Long Beach Wilson Making Waves in Pool

Long Beach Wilson’s water polo team is the defending Southern Section Division I champion, and the Bruins are sending signals that they might be on their way to a second consecutive title.

Wilson takes a 7-0 record into Saturday’s match against Corona del Mar after winning the South Coast tournament last weekend with a 15-8 victory over San Clemente in the championship match.

“At the beginning of the season, I thought our team was going to be good, but I didn’t think our defense would be this good this early,” said sophomore Tony Azevedo, who led the team in scoring last season and has 33 goals this year. “Our offense has also been good, but we’re still working on getting down and setting up the way we should.”

Azevedo, son of Coach Rick Azevedo, is one of four returning starters for the Bruins, who are ranked No. 1 in this week’s Division I poll and have produced the last three Division I players of the year.

Wilson has won two of the last three Division I titles and is the only school from outside Orange County to win the top division title since Downey in 1972.

Rick Azevedo and other coaches at schools outside Orange County say they are fighting a perception problem.

“Many times we go into matches and I have referees asking me, ‘So, how does it feel to be going up against a powerful team from Orange County?’ ” Rick Azevedo said. “It’s a little frustrating. I’d say we’re doing pretty well here.”

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The Santa Ana Mater Dei girls’ volleyball team jumped to the top spot in the CIF state Division I rankings by winning the prestigious 16-team Durango tournament in Las Vegas last weekend.

Newport Harbor, which finished third in the tournament, and Laguna Beach, which finished fourth, are ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the state poll. Manhattan Beach Mira Costa is fifth.

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Michelle Greco of Crescenta Valley High, the state’s freshman, sophomore and junior player of the year the last three seasons, will take the first of five recruiting trips when she visits UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 11.

Greco, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, also is considering Colorado, USC, Pepperdine, Oregon State and UCLA.