On Wednesday night, the boys water polo team took on the Carlmont Scots in a decisive 14-3 victory.
Prior to the game, the Bears celebrated their players’ senior night, commemorating ten seniors and their contributions to the program. Seniors sported crowns and leis as they took photos with one another and their families. In addition, there was a moment of silence for beloved friend and teammate Dylan Scripo, who passed away earlier this year.
“We knew we were playing for more than just ourselves today, we were playing for D,” senior Kieran Narayan said.
Carlmont won the initial sprint, but the Bears remained unfazed. After producing an immediate turnover, M-A continued to pester Carlmont’s goalkeeper with a variety of well-placed but ultimately unsuccessful shots by seniors Casey Watkins and JD Coolican. Carlmont retaliated with their own shot, but senior goalkeeper Arman Azadpour made one of his first of many saves on the night.
“Arman is a great player and it gives me so much confidence going into games knowing that—even if the offense gets off to a slow start—we will rarely have to play from behind with his defense,” Watkins said.
The Bears’ scoring streak continued with a spectacular shot from Coolican, who intercepted a pass and then sent a screamer into the top left corner of the cage. The score put the Bears up 1-0 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.
Coolican’s goal jumpstarted M-A’s offense, as a quick pass from senior Alex Alburger on a defensive to offensive transition allowed Watkins to find the back of the net. Watkins tacked on one more goal before the end of the quarter, bringing the score to 3-0 going into the second quarter.
Starting the second quarter, the Bears showed no signs of slowing down. Senior Armin Loftman kicked off the quarter with his first of two goals. The Scots countered with a quick transition and goal of their own. However, M-A quickly responded with goals from senior Drew Wescott and junior Evan ten Vannholt, extending their already healthy lead. Just before the end of the half, Coolican skipped in yet another goal, making the score 7-1 to conclude the first half.
M-A proceeded to pummel Carlmont with scores all throughout the second half, quickly jumping to an 11-2 lead. On the defensive side of the pool, the Bears remained stingy, with Azadpour acting as a brick wall.
M-A tagged on another three points for good measure, concluding the game with a 14-3 victory.
As the team’s seniors move forward, there are some things they will never forget. For Wescott, it’s the people. “I’ve grown up playing with a lot of these guys, and I love each and every one of them,” he said.
For Watkins, it’s treasuring every moment with the team. “I just want the younger guys to know they should cherish each and every moment they get to play the game they love,” he said. “I remember being a freshman and thinking I had all the time in the world. Now that I’m here, I wish I could do it all over again.”
The Bears will travel to face the Hillsdale Knights on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
