On Oct. 31, the AHS Boys Varsity Water Polo team and the Hoover High School Boys Varsity Water Polo team vied for the title of League Champions in League Finals. Having defeated Glendale High School in the League Preliminaries on Oct. 29, AHS would tie with Hoover for first in League if they won and place second if they lost. Unfortunately, the game ended with a loss of 6-10.

The match between Arcadia and Hoover was a rough one from the beginning of the first quarter, with an ejection called within the first 30 seconds of game time. The two teams looked to be evenly matched and scored goals one after another against each other. Thanks to the skills of the starting players on both teams, the first quarter ended with a 3-3 tie.

The second quarter was much tougher than the first. Both teams committed fouls multiple times when struggling for possession of the ball. Two minutes in, Arcadia was able to slip a goal in. After some more clashing in the pool, Hoover’s coach called a timeout. It seemed to have some beneficial effect on Hoover’s team performance, as they managed to score a goal in the last minute of the quarter. Once again, the two teams were tied – this time 4-4.

Unfortunately, in the second half of the match, Arcadia began to slip behind. As ejection after ejection was called, interrupting both teams’ plays, Arcadia did their best to keep up with Hoover. The Apaches managed to get two more shots in, but Hoover scored five more.

Though they were at a disadvantage, the Arcadia players rallied together to prevent a greater gap in the scoreboard. They did their best to penetrate Hoover’s defense and score but were fended off. While the team was still recovering, Hoover ended the game by scoring one last goal. The game ended 6-10, and Arcadia was officially second place in League.

The AHS Boys Varsity Water Polo members were a little disappointed, but overall happy with their final results. They expressed pleasant surprise at having come out on top of strong teams such as those of Crescenta Valley High School and Burroughs High School. “We tried our best, and though we didn’t win, we showed a lot of improvement,” said Varsity Water Polo Coach Janice Clark.

This week AHS’ Boys Varsity Water Polo team will be participating in CIF. We wish them the best of luck!

Photo By LINDA QIU