By Alec Caso
The CIF finals are the next big goal for the Varsity Boysâ Water Polo team. With a league record of 2-0 and an overall record of 7-5, the team is looking forward to its upcoming game against Loyola, which is its main competition for winning CIF.
With new Head Coach Robert Lynn, the team is undefeated in league and has hopes of reaching CIF. Coach Lynn has also stopped weight lifting in an attempt to stem shoulder injuries that are common in water polo.
“Itâs always hard with a new coach, but he is doing a really good job of working with the team,” said Jake Schine â10.
Last weekend the team participated in the S and R Cup in Irvine. Placing 5th, the team beat Sacred Heart and Los Alamitos but lost to Mira Monte. Last year at the same tournament the team lost two games and won two.
In league the team has played two games and is currently undefeated. Their first league game was against Crespi and the team won 22-4 at home. They played their second game at home against Notre Dame and won 13-2.
The team, however, has lost four games outside of its league. The team lost its first two games against Corona del Mar and JSerra High, but continued on to beat La Canada and Foothill. It then lost to both Long Beach Wilson and Mater Dei.
The team lost to Long Beach Wilson at the Homecoming game 7-10. Head Coach Robert Lynn had coached the Long Beach team until this year when he started coaching at Harvard-Westlake.
When questioned on what the team was doing to prepare for their game against Loyola, Schine responded, “I canât tell you.”
In an attempt to prepare for their upcoming game against Loyola the team has been practicing every morning. The team has had a rivalry with Loyola and the game today at Loyola High will be a challenge.
“It should be a good match up and a great game,” Russell Madison â10 said.
The team lost all three times that they played Loyola last year both in league and out of league. However they beat all of their other league opponents last year each time they played them.
The team then ended their season in the first round of CIF when they lost to Dos Pueblos 6-7.
“We are focusing on our two games against Loyola and CIF,” Schine said.
Besides Loyola, Alemany is the only other league team that the boys have not played against.
The team will also get a chance to play against Loyola at home on Nov. 3 and on Nov. 5 will play Alemany in the last home game of the season Nov. 20.
They will also play in the NoCal tournament in San Jose from Oct. 29 through Oct. 31.
CIF playoffs will start after their final game against Alemany on Nov. 5.
Last year the team lost in the first round of CIF against Dos Pueblos 6-7. The Wolverines last year had an overall record of 17-11 and a league record of 6-2.
