ANNOUNCEMENT

THANKS FOR A GREAT WATER POLO SEASON. --- POLO ON!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Boys High School Rankings for Week of 10/28/2012

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
 
"Pay no attention to the man Committee behind the curtain!"
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  1. Mercer Island
  2. Bellevue
  3. Auburn Mountainview
  4. Curtis
  5. Newport
  6. Auburn Riverside
  7. Roosevelt
  8. Enumclaw
  9. Puyallup
  10. Lakes 

Sometimes during a season, a team becomes so focused on an objective down the road that they simply do not appreciate the difficulty posed by obstacles immediately in front of them.  Without proper focus, those obstacles can become serious impediments to achieving a teams objective.  Thus was the situation in the third quarter of Mercer Island's game against Roosevelt when the Islanders fell behind by a score of 10 to 7.  Maybe the Islanders were looking ahead to their game with Bellevue or maybe the young Roughriders are really that good.  Most likely it is a little of both.  When it appeared the Islanders were on the brink of defeat, they reached deep within themselves and may have just found their heart and soul.  In sports, if you don't bring your focus to start a game, it rarely shows up in the second half, but the Islanders were able to regain their focus and up their intensity to pull off an improbable come from behind victory over Roosevelt by a score of 13 to 11.   With crisis averted, Mercer Island was able to turn their complete attention to Bellevue for a rematch to avenge their previous loss and regain the No. 1 ranking.  The Islander's focus and intensity were never in question in this game as the Islanders lit up the scoreboard first and maintained their lead throughout the game.  The Wolverines had their opportunities but were not quite able to match the Islanders effort throughout the game.  When it was all over, Mercer Island had a 10 - 6 victory and the No. 1 ranking in state.  For Bellevue, it's back to No. 2 for now.  Probably as good of time as any for the Wolverines to learn a valuable lesson as they prepare for State.  In A-Town it was the eagerly awaited rematch between Mountainview and Riverside.  This was the third meeting between these teams with Auburn Mountainview narrowly winning the the first two matches.  34 goals were put up the first time these teams met in the regular season but this time it was about defense.  Both teams appear to be in playoff form and for the third time this year, the Lions of Auburn Mountainview came out on top with a 8 - 7 victory over the Ravens.  Wow! Great game and a sign of great competition ahead at State.  Later in the week, the Lions completed their sweep of Auburn teams with a victory over the Auburn Trojans to clinch 1st place in the East division and retain their No. 3 position in the rankings.  All systems appear go for the Curtis Vikings heading into the playoffs as they complete their sweep of West division opponents.  The Vikings keep their No. 4 ranking displaying both offense and defense in wins over Mark Morris and Lakes.  Gee Newport, things seem to be quiet in your neck of the woods with Mercer Island and Bellevue getting all of the attention.  Rumor has it that the Knights will be in the wild card tourney.  Well, it doesn't matter how you get to State as long as you get there and the extra games will probably do you some good.  The Committee keeps taking heat, but Newport is still in the No. 5 spot.   Well Auburn Riverside, it was a great game against Mountainview and I know according to Raven logic a one point loss to the No. 3 team should make the Ravens No. 4, but it doesn't quite work that way. The Ravens remain at No . 6.  (Interesting one point victory over Stadium to end the week).  For Roosevelt, it could have been one of the greatest victories in Roughrider water polo history, but it was not to be.  Nevertheless, it was an impressive effort against Mercer Island and good enough to keep your No. 7 ranking.  The Enumclaw Hornets solidified their No. 8 ranking with victories over Auburn and Kentwood to wrap up play against East division opponents.  A November 1st match against Bellevue will provide an interesting preview to the playoffs.  The Puyallup Vikings hosted the Peninsula Seahawks and clinched a spot in the State tournament with a 12 - 8 victory  to remain at No. 9 this week.  The Lakes Lancers struggled in their loss to Curtis but were able to barely hold on  the No. 10 spot with an overtime victory over Emerald Ridge. That leaves Peninsula and Stadium out on the porch for now.  Both teams have a good shot at qualifying for State through the wild card route. (Update: Lakes and Peninsula are tied for third place in the West division and will play a winner to state game with the loser going to the wild card)

Polo On!
     

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Boys High School Rankings for Week of 10/21/2012

  1. Bellevue
  2. Mercer Island
  3. Auburn Mountainview
  4. Curtis
  5. Newport
  6. Auburn Riverside
  7. Roosevelt
  8. Enumclaw
  9. Puyallup
  10. Lakes

The Bellevue Wolverines took their show on the road last week with games against Roosevelt and Lakes.  Early in the season, the Wolverines dispatched Roosevelt with relative ease, but last week the Roughriders were determined to make a game of it.  Bellevue used a strong second quarter to build a four goal lead at the half.  Roosevelt was able to cut the lead down to two goals for a short while, but in the end Bellevue won 14 to 10.  Later in the week, Bellevue used a stout defense to shut down the Lakes attack cruising to a 14 -2-victory and keeping their hold on the No. 1 spot.  Mercer Island retains the No. 2 position with a solid 9-6 victory over Newport and a 19 to 8 win over Bainbridge in the battle of the island teams.  The victory over Newport sets the stage for this weeks' rematch of the top two teams when Bellevue heads over to the country club to take on the Islanders. A few words of caution to the Islanders before the big game: Don't overlook Roosevelt!
Auburn Mountainview is enjoying the rarefied air at No. 3 and had strong offensive showings against Stadium and Kentridge to keep their position.  Hard to move up from here, but it is easy to fall.  Oh look what's on the schedule this week, another match with the friendly Ravens of Auburn Riverside.  This match promises to be a nail biter until the end.  No pressure though, its just for city bragging rights for a few weeks until the State Tournament.  The Curtis Vikings continued to mow down league rivals with impressive performances against Wilson and Rogers.  In previous years, these would be close games but not this year.  Curtis remains at No. 4 and will roll into the playoffs as one of the top seeds.  Newport is back at full strength and was poised for an upset of the Islanders, but it was not to be last week.  Hey, a 3 point loss to Mercer Island would be a moral victory for most teams, and this week it's good enough to hold on to the No. 5 spot.  Yes Raven fans, that means your team is still at No. 6Auburn Riverside knocked off Enumclaw by a score of 14 - 12 for their second regular season win over the Hornets.  No. 6 doesn't seem fair to some fans, but a win this week over Auburn Mountainview in the battle of Auburn would move the Ravens up at least one spot, maybe two.  Roosevelt continues to show improvement and their performance against Bellevue strengthens their hold on the No. 7 ranking.  The Roughriders appear to be the team making the most improvement and Mercer Island will have a game on their hands Monday night.  Win or lose, Roosevelt is on the rise and will pose some interesting match ups come playoff time.  Enumclaw easily took care of business last week against Kentridge before falling to Auburn Riverside.  A win and a close loss to a higher ranked team all helps as the Hornets move up one spot to No. 8.  Last week, the Committee placed Puyallup on the front porch step, stating that it would take a win over a ranked team to get in.  Well, all I can say is congratulations and welcome back to the No. 9 ranking.  Not only did Puyallup knock off  previously No. 8 Lakes in overtime, but also defeated previously No. 10 Peninsula.  The Committee apologizes for ever having any doubts.   The Lakes Lancers had a tough week. Overtime losses are never easy, but then falling flat against the Bellevue was no picnic.  Lakes drops two spots to No. 10.  Sorry Peninsula,  that puts you out on the porch for now.

Polo On!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Boys High School Rankings for Week of 10/14/2012

  1. Bellevue
  2. Mercer Island
  3. Auburn Mountainview
  4. Curtis
  5. Newport
  6. Auburn Riverside
  7. Roosevelt
  8. Lakes
  9. Enumclaw
  10. Peninsula

Last week, the Bellevue Wolverines rose to the top of the rankings just in time for another prime time match against Newport.  In their first regular season game, Bellevue had a pretty easy time against a short handed Newport team. This time the Knights had all hands on deck, all ships in the water, and all Speedos wet!  Down by two going into the 4th quarter, Newport rallied to put the game into overtime, but Bellevue had just a little more left in the tank to survive in a thrilling 12 -10 victory to retain the No. 1 ranking for another week.  A warning for upcoming opponents of Newport: Be afraid, be very afraid.  Mercer Island had a relatively easy time defeating Inglemoor last week which is good enough to hold on to the No. 2 position.  The Islanders are getting ready for  a series of tough matches and it all starts this week against Newport.  The Lions of Auburn Mountainview had an interesting weekend at the Lake/Curtis Tournament.  It started by squeaking out a 1-point victory over Roosevelt and ended with a victory over Curtis to win the tournament.  In between those games were a win over Peninsula, a loss to Curtis, and another squeaker over Auburn Riverside.  A tournament championship and a regular season win over Enumclaw all adds up to the No. 3 ranking!  Wow, I remember when these Lions were just cubs!  For the Curtis Vikings, that means a small drop to No. 4.  Everything seemed to be going their way until the final game.  Yes, the Vikings earlier win in bracket play over Auburn Mountainview was impressive, and the regular season wins this week over Peninsula and Emerald Ridge were also notable, but this is the second loss to the Lions this year in tournament play.  There's still time to smooth out the kinks and remind your offensive guns to put their shots between the posts.  Okay Newport,  you guys make this job difficult at times.  The Committee knows that you're better than your record, and Bellevue certainly knows you're a top contender, so welcome back to the rankings at No. 5.  Yes, we know you think it's too low, but while you guys have been short handed, everyone else has been getting stronger.  Defeat Mercer Island and the Committee will reconsider next week.  The Auburn Riverside Ravens had a pretty good tournament.  Heck, the Ravens only lost by 1-point to Auburn Mountainview, but with the return of Newport, the Ravens drop one position to No. 6.  I know, it doesn't seem fair, but in the whole scheme of life dropping 1 spot is trivial.  Two weeks ago,  the Committee was putting the finishing touches on Roosevelt's 2012 eulogy.  The playoffs appeared unlikely to everyone but the Roughriders who have charged back into contention.  Roosevelt served notice this weekend that they are not to be taken lightly by anyone.  Is it just me, or do these 2012 Roughriders look younger than most JV teams. Roosevelt will make it difficult for playoff opponents this year and this week they make their first appearance in the rankings at No. 7Lakes had a little difficulty with Curtis and Auburn Riverside over the weekend but a victory over Enumclaw propelled the Lancers to a 4th place finish and this weeks No. 8 ranking.  The Lancers have the ability to score on most opponents but need to tighten up their defense a wee bit if they want to move up further in the rankings.   Enumclaw didn't have the best of tournaments, and losses to Roosevelt and Lakes took a toll on the Hornets ranking as they drop to No. 9.  Still time for the Hornets to keep improving before playoffs.  The Peninsula Seahawks had their hands full as they dropped games to Curtis, Auburn Mountainview, Roosevelt and Enumclaw.  Hey,  what doesn't kill ya, makes you stronger and this week it is good enough to remain in the rankings at No. 10.   Apologies to Puyallup. The Vikings keep winning, but with the emergence of Newport and Roosevelt, it's going to take a win over a ranked opponent to get back in the rankings for now.  Emerald Ridge: Ditto.

Polo On!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Lakes / Curtis Tournament Scores

Friday 10/12

Game 1:     Auburn Riverside 21     Lakes 9
Game 2:     Enumclaw 17     Bainbridge 5
Game 3:     Curtis 14     Peninsula 9
Game 4:     Auburn Mountainview 8     Roosevelt 7
Game 5:     Lakes 18     Bainbridge 11
Game 6:     Curtis 11     Roosevelt 5
Game 7:     Auburn Riverside 11     Enumclaw 7
Game 8:     Auburn Mountainview 13     Peninsula 6 

Saturday 10/13

Game 9:      Lakes 13     Enumclaw 8
Game 10:    Roosevelt 11     Peninsula 4  
Game 11:    Auburn Riverside 18     Bainbridge 5
Game 12:    Curtis 11     Auburn Mountainview 4
Game 13:    Enumclaw 13     Peninsula 9
Game 14:    Roosevelt 14     Bainbridge 3
Game 15:    Auburn Mountainview 8     Auburn Riverside 7
Game 16:    Curtis 19     Lakes 2
Game 17:    Peninsula 19     Bainbridge 6  (7th & 8th Place)
Game 18;    Roosevelt 7     Enumclaw 6  (5th & 6th)
Game 19:    Auburn Riverside 8     Lakes 5 (3rd & 4th)
Game 20:    Auburn Mountainview 10     Curtis 5 (1st & 2nd)

Congratulations to the Lions of Auburn Mountainview for winning the Curtis/Lakes Tournament

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Boys High School Rankings for Week of 10/7/2012

  1. Bellevue
  2. Mercer Island
  3. Curtis
  4. Auburn Mountainview
  5. Auburn Riverside
  6. Enumclaw
  7. Peninsula
  8. Puyallup
  9. Lakes
  10. Emerald Ridge

Last week started of with a prime time showdown between the two top ranked teams.  When the white caps in the King County Aquatic Center pool had calmed down, it was the defending state champions who were victorious over Mercer Island.  The game was tied at the half, but Bellevue was able to tighten up an already stingy defense and hold the Islanders to only one goal in the second half, earning a hard fought 8 to 5 victory.  With the win, Bellevue rises to the No. 1 ranking.  Never underestimate the heart of a champion!.  For Mercer Island, it's their first loss to in-state competition and the battle with Bellevue shows that they are very much a legitimate contender for the state title.  For now, these youngsters will have to settle for the No. 2 spot.  Plenty of time for the Islanders to improve before their regular season rematch with Bellevue.  Curtis holds on to the No. 3 position with solid performances in wins over Lakes and Puyallup.  The Vikings will have a say in who wins at State.  For now, their schedule makes it difficult to move up.  Maybe next weekends' Curtis Tournament can shake the rankings up a little.  Auburn Mountainview took care of business with wins over Auburn and Kentwood.  Not too much of a test, but good enough to remain at No. 4.  The Ravens of Auburn Riverside tallied 25 goals in a win over Stadium which is impressive but they might want to tighten up their defense as the competition will only get better as the season progresses. For now, the Ravens hold at No. 5.  At No. 6, the Enumclaw Hornets continue to rack up wins this season.  Last week the Hornets downed Kentwood and Wilson.  Playoffs are a certainty, only the seedings need to be determined.  It took the Peninsula Seahawks double overtime to defeat Emerald Ridge last Thursday evening. Peninsula's hold on the No . 7 spot might be shaky, but the Committee can't penalize the Seahawks for a win, so enjoy your No. 7 ranking.  Puyallup started the week with an overtime win over Emerald Ridge.  In the battle of the Vikings,  Puyallup fell to Curtis 16 - 10.   Heck, a win and a respectable showing is good enough to remain at No. 8Lakes dropped a 12 -5 decision to Curtis to start the week and the Committee could not track down any other scores.  No embarrassment in losing to Curtis and the Lancers keep their hold on the No. 9 spot this week.  Last week, the Committee ranked Newport at No. 10 knowing that they have some serious talent.  However, not all the talent was in the pool as the Newport Knights fell to the Roosevelt Roughriders.  Newport has more important things to worry about than the rankings, and this week they find themselves on the outside.   The Committee will keep an eye on the Knights.  A win over league rivals Bellevue or Mercer Island might just jump the Knights back in the rankings.  So who is the new No. 10??  For shear entertainment and excitement, the Committee welcomes the Emerald Ridge Jaguars to the No. 10 spot.  Overtime losses to Peninsula and Puyallup show that the Jaguars are a top 10 caliber team and we didn't even know that Jaguars could swim.  Emerald Ridge appears to be this years' cardiac kids, so take precaution and please check with your physician before attending their games.

Other Notes:

The Committee might have been a little too quick to suggest that Roosevelt wouldn't be making any memorable playoff moments in 2012.  The Roughriders have been on a win streak and have at least secured a shot at State through the Wild Card Tourney.  Heck, with Newport struggling,  Roosevelt might even capture the third spot in the north and punch their ticket directly to the State Tournament, which would put Newport in the wild card position.  Wow! Just think, a legitimate state contender in the wild card tourney.

The Wilson Rams have also been on a bit of a win streak until their recent loss to Enumclaw.   The wild card route to State is indeed a possibility.

Stadium tallied another victory with a win over Auburn

Mark Morris outlasted Rogers for a 1 point victory in a wild 18-17 decision.


Hoosier Water Polo Wisdom

Coach Norman Dale: "If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners."

From the movie:  Hoosiers


Polo On!





Tuesday, October 2, 2012



Announcement: The Coronation of the 2012 State Champion will be postponed until the last day of the State Tournament, but updated rankings will be posted this weekend!!

Polo On!