Oct. 31 2023, the Buena boys water polo team jumped into the Adolfo Camarillo High School pool to warm up for their first round of CIF against the Camarillo Scorpions. While the Bulldogs fought hard, they met their defeat with a final score of 5-11. 

The game was nerve-racking before it even began as Buena’s main guard and senior captain Brayden Black was out sick. 

“I felt our mindset [was] positive and focused heading into that game,” head coach Tom Davis said. In the coach’s talk, the main goal was to get spirits high and make sure that everyone was hyped and ready to play. 

As the sound of the whistle blew through the air Wyatt Munger won first possession for the Bulldogs after a sprint and jump ball. After several counters and ejections, on both teams,  Camarillo ended the first quarter ahead by one point with a close score of 2-3. 

With the Scorpions ahead at the beginning of quarter two, Buena took two timeouts,  trying to figure out their best strategy. 

“It was a lot about putting us in a mindset that … we were going to win,” said team captain Jack Pointner.

After those timeouts, Buena secured two goals. By halftime, the score was 4-6, with Buena still trailing. The ACHS student section chanted and cheered, making the game feel even more competitive than it already was. 

The third quarter was more swimming than ever before, feeling more like a swim meet than water polo game, the score 4-7 flashed on the scoreboard at the end of it. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter was the boys’ downfall.

Due to a loss to Camarillo earlier in the season, it seemed that the players’ mindsets were not what they should have been. “The mindset going into the game should always be we’re going to win, no matter what,” goalie and captain Mack Munger said, “only a few of our players went into it thinking that.”

The clock dwindled down and the scorpions got several

more shots off and ran down the clock. Eventually, the game buzzer sounded and it was over, with a loss and a final score of 5-11. 

“[The game] was very good early on, and then we hit a wall. That’s when Camarillo was really able to pull away.” Davis said,

reflecting on the loss. He continued by saying how more depth will be brought to the team and better focus will be ensured next year. 

Although the Bulldogs didn’t progress far this year in the CIF competition, the captains and coach both agree that next year seems very promising. 

“Since we’re such a young team, we have stronger years to come,” Pointer said.

The final game of the season might have been a loss, but it was not without a fight. These bulldogs didn’t back down. Overall there was a 19-12 win-lose ratio throughout the season. 

Bulldog Water Polo fans can continue to follow along and support our boys on November 25th for the alumni game and come back next year for an even stronger season.