Water polo descends into a new season
The varsity boys’ water polo team kicked off the season Sept. 5 with a win against Long Beach, scoring 13-7, and have continued to work hard, presently having won five more games. The team plans to work very hard this season and have high hopes for CIF, anticipating to get a ring.
Jack Germann, senior goalie and captain of the team, has already started working with his team to prepare them to win in their next game. Recently they lost 12-13 to Santa Barbara, but Germann believes it was still a good game. “Though it wasn’t my best game by far, I did fairly well at leading the defense and saving what I could. I had a few solid blocks that I’m genuinely proud of, but I’m glad I learned from it and did better the following weekend,” Germann said.
Chet Hardy, the water polo coach for Newbury Park, has been coaching for 2 years and believes they played well against Santa Barbara. “It was our first game of the season so obviously there were some mistakes. But overall, I thought it was a very good game,” Hardy said. To Hardy, one of the most important rules to water polo is being able to keep your emotions in check and not let the game get too overwhelming.
Hardy played water polo in high school and felt he still had more to give to the game after he graduated, which is what inspired him to become a coach. “I felt I still had more to the game. And I really enjoyed the sport and the people,” Hardy said. He looks forward to this year and has high hopes for their next games. “I am looking forward to giving my seniors the best last season as possible, seeing how far we can go and giving them one last memorable season,” Hardy said.
In efforts to bring more wins home, Germann is working to improve their rankings this season. “We can improve our rankings by taking on better opponents while consistently playing at a high level without letting our emotions take over,” Germann said.
Grayson Ing, senior and attacker, has a strong spirit about coming together as a team and winning CIF this year. “If we play as a team and keep our emotions in check, we have a real shot at winning CIF,” Ing said. He has formed a strong connection with the water polo players as they have been playing together for a while now. “The best part about water polo for me is playing with my close friends. We have been playing water polo for years and it is so much fun,” Ing said.
Germann also feels they have a solid chance of winning CIF Division 2 this year. “We have a group of experienced guys in the water that have been playing for almost half their lives all wanting to take CIF. It’s going to be tough, but our collective experience and ability to play together could take us there…and I would love to come home with a ring,” Germann said.
Germann is looking forward to a solid final season of High school and water polo. On Oct. 20, the team will play against their biggest rival, Westlake HS. “Our senior night against Westlake, our biggest rival, is going to be one of the greatest and most competitive games I will have ever played, surely one to watch,” Germann said.
