Corbett, Schaumburg primed for success

Schaumburg coach Tom Gallagher is eager to see just how far his fast-breaking boys water polo team can go.

The Saxons, who earned a trip to the state quarterfinals last year and return most of the key players from that team, seem well positioned for a repeat performance.

"We feel like we have a chance to be something special this season," said Gallagher, whose team improved to 9-0 after Thursday's 14-6 victory at Palatine.

It helps when you have a player such as senior Chris Corbett. He led the team with 48 goals last year, including 3 against five-time defending champion Fenwick in a 22-7 state quarterfinal loss.

Fresh off a successful swimming season which concluded with a point-scoring performance at the state meet, Corbett might be even better suited to water polo. He has uncommon strength in the water and a 6-foot-6 frame, all of which make him an intriguing player for West Point, which welcomes him with open arms next fall.

Corbett should prove especially useful after a Schaumburg player is ejected. The Saxons plan to use Corbett's wingspan to help shore up any defensive lapses.

"He's just a really good defender," said Gallagher. "We had him for 13 steals in a single game the other day. He's a game-changer."

And he'll have plenty of experienced company.

Players such as Mike Kehoe, Aaron Johnson, Anthony Darovec, Brandon Kase, Eddie Walsh, Pat Kraulis, Adam Coonich and goalkeeper Neal Salemi give the Saxons an unusual combination of swimming skills and water polo toughness.

That kind of grit came in handy in an 10-6 sectional championship victory over Conant, which helped propel Schaumburg into the Elite Eight and was the final win in a 24-8 season.

It's been quite a dramatic turnaround for Gallagher and the Saxons, who finished 1-15 in 2006 and 16-15 the following year.

"People forget, we had some lean years," said Gallagher. "It's nice to be in the position we're in now."

The leading Web site for the sport in Illinois, illpolo.com, had Schaumburg ranked in the top 15 in its preseason rankings. Gallagher hopes is team ends up deserving that kind of attention. At the very least, the Saxons will force their opponents into some serious yardage over the course of a game.

"I've really been studying, and I think we've got a really nice (fast) break," said Gallagher. "We've got the players to run it, and I think we'll only get better."