PREP COMMENTARY: Tanners link Vista's past, present in water polo

By TERRY MONAHAN - Staff Writer | Monday, December 1, 2008 4:09 PM PST ∞

The last time Tim Tanner had anything at stake in the CIF San Diego Section water polo championships was 32 years ago.

Then a sophomore at Vista in 1976, Tanner was in the pool ---- wearing cap No. 12 ---- as the Panthers upended coach Dick Draz's Crawford Colts 13-9 at San Diego Mesa to claim the championship.

"I remember the stands at Mesa being about 10 times bigger than they really are," Tanner said, laughing. "I wondered why they took out all the stands I remembered, but I guess my selective amnesia kicked in."

Tanner's title was the fourth straight crown for coach Jim Malone's team.

And it was the last time Vista reached the boys final until this year's Panthers faced five-time defending section Division I champion Carlsbad.

On that team, were senior Matt Tanner and freshman Danny Tanner. Matt wore his dad's cap number, while Danny reversed the number and donned cap No. 21.

Carlsbad, which had split two regular season meetings with Vista, won a sixth straight championship by besting the Panthers 5-3 in the decisive third meeting, leaving Tim Tanner as the lone section champion in the family.

"I think it's almost easier being in the pool at the finals than sitting in the stands,'' Tim Tanner said. "The neat thing is to have the boys play at the same school I did and to have two of them reach the finals and experience that.

"When I was a sophomore, and Vista didn't have freshman back then, Vista ruled the pool.

"There was a lot of pressure to keep the championship going."

Fallbrook ended Vista's dominance the next year, and the title drought began.

"They'd beaten us twice during the season and won league, so we were the underdogs my junior year,'' Tim Tanner said. "It sure hurt to have the streak broken, so I know how Matt and Danny felt after losing to Carlsbad.

"Matt was so disappointed. He wants to go back to Vista for a fifth year so he can try again. He just doesn't want to let go of water polo."

The Tanner family has been involved in water polo since Tim was an eighth grader. Shortly after the family moved to Vista from Hawaii, he joined a swimming team coached by Malone. It wasn't long before Tanner was coaxed into water polo, the sport his dad played at USC.

When it came time for the oldest Tanner ---- there are five boys and two girls ranging in age from 20 to 5 ---- to enroll at Vista, the only rule was they had to join an activity.

So far, water polo seems to have gotten the attention of the Tanner children.

"My kids have seen so many games they know how fun it is,'' Tim Tanner said. "I didn't care what they joined, but it's nice to know they like my sport.

"They all know which championship banner in the gym is mine. It's still up there.''

Tim Tanner still stays in touch with his roots.

"I still play in the alumni game," he said. "I'm just not in water polo shape anymore.

"I can make it down the pool once, and the rest of the day I spend near the barbecue."

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at (760) 739-6648 or tmonahan@nctimes.com.