Sports
Las Lomas Girls Water Polo Preview: Longtime San Ramon Valley Coach Returns to Alma Mater
Former Knights' graduate leaves after decades at San Ramon Valley High School to coach his alma-mater.
School: Las Lomas
Sport: Girls' water polo
Coach: Jon Leach
2009 record: 19-4
Key returners: Shannon Baer, junior; MacKenzie Brokaw, junior; Morgan Davenport, sophomore; Erin Donoghue, junior; Addison Green, junior; Danielle Johnson, junior; Elaine King, senior.
Quote: "I needed something new, a new challenge." — Jon Leach.
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After spending over 30 years at San Ramon Valley High in Danville, Jon Leach needed a change of scenery. The longtime San Ramon girls water polo coach found it at Las Lomas.
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Leach has taken the reigns of the Las Lomas girls water polo program and is excited about the upcoming year.
"Most of the girls (at Las Lomas) are part of my club team too," Leach said. "That's how I know them. That's what probably pulled me here; the chemistry I had with them already."
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The seasoned water polo coach also leads a team for the 680 Drivers Water Polo Association, a year-round club which has several Walnut Creek athletes on its rosters.
Continuity is one of the main strengths Leach can work with it. Not only has he coached several of the team's athletes before, but the team has several key returning players including juniors Danielle Johnson and Erin Donoghue, who have played together for over four years, and others who have played with each other for six years.
"(Johnson and Donoghue) are kind of the leaders for the most part, right now anyways," Leach said. "They've been playing for me since they were probably 14 years old. They're two very good players."
Both Johnson and Donoghue went with Leach to the Junior Olympics in Southern California earlier this summer and hope to use the familiarity and comfort of playing with each other and their teammates over the last few years to yield great results in the pool this fall.
Leach looks to maintain the level of success his new team enjoyed last season, or possibly improve on it.
The top competitors for the Knights in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League according to Leach are Miramonte, Campolindo, and Acalanes.
Leach is looking forward to close league matches, but as for who's going to have the edge in them, he couldn't say.
"It's going to be whoever's on that day. We're all that close," he said.
He is shooting to be "on" more days than not, as his ultimate goal is to reach the section championships.
"One of our goals is to get through league on top and hopefully make NCS finals."
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