The defending section champion, Ripon High boys varsity water polo team, were undefeated in the pre-season El Capitan tournament. They played against El Capitan, Turlock, Sanger, and Clovis East and left the tournament with their heads held high. They played on Friday, Sep. 1, and Saturday, Sep. 2 at El Capitan High School in Merced.
Senior, Owen Curtiss, the team’s center defender, led the team in steals during their game against Turlock. Curtiss said, “Taking deep breaths to calm down and constantly visualizing the plays in my head really helps me get focused during the game. It helps me to feel less shocked because I have done this so many times before in practice.”
Even though Curtiss came out strong on defense, he also had a strong offensive game. Curtiss exclaimed that, “[…] wanting to win and also not wanting to let down my teammates by playing badly really pushes me to do my best during the games.”
Freshman Trevor Bell was excited to see his team compete and win four games at the first tournament of the season. Bell said, “Even though I didn’t get to play that much, I think it was a good experience to be playing with juniors and seniors. I think it will help me more in future games this season.”
Despite the teams four whopping wins, playing in the games put a lot of pressure on these athletes. Bell said, “Playing in a game like it is a practice or a scrimmage helps me feel more confident in myself to shoot the ball.”
Curtiss and Bell both played great games in the tournament, but so did the whole team. The Ripon boys played with great teamwork and this tournament laid the groundwork for a successful start of the season.
