By Nick Michael
Assoc. News Editor
Photos by Matthew Scholtz
The varsity boys’ water polo team’s season came to a disappointing end on Wednesday, November 11, as the boys lost at home to the Aliso Niguel Wolverines, 6-13.
The Tigers got off to a hot start, as junior Spencer Gurley slipped a shot past the Aliso goalkeeper less than a minute into the game. Defensively, South Pasadena prevented the Wolverines from finding space to shoot, and also took advantage of multiple Aliso shots that hit the goalposts. By the end of the first quarter, the two sides were tied at two.
The game soon took a dramatic turn for the worst. Aliso’s offense came alive in the second quarter, scoring five straight goals. Junior Leo Sonner was finally able to end the Wolverines’ streak just before halftime, but the damage had been done, as South Pasadena now trailed 3-8.
The Tigers were never able to truly rebound after that devastating second quarter. Junior DJ Myer and Gurley combined to score South Pasadena’s three second half goals, while Aliso scored five more. Although Gurley scored the game’s final goal, the game belonged to the Wolverines, who won by a score of 13-6.
Despite this disheartening loss, the team’s season as a whole was brilliant. The boys managed to win their first six Rio Hondo League games, including a sweep of previous champions La Cañada Spartans, en route to winning the league championship. Perhaps the most impressive part of it all is that the boys accomplished such feats without any seniors. The young, talented squad offers a promising outlook into the future. For now, however, the boys must focus on working hard in the off-season to prepare for next year, when their goal will be to defend their league title and make a deep playoff run.
