The Bellarmine Water Polo team had a disappointing ‘07 season to say the least. Bells fans — accustomed to seeing the boys dominate nearly every team they faced — instead witnessed a 15-12 season and a loss in the CCS quarterfinals to top-ranked Salinas.

Not a bad year by most standards, but Bellarmine isn’t satisfied with mediocrity. Since head coach Larry Rogers took the reins in the early 1980s Bellarmine has been a Northern California powerhouse. They’ve earned 21 section titles during Rogers’ tenure and have been considered one of the top teams in the state almost every year.

“They’ve been the kings forever,” Sacred Heart Head Coach Brian Kreutzkamp said.

Sacred Heart and St. Francis will be the biggest challenges for the Bells once again in ‘08, “but every team we play will be a challenge,” Rogers said. Last fall was the first time in 10 years that the Bells missed out on the section championship. Every season, they compete with a target on their back. They are the team to beat in the WCAL, the CCS and in the state, year in and year out.

Rogers will lose three very good players from last year’s squad.

All WCAL utility man, Patrick Talbott will play for USC this year. Brian Schmidt who also made all WCAL his senior year will play for UC Berkeley. Second team all WCAL driver Daniel Wall will also be missed. “We will miss their leadership and contributions to the team,” Rogers said. “But as with all programs the new year allows for other athletes to step up and take over.”

Rogers will have plenty of talent to work with this fall and looks forward to lots of competition for each position. He makes a point of creating an atmosphere of competition. Players earn their positions in the water and there is always pressure from beneath pushing the men to a higher level.

Frosh/soph took second place in the WCAL last season and second in the Nor-Cal tournament. “We have a solid junior class this year,” Rogers said. “They are in competition with the seniors for their roll on the team.”

Senior goalie Peter Laird who earned second team all league honors his junior year will compete for the starting spot with two other solid goalies according to Rogers.

With the tradition of excellence that everybody is used to seeing, Rogers and the men understand how important it is to return to their dominant ways. “Tradition is an important part of Bellarmine,” Rogers said. “The Student body and the Student Athletes as a whole are very cognoscente of the past and the continuing to strive for a high level.”

“With the effort that the team is putting out at this point hopefully it will be a very successful season,” Rogers said. He expects his players “to play hard, compete with integrity and to strive to reach their potential.”

The Bells open their regular season on September 12 at the John Schmitt Memorial Tournament. They open league play at home on September 30 with a very tough Sacred Heart Prep squad lead by All American Paul Rudolph.