Harvard Reaches Final in 2-A Water Polo, 10-6

Harvard High’s water polo team continued to use its home-pool advantage to the utmost even though the team wasn’t playing at home.

Friday’s match was at Santa Monica High, but Harvard relied on a rowdy and boisterous crowd of about 300 to vault to a 10-6 win over San Marino in the Southern Section 2-A semifinals.

The victory moves Harvard (25-5) into the championship game for the first time. The Saracens will play defending champion Costa Mesa, which is seeded No. 1, next Saturday at Belmont Plaza’s Olympic Pool in Long Beach.

The Saracens also kept alive hopes for the first Valley-area water polo title since Crespi took the 2-A crown in 1981.

The players were quick to thank the spectators for their support.

“The crowd was unbelievable,” senior Greg Magnuson said. “Without the crowd, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Many of the spectators were from Harvard’s football team, and Coach Rich Corso plans to reciprocate. Harvard plays Bell-Jeff in football today at home.

“Between workouts we’ll be out there cheering for their game,” Corso said. “They were great.”

This is Corso’s second year as coach. Last season, the Saracens advanced to the second round of the playoffs, which was their best season until this year.

“Whoever heard of the Harvard School in water polo 16 months ago?” Corso asked rhetorically.

In the two days they had to prepare for San Marino (19-5), the Saracens concentrated on stopping the Titans’ two-meter man, Spencer Harris.

“We wanted to keep them to four or five goals and hold Harris to three goals,” Corso said.

To prepare for Harris, Harvard assistant Peter Kostadinov impersonated him in practice. Harvard succeeded: Harris scored just twice.

Damon Willick, Magnuson, Peter Richards and Jed Simon each scored two goals for the Saracens, who never trailed.

“When it was 7-4 the crowd pumped us up and got us to the next level,” Willick said.

Magnuson, Simon and Richards all scored in the final quarter to ensure the win.