Coach of the Year: Mack Haines, Live Oak water polo
His mighty Acorns paled in size compared to their toughest league foes, but Mack Haines once again guided the Live Oak boys water polo team to elite status in the Mount Hamilton Division - and on to the CIF-Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinals.
Coach of the Year: Paul Harris, Sobrato water polo
A water polo skipper by trade, Paul Harris also had success as Sobrato's swimming coach, leading the Bulldogs a Santa Teresa Division title and four CCS standards in spring. Harris coached the Sobrato boys water polo team to its first league championship in fall.
MORGAN HILL -- A solid group with modest goals, the Sobrato baseball team became one of the biggest stories of the year.
Coached by Shorty Gutierrez, the fifth-year program parlayed a second-place finish in the Blossom Valley Athletic League superclass into a run to the CIF-Central Coast Section Division II championship.
"We knew it was our job to compete with teams that had been in that league for years," Gutierrez said. "We knew we had a deep team, and they just pushed each other to try and make the playoffs -- that was the goal. They just kept pushing."
The team produced five all-league honrees.
There were times that the Live Oak boys water polo team had to play with two or less subs, but low numbers didn't stop the Acorns from battling for another Mount Hamilton Division title. They reached the CCS quarterfinals as the only Live Oak boys team to make the postseason this year.
Live Oak (12-13, 4-1) reached the BVAL Tournament finals and had five players named to the all-league list.
"The players knew their roles and stayed disciplined to the style of play we had to use," coach Mack Haines said. "Every one of our players played to their capability without trying to do too much."
Scott J. Adams Scott J. Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.
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