First look at Foothill boys water polo: Knights look ready to pursue another CIF title

Foothill players and Coach Jim Brumm celebrate after the Knights won the CIF Division 2 title last season. (File photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

If all goes as planned and some CIF sports begin in December, Coach Jim Brumm’s Foothill High School boys water polo team will be able to start the journey toward winning a fourth consecutive CIF title for the highly-heralded program.

The season, which normally starts in August, was pushed to a tentative December start because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We return six of our seven starters from last year’s team,” Brumm said. “We will be led by Jack Matos, a junior center defender who was the 2019 CIF Division 2 player of the year and Liam Harrison, senior goalkeeper who was the 2018 CIF Division 2 player of the year. Liam has also committed to play at Stanford next year.”

Returning starters also include Jakob Tallman, senior center; Noah Rowe, junior attacker; Kaito Ham, senior attacker; and Avery Stovner, junior attacker.

“We have a deep team filled with hard working players who will be looking to fill the vacant starting position left from the graduating senior Whittaker Worland,” Brumm said. “This group will be led by Bryce Karger, junior attacker; Gavin Nelson, junior attacker; Jagger McMannis, junior utility; Carson Hoyt, sophomore center defender; William Bennett, junior attacker; Tyler Son, junior attacker; Tristan Gallardo, junior center; Colin Morgan, junior attacker; and Ian Staniford, junior center defender.

“We have a great group of young players that can also help our team this season. This group is led by Riley Clansen, sophomore goalkeeper; Nick Eagan, sophomore; Alon Elbaz, sophomore; William Griswold, freshman; and Garrett Doelman, freshman.”

Brumm said the Knights will once again be grouped in the CIF Division 1/2 group to begin the season. Foothill won its third CIF crown in a year last year, defeating San Clemente, 13-12.

“We won’t know what division until the last day of the season,” he said.  “We believe that we can compete in both divisions. Our team should be more experienced with the return of most players from last year.  We are also looking forward to get the chance to play water polo again.

“We have been lucky to be able to get four weeks of limited training during the summer and also the chance to do some limited training this fall, but we are really looking forward to play against other teams or even play against ourselves in practice.”

The schedule will once again be challenging, Brumm said.

“We have a good schedule set for the winter, our first game will be at Carlsbad on Dec. 23, our other non league  games are against Newport Harbor, Loyola, Stevenson (Carmel), Palos Verdes, Mira Costa, and Coronado.

“We will also play all of the teams in the Century Conference.  We play in three competitive tournaments: the S & R Sport Tournament a tournament we co-host with Irvine High School at Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, the Cal State Memorial Tournament hosted by Bellarmine Prep School in San Jose and the South Coast Tournament hosted by Newport Harbor. We will be challenged this season but more importantly we are looking forward to get the chance to play together as team again.”

–-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com