Last year, Webb’s water polo team shocked the community with back-to-back victories throughout the season. The boys’ team ended the season undefeated, a feat that had not occurred since 2016. However, their first-place rank in the Valle Vista League did not ensure success in CIF, as the team was eliminated in the first round.
In previous years, the boys’ water polo team competed in the Valle Vista League. However, with the results from last season and overall team improvement, the team desired tougher competition.
“The Valle Vista League wasn’t preparing us well enough for post-season games, so we’d go undefeated in league and then get destroyed in CIF,” said Allen Wan (’26), varsity water polo player.
To address this, Mr. Steve Wishek, Director of Athletics, and Coach Sawyer Belville looked for comparable leagues nearby. However, the nearby teams were either a level below or above, making it likely that playing in a higher-ranked league would be detrimental to their CIF success.
Instead, the team adopted an “independent schedule” within the CIF framework. Essentially, they arranged their own games outside of a league structure but remained eligible for CIF playoffs based on their overall record.
At the start of the season, the team submitted their schedule to the CIF Southern Section Commissioner for approval. CIF guidelines allow up to 28 games per season, with most of the boys’ games played in four tournaments or against scheduled one-on-one teams.
Currently, for the 24-25 season, the CIF playoffs are underway, and the team is preparing for the semi-finals after their 11-7 victory in the quarterfinals against Hemet High School. The team will be matched up against Warren High School on November 12th for what is sure to be an equally intense game.
With the team’s exceptional league performance last year, combined with the anticipation surrounding this season, their most recent quarterfinal game drew one of the largest student sections Webb has seen in a while.
“For once, Webb had a student section at the water polo game. Emma Kaivan-Mehr (‘27) said. With other sports such as soccer, it isn’t common to receive such energetic support from the students.”
Although the path the team took to reach CIF was unconventional, their success continues to unite the Webb community as they attempt to secure the Division 5 championship title.
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