TOWAMENCIN – The North Penn girls brought back the State Water Polo Championship last weekend, and the boys just followed suit.
In a close game, the North Penn Boys Water Polo team took down the Wilson Bulldogs this past Saturday night at North Penn’s Rick Carroll Natatorium, with a final score of 5-4.
Last year, the North Penn girls had lost the title game to Wilson, and the case was the same for the North Penn boy’s team. However, there’s been a shift in the tides.
With 2:22 left in the fourth quarter, the game was tied up 4-4, and that was when Senior and Team Captain Owen Fritz’s right-handed toss was nothing but net—giving North Penn a one-point lead that they never gave up.
In hindsight, the season for the boys has been nothing short of a rollercoaster of emotion.
“It was a long season and we didn’t have our whole team play together due to injuries up until our last 3 games,” Junior Team Captain Mason Dimauro said. “We had a lot of ups and downs but we kept pushing through it together as a team, to win what we value most.”
The downs took a toll on the team this season, but the team’s flexibility and sportsmanship pulled them out of the deep water.
“We faced many injuries this season. Ironically, the state championship was the first game that we played as a team fully healthy. We worked together throughout the season to fill empty roles,” Senior Team Captain Owen Fritz added. “After graduating all but three starters, we knew there would be big shoes to fill. Many of the new starters were playing varsity for the first time too. The young team created a spark and everyone stepped up to the plate.”
With the full team playing together for the first time at this high of a stage, it was crucial that captains and coaches maintained a cool, calm, and collected feel in the face of adversity.
“Sure, there was a little bit of pressure because we didn’t want it all to be for 2nd place. It was important to keep a clear mind and to be relaxed so the adrenaline would not affect our gameplay,” Dimauro stated.
For Fritz, a senior, winning this game meant more than just any other year.
“The last game of your career is nerve-wracking, but I kept telling my teammates that we were going to win,” Fritz said.
As mentioned earlier, Fritz’s backhanded shot with two minutes to go in the fourth gave North Penn the edge they needed and held onto for the rest of the game.
“Coming off a sour taste of defeat last year against the same opponent, it’s nice to get some revenge. It’s a great way to end a roller coaster ride of a season. Everyone on the team deserves it, we worked so hard day in and day out,” Fritz stated.
“It feels great. We made it to how far we wanted to, and now we get to celebrate that forever,” Dimauro added.