence in myself,” Jorth said. “My team is behind me 100%. They know I won’t take stupid shots.”

Part of the reason his teammates have confidence in him is by what they’ve seen him do in the pool and part of it is from what they haven’t seen. Jorth has played water polo all around the world.

Over the summer, he played with the national youth team, which Lynch coaches, in Croatia and Germany.

He played against players who one day hope to turn pro. They all competed in a pool five meters longer than Jorth is accustomed to.

“Playing against Europeans it’s a totally different game; it’s much more physical,” Jorth said. “They’ve been playing since they could swim. They are a lot more aggressive. There’s a lot more holding it seems like. They are just good shooters, good at everything.”

Over the Christmas break he will play in Canada.

“It just looks so good on a college application,” Jorth said. “It’s so fun to be able to travel to other countries and play a sport. I never thought I’d go to other countries at a young age.”

It is something the younger players in the Newport Harbor program are impressed with. Regularly Jorth is asked by freshmen and sophomores about water polo techniques and his travels.

“I tell them you have to work hard to get there,” Jorth said.

Jorth still fades into the background in some aspects, but not because it is what he is accustomed to but because he chooses.

Senior Blake Hockenbury, a team captain, takes care of the vocal leadership for the Sailors.

“I can lead in my playing,” Jorth said. “I can just perform and do my best to show what to do.”