Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
ANAHEIM — The blue and gold balloons and array of handmade signs around the pool deck at Anaheim on Saturday hinted of a special occasion. So did the presence of a legendary, ex-Olympic coach sitting in the front row of the shade-covered bleachers with his signature sunglasses and an Anaheim T-shirt.
Jon Urbanchek was again back at Anaheim High to watch his beloved Colonists make history.
Anaheim played its first match in the CIF-SS boys water polo playoffs since 1976, snapping a record drought of almost half of century and harkening back to a golden age when Urbanchek guided the school’s aquatics teams.
The Colonists gave Urbanchek and their faithful plenty to cheer about as they defeated visiting Hillcrest of Riverside 8-2 in the Division 6 quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals next week.
Sophomore left-handed attacker Micah Flude scored four goals, senior Moises Alvarez added two and junior goalie Steven Peregrino made seven saves in three shutout periods as the Anaheim collected its first CIF victory since beating Aviation 12-8 in the first round of the Division 4A playoffs in 1976.
That was so long ago that Aviation closed in 1982.
The Colonists (10-5) walked off the deck to rousing applause.
“It was nice seeing all these people come out to watch our CIF game,” Anaheim co-captain Guillermo Sanchez said. “I’m happy that this year and next year and years after that we’re going to have more people come and hopefully our program gets better and better.”
Anaheim advanced to Wednesday’s semifinal against the winner of the Chaffey-La Mirada quarterfinal, which will be played Monday. The third-seeded Colonists will be the home team regardless of the opponent.
Win or lose, Anaheim has already come a long way.
The school revived its aquatics program from years of dormancy by opening a new pool in December 2019, just a few months before the pandemic.
Anaheim hired Denise Osorio, a former water polo player at Los Altos who played collegiately, for the reboot that began during a pandemic-shortened spring season.
The early lessons included teaching most of the players how to swim, which is common for several O.C. programs where players don’t grow up around the sport.
“Its been a long road,” she said. “From not having a pool for 20-plus years to opening the pool when COVID hit. And starting with our freshmen boys who are now our seniors, who will be able to go to the semifinals in CIF, which is pretty exciting.”
“It’s all credit to them,” the fourth-year coach added. “Our boys who started the program are the ones going in (to the semifinals), so it’s rightfully earned for those boys.”
Sanchez credited the team’s extra practices, assistant coach Daniel Flude and competition with Orange League champion Western as the keys to the program’s rise. Anaheim lost to Division 5 Western 19-5 and 20-4 en route to a second-place finish in league.
“Extra practice and conditioning,” Sanchez said.
Anaheim’s work showed in its defense. The Colonists held Hillcrest to a 0 for 7 on the power-play and didn’t surrender a goal until 38 seconds left.
Senior Aidan Vasquez helped anchor the defense with four steals and a block.
Urbanchek, who after Anaheim become a legendary men’s swimming coach at the University of Michigan and part of several U.S. coaching staff, enjoyed like what he saw.
“I’m having a great time,” he said.
So is Anaheim, back in the playoffs.
