League championship comes at a price for Damian Kenyon (’14)

The last league game of the year, seemed like little more than a formality — the Greenies would win league regardless of the outcome. Yet the game became the exact opposite, a full of blood, violence and rampant emotions, with Samo defeating El Segundo Eagles by a slim margin of 11-10.In a scramble to recover a stolen ball late in the third quarter, Damian Kenyon (’14) sustained an injury that put an end to an early Samo advantage, according to coach Matthew Flanders.“I was right there,” Flanders said. “There was a tussle in the water between Damian and another player. I’m sure both of them were wrestling under water, which is pretty standard for water polo, and especially in an El Segundo game. Next thing I know, one of the El Segundo players popped [out of the water] and coldly punched [Kenyon] in the face.”Kenyon said that although water polo is a naturally physical sport, intentionally punching an opposing team member is unnecessary and inappropriate at the high school level.“Water polo can get very aggressive and is a constant contact sport,” Kenyon said.  “But that kind of play was so beyond the norm. It was something that Coach Flanders, who has played for years in many places, has never ever seen.”According to teammate Efe Toros (’13), Kenyon rushed out of the pool and began to scream in pain.“I saw [Kenyon] get punched, but at first I thought it was nothing,” Toros said. “That kind of thing happens in water polo. But when I saw him rush out of the pool, covered in blood and moaning in a fetal position, I knew it was serious.”Captain Mathew Cianfrone (’14) and assistant coach Zack White lifted Kenyon off the pool deck and carried him to a poolside chair. The coaches wrapped Kenyon’s face in a bundle of towels and laid him on the ground, as Principal Eva Mayoral and coaches attempted to calm down the audience members and the players.“Time stood still,” Mayoral said. “I was shocked. I looked out and saw the response the parents and students were having and I just wanted to attend to them. I was afraid the shock of the incident could have taken his life.”After paramedics lifted Kenyon off the ground, he was driven to the hospital by his father to receive stitching in his upper lip, while the game continued.“I told the team that they’re not here to fight with the other team,” Flanders said. “They’re here to play a physical game of water polo, and try to win. We were already league champions, and we were trying to become undefeated league champions. That’s what we were going for.”The Vikings returned to the pool, and Captain Jackson Hauty (’14) scored a penalty shot to conclude the third quarter, giving the Vikings an 11-6 lead.  But according to Cianfrone, Kenyon’s injury distracted the Vikings and forced them to play in poorly the fourth quarter.“They really got inside of our heads,” Cianfrone said. “Some of our players panicked and didn’t recover until after the game was over.”El Segundo responded with four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter, reducing the Viking’s lead to a single point. With twelve seconds left, El Segundo gained control of the ball and called timeout. Before play resumed, Samo huddled up to collect themselves and engineer a defensive strategy to prevent El Segundo from tying the game. According to Toros, Samo rallied together and promised to win the game for Kenyon.“In the end, it was Kenyon’s injury that fueled us to take the win,” Toros said.With less than two seconds left in the game, diving goalie Tommy Prada (’14) blocked El Segundo’s final shot, as Samo became undefeated in league for the second year in a row.“[Prada] came up big for us a number of times,” Hauty said, “We have a ton of confidence in [his ability] to defend the goal.”Though Samo hoped to ride their momentum into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs, their journey ended with a loss against Arroyo Grande High School on Nov. 15jstaraci@thesamohi.com