Story by Rafa Estolano-Sridharan
Staff Writer
Photos by Madeline Madrigal
Staff Photographer
After making it to the CIF Championships for the first time in 30 years, boys’ water polo defeated the Cate Rams in a narrow 10-9 game at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday, Nov. 16. The teams finished the first quarter tied and the score stayed close until a dramatic last-second goal from senior Kenta Fernandes.
The first quarter started with the Rams in possession, but after missing a goal, Cate lost the ball. Receiving a pass from senior Jackson Lesnever, Fernandes made the first goal of the game, boosting the Tigers up 1-0. This momentary lead was quickly swallowed by a goal from Cate, evening the score to 1-1.
Despite a strong Tiger defense, the Rams notched up a second goal, taking a brief lead at 2-1. With only one minute left in the first quarter, junior Diego Pizarro managed to score another goal, leveling the teams’ scores at 2-2.
The Tigers started the second quarter on the offensive, making multiple attempts until Fernandes broke through with another goal. Senior Nathan Greene followed up on this breakthrough by netting another point, bringing the Tigers to a two-point lead. A score from Cate was matched by another goal from Fernandes, taking the score to 5-3 in the Tigers’ favor.
South Pasadena came into the third quarter strong with a swift goal from Fernandes that edged the Tigers to a three-point lead. The Rams rebounded, taking possession of the ball and netting two more points. Still, the Tigers remained ahead by one point.
After a pass from Fernandes, senior Theo Hilger brought the score to 7-5. After some back-and-forth, the Rams scored another goal, which was quickly supplanted by a goal from Greene to maintain a two-point Tiger lead at 8-6.
The Rams started the final quarter with a shot at the goal, but it was easily blocked by senior goalkeeper Caleb Dephouse. After another goal from Fernandes, the Rams concentrated the efforts on the offense but could not penetrate the Tigers’ strong defense.
After an attempt to score from the Tigers, the Rams took the ball and pressed ahead yet again. This time, they gained momentum and scored three consecutive goals, tying the teams at 9-9.
With just shy of a minute left in the game and the possibility of a tie, it seemed like the game would go into overtime. As the clock ticked down, it seemed unlikely that either team would score before the end of the quarter. With just 4 seconds left, Fernandes made one final goal, edging the Tigers to a final score of 10-9.
“Winning finals was probably one of the best moments I’ve ever experienced in my entire life, definitely top three. The best part about it was just being able to celebrate with my closest friends who have supported me for years, and getting to see the results of all of our hard work was truly incredible,” Fernandes said. “When the ball left my hand I knew that this was the culmination of all the work I’d put in this season along with my teammates and I was confident I would score. When the ball landed in the cage I just looked up into the crowd and screamed as loud as I could. I was screaming so loud that I could barely breathe and it was an exhilarating moment. Getting to bring my best performance to our most important game of the season and taking the title for the first time in 30 years was truly amazing and I’m so grateful for my teammates, coaches, and for everything the boys water polo program has given me.”
