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IRVINE — A storm featuring decades of intense competition and numerous championships is headed to the CIF-SS boys water polo finals Saturday.
It’s the Battle of the Bay.
Corona del Mar locked the forecast Wednesday night by avenging an earlier loss against Oaks Christian by handling the Lions 10-6 in the Open Division semifinals at Woollett Aquatics Center.
Earlier in the semifinal showcase at Woollett, defending champion Newport Harbor beat Mira Costa 19-11 to advance to a seventh straight final in the top division.
The last Newport Harbor and CdM clashed in a CIF final was in 1987 in the old 4A Division.
On Saturday, they’ll face off at Mt. SAC in Walnut with heavy rain the weather forecast.
“The storm is coming,” Corona del Mar coach Lucas Reynolds said with a chuckle. “Red sky warning. The Sailors should take warning.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” the coach added. “Newport has set a standard that is unmatched right now. We see that standard and we don’t want to just try to get to the point where we make it (to the finals). We want to try to meet their standard and beat them.”
Third-seeded Corona del Mar (26-6) used defense, the counterattack and balanced scoring to re-establish one of its standards.
By avenging a 13-11 loss to Oaks Christian (19-10) early in the season, the Sea Kings reached their first premier division since 2002 with Olympian John Mann, The Register’s player of the year that fall.
“We’ve come a long way,” said Corona del Mar senior Bryan Shapirshteyn, who had two goals, three steals and a field block. “We’re peaking at the right time.”
Corona del Mar held Oaks Christian to three goals through three periods and a 2 for 9 showing on the man-advantage entering the fourth.
All four of Corona del Mar’s goals in the first period came off counterattacks that built strength on defense.
Shapirshteyn’s highlight play early in the second period typified Corona del Mar’s effort.
The senior stole the ball near mid-tank, drew an exclusion on the counterattack and scored on a patient give-and-go with Nate Simoncelli for a 5-1 lead.
Shapirshteyn completed most of the sequence without his cap.
“It’s just great to see him preserve and see him keep pushing through,” Corona del Mar senior left-hander Aiden Sexton said of Shapirshteyn. “The rest of our team has his back.”
Surging goalie Ben Kubichek helped anchor Corona del Mar’s defense with nine saves, including four against the power play.
Shapirshteyn, Sexton and Koosha Mirrafati each scored twice to lead a balanced Corona del Mar attack. Four other players netted one goal apiece.
The semifinals returned to Woollett for the first time since 2022.
Newport Harbor has won a record 15 section titles. CdM has claimed 13. The schools’ water polo rivalry began in 1964.
In other semifinals Thursday:
Newport Harbor 19, Mira Costa 11: Stanford commit Connor Ohl had four goals, three assists and five steals to lead the top-seeded Sailors (29-1). Mira Costa led 3-2 late in the opening period before Newport Harbor outscored the Mustangs 8-3 in the second and third periods.
In Division 1:
Mater Dei 12, Harvard-Westlake 8: Dante D’Sa, Asa Chen and Nicholas Valente each scored three goals and Morgan Crichton had nine saves and scored a goal to lead the Monarchs (16-13) to their first section final since 2017.
Mater Dei will play Loyola in the final Saturday at Mt. SAC.