Santa Fe on verge of ending CIF drought
Santa Fe’s Nathan Salcedo (5) scores on a penalty shot against Cal High in their Del Rio League boys water polo game at California High School in Whittier on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
SANTA FE SPRINGS – There’s a buzz around the Santa Fe High School campus these days. After more than 30 years, the boys water polo team is on the verge of qualifying for the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
History could be made Saturday (Oct. 30), as the brackets will be announced at 10 am on the CIF website and the whole team will be gathered around their phones and laptops at the school.
“Our mindset has always been, ‘We’re going to CIF’,” Santa Fe fourth-year coach Jacob Correa said. “I hope that’s the point. If it doesn’t, we’ll be upset, but our journey together and what we’ve done this year is the memories we’ve made and regardless of what happens, our goal was to go to CIF.
“We’re going to have a team breakfast (Saturday morning) and our laptops going and waiting. Regardless of what happens, we’ll have a practice right after. It’s a moment for all of us.”
Correa, who is also the girls water polo coach, is an alum of Santa Fe and played from 2009 to 2012. Correa still jumps in the pool and plays with the team.
Correa, who also played at Cerritos College under longtime coach Joe Abing, started as a JV coach under former Santa Fe coach Robert Maddex.
“I learned from him,” Correa said. “I learned to ask questions. I learned everything from different coaches and put it all into one. I just asked ‘what do we need to become different.”
Santa Fe, which had been ranked as high as No. 6 in Division 6 (Oct. 5 poll), played its final Del Rio League game Tuesday at Cal High and lost, 16-6. The Condors, who are in a higher division (3), won a CIF title as recently as 2018.
With the loss to the Condors (11-15, 3-1), Santa Fe, which is 18-9 overall as of press time, finished in fourth place in league. But a ray of light may shine on the Santa Fe team this coming Saturday when CIF announces the 2021 brackets.
Only the top three teams qualify for playoffs in league. But with their overall winning record, the Chiefs (1-3 in league) are in good shape to qualify for an at-large berth.
That may result in a wild card game next week, but no doubt no one associated with the water polo program would be complaining.
Santa Fe’s Maximiliano Rivas (11) attempts to score against Cal High in their Del Rio League boys water polo game at California High School in Whittier on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
“Jacob (Correa) has done a great job with the entire aquatics program,” Santa Fe Athletic Director Steve Hendry said. “He works well with the athletes and the administration. His focus throughout the last year and a half has been the safety of the kids.
“I think they see that and appreciate that. The results can be seen by their performance in the pool. Jacob has definitely changed the culture of our boys water program.”
Hendry has encouraged Correa, 27, along the way as a new coach.
“I’m fairly new to coaching and when Steve (Hendry) talks to me, he always makes sure he says nice things to me,” Correa said. “I appreciate it. To get recognition from an AD that’s been there for almost 30 years and to get respect from him at such a young age, I really respect that.”
The culture began with top players like seniors Nathan Salcedo, Max Rivas, Eric Lopez and Joshua Lara.
They are the team leaders in goals, with Salcedo far and above the leader with 110 this season. He is followed by Rivas with 71, Lopez (54) and Lara (50).
“All I know is that it’s very exciting to do what we haven’t done in a while,” Salcedo said. “I’m excited to do this with the guys that I have now.
“Ever since we started, we’ve always had a strong bond. We practiced together with the JV this year and intertwined with them.”
Salcedo, who is looking to play at Rio Hondo next year, reflected on the last three years as the current team began to bond and grow together.
“It’s crazy to think about how much our coaches have helped us,” Salcedo said. “I don’t think I would have gone this far without them. They’ve all pushed me to be the best I could be.”
Salcedo, along with the rest of his teammates, will be waiting for the announcement about CIF on Saturday.
“We’re all going to be having a little breakfast with each other,” Salcedo added.
In the game against Cal, Santa Fe was led by Saucedo with four goals, followed by single goals from senior attacker Eric Lopez and junior attacker Ray Arroyo.
Cal, which has been in the playoffs every year since 2017, was led by senior utility Emiliano Jasis with four goals. Freshman utility Aaron Llamas and junior wing Austin Hochadel each had three goals, followed by a pair of goals each from senior point Euri Lopez and senior point Sebastian Avila.
Senior utility James Reaves and senior flat Jadrian Mejia each added a goal for the Condors.
Santa Fe jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period behind a pair of goals from Saucedo. Hochadel scored twice for the Condors, with the last one coming with just fifteen seconds left in the opening period.
Prior to the goal scoring by each team, senior goalkeeper, Isaiah Ramos made some good saves and stops.
Ramos was making his first start as a goalie, sitting in for starter Victor Quintero, who was out with an injury and hopes to be ready for a possible playoff appearance.
Arroyo gave the Chiefs their second lead of the half, 3-2, in the second period with a long shot, almost halfway out.
In the third period, with the score tied, 4-4, Cal scored six out of the next seven goals and led, 10-5, heading into the final period. Jasis scored three of his four goals in the period for Cal.
In the middle of the two scoring runs of three and four goals by Cal, Salcedo scored on a hard shot to keep close, 6-5.
The fourth period was again all Cal, as they scored six goals to one by Santa Fe. Cal was led by five different goal-scorers, led by Lopez with a pair of goals. The Chiefs lone goal was scored by Salcedo.
Aiden Parra started in goal for Cal.
Cal third-year coach Aaron Valdavinos was complementary of the resurgence of the Santa Fe program.
“It’s going to make the league a lot more interesting,” said Valdavinos, who took over for Davey Brown, who coached the Condors to the championship. “With Jacob (Correa), he knows what he’s doing and he’s making the team real strong with the fundamentals.
“I’m looking to having more competition in league. They were ranked almost every week. You could tell that Santa Fe wanted to win as they came out with the heat and they caught my boys by surprise, honestly.”
Santa Fe’s Eric Lopez (10 ) brings down the ball as they play Cal High in their Del Rio League boys water polo game at California High School in Whittier on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
What they said:
Josh Lara, Santa Fe senior attacker: “It’s unbelievable to think that we came from basically not knowing how to swim and not knowing what water polo was. It’s amazing it’s all coming together after these four years of hard work and dedication.
Whether or not if we make it on Saturday, our program is definitely going to be seen a lot differently. We’re going to be taken a lot more serious and hopefully we get a lot more support from the school. When we started, we were unrecognized and it’s great to see people coming out now.
It’s a great feeling to have people care about a sport that they often forget.”
Max Rivas, Santa Fe senior utility: “This is the first year in our division that we’re doing decent. Since the start of the season, we’ve been in the top 10. Of all seven of the boys that have been playing together on varsity, five of them have been playing together and all hang out and are friends.”
Isaiah Ramos, Santa Fe senior goalie: “It was my first time playing goalie and I didn’t expect to block everything. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking knowing that we are getting to go (CIF) for the first time in 30 years.
“We’re all like a great big family and always hang with each other. I wouldn’t be where I was skill-wise if it wasn’t for everybody on the team.”
Jorge Salcedo, Nathan Salcedo’s dad: “Nathan was trying out different things and he never played water polo before. He’s always been an avid swimmer.
“The team just started clicking and seem close.
“(Jacob) has been a great addition to the program. He’s very open to different ideas too and a few more years, watch out. He’s like a sponge and he learns how to bring it out of the players. He doesn’t go out chasing around club players.”