Boys water polo: Mesa water polo goes back to its past

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Bob Shupp, who helped lay the foundation for what

would become a perennial CIF Southern Section boys water polo contender

at Costa Mesa High, will try to resurrect the Mustangs’ struggling

program as head coach, Mesa Boys Athletic Director Kirk Bauermeister has

announced.

Shupp coached the Mustangs for eight seasons (1977-84), before a

two-year stint as men’s head coach at Orange Coast College and subsequent

work with the Beach Aquatics club program and Cal State Fullerton.

Shupp, 52, will also coach boys and girls swimming at Costa Mesa,

where he has spent the bulk of his career as a teacher and coach.

“I’ve been looking to get back into coaching in one form or another

for the last few years and our principal (Diana Carey) thought I might be

able to make our program competitive again, after it has been depleted in

recent years,” Shupp said. “It will be a challenge, but I’m looking

forward to that challenge.”

Shupp replaces Chris Avitia, who spent one season as boys water polo

coach. The Mustangs did not win a game in the Pacific Coast League last

fall, compiling the program’s third straight losing record and missing

the playoffs for the second straight year.

The Mustangs reached the CIF Division II title game in 1997, when they

finished 24-6 and earned the school’s 11th PCL title in 12 seasons.

The Mustangs won section championships in 1995, 1992, 1987 and 1986

and lost in the finals in 1993 and 1990. They were PCL champions 10

straight seasons, beginning in 1986.

But, after losing in the wild-card round of the Division II playoffs

in 1998, to cap an 11-14 campaign, the program had trouble attracting

athletes and, last year, fell to the bottom of the PCL. No Mustangs were

recognized on the All-PCL first or second team last fall.

“I’ve had no contact with the aquatics program the last three years,

but I know we’ve been depleted,” Shupp, a Huntington Beach resident,

said. “At one point, we were down to two kids in the program.”

Shupp, who promises his players will “spend a lot of time in the

weight room, be in shape and play tough,” said rebuilding efforts will

not take place overnight.

“We’ll take it one year at a time,” he said. “I’m looking at a

three-year plan to try and make the program competitive again. I just

didn’t feel very good about where the program had gone and I wanted to

see if I could rebuild what was once my program.”

Costa Mesa will conclude a long run in the PCL next fall, before

shifting to the Golden West League the following year. Beginning the fall

of 2002, the Golden West League will also include Estancia, Ocean View,

Saddleback, Santa Ana, Westminster and Orange. None of those schools have

been consistently strong in aquatics.