A Fight To The End

Rayvin Wulfing

September 11, 2019

PRHS Women’s Varsity Water Polo team plays challenging game against Righetti High School on Wed Sept. 4.

FIRST TOUCH: Sophomore, **Holly DiSimone** (#5), and Righetti player race to get the first touch on the ball at the beginning of the match.

On Wednesday, Sep. 4, PRHS Varsity Women’s Water Polo team faced a challenging loss against Righetti High School during a home game. Stretching across 4 quarters, PRHS fought to place them in only a 7 point difference at the end of the match.

BLOCKED: Sophomore, and PRHS Women’s Water Polo varsity goalie, Kaitlyn Hebrard (#1), blocks an intense shot by Righetti opponent. The highest skilled water polo players in high school can shoot with speeds up to 30 mph. Hebrard has been playing water polo for 2 years, but goalie, for only one.

THE MAN BEHIND THE SCENES: Head varsity coach, Grant East coaches from the sidelines throughout the entire game to motivate and guide his team for improvement during the match. Coach East has been coaching at the Varsity level for 5 years now, and continues to be passionate about the sport and the future of his team.

HEADS UP: Senior, and co-captain Halle Nash (#13), gets teammate, Gabriella Clayton’s (#14) attention and throws ball to the center area of the pool, only 2 meters from the goal for an attempted shot, during the beginning of the second quarter.

PUMP, FAKE: Senior, **Gabriela Clayton** (#14) winds up for a shot, only to fake her opponent out, and pass the ball to teammate, **Morgan Harrington** (4).

Senior, **Morgan Harrington** (#4) drives the ball passed her opponent through the pool. Harrington has been apart of PRHS water polo for 4 years, and has been swimming on and off since 6th grade.

“ I like playing water polo because some of my best friends play and I get to hang out with them more. Also I like how our team works together and how Coach jokes around with us it sounds cheesy but this team is really a family and I love being apart of it,”

Harrington said.

LOOOONG SHOT: Senior, and co-captain, Tatiana Smeltzer (#6), takes a long shot from 15 meters away from the goal in the last thirty seconds of the third quarter. A total of 5 goals, about 56% of the goals scored in the game were made by Smeltzer. Smeltzer has been playing water polo for 7 years as well as swimming since she was 10.

“I am very impressed with our team considering we have 7 sophomores. All of the girls are really stepping it up this year and giving it their all, making my senior year one for the books!”

Smeltzer said.

GOALASOOO: Senior, and co-captain Halle Nash (#14), breaks away from Righetti defender in order to wind up for a shot in the fourth quarter. Only a foot away from the goal, Nash scored the 8th point scored by PRHS.

In the 3rd quarter, PRHS struggled in goal allowances, with a 10 point difference, but in the last quarter, PRHS fought and did not allow Righetti to score more than one goal in the last quarter.

FINAL VERDICT:
Sophomore, **Holly DiSimone** (#5) scored the final point in the last second of the game. Final score was 9-16 (favor of Righetti).

Donate to Crimson Newsmagazine

Your donation will support the student journalists of Paso Robles High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.