‘It was all them,’ Coach Jim Brumm says after Foothill wins third straight CIF title

Coach Jim Brumm led Foothill to its third consecutive CIF title Saturday. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

Foothill’s boys water team had some outstanding individual efforts Saturday to defeat San Clemente 13-12 in the CIF Division 2 championship match.

Jackson Matos, Noah Rowe (who had the game winner with four seconds left), Avery Stovner, Jakob Tallman, Whittaker Worland, Kaito Ham and Liam Harrison were among those who contributed.

But the man who led the Knights to their seventh CIF title, Coach Jim Brumm, stayed in the background Saturday at the Woollett Aquatics Center, preferring that his players get the glory.

That’s just the way Jim Brumm is.

Humble, steady, calm and a truly great leader and coach. Brumm also led Foothill to CIF titles in 1995, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

It wasn’t easy for Foothill, which had to win two overtime matches, a quarterfinal against CdM (9-8) and a semifinal vs. Palos Verdes (10-9) to reach the finals.

“I was in the water and I looked at them and realized it was all them,” Brumm said in typical Brumm-like quote. “I just try and get them here and let them play and they did an incredible job. All the guys stepped up.”

In the end, Brumm was swimming in the pool with his players, celebrating another title, which is just the way he wanted the afternoon to end.

RELATED: Photos, video and story from CIF finals

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