Water Polo: UA girls win 5th consecutive state title; boys just miss out on 3-peat
Sunday, October 29, 2023
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Lulu Bokker of Upper Arlington shoots against Sycamore during the Golden Bears’ state championship victory Oct. 29. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Flo Rida’s “My House” blasted through the speakers at Upper Arlington during the second half of the girls water polo state final on Oct. 28.
An apropos music choice for the moment. The host Golden Bears were comfortably ahead on their way to a 12-6 victory over Cincinnati Sycamore, winning the program’s fifth consecutive state championship. And they did it in their house.
“This is our house and we weren’t going to let anyone come in and beat us,” senior Emmy Campbell said. “This is such a surreal feeling. As a senior, to be able to accomplish this is something huge. I’ll never forget this team and what we’ve worked for … and all the teams I’ve been a part of. I think it’s full circle for us when we played Sycamore in the state final and beat them.”
While the girls celebrated a title, the UA boys team just missed out on its third consecutive title, falling 9-8 to Toledo St. Francis after leading most of the game.
The girls team, which won its 21st state championship, has done it a little differently each time in its current run.
“This team is so special,” said senior Sophia Barger, wiping away the tears in her eyes. “Every single year we bring in new players, people leave and the team is different. But every single person is valued on this team in such a different and unique way. It’s just such an amazing thing to watch. Leaving this team is going to be really, really difficult. So, that’s where the emotion comes from.”
Top-seeded UA has won its last five titles with three different coaches, including Ashley Neri, who won her second in as many years. Barger was a freshman on the team that won the title in the spring of 2020 after the season was canceled in the fall.
Members of the Upper Arlington girls water polo team celebrate its state title after the Golden Bears’ win over Sycamore on Oct. 29. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Last year, 2023 graduate Naomi Maurer (63 goals) did the heavy lifting in the scoring department. This year’s group was a little more diverse in its scoring with five players with 41 or more goals apiece going into the state tournament.
“Last year we had two really, really strong seniors in Ceci Croci and Naomi Maurer,” Barger said. “Both of them were powerhouses – they played very, very well and were very strong. Losing both of them, we all had to step up and play as a (unified) team and we did that.”
Sarah Snider had 64 goals to lead the team, which had five others with at least 41 goals with Abby Oliphant (49), Lulu Bokker (45), Barger (44), Campbell (42) and Audrey Jack (41) coming into the state tournament, which began with the semifinals on Oct. 28.
“Coming into the season, we weren’t sure if one person was going to outshine the rest or if one person was going to be the powerhouse,” Barger said. “That didn’t happen. We all played together and we all played as a powerhouse six and I’m super, super happy to have gone and done that.”
Barger had three goals as the Bears built a 6-2 lead at the half. She finished with seven goals, Campbell added two and Snider, Bokker and Mary Martin rounded out the scoring with a goal each.
“A lot of our players are very strong,” Neri said. “We try to – as a team – push each other to have a lot of depth in our scoring. When you’re in a game, some girls are on more than other girls. Some just have better opportunities.
“(Barger) got some really good opportunities. She’s also a really strong player. So, we just (went to) some stuff we’ve been working on in the postseason and she just executed it.”
The second-seeded Aviators, who were making their first appearance in the final since the spring of 2021, got two goals apiece from Anne Wessinger and Kylie Allen with the other scored by Alexis Klugo and Kamryn Francosky.
Fourth-seeded Worthington Kilbourne won the girls third-place game with a 12-8 win over sixth-seeded Mason. Madelyn Richner and Ava Wells had four goals each and Hanna Lehr added three to lead the Wolves.
Upper Arlington’s Gabe Miller shoots during the host Golden Bears’ 9-8 loss to Toledo St. Francis in the state championship match Oct. 29. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Knights’ comeback ends UA boys’ bid for third consecutive title
St. Francis never led until it got a pair of goals in the final 1 minute, 32 seconds to squeak out a 9-8 victory over the UA boys.
It was the Knights’ first state championship since 2001 and 12th overall according to the Ohio Water Polo Association, which runs the state tournament.
“This is our third (consecutive) time (in the state final) and we lost the previous two,” St. Francis coach Aaron Borgman said. “I was 5 years old (when we won the last title), so it’s been a long time coming. I can’t be (any prouder) of my boys right now. We kept preaching to them no matter how many you’re missing, you can’t get in your own head. Just keep trusting yourself and doing what you’ve done all year. That’s what they did.”
The Bears, seeded third, scored the first three goals and led St. Francis 6-2 with Gabe Miller and Caden Blamer scoring three apiece. Blamer finished with four goals and Reid Caswell added one for UA.
But the fourth-seeded Knights got two goals in the final 2 minutes, 14 seconds of the half, including a Charlie Howe goal with 1 second remaining.
Then, UA lost one of its top players in Andrew Rucker to a misconduct with 4:42 left in the third period and couldn’t get the momentum back.
“A couple of kickouts hurt us … and that ejection hurt us,” UA co-coach Dave McGraw said. “They just made more shots that were good shots. We felt like our defensive plan was good and we played it well the whole way through. Sometimes goals just get in. By the time they went up by one, I don’t think we had enough time to organize a play that we wanted.”
Toby Dietrich and Jake Cheatwood scored two goals apiece to lead St. Francis.
In the third-place game, Pierce Bateman scored nine goals and Liam Miller added five to help top-seeded St. Charles beat second-seeded Mason 16-12.