By: Katie Nelson and Ainsley Northrop

Media Production and People Editors

The girls and boys water polo teams are off to strong starts as they continue dominating league games and striving for another extraordinary season. The games are in full swing with the girls going 3-1 with wins against Fremont, Los Altos, and Castilleja, and the boys holding an undefeated record of 4-0 with wins against Palo Alto, Los Altos, Menlo and Northgate.

The girl’s water polo season began with tryouts and the simultaneous “hell week,” which started on Aug.15. Despite the grueling workouts, the girls excitedly picked up where they left off last season. Senior varsity goalie Rachel Stephens described practice as “a good mix of serious and fun. Everyone on our team gets along well and we are all friends.” Not only does the team practice in the water, but they also have dryland workouts which include weight lifting, core strengthening, and more. 

The team also connects outside of the water, with events such as pasta feeds and their annual team sleepover. Senior and varsity captain Karissa Elliott said, “I love the team sleepover. We decorated water bottles, airbrushed tattoos, and got to know each other.” The girls are looking forward to another strong season and hope to continue improving as the season progresses. Senior Abby Lockman explained that her goal for the team this season is to “get a rhythm going and connect as a team.” Elliott added that she “hopes the team makes it to Norcal again this year,” a tournament where the top four teams in the CCS division compete. 

Meanwhile, following demanding tryouts, the boys junior varsity and varsity teams are dominating their seasons. To prepare for upcoming league games and tournaments, the teams participated in scrimmages to practice their technique. Explaining the anticipation towards the season, senior varsity goalie Eric Caplener stated, “this high school season is the biggest year in the high school’s history, especially with our talent on the team. [It’s] probably going to be the biggest and strongest we’ve ever been, best record too.” 

Boys Varsity Water Polo is full of seasoned players, some of which have been playing nearly their whole lives. Despite their fierce commitment to the sport, the team still finds time to bond with each other: organizing pasta feeds and reaching out to new players. Freshman Richard Runge explained, “[The team is] a great environment. This is my first year and I’m on varsity. Everybody’s so supportive…it’s a lot of fun.” 

Regardless of their currently undefeated ranking, the team recognizes that there are many ways in which they can improve. Sophomore Ryan Madsen detailed, “what we need to work on is our press and our awareness when we’re coming back into a drop, but our offense looks pretty good.”

Looking out on the season, sophomore Henry Bakota emphasized his excitement for the Harker game in particular, saying “That’s gonna be fun [because of] our little rivalry and losing senior night last year.” 

Both the girls and boys teams have exciting events in store as the season kicks off. On Sept. 15-17, the girls varsity team will compete in a Sacramento tournament where they will get an opportunity to play high level teams from all over northern and central California. Furthermore, both teams have high hopes for CCS as well as becoming League Champions. Catch both teams at the next home game on Sept. 28.