Despite losing seven seniors to graduation after a successful year, Dana Hills water polo coach Matt Rosa believes his team returns enough experience and young athletes to make a run for a third consecutive league title in 2014.
After dropping in the quarterfinals of CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs each of the past two years, the Dolphins will move down to Division 2 this season, another aspect that Rosa believes could help his team’s chances.
“Moving down to Division 2 this year could make us a preseason No. 3 heading in, so we’re hoping for a semifinal or maybe even a final,” Rosa said.
Leading the way for the Dolphins this season will be senior attacker Marko Asic and junior attacker Bennett Williams.
The two right-handed attackers could pose matchup problems for the opposition because they occupy the same side of the pool.
Asic believes the team’s ability to win games in come-from-behind fashion last season could help the experienced players with leadership this year.
“Never give up in games, in high school, we’ve been down going into so many games and we’ve come back in almost all of them,” he said. “We’ve been down by double digits going into quarters at times and we were able to come all the way back.”
Asic added that the team saw plenty of players step up in the absence of Bennett Williams, who competed in Europe and missed most of the team’s summer workouts.
In the cage, Dana Hills will rely on junior Riley Zachary, younger brother of last year’s goalkeeper, Brody Zachary.
Partnered with senior two-meter defender Matt Honey and some speed around the perimeter, Rosa said the defensive strategy could include a lot of drop and gap drop defenses.
Asic and Williams will provide threats with counter attacks, and Rosa said the offense will run frequently through the right side.
He added that aside from those two, he’s hoping to see Nick Jansen, a senior 6-foot-6 center, provide help with scoring.
“He’s going to need to score some for us, because teams are going to try to take away those first two guys and he’s going to have to step up,” Rosa said.
The Dolphins will be tested early and often in 2014, with three tough tournaments and games against some of Orange County’s better programs, including Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach.
The nonleague games will get Dana Hills battle tested for the South Coast League, where Rosa believes San Clemente and El Toro provide the biggest challenge.
Even after losing a lot of experience last year, with the drop in division, things still look bright for the Dolphins this season.
“We’ve got some young guys, inexperienced that if they step up and play well, we should be good,” Rosa said. “I’m glad we’re not in Division 1, but in Division 2, I’m preparing them to not only win a league title but win a CIF title as well.”
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