The Arcadia High School (AHS) Boys Varsity Water Polo team played a riveting game against South Pasadena High School (SPHS) in the AHS Aquatic Center, on Sept. 10. The team secured a victory with a score of 18-9, contributing to their overall record of 3-0-0 for the season.
During the first quarter, the team was winning 3-1. This trend carried AHS all the way to halftime, which ended with a score of 6-5 in AHS’ favor.
“We came out a bit slow in the first half of the game,” said Varsity Water Polo Coach Janice Clark, adding that “We were not able to practice outside at our usual afternoon time for several days due to heat emergency protocols established by the State of California.”
Previously, the game scheduled against Palos Verdes on Sept. 4 had been postponed due to the extreme weather.
“Having defeated this same team last year by a wide margin, we went into the game overconfident, evident when the score was 6-5 in favor of [AHS] at halftime,” junior Warren Luc said.
Nevertheless, AHS was able to regroup. With that, the team was able to emerge from the halftime with a stronger idea of how they could successfully position themselves to increase their ability to score.
“I have to credit [senior] Jaden Joemtree for his halftime pep talk and his game-high six goals, which played a significant role in our comeback,” Luc said, describing the specific strategic decision to shift his teammate to the perimeter, giving the team more opportunities to score.
The water polo team was supportive of each other throughout the game, which contributed to their success. Before each quarter started, the team huddled together as they cheered; whenever a player made a good throw, the members would clap for him. When asked about the importance of teamwork and encouragement of team members to their victory, Luc was quick to agree that it was absolutely crucial.
“This year, one of our team’s greatest strengths has been our encouragement and positivity,” Luc said. “We’re all wired to keep each other’s spirits up.”
As for future plans for the team, they are currently working to prepare for league play starting Sept. 19, opening with a game versus John Muir High School (JMHS).
