Hamilton Deals in Water and Power

Caleb Hamilton, a water polo standout at Irvine Northwood, signed his first autograph last year when some kids sought his signature during a junior tournament in Argentina.

“It was definitely a little weird but a cool feeling,” he said.

Those kids knew what they were doing because Hamilton, 17, is one of America’s best prospects.

He was the second-leading scorer and the youngest player on the U.S. team that won gold at the Junior Pan American Water Polo Championships in August in Montreal.

His coach at Northwood, Steve Carrera, doesn’t hesitate to compare him to two of the greatest players in Southland history, the late Jim Toring and current U.S. national team member Tony Azevedo.

“Those are the people I always looked up to,” Hamilton said. “And to be mentioned with them is awesome.”

He is considered the No. 1 college prospect in the nation and a potential scoring machine for any program that lands him. At the high school level, he isn’t just being double-teamed. Try triple-teamed.

He finds a way to provide instant offense. Last season, he scored 108 goals. He had eight goals in a game this season against Laguna Hills.

Today, he’ll try to lead host Northwood, ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll, against top-ranked Lake Forest El Toro. They met in the South Coast tournament final, with El Toro winning, 11-9. Hamilton scored 21 goals in five games of the tournament.

The opportunity to have played against 20-year-olds during international competition in the summer and train with U.S. national team members gives Hamilton invaluable experience and helps separate him from peers at the high school level.

Just from a physical standpoint, at 6 feet 3 and 200 pounds, he’s bigger and stronger than many, but he was pushed around by older Hungarians and Russians during the summer, letting him know what awaits him at the college and international levels.

“I have the size and strength, and I have to try to find a way to get around them,” he said.

There are two distinct qualities that define Hamilton: Athleticism and work ethic.

“If he’d be playing any other sport, he’d be a Division I athlete,” Carrera said.

Blame it on his mother, Anastasia, for football losing out to water polo. She’s a former swimmer who introduced him to the sport as a 7-year-old.

“I find it a lot of fun,” he said. “I like the fact you can be down five goals and two minutes later, it can be tied. I love physical sports.”

Hamilton no doubt loves water and training because he spends almost every day in a pool, whether working on his swimming or perfecting his shot.

Last year, he finally met Azevedo, the former Long Beach Wilson and Stanford all-star, while training with the U.S. national team. It was a chance to learn from his idol.

“I was very nervous,” Hamilton said. “I was quiet and shy. After I got to know him, he was a cool guy. After every practice, I’d ask him questions. He wants me to get better because he wants the United States to get better.”

And that’s the challenge high school water polo players face when entering the same pool with Hamilton. They’ll be testing themselves against a player who figures to one day represent the U.S. in the Olympic Games.

“He’s one in a million,” Carrera said. “Harvard-Westlake had Toring, Long Beach Wilson had Azevedo and I have Caleb Hamilton. Those type of players are bigger than high school.”

So don’t be surprised if the autograph seekers come out whenever Hamilton is around. He is an athlete who deserves appreciation for what he has already accomplished in a sport that’s rarely easy to master and for his potential as he continues to climb to the highest level.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.