For three consecutive seasons, the Coronado High School girls’ water polo team won the CIF Division I title, from 2022-24. After a “down” year in ‘25 – by Islanders’ standards – that ended with a first round exit, the team is back on the upswing in coach David Throop’s second season, headed to the CIF finals.
The Islanders, who moved down to Division II this year, earned a first-round bye in the playoffs, then won consecutive games by one point, defeating Mater Dei 7-6 and Del Norte 10-9. They face Francis Parker in the finals on Feb. 21.
It was a tight, back-and-forth game against Del Norte.
Out of the gate, the Islanders brought aggressive defense, pressing up against the Nighthawks in hopes that pressure would force a mistake. Instead, very early in the game, Del Norte found a gap in the defense and scored to make it 1-0.
Coronado quickly punched back in the next possession to tie it on a goal by freshman Baleri Garces. The Islanders eventually went up 4-2 before the Nighthawks netted one to end the first quarter.
The game was knotted at 4-4 in the second quarter, but the Islanders scored toward the end of the half and maintained a lead the rest of the way, though Del Norte kept clawing back.
“We kept keen on one of their tendencies and stayed with it, and even though there were some momentum shifts, we just kept staying even keel,” Throop said. “For a young group, that’s a really hard thing … I thought that they did that well.”
Despite a concerted defensive effort against sophomore Landon Wightlin of Del Norte, she caused problems for the Islanders, netting six of the nine goals the Nighthawks scored. The Islanders offensive attack was distributive, but anchored by sophomore Audrey Roberts.
“It’s just buying into the team concept,” Throop said of the win. “… We keyed in on one girl and that one girl scored six goals against us, but we shared the wealth,” Throop said. “And preaching that if we share the wealth, we’re gonna have a chance.”
The ball found Roberts’ hands a lot toward the end of the game, and at times found herself double-teamed by Del Norte. She netted a few of her own and assisted a few as well, including the game-sealing tenth goal by sophomore Inah Bingham, but also helped on the defense to thwart Wightlin and the surging Nighthawks.
“She’s an offensive threat, absolutely,” Throop said. “A couple times, she’s playing like a free safety in football, which is roaming in the area and arriving before the ball does … She’s still learning the game as a larger scope of things but her individual role, she knows really well.”
The Islanders play Francis Parker at Coggan Family Aquatic Complex on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. Throop their will be two key factors: “Team defense and staying within our general game plan … Taking advantage of the open spaces that we find and taking the shots most available.”
