It’s been almost a year since the Malibu High School boys water polo team clinched the program’s very first California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division VI championship, and their sights have been set on a repeat ever since.
That repeat is looking like a possibility.
The Sharks, led by senior co-captains Philip Campanella and Hans Cole, are currently ranked third in Division VI and have a 19-2 overall record with only three games remaining in the regular season.
The squad recently defeated Tri-Valley league opponent Carpinteria 15-5. One of the season’s highlights was the second quarter, when the Sharks outscored Carpinteria 6-0 in just 15 minutes of play.
Campanella led the Sharks with three goals, and Seamus Harrington and freshman starter Julian Mora scored two goals each. The Cole brothers also contributed to the victory with four positive kick-outs from Hans and three assists from his younger brother Tor Cole. Charlie Dijker and Tobias Jensen dominated the goal with five saves each.
This season’s overall statistics are led by seniors, with Campanella in goals, Hans Cole in assists, Dijker in blocks and Kai Schulz in steals.
Coach Mike Mulligan is in his 25th year with the Sharks and is experienced on both sides of the deck after his own successful polo career at Agoura High School, L.A. Valley Junior College and Cal State Los Angeles.
Mulligan said that this year’s team is even more of a cohesive unit than in years past. “They’re really good guys and they get along well. They have a lot of talent, which makes the team balanced.”
“We, not me” is the season’s motto, and Mulligan has been emphasizing that the players make an extra pass if a teammate is in a better scoring position than they are.
“When [Mulligan] wants you to do something, you do it because you know it’s for the team,” junior Everest Brady said. “He is a wonderful role model and really helps me better myself in the pool.”
This year’s 18-player varsity squad is made up of nine seniors, seven juniors and two underclassmen — Mora and sophomore Tor.
“This whole year has been geared toward winning CIF again, so anyone with a lot of talent was allowed on the team regardless of age,” Brady said.
Defense is the Sharks’ strongest asset this year, but their offense has also become more cohesive in recent games.
Mulligan particularly recalls strong offensive plays during the Shark’s second league game against Cate. “Our offense just started to click and the kids were making fabulous passes. It was fun to see that kind of chemistry.”
Despite graduating six starters after last season, including standouts Owen Franz and goalie Dax Nittolo, the Sharks have had no problem remaining at the top of the Tri-Valley League with a 6-0 league record leading into league finals and CIF playoffs.
The team is most competitive with programs outside their league, including Santa Barbara where the Sharks lost a close 9-10 battle at the end of September.
Campanella said the Santa Barbara game was one of his favorite games of the season despite the close loss. “They were the best team we played and it was fun to be close to their level.”
With CIF championships fast approaching, Mulligan is hoping to improve the boys’ six on five shooting percentage in a man up situation.
“Our goal is win league and then try to get back to the finals and defend our title,” he said. “We talk about it all the time.”
Campanella added that the captains are trying to bring the team even closer through team dinners and bonding leading into post-season.
Brady is a first-year varsity player, and hopes to be a part of a CIF championship team after watching last year’s victory from the stands.
“It was amazing to watch our players do that well [last year],” he said. “Winning CIF would be exciting because we have put in so much hard work since August and we have come so far working as a team.”
The Sharks will face Nordhoff at home on Oct. 30 for their next game.