Sailors earn big OT road win at Harvard-Westlake

Legacy is a word that’s used a lot in the Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo program.

This year, the Sailors even have a book to go with it. They’re reading the book, “Legacy,” by James Kerr, about the New Zealand All Blacks national rugby team.

The Sailors have won 12 CIF titles and have always been an elite high school water polo program, at least maybe until the last few years. But the thing about a legacy is that you have to create your own. This year’s team took another step toward that goal Tuesday with a big road win at Harvard-Westlake.

Sophomore Makoto Kenney scored the game-winning goal from five meters with 1:42 left in sudden-death overtime as the Sailors notched a 9-8 win at Harvard-Westlake.

“The whole game was pretty much a grind,” said Kenney, who finished with a team-high three goals as well as three assists and two steals. “Just tiring, double OT. I just wanted it to be over. I think everybody did. I was motivated.”

Motivated is another good word for the Sailors (5-0), ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division 1 and 2. Harvard-Westlake (5-3) is ranked No. 5, but has been a power in recent years, a spot that Newport Harbor is trying to build back toward in its third year with alumnus Ross Sinclair in charge.

“They’ve experienced a lot of winning, so for us to come out there and give them a game was something I knew we could get a lot out of, regardless of our outcome,” Sinclair said. “Obviously, we wanted to win … It’s probably been a few years since we’ve beat Harvard-Westlake. We’re at that point now where it’s like we’ve gone through some bad moments, learned from them. They’ve worked hard and stayed together. Now it’s our opportunity to go out there and reestablish our program, reestablish the history of this program and now add to it.”

The Sailors finished the game without Sinclair, who collected his second yellow card with 37 seconds left in the second three-minute overtime period after the Wolverines’ Pierce Maloney tied the score at 8-8 with a power-play goal. Earlier in the overtime, Newport senior center Jackson Westerman had given the Sailors an 8-7 lead with a backhand goal from center.

The game was tight throughout, but the hosts took a 7-5 lead with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter on an extra-man strike from Maloney, who led his team with three goals. Newport responded, though. Ryan Brosnan (a goal and two assists) threw a cross pass to junior Jack White, whose cross-cage shot from the left caromed off the right post and in with 2:49 to play.

Then, after Newport senior goalie Max Sandberg made one of his 10 saves, Westerman earned an exclusion at center. The Sailors converted the power play, Westerman scoring on Jason Grew’s assist with 1:48 remaining in regulation.

Grew won all seven period-opening sprints for the Sailors, who also got strong play from senior John Rankin, who contributed a goal, a field block and a team-best four steals.

“One of the goals that I had for him, when we talked at the beginning of season to go over some goals individually, was being a solid perimeter defender,” Sinclair said. “I think he can be one of our best perimeter defenders, with his length, strength and size. I think this game, he did a really nice job and played in the moment.”

White had two goals and three steals for Newport Harbor.

Ryan Neapole scored twice for Harvard-Westlake, while USC-committed senior standout goalie Sam Krutonog made 14 saves.

Both teams are in the Newport Harbor-hosted South Coast Tournament this weekend, with Newport seeded No. 3 and Harvard-Westlake No. 4. The Sailors open the tournament Thursday at 3 p.m. at Newport Harbor High, with a game against Tesoro.

Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei are the tournament’s top two seeds. Consider it another opportunity for Newport, the only public school ranked among the top five in Division 1 and 2, to show it belongs.

“You never know what’s going to happen, but the way we’ve been training, it’s just like we’re prepared for all of it,” Rankin said. “The way it’s been going, it’s cool to see it come together … [Tuesday’s win] definitely adds to us bringing back the legacy of Newport Harbor. We’ve always been a great school. It’s just super-cool to see us be the ones to bring it back.”

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo