By practicing almost every day of the week, the boys water polo team is working their way towards the state tournament, or play-ins, by winning the games required to proceed.
According to water polo coach Joseph Hay, the team has been faring well in the season, defeating teams that they had struggled to beat in the past.
“We defeated Cumberland Valley High School this weekend and it was the first time we have beaten them in about 15 years,” Hay said.
To qualify for the state tournament the team has to win a majority of their games this season.
If they do not, they have to go against other bottom-qualifying teams in a play-in, which would be their last chance to make it to states.
According to Hay, the team has been putting in a lot of work this season, often sitting together to watch videos of previous games to learn from them, which they call ‘film.’
“The team practices every day, they normally include an hour of film and weights then two hours in the water. We put a tremendous amount of time in during the season,” Hay said.
Hay believes the team has been focused on working hard to capture the soft skills of the sport, which are less about playing the game and more about, “being confident and believing in yourself.”
According to water polo team captain Blake Stanczski, practice primarily consists of time in the weight room and in the pool.
During the week the team will come in a couple of times during the morning at 6 a.m. and stay after school from 3-6 p.m.
When the team is in the pool they practice movements such as passing and shooting the ball.
The team will also play scrimmages before going to the weight room.
During the season the team lost to one of their biggest rivals Upper Dublin High School.
“We lost 19 to two. It was a really rough loss for the team. It is hard to come back from that, but the rebound from that is what is going to make us stronger as a team,” Stanczski said.
According to water polo team captain Josh Williams, the state tournament style has significantly changed in the last few years.
“This year it’s elimination. If you lose a game your team is out. You have no chance to get back in,“ Williams said.