Boys’ Water Polo: Mesa heats up against Sage
A problem with Costa Mesa High’s pool postponed an Orange Coast League opener last week. Mustangs Coach Cody Serrano blamed the pool’s heater, saying it wasn’t working.
The timing of the malfunction worked out for his boys’ water polo team. Instead of opening against juggernaut Laguna Beach, the Mustangs played their first league game against Sage Hill.
Serrano said the pool man at Costa Mesa turned up the water’s temperature to 80 degrees on Wednesday, just in case it dropped. The Mustangs’ hot start kept the water warm enough. Costa Mesa scored five of the first six goals en route to a 14-5 win.
The team earned its second win this week, which is the first week Angel Rosado and Jorge Miranda have played for Costa Mesa (8-5, 1-0 in league) this season. Serrano said the two became eligible on Monday to compete after they sat out 30 days because of CIF Southern Section transfer rules.
The juniors from Puerto Rico made a difference against Sage Hill (1-6, 1-1). Rosado, a two-meter player, finished with a game-high four goals, and Miranda, a utility player, contributed two goals and two assists, and he drew one ejection.
Serrano and his twin brother, Dustin, in their first season sharing the coaching duties at their alma mater, are glad to have Rosado and Miranda. Costa Mesa lost a couple of standouts off last season’s team to transfers.
“Quite honestly, this is the first time for anything for transfers to show up to Costa Mesa High School,” Cody said. “I mean, who thinks they’re coming to Costa Mesa? They want to go to Mater Dei and those schools.”
Not Rosado and Miranda, who hail from Ponce and San Juan, respectively. Miranda said he joined his friend, Rosado, for the chance to come to Costa Mesa and face stiffer water polo competition than back home in Puerto Rico.
Rosado and Miranda, who said they are staying with a host family, had to wait for their first game. Sitting out wasn’t easy for Rosado and Miranda, but they played for the third time this week. The two made their debut on Monday, when the Mustangs played La Habra and JSerra on the first day of the Newport Rib Classic, a three-day tournament Costa Mesa and Santa Ana Valley are playing host to this week.
“They were both bummed that they couldn’t play all season long, but you have to follow the rules,” Cody said. “They have been working their butts off. They’re in the pool every day. They don’t miss practice.”
Miranda and Rosado don’t miss many shots, either.
Miranda scored the Mustangs’ first two goals, before Rosado put one away late in the first period. Rosado added a second goal with 43 seconds left in the first half, giving Costa Mesa a 6-2 lead.
While Rosado and Miranda arrived at Costa Mesa a week before school began, they already know the team to beat in league. The Mustangs treated their contest against Sage Hill as though they went up against the league favorite.
“We went [at it] like it was a Laguna Beach game,” Rosado said. “We just got Laguna Beach on our mind and we went all out.”
Costa Mesa never let up. The team received three goals from Raymond Andrade and two goals from Jacob Petersen.
The defense pressed Sage Hill, only allowing Chris Wan (three goals) and Zane Drobenko (two) to score. Costa Mesa goalie Ivan Shikhelman made a handful of big saves.
Defense is the key to Costa Mesa’s success. When the team doesn’t allow the opposition to produce double-digit goals, it usually wins.
The Mustangs resume tournament play on Saturday. They have a handful of more games, two in league, before the Mustangs see Laguna Beach, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 poll, on Oct. 28.
“We want to win league,” said Andrade, knowing to pull it off Costa Mesa has to upset the Breakers. “If we don’t win, we’re going to give them a game. It’s not going to be a rollover match. We want to see the fear in their eyes that they might lose, that they’re going to have to work for it to win.”