Veteran Laguna squad looks for big return

A year ago, the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team recorded a top-notch season.

Twenty-three wins and a quarterfinal appearance in the CIF playoffs added up to a successful campaign, and with four honors players among the seven returning starters Laguna has coming back, the 2006-07 season could lead to bigger things for the Breakers.

Head coach Rick McKee thinks so too, as does the CIF-Southern Section preseason Division II poll, which lists the Breakers at No. 4 behind Santa Barbara, Villa Park and Agoura.

“I have high expectations for this team,” he said. “It’s the strongest team at Laguna Beach High in years. Winning it all is not out of the realm of possibility for this team.”

A talented nucleus returning from last year’s 23-6 team has the Breakers primed for a huge run.

Jessica McKee (attacker, Sr.), Breanna Duplisea (defender, Sr.), Celia Huling (goalie, Sr.), Erin Reid (attacker, Jr.), Annika Dries (center, Soph.), Natasha Schulmann (attacker, Soph.) and Taylor Dodson (attacker, Soph.), are the returners. Last year, McKee was first-team all-Pacific Coast League and all-CIF, second-team all-county and second-team all-Southern California Section All-American. Duplisea was first-team all-league and all-CIF, Reid was first-team all-league and second-team all-CIF and Dries was second-team all-league and third-team all-CIF.

Completing the Laguna roster this year is a pair of newcomers, freshman all-around player Lexi Ross and freshman attacker Kacky Brown.

The Breakers will be put to the test in nonleague play with big-time matches against Santa Margarita (No. 5 Div. I), Villa Park and Corona del Mar (No. 3 Div. 1). The Breakers also will play in the Villa Park Classic beginning Thursday, the Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara after the start of 2007 and in February will participate in the So Cal Championships tournament.

The season gets underway with perhaps the Breakers’ stiffest challenge: a match against Foothill, the preseason No. 1-ranked team in Division I, at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Tustin High.

Laguna opens its home slate on Dec. 12 against Edison.