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WALNUT — A storied boys water polo rivalry, full of Olympians and championships, added another chapter as Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar dueled for the CIF-SS Open Division title on Saturday.
Call it the Sweet Dominant 16.
Newport Harbor used an active defense, strong center attack and four goals from Kai Kaneko to capture a record 16th premier division title by defeating Corona del Mar 10-3 under the lights at a rainy Mt. SAC.
In the schools’ Battle of the Bay rivalry, any win — in any sport — is cherished. But after this title, the Sailors (30-1) celebrated their senior class after collecting a 20th consecutive win in the series and second consecutive Open Division title.
Newport Harbor has captured four Open championships in five seasons.
Much of the team, which featured about 12 seniors, sprinted toward the pool and jumped in together after the final buzzer.
“It’s just the best feeling in the world,” Newport Harbor senior Mason Netzer said. “We’ve been playing together since we were 9 and 10. Being here our senior year, our last year of high school together before we all go separate ways, it’s something that you can’t just have happen. It’s just so special.”
“I got to give (coach) Ross (Sinclair) big props,” the Cal commit added. “He’s developed us.”
Newport Harbor completed the quest by holding Corona del Mar (26-7) to its season-low scoring output and an 0 for 6 effort on the power play.
The Sailors ramped up their defense after posting 14-9 and 13-7 wins against the Sea Kings earlier in the season.
Netzer and fellow seniors Kaneko, Dash D’Ambrosia each had two steals. Netzer tallied three field blocks while D’Ambrosia added two in support of first-year starting senior goalie Connor Clougherty.
“Their defense tonight was something special,” Corona del Mar coach Lucas Reynolds said of Newport Harbor, which extends its lead in the rivalry to 57-42. “Their players cover a lot of water and they put us under pressure.”
“It came down to them not allowing us get the ball into our centers,” the coach added. “In the first half we did, in the second half we didn’t.”
Corona del Mar center Nathan Simoncelli drew four exclusions in first half, which ended with Newport Harbor leading 3-1.
But Newport Harbor’s diverse center attack helped spark its 5-1 third period.
In the schools’ first meeting for a section title since 1987 in Division 4A, Newport Harbor senior center Geoffrey Slutzky drew two penalty shots in the third period that Kaneko converted into goals.
The Sailors’ blitz also included a counterattack by Kaneko, a perimeter strike by Netzer and extra-man goal by Ohl.
The wave arrived as Newport Harbor’s defense forced four consecutive turnovers to open the second half.
“In a game like that, everybody’s emotions are so high,” said Ohl, a senior committed to Stanford. “Everybody is going to be playing their hardest, playing their hearts out. To get a win in that fashion, during a game like this, it’s just incredible.”
Newport Harbor finished 4 for 11 on the power play. While the conversion rate wasn’t especially high, the Sailors put Corona del Mar in foul trouble.
Slutzky finished with two goals and drew three exclusions.
Newport Harbor also posted up Netzer and Ohl at center, and have developed Kaneko in that role, too.
Corona del Mar defender William Weir picked up his second foul in the middle of the second quarter.
Six different players scored for Newport Harbor, which pulled its starters leading 10-2 with 3:02 left in regulation.
“We try to make a statement every single game, especially that one,” said Kaneko, who is committed to Stanford. “This is probably the most pressure we’ve faced. Five o’clock game. In the rain. It’s the best atmosphere. There’s so many people here. There’s so much pressure.”
“But we go by a saying at Newport: pressure makes diamonds,” he added. “It is a statement. With all this pressure, playing against a rival, we still dominate.”
Senior goalie Ben Kubichek helped Corona del Mar stay close in the first half by making eight of his 12 saves, including six against the power play.
The Sea Kings, winners of nine premier division titles and 13 overall, reached their first top division final since 2002 with Olympian John Mann.
In 1987, Olympian Chris Oeding — then a junior — kicked off the first of three straight Division 1 titles for Corona del Mar with a heroic game against Newport Harbor.
“We’ve been fighting … to become relevant (again),” Reynolds said, “and I think my kids have done that.”
Newport Harbor, however, remains the standard.