On the overcast evening Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Archie Williams boys varsity water polo team racked up another Marin Country Athletic League (MCAL) victory against the San Marin High School Mustangs in an authoritative 19-12 home victory. The Falcons displayed strong team chemistry and coordination against the Mustangs, elevating their season record to 7-5 and 3-0 in league matchups, tying them with the Redwood High School Giants for first place in MCAL.
The Falcons came out with hustle in the first quarter, winning the first sprint. After a blocked shot on goal for the Mustangs and good defense from the Falcons for the first two plays, Archie Williams sophomore Beckett Kaye scored the first goal of the game after an effective pump fake. The Falcons swarmed the San Marin ball carrier on the next possession, securing a turnover leading to another goal from Beckett in transition.
San Marin then scored their first goal of the game midway through the first quarter, but the Falcons swiftly answered back with Beckett scoring another goal after a quick pass from junior Nate Greenberg, and a long shot from senior Nolan Anderson. The Falcons’ defense continued to dominate, anchored by senior goalkeeper Josh Dixon, with multiple possessions in a row with blocked shots, leading to Beckett scoring his fourth goal in transition from a long pass from Josh. The Falcons continued to turn defense into offense with a turnover and a blocked shot, both of which led to goals for Nate and Nolan, assisted by Josh.
The Mustangs gained some momentum back, scoring two more goals while stopping Archie’s offense for a stretch of possessions, but the quarter closed out with a last-second goal from junior Chase Stein, assisted by Nolan, with Archie going up 8-3 at the end of the first. Josh emphasized the importance of defensive focus turning into offensive output for the Falcons.
“Just getting the rebound quickly and getting the ball up and being able to get it down the field and pass it out quickly, that’s the biggest thing about turning a defensive turnaround into an offensive possession,” Josh said.
The Falcons continued to push the pace in the second quarter, winning the tipoff, and with Nolan scoring two goals in the first few possessions of the quarter, the defense held strong. San Marin scored a five-meter penalty shot and then scored another goal after gaining an offensive rebound and pushing the ball in the goal. Archie Williams quickly answered back by swarming the goal, with Nolan scoring again on a pass from Beckett.
The Mustangs then went on to score their own goal, but Beckett responded again in transition off a pass from Nolan to end the quarter 13-6, Falcons.
The third quarter of the game started hot for the Falcons with two more quick goals, one from Beckett, assisted by Nolan, and another when Nolan ripped the ball from a San Marin player and passed it to Chase for a quick goal. The flow of the game then changed after a timeout, with stout physical defense from both teams, and the Mustangs closing with two goals in the final minutes of the quarter.
The future of Archie Williams water polo looks bright, with Beckett shining in his first game for the team as a sophomore.
“[Beckett] just was able to play today, and he had a great first game, so we’re excited to have him,” Nolan said.
The fourth quarter was San Marin’s highest scoring quarter, but it ultimately was not enough to overcome the Falcons. The quarter opened with the Mustangs winning the tipoff and taking the first score, but Beckett quickly answered with his seventh goal of the game, sparking the Falcons’ offense and adding three more goals in rapid succession. The Mustangs closed the quarter with three unanswered goals but fell short 19-12 to Archie Williams.
Archie Williams boys varsity water polo head Coach Matthew Swanson felt satisfied with the team’s performance and believes they are kicking into a higher gear as the season continues.
“I’m very happy with how the boys played today. I thought they shot very well and passed the ball very well,” Swanson stated.
Swanson feels that the season will only get harder in terms of the quality of teams the Falcons face, but is excited and up to the challenge.
“We have a very tough stretch coming up. Our next four or five games are going to be very hard, so yeah, it’s going to be a very good part of our season,” Swanson said.
The Falcons look to carry this momentum into their next game, Friday, Sept. 26, at five p.m. against the Saint Francis High School Lancers in a non-league game at home.
