The Ripon High Boys Water Polo Team had a great day this Wednesday, as they thrashed a Trans Valley League rival, Sonora, 21-13. The Indians looked utterly dominant in the pool. The depth of their talent was unmatched by the opposing Wildcats, who struggled to break the Indians defense. One key factor for the Indians was Senior Goalkeeper Andrew Hanker, who showcased some highlight-reel worthy saves. One by one, Sonora tried to strike, but Hanker was a brick wall in goal.

On the offensive side, team captain Matthew Lee played terrifically, he showed everyone why he was ranked top 25 in the state in goals. He led the way with a truly amazing backhand goal, which stunned even the opponents. Lee continued to score an uncountable amount of goals alongside offensive sidekick Boen West, who used his speed in the water to blow by defenders.

“We started off slow, but we gained momentum slowly but surely, putting shots away, closing out the game”, Matthew Lee said after the game.

The entire game Sonora couldn’t keep up with Ripon’s pace of play as they were just too slow in the water. When the 4th quarter arrived, Ripon was up by nine goals. With time running out, they decided to sub in all of the lower classmen, who held strong only allowing one goal despite playing against Sonora’s 1st string.

When the bell finally rang, the Indians had the lead 21-13, a dominant victory for a sport like Water Polo. Throughout the game the Indians had impressively converted 6/6 on penalty shots. An achievement of consistency and a beacon of hope for the team, who has a record of 6-7. They will be back at it again on September 26th, playing a tournament in Atwater.