Varsity boys’ water polo ends with a splash
Alani Kanan, Co-Sports Editor
Jumping into a higher division did not stop the varsity boys’ water polo team from qualifying for finals this fall season. The players were ready to tackle this season after coming out of a jumbled season last year due to COVID-19. With the move to the new Samo pool, practices have been more in-depth, and much more beneficial to the team with all the new and improved utilities. The development of the new pool as well as the extra practice time inspired the team to work hard and gave them the means to make CIF. Boys’ water polo player Giacomo Rivers (’23) touched on their season.
“This season was encompassed by hard work and integrity. We did great considering the challenges that arose from COVID-19,” Rivers said.
One of the team’s biggest accomplishments this year was defeating El Segundo High School, which the team had previously lost to earlier in the season. The team worked harder than ever to beat them with a final score of 8-7. Team captain Lance Rhee (’22) spoke about some of the highlights.
“I think one of the most notable moments from the season was definitely when we were able to beat El Segundo High, who are sort of our rivals and who we had lost to earlier in the season by one, but we were able to beat them by one,” Rhee said.
Some of the star players who helped bring this team to a couple of notable wins this year were Darragh Flanders (’24) and Nico Galvin (’22). However, every player has a crucial role in the game and they bring home wins together. This teamwork helped them make it to CIF and win their first game 20 to 8, on Nov. 2 and lead them on their way to winning their second round of CIFS as well. Unfortunately, on Nov. 6. The boys lost in the quarter-finals in an intense 9 to 11 point game.
Coach Matthew Flanders (’89) touches on the highlights of the seasons and what he hopes to achieve next year.
“It has been an up and down season but hopefully the boys will have a good run at CIF, and next year I hope to improve upon our results from the CIF results this year,” Flanders said.
Overall, Flanders noted how proud he was of the hard work and determination the boys displayed throughout the whole season. The underclassmen of the boys’ varsity water polo team as well as Flanders are eager to see what the future holds in the upcoming years.
