Well said Gibson. Player safety should be a priority.
1 Like
anybody know anything about the saddleback tournament on the weekend of september 27th??
Jeff. I’ve always admired your deep knowledge and rarely disagree with your analysis and rankings. However, the justification for holding Sacred Heart at 5 because they don’t have a deep bench, is exactly the reason they should drop, especially given their performance in the South Coast Tournament relative to others. A number of teams were without starters due to injury or sit-out periods. Sacred Heart’s kids would have made a difference, but as you stated, let that be judged in October when they return to play. Mater Dei (#7) was playing without their goalie, yet they beat Sacred Heart (#5) and De La Salle (#6). Your rankings are for the “Week Ending…”, yet you seem to incorporating some forecasting.
Again, Full respect for what you do and I know we wouldn’t have this platform without you!
2 Likes
(UNPOPULAR OPINION)
The Cerritos Dons Boys Water Polo team is set to dominate this season with unmatched skill, strategy, and determination. Their dominance is not just a prediction but an inevitable outcome due to the extraordinary talent on their roster. The Dons, led by standout players Timothy Matthew and Noah Draper, will crush their competition and make this season unforgettable.
First and foremost, Timothy Matthew is a player who embodies excellence in every aspect of the game. His skills in water polo are nothing short of phenomenal. Timothy’s agility and precision in both offense and defense are what set him apart. His ability to score goals from almost impossible angles leaves opponents helpless. His vision on the pool is also remarkable; he can see plays developing before they even happen. This anticipatory skill allows him to create scoring opportunities and make crucial assists. Timothy’s leadership on the field further amplifies his impact. He motivates his teammates with his relentless energy and enthusiasm, setting a standard that others strive to reach. It is clear that Timothy is not just a player; he is the heartbeat of the Dons’ success.
Adding to the Dons’ powerhouse lineup is Noah Draper, the 6’3” goalie who is a brick wall in the net. Noah’s height and wingspan give him a significant advantage over most goalkeepers. His remarkable reflexes and ability to read the opponents’ movements make him nearly unbeatable. When Noah is in goal, it feels as though no shot is too challenging. His saves are not just routine but spectacular, often involving dives and stretches that defy belief. With Noah in goal, the Dons have a reliable last line of defense, ensuring that even the most determined opponents struggle to score.
The combination of Timothy’s offensive prowess and Noah’s defensive mastery creates a balanced team that can tackle any challenge. Their individual skills are impressive, but together, they form a duo that is almost impossible to overcome. Their synergy on the field is a key factor in the Dons’ expected success this season. Opposing teams will have to contend with Timothy’s scoring ability while also trying to penetrate Noah’s nearly impenetrable defense. This dual threat is a recipe for victory and is a clear advantage over any competition.
Beyond these two standout players, the Cerritos Dons have a well-rounded team that supports and amplifies their star performances. The coaching staff has also played a crucial role in preparing the team for this season. Their strategies and training sessions are designed to harness the full potential of every player, ensuring that the Dons are always at their best. The combination of Timothy’s and Noah’s exceptional skills with a supportive team and strategic coaching forms a powerful force that is ready to dominate.
It is also worth noting that the team’s commitment to practice and their relentless work ethic is unmatched. The Dons train rigorously, pushing their limits and honing their skills every day. This dedication is what sets them apart from their competitors. It is clear that the Cerritos Dons are not just aiming to participate in the season but to win it decisively. Their preparation, skill level, and team spirit are all geared towards achieving this goal.
In conclusion, the Cerritos Dons Boys Water Polo team is primed for an outstanding season. With Timothy Matthew’s exceptional talent and Noah Draper’s formidable goalkeeping, they have all the ingredients for success. Their preparation, dedication, and the synergy between key players ensure that they will not just compete but dominate the league. Opponents should be prepared for a season of unparalleled excellence from the Dons, as they are set to leave their competition in the dust. The Cerritos Dons are ready to make this season one for the history books. I mean. There’s just no question about it. GO DONS!
2 Likes
I would also agree that the MD team should be higher, watched them play SHP and HW (very close game) during the tournament and they have improved considerably from when I last watched them play a few weeks ago.
ChatGPT strikes again.
5 Likes
Otto Stothart was injured in the Oaks Christain game. Oaks Christian was winning the game at that point and probably would have won even if Stothart had played the entire game. Connor Kim was injured in the Mater Dei game and didn’t play the rest of the tournament. Fortunately, Stothart and Kim are expected to play later this season.
Although I didn’t watch any of the South Coast Tournament games in person, several coaches and observers I spoke with agree with Gibson’s observations. Something needs to be done to address this situation.
Interesting info, I guess we will see how the season plays out. Too bad for them CIFSS took away pre set divisions so if they do too well, they will move up from Division 6 and have to play in Division 5 in the playoffs. We will all be rooting for TMat and NDrap. 
That a fair criticism, Kickout, and you aren’t the only one who feels that way. My rankings are subjective and represent no more than my best guess as to how the various schools compare with one another. And yes, there is an element of forecasting in my rankings. If Oaks Christian had beat JSerra in the semifinals of the South Coast Tournament, I would not have ranked Oaks Christian ahead of JSerra because JSerra played without four of its top players and two other players are rounding into shape after returning from injuries. Similarly, Sacred Heart was playing without two key starters, played 7 games in five days, and had not played a game before last Tuesday. In deciding where to rank Sacred Heart, I also considered Mater Dei’s loss to Cathedral Catholic and two losses to Corona del Mar, Cathedral Catholic’s loss to Miramonte, De La Salle’s loss to Mater Dei, and Miramonte’s loss to De La Salle.
When Sacred Heart is at full strength, I think they are a top 4 or 5 team. We will get a better read on Sacred Heart at the Elite 8 Tournament and the North vs. South Challenge. The good news for Sacred Heart fans is that their center, Oliver Marcin (2026, Stanford?), has improved significantly since the 2023 high school season. I believe he’s one of the four or five best players in the country.
One other note about my rankings. I generally try to avoid significant swings based upon one or two early-season games. For example, Cal was ranked second in the preseason Collegiate Water Polo Association poll and Pepperdine was ranked 13th. After Pepperdine upset Cal by one goal in overtime in the Triton Invitational, a round-robin tournament, the same poll ranked Pepperdine 4th, ahead of Cal, Pacific, Princeton, LBSU, and U.C. Irvine. In my opinion, that kind of movement based upon an early-season upset doesn’t pass the smell test.
With respect to the comments about Mater Dei, hats off to the players and Wyatt Benson, Mater Dei’s second-year coach. If Mater Dei keeps this up, Benson will be in the running for the coach-of-the-year award. When considering Mater Dei’s performance so far this season, consider that they could have had Jonas Ransford (transferred to JSerra after the 2022 season), Kai Kaneko (transferred to Newport after the 2022 season), Brian Barnuevo (transferred to JSerra after the 2023 season), and Santino Rossi (transferred to Newport after the 2023) season. Nevertheless, Mater Dei finished 5th in the South Coast Tournament, beating, among others, Sacred Heart and De La Salle. That’s impressive.
1 Like
I watched the game. He got hit in the eye during a drive in the game against MD.
I don’t think there is more dirty play, per se… I believe players are way less good at getting away with it.
I agree that “all pollsters” should factor-in the parameters that Jeff laid out. Unfortunately that takes an enormous amount of knowledge/homework about each individual player(s), dynamics/coaching/injuries/eligibility/foreign v domestic/ etc., etc. There is only one person I know who takes the time/effort to do this…we are blessed to have Jeff around.
Now, with that said, who would argue that Princeton should remain in the #6th spot and UOP (fresh restart after most of their starters redshirted) should remain at the #7 spot…even though Princeton lost 12-11 while their best defender was injured? Since we’re all accustomed to the way historical polling goes…I guarantee you the CWPA will have UOP leapfrogging them in the standings. Yes or No?
1 Like
Doug Peabody has been Ian Davidson’s Asst coach the last few years.
That is an interesting queston about polls. Are they supposed to reflect what teams are best on that particular day or what teams have the most potential taking into consideration injuries, transfers, etc.?
How do the different NCAA football polls handle this?
1 Like
Congratulations to La Jolla for winning the America’s Finest City Tournament and San Clemente for winning the Villa Park Classic. This week’s action includes the S&R Sport Tournament. Other games of note include Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar, JSerra vs. Harvard-Westlake, Harvard-Westlake vs. Oaks Christian, Miramonte vs. De La Salle, Mater Dei vs. Loyola, Cathedral Catholic vs. Bishop’s, and Greenwich vs. Brunswick.
My unofficial rankings for the week ending September 21 follow below.
Top 20
-
Newport Harbor (12-0). Last week, Newport beat Edison 20-3, Harvard-Westlake 14-5, and Cathedral Catholic 12-6. Earlier in the season, Newport won the South Coast Tournament. This week, Newport plays Corona del Mar on Wednesday.
-
JSerra (8-1). Last week, JSerra beat Loyola 11-7. Earlier in the season, JSerra finished 2nd in the South Coast Tournament. This week, JSerra plays Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday.
-
Oaks Christian (6-2). Last week, Oaks Christian beat Newbury Park 28-3. Earlier in the season, Oaks Christian finished 3rd in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Oaks Christian plays Agoura on Tuesday, Calabasas on Thursday, and Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.
-
Harvard-Westlake (7-3). Last week, Harvard-Westlake beat Long Beach Wilson 18-15 and lost to Newport Harbor 14-5. Earlier in the season, Harvard-Westlake finished 4th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Harvard-Westlake plays JSerra on Tuesday and Oaks Christian on Saturday.
-
Sacred Heart Prep (5-3). Last week, Sacred Heart beat Valley Christian 13-4. Earlier in the season, Sacred Heart finished 10th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Sacred Heart plays Mitty on Wednesday.
-
De La Salle (6-2). Last week, De La Salle beat Granada 22-2. Earlier in the season, De La Sale finished 6th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, De La Salle plays Dougherty Valley on Thursday and Miramonte on Friday.
-
Mater Dei (11-4). Last week, Mater Dei beat Bishop’s 14-10. Earlier in the season, Mater Dei finished 2nd in the Santa Barbara Invitational and 5th in the South Coast Tournament. Mater Dei plays Santa Margarita on Wednesday and Loyola on Saturday.
-
Cathedral Catholic (7-2). Last week, Cathedral Catholic lost to Newport 12-6. Earlier in the season, Cathedral Catholic finished 9th in the South Coast Tournament. Cathedral Catholic plays Bishop’s on Wednesday.
-
Corona del Mar (11-3). Last week, Corona del Mar beat Huntington Beach 16-13 and Mira Costa 15-6. Earlier in the season, Corona del Mar won the Santa Barbara Invitational and finished 8th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Corona del Mar plays Newport Harbor on Wednesday and is the No. 1 seed in the S&R Sport Tournament.
-
Miramonte (5-3). Last week, Miramonte lost to Campolindo 12-10 and beat Bellarmine 17-10. Earlier in the season, Miramonte finished 7th in the South Coast Tournament. Miramonte plays De La Salle on Friday.
-
Campolindo (7-2). Last week, Campolindo beat Miramonte 12-10 and Terra Linda 16-11. Earlier in the season, Campolindo finished 13th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Campolindo plays San Ramon Valley on Wednesday and Tamalpais on Friday.
-
Bishop’s (6-4). Last week, Bishop’s lost to Mater Dei 14-10. Earlier in the season, Bishop’s finished 11th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Bishop’s plays Cathedral Catholic on Wednesday.
-
Loyola (3-5). Last week, Loyola beat Crespi 27-2 and lost to JSerra 11-7. Earlier in the season, Loyola finished 12th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Loyola plays St. Francis on Monday, Norte Dame on Thursday, and Mater Dei on Saturday.
-
Foothill (7-5). Last week, Foothill beat Los Alamitos 10-6. Earlier in the season, Foothill finished 14th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Foothill plays El Dorado on Tuesday and is the No. 2 seed in the S&R Sport Tournament.
-
Greenwich (3-0). Last week, Greenwich beat Staples 24-8. Greenwich plays Greenwich Country Day on Tuesday and plays in the Beast of the East Tournament this weekend.
-
Archie Williams (7-1). Last week, Archie Williams beat San Rafael 14-5 and Tamalpais 12-9. Earlier in the season, Archie Williams finished 5th in the Santa Barbara Invitational. Archie Williams plays College Park on Tuesday and San Marino on Thursday.
-
Westlake (11-3). Last week, Westlake beat Calabasas 22-8, lost to Orange Lutheran 13-8, and beat Agoura 11-8. Earlier in the season, Westlake finished 3rd in the Santa Barbara Invitational. This week, Westlake plays Palos Verdes on Tuesday and Newbury Park on Thursday.
-
Bellarmine (6-6). Last week, Bellarmine beat St. Francis 9-8 and lost to Miramonte 17-10. Earlier in the season, Bellarmine finished 4th in the Santa Barbara Invitational and 15th in the South Coast Tournament. Bellarmine plays Serra on Wednesday.
-
San Marcos (11-5). San Marcos didn’t play last week. Earlier in the season, San Marcos finished 8th in the Santa Barbara Invitational and 17th in the South Coast Tournament. San Marcos plays La Serna on Thursday.
-
Long Beach Wilson (7-5). Last week, Long Beach Wilson beat Palos Verdes 21-5 and lost to Harvard-Westlake 18-15. Earlier in the season, Long Beach Wilson finished 19th in the South Coast Tournament. This week, Long Beach Wilson is the No. 4 seed in the S&R Sport Tournament.
SoCal Top 10
- Newport Harbor
- JSerra
- Oaks Christian
- Harvard-Westlake
- Mater Dei
- Cathedral Catholic
- Corona del Mar
- Bishop’s
- Loyola
- Foothill
NorCal Top 10
-
Sacred Heart Prep
-
De La Salle
-
Miramonte
-
Campolindo
-
Archie Williams
-
Bellarmine
-
Tamalpais (3-1). Last week, Tam beat San Marin 26-5, lost to Archie Williams 12-9, and beat St. Ignatius 9-5. This week, Tam plays Redwood on Wednesday and Campolindo on Friday.
-
Redwood (6-0). Last week, Redwood beat Marin Academy 20-7. Earlier in the season, Redwood won the Roche Invitational. This week, Redwood plays Novato on Tuesday and Tamalpais on Wednesday, and is the No. 11 seed in the S&R Sport Tournament. They should be seeded higher.
-
Menlo (10-4). Last week, Menlo beat Mitty 14-9 and finished third in the America’s Finest City Tournament, beating Valhalla 17-10, beating Long Beach Poly 16-10, beating Helix 12-4 in the quarterfinals, losing to La Jolla 12-5 in the semifinals, and beating Valhalla 17-8 in the 3rd place game. Earlier in the season, Menlo finished 2nd in the Roche Invitational. This week, Menlo plays Valley Christian on Wednesday and Monte Vista on Saturday.
-
Rio Americano (10-2). Last week, Rio Americano beat Christian Brothers 21-4 and finished second in the America’s Finest City Tournament, beating Westview 13-8, beating Eastlake 7-4, beating Ventura 11-8 in the quarterfinals, beating Valhalla 15-8 in the semifinals, and losing to La Jolla 12-10 in the finals. Earlier in the season, Rio Americano finished 3rd in the Roche Invitational. This week, Rio Americano plays Granite Bay on Monday and Bella Vista on Tuesday.
10th. St. Francis (8-3). Last week, St. Francis lost to Bellarmine 9-8 and beat Harker 10-8. Earlier in the season, St. Francis finished 6th in the Santa Barbara Invitational and won the St. Francis Invitational. This week, St. Francis plays St. Ignatius on Wednesday and Santa Cruz on Friday.
Top 10 Private Schools
- JSerra
- Oaks Christian
- Harvard-Westlake
- Sacred Heart Prep
- De La Salle
- Mater Dei
- Cathedral Catholic
- Bishop’s
- Loyola
- Bellarmine
Top 10 Public Schools
- Newport Harbor
- Corona del Mar
- Miramonte
- Campolindo
- Foothill
- Greenwich
- Archie Williams
- Westlake
- San Marcos
- Long Beach Wilson
Last week, I offered two points to the person who selected the best coed water polo team comprised of at least three women, at least three men, one goalie, at least one center, and five other field players. The individuals selected for the teams must have been on a U.S. Olympic team during the period from 1968 to 2024 and must have played at least their senior year of high school water polo in a state other than California. No one submitted an entry. Here is mine:
Ashleigh Johnson – goalie (Florida, 3x Olympian, will almost certainly be inducted into the Water Polo Hall of Fame)
Elsie Windes – utility (Oregon, 2x Olympian, Hall of Fame)
Ben Stevenson – utility (Nevada, 1x Olympian)
Sean Kern – center (Hawaii, 1x Olympian)
Heather Moody – center (New Mexico, 2x Olympian, Hall of Fame)
Wolf Wigo – attacker (New York, 3x Olympian, Hall of Fame)
Brad Schumacher – attacker (Maryland, 1x Olympian)
Just for the heck of it. Newport Harbor ended JSerra’s 40-game winning streak in last weekend’s South Coast Tournament championship game. One point to anyone who can tell us which CIF Southern Section Open Division (or its equivalent) schools have won more than 40 water polo games in a row from the mid-1960s to the present. A bonus point to the first person who tells us which high school broke the longest winning streak in Southern Section water polo history. A second bonus point to the first person who names the coach of the school that broke the longest winning streak in Southern Section history.
1 Like
Mater Dei, under Segesman, I believe has the longest streak. Jon Walters never lost a game in HS. What a talent he was.
And I believe it was San Diego Cathedral Catholic, and then Harvard Westlake beat them too
Just saw http://polocoach.com/cifss/ratingsreport.php was updated. Really glad we have some rankings out there outside of just speculation now.
2 Likes
great find. do we now what the break down for playoffs will be this year?
8 for open, 16 for 1 and 32 for the rest like the past?
1 Like
Long Beach Wilson is one of those with 40+ wins consecutively and I believe it was El Toro who ended it.
Polling process of collegiate water polo “Pollsters examine scores and rank teams in light of these results. They are charged with ranking the teams to the best of their abilities without considering their subjective feelings about the strength of a team or individual factors affecting a team’s performance, such as injury or illness to specific athletes. Past history may affect the rankings, although the most recent scores bear more weight than earlier results.”
1 Like