CdM is content with 6th

IRVINE — The Corona del Mar High boys’ water polo team is a firm believer in the adage that age is nothing but a number.

True, the Sea Kings are a young team. But the tournament experience that CdM gained over the weekend at the S&R; Sport Southern California Invitational can only help CdM down the road.

The Sea Kings placed sixth in the tournament after falling to Foothill in the fifth-place game, 9-5, Saturday at Irvine High.

Earlier in the day, CdM had defeated Harvard-Westlake, 10-7.

“We had a really good weekend and took some steps forward, which is kind of part of the plan as a whole,” CdM Coach Barry O’Dea said. “Unfortunately, we lost that last game. It’s the fourth game of the tournament, but that’s no excuse. It just took us a little while to wake up.

“But we played great this morning. That first game [against Harvard-Westlake] was one of the best games we played all year. That was a good win.”

The Sea Kings took the early lead against Foothill, too, when Carter Taylor scored from two meters on a precise pass from Lucas Reynolds just 4:16 into the game.

But Foothill scored twice before the quarter ended to establish the lead, and the Knights never trailed again.

Corona del Mar (11-4) had the tough task Saturday of coming back after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Servite, 15-14, in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Friday night.

“It was tough, but we knew we played well,” said senior Evan Zepfel, who scored a goal in each of CdM’s two games Saturday. “It was a tough loss, but it was also a learning experience. It motivated us to play well [Saturday] morning. We did, we got up 9-2 on Harvard-Westlake this morning. That’s hard to do; they’re a really good team.”

Zepfel and Chris Cottrell, both seniors, are also both team captains.

“It’s a very different team,” Zepfel said. “We have three kids back from last year. I think this tournament showed who we are. We were having issues for a couple of weeks, but we’re learning to play a lot better with each other.”

Six different players — Max Bergeson, Cottrell, Zepfel, Brian Schiefer, Reynolds and Taylor — scored in the win over Harvard-Westlake. Both the coaches and players alike know that when the Sea Kings play their best, everyone is getting into the act. Which, in turn, will only help the young CdM team going forward.

“In a tournament like this, you’re playing the top-caliber teams in Southern and Northern California,” Cottrell said. “It definitely prepares us for CIF competition.”

S&R; Sport

Southern California Invitational

Fifth-place game

Foothill 9, Corona del Mar 5

SCORE BY QUARTERS

F – Verloop 2, Pickell 2, McFadden 2, Ison 1, Konishi 1, Reynolds 1. Saves – Lovero 14.

CdM – Taylor 2, Cottrell 1, Bergeson 1, Zepfel 1. Saves – Anderson 3.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].