Bill Barnett always believed he would be back coaching the Newport Harbor girls water polo team this winter, but his return over the weekend from complications from hip surgery was still impressive.
With the aid of a walker and an antibiotic pump, Barnett, 72, navigated the chilly pool-side temperatures and extended hours to help Newport Harbor finish the Holiday Cup with a victory against Back Bay rival Corona del Mar in the third-place match.
“He just doesn’t give up,” said Barbara Kalbus, a longtime friend and member of the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame. “I’m proud of him because he is amazing, as sick as he was in the hospital.”
Barnett, who started coaching at Newport Harbor in 1966 at age 24, underwent artificial hip replacement about three months ago, but his hip later became infected.
“Maybe my tooth cleaning (caused the infection),” he said.
Barnett underwent two surgeries related to infections and returned home from the hospital Christmas night.
On Saturday night, he watched Katie Kearns score with 13 seconds left as the Sailors edged Corona del Mar, 7-6, in overtime in his final Holiday Cup match.
“It’s always fun to beat Corona,” he said.
Barnett said his fatigue and the cold temperatures have been challenges, but he is determined to finish the final season of his distinguished career. He guided the U.S. men’s Olympic team to a silver medal in 1988 and took the Newport Harbor boys to 10 CIF-SS Division 1 titles and the girls to five.
Assistant Brian Melstrom will take the reins from Barnett after this season.
“I’ll make it (through),” said Barnett, whose No. 3 Sailors play host to No. 6 Los Alamitos in a key Sunset League match Wednesday at 5 p.m.
– DAN ALBANO
WRESTLING
League wrestling duals resume this week across the county.
Fourth-ranked Dana Hills will be host to second-ranked Laguna Hills tonight in a South Coast League meeting.
The Sea View League dual champion will likely be decided Thursday as Capistrano Valley visits Aliso Niguel.
This weekend’s tournament to watch is the Asics SoCal Challenge at Tustin. The matches begin Friday at 10 a.m. and the tournament concludes Saturday.
Esperanza will be the site of a boys tournament in one gym and girls tournament in the other gym Saturday morning. …
The Santa Ana, Segerstrom and Godinez girls wrestling teams will meet Thursday at Segerstrom at 6 p.m. in a three-way meet. This is believed to be the first girls dual in the county. …
In other girls wrestling news, Buena Park’s Michelle Garcia (121) and Kennedy’s Miyuki Pugrad (126) won titles at the San Dimas High Classic. Buena Park’s Evelyn Lopez was second at 170.
Kennedy’s Kayla Czelusniak (131), Sunny Hills’ Anatli Smalley (137) and Sam Cortez (160) were third at their divisions. …
Canyon’s Aleeah Gould (106) won her division at the Queen of the Hill tournament at Corona High.
– DAMIAN CALHOUN
BOYS SOCCER
The South Coast League finished the holiday tournament season with bragging rights in the county as the boys soccer teams for Capistrano Valley, San Clemente and El Toro each won a tournament championship match.
The Tritons topped the Coast Division of the So Cal High School Classic in Oceanside, the Cougars won the Trabuco Hills Mustang Cup and the Chargers triumphed in the South O.C. Classic.
San Clemente plays host to Capistrano Valley in the South Coast League opener on Friday at 4:30 p.m. El Toro will face both schools in a three-day span later this month. …
As competitive as soccer can be in Orange County, the expensive private club teams often provide a path to a college scholarship. But that wasn’t an option for Century defender Jose Luis Hernandez.
Century coach Bruce Silverman says Hernandez is talented enough to play for some of tho top club teams, but he had no way to get to games or practices because of his parents’ work commitments.
So Silverman, with help from his sister and some of Hernandez’s teachers at Century, found a way to get Hernandez noticed by one of the top colleges in the country.
Silverman, who knows Harvard coach Pietr Lahr, arranged for Hernandez to get a tryout at the Ivy League school this past summer. Silverman used some of his frequent flyer miles to cover the cost of flying Hernandez to Boston, and some of Century’s faculty members contributed to a fund to pay for the trip’s other expenses. Hernandez stayed with Silverman’s sister, who lives in Boston.
Hernandez, who has a 4.6 GPA and was an All-County first-team selection last season, was one of 10 finalists in the tryout process, but he was not one of the six players selected to attend the school and play for the team.
“He (Lahr) thought Jose had a lot of potential. He is an incredible player and student,” Silverman said. “On the field, he has been a three-year starter and team captain. Jose’s priority is getting into the school with the best academics. Although playing soccer is very important to him, his priority is academics.”
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
GIRLS SOCCER
With tournament season now in the rear-view mirror, girls soccer teams throughout the county will begin league play this week. Thursday, in particular, features intriguing matches in the Sunset and South Coast Leagues.
San Clemente travels to take on top-ranked Aliso Niguel in a South Coast League opener that will double as the latest chapter of the county’s most heated rivalry. While the Tritons have struggled this season (2-5-2), a win against the Wolverines coulp jump-start a second-half surge.
In the Sunset League, No. 2 Edison hosts No. 6 Huntington Beach on Thursday in what will be a critical match for teams vying for the league title.
On Friday, No. 7 Canyon and Cypress meet in a noteworthy nonleague match at El Modena. The contest pits Canyon coach Tino Ray Younger against one of his former players, Cypress coach Nicole Woiemberghe.
Younger coached Woiemberghe several years back on the club circuit.
– KENNY CONNOLLY
