Being versatile, compassionate, and committed, Co-Captain Senior Dylan Jackson has been on fire this season, scoring goal after goal for the UC High Boys Water Polo Team.
Jackson said, “What first got me interested in Water Polo was my sister. She was playing years before I did, and I went to her games and really liked it and thought I should give it a try. I ended up joining the team my freshman year and I had a blast.”
Co-Captain Senior Jase Fitch said, “[Jackson] can take powerful shots from the outside, and just as easily make a good pass to a teammate to assist them. He’s effective in a variety of positions, and is a solid communicator in the pool.”
Fitch said, “One of his strengths is interacting with the other team members. Dylan is just as structured with veteran seniors as he is with beginning freshmen. He’s quick to offer advice to his teammates, cheer them on, and demonstrate techniques.”
Junior Marjan Potocndak said, “[Jackson’s] play style is very unique. He’s a good shooter and he’s really tall, so he can play in set, or he can play on different positions, and he’s just overall a very well-rounded player that knows the game. He knows how you should be practicing, and encourages everybody around him to also be their best.”
Coach Jackson Ziegler mentioned, “Dylan strikes a good balance with his teammates, keeping practices and games fun, while pushing them to focus and try their best when needed. It’s how I like to run my program, and he helps facilitate that dynamic.”
Potocndak said, “So far the season has been great. We’ve won many games, and we have been very productive and focused. I think the entire team is really dedicated to making this a very valuable season, and we’re all very stoked to be playing water polo.”
This season, Jackson and the team have already had their share of thrilling moments. “There was a pretty eventful game against Mara Vista where we were neck in neck the entire game. We played really well, and we ended up winning by two points in double overtime,” said Jackson.
Ziegler said, “Dylan has scored a couple of flashing goals this season, but his most recent highlight was a no-look, backhanded pass to an open teammate in the game against Mira Mesa.”
Getting to this point has been far from easy though. Jackson said, “I think the biggest way that the sport differs from others is by the intensity. Like basketball, you’re going back and forth, but you’re swimming and trying to get past other people while at it and trying to shoot a ball and a goal.”
Ziegler said, “Our practices start with almost an hour of conditioning, passing, and shooting, followed by tactical front-court, counter-attack drills, and scrimmages. We’re in the part of the season now where we’re starting to develop plays, which is a lot of fun.” Fitch said, “We have a really solid team dynamic and work hard every practice.”
Jackson said, “My team’s play style this far has been pretty effective because of communication. I think that’s one of the most important parts of water polo. Of course, you also have to be aggressive, be explosive, and be better.”
Fitch said, “The Men’s Water Polo Team has been having a really good season so far. We just won 24-24 against Santa Fe, taking our record to 10-4 right now. I think we have a really strong shot at winning Division 3 this year.”
Fitch said, “I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. I definitely believe a championship is attainable. I’d also like to see us perform well in our League matches, and maintain a strong record up until CIFs.”
Jackson echoed this sentiment. He said, “Our main goal this season is probably to try to win the League. We’ve had two League games so far and we’ve been winning a good amount of games overall. I’d say I’m excited for that.”