The Arcadia High School (AHS) Boys Varsity Water Polo team has achieved impressive victories in the Pacific League this season, securing an undefeated record of 8-0.
For senior goalie Will Garcia, this season represents “one of the best seasons Arcadia has had.” The team’s success this year was especially encouraging for the seniors on the team, as they were able to end their water polo careers on a high note.
“It was a good ending. We went into a lot of tournaments and games throughout the season as the underdog team and we weren’t expected to win, but we proved a lot of those teams wrong,” Garcia added.
Unlike the departure of many senior players, Garcia will continue playing Division 1 water polo in college.
“I play [in water polo clubs]. I’m playing club now since the high school team is over, and I plan to play in college. I’m not sure how many [seniors] plan to play in college, but most of the juniors are planning to play in college.”
Overall, Garcia is optimistic about the future of water polo at Arcadia.
“Our best players are the current juniors, so I think we’ll definitely have one more strong year. We’ll certainly be playing competitive teams, and we’ll have a competitive edge against them.”
The success of this season also reflected the growth of the team in the past few years.
For senior wing player Karthik Villavan, this season demonstrated not only his improvement in water polo skills but also his strengthened connection with the team.
“I started in my sophomore year, and I was on JV. Junior year was my first year on Varsity, and it was stressful because I wasn’t up to date with all of [the team’s] techniques, forms, and shots. But in my senior year, I had more experience and was able to play with [the team] and bond with them over the games.”
Though Villavan will not continue playing past this season, he knows he will miss the sport.
“It’s really sad, and I’m definitely going to miss it. I wouldn’t think I would have missed it because every day we play for three hours after school, even without all the morning practices. But I will still miss it a lot. I know it’s cliche, but [the team] is like a family. You just spend so much time with them and you know them so well.”
Congratulations to the AHS Boys Varsity Water Polo team for a well-played season and for bringing the AHS community many thrilling matches this year! AHS wishes good luck to all the departing players and is eager to support the team next year!
Photo courtesy of Arcadia DCI intern Jodie Tran
