Women’s water polo team defeats Soquel High in triple overtime semifinals game

PHOTO: Davis High women’s water polo team celebrates the win.

By Alex Miyamoto,

BlueDevilHUB.com Copy Editor–

The Davis High women’s water polo team beat Soquel High in a regional playoff game, 9-8 on Nov. 16.

The game was hosted at the West Sacramento Aquatic Center, as a part of the 2021 CIF Northern California women’s water polo championship tournament.

At half time Davis led by one, leaving the score 4-3.

By the end of the third quarter the teams were tied, 5-5.

In the fourth quarter, SHS led by one for the majority of the time. However, with four seconds left on the clock, senior Lindsay Taylor fired a goal with an assist from Junior Malaya Wright, evening the score, 7-7.

Senior Alyssa Waterson found the goal going into overtime huge. “It kept our dream of going to the finals alive and amped us up to keep going and pushing through,” Waterson said.

The game went into overtime where the two teams continued to play.

At the end of the fifth quarter, SHS led by one, 8-7. The sixth quarter left the teams tied again, 8-8.

The game went to sudden death, the first team to score wins. The seventh quarter determined no winner. 

With five seconds on the clock in the eighth quarter, Wright scored with help from junior Mackenzie Walker.

The Blue Devils finished the game, beating SHS, 9-8.

Waterson expressed the team’s emotions, “there was a lot of pressure on us but we stuck by each other and came through with a win,” Waterson said.

The team is headed to a championship game on Nov. 20 against the undefeated Miramonte High.

Sophomore Leila Meraz is proud of how far the team has come, “[making it to the finals] was our goal all season and to make it to this point is amazing,” Meraz said.

Davis is currently ranked fourth in California and has a win record of 29-3.