LJ b water polo: More tools in the toolbox

Vikes' Dexter Black (4) pushes back against

defender Cutter Leach (3) of the Dons

late in the second quarter of the Southern

California Regionals semifinals Thurs., Nov. 20.

Black was just trying to get open for a pass

in the La Jolla offense.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Dexter Black, the Vikings' star, could already do a lot of things with the ball offensively. But in the Southern California Regional game against Loyola Tues., Nov. 18, the junior showed off some newer skills he had added.

Before this season, Black could rise up for his signature shot--like a giant whale breeching the water--and fire the ball into the opposing goal lefthanded.

Now, with more seasoning and the stakes increased, he exhibited an ability to gain space for himself to take a shot. It is kind of like Steph Curry pushing into his defender, then dropping back to fire a long three-pointer in basketball.

Repeatedly against the Cubs, Dex (as his teammates call him) would lean his shoulder into the player guarding him, more than once if he needed clearance. Then he would explode up out of the water as he swung into arm action.

This was the new, improved Black. He already had shown enough of a sense of the game and individual ability on both defense and offense for Coach Tom Atwell's Vikings his sophomore year to be named All-CIF First Team.

Now, under duress, with heavy one-on-one coverage, often even being double-teamed if opposing teams could afford it, Dexter was expanding his offensive melange. Like an artist who uses more colors, and mixes colors from his palette to create new ones.

None of this was to take away from his teammates. Black, in an interview the same day as the Loyola game, showed himself to be personable, articulate, and friendly along with teammate and center Tor Martin on the walkway in front of the Big Gym.

Lev Kevorkian (black cap) defends

Sebastian Nudleman of Cathedral

(underwater, lower right).

They both acknowledged Henry Glenister's development this year as a vital scorer. Even more for senior Nate Thomson, defender deluxe who scored at key times. He became the face of the tough-minded Vikings.

In this setting, under the training of Atwell and the other coaches of La Jolla United, the club team he plays for, Black continues to blossom and grow. He's not even finished in high school, with one more year and a section Open Division championship under the team's belt. There's more to go.

As the regionals progressed, opponents began to pick up Dexter before midpool as he swam the ball toward the attacking zone. You try to wear down a key scorer like he is, to make it tougher endurance-wise in the later going. As he was defended this far up, he would doggedly protect the ball and look for options to start the offense.

In the Cathedral Catholic game that ended La Jolla's season Thurs., Nov. 20, defenders would push, pull, entangle legs, do whatever you can do in water polo above the water and under the water, as they guarded the 6'6" scorer. Black got called for a foul more than once as he fought back, even laying his body on top of the water on top of his defender--he almost looked like he was reclining on a lounge chair, but he wasn't lounging at all.

He was working hard.

In the joint interview with Martin Tuesday, he deflected all the plaudits. It's not like some other star athletes who really don't know how to handle the attention--they mumble words about "doing it for the team" and the like.

Congratulations to Tom Atwell, Black, Martin, Glenister, Thomson, and all the other La Jolla team and program members who finally scaled the summit and won their first Open Division title this fall. It was worth the wait, and the work, to achieve this.

LJ b BB 70, Westview 47 - 11/21

Conlan Rute (1) attempts

a layup against Westview's

Brody Alexander (0)

in opening moments.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Senior guard Leo Hawkinson led La Jolla in a long-range shooting barrage against visiting Westview in the second quarter, to bury the Warriors in a 70-47 win at home before a small, vocal group of devotees Fri., Nov. 21.

In their home opener for 2025-2026, Coach Paul Baranowski's 47th team--14th at the coastal school--took off on an offensive streak behind Cole Hein and Hawkinson to go up from an 18-12 lead to 46-25 near the end of the period.

During the quarter, La Jolla showed a playing style reminiscent of the first half of last season, when Hawkinson joined Brody Sessa as a transfer and the team could go on successful runs in brief streaks.

Leo hit four bombs from distance, three from the top of the paint, while Hein dropped three, including a set shot outside the right elbow at 1:01 for a commanding 19-point lead.

Leo Hawkinson (left) passes

along the baseline against

6'6" Lawrence Lamb in the

second quarter.

In one crowd-pleasing sequence after Cole's last three, "Hawk" fired a pass downcourt to a streaking Sessa for a layup ahead of Westview defenders. That put the scoreboard at 46-25 with 32.3 left in the half, and La Jolla would never allow their advantage to drop below 14 again, going as high as 23 points.

Meanwhile, Warrior head coach Chase Fraser was having fits from the visiting bench, shouting "Wake up!" over and over as 6'6" Lawrence Lam and his teammates struggled to respond.

For the game, Hawkinson made five of seven threes, Hein three of nine. The 6'3" Sessa had seven rebounds. The Vikings are going to struggle against bigger teams in that latter department.

What seemed most effective for Baranowski on the night was the shorter lineup, with every player basically a guard. Newcomer Nick Muus, a junior, helped move the ball in the offense.

LJ b water polo: What an arc of success

By Ed Piper

Tom Atwell, in his 25th year teaching at La Jolla High, floating in the Coggan pool with his two assistants, a smile on his face. It doesn't get better than that.

The grin came after the Vikings' 15-12 win over Cathedral Catholic, the dreaded "new" giant, in the San Diego Section Open Division finals. Atwell and his La Jolla water polo players had to deal with Bishop's before that.

The "slog"--a long time of trying to climb the mountain. Tries again and again, losing in the Open playoffs last year, the year before...

"It means everything for us," said Dexter Black, the star attacker whose brother Kiefer even came up through the system, yet wasn't able to help secure an Open title for Atwell. "For us, the team, Coach Atwell," Dexter went on. "What is it, 29 years or something like that? (25, actually.) 

"His jump in the pool was one of the best memories I'll ever have."

Echoed teammate Tor Martin, the center, "What we've been through as a team..." His brother Soren, too, preceded him by two years, yet they didn't win a title.

*  *  *

Freshman Matthew Shomo was in the starting lineup for La Jolla against Cathedral in their latest engagement, in the semifinals of the Southern California Regionals Thurs., Nov. 20. Shomo has pretty much been a starter the last few games as the Vikings went into the regionals, after significant minutes in the earlier playoffs.

Atwell, obviously, views him as a go-to guy lately, putting him with the core of Nate Thomson, Martin, Black, Henry Glenister, and Ryder Jaseniuk. He also gained the spot when Quinn Daniels went down with a concussion in the section finals, six stitches under his right eye.

Daniels showed his bandage, covering the stitches, proudly during the regionals matchup with the Dons. He announced loudly to a reporter, "I'm on a one-week protocol for a concussion." Teammates around him smiled. He said it with a big smile.

*  *  *

Dave Adams sat in a folding chair near the team benches, a red Scottish-pattern blanket over his legs in the cold, during La Jolla's 10-9 loss to Cathedral Catholic in the regional semifinals. He interacted with a reporter, showing a lot of knowledge of water polo in general and the Vikings' 2025 outfit in particular.

He explained that the team MVP award was named after his son Matt, who died of metastatic melanoma in 2018 at about age 37. Matt was in the Class of 1999, playing water polo for the Vikings. That would have been right before or as Tom Atwell began his coaching at La Jolla.

The elder Adams, whose wife is Joyce, was obviously proud to be attached to the Viking water polo program and to keep the memory of their son alive with his name on the award that goes to the team's best player each year.

LJ b water polo 9, Cathedral Catholic 10 - So Cal Regional semifinals 11/20

Dexter Black (4) scores with time running out,

but it was too little, too late as the Vikings

dropped a 10-9 decision to Cathedral Catholic

in the Southern California Regionals Thurs.,

Nov. 20. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

The Vikings put on a furious comeback attempt after Cathedral Catholic tried to bury La Jolla with a 6-1 lead at 3:13 of the first quarter Thurs., Nov. 20 in the semifinals of the Southern California Regionals.

But the attempt, which closed the gap--of course, on a goal by leader Dexter Black--to 8-7 with less than four minutes left, ultimately fell short. Coach Tom Atwell's best team, winners of the Open Division of the San Diego Section over these same Dons only five days before, saw their dream season end with a 10-9 loss.

With the promised rain holding off until right after the final buzzer, it was apparent that Coach Tommy Corcoran's Cathedral unit were going to do everything they could to avoid a repeat of Nov. 15's upset by the host Vikings at Coggan Complex.

In a psychological bit of gamesmanship prior to the contest, Atwell had Saturday's 15-12 score posted on the scoreboard as spectators filled the seating area.

But in a gesture of sportsmanship, the Dons held out their player who caused La Jolla starter Quinn Daniels' concussion in the section championship. Daniels did not play in either the Tuesday, Nov. 18 Southern California Regional quarterfinal win over Loyola, or Thursday's game.

At the start of the match, it looked like Cathedral was going to blow La Jolla out. Diego Dantas scored three of the Dons' first six goals, broken up only by Henry Glenister's goal to make the score 3-1 ending the first quarter.

Corcoran's game plan was to smother the high-scoring Black. Defenders alternated covering the 6'6" lefty, at times physically pushing against him at the point. Jack Davis and others kept Dexter from setting up on his favorite 4-5 side on the right side of the imaginary rectangle. Dexter could only struggle and push back to get out from under, being called for a foul more than once.

Down 7-2 after the beginning of the second half, Vike center Tor Martin--playing his final game as a prep--scored. Then fellow senior Nate Thomson, under duress, netted a goal. Black, shut out from the field for the most part, took a penalty shot and scored. Finally, Martin scored again to edge within 7-6 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter.

A misdirected throw-in of a replacement ball from the bench caused La Jolla goalie George Gayner to sit out temporarily. The Vikings' defense was strong enough to get them through that unscathed.

Later, Black's goal put the scoreboard at 8-7, before Corcoran was kicked out of the game by the referee on the scorer's side of the pool. That didn't seem to weaken the Dons, who added goals by Max Arnold and Dantas to secure the win.

LJ b water polo: Photos 11/18

Photos by Ed Piper

Dexter Black (tallest player) during the playing

of the National Anthem. Barney Pearce is

right behind him in the robe.

LJ's Ryder Jaseniuk (9) is literally on top

of Ethan Eng (17) of Loyola on the Cubs'

first trip down the pool on offense.

Center Tor Martin (11) fades away from defender

Marcus Wooler (2) of the Cubs in helping set up

the offense.

Tor Martin (facing camera, right) participates

in the handshake with Loyola prior to the match.

Martin is a senior, enjoying the only Open Division

title in the history of LJHS.

Ryder Jaseniuk's upper body definition pops out

in this image, with Loyola's Ethan Eng (17)

guarding him.

Attacker Dexter Black (4) is ridden by

Loyola defender Max Keldorf (12)

in the first quarter.

Henry Glenister (13), the Vikings' second leading

scorer this season.

Viking Tor Martin (11) pressures Cubs'

Caleb Yost (8) on perimeter.

LJ goalie George Gayner (far right) with teammates.

LJ b water polo 15, Loyola (LA) 12 - So Cal Regionals - quarterfinals 11/18

Ethan Eng (17) of Loyola makes a shot attempt

in the first quarter against LJ goalie George

Gayner (behind) and Ryder Jaseniuk (9).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

The Vikings are peaking at the right time. After a stunning upset of Cathedral Catholic to win the Open Division championship three days before, Coach Tom Atwell's crew topped Loyola (Los Angeles), 15-12, in a show of confidence and skill Tues., Nov. 18, at Coggan Complex.

The occasion was the quarterfinals of the Southern California Regionals.

Star scorer Dexter Black said before the match that his squad had had a few things to fix, and once they got them fixed, the Vikings have been launched to play their best water polo of the past two years.

Once again distributing the scoring among different team members, the Vikings went on a run after halftime to increase a two-goal lead to four with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

First, Lev Kevorkian scored for a 9-6 lead. Then after the Cubs answered, Black grabbed a rebound and put it in--by then, his fifth goal of the game.

Finally, teammate and fellow All-CIFer Tor Martin, the Vikings' powerful center, smashed a ball in for his second goal of the afternoon.

It was a fitting display of the team-oriented approach that Atwell and the players have honed to a fine edge, supported by a drop-and-press defense at the other end of the pool.

Loyola, with a loyal bunch of supporters making the 240-mile round trip from Venice Blvd. for the match, gave the locals a scare late in the fourth quarter. With their season on the line, the Cubs tightened the match to two goals--down from five with 3:39 left--behind scores by Marcus Wooler, Ethan Eng, and lefty Caleb Yost before succumbing.

The Vikings' Nate Thomson, once again, "did the dirty work", as Black termed it, "not getting any of the credit." He scored two timely goals in the first half, and was the face of La Jolla's fierce defense that made it difficult for Loyola to maneuver.

LJ b water polo: Whitley and Tudor vied

John Whitley, grandfather of Henry and Simon

Glenister, attends the Viking-Don playoff

with his wife Vicky Sat., Nov. 15,

at Coggan Complex. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

For two playoff games, while taking photos of the Vikings and following their games as they progressed through the CIF Open Division playoffs Nov. 5 and 11, I caught verbal snippets of the lives of Vicky and John Whitley, the grandparents of La Jolla twins Henry and Simon Glenister, from Vicky. She has a beguiling accent, very South African and evoking the old country.

I also saw and met their daughter, Vanessa, mom of the field player (Henry, a top scorer this season) and the goalie (Simon, a reserve goalkeeper). Vicky said, "She was chased by rhinos twice." I was dying to hear more, but the confines of the games and the venue limited that.

Vicky said at the second game, "John took our daughter on safari." That's when Vanessa Whitley (later Glenister) got chased by rhinos as a child.

Finally, before the CIF Open final Sat., Nov. 15, I asked John Whitley about his experiences. "Your daughter got chased by rhinos twice. That's all I've been able to gain."

We were interrupted by introductions of the players. But I was happy to learn the following:

John, as Vicky proudly told me, was a champion swimmer in his prep days. He swam for Natal, the province they lived in in South Africa. He was a big star. He was a sprinter who swam freestyle and backstroke.

The best part of it was that John Whitley swam against Tudor Lacey, who sadly passed away this past summer. Tudor and he competed in 1960. "Tudor beat me," John admitted.

They were rivals then, but miraculously, their lives both led them to La Jolla years later, where Tudor served as the conditioning coach for the Viking water polo and swim teams for many years until his passing.

Tudor had told me only last year that when he was 14, his older sister was threatened by a crocodile. Their family dog, being very protective, moved to defend her and was promptly swallowed by the croc. I told the Whitleys that story.

Of course, to them, stories of rhinos and crocs are nothing new, because that was the environment that they grew up in in Africa.