NHHS South Coast Stream:
https://www.nhhsaquatics.com/
But they may not be on the outside! Newport is very good. They can absolutely beat HW.
Top 15 Teams - 2021
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hmmm
- Posts: 20
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Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Here is a direct link to tomorrow's livestream from Newport Harbor. The 7th place game, 5th place game, 3rd place game, and 1st place game will all be broadcast with announcers. Broadcast starts at 12:45pm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDO50XObmYE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDO50XObmYE
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BayBoy
- Posts: 209
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- How are you connected to water polo?: Masters player - love watching the game, from youth to masters.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Great quality livestream and announcing. If only NHHS had broadcast the semis, which were closer than the finals. Some observations before Jeff posts his list.
Even though it lost big to HBHS earlier in the season, OLU belongs in (or at least at the edge of) the Top Tier with its victory over HW. 6 teams have separation. When HW made its inevitable run yesterday, OLU responded again and again. Leo Geissman scored 5 or 6. That's very hard to do against a HW defense known for adjustments. Pantaleon did a great job defending HW center Stothart who is an expert at drawing ejections.
The most surprising game was SHP's big win over HBHS. James Rozolis-Hill scored from center on their first possession, SHP adjusted, and he didn't seem to get another shot off. HBHS is fun to watch with their big shooters Mirkovic, Bettino, Morgan, Dodd the list seems endless. Add another name in sophomore Hammonds who scored 4. But SHP's constant movement, both the passing and especially the swimming, applied constant pressure. And as always Griff Price made stab saves on huge HBHS shots when the game got tight.
MD is the nation's best team right now. They played consecutive ultra-tight games versus OLU and SHP, and then had a mini-run (again playing from behind) to open up a bigger lead versus NHHS, which was fresh off two very impressive victories over HW and HBHS. NHHS has the best double lefty combination in the nation in Leichty and Verdegaal. They're also a fast team that does well in a counterattack offense. But MD's shot blocking is phenomenal. Against set offensive plays, the shots that weren't blocked were stopped by excellent goalie Nate Tausher. McCarroll has been a great player for many years. But the biggest improvement MD has had this year (especially considering the graduation of Grant Loth) is the emergence of Vince Merk who has one of the best quick shots in the game.
Even though it lost big to HBHS earlier in the season, OLU belongs in (or at least at the edge of) the Top Tier with its victory over HW. 6 teams have separation. When HW made its inevitable run yesterday, OLU responded again and again. Leo Geissman scored 5 or 6. That's very hard to do against a HW defense known for adjustments. Pantaleon did a great job defending HW center Stothart who is an expert at drawing ejections.
The most surprising game was SHP's big win over HBHS. James Rozolis-Hill scored from center on their first possession, SHP adjusted, and he didn't seem to get another shot off. HBHS is fun to watch with their big shooters Mirkovic, Bettino, Morgan, Dodd the list seems endless. Add another name in sophomore Hammonds who scored 4. But SHP's constant movement, both the passing and especially the swimming, applied constant pressure. And as always Griff Price made stab saves on huge HBHS shots when the game got tight.
MD is the nation's best team right now. They played consecutive ultra-tight games versus OLU and SHP, and then had a mini-run (again playing from behind) to open up a bigger lead versus NHHS, which was fresh off two very impressive victories over HW and HBHS. NHHS has the best double lefty combination in the nation in Leichty and Verdegaal. They're also a fast team that does well in a counterattack offense. But MD's shot blocking is phenomenal. Against set offensive plays, the shots that weren't blocked were stopped by excellent goalie Nate Tausher. McCarroll has been a great player for many years. But the biggest improvement MD has had this year (especially considering the graduation of Grant Loth) is the emergence of Vince Merk who has one of the best quick shots in the game.
Last edited by BayBoy on Sun Nov 21, 2021 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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H20parent
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Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Nice recap for sure. The MD vs SHP was a fantastic game. MD had another gear in the 4th to get them over the top.
I think the real separation is a group of 4. MD, NH, HB and SHP. Cathedral led into the 4th qtr against OLU, missing two starters a thin bench took a toll. Certainly not taking anything away from OLu at all. After an 11-10 loss to MD, and a big win against HW they are an excellent, well coached team.
I’d put second group as OLU,HW, CCHS, Laguna, JSerra and Bishops at the back of that group. The Knights had two nice wins against Loyola and Campo. I believe Foothill will right the ship a and find their way into this group.
Great early season water polo without a doubt. Exciting to see all of these teams moving forward.
I think the real separation is a group of 4. MD, NH, HB and SHP. Cathedral led into the 4th qtr against OLU, missing two starters a thin bench took a toll. Certainly not taking anything away from OLu at all. After an 11-10 loss to MD, and a big win against HW they are an excellent, well coached team.
I’d put second group as OLU,HW, CCHS, Laguna, JSerra and Bishops at the back of that group. The Knights had two nice wins against Loyola and Campo. I believe Foothill will right the ship a and find their way into this group.
Great early season water polo without a doubt. Exciting to see all of these teams moving forward.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
My rankings for the week ending September 18 follow below. I have listed the records and the scores of last week’s games for the teams shown in my rankings. I’m probably missing some scores because many schools don’t post their scores and/or schedules. Please send me a message (offline would be great) if you know I missed a score or showed an incorrect score.
Congratulations to Mater Dei for winning the 30-team South Coast Tournament, Miramonte for winning the Saint Francis Invitational, and Newport Harbor’s junior varsity team for finishing 17th in the South Coast Tournament. Newport’s junior varsity team lost to Harvard-Westlake 13-3 and beat San Clemente 14-7, Beckman 17-6, Santa Margarita 12-7, and Long Beach Wilson 17-14 in the 17th place game. With all due respect to Newport’s junior varsity team, how does Long Beach Wilson (one of the two or three most-storied programs in the annals of high school water polo) lose to a junior varsity team?
As I noted last week, Brunswick deserves a spot in my top 15 list because of their fourth-place finish in the Santa Barbara Invitational. It will be difficult to assess Brunswick’s performance for the remainder of the 2021 season because they will not play another game against a top California team. Therefore, for the rest of the season, I will post a “top 15 plus Brunswick” list.
Top 15 (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei (10-1). Last week, MD won the South Coast Tournament, beating Loyola 13-8, OLu 11-10, SHP 9-7 in the semifinals, and Newport 12-10 in the finals. Earlier in the season, MD finished second in the Santa Barbara Invitational. MD plays Palos Verdes on Thursday and Cathedral Catholic on Saturday.
2. Sacred Heart Prep (6-1). Last week, SHP beat Menlo 17-8 and finished third in the South Coast Tournament, beating HW’s junior varsity team 5-0 (this may have been a forfeited game), beating Foothill 12-8, beating Cathedral Catholic 16-6, losing to MD 9-7 in the semifinals, and beating HB 17-11 in the 3rd place game. SHP and HB will not play each other again this season. SHP plays Mitty on Wednesday.
3. Newport Harbor (9-1). Last week, Newport beat Campolindo 13-3 and finished second in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dos Pueblos 19-3, Santa Barbara 18-7, HW 13-11, and HB 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to MD 12-10 in the finals. Newport plays CdM on Wednesday.
4. Huntington Beach (9-2). Last week, HB finished fourth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Los Alamitos 16-7, beating Laguna Beach 15-3, losing to Newport 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to SHP 17-11 in the 3rd place game. Earlier in the season, HB won the Santa Barbara Invitational. HB plays Laguna Beach on Wednesday.
5. Harvard-Westlake (8-2). Last week, HW finished sixth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Newport’s junior varsity team 13-3, beating Campolindo 11-5, losing to Newport 13-11, beating Laguna Beach 10-7, and losing to OLu 15-13 in the 5th place game. HW plays Oaks Christian on Wednesday and OLu on Saturday.
6. Orange Lutheran (7-2). Last week, OLu beat Mira Costa 16-7 and finished fifth in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Juan Hills 19-6, beating Oaks Christian 14-4, losing to MD 11-10, beating Cathedral Catholic 14-11, and beating HW 15-13 in the 5th place game. OLu plays Bishop’s on Wednesday and HW on Saturday.
7. JSerra (8-1). Last week, JSerra beat La Jolla 18-6 and Vista 21-5. Earlier in the season, JSerra finished ninth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. JSerra plays Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday and Los Alamitos on Thursday.
8. Laguna Beach (8-5). Last week, Laguna Beach finished seventh in the South Coast Tournament, beating Edison 11-4, beating Bishop’s 12-10, losing to HB 15-3, losing to HW 10-7, and beating Cathedral Catholic 8-7 in the 7th place game. Earlier in the season, Laguna Beach finished third in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Laguna Beach plays HB on Thursday.
9. Brunswick (7-2). Earlier in the season, Brunswick beat Santa Barbara 12-8, beat Dos Pueblos 17-3, and finished fourth in the Santa Barbara Invitational, beating Dana Hills 20-10, beating JSerra 10-8, beating San Ramon Valley 12-7, losing to Mater Dei 14-8 in the semifinals, and losing to Laguna Beach 13-12 in overtime in the 3rd place game. Last week, Brunswick beat Deerfield Academy 13-0 and Williston Northampton 16-4. This week, Brunswick plays in the Beast of the East Tournament.
10. Cathedral Catholic (2-4). Last week, Cathedral Catholic finished eighth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Northwood 20-2, beating Palos Verdes 17-10, losing to SHP 16-6, losing to OLu 14-11, and losing to Laguna Beach 8-7 in the 7th place game. Cathedral Catholic plays JSerra on Thursday and MD on Saturday.
11. Miramonte (4-0). Last week, Miramonte won the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Mitty 17-9, Monte Vista 15-14, Saint Francis 11-10 in the semifinals, and Redwood 15-10 in the finals. Miramonte plays Campolindo on Wednesday.
12. Bishop’s (6-4). Last week, Bishop’s finished 9th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Costa Mesa 21-2, losing to Laguna Beach 12-10, beating Los Alamitos 11-10 in overtime, beating Campolindo 6-5, and beating Loyola 11-10 in the 9th place game. Bishop’s plays OLu on Wednesday and St. Xavier of Ohio on Thursday.
13. Loyola (5-6). Last week, Loyola finished tenth in the South Coast Tournament, beating CdM 15-7, losing to MD 13-8, beating Oaks Christian 6-4, beating Foothill 12-10, and losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in the 9th place game. Earlier in the season, Loyola finished eighth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. This week, Loyola plays Crespi on Monday and Foothill on Thursday.
14. Campolindo (4-3). Last week, Campolindo lost to Newport 13-3 and finished 11th in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Clemente 13-8, losing to HW 11-5, beating Santa Barbara 7-2, losing to Bishop’s 6-5, and beating Foothill 13-11 in the 11th place game. Campolindo plays Miramonte on Wednesday.
15. Foothill (3-4). Last week, Foothill finished 12th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Long Beach Wilson 14-10, losing to SHP 12-8, beating Palos Verdes 14-9, losing to Loyola 12-10, and losing to Campolindo 13-11 in the 11th place game. Foothill plays Palos Verdes on Tuesday and Loyola on Thursday.
16. Palos Verdes (6-6). Last week, Palos Verdes finished 13th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Servite 15-10, losing to Cathedral Catholic 17-10, losing to Foothill 14-9, beating Oaks Christian 8-7, and beating Los Alamitos 17-13 in the 13th place game. Earlier in the season, Palos Verdes finished fifth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Palos Verdes plays MD on Thursday.
Southern California Top 10
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Harvard-Westlake
5. Orange Lutheran
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Cathedral Catholic
9. Bishop’s
10. Loyola
Northern California Top 10
1. SHP
2. Miramonte
3. Campolindo
4. De La Salle (7-0). Last week, De La Salle beat Amador Valley 21-12 and Menlo 19-13. De La Salle plays San Ramon Valley on Thursday.
5. San Ramon Valley (3-2?). San Ramon Valley played California last week, but I couldn't find the score posted anywhere. San Ramon Valley plays De La Salle on Thursday.
6. Archie Williams (3-0). Last week, Archie Williams beat Marin Academy 14-10 and Davis 18-9. Archie Williams plays Terra Linda on Monday, Tamalpais on Thursday, Valley Christian on Friday, and Menlo on Saturday.
7. Menlo (5-3). Last week, Menlo lost to SHP 17-8 and De La Salle 19-13. Earlier in the season, Menlo finished second in the Roche Tournament. Menlo plays Bellarmine on Wednesday and Archie Williams on Saturday.
8. Redwood (8-2). Last week, Redwood finished second in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Garces Memorial 19-13, beating Bellarmine 15-9, beating Buchanan 16-9 in the semifinals, and losing to Miramonte 15-10 in the finals. Redwood plays Tamalpais on Tuesday.
9. Bellarmine (6-2). Last week, Bellarmine beat Valley Christian 13-11 and finished fifth in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Salinas 17-4, losing to Redwood 15-9, beating Jesuit 10-8, and beating Menlo Atherton 12-10 in the fifth place game. Bellarmine plays Menlo on Wednesday and Soquel on Friday.
10. Saint Francis (5-2). Last week, Saint Francis beat Serra 12-4 and finished third in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Pioneer 14-5, beating Menlo Atherton 14-10, losing to Miramonte 11-10 in the semifinals, and beating Buchanan 12-10 in the third place game. This week, Saint Francis plays Saint Ignatius on Wednesday and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Public Schools
1. Newport Harbor
2. Huntington Beach
3. Laguna Beach
4. Miramonte
5. Campolindo
6. Foothill
7. Palos Verdes
8. San Ramon Valley
9. Los Alamitos (3-4). Last week, Los Alamitos finished 14th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Santa Margarita 13-9, losing to HB 16-7, losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in overtime, beating Santa Barbara 11-7, and losing to Palos Verdes 17-13 in the 13th place game. Los Alamitos plays JSerra on Thursday.
10. Santa Barbara (6-6). Last week, Santa Barbara finished 15th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Beckman 15-5, losing to Newport 18-7, losing to Campolindo 7-2, losing to Los Alamitos 11-7, and beating Oaks Christian 10-8 in the 15th place game. Earlier in the season, Santa Barbara finished seventh in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Santa Barbara plays La Serna on Saturday.
10. La Jolla (5-1) (too close to call with Santa Barbara). Last week, La Jolla lost to JSerra 18-6 and beat Valhalla 17-8. Earlier in the season, La Jolla won the Roche Tournament. This week, La Jolla plays Grossmont on Tuesday, Damien on Thursday, and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Private Schools (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei
2. Sacred Heart Prep
3. Harvard-Westlake
4. Orange Lutheran
5. JSerra
6. Brunswick
7. Cathedral Catholic
8. Bishop’s
9. Loyola
10. De La Salle
11. Oaks Christian (1-4). Last week, Oaks Christian finished 16th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dana Hills 10-7, and losing to OLu 14-8, Loyola 6-4, Palos Verdes 8-7, and Santa Barbara 10-8 in the 15th place game. Oaks plays Westlake on Tuesday, HW on Wednesday, and Calabasas on Thursday.
Congratulations to Mater Dei for winning the 30-team South Coast Tournament, Miramonte for winning the Saint Francis Invitational, and Newport Harbor’s junior varsity team for finishing 17th in the South Coast Tournament. Newport’s junior varsity team lost to Harvard-Westlake 13-3 and beat San Clemente 14-7, Beckman 17-6, Santa Margarita 12-7, and Long Beach Wilson 17-14 in the 17th place game. With all due respect to Newport’s junior varsity team, how does Long Beach Wilson (one of the two or three most-storied programs in the annals of high school water polo) lose to a junior varsity team?
As I noted last week, Brunswick deserves a spot in my top 15 list because of their fourth-place finish in the Santa Barbara Invitational. It will be difficult to assess Brunswick’s performance for the remainder of the 2021 season because they will not play another game against a top California team. Therefore, for the rest of the season, I will post a “top 15 plus Brunswick” list.
Top 15 (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei (10-1). Last week, MD won the South Coast Tournament, beating Loyola 13-8, OLu 11-10, SHP 9-7 in the semifinals, and Newport 12-10 in the finals. Earlier in the season, MD finished second in the Santa Barbara Invitational. MD plays Palos Verdes on Thursday and Cathedral Catholic on Saturday.
2. Sacred Heart Prep (6-1). Last week, SHP beat Menlo 17-8 and finished third in the South Coast Tournament, beating HW’s junior varsity team 5-0 (this may have been a forfeited game), beating Foothill 12-8, beating Cathedral Catholic 16-6, losing to MD 9-7 in the semifinals, and beating HB 17-11 in the 3rd place game. SHP and HB will not play each other again this season. SHP plays Mitty on Wednesday.
3. Newport Harbor (9-1). Last week, Newport beat Campolindo 13-3 and finished second in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dos Pueblos 19-3, Santa Barbara 18-7, HW 13-11, and HB 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to MD 12-10 in the finals. Newport plays CdM on Wednesday.
4. Huntington Beach (9-2). Last week, HB finished fourth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Los Alamitos 16-7, beating Laguna Beach 15-3, losing to Newport 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to SHP 17-11 in the 3rd place game. Earlier in the season, HB won the Santa Barbara Invitational. HB plays Laguna Beach on Wednesday.
5. Harvard-Westlake (8-2). Last week, HW finished sixth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Newport’s junior varsity team 13-3, beating Campolindo 11-5, losing to Newport 13-11, beating Laguna Beach 10-7, and losing to OLu 15-13 in the 5th place game. HW plays Oaks Christian on Wednesday and OLu on Saturday.
6. Orange Lutheran (7-2). Last week, OLu beat Mira Costa 16-7 and finished fifth in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Juan Hills 19-6, beating Oaks Christian 14-4, losing to MD 11-10, beating Cathedral Catholic 14-11, and beating HW 15-13 in the 5th place game. OLu plays Bishop’s on Wednesday and HW on Saturday.
7. JSerra (8-1). Last week, JSerra beat La Jolla 18-6 and Vista 21-5. Earlier in the season, JSerra finished ninth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. JSerra plays Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday and Los Alamitos on Thursday.
8. Laguna Beach (8-5). Last week, Laguna Beach finished seventh in the South Coast Tournament, beating Edison 11-4, beating Bishop’s 12-10, losing to HB 15-3, losing to HW 10-7, and beating Cathedral Catholic 8-7 in the 7th place game. Earlier in the season, Laguna Beach finished third in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Laguna Beach plays HB on Thursday.
9. Brunswick (7-2). Earlier in the season, Brunswick beat Santa Barbara 12-8, beat Dos Pueblos 17-3, and finished fourth in the Santa Barbara Invitational, beating Dana Hills 20-10, beating JSerra 10-8, beating San Ramon Valley 12-7, losing to Mater Dei 14-8 in the semifinals, and losing to Laguna Beach 13-12 in overtime in the 3rd place game. Last week, Brunswick beat Deerfield Academy 13-0 and Williston Northampton 16-4. This week, Brunswick plays in the Beast of the East Tournament.
10. Cathedral Catholic (2-4). Last week, Cathedral Catholic finished eighth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Northwood 20-2, beating Palos Verdes 17-10, losing to SHP 16-6, losing to OLu 14-11, and losing to Laguna Beach 8-7 in the 7th place game. Cathedral Catholic plays JSerra on Thursday and MD on Saturday.
11. Miramonte (4-0). Last week, Miramonte won the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Mitty 17-9, Monte Vista 15-14, Saint Francis 11-10 in the semifinals, and Redwood 15-10 in the finals. Miramonte plays Campolindo on Wednesday.
12. Bishop’s (6-4). Last week, Bishop’s finished 9th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Costa Mesa 21-2, losing to Laguna Beach 12-10, beating Los Alamitos 11-10 in overtime, beating Campolindo 6-5, and beating Loyola 11-10 in the 9th place game. Bishop’s plays OLu on Wednesday and St. Xavier of Ohio on Thursday.
13. Loyola (5-6). Last week, Loyola finished tenth in the South Coast Tournament, beating CdM 15-7, losing to MD 13-8, beating Oaks Christian 6-4, beating Foothill 12-10, and losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in the 9th place game. Earlier in the season, Loyola finished eighth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. This week, Loyola plays Crespi on Monday and Foothill on Thursday.
14. Campolindo (4-3). Last week, Campolindo lost to Newport 13-3 and finished 11th in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Clemente 13-8, losing to HW 11-5, beating Santa Barbara 7-2, losing to Bishop’s 6-5, and beating Foothill 13-11 in the 11th place game. Campolindo plays Miramonte on Wednesday.
15. Foothill (3-4). Last week, Foothill finished 12th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Long Beach Wilson 14-10, losing to SHP 12-8, beating Palos Verdes 14-9, losing to Loyola 12-10, and losing to Campolindo 13-11 in the 11th place game. Foothill plays Palos Verdes on Tuesday and Loyola on Thursday.
16. Palos Verdes (6-6). Last week, Palos Verdes finished 13th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Servite 15-10, losing to Cathedral Catholic 17-10, losing to Foothill 14-9, beating Oaks Christian 8-7, and beating Los Alamitos 17-13 in the 13th place game. Earlier in the season, Palos Verdes finished fifth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Palos Verdes plays MD on Thursday.
Southern California Top 10
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Harvard-Westlake
5. Orange Lutheran
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Cathedral Catholic
9. Bishop’s
10. Loyola
Northern California Top 10
1. SHP
2. Miramonte
3. Campolindo
4. De La Salle (7-0). Last week, De La Salle beat Amador Valley 21-12 and Menlo 19-13. De La Salle plays San Ramon Valley on Thursday.
5. San Ramon Valley (3-2?). San Ramon Valley played California last week, but I couldn't find the score posted anywhere. San Ramon Valley plays De La Salle on Thursday.
6. Archie Williams (3-0). Last week, Archie Williams beat Marin Academy 14-10 and Davis 18-9. Archie Williams plays Terra Linda on Monday, Tamalpais on Thursday, Valley Christian on Friday, and Menlo on Saturday.
7. Menlo (5-3). Last week, Menlo lost to SHP 17-8 and De La Salle 19-13. Earlier in the season, Menlo finished second in the Roche Tournament. Menlo plays Bellarmine on Wednesday and Archie Williams on Saturday.
8. Redwood (8-2). Last week, Redwood finished second in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Garces Memorial 19-13, beating Bellarmine 15-9, beating Buchanan 16-9 in the semifinals, and losing to Miramonte 15-10 in the finals. Redwood plays Tamalpais on Tuesday.
9. Bellarmine (6-2). Last week, Bellarmine beat Valley Christian 13-11 and finished fifth in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Salinas 17-4, losing to Redwood 15-9, beating Jesuit 10-8, and beating Menlo Atherton 12-10 in the fifth place game. Bellarmine plays Menlo on Wednesday and Soquel on Friday.
10. Saint Francis (5-2). Last week, Saint Francis beat Serra 12-4 and finished third in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Pioneer 14-5, beating Menlo Atherton 14-10, losing to Miramonte 11-10 in the semifinals, and beating Buchanan 12-10 in the third place game. This week, Saint Francis plays Saint Ignatius on Wednesday and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Public Schools
1. Newport Harbor
2. Huntington Beach
3. Laguna Beach
4. Miramonte
5. Campolindo
6. Foothill
7. Palos Verdes
8. San Ramon Valley
9. Los Alamitos (3-4). Last week, Los Alamitos finished 14th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Santa Margarita 13-9, losing to HB 16-7, losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in overtime, beating Santa Barbara 11-7, and losing to Palos Verdes 17-13 in the 13th place game. Los Alamitos plays JSerra on Thursday.
10. Santa Barbara (6-6). Last week, Santa Barbara finished 15th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Beckman 15-5, losing to Newport 18-7, losing to Campolindo 7-2, losing to Los Alamitos 11-7, and beating Oaks Christian 10-8 in the 15th place game. Earlier in the season, Santa Barbara finished seventh in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Santa Barbara plays La Serna on Saturday.
10. La Jolla (5-1) (too close to call with Santa Barbara). Last week, La Jolla lost to JSerra 18-6 and beat Valhalla 17-8. Earlier in the season, La Jolla won the Roche Tournament. This week, La Jolla plays Grossmont on Tuesday, Damien on Thursday, and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Private Schools (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei
2. Sacred Heart Prep
3. Harvard-Westlake
4. Orange Lutheran
5. JSerra
6. Brunswick
7. Cathedral Catholic
8. Bishop’s
9. Loyola
10. De La Salle
11. Oaks Christian (1-4). Last week, Oaks Christian finished 16th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dana Hills 10-7, and losing to OLu 14-8, Loyola 6-4, Palos Verdes 8-7, and Santa Barbara 10-8 in the 15th place game. Oaks plays Westlake on Tuesday, HW on Wednesday, and Calabasas on Thursday.
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2plyBathingSuit
- Posts: 2468
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Love the sport.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Nice rankings. As usual, job well done Jeff. Well, the gloves are off now and it's going to be a bloody knuckled fist fight since the recent arrival of the new sheriff in town called MD (at least temporarily). I'm now cheering for them more than ever!
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WopoMorgan
- Posts: 3
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Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
If I saw correctly MD has been missing starting attacker Ryan McManigal (2022) for these past tournaments (injury). Excited to see a fully healthy MD vs. HB or SHP.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
jeff wrote:My rankings for the week ending September 18 follow below. I have listed the records and the scores of last week’s games for the teams shown in my rankings. I’m probably missing some scores because many schools don’t post their scores and/or schedules. Please send me a message (offline would be great) if you know I missed a score or showed an incorrect score.
Congratulations to Mater Dei for winning the 30-team South Coast Tournament, Miramonte for winning the Saint Francis Invitational, and Newport Harbor’s junior varsity team for finishing 17th in the South Coast Tournament. Newport’s junior varsity team lost to Harvard-Westlake 13-3 and beat San Clemente 14-7, Beckman 17-6, Santa Margarita 12-7, and Long Beach Wilson 17-14 in the 17th place game. With all due respect to Newport’s junior varsity team, how does Long Beach Wilson (one of the two or three most-storied programs in the annals of high school water polo) lose to a junior varsity team?
As I noted last week, Brunswick deserves a spot in my top 15 list because of their fourth-place finish in the Santa Barbara Invitational. It will be difficult to assess Brunswick’s performance for the remainder of the 2021 season because they will not play another game against a top California team. Therefore, for the rest of the season, I will post a “top 15 plus Brunswick” list.
Top 15 (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei (10-1). Last week, MD won the South Coast Tournament, beating Loyola 13-8, OLu 11-10, SHP 9-7 in the semifinals, and Newport 12-10 in the finals. Earlier in the season, MD finished second in the Santa Barbara Invitational. MD plays Palos Verdes on Thursday and Cathedral Catholic on Saturday.
2. Sacred Heart Prep (6-1). Last week, SHP beat Menlo 17-8 and finished third in the South Coast Tournament, beating HW’s junior varsity team 5-0 (this may have been a forfeited game), beating Foothill 12-8, beating Cathedral Catholic 16-6, losing to MD 9-7 in the semifinals, and beating HB 17-11 in the 3rd place game. SHP and HB will not play each other again this season. SHP plays Mitty on Wednesday.
3. Newport Harbor (9-1). Last week, Newport beat Campolindo 13-3 and finished second in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dos Pueblos 19-3, Santa Barbara 18-7, HW 13-11, and HB 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to MD 12-10 in the finals. Newport plays CdM on Wednesday.
4. Huntington Beach (9-2). Last week, HB finished fourth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Los Alamitos 16-7, beating Laguna Beach 15-3, losing to Newport 11-10 in the semifinals, and losing to SHP 17-11 in the 3rd place game. Earlier in the season, HB won the Santa Barbara Invitational. HB plays Laguna Beach on Wednesday.
5. Harvard-Westlake (8-2). Last week, HW finished sixth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Newport’s junior varsity team 13-3, beating Campolindo 11-5, losing to Newport 13-11, beating Laguna Beach 10-7, and losing to OLu 15-13 in the 5th place game. HW plays Oaks Christian on Wednesday and OLu on Saturday.
6. Orange Lutheran (7-2). Last week, OLu beat Mira Costa 16-7 and finished fifth in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Juan Hills 19-6, beating Oaks Christian 14-4, losing to MD 11-10, beating Cathedral Catholic 14-11, and beating HW 15-13 in the 5th place game. OLu plays Bishop’s on Wednesday and HW on Saturday.
7. JSerra (8-1). Last week, JSerra beat La Jolla 18-6 and Vista 21-5. Earlier in the season, JSerra finished ninth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. JSerra plays Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday and Los Alamitos on Thursday.
8. Laguna Beach (8-5). Last week, Laguna Beach finished seventh in the South Coast Tournament, beating Edison 11-4, beating Bishop’s 12-10, losing to HB 15-3, losing to HW 10-7, and beating Cathedral Catholic 8-7 in the 7th place game. Earlier in the season, Laguna Beach finished third in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Laguna Beach plays HB on Thursday.
9. Brunswick (7-2). Earlier in the season, Brunswick beat Santa Barbara 12-8, beat Dos Pueblos 17-3, and finished fourth in the Santa Barbara Invitational, beating Dana Hills 20-10, beating JSerra 10-8, beating San Ramon Valley 12-7, losing to Mater Dei 14-8 in the semifinals, and losing to Laguna Beach 13-12 in overtime in the 3rd place game. Last week, Brunswick beat Deerfield Academy 13-0 and Williston Northampton 16-4. This week, Brunswick plays in the Beast of the East Tournament.
10. Cathedral Catholic (2-4). Last week, Cathedral Catholic finished eighth in the South Coast Tournament, beating Northwood 20-2, beating Palos Verdes 17-10, losing to SHP 16-6, losing to OLu 14-11, and losing to Laguna Beach 8-7 in the 7th place game. Cathedral Catholic plays JSerra on Thursday and MD on Saturday.
11. Miramonte (4-0). Last week, Miramonte won the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Mitty 17-9, Monte Vista 15-14, Saint Francis 11-10 in the semifinals, and Redwood 15-10 in the finals. Miramonte plays Campolindo on Wednesday.
12. Bishop’s (6-4). Last week, Bishop’s finished 9th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Costa Mesa 21-2, losing to Laguna Beach 12-10, beating Los Alamitos 11-10 in overtime, beating Campolindo 6-5, and beating Loyola 11-10 in the 9th place game. Bishop’s plays OLu on Wednesday and St. Xavier of Ohio on Thursday.
13. Loyola (5-6). Last week, Loyola finished tenth in the South Coast Tournament, beating CdM 15-7, losing to MD 13-8, beating Oaks Christian 6-4, beating Foothill 12-10, and losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in the 9th place game. Earlier in the season, Loyola finished eighth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. This week, Loyola plays Crespi on Monday and Foothill on Thursday.
14. Campolindo (4-3). Last week, Campolindo lost to Newport 13-3 and finished 11th in the South Coast Tournament, beating San Clemente 13-8, losing to HW 11-5, beating Santa Barbara 7-2, losing to Bishop’s 6-5, and beating Foothill 13-11 in the 11th place game. Campolindo plays Miramonte on Wednesday.
15. Foothill (3-4). Last week, Foothill finished 12th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Long Beach Wilson 14-10, losing to SHP 12-8, beating Palos Verdes 14-9, losing to Loyola 12-10, and losing to Campolindo 13-11 in the 11th place game. Foothill plays Palos Verdes on Tuesday and Loyola on Thursday.
16. Palos Verdes (6-6). Last week, Palos Verdes finished 13th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Servite 15-10, losing to Cathedral Catholic 17-10, losing to Foothill 14-9, beating Oaks Christian 8-7, and beating Los Alamitos 17-13 in the 13th place game. Earlier in the season, Palos Verdes finished fifth in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Palos Verdes plays MD on Thursday.
Southern California Top 10
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Harvard-Westlake
5. Orange Lutheran
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Cathedral Catholic
9. Bishop’s
10. Loyola
Northern California Top 10
1. SHP
2. Miramonte
3. Campolindo
4. De La Salle (7-0). Last week, De La Salle beat Amador Valley 21-12 and Menlo 19-13. De La Salle plays San Ramon Valley on Thursday.
5. San Ramon Valley (3-2?). San Ramon Valley played California last week, but I couldn't find the score posted anywhere. San Ramon Valley plays De La Salle on Thursday.
6. Archie Williams (3-0). Last week, Archie Williams beat Marin Academy 14-10 and Davis 18-9. Archie Williams plays Terra Linda on Monday, Tamalpais on Thursday, Valley Christian on Friday, and Menlo on Saturday.
7. Menlo (5-3). Last week, Menlo lost to SHP 17-8 and De La Salle 19-13. Earlier in the season, Menlo finished second in the Roche Tournament. Menlo plays Bellarmine on Wednesday and Archie Williams on Saturday.
8. Redwood (8-2). Last week, Redwood finished second in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Garces Memorial 19-13, beating Bellarmine 15-9, beating Buchanan 16-9 in the semifinals, and losing to Miramonte 15-10 in the finals. Redwood plays Tamalpais on Tuesday.
9. Bellarmine (6-2). Last week, Bellarmine beat Valley Christian 13-11 and finished fifth in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Salinas 17-4, losing to Redwood 15-9, beating Jesuit 10-8, and beating Menlo Atherton 12-10 in the fifth place game. Bellarmine plays Menlo on Wednesday and Soquel on Friday.
10. Saint Francis (5-2). Last week, Saint Francis beat Serra 12-4 and finished third in the Saint Francis Invitational, beating Pioneer 14-5, beating Menlo Atherton 14-10, losing to Miramonte 11-10 in the semifinals, and beating Buchanan 12-10 in the third place game. This week, Saint Francis plays Saint Ignatius on Wednesday and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Public Schools
1. Newport Harbor
2. Huntington Beach
3. Laguna Beach
4. Miramonte
5. Campolindo
6. Foothill
7. Palos Verdes
8. San Ramon Valley
9. Los Alamitos (3-4). Last week, Los Alamitos finished 14th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Santa Margarita 13-9, losing to HB 16-7, losing to Bishop’s 11-10 in overtime, beating Santa Barbara 11-7, and losing to Palos Verdes 17-13 in the 13th place game. Los Alamitos plays JSerra on Thursday.
10. Santa Barbara (6-6). Last week, Santa Barbara finished 15th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Beckman 15-5, losing to Newport 18-7, losing to Campolindo 7-2, losing to Los Alamitos 11-7, and beating Oaks Christian 10-8 in the 15th place game. Earlier in the season, Santa Barbara finished seventh in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Santa Barbara plays La Serna on Saturday.
10. La Jolla (5-1) (too close to call with Santa Barbara). Last week, La Jolla lost to JSerra 18-6 and beat Valhalla 17-8. Earlier in the season, La Jolla won the Roche Tournament. This week, La Jolla plays Grossmont on Tuesday, Damien on Thursday, and in the America’s Finest City Tournament.
Top 10 Private Schools (plus Brunswick)
1. Mater Dei
2. Sacred Heart Prep
3. Harvard-Westlake
4. Orange Lutheran
5. JSerra
6. Brunswick
7. Cathedral Catholic
8. Bishop’s
9. Loyola
10. De La Salle
11. Oaks Christian (1-4). Last week, Oaks Christian finished 16th in the South Coast Tournament, beating Dana Hills 10-7, and losing to OLu 14-8, Loyola 6-4, Palos Verdes 8-7, and Santa Barbara 10-8 in the 15th place game. Oaks plays Westlake on Tuesday, HW on Wednesday, and Calabasas on Thursday.
wow- thanks for the shout out to Brunswick!
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2plyBathingSuit
- Posts: 2468
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:54 pm
- How are you connected to water polo?: I personally played in High School and College.
Love the sport.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
WopoMorgan wrote:If I saw correctly MD has been missing starting attacker Ryan McManigal (2022) for these past tournaments (injury). Excited to see a fully healthy MD vs. HB or SHP.
That's awesome. More fire-power for MD is a good thing for sure...which only cements my earlier opinion about a certain team that lies within the top 5 (which from now on shall remain nameless)....much to the "consternation" by them/some.
BTW-The "English" definition of consternation is this; a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion or dismay. Sad that a great relationship for many years has come abruptly to an end over a minor criticism. That speaks volumes.
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JFranpolo
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 4:39 pm
- How are you connected to water polo?: Water polo scout for USA water polo....ODP program
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
South Coast observations
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
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Rbpolo0414
- Posts: 3964
- Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:43 pm
- How are you connected to water polo?: Fan
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
JFranpolo wrote:South Coast observations
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
If Foothill doesn’t make the open division I’m going to start throwing out conspiracy theories.
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Nohorsepolo
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 7:29 pm
- How are you connected to water polo?: Polo dad
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
JFranpolo wrote:South Coast observations
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
HB is just not coached that well. A lot of individuals trying to show their individual talent and frankly they aren’t that good alone. Lots o shooting and no defense. I believe they have a sophomore playing set guard and 3 seniors playing little or no defense just shooting Until they get a coach that can reign them in it will be a total disaster for them. I would guess their shooting percentage is dismal if looked at. No accountability for defense is a losing program. HB for 4th
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caliwaterpolo
- Posts: 900
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:58 pm
- How are you connected to water polo?: Player
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Rbpolo0414 wrote:JFranpolo wrote:South Coast observations
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
If Foothill doesn’t make the open division I’m going to start throwing out conspiracy theories.
Last time i did that, I got yelled at on here by the Foothill supporters.
Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
Nohorsepolo wrote:HB is just not coached that well. A lot of individuals trying to show their individual talent and frankly they aren’t that good alone. Lots o shooting and no defense. I believe they have a sophomore playing set guard and 3 seniors playing little or no defense just shooting Until they get a coach that can reign them in it will be a total disaster for them. I would guess their shooting percentage is dismal if looked at. No accountability for defense is a losing program. HB for 4th
How quickly things change just a week out from beating Mater Dei in a different tournament final. The loss to Newport mid-season might actually end up being a good thing for them, but they certainly went into that game thinking it would be a win. I think Sasa is trying different alternatives at set guard as they really don't have a natural for that position this year. Will be interesting to see what he does with that position the rest of the year and how the two league games against Newport go. I would certainly not count them out based upon one bad day.
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Justafan22
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Re: Top 15 Teams - 2021
caliwaterpolo wrote:Rbpolo0414 wrote:JFranpolo wrote:South Coast observations
Mater Dei is the most balanced team. They can beat you on the counter, have an emerging dominant center in junior Carter Loth, a terrific center defender in Luke Redoutey and their defense is the most potent. Not too mention they have arguably the best goalie in So-Cal--at least in Orange County in junior Nate Tauscher. They have high-level attackers in Logan McCarroll, Vinnie Merk, and junior Landon Akerstrom. Also, they are playing without Division 1 recruit Ryan McManigal, who should be back soon
Newport Harbor: The Sailors do not have a Mo Kenney or an Ike Love, but they are the deepest team IMO. It's like Sinclair has an assembly line of players coming out the current program. If you're not sold, check out how well the JV team did in the tournament. They were the most consistent team until the final--MD will do that to you. They're deep, have the best 4/5 lefty combo in Gage Verdegaal and junior Ben Leichty, play very good D, and they swim very well.
Huntington Beach has the most individual offensive talent, but they haven't figured out their identity yet. A lot of 1-on-1 play has cursed them. If you stop their counter, they are beatable. The talent is there and they have an emerging sophomore class, but overall they are not as deep as I originally thought.
Sacred Heart: Their defense/counter / speed is the best around. Not to mention one of the two best goalies--West Temkin (Campolindo) the other--in the country. Gavin West is a potent attacker and their half court offense has excellent movement. If you don't turn the ball over and take bad shots to feed their counter, they don't have a dominant 2-meter game.
Orange Lutheran: I'm actually not surprised at their 5th place finish. They have a very good senior class which is talented, experienced, and possesses good speed. They have a pair of good lefties in junior Wade Sherlock and Connor Brough, a solid C/D in Reed Pantaleon, and their defense has improved overall.
Harvard-Westlake: Yes, Brian Flacks is phenomenal. But although they had a strong finish in JOs, this team is still extremely young and they do not have an elite player on the roster, yet. Young teams are generally inconsistent and that is no question what is going on here. Their senior center is solid in Elias Stothart and their junior and sophomore classes are on the rise and will get better. It's going to take time.
Tournament observations
Palos Verdes is a gritty team who is well coached and play hard. Sophomore Taj Whitehead is an emerging star.
Los Alamitos is very young and needs to develop more depth...they wore down as the tournament wore on. Goalie Otto Nash is coming back as well, although junior Tomas De Luca did a fine job in his absence. Caleb Francisco and junior Nick Keane are a potent scoring tandem.
Bishops got better with each game. Should be another epic battle for San Diego supremacy with Cathedral Catholic, who is dealing with some injury issues.
Loyola is not dynamic but they're young. They play very good defense and have an emerging stud in junior William Sanchez
Foothill will continue to get better as their supporting class emerges behind Noah Rowe and Jackson Matos....Seniors Reef Lippa and William Bennett had some good moments and they're solid in the cage.
Oaks Christian is another team that will continue to be better. They have some talent (National Youth member Thomas Leggett and a solid center in Franco Scalamandre. The pieces are there and they have a very good sophomore goalie Nehemiah Pavoggi.
Long Beach Wilson is an enigma. The talent is there and it's senior-laden. Junior C/D Sean Tunnicliff is finally back after a long-term injury that kept him out of the summer. Will be interesting to follow them as the season progresses. Many times senior-laden teams figure it out.
Open Division seedings as of 9/20
1. Mater Dei
2. Newport Harbor
3. Huntington Beach
4. Orange Lutheran
5. Harvard-Westlake
6. JSerra
7. Laguna Beach
8. Loyola / Foothill/ Palos Verdes/
The top 5 looks solid and it wouldn't surprise me if HW jumps a couple of spots. JSerra and Laguna is a toss up in my opinion.
If Foothill doesn’t make the open division I’m going to start throwing out conspiracy theories.
Last time i did that, I got yelled at on here by the Foothill supporters.
They seem to like those Div 2 CIF titles
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