The University City High School Boys Water Polo Team had a great showing in league play this year, with a record of 5-3. The team also had an almost perfect non-league record.
UC lost in the CIF Finals to Serra High School. This was the Centurions first trip to the finals in school history. UC beat Vahalla High School in the semi-finals. This was UC’s first year of competing in Division II.
The team’s only league losses were to Scripps Ranch High School and Serra High School. They beat rival Patrick Henry High School twice as well as Point Loma High School twice.
The team’s only pre-league loss was against Torrey Pines High School, the final score being 6 to 12. Their key pre-league wins have come against Eastlake High School, Rancho Bernardo, and Valley Center twice.
The most important non-league game was Senior Nite against La Jolla Country Day. The Centurions won with a score of 10-3. Senior Forrest Hamrick said, “Senior Nite was awesome! We had the bright stadium lights and the crowd went crazy every time we scored.”
The team’s leading goal scorer was Senior Jake Romanas. He has scored 35 goals this season. Senior Grady Olson, Junior Michael Pinzini, and Junior Evan Aker were all tied for second leading scorer with 34 goals each. Pinzini has scored the most penalty shots with seven. Goalie Senior Francis Hoerman has stopped 227 goals out of 339 attempts.
It is the second season for Head Coach Mark Stemler. Hamrick said, “The time he [Stemler] dedicates to our team is used in the most productive way possible.”
UC Water Polo switched divisions this year. They were in division three but moved to division two. The teams that will be the toughest competition in CIFs division two are Serra High School and West View High School, according to Senior Garret Albers.
According to Hamrick, the most heart-breaking loss was their second league game against Scripps Ranch, the final score 10 to 11.
This year’s team was very experienced, Nine of their 15 players are seniors, and the other six are juniors. Of the six juniors, half of them are returning varsity players.
During the Fall Classic Tournament, hosted by Grossmont, UC rolled through undefeated, beating Valley Center, Mira Mesa, Mission Bay, West View, and Grossmont.
Hamrick said, “Our success has been primarily the result of intense workouts, training, and improvements as a team.”