Carlmont varsity boys water polo lost to the Sequoia Ravens 16-3 in an away game on Oct. 7. The Ravens are currently first in the Peninsula Athletic League with a record of 5-1, while the Scots are in sixth with a record of 1-5.
The Ravens got their lead quickly, scoring on their first possession. They maintained possession of the ball for the majority of the first quarter, leading to them scoring six more goals in the quarter. Raven Matteo Chocano scored the seventh goal of the quarter and led Sequoia, totaling 4 goals in the game.
“I’ve been impressed with the motivation and wanting to keep going. I mean, the record is not what we’d hoped. We were excited for the beginning of the season, but they keep pushing. They keep coming to practice, excited every day,” said Carlmont head coach Oliver Crawford.
Even though Sequoia was already leading 7-0 going into the second quarter, they were not ready to step off the gas. The Ravens scored three more goals in quick succession. Carlmont senior Eli Samon was finally able to score, ending the first half 10-1.
“We need to improve our physicality. They play a much more physical game than we do. We’re too nice,” Samon said.
The second half started out strong for Carlmont with Nate Dempsey tipping the ball to Sinjin Roelle. They were able to get close to the goal but were unable to score on their first possession. Sequoia, however, was still fighting and brought the score to 11-1. Carlmont senior Carson Woo responded with a goal of his own. Sequoia immediately answered with a shot from the corner, barely getting past the Carlmont goalie. The third quarter ended 12-2.
“We’re always confident going into matches against schools that have a higher, better record than us, but we’re always confident. We’re always excited,” Crawford said.
The Ravens showed they weren’t done yet. They scored three more goals before Carlmont could fight back. Carlmont’s Arnav Prathipati showed his athleticism with a behind-the-back shot. After that, the game slowed down. Sequoia scored one more before the final buzzer, ending the game 16-3.
“Our chemistry outside the water is a big factor in helping this team. We’re a pretty close team, so that means that when we go in the water, we’re comfortable talking with each other,” said junior Scot Dylan Pedersen, who displayed great aggression which he hadn’t been showing before, according to Crawford.
The majority of Carlmont’s starters will be graduating this year, resulting in numerous gaps on the roster.
“I just hope next year they bring that same mentality of getting better every single day, and coming into the game locked and loaded,” Samon said.
