Porterville roaring by EYL competition

Monday’s 20-2 blowout over Tulare Union offered the Porterville girls’ water polo team a chance to pause and take a pulse check of the season thus far.

The current Panthers (20-1, 8-0 EYL) are so far mirroring last year’s celebrated squad that went on to the Division II Valley championship, as both teams had just one blip on the record at this point in the season.

The 2009 Panthers will also likely finish undefeated in league play if current trends hold up.

But if these girls continue producing wins like Monday’s, which saw Coriann Snyder score five of her game-high six goals in the first quarter, they may enjoy something their predecessors didn’t have — a No. 1 seed in next month’s Div. II playoffs. Last year’s Panthers were seeded No. 2 behind eventual champion Miners, who got to host the title game on their turf.

“I’m impressed with this team,” Porterville coach Richard Taylor said after the match. “We lost quite a bit last year as well as the star with Kimber (Methvin), but this team comes to play.

“They’ve got good chemistry going and they see each other pretty well,” he added. “In a way, we’re a little bit more balanced.”

Case in point: six Panthers scored in the rout over the Redskins, who didn’t score their first goal until early in the third period after Porterville had opened a 14-0 lead and had handed the keys to the bench.

“Sometimes we just have to pull out,” said Porterville driver Jenna Morris, who scored two goals and assisted three more. “Usually during the first quarter, we go all out and then we hold back.”

Snyder received three long passes for three straight goals on consecutive counter-attacks to help the Panthers close out the first quarter with a 9-0 lead.

Kyla Hill assisted Snyder on her final goal of the quarter — a sweep across the hole for her second of a game-high six assists. Hill also score four goals including one of an alley-oop pass from Morris in the second quarter.

“Us seniors have been playing on varsity together since we were sophomores,” Morris said. “We’ve built that relationship. We also have a lot of new incoming players and we’re trying to show them the right things to do.”

The teamwork was particularly notable when Porterville’s entire front row took turns touching the ball as each drew a foul. The last in line, freshman Marnie Kavern, was left open to lob it over Union goalie Elaina Aceves’ head for her second goal of the night. Kavern finished with two goals and tied sophomore Kassidy Lane for team-high honors of three steals.

“Matlyn (Morris), Marnie and Abby (Peltzer) — those kids are getting better,” Taylor said. “That’s our future. Kassidy’s coming along and so is Linna (Lasure) and Hailey (Newkirk).”

The Panthers have shown little trouble with their ability to score. Many thought Methvin’s 140 goals would be sorely missed, but Snyder’s picked up right where the now-San Jose State player left off.

“Coriann definitely fills the void,” Taylor said. “but not only that, the others are much more wise and experienced on how to keep the advantage and play the game. It’s not so much one girl stepped in for another; it’s that everyone else just got better.”

Taylor cited junior Caitlyn Hill’s ability to replace Snyder as hole guard from last year. The cycle will likely continue as Caitlyn prepares to replace Snyder at the set next season, when Taylor expects her to become the Panthers’ “No. 1 player.”

Caitlyn Hill got experience in the third quarter at the set while Snyder moved out to the wings, giving the Panthers an unorthodox look that temporarily stalled the offense. Raven Kapphahn left the cage after recording five saves in the first half to score a one of Porterville’s two goals.

The Redskins’ Jenna Sartuche scored from long range, as did Laycee Johnson in the final quarter for both Union’s goals.

The Panthers are ranked second according to the Fresno Bee, behind Edison (Fresno). Taylor says other schools such as Golden West, Monache and, of course, El Diamante all provide potential postseason threats.

Taylor says it’s tough to compare this year’s squad to last year’s because of playing styles and strength of competition, and thus it’s nearly impossible to gauge playoff success, but if Jenna Morris has anything to say about it, they could also top last year’s team with one more thing: a championship.

“I think we could,” she said. “We have a lot of young talent.”