The Rancho High School girls water polo team defeated Los Osos High School in the Baseline League championship game on Tuesday, January 27. Defeating the Grizzles 14-7, this championship marks the third year in a row RCHS has clinched the Baseline League title.
Going into the game, it was a huge matchup since RCHS had won the Baseline League for the last two years in a row against Los Osos. Rancho went into the championship game with an overall record of 21-7 and was ranked 19th in California and nationally, according to MaxPreps.
As they head into the first round of CIF playoffs, Rancho will play an away game against Harvard-Westlake High School on Friday, Feb. 6.
Senior Audrey Lee reflected on her four years playing water polo at RCHS, and she said she is very proud of her team and how well they have done this season.
“It is very sad leaving this team since we have all been playing water polo from a very young age; however, knowing that we all made a huge impact on the girls water polo program makes me very proud,” said Lee. “I also can’t wait to see what else the underclassmen will accomplish after I graduate.”
Lee also explained that she feels confident going into the first round of CIF this year because they are in Division One CIF. Last season, the girls lost in the first round of CIF to Harvard-Westlake, but members of the team said they are determined to change that this time around. The girls said they are going into the game with a positive mentality and they will bring their best effort.
“I feel confident that my team can succeed in CIF this year, being division one CIF and getting seeded to play a team that we lost to last year in our first round was very intimidating to us, but if we go into it with our best effort, I believe that we can secure our round one win,” said Lee
The girls water polo JV also won their first-ever Baseline League title, which made it history since the RCHS JV team has never won the title. They also played against Los Osos High School and defeated them 6-2.
Senior Rahanna Banks said one of her favorite memories from this season was when they went to Lee’s house for team bonding, and they participated in the team tradition of varsity kidnappings. They covered the new girls on varsity in eyeblack and made them special signs to congratulate them on making the varsity team.
Banks’ favorite game was when they played St. Lucy’s, because it was their league opener, and Banks had scored her first two goals on varsity.
“In the St. Lucy’s game, I made my first two goals on varsity for the season, and it was our league opener,” Banks said.
Banks also said that winning the league this year felt like a huge accomplishment and that everyone put in so much work and effort to get where they are now.
