Boys water polo: Falcons’ Krilanovich hopes long road leads to title
Stanford-bound senior Vincent Krilanovich watched as his Archie Williams High team lost to rival Redwood in double-overtime in last year’s MCAL boys water polo championship. There wasn’t much he could do from the pool deck except cheer on his teammates.
This year, Krilanovich is making up for last season, lost to a meniscus tear in his right knee. He has been among the team’s leaders in goals, assists and points as the Peregrine Falcons charged to an undefeated regular-season record in the MCAL and took the playoff crown away from Redwood.
“This season I’ve spent lifting and getting into the best shape of my life,” Krilanovich said ahead of the MCAL playoffs. “We also have some bigger goals this season. We want to win North Coast Section. That’s what I’ve been getting in shape for.”
The third-seeded Falcons will take on No. 2 Miramonte in Saturday’s NCS Open Division first round. Archie Williams (20-3, 9-0 MCAL), despite the seeding is the top-ranked team in the NCS, ahead of Campolindo, Miramonte and De La Salle, the other teams in the field.
A stunning 13-10 loss to Terra Linda in the NCS Division I quarterfinals last November brought an emotional end for Krilanovich and the Falcons, as longtime coach Matt Swanson stepped away from the program. A familiar name was tabbed to replace Swanson, as Steve Carrera was brought on board. Although there was a period of adjustment with a new coach, Krilanovich proved to be the leader Carrera and the Falcons can rely on.
“Vincent is so versatile,” Carrera said. “People think he’s just a 2-meter man, but in all honesty, he could probably play every position. He was very flexible this year in terms of where I was going to play him, depending on what I wanted with the matchups. At the end of the day, he’s going to challenge the other team’s best players. That speaks volumes about his competitiveness.”
Steve Carrera, who also coaches the College of Marin women’s team currently making a postseason run, was already familiar with the Falcons, as his son Jake is a four-year varsity player.
“From Day 1, Vincent was my friend and close teammate,” said Jake Carrera, who scored a team-high five goals in a 11-8 victory over Redwood to win the MCAL title. “I moved here in eighth grade and he’s been my best buddy ever since. To win the MCAL title with him means a ton. To have a NCS title shot with Vincent, Hayden Long, all of the guys from the 2021 team, is special.”
Krilanovich has influenced the development of the Falcons program since he was a freshman with the 2021 MCAL champions. He continues to be a mentor for younger players, including sophomore Nate Greenberg, who was named to the Team USA Men’s Water Polo Cadet squad earlier this year.
“Greenberg and I have gotten really close this season,” Krilanovich said. “He’s been asking me great questions, and I’m trying to help him out as much as possible. When we’re in practice, we’re trying to push each other, motivate each other. I want to help him maximize his potential while he’s here.”
The long road to recovery from his knee injury has been ponderous at times, but has also given Krilanovich time to examine life at the crossroads.
“It has given me perspective on how much gratitude I have for the game,” Krilanovich said. “When maybe I don’t feel like swimming, I think about the past year, what it’s taken to get back to this point, and I can find some motivation.”
Archie Williams (then Sir Francis Drake) last won an NCS boys title in 2017 in the Division I tournament.
“I’m just trying to treat every game like it’s any other game and I have to focus on playing with that high intensity with every game,” Krilanovich said.