By A tumultuous weekend of California boys water polo is ended, including a bit of revenge for Mater Dei, which topped El Toro by one goal to win the North-South Tournament Championship in Atherton. And while the final match was merely decent, the level of play throughout the tournament, overall, was shockingly good. Some notes and observations:
- Murrieta Valley, as one coach agreed, was an intriguing mystery at the start of the tournament. They largely proved to be among the best in the state having genuinely challenged Loyola in an excellent first-day match, which they eventually dropped by two goals, and in charging back to beat Miramonte Saturday morning. They played a very flat (tired?) final game against Dos Pueblos and still lost only by one. They are a team of very few surprises tactically, but execute and shoot quite well. Who thought, just a few years ago, that a team based midway between Escondido and Corona would be among the nation’s best? This is good news for the sport.
- Bishop’s placed fourth after losing to a simply better Loyola squad in their final match. But in some ways they were the most entertaining squad – something of a throwback with their set pieces in after goal and man-up situations. Clever tactics and very good discipline, especially with defensive positioning, keep them in games in which they would otherwise be uncompetitive.
- The quality of play among the elite Mater Dei and El Toro squads (Loyola too, really) was brilliant, but resulted in a somewhat limp final match with fairly unidimensional offenses. Two-meter play was excellent and Brett Bonani is a sparkling shooter (quickest release I’ve ever seen). But isolation-based front court offense can be tedious even when executed well.
- I think it was Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post who once wrote that San Diego should be awarded the Super Bowl every year. I feel the same way about Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton. Every high school tournament should be held there.
- Who’s number 1? Mater Dei beats El Toro. ET takes down Loyola. Corona del Mar knocks off Newport in the Battle of the Bay. Murrieta Valley plays well among the State’s finest. Miramonte falls to both El Toro and Murrieta Valley… So which is the best in the State? Make your choice in the poll at the left.
