RSS Feed
|
The Acorn - Thousand Oaks Acorn Moorpark Acorn - Simi Valley Acorn |
|
|
|||||
|
Scorpion girls’ water polo squad aiming for the top
After capturing back-to-back league titles in 2003 and ’04, the Scorpions have been in a rut lately. Head coach Tawney SaFran believes that will change in 2007. “There is a lot of team cohesiveness this year,” SaFran said. “All the girls are friends and are in a lot of the same classes with each other. There is no drama on this team, and they are all very smart girls who are very teachable and coachable. They want to learn and win this season,” the coach said. According to SaFran, the team has a collective 3.5 grade point average. “This is a very smart team and it shows in the pool,” SaFran said. “I can teach them the physics of something in the game, and they understand it right away. They do a good job listening, and when they are doing something wrong they fix it. They don’t make the same mistake twice.” Senior co-captain Heather Webster said having a smart team makes playing easier. “I think it (GPA) helps,” Webster said. “It’s one less thing we have to worry about. None of our girls ever stress about school and eligibility.” One thing that has been stressful for the team is that they do not have a pool on campus. The Scorpions currently travel to Rio Mesa High to use its pool every school day from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Although SaFran wishes the team had its own pool and said that there have been a few disgruntled members on the team concerning the pool, most players don’t mind the commute. “It hasn’t been that bad,” junior Michelle Nunn said. “At least it gives us time to do our homework after school.” While the team is earning top marks in the classroom, it’s trying to make the grade this season in the pool. With only three returning starters, Camarillo is inexperienced. However, the team also has many swimmers that were CIF finalists, making this team a very quick one. One of the finalists is Webster, who returns for her senior year. Not only is Webster fast, but she is a force with the ball, averaging seven shots per game, according to SaFran. “She’s a great player,” SaFran said. “She is the type of player that other goalies fear coming into a game.” One thing that helps Webster’s game is the fact that she has played softball for many years, although not with Camarillo. “I think the fact I’ve played softball for nine years helps a lot,” Webster said. “I think my shot in water polo is faster because of all the years I played softball.” Other people looking to help on the offensive end for Camarillo are newcomers junior Emily Andrews and sophomore Andrea Aguayo. While the offensive side looks good for ACHS, the defense will be led by senior goalkeeper Kristen Prosser. Prosser, who’s also a captain for the Scorpions, averaged 10 blocks per game last season. “Kristen is one of the most dedicated athletes I have ever coached,” SaFran said. “She lives and breathes water polo. She is a good leader on the team, and she does a good job of getting out of the cage. She is a short girl, but also big and aggressive.” Nunn said the team is coming together well despite all the newcomers this season. “We have been working a lot on communication in the pool, and it’s getting better,” Nunn said. “I think we have strong shooting this year, and we are pretty even on both offense and defense. “I think the one thing we need to do better is not tire out so quickly. We having been dying out after the first half, and we can’t let that happen anymore.” Last season Camarillo missed the playoffs when it lost to Pacifica by one goal in the last game of the season. This year, the Scorpions are looking to make the postseason, and once there, they want to make some noise. “One of our minimal goals is to make it to CIF,” SaFran said. “This team has been playing great, and I think we will be one of the teams vying for a playoff spot.” Camarillo begins its Pacific View League schedule on Jan. 4 against Channel Islands. The game will be played at Hueneme High. |
for larger version       |
||||
)