Boys’ varsity water polo defeated Marin Academy 22-4 on Sept. 11 in a Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) matchup, improving their record to 1-0 in the MCAL. Redwood led throughout the game, taking a double-digit advantage by halftime and maintaining control in the second half.
Sophomore Storm Jackson led the Giants’ attack, scoring six goals on seven attempts.
“I think this win was a great defensive effort and all of us should be proud of how hard we fought on defense in this game,” Jackson said.
Aside from Jackson’s performance, sophomore Alex Marron credited the team’s defensive heroics to the blowout victory today.
“We stayed solid defensively while running up the score which ultimately led to our victory,” Marron said.
Head coach Rudy Kardos mentioned that when experimenting with alternative defense strategies, he would allow the players to make calls when adjustments are needed to sharpen their decision-making.
“Players have to use their water polo IQ and awareness to determine which option is the most viable,” Kardos said. “That’s why it’s a game —it’s not a mathematical equation [where] 1+1 is always 2.”
Kardos elaborated on how the team sets both collective and individual goals to build cohesion, and how he does his best to support them.
“We are a team, we will only succeed when we all play together,” said Kardos. “It doesn’t matter who shoots the ball, as long as it goes in.”
Senior Hudson Quirk contributed today with two goals and praised the team’s balance.
“I think our offense is a strong point, but our defense is even better,” Quirk said. “We had great counterattacks today, and our goalie, Owen Malone, played a great game.”
The Giants are looking to continue their great play against Tamalpais, Sep. 16, a team they beat in Division I North Coast Sectionals in 2024.
“Although it’s early in the season, this win contributes a lot to our momentum. From here, we need to keep our heads above the water and keep up our awareness,” Quirk said.
