Jon Puffer’s journey to the top feeding spot in CIF-SS boys water polo started four years ago.
The Aliso Niguel coach, in his first season, assembled an unheralded cast of players, mostly from a little-known but growing club team.
He began an intense indoctrination into competing at a higher level, and this fall the progress couldn’t be ignored.
Puffer guided Aliso Niguel to its first appearance in a CIF-SS final. The Wolverines fell to top-seeded Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, 9-7, in the Division 3 championship, but knocked off No. 2 seed Redlands East Valley, 8-7, in the semifinals.
Aliso Niguel, which went winless in South Coast League four years ago, played at a high level in both matches and throughout the fall. For his efforts, Puffer is the Register’s Orange County boys water polo coach of the year.
————————————————
ALL-COUNTY BOYS WATER POLO
- Player of the year: Ash Molthen, Orange Lutheran
- All-County: First team selections
- Coach of the year: Jon Puffer, Aliso Niguel
- All-County: Second & Third Teams
————————————————
“Very proud of the year,” Puffer, 37, said. “The biggest thing was that the guys all bought in. So when we started four years ago, they made the commitment to play year-round with each other.
“That allowed us to sort of establish that base and our culture that we’re trying to develop.”
Most of the players arrived from the Aliso Polo age-group club run by Coach Erick Lynch. The boys came with sound fundamentals, Puffer said, and began to raise their level of play.
With Nick Ure (SOCAL) as his only player from a major club program, Puffer guided Aliso Niguel to a pair of winning seasons in the Sea View League in 2014 (5-3) and 2015 (6-2).
Aliso Niguel finished 21-8 this season, placing third in the rugged South Coast League behind El Toro and Dana Hills.
The Wolverines beat San Clemente twice in league to claim third. They also introduced the county to standouts such as Ure, Colin Knight, goalie Evan Johnston and Skylar Lee.
Puffer, a former UCLA water polo player, left the employee benefits industry to become a teacher and coach at Aliso Niguel.
He motivated his players early this past season by printing golden bus tickets to the CIF finals. He distributed the tickets to each player after a rough practice, asking them to turn in their stubs if committed to the journey.
“They were laughing at the end of the year like, ‘You weren’t lying coach,’” Puffer said. “‘We did go all the way to the finals.’ ”
Contact the writer: dalbano@scng.com
