Serra Can’t Slow SHP

If there was any match in which the Sacred Heart Prep boys’ water polo team might have been vulnerable, it was Wednesday evening when the Gators traveled to San Mateo to take on Serra in a West Catholic Athletic League match.

The Gators were without their head coach, Brian Kreutzkamp, who was attending a school award ceremony. Then there was the fact SHP is leaving this morning to participate in the Elite 8 tournament in Southern California, hosted by Harvard Westlake.

Would it be possible the Gators’ collective heads weren’t in the right place?

Please.

Using their relentless style, the Gators overwhelmed the Padres, 20-9.

“That’s why they’re the best team in Northern California,” said Serra coach Bob Greene.

SHP assistant coach Jamie Frank, who played his high school polo for Greene at Aragon in the early 2000s, said it’s not difficult to get the Gators prepared for any match.

“These guys (the Gators) are ready for every WCAL match,” Frank said. “We know we’re kind of visitors in the WCAL, so we treat every WCAL match with respect.”

And for the SHP players, every match is a chance to prove themselves all over again. Gators’ hole set Jackson Enright, who finished with five goals, said the Gators feel no pressure because they don’t have expectations from previous editions of the team hanging over them. Every year is new and the Gators have something to prove.

“Every season we’re a new team. We don’t really feel pressure,” Enright said. “We look at each game as a challenge. No matter the score … we’re just trying to play good, team water polo.”

When a squad is as loaded as the Gators, getting the entire team involved can be downright scary for the opposition. Enright’s five goals did not even lead the team. That honor belonged to Andrew Churukian, who found the back of the net six times. Alex Tsotadze added four goals, Corey Tanis added two, while Larsen Weigle, Michael Sonsini and Walker Seymour all scored a goal apiece.

Despite the lopsided score, Serra played pretty well. The Padres certainly had their opportunities to score early on when the game was still close, but the Padres could not solve starting goaltender JC Marco, who made nine saves in the opening two quarters.

The Padres were led offensively by Brian Butler and Curtis Wright, who each scored three times. Danny Gilmartin added a pair of goals and Arvin Bahia rounded out the scoring for Serra.

Most coaches would lament having to face a juggernaut like SHP so early in league play. But Greene said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love playing those guys,” Greene said. “I’m really happy. Most coaches don’t like playing a team like that early in the season. But they’re (Gators) at a level. Where are [we] right now?

“We learned a lot as the game went on. If you’re a good team, you’ll learn [from games like this].”

SHP’s first shot of the game was wide, but the Gators went on to score on four of their next five shots to build a 4-1 lead after the opening seven minutes.

“I think we were a little shell shocked,” Greene said.

Then the game really turned into a nightmare for the Padres as the Gators, now in a rhythm, added seven goals in the second period and led 11-3 at the break.

“They make it (matches) into a track meet,” Greene said.

Serra, to its credit, kept fighting. The Padres nearly matched SHP’s scoring output in the third quarter, with Serra scoring four times to five for the Gators, who would outscore the Padres just 9-6 over the final two periods.

“Any time you play Serra, you know they’re going to put up a fight,” Frank said.