WATER POLO: Scott twins lead Spartans

They're not so identical twins
One thing La Canada water polo pair has in common is talent

By Keith Lair, Staff Writer

LA CANADA - Twins are supposed to do everything together. Do the same activities, wear the same clothes, eat the same foods, think the same thoughts.
Yes, La Canada High School seniors Max and Mike Scott are identical twins. They play water polo together. But as far as emulating each other, that seems to be about it.
Max, who is five minutes older, wears his hair short.
"I don't know, I just wanted it short," he said matter-of-factly.
During Tuesday's final practice before the Spartans open the season against Montebello - No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the CIF-Southern Section rankings - today at 3:15 p.m. at Pasadena City College, one wore gold swimming trunks and the other wore black trunks. They wore different team caps, too. One was in a cap with cardinal red trim and the other in gold trim.
In the pool, they're definitely different, too. Max plays offense. Mike plays defense.
"It's always been that way," Max said. "He's always played defense and I've always played offense. In soccer, he was goalie and I was a forward. I don't know why."
It's different in the spring, too. Max plays on the volleyball team and competes on the swimming team. Mike said he will participate on the
swimming team only if he needs to keep in shape for water polo.
Max is moving from the 2-meter position to driver this season. Mike has become the Spartans' top defender. He must guard the opponent's best offensive player.
"It's hard, but it's crucial," Mike said of playing defense. "It takes practice. You work on blocking the other guy out. But that's just water polo."
Both players have been on the varsity team for three years. They have been All-CIF selections the past two years. Last year, Mike was a first-team selection and Max was selected to the second team.
"A lot of kids can play this game physically," Spartans coach Larry Naeve said. "But they do not play it mentally like these two kids. They see the game."
At one point, Mike - like when he was playing soccer - wanted to be the team's goalie.
"But you don't do much as the goalie," Naeve said. "You're the last line of defense. That's about it. If he had played goalie, he'd be an All-American, though. He can get up out of the water very well. But he wanted to mix it up. It can be boring playing goalie."
Both 17-year-olds play on the La Ca ada Water Polo Foundation club team. The team, which features many of the current Spartans, played games in Hungary, Slovakia and Italy this summer; countries that typically have water polo powerhouses. It won an 18-and-under Hungarian tournament.
"Everyone on the team likes each other; we like hanging out," Mike said. "There is no one we do not like. It makes it a lot of fun."
Max said that it makes the team ideal; everyone shoots well, which has made his switch to driver easier, and all are happy to share in another's glory.
"Two-meter is tougher," he said. "It's a lot more physical just because of the position. Playing it is a lot different."
Both hope to continue playing water polo in college next year. Mike said he received a letter of interest from Division III Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday.
But right now, the pressure is on playing Montebello, which defeated the Spartans 12-10 in overtime in last year's CIF-SS Division III championship game.
"People at school tell you good luck before the game, and you're nervous," Max said. "But once the game begins, and you're in the water, all that nervousness stops and you play your game."

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS WATER POLO RANKINGS
(As of Monday)
Division I
1. El Toro; 2. Newport Harbor; 3. Northwood; 4. Harvard-Westlake; 5. Corona Del Mar; 6. Los Alamitos; 7. Esperanza; 8. Foothill; 9. Long Beach Poly; 10T. Long Beach Wilson; 10T Loyola.
Division II
1. Servite; 2. Villa Park; 3. Santa Barbara; 4. Riverside Poly; 5. Mission Viejo; 6. San Clemente; 7. Laguna Beach; 8. Santa Margarita; 9. Mater Dei; 10. Ventura.
Division III
1. La Cañada; 2. Montebello; 3. Damien; 4. Ayala; 5. Whittier; 6. Bonita; 7. La Habra; 8. Troy; 9. La Serna; 10. Temple City.
Division IV
1. Agoura; 2. Royal; 3. Righetti; 4. Oaks Christian; 5. Palos Verdes; 6. Mira Costa; 7. Thousand Oaks; 8. Westlake; 9. Santa Ynez; 10. Malibu.
Division V
1. Murrieta Valley; 2. Redlands; 3. Los Osos; 4. Chaparral; 5. Rowland; 6. Claremont; 7. Yucaipa; 8. Palm Desert; 9.
San Gorgonio; 10. Upland.
Division VI
1. Crescenta Valley; 2. Santa Monica; 3. El Segundo; 4. Saddleback; 5. La Salle; 6. Flintridge Prep; 7. Cerritos; 8. Arcadia; 9. Chadwick; 10. Western.