Sailors sweep CdM

NEWPORT BEACH — Minutes after the Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team’s match against Back Bay rival Corona del Mar, Coach Jason Lynch focused on the future.

“Murph, can you start taping?” Lynch asked Jenna Murphy. “I think you need a new tape probably. Let me get it to you.”

Lynch was glad to oblige. He was in a happy mood.

The host Sailors beat the Sea Kings, 10-6, earning fifth place at the South Coast Tournament Saturday.

Newport Harbor won the prestigious three-day event last year.

But when the Sailors (6-2) got knocked out of championship contention the day before in the quarterfinals by losing 5-4 to eventual champ El Toro, Lynch didn’t need to fire up his players.

Playing the Sea Kings after beating Dos Pueblos, 11-7, earlier in the day was enough.

“Our football team pulled off the win, so we couldn’t go down,” said Newport Harbor goalie Nick Holbrook, referring to the Sailors beating CdM, 42-13, Friday night. “It had to be a sweep for Newport this weekend.”

While the Sailors stuck around to watch the semifinals and finals, the Sea Kings met far away from the pool.

For 40 minutes, Coach Barry O’Dea talked to his team after finishing sixth.

O’Dea discussed everything, the Newport Harbor match, to what’s working and not working, to how next month will be a true test.

One of those the Sea Kings (4-3) struggled with again was the opening period.

The Sailors jumped out in front, 4-1, on two goals from David Linden, and one each from Andy Hayes and Zach Osadche.

“It was [disheartening],” said O’Dea of falling behind in the same fashion CdM did by four goals to Santa Barbara in the quarterfinals, where it eventually lost, 10-7. “We’re trying to work out some kinks on our first quarter. We keep putting ourselves in a hole.

“It’s a long season. We have always been a team that gets better as the season goes along.”

The Sea Kings are already off to a better start than last year, when they placed 13th at the South Coast Tournament.

They went 3-2, beating Granite Hills, La Canada and The Bishop’s School from La Jolla.

This year’s event featured four of the five top-ranked teams in the CIF Southern Section Division I preseason coaches’ poll.

CdM was ranked No. 3. Newport Harbor was No. 9. The Sailors proved they were the better team.

“I think it’s four in a row now,” O’Dea said of how many times the Sailors have defeated CdM. “We’re going to be ready [next time].

The Sea Kings weren’t prepared for Linden. The senior center scored five times, including on a five-meter penalty shot that stopped a Sea King run.

Linden beat CdM goalie Isle Anderson to his left, giving the Sailors a 7-4 lead with 3 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the third period.

The Sea Kings had cut the deficit to two with back-to-back goals in a 44-second span by driver Brian Schiefer.

As for which goal was the toughest to score, Linden didn’t really know.

“Most of them were just on counterattack, nothing too difficult, nothing out of set,” said Linden, who recorded two steals.

“We feel that we [should be] ranked a lot better.”

The way the defense shut down CdM’s best weapon, Max Bergeson, allowing him to score just on a five-meter penalty, the Sailors will move up.

Osadche, who scored twice, marked Bergeson for most of the match. He limited his opportunities to shoot and distribute the ball.

This made Holbrook’s job a lot easier in front of the cage. Holbrook made 11 saves and also assisted on two goals.

“We’re kind of going to gear up for the league season,” said Lynch of the Sunset League, which the Sailors won last year over Los Alamitos, this year’s No. 1-ranked team in Division I and the South Coast Tournament runner-up. “We have a big game on Tuesday with Villa Park, but it’s not really important because [it is] not in our division. It is good training. League starts a week after and we start with Los Al, a tough way to start.

“They’re favored obviously. I think if we played a bunch of times, they would probably beat us. All the marbles [are] on one game. I’m thankful that we have this week to get ready for them. That’s the one saving grace.”

The other is the game tape on Los Alamitos.

South Coast Tournament

Fifth-place game

Newport Harbor 10,

Corona del Mar 6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CdM – Schiefer 2, Bergeson 1, Liao 1, Taylor 1, Klein 1. Saves – Anderson 6.

NH – Linden 5, Osadche 2, Lucas 1, Yeager 1, Hayes 1. Saves – Holbrook 11.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.