Jajonie steps up for CdM

In a different world, Corona del Mar High senior Ashton Jajonie might have played in a different Battle of the Bay game.

Jajonie’s mother, Krista, was known as Krista Lesh when she swam at CdM in the late 1980s. She prodded Ashton to try water polo, and he finally did start playing with the CdM club in the seventh grade after he saw his friend Jack Rodosky join. Ashton was put at goalie, because of his tall height.

But Ashton didn’t really like being between the pipes. He quit water polo and started playing football. He lined up at receiver for the Newport-Mesa Junior All-American Seahawks.

In a different world, Ashton could have been part of the current CdM football dynasty. But then he changed his mind again.

“I missed being on a traveling team,” he said. “We used to always go to San Diego for [water polo] tournaments, and that was like the most fun ever. I missed that. I said I’d give it another try, but not be a goalie, in May of my eighth grade year. Playing field, I loved it, and high school started a few months later.

“I probably would have played both if they had been different seasons. It came down to a choice, and I didn’t really love football.”

Ashton Jajonie certainly doesn’t regret his decision. This year he shined in the Battle of the Bay, not on the gridiron but in the water in front of a capacity crowd at CdM.

Jajonie scored a game-high four goals as CdM defeated rival Newport Harbor, 9-7, on Oct. 4. It was the Sea Kings’ first win in the rivalry series since 2010.

Jajonie, a co-captain for CdM with senior Jack Trush, also had two steals. He continuously made big plays for CdM, which scored five straight goals in the third quarter to take a 9-5 lead. Jajonie scored two of them, the first coming off his own steal and the second from about five meters.

Under the lights, Jajonie sparkled. Plus, he just had a ton of fun.

“I like the attention,” he said. “I guess maybe it’s because I’m a middle child. I mean, playing in those games is my favorite thing ever. Whenever it’s night time and there’s a crowd, it’s just a whole different game. It’s a different level of water polo. It’s so much fun.”

In his second year as a starter, Jajonie has become a reliable leader for CdM, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division 1. The Sailors are certainly tired of seeing him.

A week earlier, Jajonie didn’t score any goals when CdM played Newport Harbor in a South Coast Tournament fifth-place semifinal. But he found other ways to shine, racking up eight steals and three assists as CdM won, 9-8.

Jajonie has shown his versatility, always drawing a lot of counterattack chances because of his speed. In the Battle of the Bay game, he switched over to match up on Newport’s top scorer, senior captain Clay Davison, with fellow CdM senior Patrick Ong battling foul trouble.

“He’s flexible,” CdM Coach Barry O’Dea said. “We can use him in a lot of different places. “He posts up, he can draw ejections. He’s got a lot of tools, and he’s starting to learn how to use them right now and putting them into play.”

It means more responsibility than last year for Jajonie. Last year, he was more of a facilitator and focused on defense, letting the large CdM senior class do more of the heavy lifting.

This year, he is an offensive presence for the deep Sea Kings. Coming into this weekend’s S&R Sport Southern California water polo tournament, Jajonie was second on CdM to Trush with 24 goals scored. He easily led the Sea Kings with 25 steals.

“They expect me to do everything now,” he said. “I have to score the goals, make the steals and then lead the team, not even skill-wise, but emotionally-wise. Everything has changed ... [but] it’s not like they’re throwing responsibility on me that I don’t want. I always ask for more responsibility. I want to be able to do everything I can to help this team win.”

That’s something a team captain would say. Now, Jajonie said he uses some of his time trying to convince his eighth-grade brother, Ethan, to play water polo. Ethan currently plays fullback in football.

“I don’t think he’s going to play [water polo] in high school,” Ashton Jajonie said. “I swam forever, and he didn’t swim that much. He didn’t really like it that much.”

But, as Ashton’s own journey has shown, things can change. His quick growth in water polo has him now as a threat for the top-ranked public school in Division 1.

“He’s developing that voice of a leader,” O’Dea said.

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Ashton Jajonie

Born: Nov. 5, 1996

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 200 pounds

Sport: Water polo

Year: Senior

Coach: Barry O’Dea

Favorite food: Tacos

Favorite movie: “Fight Club”

Favorite athletic moment: Helping the CdM Aquatics 18-and-under boys win gold in the gold division at last summer’s Junior Olympics in Atherton.

Week in review: Jajonie scored a game-high four goals as CdM beat rival Newport Harbor, 9-7, in the Battle of the Bay game on Oct. 4.