Girls and Boys Water Polo Win Big Against Cutler Bay in First Match of the Season
Sophomore Sebastian Piedra readies to attempt a shot into the goal during the match against Cutler Bay last Wednesday. The boys water polo team beat Cutler Bay 16-1.
February 3, 2023
Last Wednesday, Feb. 1, the girls and boys water polo teams started off their season by securing a win against Cutler Bay.
After an unfortunate loss against Ransom and Belen in last seasons’ Regional finals, the girls and boys water polo team came back stronger than ever. The girls beat Cutler Bay by a score of 19-3 and the boys 16-1.
Senior Harry Sharma had an outstanding game, he scored five goals and had one steal. Sharma is very excited and motivated to play this season, he believes his team feels similarly.
“The season has just started but I can tell that all the boys are motivated and ready to play,” said Sharma. “We are all paying close attention to what our coaches tell us because we know we have one goal in mind, which is to win states once again.”
To have a team full of champions, a team needs to have experienced coaches that are willing to push the athletes to their full potential so that they are all ready when playing important games. Head Coach, Carroll Vaughan has been coaching at Gulliver since 2008 and has been pivotal for the success of this team.
“Both our teams have the potential to do great things this season, we have some experienced players who are all capable of taking the teams to the top. Not only do we have more experienced players, but we also have young athletes who just get better and better each season,” said Vaughan.
One of these younger athletes is freshman Sophia Kingston. She’s been playing varsity water polo since seventh grade and is becoming more experienced by the year. Kingston scored a goal against Cutler Bay and hopes to continue improving her skills during the season.
“When I first started playing I was a seventh grader, I had no clue on how to throw or shoot a ball. But with the help of my coaches and my experienced teammates I was able to improve my skills and become a better player and started being able to help my team,” said Kingston.
The water polo season is now underway and both teams will travel to Boca this weekend to have their first tournament. The Raiders will be facing off against their rival team, the Ransom Raiders.
