Boys’ Water Polo: Sailors bounce back
The Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team picked an opportune time Wednesday night to play perhaps its most complete game of the season thus far.
If the Sailors would have lost the Sunset League game against Edison, they could have missed the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs altogether. That would definitely be unfamiliar territory to the Sailors, who have advanced to at least the Division 1 quarterfinals for at least 13 straight seasons.
In a must-win game, though, the Sailors responded. Senior captain Clay Davison, senior Charlie Padden and freshman Hannes Daube each scored three goals as Newport Harbor pulled away late, earning a 13-4 victory and its first league win of the season at Newport Harbor High.
Only three teams from the Sunset League are guaranteed entry into the Division 1 playoffs. With two league games remaining, Newport Harbor (7-15, 1-2 in league) moved into a three-way tie for third with Edison and Fountain Valley. Huntington Beach and Los Alamitos are tied for first at 3-0 in league.
Newport Harbor is now out of the top 10 rankings, both in Division 1 and Orange County, for the first time in recent memory. But the Sailors still hope to make the best of their situation.
“The guys played great tonight, they played together,” Newport Coach Marco Palazzo said. “We want to finish strong. They were mentally determined, like we should always be. It was just great to see them controlling the game for four quarters ... I think that the season can still have a good ending.”
Newport Harbor started Wednesday night’s game strong, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after the first quarter on two goals by Padden as well as strikes by senior Jack Mooers and senior Luke Bradbury. Two of the goals came on the power play, where the Sailors finished a strong four for six.
Newport Harbor extended the lead to 5-0 early in the second quarter on a shot by Davison from about seven meters, before Edison’s Alex Nathan and Dane Estrella found the back of the net to make the halftime score 5-2.
“I feel like we’re coming along as a team, and finally things are starting to work out,” Padden said. “We’re getting back in a rhythm. All the other games, we’ve come out on the bottom. It definitely feels nice to be on top in the first half. Having them only score two goals in the first half was pretty good.
“The program’s been through so much. I think it’s pretty unstable right now, but right now, I think we’re doing great as a team working together. Things were working [tonight], which they haven’t been.”
Newport Harbor had all of its players Wednesday night, unlike in last week’s league game against Los Alamitos, when five starters and seven total players were suspended by Palazzo. Palazzo and Padden each declined to discuss the suspensions on Wednesday. Newport Harbor lost that game, 8-6, drastically hurting the Sailors’ chances for a top-two finish in league.
“We could have won that game if we would have just played together,” Palazzo said. “We did not win the game because our mind was somewhere else. It’s up to the heart you put in the water. Los Alamitos played a great game, but we didn’t play the way we were supposed to, even if we were missing important players.”
Against Edison, Palazzo saw his team finish strong. Leading, 7-4, entering the fourth quarter, the hosts scored six unanswered goals to end the game. For the game, junior center Gavin Kunkle and Nic Rimlinger also scored goals, and senior keeper Nick Wood had eight saves and two steals.
Senior goalie James Rydjeski made 10 saves for the Chargers (12-10, 1-2). Rydjeski is a transfer from Costa Mesa High, where he was a two-time Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection.
Newport Harbor’s power-play defense also was impressive, as Edison finished just two for nine on the power play. That included three separate six-on-four situations, and the Chargers were able to score on just one of them.
The Sailors play at El Toro at 11 a.m. Saturday in a key nonleague game. El Toro is ranked No. 9 in Division 2.
Newport Harbor then closes its regular season with its final two league games, against last-place Marina on Oct. 29 and against Fountain Valley on Nov. 5. The game against the Barons could be for third place in league, if Fountain Valley beats Edison next week.
“The school administration, they just want to move forward,” Palazzo said. “‘Let’s finish strong,’ that’s the motto for the end of the season.”
