McKee steps down

The Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team entered play this week without a familiar face poolside.

Rick McKee, who has coached the girls’ and boys’ water polo teams at the school for the past four years, resigned from his post Tuesday.

McKee’s said his resignation had to do with “personal reasons.”

He said that Chad Beeler, the head coach of Laguna Beach Age Group Water Polo, will step in to coach the girls’ squad the remainder of the season.

In his last week at the helm, McKee’s Breakers finished third at the Villa Park Classic.

Laguna opened the tournament on Dec. 8 with a forfeit victory over John Muir followed by a 10-4 win over host Huntington Beach and a 9-7 triumph over El Toro.

The Breakers, who led 5-2 at the half, got two goals apiece from Annika Dries, Breanna Duplisea, Jessica McKee and Erin Reid in the win over Huntington.

Against El Toro, against whom Laguna trailed at the half, 5-4, Dries, McKee and Reid each scored two goals to pace the offense.

On Saturday at Villa Park, Laguna suffered its only tournament defeat, 8-6, to a Whittier team that went on to claim the tournament title. The Cardinals led, 4-2 at the half. Dries scored two goals and Duplisea, McKee, Lexi Ross and Natasha Schulmann each scored one. Celia Huling had seven saves.

The Breakers, who won the tournament last year, bounced back in the third-place game Saturday to trounce Arlington, 12-4.

Laguna was in command by the half, holding a 9-1 lead over a Lions team that had defeated host Villa Park in an earlier match.

McKee led the scoring with five goals. Dries scored three goals, Taylor Dodson scored twice and Reid and Duplisea each had a score. Huling again had seven saves.

“The girls pulled it together in that third-place game and played a great match,” Rick McKee said. “It was nice to see them finish strong in the tournament.”

In addition to coaching the water polo teams, McKee was head coach of the Breakers’ girls’ and boys’ swim teams for the past two years.

In water polo, his girls’ teams reached the CIF semifinals, finals and quarterfinals in his three previous years. This year’s boys’ team won the Orange Coast League championship.