Hayes, Foothill Sure Bets

Great teams traditionally feature more than one exceptional player. The girls’ water polo teams at Santa Ana Foothill High have been no exception.

This season, Foothill’s roster included two members of the U.S. junior national team and a member of the U.S. youth team.

Add a handful of players who could have starred for nearly any other high school team in Southern California and it was easy to see how the Knights were able to cruise to their third consecutive Southern Section title.

In the middle of all this talent was junior Brittany Hayes, who led Foothill with 92 goals, assisted on dozens of others and provided stiff defense against her two-meter counterparts.

These contributions, only slightly better than those of her teammates, earned her honors as The Times’ girls’ water polo player of the year.

Hayes was the architect of a flawless Division I championship game that capped a successful season for the Knights. As she had done all season, Hayes created many of the plays and made all the right decisions in the 8-0 victory over Santa Margarita in February that clinched the title.

Hayes is the first to credit her teammates.

“It’s such a team sport,” she said. “I depended on the other players so much. Without them, I would not be the player I am.”

Hayes said she often found extra motivation by making bets with her father. As a freshman, she was rewarded with a pager after Foothill won the Division I championship. Last year, she received a new car after the Knights defended their title.

When Santa Margarita added two seasoned transfers to an already talented group, many believed the Eagles were the team to beat this season. All bets were off.

“[Winning a third title in a row] became a lot more personal,” Hayes said.

Foothill and Santa Margarita met for the first time in early February in a semifinal of the Irvine Southern California Invitational. The Knights had one of their worst performances of the season and the Eagles took advantage to win, 7-6.

“We saw how they celebrated afterward,” Hayes said, “and we knew they wouldn’t be ready to play when we met again. It made us a better team in the long run.”

Another turning point for Foothill actually came a week earlier, when the Knights had to forfeit a nonleague game against Newport Harbor because Dan Klatt, who shares coaching duties with Dave Mikesell, attended the game even though he was suspended at the time for receiving a red card in the previous game.

It was the Knights’ first loss in 38 games, and the players weren’t happy. Neither was Klatt, a member of the U.S. national men’s team, whose offer to resign was refused.

“After that, we realized how much we needed our coaches and how they counterbalance each other,” Hayes said.

With many of its top players returning, as well as the anticipated arrival of a top freshman, Hayes is looking forward to winning a fourth section title.

“That would be pretty amazing,” she said. “I told my parents when I first started high school that I would win four [section] championships.”

And with Hayes, that might be a safe bet.