On Monday, April 8, the varsity boys water polo team won their home game against the Highland Park Giants, besting the visiting team 13-6.
The Wildcats, ranked behind the Stevenson Patriots and Mundelein Mustangs in the North Suburban Conference, were looking for another win in their home pool. With six seniors on the team celebrating their final season, Libertyville was ready to give it their all.
“There’s really good teamwork,” senior and team captain Ali Tolba (3), who has been playing on varsity for three seasons, said. “We have a brotherhood going and that’s our key to success.”
Following the first swim-off of the game, senior and team captain Luke Kallieris (2) scored the first goal of the game for Libertyville. The Giants retaliated with a two-goal effort from seniors Eli Neiman (9) and Jack Marcus (13), before Tolba scored his first goal of the night, ending the first quarter with a 2-2 tie.
Libertyville pulled away during the second quarter, with Tolba scoring his second goal, three goals scored by sophomore Emmett McDonald (10) and two points from senior and team captain Seif Kotb (7), the first of five he had throughout the game. With only one goal from Highland Park, courtesy of Neiman, the first half ended with the Wildcats up 8-3.
“I feel like we were giving everybody a shot for the goal,” Kallieris said. “We were spreading it out and we just had a great game today.”
Libertyville expanded their lead in the game’s second half, with Kotb scoring three of his five goals in the third quarter alone, with only one goal from Highland Park senior Tyler Gleyzer (4), his first of the night.
Up 11-4 to start the game’s final quarter, Libertyville simply had to hold the lead until the game’s end. While Highland Park junior PJ Donohue scored twice to push the Giants to six points, Libertyville senior and team captain Sam Rasin (5) and freshman David Benavides (20) each scored once to give Libertyville their final two points, ending the game with a home team win 13-6.
“I think that we were driving, we were passing well,” Benavides said. “Everyone was talking, everyone was setting up and we had a good defense overall.”
Kallieris, who is in his second season on the varsity team, said that the team is doing very well.
“It just feels like déjà vu, getting another win here,” Kallieris said. “We get a lot of wins on this team and it definitely feels great. I remember the last three years, looking up to the seniors on their senior nights. It’s a special night so I’m happy to live through it.”
Following the win over Highland Park, the team remains third in their conference and their overall record has improved to 9-5.
Tolba said that he hopes to improve as a player and “for the team, [to] make it to state, take it all the way.”
The team will next play at home on Tuesday, April 9, against the Warren Township Blue Devils.