Seniors’ Vision Clearly an Advantage

The Los Alamitos boys’ water polo team began the season with a respectable ranking of No. 7 in the Orange County coaches’ poll. But after upsets of top-ranked San Clemente and fourth-ranked Newport Harbor two weeks ago in the Southern California Water Polo Invitational, the Griffins have been atop the poll.

Coach Tony Martinho can point to two primary reasons for his team’s No. 1 ranking: Seniors David Kong and Tyler Wawrzynski.

“They’re a large part of why we’re where we are,” said Martinho, whose team is 16-4. “Even though their playing styles are very different from each other’s, they work very well together because they both possess a talent to react to the ball and visualize where the ball is supposed to go.”

Most often, that’s in the opponent’s goal.

The two have combined for more than 100 goals this season. Although Martinho doesn’t tabulate his team’s statistics until the end of the season, there’s no hesitation when he says Kong and Wawrzynski are his top offensive players.

Kong is the quintessential team player who talks about the game in terms of the team’s play and not his performance. When asked about scoring goals for the season--a statistic foremost in the minds of many players--Kong couldn’t say.

“I want my team to do well. That’s what I care most about,” Kong said. “We have a very good team, and I think we’re No. 1, but it’s a team effort and not one person.”

Kong and Wawrzynski have played varsity water polo since their freshman year at Los Alamitos.

“Both of them had tremendous talent when they were freshmen,” Martinho said. “And they both have developed not only in size but also in talent as seniors. Our team’s strategy has a lot to do with how these two developed over the last couple of years.”

Though Kong, 17, is listed as a two-meter man in the Los Alamitos’ program, Martinho said he’s really a utility player.

“David can play every position,” Martinho said. “He’s a very physical player who is tenacious on defense. And on offense, he’s an excellent perimeter shooter.”

As for Wawrzynski, Martinho said he is a “pure two-meter player.”

“He [Wawrzynski] plays the position as well as anyone. He’s excellent at shooting, passing and swimming,” Martinho said.

But Wawrzynski will tell you he’s only as good as his teammates make him.

“We have a team that works well together,” he said. “As for what I do, I keep things running, keep my head up, make the passes . . . and remain patient.”

Wawrzynski said he started playing water polo in the eighth grade. With no swimming experience, he spent his early years in the pool just trying to keep his head above water.

“It was really hard back then, but I kept at it and I started to pick up things,” he said.

During the summer, Kong and Wawrzynski played on the same club team, Shore, which finished fourth in the 17-and-under boys’ Junior Olympic tournament.

“A lot of the guys that are on our club team also play for Long Beach Wilson,” Kong said.

Wilson, ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division I poll (Los Alamitos is No. 1 in the Division II poll), defeated the Griffins, 9-2, in the championship final of the Southern California Invitational.

“I would love to play those guys again,” Wawrzynski said. “When we played them in the Southern California Invitational, that was our worst game of the tournament. We were a little jumpy. But I think it would be different now. I know our team would do better.”