The boys’ water polo team defeated Newport Harbor High School 5-3 on Saturday making the Wolverines CIF Division 1 Champions.
Going into the match, Newport Harbor was on a 21 game winning streak and were the top-seeded team in the division, with the Wolverines right behind them with the second seed.
According to attacker Cristian Pang ’20 defense played a huge factor in the game, as the squad kept Newport Harbor to just three goals. He said that an example of the Wolverines’ strong defense was when they shut down three consecutive offensive attempts by Newport Harbor where the Sailors outnumbered the Wolverines six to five.
“This was all a team effort,” Pang said. “Not one person does it all for this team. All the hard days we worked, got yelled at, and woke up early were for this moment. We knew from day one this team was a championship team and working this hard to get here was all worth it.”
To get to the championship, the team defeated San Clemente High School 12-9 in the first round and Loyola High School 7-6 in the semifinal game. Their win against Loyola was largely due to five goals from senior attacker Pierce Maloney ’19.
The championship win caps off the Wolverines’ record at an impressive 25-5. Having been named CIF Division I champions, the squad now looks to continue their success in CIF Regionals, which start on Friday.
