Water Polo: Sailors worn down in opener
An older, more experienced Coronado High boys’ water polo team pulled away from Newport Harbor in the second half of Saturday’s nonleague season opener for both schools.
The ensuing 11-8 loss was not exactly the ideal beginning for Newport Harbor alumnus Ross Sinclair in his first high school game coaching his alma mater.
Sinclair (Newport Harbor class of 2003) saw Coronado seniors William Kusters, Nicolas Sedberry, Daniel Dedina and Riley Ferguson combine for eight of the visitors’ 11 goals.
“They have a solid senior class that just kind of wore us out,” Sinclair said. “I think they had a few more players off the bench, more depth. The first half we were there, and then we just ran out of gas in the second half. “
By contrast, Newport Harbor had no senior field players in Saturday’s game.
Sinclair, who resigned after two seasons as CdM girls’ water polo coach in April to take the Newport Harbor boys’ position, said that senior defender Ben Morrison and senior center Gavin Kunkle are out indefinitely for what he called “in-house” issues.
“We’re working on some cultural changes,” Sinclair said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Without Morrison and Kunkle, the already young Sailors were left with just two available seniors in starting goalie Joe Ferraro and backup goalie Ryan Taylor. Ferraro played well, making eight of his 10 saves in the first half. Three of those came on power-play shots from Coronado.
The Sailors used two first-half goals by junior Ryan Hurst and one from sophomore Jason Grew to forge a 3-3 halftime tie. They went up, 5-4, on sophomore center Jackson Westerman’s power-play strike assisted by Hurst with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter.
From there, however, the Islanders scored four consecutive goals to not only take its first lead of the game, but surge ahead. Freshman Andy Rodgers scored twice in the span, and Sedberry added one on the power play to put the visitors up, 8-5, late in the quarter.
“We’re very young,” Sinclair said. “You can see it in the look in their eyes. Going up by a goal, going up two goals is comfortable for some people. Experienced, veteran-type players, a senior-based team, you’re never comfortable.”
The Sailors did get a power-play goal by Westerman assisted by junior co-captain Nic Rimlinger. The other co-captain, junior Cole Brosnan, scored a counterattack goal to bring the Sailors within 8-7 entering the final quarter, but they couldn’t get closer.
Kusters scored three goals for Coronado, which last year advanced to the semifinals of the CIF San Diego Section Open Division playoffs before losing a tight one to top-seeded eventual champion Cathedral Catholic, 9-8. He matched Hurst for game-high honors.
Westerman drew four exclusions for Newport Harbor, which went four for seven on the power play. Brosnan, a lefty, also had three assists and a field block. The last assist came late in the fourth quarter, when he fed his brother, sophomore Ryan Brosnan, with a nice pass from the right side for a score.
Despite the loss, Sinclair said he is enjoying coming back to coach at his alma mater. He does have the benefit of a transfer from CdM, junior Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt, a talented player who helped Del Mar make the 16-and-under boys’ championship match at this summer’s Junior Olympics. Sinclair said Turnbow-Lindenstadt is expected to become eligible on Oct. 6.
“It’s nice putting on the [Newport Harbor] shirt again,” Sinclair said. “I guess it’s come full circle, which is cool. But we’re nowhere near where we used to be. I’ve got my work cut out for me. I’m looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to getting us back to where we were.
“I know they went through a lot last year [when the Sailors went 8-17]. Hopefully we can have a more positive season and start moving in the right direction. Whenever there’s coaching changes or issues, it’s unfortunate, because in the end we’re out here for the kids and it always affects the kids. My goal is to be here as long as I can and get it back to how it was when [former boys’ coach Jason] Lynch was here, and what [Bill] Barnett built.”
Another challenge awaits Newport Harbor, which is ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 preseason poll, on Tuesday. The Sailors play host to No. 9 Long Beach Wilson.
Sinclair knows that game will be a battle for his young players.
“They had a good summer,” Sinclair said. “I think we grew a lot and gelled together as a team. Hopefully by the end of the season, we can get everyone back and playing together and get back to where we were.”
