Sailors stymie defending champs

If you had a choice of how you’d like to start your season, defeating

a perennial power wouldn’t be a bad one. Chalk up a stellar start for

the Newport Harbor boys water polo team. Clay Jorth netted four goals

as the Sailors opened their season by defeating four-time defending

CIF Southern Section Division I champion Long Beach Wilson, 9-5, on

Tuesday afternoon at Newport Harbor High in a nonleague game.

“I thought we played pretty well for the first game of the year,”

Newport Harbor Coach Jason Lynch said. “Playing Wilson is always a

big test -- they are the defending champions. This is definitely a

great way to start the season.”

The game started and ended with goals by Jorth. The senior -- an

All-CIF Division I first-team selection last year -- scored from up

top with 35 seconds left in the first quarter, then put the icing on

the cake by scoring with the man-advantage with 2 seconds left in

regulation time. Jorth looked like he might hold onto the ball and

let time run, but then opted to slam it home.

“I was going to [let time run out], but I was like, why not finish

it out hard,” Jorth said.

Wilson, which has won CIF section titles eight times in the last

nine years, pulled to within 4-3 with a two-man advantage on a goal

by Matt Sagehorn early in the third quarter. Then the Sailors scored

three consecutive goals -- including one by Brett Auer on a

counterattack and one on a four-meter penalty shot by Jorth.

“Clay was big for us today,” Lynch said. “Not just with his

shooting, but his control of the ball and whatever situation he was

in. I think he gives the team a lot of confidence.”

Newport Harbor was 4 for 7 with the man advantage -- 3 for 5 in

the second half. Wilson was 2 for 5 on the power play.

The Sailors played tenacious defense, shutting out the Bruins in

the first quarter and holding them to one goal in the third quarter.

“I thought we controlled the ball on offense and did a good job of

not allowing too many counterattacks,” Lynch said.

The Sailors led 2-0 early in the second quarter after Carson Hill

tapped in a lob pass from Clinton Jorth. Wilson tied the game 2-2

with a goal from two meters by Scott LaBounty and one on a

counterattack by Anthony Artukovich.

But the Sailors stormed back. Lefty Telford Cottam beat Wilson

goalkeeper Jacob McIntosh to a loose ball and lobbed it over his head

to give Newport Harbor the lead back. With time running out, Auer

kicked the ball out to Clay Jorth with the man-advantage and Jorth

scored from up top with 4 seconds left in the second quarter to give

the Sailors a 4-2 lead at halftime.

Newport Harbor, which boasts nine seniors, feels this is the year

they can overcome Foothill High for the Sea View League title and

advance past the CIF quarterfinals.

Beating perennial power Wilson is a good start.

“With all the returning seniors, it’s finally our turn,” Clay

Jorth said. “This is definitely Newport Harbor’s year to shine.”

The Sailors have lost in the CIF quarterfinals all four years of

Lynch’s tenure as the head coach at the school. He’d like to see that

streak come to an end.

“Our goal is to win the league title and take it from there,”

Lynch said. “Hopefully that will lead to us doing better in CIF. The

guys are pretty focused on that. We’d like to at least go a step

further and reach the semifinals.”

If Tuesday’s game was any indication, the Sailors will take things

up a notch this season.

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 9, Long Beach Wilson 5

Score by Quarters

*--*

L.B. Wilson 0 2 1 2 -- 5

Newport 1 3 3 2 -- 9

*--*

Wilson -- LaBounty 1, Artukovich 1, Sagehorn 1, Wooten 1. Saves --

McIntosh 8.

Newport -- Jorth 4, C. Hill 1, B. Hill 1, Cottam 1, Auer 1,

Hockenbury 1. Saves -- McLain 8.