SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Water Polo

2005 San Diego Section Report:

Eastlake Titans open season with renewed hope, wins

By Phillip Brents

Posted Sept. 23, 2005

Last season, the Eastlake High boys water polo team finished near the .500 mark (10-15 to be exact) and did not qualify for the San Diego Section playoffs.

After suffering significant losses to graduation from the previous season, the downturn in the Titans’ record perhaps was not all that surprising. With a year of additional experience for what was a youth-laden group, the team’s fortunes could be turning around this season under new coach Chris Barrick.

There are a couple of reasons for such optimism. Barrick noted that for the first time in school history, the program had to make player cuts.

Also, the overall growth of the program was put in the water on Sept. 23 when Eastlake held a varsity-alumni game.

Barrick is joined by a new coaching staff that also includes Jeff Kruse and Jorge Ortega. The new leadership wasted little time in adding depth to the program by starting an off-season club team in April in an effort to further develop the fundamentals of returning players.

It appears to be paying off thus far.

Top returners include seniors Sam Gottlieb, Austin Legg, Christian Valenzuela and Beto Lopez and juniors Gavin Fluhart and Bryan Figueroa.

Gottlieb and Lopez are long-time varsity mainstays while Fluhart has been playing since his freshman year. Gottlieb missed a significant portion of last year because of an injury and could be a pivotal force in the team’s resurgence this season.

"We are anchored by our seniors and an outstanding goaltender in Austin Legg. Beto Lopez is a team captain and hole man. Gavin Fluhart and Sam Gottlieb are all-league swimmers with excellent ball handling abilities," Barrick said.

There also could be a few surprises After the Titans’ first three games this season, Figueroa held the team lead in goals scored.

Impact newcomers include sophomore transfer Scott Kruse (Otay Ranch), sophomore Jason "Boots" Bowman and freshman Chris Schmuckal. Because of Kruse’s transfer status, he has been relegated to junior varsity duty and had scored 16 goals in the first three games.

Barrick said Eastlake’s JV team is carrying 20 players to develop players as the program progresses.

"Our outlook for the season is positive because our program is growing — we had to make cuts for the first time in Eastlake's history— and the strength of our underclassmen. With the off-season work and our returning seniors, our goal is to qualify for CIF playoffs," Barrick said. "My personal goal is to teach our players to work as a cohesive unit through fundamentals and an emphasis on defense. Our JV goal is to win the Mesa League."

The season is still young but those goals could yet be met with continued hard work.

Eastlake opened the 2005 season with a 9-8 loss to Mira Mesa and followed with wins against La Costa Canyon and Mar Vista. The Titans edged LCC by a narrow 2-1 score with goals scored Lopez and Figueroa. Eastlake also won the JV game by a 10-7 score.

Figueroa and Fluhart each had four goals in the 15-5 win against Mar Vista while Christian Valenzuela scored three goals and Legg recorded seven goalie blocks. 7 blocked shots in the goal. The Titans captured the JV contest, 16-6, as Kruse scored five times.

Eastlake got its first real look at top competition within the San Diego Section at the 32-team Poway Invitational Sept. 15-17. The Titans finished 2-3, losing their opening two games against perennial playoff qualifiers Torrey Pines (15-4) and Fallbrook (5-2). Eastlake rebounded with victories against Army-Navy (19-3) and Oceanside (13-2) and finished tournament play with a 7-6 overtime loss against Escondido.

Photo: Bryan Figueroa.

Barrick called the Poway Invitational "a tough learning experience" for the team.

"Our guys played tough for all four quarters and proved to themselves that they can play with the good North County teams," Barrick said in reference to the three-goal loss against Fallbrook, a team that eliminated the Titans in the opening round of the 2002 Division I playoffs.

The loss to a physically larger and faster Escondido team evened Eastlake’s season-opening record at 4-4.

"Overall, it was a good tournament for us in that we got great experience against some really good teams. Our guys are learning to play a pressing defense that keeps us in games against teams that are larger and faster than we are," Barrick said. "They are learning to make adjustments to what the other team gives us. We're progressing and starting to get some guys healthy again. I'm encouraged by the continued improvement."

The Titans split their two most recent games, dropping a 16-10 decision at Helix and downing neighborhood rival Otay Ranch by a 14-3 score.

Eastlake trailed Helix by one goal entering the final period an appeared to be staging a comeback before experiencing foul trouble.

"The boys played well through three periods and tried to force things in the fourth and got away from our game plan. Overall, the team continues to progress and is learning to adapt to what other teams give them. Once they learn to string four consistent quarters together, they have the potential to be a good water polo team. Hopefully, we can string a few wins together and build some confidence," Barrick said after the matchup against Helix.

In the loss to the Highlanders, Lopez had three goals and three assists while Valenzuela, Gottlieb and Figueroa each scored twice.

On a positive note, Eastlake captured the JV game by an 8-7 score and also won the noivce game by a 13-3 score. Kruse had three goals in the JV game.

Eastlake closed out summer with the win against second-year Otay Ranch on Sept. 21. Valenzuela led the Titans in scoring with four goals while Fluhart and Figueroa each scored three goals and Gottlieb and Lopez both scored two goals.

Kruse led Eastlake’s victorious effort in the JV with six goals as the Titans prevailed 16-3.

Key dates include matchups against Hilltop (Sept. 23), Santa Fe Christian (Oct. 13) and San Pasqual (Oct. 25). The Titans will also compete in the San Diego Open tournament Oct. 24, 27-29.

Eastlake will play in the Mesa League this season, challenging reigning league champion Bonita Vista as well as Chula Vista and Southwest. The Titans open league play Oct. 7 against Southwest and test Bonita Vista for the first time on Oct. 18. Additional league games follow Oct. 19 against Chula Vista, Oct. 26 against Southwest, Nov. 2 against Bonita Vista and Nov. 4 against Chula Vista. The latter three games are all at Southwestern College.

The Titans hope to be playing after the Nov. 4 date.