Sailors make SoCal Regional Division I final before falling to Mater Dei

The Newport Harbor High boys’ water polo team accomplished a lot in 2017, and that point was hammered home Friday just before beginning the inaugural CIF State Southern California Regional Division I tournament against La Jolla.

“It’s been an overall great season,” senior center Jackson Westerman said. “Right before the La Jolla game [Friday], we got our Sunset League [championship] plaque and we put it up in the classroom [on the Newport Harbor pool deck].”

The league championship and berth in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals meant a lot. On Saturday, the Sailors added “regional finalist” to the list. But the team that stopped Newport Harbor’s CIF Southern Section run was the same that ended its regional push.

Top-seeded Mater Dei, the Southern Section Division 1 champion, beat No. 3-seeded Newport Harbor 12-4 for the SoCal Regional Division I title Saturday night at Corona del Mar High.

The Sailors (25-7) had defeated No. 2-seeded Oaks Christian 10-8 in a Division I semifinal game earlier Saturday.

Huntington Beach (17-11), the No. 5 seed in the Division II tournament, lost to top-seeded eventual champion Orange Lutheran by an 11-8 score in a semifinal Saturday. The Lancers went on to beat Santa Margarita 14-8 for the Division II title.

Mater Dei senior Jack Seybold, a Newport Beach resident, led the Monarchs attack with five goals in the Division I final. The Sailors trailed just 1-0 after the first quarter, but Mater Dei opened up a 5-0 lead before Jack White’s power-play goal with 2:41 remaining in the half.

“It basically went the same way [the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal] went,” said Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair, whose team fell to 0-4 against Mater Dei this season. “I thought we did the right things to stay in it, and then a couple of careless mistakes and turnovers allowed them to get some transition goals. That’s what they do best.”

John Rankin, Charlie Covina and Nick Bergsma added goals for Newport Harbor in the final, and senior goalie Max Sandberg made seven saves.

Cooper Haddad, a sophomore and Huntington Beach resident, scored twice for the Monarchs (30-3).

Ryan Brosnan and Makoto Kenney paced the Sailors with three goals each in the semifinal win over Oaks Christian, and Westerman scored twice. White had seven steals, and Sandberg made 11 saves.

“Our biggest goal as seniors was to leave a legacy with this program,” Sandberg said. “We feel we did that.”

Added Sinclair: “We did a good job. Extending our postseason with this opportunity, I thought that was great for us. I think the guys that are returning are hungry to come back next year and try to win it all.”

[email protected]

Twitter: @mjszabo