INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I covered two CIF-Southern Section Girls Water Polo Championships matches for the Press-Enterprise on Feb. 28, 2009 and came away thinking about a number of things. So many, in fact, that I’ll number them.

1. I arrived for the Division 5 Championship between Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos and La Habra a good half-hour early. Why? So I could sit and back in the hot sun that suddenly decided to appear on Saturday. I eventually found my way to the press tent, where I was treated to a chair.

1A. La Habra swimsuits were horrible. I’m not a fashion critic nor do I pretend to be but royal blue-and-white argyle? When you look good, you feel good. When you look bad, you get mocked.

1B. The fashion sense apparently starts at the top because La Habra head coach Jim Crowther wore the most hideous suit combination I’ve ever seen. He wore olive green trousers, a baby blue longsleeve button-down and a wide maroon tie. And he probably thought it came together when he looked down upon his brown Sketchers — except it  didn’t.

1C. The teams were evenly matched and it game down to a great late performance from Los Osos junior Chealsea Parks, who quick scored two goals to tie the match and take the lead with less than 4 minuntes left. Her match-tying goal hushed La Habra and her next one took their spirit away.

1D. Los Osos head coach Eric Cypher was pushed into the pool after the final whistle. Seems like an odd tradition but if you don’t mind getting your nice shoes ruined there seems like few better ways to celebrate winning a championship.

2. The Division 3 Championship between Riverside Poly and Corona Santiago was a re-do of a match I saw two weeks ago. Except that match, on Feb. 12, was a far more entertaining experience. Santiago dueled Poly on that day but fell behind early here and lost 11-5 in front of the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen for a water polo match.

2A. The first three goals, scored by Poly’s Jessy Carden, was as dominant a display as I’ve seen in a pool. She doesn’t just shoot the ball — every throw is a laser. The girls that stare her down from inside the opposing goalposts are brave.

2B. Poly’s sophomore goalkeeper, Jillian Yocum, has such a knack for starting a fast break that she should definitely try and play basketball at some point. It’s too bad both girls water polo and girls basketball are winter sports because I’m a believer that an accurate, strong throwing arm is an abiliity too many point guards don’t have.

2C. Poly head coach Tom Finwall was beaming after the match and probably thought my question about emotions playing a part in the match, well, laughable. “We’re the dominant team. (Santiago) has a nice little team.”

2D. Santiago head coach Ty Hudson is as baby-faced as the come. He’s young, affable, articulate, charming and above all, gracious in defeat. He knew which team won but didn’t forget to mention the desparity between Poly’s senior-led led team and his, which was starting three freshman. Real slick. He could probably run for office one day.