Mission Hills High School’s boys water polo team has won the first league championship in program history (Valley League), three years after the roster had just 11 players.
This season, the Grizzlies also beat crosstown rival San Marcos for the first time since 2020, giving the program a breakthrough against a familiar opponent.
“Beating San Marcos has absolutely given us a good jolt,” head coach Kelly Woodland said.
Woodland took over the program in 2024 and welcomed players regardless of experience. The roster grew from 11 players in 2023 to 25 in 2024, 28 last season and 30 this fall, allowing Mission Hills to field full varsity and junior varsity teams.
“We don’t cut,” Woodland said. “If you know how to swim, come try out.”
Woodland and assistant coach Cole Baratte coach both squads together, sharing responsibility for all 30 players. Practices last about three hours, game days typically require four to five hours, and a four-game tournament can stretch to 12 hours. Woodland estimates coaching takes at least 20 hours a week, excluding practice planning and individual player check-ins.
Their work extends beyond practice. Woodland focuses on technique, passing and transitions, while Baratte contributes training and strategy. Together, they have shifted the offense away from relying heavily on a power shooter and toward moving the ball to create opportunities for teammates.
Woodland described the change as a move toward players “who want to be unselfish, who want to play as a team.”
That approach also carries over to defense, where communication, movement and anticipation help the Grizzlies disrupt opposing offenses.
“We’re the strongest defensive team in the league right now, and I stand by that,” Woodland said.
Junior goalie Camren Smith has recorded 177 blocks this season and 550 during his high school career, according to statistics provided by Woodland. A three-year varsity player who also competes in club water polo during the offseason, Smith has become a vocal leader for the defense.
Woodland also credited freshman Carter Muellner’s development. Muellner earned a varsity role at center after contacting her near the end of eighth grade to ask how he could prepare for high school water polo.
“Watching that kid develop over the season has been incredible,” Woodland said. “He’s really been a game changer for us.”
Junior Noah Espinoza, a three-year varsity player, contributes as an outside shooter. Freshman goalie Joey Oks joined after Smith recommended his club teammate, while junior Zeke Lindsay contributes defensively.
The Grizzlies finished fourth in CIF San Diego Section Division 3 in 2024 before moving up to Division 2 last season. Woodland said she underestimated the impact of losing players and the challenge of coaching at the higher level largely on her own.
“I was not ready to lose the players that we lost,” she said.
Mission Hills returned to Division 3 this season and enters its final regular-season game with a 14-8 record. The Grizzlies are scheduled to play at Escondido at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. CIF San Diego Section water polo playoffs begin in early November, with championship finals scheduled for Nov. 14.
Woodland identified Ramona as a potential playoff challenge. Mission Hills has not played Ramona in the past three seasons, leaving the Grizzlies with little firsthand knowledge of the team.
“They’re almost a complete unknown,” Woodland said. “They always are consistently a really good team. They have great athletes out there, but it’s just not having eyes on or knowledge of exactly what their team looks like.”
