LJ b water polo 14, Scripps Ranch 7 - 1st game in 'new' Coggan

Viking Davis Parr (black cap, far left) harries

and harasses unidentified Scripps shooter (20)

as teammate Weston Bancroft defends

from near side in 14-7 win over Falcons.

It was the Vikings' first game in

newly-renovated Coggan Pool.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

It was a glorious day Mon., Oct. 23, when the La Jolla boys water polo team could play in front of their home crowd in the newly-renovated Coggan Pool after a four-month closure, the reopening delayed by a latch on the front gate and a handicapped ramp.

Coach Tom Atwell's Western League power vexed and vanquished visiting Scripps Ranch, 14-7, in the varsity portion of the afternoon's program. Earlier in the day, soon after 1:27 p.m., LJHS Athletic Director Aaron Quesnell texted: "Pool just cleared." The first game back, actually, was the JV match at 3:30 p.m.

More than one family member at the game said the reopening had come late, but that they had "prayed this day would come"--much to their pleasure and relief, as it allows the Viking family to travel the short distance to  Coggan on the La Jolla High campus, and finally set up shop again in their familiar home.

Not that Bishop's, which was a hospitable guest, wasn't friendly and helpful in lending the use of the Knights' pool over the past months for 5 a.m. practices and afternoon "home" games.

But Coggan Pool is home. As Atwell's wife said, "This is his pool."

The timing is perfect, because the Vikings host Bishop's in a Western League mega-match today, Tues., Oct. 24. Then, CIF playoff games are scheduled for the facility, which has a new hot tub for swimmers to keep warm, and new cement on the deck with new plaster in the pool. The renovation came after 20 years of use, when 10 years is quoted as the normal time to re-do a pool facility.

Randy Franke, father of former Viking players, said La Jolla officials pointed out to the inspector that there were already multiple points of access to the pool. That seemed to answer the handicapped ramp question. As far as the latch, "That was installed the next day" (Sat., over the weekend, apparently).

In front of the snack bar area, players' mothers had laid out the seniors' places at a table for Senior Day. Each senior's photo was positioned in the middle of the table, with special cookies that were made for the occasion.

A.J. Schoenberger does the ball-on-the-

seal's-nose act on the Viking bench

late in the game against Scripps.