For Michael Tragitt, letting go of his desire to shoot all the time led him back to the top.

His approach powered a Central Section title-winning water polo team.

Tragitt embraced a more balanced all-around game to become the catalyst of Clovis High's second-straight Division I boys championship team.

He is The Bee’s Player of the Year in boys water polo.

Tragitt saw his goal output drop from 90 as a junior to 69 this season, but his assists went up from 45 to 58.

And it was all by design as Tragitt became the distributor of a powerful offense that featured five players who scored at least 35 goals. Tragitt wrapped up his three-year Cougars career with two goals in Clovis’ 9-5 victory over Buchanan in the section final.

“He had a great ability to make the defense jump to cover him and dump off to the guy they left,” Cougars coach Terry Giffen said. “He could have been our leading scorer, but he was much more concerned about winning than he was about big stats.”

Vitals: Clovis, senior

He’s qualified because: Tragitt was the leader of a Cougars team that went 27-3 and captured a second straight Central Section Division I championship with a 9-5 victory over Buchanan. The TRAC’s co-MVP -- and All-Valley and All-Northern California selection -- also helped Clovis to titles at the Central California tournament and the South Valley Polofest. He finished with 69 goals and 58 assists.

Defining moment: Made his presence felt in Clovis’ first game of a season filled with grand expectations by scoring a team-high four goals in a 12-7 victory over two-time defending Sac Joaquin Section champion Jesuit-Carmichael.

Career highlights: Was the co-MVP of last season’s Division I section tournament, scoring 12 goals in three games, including a penalty shot that put the finishing touches on Clovis’ 8-6 victory over Buchanan in the final. Had 90 goals and 45 assists during an All-TRAC season as a junior.

The word: “I remember seeing him practicing one day at Clark [Intermediate] as a seventh grader and he had great ball-handling, great balance and outstanding legs. I told Peter [Tragitt, Michael’s father and a Clovis assistant] the first time I watched Michael play that he had the best fundamentals I’d ever seen at his age, and he hasn’t lost any of those. He’s got the highest water polo IQ of any kid I’ve ever been around.” — Clovis coach Terry Giffen

Opposing take: “He plays the game with a certain panache. There is a style about him, a confidence that borders on cockiness, but he’s not cocky. He’s aware of what he can do, and because he’s always been a shooter, he elevated his game this year by understanding he could be more of a complete player.” — Buchanan coach Dave Pickford

The reporter can be reached at nickg@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2407.01/03/09 00:01:54