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.
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