The Final Goal
The Well-Fought Ending for Both Teams
April 18, 2022
After two competitive seasons of non-stop battle, the Jaguars end off with close-scoring regional finals, leading to an emotional goodbye to the class of ‘22.
Towering over the national average of 133 goals per season, the Lady Jaguars Water Polo team ends the season with a tally of 171 goals per season. The Jaguars held a well-deserved 1st place standing in the 1A D12 District, and 7th in the state. One of the Senior Captains, Stella Dioguardi, with a grand record of 33 goals. “We played St. Andrews and put up a great fight as we lost 9-7,” Stella explained. “All the girls including myself were extremely nervous and the adrenaline was definitely running.” However–regardless of the statistics–the Lady Jaguars resulted in unbreakable friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime. This being the last season for Stella as a senior, the emotions were the hardest opponent to beat.
Kathia Jaramillo, a junior with a competitive record of 55 shots, explains that “I’m very proud of our seniors who made both seasons incredible in and out of the field and am very sad to see them go.” Not only does Kathia enjoy this sport, but supporting her teammates is one of her favorite aspects. Not to mention, winning districts back to back was a highlight that no one on the team could forget. “Winning our districts back to back has been an amazing experience and I’m very proud of how much our team has grown during this time.”
Last but certainly not least, the Jaguars Water Polo season was once again filled with excitement and fury. Finishing 3rd place in the 1A D12 District, the boys competed with passion, skill, and determination. Senior Tanner Gibson, with an outstanding record of 57 goals, explains that “in the beginning it was very very rough having a new team to learn the game. However, the chemistry of our team is incredibly good this season so we all met up outside of school and learned the game together. From then on we started having such a better season.” For Senior Tanner Gibson, his last game culminated in a well fought score of 10-20, unfortunately losing to Boca Raton.
However, for players such as junior Szebi Ochoteco, this is only the beginning; “Honestly I didn’t think school water polo would’ve been this fun because this was my first year in Pines Charter, I went to West Broward before.” Coming from an entirely different school, Szebi was unsure of his fate with the new team; fortunately, this was the start of an inspiring high school career. “This season was better than what I expected. Last game even though we lost, it was a fun way to go out with me and Tanner scoring 5 each and now just on the grind until next year.” A collaboration between a new and returning member has set the team apart, creating a bond that has helped them achieve their goals and wins.
Another returning player, sophomore and co-captain Lucas Porven, shares his memories, enthusiasm, and positivity for the next season. “This season was a great one from start to end, especially since we recruited plenty of fun personalities this year. The new guys were all full of enthusiasm and we’re ready to win and we did! And we ended this season off great with our last game against Boca,” he expresses. As a sophomore, Lucas has definitely seen triumph and tragedy throughout the season. “We gave them a good fight and our teamwork was at its peak in this last game, it made me really proud to be on the PPCHS water polo team.”
