Wolverines Remain in the Chase

A drop to Southern Section Division III and Harvard-Westlake High is still second banana?

While it’s hard to believe that the region’s best girls’ water polo team is second to anyone, Harvard-Westlake finds itself in a lower division than last year, but chasing a stronger frontrunner.

“We were in Division II with Santa Barbara, one of the best teams in the state,” said Coach Rich Corso of Harvard-Westlake. “Then [the Southern Section] puts us in a division with the best team in the country.”

The Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in Division III behind Bell Gardens, which was 22-0 and won a section title last year.

But if any team is up to the task of playing with Bell Gardens, it’s the Wolverines, who return four starters--including junior national team player Jeanine Jackson--from a 22-2 team.

“It’s a great challenge,” Corso said. “I like those challenges in high school. It’s going to be great fun.”

The Wolverines, who lost to Santa Barbara in the Division II semifinals last season, are loaded with talent and experience.

In addition to returning starters Jackson, Courtney Quinn, Rachel Burkons and Cami Kliner, Harvard-Westlake gained more depth in September when Poloma Slezak transferred from Louisville.

Slezak, a senior driver, had 70 goals, 94 steals and 41 assists last season.

“That’s a big pickup for Harvard-Westlake,” Agoura Coach Jason Rosenthal said.

Surrounded by more talent and better coaching, Slezak is still adjusting to life at Harvard-Westlake.

“She’s starting to find out what it’s like to play at a high level,” said Corso, who coached the U.S. men’s Olympic team in the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The Wolverines (7-2), with losses to CIF champions Carlsbad of the San Diego Section and Santa Barbara, defeated Agoura, 5-3, in the championship game of the Newbury Park tournament last weekend and outscored four opponents, 52-7.

“You actually need to play a flawless game to even have a chance against [Harvard-Westlake],” said Peter Kim, the third-year coach at Crescenta Valley.

“Everybody talks about Jeanine Jackson, but of their starting six, any one of them can shoot and score.”

Other teams to watch:

* Agoura (4-1)--The Chargers are the team to beat in the Marmonte League for at least two years. Five starters return from a 21-6 squad that lost to Harvard-Westlake, 7-6, in overtime of a Division II quarterfinal. Four are juniors.

Joanna Antonsen, the league’s most valuable player last year, scored 43 goals and had 44 steals and 35 assists.

Colleen Schiman, a two-meter player, scored 51 goals and handed out 39 assists.

“I think we’ll be pretty balanced in scoring across the board,” said Rosenthal, The Times’ coach of the year last season.

* Newbury Park (6-1)--The Panthers, a .500 team a year ago, have won six consecutive games since a loss to El Segundo in their opener.

Katy Fick, a senior two-meter player, is one of three returning starters and has picked up where she left off last season, when she scored 61 goals. She already has 43 goals.

“She’s a great athlete [and has] great swim speed, a strong arm, intensity and is physical strong,” Coach Jeff Warshaw said.

* Burroughs (8-3)--Six starters return from a team that lost to La Serna in the first round of Division III playoffs.

Despite the Indians’ improvement and experience, the Almont League is a tough place. Top-ranked and defending division champion Bell Gardens and No. 4-ranked Montebello are the frontrunners, leaving Burroughs scrambling to earn a playoff spot.

The Indians are balanced defensively and rely on seniors Julie Olson and Sara Vejar for the bulk of their offense.

* Ventura (4-4)--The Cougars have been beaten up by Marmonte League teams in the early season, losing twice to Agoura and also to Royal and Newbury Park.

Channel League play doesn’t get much easier with defending Division II champion Santa Barbara and runner-up San Marcos setting the pace.

But the Cougars are talented and return three starters from an 18-7 team, including senior driver Lauren O’Brien, who scored 70 goals last season.

AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Six starters return for La Canada, including senior Coral Cozad, the Spartans’ leading scorer last season, Julia Pereyra and Mariah Zabrowski. . . Burroughs senior Ashley LaPorte, one of six returning starters for the Indians, is among the region’s few veteran goalies. . . Ventura seniors Catherine Bylo and Nicole Sandoval provide experience needed in the competitive Channel League. . . Senior goalie Erin Enriquez, Frontier League most valuable player last season with 304 saves, returns for Rio Mesa. . . Juniors Carly Huffman and Carrie Karamas, All-Marmonte League selections, will keep Royal competitive. . . The star for Thousand Oaks is junior Breanne McCartney. . .

* THE PROMISING: Crescenta Valley, 15-5 last season, returns no starters and starts no seniors. Four sophomores and three juniors forge a rebuilding season for the Falcons. Goalie Amy Brunton and driver Megan Winchell, sophomores, provide the Falcons with a bright future. . . Junior Lindsey Berke, a part-time starter last season, gives Newbury Park added experience. . .

* FAST FACT: Southern Section girls’ water polo has grown from 59 teams in its inaugural season (1996-97) to 170 in 29 leagues three years later, including 21 schools from the Valley/Ventura County region.

The Top 5

Rankings of girls’ water polo teams from the region

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Rank School (League) Rec. 1) Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 7-2 2) Agoura (Marmonte) 4-1 3) Newbury Park (Marmonte) 6-1 4) Burroughs (Almont) 8-3 5) Ventura (Channel) 4-4

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