Central Oregon high schools boast some of the top water polo teams in the state in their classification, with two teams finishing in the top four last year and the inclusion of Redmond High to the 5A/4A league. Area coaches predict another strong showing in 2012.

Five programs representing seven Central Oregon high schools — Bend’s Summit, Mountain View and Bend High, along with Redmond/Ridgeview and Madras/Culver combined squads — compete in the Oregon High School Water Polo Committee’s 5A/4A Northern Oregon League, which also includes teams representing Sandy, Parkrose and Hood River Valley high schools. Teams are expected to play about 15 regular-season games this fall, and the league’s top four teams will advance to the 5A/4A state qualifying tournament.

Last year, Central Oregon teams placed respectably at the state level. Summit’s boys placed first in their league (formerly the Central Oregon League) and fourth in the state tournament. The Madras girls were first in the Central Oregon League and also placed fourth in the state tournament.

“When we first began (water polo at Madras High), we didn’t have a girls program for the first two years,” recalls Bobby DeRoest, coach of the Madras/Culver teams. “So the girls program is growing, considering we didn’t have one, but now they’re established.”

The Oregon High School Water Polo Committee (OHSWPC), the governing body for prep water polo in the state, has reorganized its leagues and postseason play this season.

The new format includes 15 teams and two leagues — Northern Oregon and Southern Oregon — and the top four teams from each will play in state qualifying tournaments. From the qualifying tourneys, the top four teams will advance to the state championships. The Northern Oregon League, which includes all of the Central Oregon teams, will hold a league championship tournament the weekend before the state qualifier to determine the four teams that will move on.

Water polo is a growing sport in Central Oregon. Redmond High first competed in water polo 13 years ago, according to Redmond coach Tom Nichols, and gradually other area high schools followed suit. In 2005, Bend High, Mountain View and Summit all sponsored boys teams, but female interest in the sport at those schools was slow to develop. For a time, girls from the three Bend high schools combined to form a single team, as OHSWPC rules permit. As water polo caught on among girls in the area, the turnout climbed. And after two years playing as a combined team, the squad split to form teams at each of the Bend schools.

Madras and Culver formed a combined water polo club in 2008, starting with only a boys team. But by 2010, Madras/Culver also sponsored a girls squad.

The Madras/Culver girls have been quick to excel. Last year, they were undefeated in league play and went on to finish fourth at state. According to DeRoest, the girls team this season will be headed by returning players Brianna Hunt, who was all-state second team in the 2011 state championship tournament, and Sophie Gemelas and Elizabeth Armitage, both all-state honorable mention recipients from the championship tournament last year. The Madras/Culver boys were fourth in their league last season, behind Summit, Redmond and Bend.

“Most of our kids are in the water year-round with the swim team,” DeRoest says, explaining the Madras/Culver team’s success, “and they play a little in the spring league we run every year.”

Once the three Bend schools had water polo programs of their own, Mountain View developed one of the larger girls teams in the region, according to Cougars coach Ryan Duffy. But then Mountain View faced a shortage of boys and could not form a boys team. The numbers have flip-flopped in the past couple of years, and currently the lone female in the program is sophomore Abbe Andreson, who by OHSWPC rule can play on the boys team and will this season, as she did last fall.

Last year the Mountain View boys finished fourth in the Central Oregon League, one game behind Madras. According to Duffy, the Cougar boys will have a good shot at making it to the state tournament this season.

“We will be improved from last year,” says Duffy, “and we plan to beat Summit this season.”

The OHSWPC permits high schools with insufficient turnout to merge with another area school to form a team for up to two consecutive years. With Ridgeview High opening this year in Redmond, its water polo players will join ranks with Redmond High to form a single program, with Nichols, the coach from Redmond High, heading the combined-schools squad.

“This year we will be combined with the new high school,” Nichols says. “We wouldn’t be able to form a team if we didn’t.”

Last year as a 6A program, Redmond enjoyed a successful season: the boys placed third in the Southern Valley League. The Panther girls finished second in the league and went on to the state qualifying tournament, where they placed 12th, according to Nichols. Forming a girls team at Redmond has always been a struggle, Nichols notes, but for now the roster remains steady at 10 to 12 players. The Redmond boys teams, Nichols observes, have consistently included about 15 players.

The Bend High boys had a solid season last year, placing second in the Central Oregon League behind Summit. This year the Lava Bears have a number of new players but will be headed by a senior, Michael Bird, who is one of the returning veterans and a key player, according to head boys coach Alex Bick.

“We’re looking to the different sports to try and get different kids, who haven’t done it (played water polo) before, to get experience,” Bick says.

The Lava Bear girls are coming off a winless season, but their coach, Ryan Dixon, has stepped up the training for the team both in and out of the pool. Dixon is confident entering the new season.

“I have a lot of kids that are coming back who know the game, and some newcomers,” he says, “so if we put it all together we can definitely make a splash and maybe make it to state this year.”

Both Summit High teams qualified for state last season. The boys placed first in the Central Valley League and fourth at state. Returning to the team as seniors are twins Aidan and Brent Soles, who were second-team all-state selections in the 2011 tournament. The Storm girls were second in their league behind undefeated Madras, but they lost to league-rival Sandy in their first game at the state qualifying tournament.

Water polo is gaining momentum at high schools around Central Oregon, as evidenced by the growing number of players and by the development of several club programs, which allow players to play in the prep offseason.

“It’s not like we have a lot of teams in Central Oregon, but there are a lot of individuals playing so the teams have really improved,” says DeRoest, the Madras coach. “There’s programs in the state that have been around for 20 or 30 years and they don’t have nearly as many individuals as the Bend schools, which has made us really competitive.”

Water polo at a glance

A look at the area high school water polo teams for 2012:

BOYS

BEND

Coach: Alex Bick (first season)

Key players: Michael Bird, sr.;

Gage Kaufman, jr.

MADRAS/CULVER

Coach: Bobby DeRoest (fifth

season)

Key players: Dustin Henderson,

sr.; Ian Goodwin, jr.; Brady

Tucker, soph.

MOUNTAIN VIEW

Coach: Ryan Duffy (fourth

season)

Key players: John Murphy, sr.;

Noah Cox, jr.; Nate Cox, jr.

REDMOND/RIDGEVIEW

Coach: Tom Nichols (13th

season)

Key players: Matt Gibbons, sr.;

Mitch Naze, sr.; Teddy Tsai, jr.

SUMMIT

Coach: Jay Soles (eighth

season)

Key players: Conner Brenda,

sr.; Michael Hartmeier, sr.;

Aidan Soles, sr.; Brent Soles, sr.;

Christopher Spreadborough, sr.;

Stuart Wettstein, sr.

GIRLS

BEND

Coach: Ryan Dixon (second

season)

Key players: Maddie Torres, sr.;

Kameran Joel, sr.

MADRAS/CULVER

Coach: Bobby DeRoest (fifth

season)

Key players: Brianna Hunt, sr.;

Elizabeth Armitage, sr.; Sophie

Gemelas, soph.

REDMOND/RIDGEVIEW

Coach: Tom Nichols (13th

season)

Key players: Jenny White, sr.;

Teagan Perkins, sr.; Rachael

Heney, jr.

SUMMIT

Coach: Heather Brenda (second

season)

Key players: Josie Alberts, sr.;

Ky Heffner, jr.; Annie Jarvis, jr.

STATE PLAYOFFS

Class 5A/4A Boys and Girls

Nov. 3

Juniper Swim & Fitness Center,

Bend

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

All Classifications, Boys and

Girls

Nov. 9-10

Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center,

Beaverton