Boys’ Water Polo: CdM hangs on

The Corona del Mar High boys’ water polo team was ranked No. 7 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 preseason poll.

When the most recent poll came out, the Sea Kings jumped to No. 5, even though they hadn’t played a game yet.

“We were joking that we didn’t have one game and we moved up two spots in the rankings,” CdM senior Jack Trush said. “[Coach] Barry [O’Dea] was like, ‘You guys have got the best coach in the world. You move up two spots without a game.’ That was funny.”

On Friday afternoon at CdM, though, the Sea Kings showed the kind of resolve that could shoot them even further up the list.

Trush scored four goals and senior goalkeeper Nigel Bress had 15 saves as CdM beat Foothill, 10-9, to register a big season-opening win.

It wasn’t secured until the closing seconds, when Bress made a big save on a Foothill power-play redirect attempt from two meters. Bress, who has missed time in the preseason with a knee injury and just got in the water for the first time Monday, was happy to do his part.

“We really needed to just come out strong,” said Bress, who made 10 of his 15 saves in the second half. “This really does set a benchmark.”

Foothill (2-2) is the top-ranked team in Division 2, and was coming off a 10-7 win over Newport Harbor on Tuesday. But the Sea Kings finished strong.

Trush gave CdM an 8-7 lead, scoring on a skip shot with 6:06 left in the fourth quarter off a pass from fellow senior Garrett Spruth. It was one of three assists in the game for Spruth, who also had a goal.

“He made some really nice passes, some good looks,” O’Dea said of Spruth. “One of the best games he’s played in a really long time. When he’s on like that, we’re super-dangerous, because he brings a lot to that side of the pool.”

Then CdM extended its lead, as Brendan Hack scored from center on a pass from Andres White with 5:17 left. Hack and Ben Brooks each had good games at center for the Sea Kings, combining for three goals. O’Dea gave credit to CdM assistant coach and alumnus Lucas Reynolds, who graduated from UCLA recently and has been working with the Sea Kings before he leaves to play professionally in Rome.

Foothill lefty Belly Cranshaw scored to bring his team back within one, but then CdM senior Patrick Ong scored a counterattack goal with 2:53 left to make the CdM lead 10-8.

Foothill’s Bobby Lee, who led his team with four goals, answered on the Knights’ next possession. But CdM would hang on. Bress also made a nice save on a close shot from Foothill center Gavin Scott with 48 seconds left.

“This was his fifth day in the water in three weeks,” O’Dea said of Bress, who split time in cage last year with graduate Ryan Hamm. “That was pretty good for him. Nigel’s a senior, so I was kind of counting on his experience, his age and his maturity there. I think it came through.”

Trush had an all-around game with his four goals, adding an assist, a field block and drawing two exclusions. Senior Ashton Jajonie also scored for CdM, while senior Jack Rodosky had a steal and drew an exclusion.

CdM has a big week next week, playing rival Long Beach Wilson on Tuesday at Belmont Plaza before playing in the South Coast Tournament beginning Thursday.

“[Foothill’s] a solid team, and I think [this win] gives everyone a confidence booster going into the next few games,” Trush said. “We had pretty evened out scoring, and that’s always good. I think our junior class are a bunch of grinders and they really want it. We have depth, and a lot of fast swimmers that are juniors.”