Ruby Hawbecker | Writer
February 6, 2022
The San Clemente girls water polo team beat San Juan Hills on Wednesday night, securing them the title of League Champions and a position to play in CIF for the sixth year in a row. With a final score of 15 – 12, the match was a challenging one. The girls were tired after a difficult tournament but ready to take on their biggest league opponent as they went into the final game.
“Going into the game, I felt that we were prepared due to a recent stretch of tough games that pushed us to our limits,” Head Coach Ikaika Aki said. “While there is always some nervous energy, especially with it being senior night, I felt more and more confident that we’d be victorious by the end of the match.”
The game started out tight, with both teams giving their all. Goal after goal was counted and the score remained consistent as the clock ticked by. Two weeks before, San Clemente beat San Juan Hills 16 – 8 away at San Juan. Although a seemingly easy blowout, the January 18 game had been a close one until the last quarter as well. This seemed to fuel San Juan, as they brought a fiery spirit to compete in the last game.
Senior night also occupied everyone’s mind before the game started. Eight Triton seniors were recognized, five of them being varsity players. A large crowd gathered in the stands, showing support for the team in their battle for League Champs. As San Clemente won, cheering erupted from the home pool.
“A highlight for me was when we heard the sound of the last buzzer and everyone’s faces lit up in excitement,” sophomore starter Charlotte Musial recalled. “The game was really long and stressful because the score was so close, but it was exhilarating.”
“It felt amazing because we were able to live up to our reputation of winning for the past five years,” senior and varsity co-captain Savannah Batchelor said following the match. “It was a hard fight from both sides for the league title, so taking the win showed the work we put in.”
Throughout the season, there were many ups and downs that hindered the San Clemente girls’ progress. “It has been an interesting season, to say the least,” Aki said. “A tough bout of sickness around the holidays effectively split our season into two distinct parts. This required us to regain our conditioning and learn how to play together again, all right before league play began.” He believes that overcoming this obstacle is something to be proud of as the girls make their way into the CIF playoffs. They are relying on fundamentals, new plays, and conditioning as they prepare to face teams from outside their league.
Even as the season comes to an end, the graduating players are excited to see what their future holds for their water polo experience, whether or not they choose to play on a college team. Conversely, the remaining players anticipate a challenging season next year as they lose graduating teammates, but hope to carry on the legacy of League Champs with a new roster.
Thank you to everyone who came to support on February 2!
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