Senior Zalan Arvai filled the stat sheet during his first season with Ceres High’s boys water polo team this fall.
Arvai, Ceres High teammates Abel Samaniego and Jonas Hayes, and Central Valley’s Phillip “Zack” Esparza, Nick DeLeon and Santino “Sunny” Breshears garnered all-league honors during the Western Athletic Conference’s year-end head coaches’ meeting at Beyer.
“They recognized we had some talent this year,” Bulldogs’ head coach Sebastian Huerta Alvarado said.
Arvai, Samaniego and Hayes led Ceres High.
Esparza, DeLeon and Breshears led Central Valley.
Arvai, a 6-foot-2 180-pound foreign-exchange student from Hungary, was selected to the WAC First Team.
“It was unanimous,” Huerta Alvarado said. “It wasn’t a surprise. Other coaches saw he was a dog in the water. He was ready to eat. He was always hungry.”
“I can only imagine what it’s like moving from one country to another,” he added. “He learned to trust his teammates. He earned the respect of his teammates. They liked him. They saw him as a weapon.”
Arvai tallied a team-high 52 goals while splitting playing time at hole set with fellow co-captain Abel Samaniego.
The southpaw dished out seven assists while also contributing at right wing.
“He’s talented,” Huerta Alvarado said. “He has a feel for the game and knows how to execute. He does make it look easy. He’s different. The way he throws reminds me of a pitcher. Do you remember Tim Lincecum? All power. There’s no joke about it.”
Arvai was also Ceres High’s top defender.
“He’s a giant weight when he’s guarding you,” Huerta Alvarado said. “He looks like a grown man.”
Esparza, a senior, was named to the WAC Second Team.
“He’s super competitive,” Hawks’ head coach Tyler Bolton said. “He comes from a wrestling background. He’s physical.”
Esparza led the Hawks in scoring.
“As his knowledge of the sport grew, his offensive and defensive abilities climbed,” Bolton said.
“He had a season of competitive swimming under his belt,” he added. “That was crucial to his success.”
Samaniego, Hayes, DeLeon and Breshears were honorable-mention picks.
Samaniego, a junior point guard, totaled 43 goals and seven assists while initiating Ceres High’s offensive plays.
“I really tried to make a case for him to get on the Second Team,” Huerta Alvarado said. “He was a great leader. He was a playmaker.”
Samaniego exhibited improved maturity during his third season with the Bulldogs.
“I saw a difference from last year,” Huerta Alvarado said. “He put in a lot of work during the offseason. His shot selection was better. His pace picked up. He got faster. He loves the game.”
Hayes, a senior southpaw, collected six goals and three assists while contributing at the wing position.
“The hard work he put in paid off,” Huerta Alvarado said. “He was our most improved player. He learned the game. He pushed himself in the pool.”
DeLeon, a junior, was Central Valley’s hole-set defender.
He also contributed at point guard on offense.
“He’s really aggressive,” Bolton said. “He leans into the physical side because he has size and strength. He’s our enforcer.”
Breshears, a sophomore, started at goalkeeper.
“It was a selfless move to take on that role,” Bolton said. “It’s not a position somebody volunteers to play.”
A field player early in the season, Breshears contributed at goalie for the time during the Hawks’ fourth game.
“I was so impressed and pleased with his performance and growth,” Bolton said. “He was the leader of our defense. As the season progressed, he made big plays. He got more and more blocks. Totally fearless. As a goalie, you have to think how the shooter will think. That’s tough to mimic. You also have to be okay with the times you’re going to get hit in the face.”
Ceres High and Central Valley tied for sixth place in the WAC standings with identical 3-11 records.
The Bulldogs and Hawks beat each other once and Lathrop twice.
Central Valley spoiled Ceres High’s Senior Night with a 17-15 double-overtime victory on Oct. 23.
The visiting Bulldogs won the first meeting, 14-8, Sept. 30.
