Mater Dei All-County water polo attacker Cooper Haddad, a UCLA commit, has enrolled at Huntington Beach, Oilers boys coach Sasa Branisavljevic confirmed Monday night.
The hard-throwing, right-handed junior helped the Monarchs capture the CIF-SS Division 1 title last fall. He was selected third-team All-County as a sophomore, finishing with 43 goals (second to county player of the year Jackson Seybold) and 45 assists.
He also is a strong swimmer on the counterattack.
Haddad’s arrival could be a major boost for the retooling Oilers, who are set to introduce several new faces to the Orange County water polo scene. They could emerge as the top challenger for defending champion Newport Harbor in the Sunset League.
Haddad’s freshman brother, Gabriel Haddad, a promising goalie, also has enrolled at Huntington Beach, Branisavljevic said.
The coach said Cooper Haddad’s eligibility status at Huntington Beach is yet to be determined. Huntington Beach plays at Mater Dei on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Please send water polo news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter