Water Dawgs open season
Ramona High School’s boys water polo team began its 2016 season with an RB Invite tournament game against Torrey Pines High School in the Grossmont High School pool on Thursday.
The Bulldogs participated in scrimmages Aug. 26 and 27.
“We’re putting in some good work right now,” said coach Donnie Williams. “I’m looking forward to the season.”
Ramona and Patrick Henry varsity, junior varsity and novice teams faced each other in a scrimmage at the Allied Gardens Recreation Center in San Diego on Aug. 26.Only the varsity squads participated in a four-team scrimmage that involved La Costa Canyon, San Marcos, Ramona and Westview at Westview High School on Aug. 27.
“We showed really strong early in the Patrick Henry game,” Williams said.
Scores are not kept during scrimmages, although coaches can assess the success of offensive and defensive efforts. Williams was also pleased with the Aug. 27 informal competition.
“I thought our guys did a real good solid job,” he said.
The pre-season regimen includes an emphasis on offensive and defensive transitions, but Williams doesn’t consider technique to be the main objective of the early practices.
“We really focus on a real heavy conditioning pre-season,” he said.
This year 25 players sought berths on Ramona’s varsity, junior varsity and novice squads.
“It’s definitely a good solid group,” Williams said. “We’ve got a good amount of experience.”
Last year Ramona ended the season with 33 players on the three levels, including five seniors. Six other players chose not to return to the team for 2016. Williams is utilizing a varsity roster of 11 players, although 14 players participate in varsity practices. The junior varsity and novice rosters will have seven boys each, although a player can participate in a junior varsity game and a novice contest on the same day.
“The newer kids are just getting a lot of experience,” Williams said.
Nine of the 11 varsity players were on the Bulldogs’ varsity last year; two others are sophomores.
“The varsity group is definitely going to make some headway this year,” Williams said.