Melissa Smith
With a trophy in hand, the girls water polo team ended the season with a win in the state championship game, beating South Eugene 9-8. This created a “three peat” championship f the Pacers.
Both teams had previously won their playoff games on Nov. 9, with the girls beating Lincoln 18-3, and the boys beating Tualatin 7-5.
“I think playoffs and the state tournament went very well. We were dominant in both the semi-final and quarter final games. We beat the third place team, Newberg, by 11 which is pretty incredible. Despite the final score, I felt that we had control of the championship game as well” said senior and co-captain Adrienne Medack.
The boys were seeded at fourth and the girls were seeded first, and both teams kept this spot. The boys played two very hard games at state, losing to Sam Barlow and Lake Oswego.
The LHS head coach Austin Sechrest won TRL coach of the year for the girls.
“These kids have worked for years to be at the level that they are at, and it is my job to be the steward for their success,” said Sechrest.
Austin was head coach for the boys last year and took over both teams this year. His coaching style had a big impact on both teams, and reflects his time playing at Harvard. His creative plays are equally confusing and effective on defense.
“Running plays we run at practice really helps us refine our game, know what we are looking for, and scores us goals. These plays are pretty key in our offense and we would not be doing so well if our coach didn’t draw them up for us,” said Ethan Thomas, a junior on the boys team.
The LHS water polo team combined had 16 people make an all-league team in TRL. Five girls got honorable mentions and another five made first team, with Sydney Brandvold also winning Co-MVP.
The boys had six people make the all-league team: one made first team, three made second team, and two others got honorable mentions.