All-League Boys’ Water Polo: South is Sunset League’s best

Newport Harbor High senior Farrel South has been selected the Sunset League Player of the Year for boys’ water polo.

Sailors teammates Ryan Fowler, Dan Stevens and Curtis Fink each earned first-team all-league accolades for the Sailors.

South led the Sailors with 85 goals, adding 22 steals and 12 assists. The senior captain, a repeat first-team selection, helped Newport Harbor go a perfect 5-0 to win league for the second straight year and advance to the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals.

Fowler, a senior driver, had 52 goals, 20 steals and led the team with 31 assists.

Stevens, a junior defender, had 35 goals and 25 steals for Newport Harbor. Fink, also a junior, was second on the team with 54 goals, recorded a team-best 35 steals and added 23 assists.

Newport Harbor senior goalie Koby Yokota, junior utility player Preston Lee and junior center Andrew Silvers were second-team all-league selections.

First-year coach Robert Lynn, who led the Sailors to a 25-2 record, was named Co-Coach of the Year along with Brian Anderson of Huntington Beach.

— From staff reports

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Zepfel earns top honor

Corona del Mar High senior Ben Zepfel has been selected Pacific Coast League MVP for boys’ water polo.

Zepfel is joined on the first team by Sea Kings teammates Ari Marks and Charlie Howarth.

Zepfel, a center, led CdM (24-7) with 81 goals scored. He added 31 steals for CdM, helping the Sea Kings go 10-0 in league to win their 13th straight league title.

Zepfel helped a deep Corona del Mar team, the defending CIF Southern Section Division II champion, advance to the title match for the second straight year before falling to Long Beach Wilson.

Marks, a senior driver, had 35 goals, 12 assists and 32 steals for the Sea Kings.

Howarth, also a senior driver, was second on the team with 41 goals. He also had a team-best 34 assists and 25 steals.

CdM senior driver Wes Sherburne and junior driver Reid Chase earned second-team all-league status.

Juniors Jake Wyatt, Colby Watson and Kyle Trush were honorable mentions.

— From staff reports

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Trio stand out in OCL

Costa Mesa High seniors James Lewis and Mitchell Grandia, along with Estancia senior Paul Sugano-Dyson, have been selected first-team All-Orange Coast League for boys’ water polo.

Lewis, a senior driver, was second on the Mustangs with 88 goals scored, which ranked him 18th in program history for a single season. He also led Mesa with 63 assists and added 49 steals.

Grandia, a senior goalie, had 309 saves for the Mustangs. That ranked him fourth in program history for a single season, just four behind Scott Neslage’s 313 saves in 2006.

The duo helped the Mustangs (20-7, 3-2 in league) return to the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs for the first time in three years, after finishing third in league by beating rival Estancia.

The Eagles’ Sugano-Dyson led Estancia (9-14, 2-3) in scoring. Statistics were not available.

Costa Mesa juniors Wyatt Ferris and Quinn Stone, along with Estancia seniors Max Hume and Brody Hensheid and Sage Hill sophomore Arya Nakhjavani, were second-team all-league selections. Ferris led the Mustangs with 93 goals and 65 steals. Nakhjavani led the Lightning with 100 goals.

Laguna Beach seniors Nolan McConnell and Erik Henrikson were named co-MVPs of the league. The Breakers won the league for the sixth straight year and repeated as Division III champions.

— From staff reports