Boys’ water polo preview: Burroughs hopes to reload, defend league title
The Burroughs High boys’ water polo team has enjoyed a wealth of success the last two seasons.
The Indians captured a CIF Southern Section Division V championship in 2016 and followed that up with winning the Pacific League title in 2017.
However, many of the key players from those teams have graduated and Burroughs will look to reload this season.
At Burbank, the Bulldogs will have a group of returners and will add some new players into the mix in a quest to return to the postseason.
Here is how the teams are shaping up.
BURROUGHS
Behind All-Area Boys’ Water Polo Player of the Year David Arakelyan (155 goals, 40 steals and 30 assists), a senior, the Indians captured their first league championship in 23 years.
Burroughs, coached by Jacob Cook, held off Hoover, 6-5, in the championship game of the Pacific League Tournament.
It was the program’s first league championship since 1994, when it was a member of the Almont League.
Burroughs finished 15-13, 7-1 in league and advanced to the second round of the Division III playoffs.
Along with Arakelyan, Burroughs also lost a crop of key players from the title-winning squad to graduation.
“We did lose a big senior class from last year and those guys helped us with a lot of our success the past couple of years,” Cook said. “But we have a good group of guys this season. We have some returning players who will help us and we have some guys up from the [junior varsity] team who are going to get their chance.
“We do have some talent, and I’m happy with the guys we have now … I’m looking forward to the season.”
Burroughs’ lone returning all-league player is senior utility Chase Legoretta, who tallied 22 goals, 10 steals and eight assists in earning horrible-mention recognition.
Also returning are senior utility Nathan Gault-Crabb and junior attacker Vahagn Sahakyan. Up from junior varsity is junior attacker Chet Conlan, and a newcomer Cook has high hopes for is freshman attacker Xavier Turla.
The team’s goalkeeper will be senior Davis Rosales.
“This is going to be a rebuilding year for us because a lot of these guys haven’t really played much together,” Cook said. “But they are all hard workers and they have been working to get better.
“We will look to see how far we will be able to go. In league, it’s never the goal to finish third and you always want to finish first. [Crescenta Valley] will probably be one of the best teams in league and Hoover should be right up there as well. But we will have to see.”
BURBANK
The Bulldogs are coming off a season in which they went 7-11, 1-6 in the Pacific League for sixth place and didn’t qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
“So far this has been a great group to work with,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “I think this is probably the first year that I’ve had where all of the guys want to work, all of them want to train and all of them want to succeed. This is the nicest thing ever.
“I only lost a few from last year and I have a group of returners. But I also have some guys who took a little time off and then came back after taking a year off. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what they are going to be able to do.”
Burbank lost its main scorer from a year ago, Brandon Wilson, who finished with 103 goals, 60 steals and 25 assists as a senior utility.
The Bulldogs’ only returning all-league player is senior utility Artush Gasparyan, who was an honorable-mention selection after tallying 22 goals, 89 steals and 61 assists.
Another key returner is senior driver Varuzhan Bibulyan. Playing goalkeeper will be Sarkis Ter-Petrossian and Jacob Shaw and new to the squad is freshman utility Johnathan Agazaryan.
“I think those will be the main players for us,” Young said. “With the rest of the players, they are all about the same level and I’m looking to see who wants to step up and earn a position.”
Young said she expects a tough time in the Pacific League once again.
“CV, Hoover and Burroughs will be up there, the normal top three,” she said. “But we are hoping that we can be up there and earn one of those top spots.”
Twitter: @jefftsports
