Newport Harbor boys’ water polo sprints to South Coast Tournament title

The final of the South Coast Tournament was played across the bay at Corona del Mar High School on Saturday.

Newport Harbor’s aquatics complex on campus is being renovated, and expected to reopen next fall.

For the Sailors boys, that has meant morning practices at Estancia High School. The girls are practicing at Costa Mesa High, Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair said.

Sinclair said it’s been a sort of Rubik’s Cube for him to organize, but his players are doing fine.

“I think it was a little adjustment at first, and I think they’re in a nice little groove now,” he said.

No kidding.

Newport Harbor’s Weston Hartel (9) makes a pass against Harvard-Westlake during the South Coast Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

(James Carbone)

Newport Harbor romped to the South Coast Tournament title, topping rival JSerra 14-6 on Saturday in the title match to snap the Lions’ 40-match winning streak that dated to 2022.

Junior Kai Kaneko led with five goals, three on penalty shots, for the Sailors (9-0). Emerging junior center Geoff Slutzky added three goals, along with two exclusions drawn and two penalty shots drawn.

Senior attacker Weston Hartel scored twice and had a match-high five steals, while senior defender Lucca Van Der Woude, a transfer from Studio City Harvard-Westlake, also scored twice.

Junior Dash D’Ambrosia and freshman Caruso Polenzani added goals for the winners. Junior standout Connor Ohl, who returned recently from injury, did not score in the final but had two steals and drew several exclusions.

Newport Harbor’s Kai Kaneko (21) shoots for a penalty shot goal against Harvard-Westlake during the South Coast Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

(James Carbone)

Newport senior goalkeeper Luke Harris made nine saves and set the tone early, stuffing a point-blank power play shot by JSerra in the opening moments of the match.

“It’s a good group,” Sinclair said. “They’re together, they’re around each other. It’s a good vibe for this group, good camaraderie. Obviously, if you put it together and have some success it makes it a lot of fun as well. For us, it’s how can we get better from this?”

The Sailors led just 4-3 late in the second quarter after Porter Birdsall, who led JSerra (7-1) with three goals, scored on a penalty shot. But Newport used Kaneko’s power play goal, then a quick drawn exclusion and goal by Slutzky, to take a 6-3 advantage into halftime.

The Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team won the South Coast Tournament on Saturday.

(Matt Szabo)

Newport Harbor then scored the first four goals of the second half, opening a 10-3 advantage on another power-play strike by Kaneko. After competing for the U.S. Cadet national team in Malta this summer at the World Aquatics U16 Water Polo Championships, he has come into the high school season a more confident player.

“That tournament was really fun, getting to play new roles and see how I could shoot,” Kaneko said. “I think mindset-wise, it’s carried on here for sure. just being more relaxed in the water helps a lot, and having fun too.”

Newport Harbor goalie Connor Clougherty (1A) blocks Harvard-Westlake’s Collin Caras (5) during the South Coast Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

(James Carbone)

Newport Harbor and JSerra have met in the last two CIF Southern Section Open Division title matches, with the Sailors prevailing in 2022 and JSerra last year. Saturday’s result was the Lions’ first loss since that 2022 CIF title match.

Newport Harbor made the final by blitzing Harvard-Westlake 17-6 in the semifinals earlier Saturday. Ohl had a team-best four goals, while junior left-hander Mason Netzer scored three.

The Sailors are deep and will get deeper. Senior center/defender Santino Rossi and senior left-hander James Mulvey, transfers from Mater Dei and JSerra respectively, will become eligible on Tuesday after serving their sit-out period.

Newport Harbor’s Geoff Slutzky (15) passes over Harvard-Westlake’s Jack Shapiro (7) during the South Coast Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

(James Carbone)

But the Sailors also know that JSerra has some key transfers coming eligible as well.

“[Winning the South Coast Tournament] feels great, but it’s still early in the season,” Slutzky said. “They’re going to get better, we’re going to get better. We’re going to see each other a lot this season. They’re going to get their guys back, we’re going to get some new guys. It’ll be fun.”

Newport Harbor returns to action with a Sunset League match at Edison on Wednesday. The Sailors are already 2-0 in league, with wins over Marina and Fountain Valley.

CdM places eighth in South Coast Tournament

Host Corona del Mar finished eighth in the tournament after a pair of close losses Saturday.

The Sea Kings couldn’t hold a three-goal lead and fell 12-10 to Mater Dei in a fifth-place semifinal, before falling 14-13 in sudden-death overtime to Miramonte in the seventh-place match.

In the latter match, CdM (10-3) couldn’t quite hold a two-goal lead in the final minute.

“I think today showed a little bit of our inexperience, but I think my guys can learn from it,” CdM coach Lucas Reynolds said. “We’re going to be a better team from it. We’re young, but we’re rapidly improving, and I’m really proud of our position here. Being top eight in this tournament is a big deal. It’s the biggest tournament of the year. I think my guys battled hard this weekend and I’m proud of what they did.”

Will Weir and Jackson Harlan each scored three goals to lead the Sea Kings against Miramonte. CdM returns to action Wednesday, with a Sunset League match at Huntington Beach.

Laguna Beach finished 21st, capping its tournament with a win over San Juan Hills, and Huntington Beach won its final match against Ventura to finished 25th. Edison placed 32nd in the tournament.