A Sleeping Giant

Glendora, CA -- Throughout the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's, the Citrus College Men's Water Polo program was one of the most highly regarded programs in the State, and with good reason. In that stretch, Citrus won nine conference titles, made countless playoff appearances, was the SoCal Runner-Up in 1996, the SoCal Champion in 1995, the State Runner-Up in 1999, and the State Champs in 2000, Citrus' first eve State Championship in any sport.

Since then though, the Owls haven't had as much success, having not made the post-season since legendary head coach Bill Rawls retired in the early 2000's. One of Citrus' best players in the Rawls era has now returned to the Citrus College pool deck, and while it won't be an overnight process, he is looking to turn the Owls back to prominence and awake a sleeping giant.

"The goals for the season this year are to not get shut out in conference, and to be more competitive then we've been in a long time. We want to be competitive with good teams, and maintain a good focus. We want to play like a good college team," said Citrus College Head Coach Kenny Clements. "We want to be a group of focused and determined athletes. As a team we have to learn to play water polo the right way, and we want to put Citrus College Water Polo back on the map. We want to be a place where guys want to come and play."

In order to return Citrus back to the ranks of the CCCAA Water Polo elite, it will take a lot of hard work both from the current group of Owls and teams in the future. If the guys in the water can show that they are committed, things will be on the upswing in the near future.

"The bottom line is I want to have a dedicated group of driven guys that want to be successful. I want them to do well in class, and I want them to be able to move on to the next level. We're not going to be the team that was here in the 90's, but we can start that trend and get the program back to the place," Clements said. "I expect that they'll take that on as a challenge and work together. No matter how good we think we are right now, we have to be ready to take on any team. Even if we lose, we want the other team to know that we weren't an easy out."

Things are headed in the right direction already. The Owls have a solid freshman group in the water this year, to go with a good number of returning sophomores.

"We have a great recruiting class of freshman that can come in and contribute right away. We're pretty deep. We have four or five guys who can come off the bench, and I don't think the level of play is going to drop. We have some standouts, and guys that can come in and fill roles for us," Clements said. "The returning sophomores, I couldn't be more blessed to have the guys that stayed stay. The leadership is there. The dedication is there, and the rapport that we have already has been amazing. We have natural talent and ability; it's just a matter of using it together."

The transition may take time, as everyone is adjusting to a new coach and a new style of play. Fortunately the Owls are setting a good precedent in both the pool and the weight room.

"These guys are learning complete different water polo than they've ever played. It's a completely different system of offense and defense," Clements said. "The workout regiment is tougher, and there's no complaining. This group is taking it all head on and they are being open minded. They're picking things up pretty quickly."

Despite the positivity that surrounds the program, there are things that will need to be addressed as the season wears on.

"We're going to have to continue to learn the little things. For example, we can all shoot. From top to bottom they can throw the ball and hit corners. Can we pressure pass, and continue to improve on the little things. That will be the key," Clements said. "We have to build our confidence throughout the entire year. We have to get better every week on the fundamentals of the game and our mental toughness."

When it's all said and done, it won't be the wins and losses that really matters, but the way the team goes about things.

I want us to be playing with pride, playing together, and acting like college players and young men. It's not high school anymore. We have to stay focused. Focused in the pool and in the classroom," Clements said. "I remember what it was like to be in community college, and to lose your focus. After school water polo has to come first. We have to keep our eyes on our goal of what we want to accomplish for this team."

The 2013 season will start soon enough for the Owls, as they take on their 2013 schedule in the friendly confines of the Citrus College Aquatics Center. Citrus will be hosting their annual tournament, kicking off with Santa Ana College Friday morning at 9:10 AM.