Villa Park's Samuels is O.C.'s top boys athlete

Click on the photo to view a slideshow of Villa Park's Josh Samuels.

None of his three teams at Villa Park was practicing. Neither club water polo nor USA Water Polo was tugging on his arm.

But in typical fashion, Samuels still had other plans. The senior was going to grab a late-afternoon lunch with a friend and then challenge him to a game of NBA 2K9.

"I don't like to sit around (and do nothing)," Samuels said. "I get bored really, really easy. I'm always active."

Even if Samuels sat during the video game, his legs certainly earned a break.

During the fall season, he was arguably the best water polo player in the nation. In the winter, he was Villa Park's inspirational, starting center in basketball. And in the spring, he sprinted to a CIF title in swimming.

For his efforts, Samuels is the Orange County Register's boys athlete of the year for 2008-09.

"Land and sea," El Toro water polo coach Don Stoll said of Samuels' accomplishments. "That's a pretty big triple."

"There are not many who do (that combination of sports)," Villa Park aquatics coach John Carcich said. "He's a great athlete."

Samuels covered the first leg of the triple in water polo, the sport he will play at UCLA.

The U.S. junior team member dominated with 140 goals and 61 assists. The lanky, 6-foot-5, 190-pound Samuels might have been better on defense. He collected 130 steals en route to being selected The Register's player of the year and CIF Division II co-player of the year.

"Josh Samuels is the best player in high school," Newport Harbor coach Jason Lynch said in the fall.

The second leg was basketball. In his first season as a starter, Samuels averaged 8.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Unlike his junior season, he logged heavy minutes. Samuels said basketball was the biggest challenge of his athletic year.

"I thought that was the major test," said Samuels, the Century League's male athlete of the year. "I wasn't just out there running around like I had no idea. I got a handle of the game."

Samuels' play earned him the Andy Andreas Coaches Award at Villa Park.

"Very physical, very tough," Villa Park basketball coach Kevin Reynolds said of Samuels, who carries a 3.7 grade-point average.

Samuels still stayed busy with water polo during basketball. He trained some nights with his club, SOCAL, and attended a U.S. junior team training camp. In August, he will play for Team USA at the junior world championship in Croatia.

"I play with friends," he said of his busy schedule. "And I love water polo, so it's fun."

Samuels' water polo schedule grew busier as he entered the third leg of his triple: swimming.

In the spring, he trained weekly with members of the senior national team and also attended a pair of weekend camps.

"Those were killer," he said. "One of them was the week before league (finals). After league finals, I was spent."

But by the CIF Division II finals, Samuels had the legs back.

He captured the 50-yard freestyle in a school-record 20.71 seconds. The time ranked second in the county in 2009 and placed him seventh on the county's all-time list.

Samuels added a bronze in the 100 free in Division II (46.00) and also placed second in the 50 at Masters.

"He's amazing," former UCLA men's water polo coach Adam Krikorian said. "He can go as far as he wants to go."

Samuels was a well-rounded youth athlete. He started swimming as a 4-year-old and later played baseball, All-Net basketball and water polo.

He credits many of his coaches for teaching him proper fundamentals but said his family is his biggest influence. His sister, Angela, 22, was a standout swimmer at Villa Park and LMU. His brother, Albert, is another Villa Park graduate and now plays water polo at LMU.

"I don't think, athletically, that I'm superior to anyone," Samuels said. "My family is like the most competitive family - period. … I think that makes me the competitor I am, which makes me the athlete I am."