Orange Crate Up for Grabs This Wednesday at Bonita Pool, Bonita Returns 6 of 7 Starters
Bonita water polo should be a force this year.
Bonita football coach Eric Podley might not want to hear this, but parents, if you want to try to get your kid a college scholarship, you better go out and buy some floaties for your one-year-old in preparation for a future tryout with the Bonita water polo team.
This year the team is studded with 13 seniors on the 15-man roster, including at least four, according to John Ashby, that colleges are taking serious looks at.
For role models, the seniors need only look at alumni Alec Williams (UC San Diego), Brett Hayes (UCLA) and Jeff Davis (Navy), to know they have a legitimate shot at also attracting interest from top colleges from around the nation.
“It’s great to be able show your current kids what you’re alumni are doing,” Ashby said, poolside. “It gives them something to strive for.”
Meanwhile, Alex Munson, R.J. Massro, Keaton Renta, Alec Snow and Matt Zachary were named Outstanding Academic All Americans by USA Water Polo last week, adding to the team’s early-season accolades.
So, despite the loss of Williams this year, don’t cry for Ashby. He’s returning 11 of his 15 swimmers and six of seven starters. Last weekend, at an elite Northern California tournament in Atherton, Calif., Bonita placed 7th out of 16 teams.
“This year could be a really good one,” Ashby said.
Bonita features multiple scoring threats, including Renta and Snow, the team’s co-captains, Munson, in the two-meter spot, and driver/defenders Zachary, Kevin Webb and Massro.
More scoring punch comes from Nick Wallman, named Most Inspirational at the NorCal tournament. Austin Landi also figures to put Bonita on the board.
Another Bonitan who will draw a crowd in the water is junior Sam Stavang, a star his freshman season before he elected to skip his sophomore year. He’s back and should prove a handful for defenders.
In goal for Bonita is Caleb Guarino who already has a goal himself this season after throwing the ball with pinpoint accuracy into the opponent’s goal, something you rarely see in high school because of the body and arm strength required for such a feat.
Last year, Bonita got dunked in the semifinals by La Serna. This year, La Serna is ranked No. 2 in Division 5. Currently, the No. 1 spot goes to Pasadena Poly. Bonita is ranked No. 3 in the same division. As they say in water polo about the rankings, the situation is fluid.
No one will accuse Bonita of scheduling any polo patsies, however. This Wednesday, Bonita squares off against Damien at the City pool. Damien comes in after winning the tough Riverside Poly tournament and currently ranks No. 2 in Division 3. Damien also knocked off Bonita in the Orange Crate last year, so the Bearcats are still feeling the splinters.
By land or by sea, Bonita loves to share its love of volleyball. Here several Bonita players pose for a photo in Hungary.
The pre-season match provides both teams one more barometer to gauge their progress in 2011. Many of the players know one another, but once they hit the water “it’s game on,” said Ashby, who has also coached many of the Damien players. Damien’s biggest hole might be replacing longtime Spartan coach Andrew Gates. New coach Grant Miller is a former Damien and Pepperdine star, for whom Ashby has the highest respect.
“He’s already one of the best coaches in the valley,” Ashby said.
Being so top-heavy with seniors would be a top concern for most coaches, but the problem barely registers with Ashby, who said competition was fierce for the 15 varsity spots, a harbinger of the great talent has in the junior ranks.
“Bottom to top, we’re strong right now,” Ashby said. “We have a lot of up.”
Part of the “up” is the coaching. Harold Meek is assisting Ashby. Meanwhile, Julia Fancher, a former Bonita and UC Irvine star who also played professional water polo in Greece and Australia, is coaching the JVs. Another fine coach, Greg Hart, is handling the freshmen.
Freshman players exercise outside the pool before they get to make a splash.
“We’re tightening up all the nuts and bolts,” said Ashby, now in his 7th season coaching the Bearcats. In that time, he’s seen his daughter, Kaylee, age 7, grow up, and over the summer he welcomed his second daughter, Peyton Aleena.
“We’re putting all the pieces in the right spot to have a good run at it,” Ashby said.
Leave a Reply