The boys water polo team won its game against Deerfield High School on Saturday, April 25. The team used a combination of hard work and determination to get a successful result.
Varsity head coach Matthew Block was very proud of how the players knew to step up when they needed to. He spoke highly of the team’s effort and how everyone contributed.
“I think it was a good win. We had some junior varsity players playing this weekend at the varsity tournament,” Block said. “So it was cool to see kids who haven’t played on varsity before get into the pool and contribute. Overall, I’m happy with it.”
Junior Marshall Dotlich felt the same way and is proud of how he and the team played. Dotlich is excited about the recent success of the team.
“I am proud of the energy and speed that I bring to the table. The team is ecstatic with what we are doing,” Dotlich said.
Block believes assists are an important part of water polo. He shared that getting many assists means that the team is working together and building towards a win.
“The passing and the assists are for sure [my favorite], I love to see a ton of assists in a game,” Block said. “It means we’re moving the ball around and working together as a team. Our goalie play was solid – junior Henry Bohanon really has come into the role as he’s in his second year playing the sport.”
Practice is an important part of any sport, and is the main reason for success. Senior Ilyas Ait El Mahjoub was happy with how the game went and the team’s efforts. He also felt similar about how well the team played in the early morning game.
“I think the team played really well, especially for an 8:00 a.m. game and having to come one hour before to set up the pool, and it shows how our practice impacts on how we play,” Ait El Mahjoub said.
Despite the win, the team still has room for improvement. Block recognizes this and commented on what he plans on having the team work on to assure they continue their success during the back half of the season.
“We’re looking to solidify our gameplay in our process before we go into their conference tournament next weekend. Where we are hoping to go back to back for the CSL North.”
