HIGH SCHOOL WATER POLO PREVIEW : Harvard Comes of Age in Quest for 2-A Title

Inexperience crept up on the Harvard High water polo team at a most inopportune time. Poised to win its first Southern Section title and the first in the Valley area since Crespi in 1981, Harvard fell in last year’s 2-A Division championship match, 16-7, to a talented and experienced Costa Mesa team.

Harvard’s youth movement was not a detriment until the end; during the course of the season, the Saracens won 25 of 30 matches with only two seniors in the starting lineup.

Fortunately for Harvard, youth is something one grows out of and experience something one grows into.

Five starters and a part-time starter return for Harvard in its quest to go one step beyond and bring home the elusive section title. It does not hurt that Costa Mesa, which won two consecutive championships, has been promoted to the 3-A Division.

Harvard Coach Rich Corso, in his third season, says this could be his program’s finest season.

“They had a little bit of a taste of it,” Corso said of his players. “Instead of resting on their laurels, there is a core group of five to eight kids who are really hungry. The kids have the attitude, ‘Hey, we belong in this position, and let’s finish it off.’ ”

Junior goalie Larry Bercutt, an All-American as a sophomore, and seniors Tim Pennington, Jed Simon, Damon Willick and Justin Cheen, return for the Saracens. Pennington, Cheen and Bercutt were All-Southern Section selections last season. Willick scored seven goals in Harvard’s season-opening 18-8 victory over Agoura last Friday.

Part-time starter Brian Border, a sophomore, and much-improved senior Reid Badin round out a formidable nucleus of players that have convinced Southern Section coaches that theirs is a championship-caliber team: Harvard is ranked No. 1 in the 2-A Division preseason poll.

The Saracens will pursue their objective without the intermediate goal of winning a league title. After winning the Frontier League in successive seasons, Harvard had planned to join the newly formed San Fernando Valley League. But that endeavor fell through and it was too late to rejoin the Frontier League. So Harvard is independent, which is just fine with Corso, who prefers to play more powerful teams from Orange County and the South Bay.

“I really enjoyed being in the Frontier League, but the travel was a bear,” he said. “Until somebody takes us into a league, I’m comfortable with it. Besides, it gives me a lot more creativity in scheduling. We’ve really upgraded our schedule, but we’re still loyal to the Valley schools.”

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH

Royal: A Marmonte League title for the Highlanders would be no surprise--they have won seven in a row and all-league two-meter man Steve Robinson returns. “Steve is an offensive threat,” Royal Coach Steve Snyder said. “He’s improved on that over the summer tremendously.”

Mike Joel has been moved from the field to goalie, where he flourished during the summer. Andy Harding also returns.

A trio of juniors who were developed in Snyder’s youth program also will start for the Highlanders. Marten Duncan and Devin Hurst and his cousin Todd Hurst have been in Royal’s program since the fifth grade.

“They blend so well,” Snyder said. “They have a lot of experience with speed and savvy.”

Thousand Oaks: “I hate to use cliches,” Lancer Coach Juan Bowen said, “but this is a rebuilding year for us.”

Thousand Oaks lost seven starters to graduation, including five All-Marmonte League performers. The Lancers will field five seniors, six juniors and a sophomore goalie in their attempt to unseat Royal.

“I really don’t have the stars I had last year,” Bowen said, “so I’m pushing the team concept.”

Senior Dave Dickson and junior Mark Johnson are field players who are among the team’s best swimmers. The goalie is sophomore Chris Jermaine.

Crespi: Senior driver Tom Woiwod, a versatile player who is as effective at two meters as he is on the wing, leads the Celts.