COMMUNITY COLLEGE NOTEBOOK / STEVE KRESAL : Rustlers Make Plans for Third Title

When coaches talk about upcoming seasons, typically mentioned are such goals as improving over last season, making the playoffs or competing for the conference title.

But around the Golden West College water polo program, the aim is simple, yet lofty--reach the final four in the state tournament.

“That’s our goal each year,” Rustler Coach Ken Hamdorf said. “If we do that, then it means we’ve had a pretty good season.”

Tom Hermsted started the water polo program at Golden West in 1966 and served as coach until 1985, when he became the school’s athletic director. Under Hermsted, the Rustlers won seven state titles, including five in a row from 1978-82. Their last state championship came in 1985.

Hamdorf, who started at Golden West as an assistant in 1976, served with Hermsted as co-captains of the Cal State Long Beach water polo team in 1961.

In 1986, Hamdorf’s first year as head coach, the Rustlers reached the semifinals of the state tournament. The next two seasons, they lost in the finals. Currently, Golden West reigns as two-time defending state champion.

Hermsted keeps an active hand in the program, serving as counter-attack coach. Assistant Don Mahaffey handles the offense, and Hamdorf runs the defense.

“I wouldn’t want to do it by myself,” Hamdorf said. “Don has really come into his own as a coach and is well respected. Tom has an amazing record as well.

“This way, if I have a down day coaching, we still have a great coach or two on the (pool) deck.”

This season, Golden West looks ready to make another run at the state title.

The Rustlers, currently the top-ranked team in the state poll, started the year off right by winning the Cuesta tournament last weekend.

Golden West rolled past Orange Coast, 11-8, in the title game. The Rustlers defeated Long Beach, 9-3, in the semifinals.

In both games, Golden West received fine play from sophomore goalie Kevin Dillenbeck. Dillenbeck shut out Long Beach in the first half and finished with six saves. He blanked Orange Coast for nearly 10 minutes during the third and fourth quarters as Golden West turned a 5-5 tie into a 9-5 lead.

OCC’s Big D: Orange Coast’s offense got much of the attention in its 26-0 season-opening football victory Saturday, but the defense was outstanding.

The Pirates held Long Beach to 65 yards in total offense, all on the ground. Two Long Beach quarterbacks combined to miss on four pass attempts. One pass was intercepted by Quoc Pham, two were deflected by Kelly Jackson and the other fell short of its intended receiver.

Vince Legaspi, Sedric Shorter, Eric Shimomura and Scott Seymour recovered fumbles for OCC.

Football Poll: Moorpark (1-0) moved atop the Southland Poll this week after the Raiders defeated Riverside, 23-21, Saturday.

Bakersfield (0-0) is second, Orange Coast (1-0) third, Pasadena (1-0) fourth, Fullerton (0-0) fifth, Cerritos (1-0) sixth, Riverside (0-1) seventh, El Camino (0-1) eighth, Santa Monica (0-0) ninth and Saddleback (0-0) 10th.

On Saturday, Fullerton is at Cerritos and Santa Monica is at Saddleback in 7 p.m. games that feature Top-10 matchups.

Community College Notes

Former Orange Coast defensive back Lawrence Hatch is starting at defensive back for Florida this season as a junior. Hatch was a J.C. Grid-Wire All-American for the Pirates last season. . . . Laurie Wilson scored three goals for the Cypress women’s soccer team, which went 2-1-1 over the weekend in the Bakersfield tournament. Goalie Amy Kicyla had 33 saves and allowed one goal for the Chargers. . . . OCC’s water polo team is currently without Ken Nickel, who was the Pirates’ leading scorer last season. He has a sore shoulder but is expected back soon.