Midshipmen Back in Friendly Waters

Water polo juggernauts such as defending national champion Pepperdine and No. 2-ranked UC Irvine seldom enter the water with trepidation. And they’re especially confident when an opponent hails from anywhere east of, well, Irvine.

But the Waves and Anteaters might feel differently Saturday if they knew that some of the players they’ll face in the opening round of the Southern California Water Polo Tournament have already completed preliminary Navy SEAL training.

“Gee, I wonder if this guy’s got a knife strapped to his leg?”

The U.S. Naval Academy doesn’t attract high school superstars the way perennial powers Stanford, California, USC, UCLA, UCI and Pepperdine do, but it has some pretty tough competitors, young men who are months away from becoming SEALs, Marines, fighter pilots and submariners.

Navy (4-1) is ranked No. 14 and doesn’t figure to blow the Cardinal, Bears, Trojans, Bruins, Anteaters or Waves--all ranked in the top six--out of the water this weekend at Newport Harbor High.

But you might not want to mention that if you’re in Annapolis.

“At a military school, you don’t want to accept anything less than a winning effort against the best,” said Coach Mike Schofield, in his 15th season at Navy. “We don’t ever want to water down the competition.”

The tournament will be a homecoming for six former Orange County high school players . . . literally. Due to budget constraints, the Midshipmen will bunk with Southern California teammates in their parents’ homes instead of staying in a hotel as usual.

“It’s the first time I’ve been able to stay at home in four years,” said senior driver Tony Duynstee, from San Clemente. “It’s going to be great to see my family and friends and play outdoors.”

Many of Duynstee’s high school buddies will be in the pool with him this weekend. Players who started at San Clemente High with him four years ago are now playing at Stanford, USC, UCLA and Pepperdine.

“I wasn’t good enough to get a scholarship to a school like that,” said Duynstee, now Navy’s fourth-leading scorer with nine goals.

He did have a few things going for him, though. He was a varsity swimmer and soccer player, with great grades in mostly Advanced Placement classes and high SAT scores, all the while working as a lifeguard and helping out in his dad’s grocery store.

“I guess I was sort of prepared to handle the regimental lifestyle,” he said.

As prepared for the military academy experience as one can be, being a plebe is not a lot fun.

“Let’s just say you don’t do any partying on Friday or Saturday nights your freshman year,” Duynstee said. “It was tough, but you learn valuable lessons about your limitations and your capabilities and your ability to overcome obstacles.”

At the Naval Academy, that’s an ongoing process. Each summer, Midshipmen spend a month or so previewing different avenues for their future careers in the Navy. A stint in Coronado convinced Duynstee he wanted to become a member of the elite SEAL (Sea-Air-Land) unit.

“After that training trip, I wanted to be a SEAL,” said senior driver Steve Taylor, a former standout at El Modena High, “but it seems to change every summer. Now, I’m thinking about aviation. I want to be a fighter pilot or maybe a helicopter pilot.”

Taylor will also relish a reunion with his family. His brother, Jeff, is a senior and captain of El Modena’s water polo team and his sister, Kristin, plays on the Vanguard girls’ team.

“Hanging with some old friends, playing outdoors against this kind of competition, I’m definitely looking forward to it,” said Taylor, Navy’s top returning scorer who has 10 goals and five assists this year.

“We’ve always played pretty well on the West Coast. We’ve got that strong camaraderie that comes from the military bonding and we kind of feel like we’ve got nothing to lose.

“We’ll play tough, that much is for sure. And we don’t care which team we’re playing.”

Water Polo Tournament

* Details: All of the top 10 teams in the nation--Stanford, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California, USC, UCLA, University of the Pacific, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and UC San Diego--as well as No. 13 Air Force and No. 14 Navy will compete.

* Days: Saturday and Sunday

* Times: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Championship game will be played at 4:45 Sunday.

* Site: Newport Harbor High School pool, 600 Irvine Ave.

* Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students

* For information: (949) 631-3669