Coronado Islanders Water Polo and winning CIF championships are a combination that goes together perfectly. However, for girls water polo, it had been over a decade since a CIF Championship had been brought to Coronado, but thanks to the 2022 Islander girls water polo team’s 11-3 win over Clairemont in the CIF-San Diego Section Div. I Championship, that 12-year drought is now over.
“The girls approached the game with a very humble but confident mindset,” said Head Coach Tim Reed. “They did a great job of executing our game plan and limiting major penalties and exclusions, and because of their attention to detail, they were able to go out there and dominate.”
And dominate is the perfect word to describe the Islanders Championship game. Often in these CIF title matches, things are kept close down to the wire, but in this case, the Islanders outclassed Clairemont in every phase of the game. “The girls did a great job of controlling the tempo of the match both on offense and defense. We had multiple different goal scores on offense, and our defense did a great job of settling in and taking away shots,” said Reed.
Perhaps another reason the Islanders cruised to the DI title was due to their extra motivation of not being in Open Division Playoffs; coach Reed commented, “When the brackets came out, and the girls saw they were not in Open, I think it came as a shock but also added extra motivation, and it made them come together as a team even more. The win was fantastic not only because all of the regular starters dominated, but other girls who had gotten fewer minutes got to come in and contribute. To see all the girls cheer each other on and celebrate with one another at the end after all the hard work and hours, they put in was great.”
Even with a new and shiny CIF DI championship in their possession, these Lady Islanders are not done yet. The Islanders earned a spot in the 2022 CIF SoCal Girls Water Polo DII Championships with the win.
“I’m excited to see how the girls play in these regionals. They are all super excited and ready to compete. This is a really senior-heavy team, so it’s another opportunity for them to go out there and make more memories. They already have the memory of winning the CIF title, and now they have the opportunity to play in the regional tournament in a place you normally wouldn’t go. So it’s a perfect way for them to end the season,” said Reed.
With the CIF title, this Islander Girls Water Polo team has created a season that will forever be etched into Coronado athletic history.
UPDATE: Unfortunately the girls lost the quarter finals regional game to Yucaipa on Tuesday night, but the 2022 season is one the girls in green should be incredibly proud of.
