Porterville, Monache secure multiple All-EYL selections
Perhaps every Porterville-based high school water polo team felt like they underachieved by the end of the 2009 fall season: Porterville and Monache boys relinquished the EYL title to Dinuba after years of alternating that honor, a senior-loaded Monache girls also fell short of an EYL title and the Porterville girls — favorites to win Valley — were upset by El Diamante in the championship game.
But there’s no mistaking that a strong tradition of water polo excellence is still alive and kicking along this stretch of Highway 65.
Porterville and Monache placed at least two players on both the boys’ and girls’ All-EYL first teams while the Panthers’ Coriann Snyder walked away with the league’s top achievement as the girls’ Most Valuable Player.
Snyder was the only Orange Belter to reach triple digits in scoring, finishing with 108 goals that ranks her third all-time among the pantheon of Panthers. The senior, who recently commited to play for Long Beach State, checked in just behind coach Richard Taylor’s daughter, Laura, who scored 115 goals in 1998. Kimber Methvin scored 140 last year for the most goals in Porterville history.
Snyder’s senior teammates — Kyla Hill, Jenna Morris and Raven Kapphahn — were all named to the first team. Hill scored 80 goals, which puts her among the top 10 in school history, while Morris (34 goals) and Kapphahn provided the defensive anchor for a 24-2 squad that went undefeated in league play and cruised through the postseason before the Miners’ upset.
Monache’s offensive duo of Amanda Kaye and Ally Bernard also made the first team, along with Exeter’s Nicole Holland.
Kaye led the Marauders with 63 goals (23 in league) while Bernard, a defensive hound in the 2-meter hole, scored 51 (25 in EYL).
Porterville junior Caityln Hill (36 goals) and freshman Matlyn Morris (29 goals) made the girls’ second team along with Monache senior goalie Mary Imbach and freshman Mary Crocker (27 goals).
Honorable mentions were made for Porterville junior Linna Lasure and freshman Marnie Kavern and Monache senior Jessica Santos (11 goals) and sophomore Bailey Likewise.
Exeter’s Taylor Nanamura, Hannah Sertich, Zandra Mitchell, Tamara Tollison and Sam Wright also received honorable mentions.
As for the boys, hole set Justin Lopez-Lamb, of EYL champions Dinuba, earned the MVP award.
But the Emperors placed just one on the first team while the Panthers and Marauders each had two: Porterville seniors Dakota Schieler and Luke Peltzer and Monache seniors Colton Conway and Evan Thomas.
Schieler was named as the Panthers’ team MVP after scoring 120 goals this year (44 in EYL action) while Peltzer scored 74 and assisted on many others.
“Dakota was the center of our offense,” Porterville coach Mickey Goularte said. “Teams often double- or triple-teamed him... and it opened up offensive possibilities.
“Luke was the player I could always count on to spark our offense when nothing else seemed to work,” he added.
Granite Hills junior Erik Bartlett finally enjoyed a dominant year that his coaches knew he was capable of. Grizzlies coach Drew Miller said Bartlett scored more than 70 goals this year, including one 10-goal performance in league play to earn himself a spot on the first team.
Porterville junior Jordan Reader (13 goals) and Monache senior Garret Blocher were named to the boys’ second team along with Exeter’s Jonathan Castellow and Chris Velduizen — who played in the 2009 All-Star Water Polo Game.
The Panthers’ Alec MacIsaac (38 goals) and Derek Vanderstoel (23 goals) received honorable mention, as did Granite Hills goalie Jon Orosco and Exeter’s Nick Bowers, Michael Marinos, Max Carter, Nate Norman and A.J. Reid.
