Breakers back to defend

Last November, the Laguna Beach High boys’ water polo team reached the pinnacle in CIF Southern Section Division 3 circles, winning a section championship.

When the 2015 season gets underway Sept. 9 for the Breakers, they will again put a talented group in the pool that includes two players (Jakob Colladay, Sebastian Jacobs), one (Colladay) of whom was a starter, and six players who trained with the varsity last year and moved up to the roster for the CIF playoff season.

Colladay earned All-Orange Coast League and All-CIF-SS Division 3 laurels last fall.

Laguna Coach Ethan Damato, who begins his eighth year, said there is still “open competition” on the team as it gets ready to scrimmage Wednesday at Foothill, and open the regular season Sept. 10-12 at the Santa Barbara Tournament.

“We have a lot of positions to fill and a lot of areas in which to improve,” he said.

Damato said he will “split duties as co-head coach” this year with Trevor Lyle who previously was an assistant coach with the program.

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Boys’ Water Polo

League: Orange Coast

CIF Division: Division 3

Co-head coaches: Ethan Damato and Trevor Lyle.

Coaching staff: Nathan McConnell (junior varsity/frosh-soph); Chris Stansbury (strength and conditioning).

2014 record: 25-6

2014 league record/finish: 5-0 (champion)

2014 CIF playoff results: CIF-SS Division 3 champion

The Breakers: *Jakob Colladay, Utility, Sr.; *Julian Bridy, UTL, Sr.; Liam Shapley, Attacker, Sr.; *Luc Gregory, ATT, Sr.; Jeffery Rubino, ATT, Sr.; *Camden Benson, ATT, Jr.; *Judge Washer, ATT, Jr.; *Gordon Pike, Goalie, Jr.; *Sebastian Jacobs, Defender, Soph; Peter Weiland, ATT, Soph.; *Larsen McCarroll, Center, Soph.; Riley Bumgardner, Left-handed Attacker; Colton Gregory, ATT, Fr.; Will Clark, LH ATT, Fr.; Kai Cameron, DEF, Fr.; Peter Loomis, ATT, FR. (*returning players).

Returning with honors: Jakob Colladay, first-team all-league, first-team All-CIF, Sr.

Coach’s take: “While we have a good amount of seniors this year, we also have a great group of young guys and have an extremely deep group from 1 through 20,” Damato said. “Competition in training has been great and our depth should be a big strength for both training and games.

“Only bringing back one starter means we are going to be inexperienced in some areas. I think this team will be able to make up for that lack of experience by being tough, relentless and full of energy. These guys are excited to carry on the tradition and get back to a CIF final this year. Should be a lot of fun.”

Team’s strengths: “I think the biggest strength of the this group will be our depth and versatility,” Damato said. “We have a lot of guys close to each other in ability who can play multiple positions. I also think our ability to improve from the start of the year to the end, will be greater than year’s past as we are still very young.”

CIF Division 3: “The division will be very similar to last year,” Damato said. “The top four [teams] will be very competitive and 5 through 10 may be a little bit deeper than it was last year. Our goal will be to get back in the finals with a chance to win a CIF championship, and I know this group is capable of that.”

The schedule: “Our tournament schedule this year will be by fay our biggest challenge as we are in the top three tournaments with all the top CIF teams in Division 1 through Division 5,” Damato said. “We also have a very tough nonleague schedule that features divisional opponents Murrieta Valley, Montebello, Aliso Niguel, Capo Valley and Trabuco Hills who all finished in the top eight in CIF last year. In addition, we have Orange Lutheran, Newport Harbor, El Toro and Dana Hills, all tough Orange County opponents who play in Division 1 of Division 2. I also think league will be much tougher this year with Costa Mesa bringing back a very good team.”

Team tidbits: The Breakers went undefeated at home last year for the fourth consecutive year ... the program has won the Orange Coast League title since the first league season in 2007.

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Breakers Schedule

Wednesday: at Foothill (scrimmage), 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 10-12: at Santa Barbara Tournament (TBA)

Sept. 17: El Toro, 4 p.m.

Sept. 24-26: at South Coast Tournament (TBA)

Sept. 30: *Costa Mesa, 3:15 p.m.

Oct. 1: at Orange Lutheran, 4 p.m.

Oct. 3: at Murrieta Valley, 10 a.m.

Oct. 7: at *Godinez, 3 p.m.

Oct. 8: at Dana Hills, 4 p.m.

Oct. 10: Aliso Niguel, noon

Oct. 14: *Estancia, 3:15 p.m.

Oct. 17: Los Alamitos, noon

Oct. 21: Montebello, 4:15 p.m.

Oct. 23-24: at North/South Challenge (TBA)

Oct. 27: Trabuco Hills, 4:15 p.m.

Oct. 28: at *Saddleback, 3:15 p.m.

Nov. 5: at Capistrano Valley, 3:15 p.m.

Nov. 6: at Newport Harbor, 4 p.m.

(*denotes Orange Coast League game)