Still in Mourning, Saddleback Loses Water Polo Opener

Still reeling from the sudden death of one of its top players two weeks ago, the Saddleback water polo team began its season Thursday with an 18-8 loss at Laguna Beach.

Jaffet “Jeff” Campos died Sept. 4 after collapsing on the pool deck during practice at Saddleback High. Tissue tests are underway to determine how the seemingly fit 17-year-old died, and results are expected within weeks.

Laguna Beach was the last team Campos had competed against last season. The Roadrunners lost at home, 20-14, in the Southern Section Division II wild-card playoff game.

“His death is still with us, it’s going to be with us for a long time,” Saddleback Coach Monte McCord said after the game. “We have a core group of 10 or 12 athletes who are real close to each other and Jeff was a big part of that.”

McCord canceled practice during the week after Campos’ death, but the players pushed to return to the pool to prepare for Thursday’s season opener.

“They were the ones who wanted to get back in it and get things going right away,” McCord said. “You could imagine if one of your best friends passed away, you could very easily give up and say water polo is not that important anymore, because it’s really not.”

The death of Campos, who would have started at the two-meter position, has not altered the team’s ultimate goal this season.

The Roadrunners are aiming for the third playoff spot in the Golden West League, and the loss to Laguna Beach, the fourth-ranked team in Division II, should not dampen their spirits further, McCord said.

“I told out kids, except for Servite maybe, we will not have a much tougher opponent than Laguna Beach,” he said.