- The Fresno Bee
Friday, Jan. 06, 2012 | 10:01 PM
School: Clovis West
He's qualified because: Added to his own coaching record with a 14th Central Section championship -- and second in a row -- in 2011. Clovis West capped an 18-14 season with a 13-11 overtime victory over top-seeded Buchanan in the Division I final.
Wild ride: Mosher's second-seeded Golden Eagles -- who entered the postseason with a mediocre 15-14 record despite returning five starters and 11 players overall from last season's title-wining team -- saved their best water polo for last, beating Clovis East 16-6 in the quarterfinals, topping Clovis 7-4 in the semifinals, then overcoming a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to upset Buchanan, which entered the title game 28-4. Mosher knew his team had talent -- as evidenced by a pair of one-goal losses to Buchanan during Tri-River Athletic Conference play -- but wasn't sure if they were ever going to put it all together. "It was one of the strangest years I've had in that regard," Mosher said. "We had a lot of talent and kids who loved the game and wanted to play. In practice, they got it. But in games, it didn't click literally until the last two games. It drove me crazy and it drove the kids crazy, too. But if you've got to win a game, I'll take the last one, that's for sure."
Key adjustment: After trying several different cures to their up-and-down ways, Mosher said 15-year assistant Jeff Williams helped get Clovis West headed in the right direction late in the regular season when he challenged the team to increase its efforts on the defensive end of the pool. "Once the defense came together," Mosher said, "the offense was able to come together in the last little bit."
Standard-setter: Mosher took over the program in 1979 after coaching a couple of seasons at Gunn-Palo Alto. His arrival at Clovis West launched the most successful coaching career in section water polo history as Mosher has gone 750-281-1 in 33 seasons, according to records kept by historian Bob Barnett. And he's not in any rush to leave the pool deck. "I've enjoyed it. It's been a great run so far," Mosher said. "Hopefully, I can put in a couple more years and do some good things."
