On October 3, the Bishop’s Varsity Water Polo team climbed into a van and headed up to the Harvard-Westlake School to compete against seven other prestigious high school polo programs. The Knights’ first game was just what everyone was looking for: an overtime thriller against Miramonte High School in a game where our very own Jack Martin (‘21) scored a game winner from near half-pool. Goalie John Majernik (‘20) came up big as well with a crucial save with three seconds left on the clock. The Knights would hold on to the lead and win 13-12.

The Knights came from behind in their second game against Cathedral Catholic High School with help from Kyto Fraley (‘21) and his five goals. With one second left, Bishop’s were still behind; We needed a hero. Senior Max Keck answered the call, burying a shot from six meters out to send the game to overtime. With this momentum, Max led the charge in the OT period and shut out the Dons, winning 16-13. 

The rest of the tournament included games against hosts Harvard-Westlake, Newport Harbor High School, and Loyola High School. The Knights fought hard but were unable to come away with any other wins. We left LA with a very solid fourth-place finish. Harvard-Westlake went on to win the tournament, beating Newport Harbor 9-8. 

Ben Kyrillos (‘21), who had a handful of goals in the tournament including multiple against the hosts Harvard Westlake, mentioned, “It was a great opportunity for the team to play against some of the best high school competition in the country.” 

The boys are moving forward in their season, ready to dominate San Diego. Be sure to catch them this year as they pursue the ever-so-evasive CIF title.