After entering the league with a racing start to the season, the boys’ water polo team is No. 1 in the El Camino League with a 9-0 record. Because only the top team in the El Camino League is expected to advance to CCS, the Falcons hope to continue their winning ways.
They beat Harker 16-12 on Oct. 8. After a close 11-10 battle on Sept. 17 in which the Falcons ended up on top, both teams came into the game ready to play.
The action started with a close first quarter with the Falcons leading 4-3. Picking up the pace, the Falcons led 11-7 by the third quarter. The Falcons’ defense slipped in the fourth quarter, giving up two quick goals, but the offense did enough to keep the lead.
Seniors Mason Lee and Graham Schmelzer broke away on multiple counterattacks, with Lee drawing three ejections and Schmelzer scoring seven goals. Senior Noah Quanrud made several outside shots, scoring three goals in total, and had several blocks and steals on defense. Senior hole set Davis Robertson and sophomore Ilan Cheraki each added two goals, and senior Andrew Jiang and junior William Lew both scored once.
The boys beat Lynbrook 11-5 at home on Oct. 6. They dominated early on, leading 4-0 after the first quarter and 8-1 at half. After this win, the Falcons had played and defeated every team in the El Camino League.
Robertson led the team with three goals. Lee, Schmelzer and Quanrud each added two, and juniors Armin Agha-Ebrahim and David Nguyen both scored once. Lee scored a nifty tee-shot in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
“This was the first time we played Lynbrook [in a league game] in two years, so we weren’t very familiar with them,” Lee said. “We just came out hard and ended up on top.”
Lee led the Falcons with six goals in their 14-6 win against Cupertino on Oct. 1. They led 8-2 at half, but they were outscored 4-2 in the third quarter. Concentrating on defense, the team shutdown Cupertino in the fourth while scoring four goals.
The Falcons also beat Homestead, their top rival in the league, 9-5 on Sept. 29. After dominating the first half 6-2, the players focused on playing shutdown defense and keeping their lead. Schmelzer starred with five goals, including a lob shot that floated just over the arms of Homestead’s goalie in the first quarter. Robertson added two more, and Quanrud and Nguyen also scored.
“Everyone stepped up and performed at their best, resulting in a crucial win,” Schmelzer said. “We really came together as team.”
Due to printing deadlines, the Oct. 13 game against Fremont and Oct. 15 game against Milpitas could not be covered. The Falcons take on Homestead away on Oct. 20 in hopes of securing their No. 1 standing in the El Camino League.
