Although the team lost a lot of key players from last year, the varsity boys’ water polo team is stepping up their game to once again win the CIF championship title. With the help of their coach, Mr. Ormsby, and new teammates, the water polo team hopes to keep this high status and represent Cathedral Catholic High School as one of the best teams in the county.

The team started their practice a week late, due to Coach Ormsby being away coaching the prestigious 15 & under national boys water polo team, but this did not affect their game. The team now practices every Monday through Friday from 2:30-5:30 p.m. “We do a lot of strength and physical conditioning, and practice every day of the week”, said Coach Ormsby. “Before games and tournaments we watch a lot of videos, and have many tactical talks to see what we can improve on as a team and individually.” Most of the players are not only on the CCHS team, but also in club water polo teams, which means they have been conditioning and practicing for almost the whole year.

With seven of their starters graduated and sent for water polo to schools like Princeton, Stanford, and USC, the team is now left with many young faces. The players this year have a lot of talent and Coach Ormsby wants them to reach their potential as individual players, but most of all reach their potential together as a team.

Goalie Pat Collins, a senior at Cathedral, is looking forward to what the team will accomplish this year with all the new players. He cites “Marko V” and “Cooper Milton” as standout players. “We have a pretty good mindset and we are trying to stay focused to reach our goal of being CIF champions again, but we also want to play well as a team,” he said. As for new tactics, the team has started doing yoga. “We’re trying to work on our flexibility,” said Pat. “It’s tough.”

The team was off to a pretty good start to the season, winning against Laguna Beach with an 11-7 score. The boys competed in the America’s Finest City Tournament and also had their first league game on Thursday, October 2nd. Their vigorous training not only keeps the boys in excellent condition, but also keeps them humble because they know there is always room for improvement. Coach Ormsby said, “I see a lot of potential in the team this year.”