Newport Harbor’s Sandberg is Sunset League’s best

Newport Harbor High senior goalie Max Sandberg, who helped the Sailors win their first league boys’ water polo title since 2013, has been named the Sunset League MVP.

Sandberg is joined on the first team by Newport Harbor teammates Jackson Westerman, Ryan Brosnan and Makoto Kenney. Jacob Cavano, Garrett Zaan and Curtis Jarvis of second-place Huntington Beach also were first-team honorees.

Cade Pendergraft and Cameron Davidson of Edison, as well as Jake Huynen of Fountain Valley and Jared Powell of Marina, also were on the first team.

Sandberg, a repeat first-team selection, made 236 saves for the Sailors (25-7, 5-0 in league). The senior captain helped them advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals, losing there to Mater Dei, before bouncing back for a win over Studio City Harvard-Westlake in the third-place game. The Sailors then advanced to the Division I final of the inaugural CIF State Southern California Regionals, losing there to Mater Dei.

Westerman, a senior center and UCLA commit, totaled 35 goals for Newport Harbor and led the team with 86 ejections earned.

Brosnan, a senior attacker, was second on the team with his totals of 51 goals and 23 assists, and third in steals with 49.

Kenney, a sophomore attacker, led Newport Harbor with 72 goals and 27 assists and 27 field blocks. His 68 steals were also second on the team.

Cavano, Zaan and Jarvis were all repeat first-team selections for the Oilers. The three seniors of Zaan, a center, and attackers Cavano and Jarvis helped Huntington Beach finish 17-11 overall and 3-1 in league. The Oilers finished eighth in the Division 1 playoffs and advanced to the semifinals of the Division II regional tournament, losing to eventual champion Orange Lutheran.

Davidson, a junior, was a repeat first-team selection for the Chargers. He and Pendergraft, a senior, helped Edison (14-15, 2-3) finish fourth in the league and qualify for the Division 3 playoffs. The Chargers lost 14-12 at El Segundo in the first round.

Huynen was a senior goalie for Fountain Valley (10-16, 1-4).

Powell, a senior, helped guide Marina (5-17, 0-5).

Second-team selections included Newport Harbor seniors John Rankin and Jason Grew, as well as junior Jack White. Huntington Beach senior goalie Spencer Stanbridge and senior Quinn Simpson also made the second team, as did Edison senior Nicholas Wong.

Fountain Valley seniors Dylan LeBaron and Kyle Graham, as well as Marina seniors Alex Papac and Dylan Peterson, were also second-team honorees.

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