With the old adage - "to be the best, you have to beat the best" - in mind, Morgan Hill's Lee Walton couldn't have scripted a better finish for his Tri Valley teams in the USA Water Polo Masters Nationals two weeks ago.
On top of coaching his players to a third straight national championship at the 55-and-over level in Moraga, Walton, 73, helped secure first- and second-place finishes for Tri Valley at 60 and over.
Yes, it is possible. Because of a low turnout in the 60-and-over division, Tri Valley's Blue and Gold teams - both coached by Walton - were joined by players from San Diego's Old Mission Bay Athletic Club and ended up playing each other twice to decide first and second place. Tri Valley Gold took the first game, 10-8, in penalty shots, but Tri Valley Blue won the championship match 8-5.
All told, the intrasquad 60-and-over tournament played out like a Tri Valley all-star gala. It featured eight players from Walton's reigning world championship team, including four past Olympians.
"It worked out pretty well," said Walton, who's ushered six major Masters championships for Tri Valley. "Separating the teams was fun and it made it even more competitive. The guys battled pretty hard. It was a lot of fun."
Added Gary Sheerer, who played for the Tri Valley Blue and 55-and-over teams: "We're all good friends and, thankfully, friendship overruled competition."
Walton received coaching assistance from his fastest swimmer Tim Broderick, who also played driver for the 55-and-over team.
"He got a sense of how hard my job is," Walton said. "When you have so much talent and so many players from around the country, it's difficult to make substitutions.
"Tim said, 'it's a lot tougher than I thought.' It was a good learning experience."
Walton's 55-and-over team - known as the Spartans - faced its stiffest test from intraclub rival Tri Valley Gold, which beat the Spartans 9-8 in a sudden-death overtime game that went beyond penalty shots.
"We knew we could be beaten," Walton began. "By the end of that game, you reached a point where you were just happy it was over. You go to a tie game, then a shootout - which is even more intense - and then, finally, sudden death. You're like, okay we'll get them next time."
The Spartans did so in the championship game. They downed Tri Valley Gold 8-5, capping an impressive 3-1 record over the weekend. The Spartans also beat Old Mission Bay Athletic Club twice by scores of 10-6 and 8-2.
"Mission had some good athletes, but they weren't in as good of swimming condition as us," Walton said. "Our guys really put their time in practicing. Everyone was happy with the results. We were disappointed we didn't have more teams to play, but that's part of the program at this age."
The two-day tournament, held at Saint Mary's College and surrounding high schools, featured more than 50 men's and women's teams from across the nation. Although sparse at the 55- and 60-and-over levels, competition was just as grueling as in past years when the tournament field was larger.
"It was a lot tougher to score this year," Walton said. "Part of that was because the tournament was held in a 25-yard pool. Usually, you play in 30-meter metric courses. You lose that little bit of edge when you compress the court. There were nice facilities. It was just a little shorter - a different test for us."
Bill Gerdts, Mike Monsees, Bob Nealy and Sheerer played in each game for Walton's three teams in the tournament and combined for 12 goals. Walton's teams produced a dozen goal-scorers with Jim Ferguson, a hole set for the bronze-medal winning U.S. team in the 1972 Games, tallying a club-high six. Gerdts followed with four goals and Sheerer, a U.S. Olympian in 1968 and 1972, netted three, matching teammates Bruce Watson, Mike Hendrickson and Nealy. Laure Gross, Broderick and Monsees scored twice, rounding out Walton's multi-goal scorers.
"I think we had a lot more depth than the other teams," Sheerer said. "Their benches weren't as deep."
Walton's outfit had the support of several talented newcomers, including Watson, who coached West Valley to a junior college state title this year, plus Ferguson and Steve Hamann - a past goalkeeper for Team USA who played under Walton at San Jose State. Hamann was netminder for Tri Valley's 55-and-over team.
"The new guys fit right in with us," Walton said. "It was a pleasure playing with them and the 60s guys from Mission."
From goalies George Stransky (Gold) and Bob Likins (Blue) to hole sets Monsees (Gold) and Gerdts (Blue), the 60-and-over title game spawned several stiff matchups.
"You should have seen Bob and Mike play each other," said Susan Walton, Lee's wife. "They were so competitive. They looked like they were going to kill each other! They didn't want to give up anything."
Aside from national titles, Walton's teams came away with several All-America honors. Monsees, Nealy, Gerdts and Sheerer were dual first-team honorees, while Hamann and Likins were named MVPs as goalkeepers. Others named to the first-team list included Mike Garibaldi, Dave Gray, Gary Becker, Dan Drown, Dennis Belli, Mike Hoffman, Chick McIlroy, Ferguson and Stransky.
Walton's teams have a yearlong break from major competition but continue play next month at a tournament in Napa. Unlike most tournaments, it takes individual entries of all ages.
"Basically, the committee put the teams together," Walton said. "Our guys could play each other again. That could be another interesting weekend."
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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