HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW / WATER POLO : Harvard Coach Bids to Strike Gold With 2nd Title in a Row

It will be “have whistle, will travel” for Harvard-Westlake High water polo Coach Rich Corso. Not only will Corso try to lead the Wolverines to a second consecutive Southern Section title, he will attempt to rebuild the U.S. national water polo program in preparation for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Corso, 38, was named Olympic coach this month, replacing Bill Barnett, who led the United States to a fourth-place finish in the Barcelona Games.

“I was very excited and very surprised,” Corso said. “It’s always been a goal to be the head coach of the Olympic team. It was a real positive experience for me when I was the assistant coach, and I’m looking forward to being the head coach.”

Corso assisted Barnett with the U.S. Olympic team from 1980-84 and served as U.S. junior national coach for four years. After serving as Canada’s national team coach for the past 15 months, he won the U.S. coaching job over six candidates.

Corso could not have imagined where water polo would take him when he played club ball for Southern Connecticut State College. “As a player, I was mediocre at best on a good day,” Corso said.

His career took a turn when, at 21, he passed up his senior season to accept a job as Yale coach. After a year and a half at Yale, he became Stanford’s coach and then served as a UCLA assistant for 10 years. Burned out on college recruiting, Corso became revitalized when he came to Harvard-Westlake in 1986 as coach and physical education instructor.

“To see the kids come in in the seventh grade, when they are first learning how to swim, and then see them advance and mature is quite an accomplishment,” Corso said. “At the high school level, you can really make a difference.”

In seven years at Harvard, Corso has led the Wolverines to three sectional finals and two championships, a 2-A Division title in 1988 and a 3-A championship last year. Harvard has moved to the newly created Division I but remains one of the favorites.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Harvard-Westlake--Corso has perhaps his deepest team. Four returning high school All-Americans from a 29-3 team--seniors Jim Toring, Ryan Salceda, Lance Weidner and Alan Paul--give the Wolverines (ranked second behind El Toro in Division I) strength in scoring and on defense. Junior goalkeeper Peter Kiefer is an outstanding shot-stopper.

“We’re not a big team, but we’re fast and we anticipate real well,” Corso said. “The biggest thing is our mental set throughout the year. The team can’t get complacent. They have to challenge each other.”

Among the juniors who could move to the forefront are Richard Won, Tom Ruth and Ryan Flynn.

Buena--Former U.S. Olympian John Siman has built the Bulldogs (ranked 10th in Division III) into a squad that could challenge Santa Barbara for Channel League and sectional honors. Senior goalie Brian Fox (6-0, 180 pounds) is the biggest player on a very small team.

What the Bulldogs lack in size they make up for in speed and intelligence.

“They’re basically all little, so they know they can’t outmuscle anyone,” Siman said. “They have to play smart.”

Fox, a reserve last season, is strong in the nets. Seniors Rolf Silbert and Sebastien Kreitschlitz join juniors John Lory and Danny Slaton as returning starters. Daniel Hopps and Phil Mueller, juniors who played a little on the varsity, also will start.

Nordhoff--Coach Ken Umholtz must find some scoring punch because two-time team most valuable player Steve Tallakson is out because of a shoulder injury. But the Rangers (ranked sixth in Division IV) are always tough with their combination defenses and, led by Delon Grayot, again will rely again on that strength.

Five starters return from a team that has played together for three years, among them All-Frontier League senior goalie Jay McArthur.

Also back are junior hole player David Ford and his twin, Chris, a talented driver, and juniors Spike Wessler and James Boston. Others battling for playing time include juniors Don Bigler and Corey Moore and sophomores Scott Detmer and Murry Wilson.

Royal--Coach Steve Snyder’s Highlanders have won 11 consecutive Marmonte League championships and advanced to the sectional semifinals for the first time last year before losing to La Serna. But Royal (ranked fifth in Division II) will set its sights higher.

“The core of the team is back,” Snyder said. “And they have been together a long time.”

This group won a national Junior Olympics title as 13-year-olds. Royal was 25-4 last year. Returning for the Highlanders are driver Jack Kocur, a member of the U.S. Junior national team, and two-meter defender Myles Bozynovoski, a member of the U.S. 16-and-under team. Outstanding goalie Ralph Radka and defender Luke Frazier also return.

Greg Galloway, an outstanding defender and strong scorer, is the lone junior starter.

The Highlanders won the Irvine tournament on Sept. 12.