Rotation Helps South Win, 10-6

South Coach Rick Scott knew his team’s strengths before Sunday’s Orange County All-Star water polo game at El Dorado High. All he had to do was sit back and direct traffic.

Scott’s three-goalie rotation kept the North quiet for most of the game and the South came away with a 10-6 victory in the 11th annual event, which featured the county’s best seniors.

“I feel the strongest part of our team is the goalies,” Scott said. “They played excellent, especially in the first half.”

Corona del Mar’s Bill Messenger set the tempo for the South by holding the North to one first-half goal. Costa Mesa’s Justin Taylor then kept the North in check with several outstanding saves in the third quarter.

The South doubled its halftime total with four goals in the third quarter for an 8-2 lead.

Carlos Gonzalez of Mission Viejo was in goal in the fourth quarter and he turned away several attempts.

Scott was kept busy implementing his two-man rotation, a luxury he didn’t have while guiding Laguna Beach to the Division II finals this season.

“We had a subbing pattern of two in and two out, and the guys kept screwing it up on me,” Scott said. “I’m not used to subbing.”

The substitution pattern did help spread the ball around. Seven players scored for the South, including two goals each by Grant McGann of Laguna Beach, Matt Sakatani of El Toro and San Clemente’s Colin Shaughnessy.

The South team had only 13 players try out for the team. The North had close to 40, Scott said.

“There were a lot less seniors this year,” Scott said. “Most of the players are juniors. A lot of the better ones are sophomores.”