Newport Beach 18U squad victorious at USA Water Polo Junior Olympics

For a group with little left to prove, the members of the Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo program continue to play like they have something to lose.

Over the course of a two-year span that saw the Sailors win back-to-back CIF Southern Section titles in the top division, Newport Harbor demonstrated that it was a cohesive unit primed to take on all comers.

Recast as its own club in a tournament full of star-studded regional rosters, Newport Beach claimed the 18-and-under crown in the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics.

Newport Beach edged SOCAL 11-10 in the final on Tuesday at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine. The local victors went 7-0, outscoring the opposition 98-43 across the four-day tournament.

“These guys are best friends, and that’s, I think, the most important part of the culture that they embody every day and something that I think every team would love to be a part of,” said Coach Ross Sinclair, who also heads the boys’ and girls’ teams at Newport Harbor. “I think it’s a coach’s dream to have these guys in the program.

“They know each other well,” he continued. “They’re students of the game. They’re competitors. Every cliche attribute or characteristic you say about winning teams, they are that.

“It’s emotional for me to know that they had a great four years. It’s sad to see them go, but it’s also really exciting to know that the guys that are moving on are going off to college, and they’re going to continue to do great things and have a huge impact on their respective college programs.”

The winners had five seniors on the roster, a quintet that included Princeton-bound Finn LeSieur, the tournament MVP. Ben Liechty, a UCLA signee and the reigning Daily Pilot Boys’ Water Polo Dream Team Player of the Year, was also among the recent graduates, as were Finn Genc (UC Santa Barbara), Nick Kennedy and Gavin Netherton. Kennedy and Netherton have both committed to Claremont McKenna College.

Genc paced Newport Beach with a hat-trick in the championship game. Gavin Appeldorn had two goals, including the game-winner in the team’s final possession. Liechty supplied two goals and three assists. Peter Castillo, a UCLA commit, also authored a pair of scoring strikes.

LeSieur scored once and handed out a team-leading four assists. Owen Tift, a Pepperdine commit, added a goal and two assists. Luke Harris manned the cage for Newport Beach in the final.

A lifetime of playing together formed team chemistry, something LeSieur said he felt was advantageous when his team took on squads assembled for showcase events.

“This group is really special, not only because we won two CIF [titles] together, but also because it’s the same group,” LeSieur said. “These seniors, we’ve all been playing together since we were 8 to 10 years old. We’re all friends. We’ve all been hanging out together for a long time, basically grew up together.

“I guess this was the last dance for this really special group, and to end it with a big win, something we haven’t done before, was really special and a good way to put the cherry on top.”

The second session of the Orange County-based Junior Olympics, composed of girls’ age-group competitions, began Thursday. The tournament will continue through Sunday.