Sweet 16! Newport Harbor boys’ water polo sprints past CdM for CIF title defense
- Share via
WALNUT — When Ross Sinclair began coaching at his alma mater Newport Harbor High in 2015, the proud program was at a low point.
The Sailors were coming off a 10-17 record the previous season. That fall, Mater Dei would reach its eighth straight CIF championship game, those teams typically drawing a sizable contingent of players from Newport Beach.
“The talk when I took over was that it’s a private school sport, it’s a private school world,” Sinclair said. “I said, Newport Harbor can be the best. Ultimately, it’s a vision and a work ethic that we put in every day to want to be the best.”
That’s what Sinclair was taught in the program before graduating in 2003. That’s what the late Bill Barnett tried to instill in 49 years coaching for the Sailors.
Last month, the program dedicated its newly renovated Bill Barnett Pool. On Saturday night, the team turned to a Barnett standby — a tough press defense — and used it to dizzying effectiveness.
The Battle of the Bay for the CIF Southern Section Open Division title turned into a rampage in the second half. Newport Harbor blitzed rival Corona del Mar at Mt. San Antonio College to earn a 10-3 victory and repeat as Open Division champions.
It’s the fourth CIF title in five years for Newport Harbor (30-1), and the record 16th championship overall as a program.
Stanford-bound senior attacker Kai Kaneko scored a match-high four goals, and the Sailors held the Sea Kings (26-7) to a season-low goal total.
“It’s pretty cool to see everything that Ross has preached to us all year come together in live time in front of other people,” said Sailors senior goalkeeper Connor Clougherty, who made four saves. “It was just all about trust, trusting one another. If one guy messes up, there’s six guys that are going to have that guy’s back. That was the key to our defense. Everyone was on the same page, everyone was firing when we needed to fire.”
Senior center Geoff Slutzky had a big game for the Sailors, drawing three exclusions and three more penalty shots while scoring twice. Senior left-handed attacker Mason Netzer had a well-rounded game with a goal, three exclusions drawn and three field blocks.
“These guys are doing everything for me to get the ball in,” Slutzky said of his teammates. “Once it gets in to me, it’s a cakewalk. I’m going to draw the five-meter, but they set me up for success through their hard work ... Once the ball swings one to five, it’s barbecue chicken from there. The defender is absolutely cooked.”
Fellow seniors Dash D’Ambrosia (two field blocks), Marco Rizof and Connor Ohl also had single goals, while Sinclair praised the center defense efforts of senior Hudson Parks and freshman Owen Marks.
“The biggest thing was not getting broken down by mistakes on the offensive end, being excited to come back and play defense,” Sinclair said. “That was huge.”
The Sailors and Sea Kings, meeting for a CIF title for the sixth time but first time since 1987, were tied 1-1 after the first quarter. Rizof’s power-play strike was matched by a perimeter goal by CdM junior Will Weir. The Sailors led 3-1 at halftime after Slutzky and Kaneko added goals.
But it was a 5-1 blitz in the third quarter by Newport Harbor that put the game out of reach, as the Sailors beat their Back Bay rivals for the third time in three attempts this season.
Included in the run was a Kaneko counterattack goal. Netzer flipped him the ball after the shot clock expired on CdM.
“There wasn’t much going through my head,” Kaneko said after the game. “I saw a goal, and there was just me and the goalie and putting the ball in the cage. I was real tired after that, though. I tried to channel my inner Connor Ohl, my inner speed.”
Despite the flurry, CdM coach Lucas Reynolds said the Sea Kings succeeded in their goal of holding the Sailors to 10 goals or less.
“We felt like that would give us a chance; not that many teams have been able to do that,” Reynolds said. “We held them to 10 goals, but they’re a very strong team. Their defense tonight was something special. Their players cover a lot of water and they put us under pressure.”
Senior center Nathan Simoncelli (four exclusions drawn) and senior co-captain Cooper Harlan added goals for the Sea Kings, making their first appearance in a top-division CIF title match since 2002. Senior goalkeeper Ben Kubichek continued his surging late-season play and made 11 saves.
Reynolds said he’s optimistic that this year’s team has set the standard at CdM. The Sea Kings will return their top two goal scorers next season, in Weir and fellow junior Koosha Mirrafati.
“We’ve been fighting, CdM, since I’ve been here, trying to become relevant,” Reynolds said. “I think my kids have done that, in Southern California water polo and the CIF Southern Section. We want to keep trying to compete for an Open Division championship.”
That has become the standard at Newport Harbor, which has made the top-division final seven straight times. The Sailors boasted an experienced senior class this year; 10 of the seniors have been playing together since their 10-and-under club days.
Clougherty and Rizof have known each other since they were 4 years old. Their paths will continue together at Santa Clara University next year.
“It’s just such a special moment playing together with everyone, especially before we separate off into college,” said Netzer, bound for Cal. “It couldn’t be a better moment, sharing it with all of these guys here. I couldn’t be happier. It’s just a super-special moment that a lot of people never get, ever.”
Both Newport Harbor and CdM are competing in the CIF State Southern California Regional Division I playoffs, which began on Tuesday. The top-seeded Sailors beat Mater Dei 18-9 in the first round Tuesday, while No. 5 Oaks Christian beat No. 4 CdM 14-8.
Newport Harbor will host Oaks Christian in a regional semifinal match Thursday at 5 p.m.
In Saturday’s final back at Mt. SAC, Newport Harbor could see rival San Diego Cathedral Catholic, which it has beaten four times this season but also is the team that handed the Sailors their only loss.
For the senior class, regionals are one last chance to leave an imprint and impart leadership on the younger players.
“It’s just about passing it down and being a whole team together, trying to help everyone, no matter what age they are,” said Ohl, headed to Stanford. “That’s how you get that legacy at Newport. That’s how you get championships, year in and year out. Kids just know the mentality you need to be a champion.”
Updates
9:25 a.m. Nov. 19, 2025: This story has been updated with results from the first round of the CIF State Southern California Regional tournament.
