TEAMWORK: Poly boys’ water polo prepares to have a successful season this year.
By Kayla Iles, Staff Writer
With high hopes of winning CIF this year, boys’ water polo will work hard to increase their teamwork and effort this season. They kicked off the season with a 6-5 win against Citrus Valley High School. The Bears’ score was expected to be higher, but as Co-Captain Jonah Saenz (12) said, “We have a lot to improve.” In the second game of the season, the boys came out victorious against the Ramona Rams, earning a final score of 19-2. During the season, the upperclassmen will “try to motivate the guys to work harder and be the best [they] can,” Co-Captain Joey Dempsey (12) stated.
Last season, the boys lost in the first round of CIF. “It was not fun [for the boys] being at home (after their loss). Hopefully that taste is still in their mouths,” Head Coach Mike Cardey said. This year each player will need to step up to earn a starting position and help carry his team to CIF Finals. The team hopes to be CIF Champions by the end of the season, but in order to get there, they will need to work a lot harder than they did last year. But the question still stands: What improvements will make this season a success? Saenz said, “I’ve seen them [the team] improve leaps and bounds from last year, and we’re more of a team that we were last year.”
In order for these water polo boys to go far this season and achieve their goals, they will need to put in hard work and dedication. Jakeob Pluimer (12) hopes to “win games and not lose the first round; those are big things on [his] list.”