By Nick Michael
Staff Writer
The varsity boys’ water polo team entered the tournament on Saturday, September 19 having played brilliantly on the previous day, winning its first two games in the Los Altos Tournament comfortably. However, Saturday’s games were more of a struggle for the Tigers, who wound up winning one and losing two.
In the Tigers’ first game, the boys matched up against Montebello High School, the same team that had just handed them their first loss of the season on Thursday. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the result was the same. The Montebello offense continually broke through South Pasadena’s defense, putting up a hefty 18 goals, while the Tigers were only able to score seven.
The second game was the lone bright spot for South Pasadena on Saturday. Facing Great Oak High School, the Tigers were able to rebound from their earlier loss and cruise to a 14-7 victory. With the win, they advanced to the fifth place game in the tournament.
Unfortunately, in the fifth place game, South Pasadena couldn’t maintain the same level of play. They matched up against La Serna High School, and once again, their defense wasn’t able to contend with the opponent’s offense. The game ended 18-7, the final score of the first game.
Despite losing two of their last three games, the Tigers still played very well in the tournament, finishing sixth out of 32 teams.
“We face the best teams around,” junior Rob Decker said, “and it was a good learning experience. We did better than we did last year, and we hope to do even better next year.”
After the tournament, the team’s record stands at 7-3. The boys’ next game is on Thursday, September 24, away against Pasadena High School.
