Key newcomers: Hayden Leach (Sr.), center defender; Emery Molnar (Sr.), center; Evan Ramsey (Sr.), driver; Miles Carpenter (Sr.), driver; Chris Robertson (Sr.), driver; Will Havercroft (Sr.), driver; Ben Zepfel (Jr.), utility; Ari Marks (Jr.), driver; Wesley Sherburne (Jr.), driver
Key dates: South Coast Tournament, Sept. 23-25; SoCal Invitational, Oct. 8-9; Newport Harbor (home), Oct. 23; NorCal Invitational, Oct. 29-30
Outlook: Watson will definitely be a go-to guy at center for the Sea Kings a year after scoring 68 goals. He will need to stand as tall as his height as the club lost its top two players — Pacific Coast League Co-MVPs Max Bergeson and Michael Liao. Bergeson was the Newport-Mesa Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. CdM is now in Division II and will try to make its first CIF final appearance under O'Dea. It's a good sign that they also return their goalie in Bearer, who earned his way into a starting spot late last year. O'Dea said he will look for more senior leadership from guys like Leach and Molnar, as well as Ramsey, a driver who O'Dea said is coming off a strong summer. O'Dea also possesses two lefties in Carpenter and Robinson.
