Laguna boys take JO qualifier

With a berth in the upcoming National Junior Olympics on the line, the Laguna Beach Water Polo 12-and-Under boys’ team swept through the competition at last weekend’s Junior Olympics Qualifying Water Polo Tournament.

Laguna went 6-0 at the qualifying tournament, and that performance secured the top berth for Orange County for the National Junior Olympics, which will be held July 30-31 and Aug. 1-2 in Los Angeles.

Laguna defeated rivals Los Alamitos and Newport Beach in the first two games, 8-7 and 10-4, respectively.

Then came a 16-2 rout of Riverside. Nolan McConnell came up with a remarkable shot late in the first quarter when, as he calmly watched the final seconds of the quarter tick away, he unleashed a long bomb shot the full length of the pool for a goal with one second left in the first quarter.

Laguna got another score when Robert Clemons, badgering the Riverside goalie back into his goal, forced the goalie into a throw from inside the net. The ball extended back into the net for another Laguna goal.

Nicky Brunner, Dylan Payne and Caleb Scott also scored goals for Laguna, and Erik Henrikson blocked eight of Riverside’s 10 shot attempts, including one on a five-meter penalty shot.

Next for Laguna was a matchup against a Club Split squad it had lost to in the finals of the WinterFest tournament held earlier in the year. This time, Laguna rolled from start to finish in an impressive 9-2 win. McConnell led the scoring with four goals. Brunner scored twice, and Clemons, Camron Hauer, and Riley Browne each scored once.

That win was followed by an 8-4 triumph over Huntington Beach. McConnell again scored four goals ? one coming on a shot from 18-meters. Dylan Payne netted a pair of goals, and Clemons and Browne each scored once.

The division final paired Laguna against another undefeated team, Club SET. Laguna wrapped up the tournament title and berth in the National Junior Olympics with a 6-4 victory.

Highlights in Laguna’s victory included a Brunner-to-McConnell combinationthat resulted in a backhanded score, a McConnell steal from the SET goalie that led to another goal, pinpoint inside passing that led to a goal by Browne, and Clemons putting the finishing touch with a goal from the outside.

The Laguna Beach 12-and-Under boys’ team is composed of coaches Nick McConnell, Paul Valovic and Chad Beeler, and players Browne, Henrikson, McConnell, Payne, Brunner, Hauer, Clemons, Caleb Scott, Rian Atherton and Jimmy Karas.