After 17 league titles, numerous trips to the Central Coast
Section playoffs and several CCS titles in a quarter century of
coaching, it
’s difficult to believe that a first-round victory at CCS would
impress Live Oak High boys water polo coach Mack Haines.
After 17 league titles, numerous trips to the Central Coast Section playoffs and several CCS titles in a quarter century of coaching, it’s difficult to believe that a first-round victory at CCS would impress Live Oak High boys water polo coach Mack Haines.
But there he was, waxing enthusiastic in a light drizzle after his sixth-ranked Acorns upset No. 3 Gunn 9-7 in an opening round match in the CCS Division I playoffs at Independence High on Saturday.
“I’m incredibly proud of this group,” Haines said. “It’s the hardest thing at CCS, when you haven’t played at this level before – and a lot of these guys haven’t – to come out and beat a team that had beaten us twice by four goals, five goals. These kids played their hearts out. No matter what happens now, I’m proud of this team.”
What happens now is the young Acorns team that lost twice during the regular season to a more experienced Gunn squad is moving on to the semifinals to face No. 2 Leland (24-7), which also beat Live Oak twice during the regular season. Leland beat No. 7 Mt. Pleasant in their first-round match-up.
But it’s all cake from here on in as far as Haines is concerned, largely because his youthful squad, which features just three seniors, has already exceeded expectations. Live Oak, which improved to 21-10 overall with last weekend’s victory, went a perfect 8-0 in the Tri-County Athletic league and swept to the league tournament title despite its callow make-up. But Haines said this year’s team doesn’t know any better than to think it can’t win.
“This team, from the beginning it overachieved,” Haines said. “We’re relatively young. But this is one of the wackiest teams I’ve ever had. They’re capable of anything at any time. In 25 years of coaching, I’ve never had a team like this.”
Against Gunn, the Acorns jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and led 4-1 at the end of the first period, with junior Ryan Gautschi tallying two of his three goals in the opening stanza. Mark Ahlin and Justin Short also had first-quarter goals.
And, Live Oak built its advantage to 5-1 on a goal by Corey Robinson before Gunn began its comeback.
“We came in wanting to win and we got off to a great start,” Short said. “We were ready to play.”
The Titans, who fell to 21-10 with the loss, scored twice to pull within 5-3 early in the second period but Gautschi and Robinson both tallied goals to extend the Acorns’ advantage to 7-3 at the half.
The second half was a see-saw affair that saw Gunn pull to within 7-5, 8-6 and the final margin at 9-7 but the Acorn defense, led by sophomore goalie Shea Coleman, held off the Titans through to the tense final seconds.
Robinson tied Gautschi for team-high scoring honors with three goals, including a key third-quarter tally. Live Oak’s Kyle Fast scored the Acorns’ final goal in the fourth period.
Haines said a good scouting report that allowed his team to focus its defense on Gunn’s standouts, and top college prospects, Siddhartha Menon and Arjan Ligtenberg.
Live Oak held the Titan duo to just a pair of goals in the game.
“We knew we had to shut down (Menon and Ligtenberg) and we did that pretty much,” Haines said. “That was the key to the game, a good scouting report, a good game plan. We owe a lot to the Live Oak water polo community for the scouting report.”
Haines also had special praise for the play of Coleman, who he said continued the “Coleman legacy” of being “very, very aggressive coming out of the cage.”
Coleman, whose brother Justin is a former Acorn standout who’s playing college water polo at Loyola Marymount, showed off his aggressive tendencies with numerous outstanding plays several meters out into the pool. Coleman also had several key saves late in the game to help preserve the victory.
