On Nov. 22, the boys varsity water polo team took on the La Costa Canyon Mavericks in a heated battle for the Division One CIF title. With both schools’ loud crowds side-by-side cheering on their teams, the energy throughout the game was electric. The Lancers fought hard to repeat their CIF win last year.

Carlsbad started off the night with the first goal, however the Mavericks were able to hold its own against Carlsbad’s offensive attacks. With a stand-out performance by senior Noah Martin, the Lancers finished the first period in the lead with the score 3-2. Martin began the second period with a quick goal before LCC quickly gained momentum to tie up the game at 4-4. At the end of the second, the Mavericks grabbed ahold of their first lead the game, making the score 5-6.

“We came out with fire and definitely had some great offensive plays throughout the beginning of the game,” senior Collin Burke said. “LCC was able to gain some momentum late in the second period, but we continued to play hard and stick to our game. We didn’t let it get to our heads.”

The Mavericks continued their streak in the third period, leading by two, but the Lancers stayed in the game by scoring one last goal as they went into the fourth period. The score was 6-7 coming into the final period of the game. Bringing the intensity, the Lancers scored five quick goals while LCC was only able to put up one more goal before the time ran out. The final score was 11-8, Carlsbad winning the Division One title.

“It feels pretty amazing; it’s probably the highlight of my senior year,” senior Collin Burke said. “I’m just happy I got to play with these boys, and it feels great to bring home the win.”

The Loud Crowd brought much energy to the game, cheering and chanting for the Lancers to pull out a win against their cross-town rivals, La Costa Canyon.

“It’s great to watch the water polo team win CIF because we know how much work they have put into winning this,” senior Shane Coopersmith said. “After hours and hours of practicing so much, it was pretty awesome to see the team beat LCC.”

Last year, the boys water polo team won a CIF title, and under its head coach JB Feaster, the team  was able to repeat this accomplishment. The players attribute their success to their hard work and determination in the pool and in the weight room.

“Whether it is back-to-back CIF titles or three in a row or eight in a row, I’m just so happy for these guys to win this championship,” Coach Feaster said. “They worked really hard this year, and they deserve it. I couldn’t be happier.”