Spartan offense gets trapped in a Webb

PHYSICAL D—Rio Mesa High’s Nick Tomasello, left, is swarmed by Webb defenders Chris Sazo, center, and Daniel Choi during last Saturday’s CIF-Southern Section Division 6 championship at Irvine. The Spartans lost their second consecutive section title match. HESTON QUAN/Special to the Acorn Nick Tomasello grimaced as he accepted his runner-up accolade from Rio Mesa High athletic director Brian FitzGerald.

Tomasello forced a smile and shook hands with FitzGerald. He walked away fighting tears.

The end of Tomasello’s high school career was not befitting a champion.

His effort was.

Tomasello and the Rio Mesa boys’ water polo team fell to Webb of Claremont 10-7 despite a furious second-half comeback attempt in the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 championship at the William J. Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.

It was the second straight season that the Spartans lost in the finals. Crescenta Valley nipped RMHS by one goal in 2008.

SHUT IT DOWN—Spartan goalkeeper Craig Walters rejects a Webb scoring chance. HESTON QUAN/Special to the Acorn “This is definitely worse than last year because it’s my last year,” said Tomasello, a senior.

“They deserved it. They’re a good team, and they knew what to do against us.”

Tomasello scored two goals, including one to cut the deficit 9-7 with 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans stole the ball with 43 seconds remaining, but Tomasello’s ensuing shot was high. Rio Mesa simply ran out of time and chances.

Rio Mesa trailed 8-4 at one point, and a blowout appeared inevitable. The Spartans kept fighting back, however.

“It’s frustrating to work so hard to get here and not get it again,” Rio Mesa head coach Derrick Timmons said. “There’s always tomorrow. That’s the funny thing about life—there’s always another day.”

Rio Mesa’s three seniors— goalie Craig Walters and co-captains Zack Began and Tomasello—each expressed optimism for the Spartans’ future.

“Rio Mesa might win it next year,” Walters said. “The third time’s a charm.”

The 6-foot-4 Walters had a fine defensive effort in the cage, swatting shots and consistently making saves to keep the Spartans within striking distance. He finished with 12 saves.

Began’s lone goal tied the game 1-1 with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

“We played our hearts out,” Began said. “It didn’t go our way. We played as hard as we could.”

Cameron Custance notched two goals for Rio Mesa, while teammates Zac Womack and Lucas Villa also scored. Joe Yamamoto played scrappy, tough defense.

A sluggish and rushed offense in the opening two quarters may have doomed the Spartans, who trailed 4-2 at halftime.

“That was uncharacteristic for us,” Timmons said. “We should have been controlled and relaxed in the first half.”

Webb stymied Rio Mesa by double-teaming or pressuring Tomasello at every opportunity.

The tactic worked to an extent—Tomasello missed a penalty shot and three other attempts hit the crossbar.

“At points it was very frustrating,” the senior said. “Other times it was me not seeing the open guy on the other side of the pool.

“In the long run, we’re here and we’re still finalists. I’ll have to brush it off and go play some college ball.”

Tomasello is considering playing water polo at UCLA, USC, UC Santa Barbara or Long Beach State.

Walters was gracious in defeat.

“I think we did very well,” the goalie said. “I’m so proud of our team and what we did. I’m so happy we made it as far as we did.”

Began, a four-year varsity player with Tomasello, enjoyed his last hurrah.

“I put everything I had into my high school career, and I worked as hard as I could,” he said. “The playoffs were fun. That’s why we play sports. I had fun. I can’t say that I didn’t.”

Tomasello gave his heart, sweat and tears in the game, but he still clapped politely when the Webb Gauls, including one-legged freshman Wilson Parnell, received their championship goods.

The senior Spartan was happy, after all, to defeat defending champion Crescenta Valley 10-6 in the semifinals.

“It’s all about the journey,” Tomasello said. “It doesn’t really matter about one game.”