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SANTA ANA — Corona del Mar’s boys water polo team is showing its resolve under first-year head coach Lucas Reynolds.
Just three days after falling to rival Newport Harbor in the Battle of the Bay, the Sea Kings used a sizzling start to sink Foothill 15-9 in the finals of the S & R Sport tournament Saturday at Foothill High.
Corona del Mar (16-4) opened a 9-1 lead early in the second period and never trailed en route to its second tournament title this month. The Sea Kings captured the Santa Barbara Invitational on Sept. 7.
They won the mid-season S & R Sport tournament for the first time since 2000 under coach John Vargas.
Corona del Mar accomplished it all after dropping its 16th consecutive game in the storied Battle of the Bay series on Wednesday night.
“It’s a good bounce back,” said UC Santa Barbara commit Jackson Harlan, a senior who netted four goals to share the team-lead with center Nathan Simoncelli. “Tough loss against Newport but coming and winning this tournament shows that we can keep improving.”
Reynolds, an alumnus of Corona del Mar, called Simoncelli’s performance one of his best of the season.
The junior scored twice on the power play in the first quarter and added two strikes from center in the second as the Sea Kings pushed their lead to 11-4 at halftime.
Corona del Mar also received three goals, two assists and a field block in the first half from senior attacker Micah Grantham.
Goalie Vi Lues, a transfer from Beckman, made three saves against the Foothill power play in the first period to help set the tone for the Sea Kings’ defense. The junior finished with nine saves.
“We came out firing,” Reynolds said. “(The win) is a culmination of all the hard work the team has put in. We’ve put a lot of hours in and from where we were at the beginning of the offseason to where we are now is a night and day difference.”
Foothill (11-6) raised its intensity in the second half. The Knights twice trimmed Corona del Mar’s lead to four goals but couldn’t get any closer.
Russell Lowe scored three goals off the bench to pace Foothill while goalie Edric Scott made 10 saves, including one against a penalty. Scott recently committed to Cal Baptist.
“We weren’t ready to play,” Foothill coach Dean Crow said. “(Corona del Mar) had a serious warm-up and we didn’t.”
“Against a team like CdM, they’re not going to allow you to get away with that,” the coach added. “(But) it was good tournament for us. The difference between being a really good team … a championship team, and just a decent team, is that you don’t ever let down.”
In the semifinals, Corona del Mar defeated Long Beach Wilson 13-8 while Foothill beat Redwood 12-10.
