Samo boys water polo outplays their biggest rival

On Thursday Oct. 26, Samo’s varsity boy’s water polo team emerged victorious against their main rival, El Segundo High School. The game was tied until the last minutes, eventually resulting in a final score of 7-6.By halftime, the score was 4-4. El Segundo delivered on their tough reputation and made Samo fight for every play. By this point in a game, Samo usually has gained a lead on their opponent, but El Segundo wasn’t budging. One goal was scored in the third quarter, but El Segundo brought it back into a tie. Every time one team made progress, the other buckled down and tied them. As the third quarter came to a close, the tension and suspense built up.Throughout the fourth quarter, goalie Aaron Akhavan (’20) performed some incredible saves, giving Samo the chance to get ahead. Quinlan Plukas (’19) grabbed that chance, and against all odds, surpassed El Segundo. He gave Samo the boost they needed to win the game. The buzzer called for the end of the intense match and Samo could not have been more relieved.In previous interviews, team captain Sawyer Koetters expressed that El Segundo High School was the only team that Samo should be careful about facing in the pool. After today’s game, the joy was visible on the Samo team’s faces.“The locker room was ecstatic. All smiles and hugs. We haven’t beaten them for two years. Everyone was so glad that our hard work in practice paid off,” Koetters said.After this game, the boys water polo team feel as if they can beat anyone in Ocean League.