Water Polo

Spring 2003

    Morgan Park Water Polo has been around for over two decades. The girls placed second in State back in 1980 and 1981.  The boys have made it to the State quarterfinals the last two years.  Four years ago, the Chicago Public Schools officially recognized water polo and began a city championship tournament.  Last year, water polo became an official ISHA sport, and the Chicago Public Schools had its own sectional.  This year, CPS teams were integrated into various state sectional groupings. 

               

    The girls did some recruiting to ensure a sufficient roster for competition.  We played well, even when we were severely beaten.  Our schedule started with St. Viator; without our goalie, we put in a newcomer to the game.  Only O'Connell scored, but the team learned a lot about the sport.  We played Lyons' JV team, and got more experience and were able to begin working plays.  Waubonsie Valley and Stagg blew us away, but we added Ayala to our scorers.  We got a lot of practice in with Mother McAuley's JV A & B teams (we only had 12 players total!).  St. Ignatius came to us, and put in a lot of their newer players to give us a closer game.  At Andrew, Johnsen got the taste of scoring, adding to that desire to improve our teamwork.  Lincoln Way East severely trounced us--we were out numbered, out scored, out swum--at 4 to 30, they had no mercy.   

   Our schedule included only three Chicago Public School games prior to the City Tournament.  We beat Whitney Young once 9 to 7 and then lost to them 4 to 14; and we were beaten by Northside College Prep.  On May 1st, we seriously beat Mather 23 to 3--with two wins now, this season was better than last year's.  Seven of the eleven players in that game scored, and our our goalie had seventeen saves. Whitney Young beat us again, but that left us playing Lane Tech for 3rd place.  At the end of the 1st quarter, the score was tied.  At the end of the second quarter, we were ahead 6 to 2.  We were getting tired--UIC is a big pool and we didn't have a lot of substitutes!  At the end of the third quarter, we were ahead by a mere 1 goal.  At the end of the fourth quarter, it was a tie game again:  8 to 8.  We went into the first overtime period and both teams scored; a goal each in the second overtime period.  Then we had the sudden death period.  Lane Tech had an ejection, then we had an ejection of our best player--but we held on.  Then two Lane Tech ejections almost simultaneously and Ayala got the ball in!  We won third in the City!  This was teamwork and spirit that did not shut down.  

    Of course we got cremated by Latin a week later at Sectionals, but we didn't anticipate anything more than trying to give them a good game.  We have a lot of work, but no seniors to graduate out, and no transfers to IMSA (Illinois Math & Science Academy--who can have a starting water polo team courtesy of  MPHS)!  In fact, the girls' enthusiasm for the sport already has several more potential players coming forward.  Also noteworthy:  Megan O'Connell was named to the All-Section Second Team. 

    The boys team started with a win over St. Viator--one of the final four teams at State last year.  [If only we'd been matched with them last year, we would have made the top four!--the inequities of Sectional assignments!]  We went on to beat Lyons Township, before facing St. Rita and Homewood-Flossmoor at the Commander's Cup Tournament March 14th-15th.  St. Rita has been trying to beat us for two years--we took a State Quarterfinal slot away from them in 2001.  Now, their team size and swimming speed passed us by, followed by H-F's tremendous speed in the water.  They have built a program that is worthy of their pool!  We beat Mt. Carmel then, followed by wins over Waubonsie Valley, Whitney Young (twice), and Northside College Prep. 

    We went out to Neuqua Valley for a tournament, and lost to Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley (8 to 9), before beating Hinsdale South.  This was followed by losses to Stagg and Latin--though good games to play and to work on improving our tactics.  At York, we had three losses:  Homewood-Flossmoor again, Sandburg, and York.  H-F and Sandburg wore us out, so that by the time we played York, a team we should have been able to beat, we had nothing left. 

    St. Ignatius came to us--our "Homecoming Game"--the only home game for the boys at all.  We won--but more importantly, outsiders saw the pool (puddle?) we have for practice, with all its detractors.  We beat Andrew and Lincoln Way East, then went to the Brother Rice Tournament.  We lost to St. Pats, beat Lincoln Way East, then lost to Fenwick and Mundelein.

    A major problem for us during the last few weeks of the season was player attendance; one thing after another took key players away from the pool and scheduled games.   However, with the City Championship and State Sectionals, we were basically "fit" as a team.

    We played Schurz first in the City tournament--actually it was a forfeit by them.  They didn't have enough players, so we lent them West and Glenn for the first half, and then Powell and Johnsen for the second.  This always provide more opportunities for growth for both teams.  We trounced Lane Tech 20 to 6, with seven of our eleven players scoring goals.  Then we played Northside College Prep for the championship.  We won 16 to 8--9 goals by Martin and 13 saves by Johnsen.  This is the fourth consecutive City Championship for our boys water polo team!

    The boys State Sectional was at Homewood-Flossmoor.  They beat Bremen 21 to 8.  One high point of the game was the dive in for a rescue by one of the officials.  Our player West was kicked or elbowed inadvertently in the throat, swelling the bruised area to the point of not allowing air to go in.  Our bench at this point in the game had several qualified lifeguards on it, but we were not watching the game and were not aware we were in dead time.  As our smallest and largest players (Gruba and Berg) went to hold up West, the official (a Chicago Park District lifeguard, of course) saw the problem and went in for the save!  All was well--except for the soggy official.  By the next day/next game, West was OK and given permission by parent and doctor to play. 

    We squeaked by Lincoln Way East 8 to 7.  Lincoln Way had apparently been missing a number of starters in the previous two match-ups with MPHS!   The game was a nail-biter:  we started off with an 0 to 1 lead after the 1st quarter, then we were down 1 to 2 at the half.  By the end of the third quarter, it looked like we were out if it down four goals, 3 to 7.  In the fourth quarter, we scored three goals in one minute, then added another.  With 42 seconds to go, Martin got the goal that took us ahead.  Good defense along with Goalie Johnsen kept Lincoln Way East from any further goals.

    Our last game, which made up Sectional Runner-Up, was against Homewood-Flossmoor.  They covered our key scorers--Martin and Weatherford--and proceeded to swim us to defeat.  It was a great season--we played well and kept the MPHS name in the upper levels of playing.  Wally Martin and Jon Weatherford were named to the All-Sectional First Team.  Martin was voted to the All State Second Team.

   Both Martin and Charles Powell were nominated for the All State Senior Scholastic Award, and each was named   NISCA (National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) Academic All American.  Both were also honored at the Chicago Public Schools Dinner of Champions as Academic Athletes:  having GPA's of 4.0 or better with participation in three or more sports.  Martin had a 4.34 with participation in football, swimming, and water polo--city champion in all three at least once!  He will attend the University of Illinois where we hope he will play on the men's club team.  Powell had a 4.56 with participation in cross-country, swimming, and water polo.  He will attend Florida A & M.   Both were interviewed and taped for the CPS Sports Edition program--our water polo team was also interviewed and taped, but the sound failed in the televising.  The boys also lose Calvin Berg, who will attend the University of Illinois, and Dennis (Zeke) Johnsen who will attend Northwestern Prep School in California in preparation for acceptance at the United States Coast Guard Academy. 

    We had our Swim Team Banquet on March 3rd.  The Tim Fleming Most Valuable (female) Swimmer Award went to freshman Janelle Cole; the Craig McShane Most Valuable (male) Swimmer Award went to Wally Martin.  The Harrison Black Team Spirit Awards went to Nicole Dennis and Charles Powell.  The Most Improved Swimmer Awards went to Jeannette DuPree and Calvin Berg.  Thirty-one swimmers and water polo players were recognized for their academic excellence, with GPA's of 3.0 or above; nine had GPA's of 4.0 or above! 

    Note:  Nick Macola--a 2002 graduate, 2002 All-State Senior Scholastic Player of the Year and All-State First Team, and 2002 Chicago Tribune Athlete--is a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy and playing on the varsity team;  his sister Sam--a 2000 graduate and All-State First Team--also a midshipman, is the head manager for the USNA team.

June 23 by C. Macola