Cate Water Polo’s Historic Run Comes to Close

November 7, 2023

Team Photo After Historic Season

Ayala HS Proves to Be a Formidable Foe

Cate vs Ayala HS – CIF Rd 3

Over the weekend, our Cate Boys water polo team traveled to Pomona, California, for a CIF playoff quarter-final match against Ayala HS.

Ayala proved to be our toughest test of the season. They have a physical team that is well-rounded, organized, and plays a very fast-paced style. Credit to them, their game plan neutralized many of our scoring opportunities and had us on our heels early. We would trail at the half 11-2.

The second half was an unbelievable sign of grit and high-achieving character from our squad. With our backs against the wall in the deciding match of our season, our guys fought until the final buzzer went off. We got going offensively and began to get stops on the defensive end of the pool. We would win the second half 9-7 on sheer determination and a no-quit mentality.

There were many offensive bright spots for us during the game. Remy Minnis would finish the contest with a game-high six goals. He had one of the more incredible shots of the season off of a backhanded skip shot from nearly seven meters out. Tristan Maigret scored two terrific shots for us in the second half. The first came on a power play advantage and the second was on a counterattack opportunity. The Paige brothers, Thomas and Elliott, would each find the back of the net. While Baye Breene rounded out the scoring for us on a finish of his own.

Defensively, Phin Stephenson ’25, Fernando Baldochi ’24, Myles Warren ’24, and Jae Wykoff ’26 were the standouts. The productivity these guys have brought to that end of the pool, game in and game out, cannot go unnoticed. While many of their efforts aren’t marked in the statbook, we would not be the same team without their consistent presence.

With that being said, unfortunately, our historic season would come to an end with a final score of 18-11. This group has much to be proud of as they went further in CIF than any other team in Cate water polo history.

Acknowledging Seniors and Expressing Gratitude

 I want to be the first to say thank you to our seniors who have meant so much to our team’s achievements this year and the overall growth of the program. I’d like to thank all members of both the JV and Varsity teams for their focus and efforts throughout the entire season. You all played an instrumental role in the success of our program this year. Also, thank you to Coach Wecker for his unwavering dedication to the team and assistance throughout this season. Finally, thank you to the Cate community for your constant support. As a whole we are already looking forward to next season and what possibilities might be in store for us. Go Rams!