Valley Teams Are Moving On Up : Water polo: Four area schools are ranked among the top four in their respective Southern Section divisions.

Orange County perennially has dominated the high school water polo scene, but that stronghold may be slipping.

Preseason polls have an unprecedented four area teams--Harvard-Westlake, Crescenta Valley, Royal and Buena--ranked in the top four of their respective Southern Section divisions. Another, Burroughs, is ranked eighth.

Several of the top players in the state are competing at area schools. Of the 35 All-Southern Section selections from ’94 who had remaining eligibility, five are playing in the area, including Albert Won of Harvard-Westlake.

Won and teammate J.J. Arden are members of the U.S. 17-and-under national team.

Joey Bennett and Jon Conrad of Crescenta Valley and Bill Bruininga of Royal are the other returning All-Southern Section selections.

“It definitely helps when the U.S. Olympic coach is in the area,” said Royal Coach Steve Snyder, referring to Harvard-Westlake Coach Rich Corso. “He helps attract quality teams to come and play in the area, which in turn gets the sport more exposure.”

The emergence of solid youth programs, plus stable coaching staffs at the high school level, have been essential ingredients to water polo’s growth in the region.

“This hasn’t just happened all of a sudden,” Crescenta Valley Coach Pete Loporchio said. “There are some very good programs that have been developing for quite some time.”

Corso has been a leader in setting up summer leagues for high school players. Those leagues have spawned youth leagues, allowing players to develop their skills at an early age.

“The development of age-group water polo programs in the area has been invaluable,” Loporchio said. “We now see a lot more kids coming to high school with water polo experience.”

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While water polo continues to grow in the region, a few statistics still stagger local coaches. Harvard-Westlake and Crespi are the only teams in the region that have won Southern Section championships.

Harvard-Westlake won twice, taking the 2-A Division in 1988 and the 3-A title in 1991. Crespi won the 2-A Division in 1981. In contrast, since 1964 there hasn’t been a year when an Orange County school did not win a Southern Section championship.

“We still have a ways to go to reach that level, but I’m not concerned,” Thousand Oaks Coach Jeff Warshaw said. “We’re definitely moving in that direction.”

The top teams from the region this season are expected to be:

* Harvard-Westlake: As usual, the Wolverines should be the best team in the area. The past three years, though, that hasn’t been good enough to account for a Southern Section title.

Harvard-Westlake has lost in the Division I quarterfinals the past two years and bowed in the final the year before that.

This year, the Wolverines might be good enough to go the distance.

Led by Won and Arden--and Corso on the deck--the Wolverines should have no problem winning their 11th consecutive Mission League title.

Also back are driver Ricky Rauth and goalies Vahe Ahrorian and Norm Peterson.

* Crescenta Valley: Bennett and Conrad accounted for 196 of the 429 goals scored by the Falcons in 1994. Also returning is Brian Cushman, an All-Pacific League selection.

Jason Payne, a senior who saw limited action last year, and Daniel Kang, another senior with no water polo experience, were members of swimming relay teams that last year won Southern Section championships.

Also new to the mix is goalie Brian Hasbrouck, a sophomore who should develop into one of the top goalies in the area, Loporchio said.

* Royal: Highlander Coach Steve Snyder has bad news for Marmonte League water polo opponents.

“This is one of the best teams we’ve ever had,” he said.

Quite a statement from a coach who has led teams to 14 consecutive league championships and has only one league loss since 1986.

But with players such as Bruininga and all-league defenseman Kris Kunkel returning, Snyder’s confidence is understandable.

Snyder has 11 players back from a team that last year advanced to the Division IV semifinals.

Returning for his junior year is Chris Richeson, a left-handed shooter who this summer won the “Top Gun” competition at the U.S. Junior Olympic championships by zipping a shot at 58 miles per hour.

* Buena: The Bulldogs have long been considered the third best team in the Channel League, behind Santa Barbara and defending Division IV champion San Marcos. This year, Buena Coach John Siman thinks that order might change.

Five starters return for their senior seasons from a team that lost in the first round of the Division IV playoffs. Goalie Curtis Tomlie and second-team all-league selection Matt Swartout are back. Seniors John Engel and Sean Sakay add speed to the lineup.

* Agoura: The Chargers are coming off their best season. Last season, they handed perennial league power Royal its first Marmonte League loss in eight years. But after finishing as the third-ranked Division IV team in 1994, the Chargers lost 10 players to graduation. Jason Smither is the only senior back.

Led by junior Noah Cirincione, speed will an Agoura strength. As a sophomore, Cirincione placed second in the 50 meters and third in the 100 meters in the Marmonte League swimming championships.

* Crespi: First-year Coach Adam Blakis takes over what is left from a team that last season finished third in the Mission League and made the Southern Section playoffs for the 16th consecutive year.

Blakis, who last season coached at St. Monica High and was at UC Riverside from 1992-1993, inherits a young team. Only four varsity lettermen are back and just two of them are seniors. Junior goalie Pete Driscoll returns, as does junior Ricky Bejune.

* Burroughs: The Indians have never won a league title and haven’t made the playoffs in more than 12 years. So why are they listed here? Because they have six returning starters who won postseason honors in ’94.

Alfonso Tucay, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior, is the biggest player in the region. Mike Denny, a first-team all-league goalie, is also formidable.

Size and speed will make the Indians a legitimate Almont League title contender and the most improved team in the region.

* Newbury Park: All seven starters return for the Panthers, who appear primed to make a run at the Marmonte League title.

Led by first-team all-league driver Tim Rhodes and second-team choice Paul Prins, the Panthers should contend. Goalie Chris Adams returns for his senior season.