Beaumont Water Polo: Playoffs Top Seed

Beaumont came into the 2011 boy’s water polo season as the team to beat and never relinquished its No. 1 status – as is evidenced by their top seeding in the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 playoff brackets.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, the Cougars (21-8) will host Cypress Centurions of the Empire League in a first-round match.

But if you think the Cougars have just been treading water since being anointed the best in their division, you’re all wet.

In fact, the No. 1 ranking made them work that much harder, Cougars coach Chris Carlson said.

"It is what it is, we just play the games," Carlson said. "You still have to play the games and win."

But as Carlson pointed out, the team used their No. 1 status as a motivator all season. Carlson admitted he pushed this team harder than he had any previous team in his 23 years of coaching.

Every member of this year’s team has played together at Beaumont for at least three years, he said. Unlike other schools, who have many club players, his team played water polo for the first time as high school freshman.

"At the beginning, I was having trouble getting them to tread water for that long," Carlson said. "Top to bottom, we have a great group of guys, great parents and great school and community support. It’s a perfect storm.

"We push people and require excellence. At the beginning, you're filled with hope and promise. In the middle, when we're pushing to reveal the character of the players and push for excellence, it can be rocky. At the end, it’s all about the love for the sport and the kids."

The Cougars are a high-scoring team that averages more than 10 goals per game. Their top scorers are Brody Wood (160 goals) and Landon Carr (115 goals, 175 assists). Senior goalie Chris Diercks has been consistently good this season, Carlson said.

Carlson also said he built this team on team strength, not individual accomplishments and it has really worked well.

"Every kid on this team is a huge success story," Carlson said. "They are what's good about sports. It’s a tribute to their parents and the community. We've always been preparing for something bigger this year."

To see all the 2011 boy's water polo pairings, go to www.cifss.org.