Miami-Dade County teams heavily favored for state titles in boys’, girls’ water polo

State supremacy in boys’ water polo has been a South Florida thing 15 times in the 16 years the event has been held.

This year, Miami Belen (18-0) is the top-ranked team and has an excellent shot at winning its fourth state championship and its first since 2016. Belen will host the boys’ and girls’ state semifinals and finals this weekend.

On Friday, Belen will play Oviedo (14-2) in one state semifinal at 6:30 p.m.

At 5 p.m., Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (23-4), which is 0-3 against Belen, will challenge second-ranked Orlando Dr. Phillips (29-0).

Only Miami Gulliver Prep, with five trophies, has won more boys’ state titles than Belen, which has three titles. Aquinas won state in 2013. Dr. Phillips and Oviedo are each seeking a first championship.

Belen’s best player this season, according to veteran coach Jimmy Aguilera, is senior Carlos Veccio. Other Belen standouts include Carlos’ twin brother, Dylan Veccio, as well as Zachary Callejas and goalie Bryan Weglarz.

After losing last year in the state quarterfinals to eventual state champ Gulliver — which went undefeated — Belen has come back with force in 2022.

“We’re a good defensive team,” Aguilera said. “We’ve allowed few goals.”

In the girls’ draw, second-ranked Miami Ransom Everglades (26-4) will be challenged by Winter Park (26-5) at 2 p.m.; and top-ranked Lake Nona (24-0) plays Boca Raton (21-7) at 3:30 p.m.

Ransom defeated Winter Park, 8-2, in their only previous meeting this season, on March 25. Winter Park has since won seven straight matches, including a 13-11 overtime win over Gulliver Prep.

Meanwhile, Ransom has lost both of its matchups with Lake Nona this season, falling 11-1 on Feb. 19 and 13-7 on March 5.

The Raiders are on a 15-match win streak since losing that second time to Lake Nona.

Ransom has won a record eight state titles, but Lake Nona is the reigning champion. Winter Park and Boca Raton are both seeking their first championship.

Eric Lefebvre, Ransom’s coach, said his best and most consistent player this season has been senior Sabrina Shipley, who plans to walk-on at Brown University this fall.

“If our team needs a goal, she gets it,” Lefebvre said. “If we need an exclusion, she can draw it, and if we need a lock-down defender, she can do that, too.”

Lefebvre said Ransom went 2-3 — including a loss to Lake Nona — in its first trip to Orlando this season. But Ransom was missing three starters during that trip: Holly Alesandro, who was with the Olympic Development Team at the time; goalie Eleonora Cavallini (concussion); and defender Alexa Hommen (shoulder injury).

Ransom returned to Orlando a second time — with its full team intact — and lost to Lake Nona 13-7 in a tournament final on March 5.

“We play the whole season for the postseason,” Lefebvre said. “We’ve had our eyes on getting to where we are now.”