As Archie Williams’ fall sports came to an end, many teams saw many accomplishments throughout the season. From college commitments to championships won, the Falcons accomplished many feats on and off the field.
The girl’s varsity water polo team won back-to-back Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championships along with winning the Division 1 North Coast Section (NCS) championships. Their season was nothing but great, from multiple championships to Division 1 college commitments.
“This season was about growth and enjoying playing the game. The girls set goals as a team and achieved those as a team, learning to play together along the way and having fun in the process,” said girls varsity water polo head coach Todd Duplanty.
The girls triumphed over many fantastic teams and showcased the strength of their team. They hope to continue their winning form into next season and hope to shape the identity of the team even more.
Coming off a spectacular winning season last year, the boy’s varsity water polo team was looking to win back-to-back MCAL championships. They started strong and competed very well throughout the entire season. Boys varsity water polo made it to the MCAL championship again but came up short and lost to Redwood 11-12 in a close matchup.
“I think we are all a bit disappointed by the finish to our season. We wanted to win an MCAL title this season and came up just short,” said boys varsity water polo coach Matthew Swansen.
The boy’s varsity cross-country team had a more than successful season this year. The boys made it to states where they placed eighth out of 24 teams and third in MCAL. Lead runner William Mulliken led the team to an undefeated season placing first in every race up until the MCAL championship. In the end, boys cross country had many successes and saw many improvements throughout the season, and they hope to continue their winning into next season.
“There are just gobs and gobs of stats to be excited about with this group. More importantly, the team welcomed new runners who now have ownership of the team. That’s how the team remains a fun place where people love to be,” said boys cross country coach Robyn Berry.
The girls cross country team was also extremely successful this year. They tied for the best record in MCAL and got third place overall in the MCAL meet. Head coach Shawn Parker mentioned that a major highlight of the year was sophomore Ani Steig placing first in the MCAL meet. They will likely improve next year as they keep three of their top runners. They also did very well in some of the invitationals throughout the season, placing first in the Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay.
“I was very happy with the spirit of the team and the consistent effort. The friendships and the support which the team shared was a real blessing,” Parker said.
The Football team this year had only 25 players total on their team, so they found it difficult to get the results they wanted. They finished their season with a record of 2-8 finishing seventh place in MCAL. Despite this, the team is very optimistic. Senior captain Hudson Lufrano says that there is a lot of incoming talent from junior varsity that will hopefully help the Falcons become more successful in seasons to come.
“Our team chemistry and talent was there, but our problem was we were playing both sides of the ball so we were getting tired quickly,” Hudson said.
Throughout the fall, the girl’s field hockey team didn’t get the results they wanted in such a short season, and having many new players join the team proved challenging for the coaches. But despite this, the team was able to progress and set expectations for the future.
“The players all know the fundamentals and have started coming together as a team rather than playing as individuals,” said head coach Michelle Boutwell.
The girl’s tennis team achieved a season full of laughter and teamwork, as well as accomplishments. They learned more about how to be a team and that making friends on the team is important. They had some close games and made some good memories at practice.
“We came really close to making the playoffs and played a lot of competitive matches,” said head coach Haden Ongaro.
The Archie Williams girls golf team made the Falcons athletic program proud this year. The coach was very pleased with their efforts and the fun memories that they all made during practices and games. For the seniors last season of their Archie Williams career, they showed great determination to leave a mark on the school name.
“We had tremendous leadership from a core group of senior girls. They finished their high school career in a major way,” said golf coach Andre Demian.
