Downey hunts fourth water polo title
Downey’s Nathan Martinez (9) scored three goals against El Segundo. Martinez is one of four seniors who have been on varsity since they were freshmen. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
DOWNEY — After winning the 2022 boys CIF-Southern Section Division IV water polo championship, Downey High School had reached new heights after a 50-year drought in title-winning seasons.
Downey, which had previously won titles in 1962 and ’72, was a powerhouse in the 50’s and 60’s. The Vikings also finished as runner ups on five different occasions.
Since that magical season, Downey has continued to be one of the top programs in Southern California under ninth-year coach Uriel Villa.
With the 2025 season just underway, the Vikings have lofty goals for this year.
“Our big goal is to win another CIF Championship,” Villa said. “I think we’ll again end up in DI and I think we do have a shot to compete.
“Based off teams we’ve already played and done well against, I don’t see how we’re not. We have a lot of chemistry that’s been building for years.”
Four of his current players, all seniors, were part of that 2022 championship team.
“It’s crucial to have those four guys on the squad this year as seniors because they have championship experience,” Villa said. “It’s (2 meter) Matthew (Moran), Leo Garcia (2-meter defender) Sebastian Lugo (utility) and Nathan Martinez (driver), who were all part of that championship team when they were freshmen, so they had that run.”
Since that title run, Downey advanced to the quarterfinals the next season in DIII and were bumped up to the CIF-SS DI playoffs last season and lost in the first round to Mira Costa.
The Vikings have a modest nonleague revenge game next Tuesday (September 9) against Mira Costa.
“Because of that (DI playoffs last year) we are challenging ourselves with a harder schedule, and so far, we are 4-1 and these guys are proving that we belong at that DI level. We wouldn’t be able to do that without these four seniors having that experience.”
With the nucleus of starters as seniors this season, along with some talented underclassmen, the Vikings hope to make a deep run in the playoffs and come home with the school’s fourth title.
Downey defeats El Segundo, 17-9
The Vikings, behind Moran’s three first period goals, got off to an early 5-3 lead and never looked back in the game.
“It helps to set the tone, when (Moran) is able to establish his dominance and give us a little cushion,” said Villa, of Moran’s early goals. “It gives us a little bit of comfort …….. and it puts the pressure on the other team, which is huge.”
Moran led all scorers with a game-high six goals, followed by three each from junior utility Marcus Fierro, Martinez and Lugo. Sophomore driver Emiliano Gonzalez and sophomore 2MD Ethan Aguirre added one goal each.
Leading the way for El Segundo (2-4) was Cooper Albano with a team-high four goals and Austin Miller had three.
It’s always said that defense wins championships, and Villa especially emphasizes that part of the game.
“We emphasize defense, and we always talk about how we would rather win a game, 2-1, than 15-14,” Villa added. “The guys really buy in and put in the work with their shot-blocking, and they communicate well and work together to make the stops that we need to.”
That happened multiple times in the game, with Moran making field blocks and junior goalie Rocco Cooper coming up with big point-blank stops, followed by counter attacks that resulted in goals.
“He’s (Cooper) very athletic and is a kid that has a lot of physical abilities and is a natural athlete,” said of his second-year varsity goalie. “He’s our fastest freestyler but doesn’t like to swim.”
Cooper is a valuable piece to the counter-attack for the Vikings.
“When a goalie can make deep passes like that, it creates more goal scoring opportunities for us,” Villa said. “We do play aggressive and do try to push the counter and take those risks that other division I schools won’t.”
A long outlet pass from Cooper to Moran started the scoring for the Vikings in the first minute (6:19) to lead, 1-0.
“Scoring on counters is usually a lot of our specialties, because we have a lot of fast players,” said Cooper, who has started in goal last year and this season. “We are well conditioned for counters.”
Less than a minute later (5:33), Lugo took a pass from Fierro to lead, 2-0.
El Segundo, which last won a CIF title in 2023, cut the lead in half, 2-1, on a goal by Miller.
Downey would outscore the Eagles, 4-2 to end the opening period, leading 6-3.
A third Viking goal, his second of the period, came from Lugo on a cross pass from sophomore utility Mel Carcamo, to lead, 3-1.
The Vikings extended their lead to 4-1 on a 6 on 5 goal by Martinez after multiple passes by the offense at the 2:32 mark of the opening period.
Moran scored the next two goals within 30 seconds of each other to open the lead to 6-2. On his second goal, the defense had a steal with Moran driving and he scored with a man all over him.
El Segundo scored with 23 seconds remaining in the period, to trail 6-3.
“I think us controlling the game from a very early start showed that we were not only ready for the game but prepared,” Moran said. “We were just ready to take control of that game.”
El Segundo outscored Downey in the second period, 4-3, but that’s where it ended, as the Vikings would reel off seven consecutive goals to take a commanding, 14-7 lead late in the third period.
The teams traded goals in the second minute of play in the second period as Moran recorded his fourth goal at 5:54, followed by an Eagles goal 22 seconds later to trail, 7-4.
Fierro gave the Vikings an 8-4 lead on a 2-meter penalty shot a minute later.
El Segundo scored two consecutive goals in a 2-minute span to close within two goals, 8-6. The teams again traded goals to end the period. Moran collected his fifth of the game on a pass from Fierro with just over a minute left in the half.
Downey led 9-7 at the half.
That was the end of the road for El Segundo, as the Vikings defense and Cooper shut out El Segundo in the third period. Seven unanswered goals by six different Vikings scored those seven goals, showing the versatility of the offense for Downey.
Leading the way for the defense was Garcia who added, “a good defense allows for counter attacks, allows us for more goals and kick outs and everything,” he said. “Even though it’s early in the season, as a team we’ll keep on growing and getting stronger and smarter and definitely put in the work.”
Fierro scored on a long shot, which was nearly at mid pool, with 4:42 left in the third to lead, 10-7.
With Carcamo driving, he passed to Moran, who was on a breakaway, and scored the 11th goal.
That was followed by a wicked backhand shot by Gonzalez to lead 12-7 and a penalty shot by Fierro to lead 13-7.
With 22 seconds left in the third period, Martinez scored on a backhand in the hole on a pass from Gonzalez to double up on El Segundo, 14-7.
Martinez scored to open the fourth period with just 16 seconds gone on a pass started with Cooper and up to Gonzalez to lead 15-7.
“With our quick passes, we can easily break their defense and it’s like threading a needle,” Martinez said. “Once you find that quick opening, you take it and it goes in.”
The Vikings final goal of the scoring streak came from Aguirre on a pass from Carcamo with just under five minutes left in the game.
El Segundo scored twice more, but not before a final goal from Fierro with 1:04 left and a big penalty shot block by Cooper that sent the ball high in the air.
Coach Villa is assisted by co-head coach and wife Alyssa Villa, Sage Bertsch and Joaquin De Leon.
A new addition will soon adorn the deck at Downey, with wife Alyssa expecting in November.
“We’re excited for our little one,” said head coach Villa, of the birth of their first child. “I’m excited to be a father and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”