Best player ever at Villa Park.

That's how highly the Spartans' boys water polo program regards Josh Samuels.

"Best we've ever had," longtime Villa Park consultant John Kulisich says of the senior.

Samuels couldn't receive much higher praise. Villa Park has produced two players - Gavin Arroyo and Doug Kimbell - who went on to become two-time Olympians.

Four years ago, the Spartans also featured county player of the year Shea Buckner, who also has played for the national team.

Samuels, The Register's 2008 player of the year, earned the distinction with a well-rounded game that was consistently productive against the region's top teams.

"It's a privilege," Samuels of the praise. "(But) I have not made it top level of the (Villa Park honors) wall yet. Until I get past Kimbell and Arroyo and make to the Olympic board, I'm not the best yet."

A gifted perimeter shooter who improved his accuracy, Samuels often wore out opponents with his powerful shot off fouls. He encountered plenty of double-teams but still finished with 140 goals, third highest in Orange County.

Samuels also racked up 61 assists.

He finished as Villa Park's all-time leaders in goals (407) and ranks second all-time in assists (208).

But for all his offensive exploits, Samuels was arguably a better defender. The lanky 6-foot-5, 195-pounder center defender could raise an arm in front of the cage and essentially become a second goalie.

He finished with 130 steals this season and holds the school's career record with 541.

"Josh Samuels is the best player in high school (in the United States)," Newport Harbor coach Jason Lynch said in an e-mail. "He can do it all."

Samuels held heavy responsibilities on both ends of the pool but said it didn't feel overwhelming.

"I didn't feel that the load was too much because I had tons of faith in my teammates," Samuels said. "For the most, everyone stepped up just as I anticipated and accounted for a lot of our success."

Villa Park captured the Division II title in Samuels' junior season but the Spartans graduated two All-County players from that squad in goalie Matt Rapacz and Rex Learmouth. Despite the losses, the Spartans were a fixture in the county top 10 in 2008. They were upset by Servite in the quarterfinals.

The loss stung Samuels but he remains upbeat about how he and the Spartans fared.

"I wish we would have gone further in CIF," said Samuels, voted by coaches a co-Division II player of the year with Alex Wherry of Mater Dei.

"In no way is our season a failure. I think I did pretty well."

Around Villa Park, they believe Samuels was better than that.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com