Last week, on Monday (9/29) and Wednesday (10/1), were the first league games of the water polo season! Their opponents were the Hanford High Bullpups and the Tulare Western Mustangs. As we continue into the league play, the boys’ preseason record was 5-8, and the girls’ preseason record was 7-3 (MaxPreps).
Monday was the Emperors vs. Bullpups game. The boys played first and had an extremely captivating match, as the score consistently went back and forth; the crowd roared as each team scored a point. Magnuss Janbergs, goalie and star player in this game, expressed, “Our Hanford game, I think we played really well. In the first quarter, we struggled, but as we learned from the offensive team, we learned how to play our defense better… We really came back towards the end.” Alas, the boys came up short with a 10-11 loss in this challenging and exciting game.
As for the girls, they had a fantastic win! The final score was 17-4. Emperors’ senior player, Kylie Alvarado, stated, “Oh yeah, I was very satisfied. Everybody played well and everybody scored.”
Last year, the Tulare Western girls’ team was at the top of our league and narrowly missed winning the Division 2 Valley championship. This season, they lost many seniors who were key players, so the game was expected to be exciting. The Emperor’s girls team captain, Kaylee Rodriguez, expressed her thoughts after this challenging match. “I was still scared because last year, even when they put in their bench, they were still really, really good,” Rodriguez stated.
This intense and demanding game was exciting for players, coaches, and spectators. Unfortunately, the girls’ team suffered a 14-19 loss, while the boys’ team lost 4-22. “Us being scared probably set us back a little bit,” explained Rodrigez, “I think we could’ve beat them if… we went in more confident… We went in thinking we were going to lose by a lot more, and we surprised ourselves.”
All three players believe there is a chance at playoffs. Janbergs stated that playoffs are definitely in their reach. “I expect us to, or hope that we also make it to the playoffs. We need, like, two more wins and I think it’s really doable.” Regarding the girls’ season, Rodriguez conveyed, “I think things are looking very well for us… we’ll hopefully get first in league. And then, for playoffs, I think we’ll get pretty far if we stay in D3.” As for Alvarado, she stated, “For playoffs, I think we’ll be good. Last year we made it to, what, quarterfinals?…I think I’ll be satisfied.”
The next league games for Dinuba’s water polo program are Thursday, 10/9, against Tulare Union (home) and Monday, 10/13, against Mission Oak (home).
