NEWPORT BEACH — The south side of the Newport Harbor High pool deck — the shady side — was the place to be late on a hot Saturday afternoon.
Few people tried to sit on the other side. The Newport Harbor and Coronado boys' water polo teams didn't have a choice, as that's where their benches were located.
But there were even few people on that Newport Harbor bench as the game went on. Minus an absent starter and with two other players fouled out, Coach Robert Lynn was left with just one substitute in the fourth quarter of a tie game.
Luckily for Lynn, he still had senior Andrew Silvers.
The recent USC commit drew two late exclusions and the Sailors scored on both, helping them post a 9-8 nonleague victory over the San Diego Section powerhouse Islanders.
It was still a team victory for Newport Harbor (3-0), which won the second one-goal game at its home pool this week despite missing senior defender Dan Stevens, who Lynn said was on a trip to Harvard.