After Sophomore Peter Trinh swung the ball to score another point, the Boys Varsity Water Polo team defeated the San Marino Titans 13-10 on Oct. 24. The team currently has an overall season record of 21-0 and a league record of 9-0. On Nov. 2, the Rams defeated the Tesoro Titans in second round 13-10, moving onto the quarterfinals, where they will play against the Peninsula Panthers in Rolling Hills Estate, California.
The Rams have also added the Rio Hondo League Championship to their winning streak after their victorious match against San Marino. Additionally, for the first time, the team took first place in the Oxnard Tournament, a competition hosted by Foothill Technology Athletics at Oxnard High School.
Despite Sophomore Adam Dow, a top scorer, transferring to Damien High School, the team has built up a winning streak of 21 games.
Other than the loss of Dow, the team’s lineup has not changed drastically; there were no freshmen additions to varsity, and only one senior graduated last year.
“I personally feel like a lot of our guys put more effort in and stepped up a lot through the season compared to last year, where we relied on one specific person,” Trinh said. “Although it was a difficult loss, it didn’t stump us or make us feel like we weren’t going to do as well as we thought. It actually pushed us and motivated us to work more as a unit and trust everyone a lot more.”
Despite the team’s closeness, communication has proven to be a minor problem during matches. Not only do players get frustrated over losing the ball, but they also forget the preplanned strategies.
Although they prepare for every possible outcome during the game, focus plays a big factor in successfully completing the play.
“What separates TCHS’s team from other teams in the league is the amount of time and effort put into the sport,” Senior Bryan Lam said. “Everyone enters the pool and pushes themselves 100%. Not every team we faced has trained the way our coach has trained us. He gives us tough sets day after day.”
During competitions, the players highly depend on teamwork and reliable coaching. Due to years of practicing together, the team has bonded over the sport. The players’ chemistry helps them strengthen their defense and communicate nonverbally through familiarizing plays and team building.
“It’s very difficult to even mentally push yourself, but they’re working at a very high level every single day, and I can’t ask for more,” Head Coach Davo Gharagyozyan said. “It is a lot of dedication from the team, and the parents are very supportive. So, I think that is the main reason.”
Many of the players credit their recent success to the guidance that Coach Gharagyozyan has provided during practices and games. Through his coaching, the team has learned how to function more smoothly as a unit rather than as individual players.
The team plans to win CIF by sticking to traditional defensive strategies, such as placing the strongest defenders against the opponent’s star players. For offense, Coach Gharagyozyan trained the players to score with counterattacks and quick ball movements. However, the game against San Marino required a different strategy. Coach Gharagyozyan added a zone drop, which is when the middle player drops to the front lines to score.
While there are some improvements to be made, the potential of the team has been more than fulfilled through teamwork and commitment.
TCHS School Newspaper