AHS’ Boys Varsity Water Polo played Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS) in the Pacific League Championship on Oct. 23. Sitting atop a record of 25-2, and a flawless 8-0 league record, the Apaches were ready to claim victory once again. After a hard fought matchup, Varsity pulled out with an 11-9 victory, once again solidifying their name as League Champions.
“It was definitely a hard fought match, and I’m really proud of our team that we were able to win this one,” sophomore wing Kurt Wijaya said. “We all just didn’t quit, and it just goes to show that the game really isn’t over until the clock hits zero. We all worked so hard, and fought through our fair share of battles this season, and I’m just really grateful for our win and that we were able to celebrate with each other.”
During the first two quarters, the Apaches found themselves in a huge predicament, down 1-6 towards the end of the first quarter. They were not able to get anything going, scoring just one goal in the first half, and playing lackluster defense, letting up six goals. As halftime approached, they knew they had to make a change.
“Yeah, it was pretty disheartening. We were down five with one more half to play, but that’s when we really all got riled up and decided to storm back in the game,” added sophomore wing Kurt Wijaya. “I mean, we knew we were a great team, we just had to go out there and show it.”
At the start of the second half, the Apaches turned the tides, and the game shifted in their favor. Senior Jaden Joemtree led the charge, mustering a total of eight goals to take the lead back. This sudden shift of energy propelled the Apaches back into the game, as they played phenomenal offense as well as defense, limiting the Falcons to only scoring three goals in the second half. As the buzzer sounded, the Apaches rushed to celebrate, as they had just clinched their illusive League Championship.
The AHS Boys Varsity Water Polo team has gone back to back years winning the Pacific League Championship, a truly dominant feat.
“We all worked really hard to get there, and played really hard that game. Despite the first half being challenging, we never gave up,” said sophomore wing Darrin Axt. “I feel like half of the game is in your mind, because we believed in ourselves, and we ended up going out there in the second half and winning.”
