The Righetti Warriors enjoyed a stellar water polo season in 2011-12, winning the Pac-7 title outright and finishing 28-4 overall. Much of their success they owed to senior utility player Jeremiah Morales.
For the second straight year, Morales was rewarded for his efforts at season’s end, winning the Pac-7 league MVP award on Dec. 12.
“I had to try hard, maybe even harder than last year because our team was really good,” Morales said. “There are other players who could have easily won it over me, so it was a good thing.”
Strong for his size, Morales played nearly every position for the Warriors this past season. He ended the year as Righetti’s leading scorer with 660 points, including a team-high 74 goals, 108 steals, and 66 assists, which ranked second on the team.
Warriors’ head water polo coach Kyle Shaffer called Morales one of the top five players he’s ever coached and one he could consistently rely on in pressure situations.
“He was not only MVP of the league, he was our MVP as well,” Shaffer said. “The big thing was he got his goals when they mattered. In our biggest games, he’d be the guy to get things done more than anybody else.”
The Warriors ended the year losing to Royal in the CIF semifinals. During the playoffs, Morales created goals from his post-up position, and because of his quickness, he matched up against the opponent’s best perimeter players, shutting them down and setting up counterattacks.
As for his post-graduation plans, Morales said he’s looking at a few junior colleges in the San Diego area. If he doesn’t get in right away, he plans on heading back to the water, this time for the Coast Guard.
This article appears in Dec 22-29, 2011.
