CdM remains unbeaten under Vargas

Richard Dunn

CORONA DEL MAR - No matter what happens elsewhere in the pool,

defense will always keep a water polo team afloat.

With host Corona del Mar High scoring on just 3 of 14 shots in the

second half, the Sea Kings’ defense stood firm Monday as CdM defeated

Servite, 8-3, in a nonleague game.

The Sea Kings (14-2), ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division

II, improved to 11-0 since Coach John Vargas returned from the Sydney

Olympic Games, where he coached the men’s U.S. water polo team.

Corona del Mar shut out Servite (15-6) in the first half, taking a 5-0

lead at intermission.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Sea Kings ahead, 5-2, CdM

sophomore goalie Beau Stockstill rejected a shot by Servite’s Adam Hewko

and the Sea Kings scored on the next possession to launch a three-goal

final quarter.

“I thought our defense did a good job. Our offense just wasn’t

clicking,” Vargas said. “We’ve got a lot of firepower (with senior

Garrett Bowlus, junior Michael March and sophomore Artie Dorr). And,

today, we forced things a little and got ahead of ourselves.

“But it’s nice to play that great D. No matter what, you can always

stay in a game with great defense.”

CdM’s defense suffocated Servite, ranked No. 6 in CIF Division II, in

the first half. The Sea Kings caused 10 Friar turnovers in the opening 14

minutes, while March sparked the defense with five steals, finishing with

a game-high seven steals.

In the first half, junior Bobby Messenger added two steals and a

blocked pass for CdM, while senior Chriss Street had two steals in the

second quarter and Dorr had one.

Dorr, Bowlus and senior Chase Emery provided the Sea Kings with steals

in the third quarter.

“The turning point was that we didn’t play offense,” Servite Coach Jim

Sprague said. “I don’t know if our offense was so poor because of their

defense or what, but we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

CdM junior Sherwin Kim (five saves) once again split time in front of

the cage with Stockstill (three), who played the second half. The two

goalies have shared halves every game since Vargas returned from

Australia.

“I’ve got confidence in both goalies,” Vargas said. “I think they’re

comfortable splitting time.”

Dorr scored for Corona del Mar with 3:01 left in the first quarter on

a pass from March.

After CdM’s Emery won the sprint to start the second quarter, Bowlus

scored on an assist from Messenger to trigger a four-goal quarter for the

Sea Kings.

Emery scored on a man-up situation, after getting the rebound on a CdM

shot blocked by Servite goalie Mark de Grasse (13 saves).

Dorr scored the game’s most remarkable goal with 4:06 left in the

second quarter on a strong second effort. With three Servite defenders on

him, Dorr managed to get off a clean shot past de Grasse, an All-CIF

goalie last year for the Friars.

Bowlus capped the second-quarter scoring when Marcello Pantuliano

dished a nice pass to him in the middle. Bowlus spun 360 degrees in the

water with the ball and scored with 2:37 left in the first half.

Servite got on the board in the third quarter with goals by Mi

Rustemeyer and Jeff Paquet.

Stockstill opened the fourth quarter with a momentum-building save,

then CdM goals by March, Bowlus and March again made it a comfortable

victory for the Sea Kings, who are 3-0 in Pacific Coast League and will

host University (3-0 in league) in a PCL showdown Wednesday at 4 p.m.

NONLEAGUECorona del Mar 8, Servite 3Servite 0 0 2 1 -

3Corona del Mar 1 4 0 3 - 8Servite scoring: Rustemeyer 1,

Bevins 1, Paquet 1. Saves: de Grasse, 13.

Corona del Mar scoring: Bowlus 3, March 2, Dorr 2, Emery 1. Saves: Kim

5, Stockstill 3.