Boys water polo: CdM wins two to stay alive in Junior Olympics

Joseph Boo

VILLA PARK - Facing elimination, Corona del Mar High’s 18-and-under

boys water polo team won twice at Villa Park High Thursday in the U.S.

Water Polo Junior Olympics to stay alive in the championship bracket.

With victories over Michigan, 9-2, and Harvard-Westlake, 10-7, CdM

plays today at El Toro High, on 10:15 a.m. A win in the morning sends

them to today’s 1:15 p.m quarterfinals, also at El Toro.

But winning all these games provides one problem for CdM. Today’s

morning game is a conflict with summer school finals. Michael March, one

of CdM’s top scorer, had to juggle water polo and school on Monday, and

he, Adam Padilla and John Money, have to do likewise today.

“I’m sure (Michael) will get here late and run onto the deck in the

second half, like on Monday,� said Marc Hunt, CdM’s interim coach while

John Vargas is with the U.S. Men’s National team.

March scored four times in CdM’s second game to help the Sea Kings to

an easy victory. CdM got off to a 3-0 lead, let Michigan get within one

goal, then scored six unanswered goals to put the game away.

Garrett Bowlus also scored four goal for CdM, including its last three

goals, while Artie Dorr and Marcello Pantuliano had one each. Sherwin Kim

made nine often spectacular saves to stifle Michigan’s offense.

“We got everybody involved on offense,� Hunt said. “Our offense went

through three or four guys instead of only one or two, so we scored more

goals than (Wednesday, a 14-4 loss to San Diego Shores A).�

In CdM’s first game on Monday, the Sea Kings got off to a 3-0 lead

against Harvard-Westlake and held on to win, 10-7.

Bowlus, Dorr and March scored in the first quarter to give CdM a 3-0

lead and Harvard-Westlake a tongue lashing from its coach.

The Wolverines came out inspired in the second quarter and tied the

game, but consecutive goals from March, Dorr and Bowlus gave CdM a 6-3

halftime lead.

The Sea Kings extended their lead to 8-4 in the third quarter, but

Harvard-Westlake made things interesting in the fourth quarter. It scored

three times to close the score to 8-7. With under two minutes left in the

game, Harvard-Westlake had a potential game-tying goal clang off the

crossbar.

After that scare, Dorr scored 10 seconds later to give CdM a 9-7 lead.

CdM’s Cavan Cuyler then got an empty-net goal in the closing seconds.

Dorr, Bowlus and March each had three goals. Kim was solid in goal for

the Sea Kings with seven saves.

On Wednesday, CdM’s 16-and-under boys water polo team dropped two

games at El Modena High to wrap up its play in the Junior Olympics. It

lost its first game to San Clemente, 9-3. Kevin Amendt, Matt Meyers and

David DiRocco scored for the Sea Kings against a stifling Tritons’

defense that caused numerous CdM turnovers.

CdM’s scoring problems continued against Windy City on Wednesday

afternoon in a 6-2 loss. Meyers and Tom Harper were the only two Sea

Kings to score. CdM goalie Beau Stockstill made 10 saves.

Newport Harbor’s 16-and-under boys water polo squad, the last Newport

team remaining in a Junior Olympics championship bracket, lost to Rose

Bowl A on Thursday, 15-3, in an elimination game. Nathan Weiner scored

two of Newport’s goals, with Ryan Bean getting the other one. Newport

goalie Ryan Winthrop made five saves.