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GHS Water Polo Sweeps Apopka High School
In another trip to the Orlando area, Gainesville High School Water Polo swept Apopka High School to continue their winning ways. It was the fourth trip to the Central Florida area for the Hurricanes this season.
The girls Water Polo team took to the pool first. Riding high after a season-high three-game winning streak, all the momentum was on the side of the Hurricanes heading into the match.
GHS got the upper hand early in a tight contest, taking a 2-1 lead after the first quarter. The Hurricanes would extend their advantage to 3-1 by halftime.
The second half saw GHS take control of the match. The Hurricane's offense was able to get in sync and get back to its previous form.
GHS senior Alessandra Quintana was the star of the match for the Hurricanes, recording a team-high three goals and four points in the contest. Junior Bayley Mobley was also a key contributor on defense, recording a team-high four steals.
Ultimately, the intensity of GHS proved too much for Apopka, as they secured the victory 8-4, extending their winning streak to four in a row.
Coming off a win against Winter Springs, the boys team looked to make it two in a row and to extend their winning record on the year.
GHS boys got off to a hot start, taking a quick 5-2 lead after the first quarter. The offense ran through senior captain Obi Smith, who scored a team-high seven goals in the contest.
After leading 9-6 heading into the second half, the Hurricanes continued to pressure the Blue Darters. Gainesville would turn to sophomore Alex Probert, who scored two goals and recorded one steal in the contest.
It was a true team effort for GHS in this one, with five outfielders scoring and seven recording a point or steal.
The effort from the Hurricanes proved to be too much for Apopka, as GHS won 15-9, to go 8-5 on the year.
WHAT’S NEXT
The teams will be heading down to Orlando on Friday, March 28 to participate in the Lyman Invitational.
Both teams will face off against Wekiva on Friday, with the girls starting at 6:45 and the boys starting immediately after. The teams will also compete against Apopka, Venice, and Lyman on Saturday.
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Gainesville Girls Water Polo Show Resilience in Subzero in the Swamp Tournament
In a four-game day for the Gainesville Girls Water Polo, the team showed one of the great traits for a team to show: resilience.
For much of the day, GHS seemed snakebitten. To open the day, the girls lost a one score game to Windermere 6-5, where on another day the Hurricanes would’ve reigned victoriously.
Following a difficult game against Venice, the girls would lose a nail biter to Wekiva, 12-10. Again, it felt like GHS was snakebitten for luck.
Many teams would simply pack it up after a difficult string of games, deciding to phone it in. Instead, the girls show the grit of resilience.
In a rematch with a Venice squad that had a comfortable victory earlier in the day, GHS started out strong. The girls would get off to a quick start, grabbing the first goal in the contest. The Hurricanes led 5-2 following the first quarter.
Much of the scoring would come from junior Bayley Mobley, who scored four goals in the contest.
At halftime, the Hurricanes would trail 7-6, following a Venice run. Many teams at this point would see the writing on the wall and decide to quit. GHS instead showed the grit they showed throughout the game.
Following a close third quarter that saw each team enjoy offensive success; Venice would retain the upper hand 11-10 heading into the fourth quarter. What followed was the most complete quarter the team managed to create on the day.
Gainesville would get multiple goals early in the quarter, to establish a slim lead. Gainesville’s defense was tested late in the game. Starting sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Velez-Salcedo was key to the defensive wall the Hurricanes put up, registering three key saves.
As time expired, Gainesville had claimed a two-goal lead. After receiving the ball with the shot clock turned off, the Hurricanes successfully ran out the clock, winning 14-12 against Venice.
What’s next
Gainesville next travels to Clermont, to take on the newly formed Lake Minneola Water Polo squad. The girls are scheduled to play at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, February 11th.
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Gainesville Water Polo Sweep Lake Minneola
In their first road matchup of the season, Gainesville High School displayed a perfect outing, winning both matches against the newly formed Lake Minneola Water Polo squad.
Riding off a win from the Sub Zero in the Swamp Tournament, the Lady Hurricanes looked to extend their winning ways.
From the start, GHS established the upper hand in the contest. The Hurricanes' offense was clicking from the offset, recording four goals in the first period of play.
Throughout the contest, GHS maintained the upper hand, not letting Lake Minneola close the gap. The Hurricanes were able to maintain the three-goal lead they established at halftime throughout the second half, never trailing in the period.
A big contributor to the defensive performance of GHS was starting sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Velez-Salcedo, who recorded an impressive seven saves in the contest.
Senior Megan Bishop was a big contributor to the Hurricanes' offensive threat, registering a team high five goals. The Lady Hurricanes came home with the win in this matchup, beating Lake Minneola 12-9.
Following their weekend sweep, the boys team looked to extend their winning streak to five against Lake Minneola.
It was a one-sided affair for the Hurricanes in this one, jumping to a massive 11-3 advantage after the first quarter.
It was a true team effort from GHS in this match, with a season high nine players registering a point in the match.
Sophomore Felipe Kirst had his best game to date this season for the Hurricanes, producing a season high five goals in the matchup. Kirst was able to convert 83% of his shots from the field, an impressive rate of efficiency for the sophomore.
With a huge lead in the second half, the Hurricanes entered cruise control, comfortably in front throughout. In the end, GHS would secure the victory by a score of 20-7, to move to 5-1 in the young season.
Whats next
Gainesville next returns to action on Wednesday, February 19th, against Boone High School for senior night. The girls are scheduled to begin at 4 pm, with the boys playing at 6 pm.
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Gainesville High School Boys Water Polo Sweeps Weekend Tournament
GAINESVILLE- In the third annual Sub Zero Tournament at the Swamp, Gainesville High School reigned supreme, winning all four of their matchups. The team repeated as champions of the tournament, sweeping all four games in the 2024 edition of the tournament.
The team got off to a fast start in their first matchup of the day against Windermere. Gainesville scored the first four goals in the contest, setting the pace for the day’s tournament.
Junior Corey Whitaker shined in this contest, registering a hat trick for the Hurricanes. Whitaker took just three shots in the contest, demonstrating great efficiency on offense.
GHS was able to dominate from start to finish, beating Windermere 14-7.
In the team's toughest test of the day in their first matchup with Venice High School, GHS showed great resilience, mounting a come-from behind victory. The Hurricanes got off to a slow start against Venice, trailing by multiple goals in the first quarter. The Canes were able to respond, trailing 11-10 at half.
Senior Obi Smith was a key contributor to the Hurricanes' victory in the match, scoring a match high nine goals for the team. Smith also recorded two assists in the contest.
GHS was forced to go down to a third goalkeeper for the match, following an injury in the contest. Freshman Maxx Hill was called upon to enter the goal, in the biggest moment of the freshman’s early high school career.
Hill answered the call magnificently, recording key stops for the Hurricanes in the second half. GHS was able to hold on for the victory, winning 18-17.
With just an hour break in between, GHS played their third match on the day against Wekiva.
GHS showed no signs of fatigue in this matchup, setting the tone early. GHS sophomore Alex Probert was a big contributor in this matchup, scoring four goals for the Hurricanes.
GHS junior goalkeeper Michael Huelsman shined in his return back in net, registering 9 saves for the Hurricanes. GHS was able to outlast Wekiva 19-14, to go 3-0 on the day.
Following a multiple-hour break for the Hurricanes, the team would again match up against Venice. The Indians were hungry to get revenge after losing a squeaker earlier in the day.
The second game between the two teams was far different, with Gainesville dominating much of the affair. Sophomore Nathan Roberts and junior Ian Woodend shined in the contest, recording four goals apiece.
Gainesville would record a comfortable 15-7, going a perfect 4-0 on the day. This was the second consecutive year the Hurricanes swept the Subzero in the Swamp Tournament.
Whats next
Gainesville next travels to Clermont, to take on the newly formed Lake Minneola Water Polo squad. The boys are scheduled to play at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, February 11th.
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GHS Shine in Weekend Matches
For the second time this season, Gainesville High School Water Polo traveled to Central Florida for four matches. The Hurricanes were scheduled to play Lake Mary and Lake Howell, with both the boys and girls teams participating.
The teams would first match up against Lake Mary on Saturday morning. Lake Mary sported an impressive record heading into the game, with the boys team taking perennial state championship contenders Dr Phillips to overtime.
The girls team would take the pool first. It was a struggle throughout for the girls team, with Lake Mary taking an early lead in the matchup. Ultimately, the girls team would be unable to mount a comeback, falling 14-2.
The boys team would put up a valiant effort against Lake Mary in their matchup.
Freshman goaltender Maxx Hill would put in an impressive shift in goal, recording ten saves in the contest. Ultimately, the boys team would fall short, 13-5.
In their second games of the day, the teams would face Lake Howell. Both teams would not allow their losing efforts earlier in the day play a factor in the game, with both teams putting in solid performances.
The girls would establish their dominance early in the game, taking a quick 8-3 lead after the first quarter. Junior Bayley Mobley would put in a solid performance on the offensive end, scoring a team-high five goals in the contest.
Lake Howell would close the gap in the second half, hanging around in the game. The girls would show great determination to close the door on Lake Howell, pulling out a 15-10 road victory.
The boys would find themselves in a back and forth affair with Lake Howell, with neither team gaining a significant advantage throughout the game. The boys would secure a 6-4 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, the character of the team would shine, with the boys answering everything Lake Howell threw at them. Senior captain Obi Smith would be a force on both sides of the ball, recording a team-high six goals and four steals.
Ultimately, the determination of the Hurricanes would get them over the line. The boys would win 11-10, completing the sweep over Lake Howell on the day.
WHAT'S NEXT: The team travels once again to Orlando next Saturday in another four-game showdown. Both teams face-off against Lyman High School and Winter Springs.
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GHS Water Polo Shine in Orlando Series
In their second consecutive weekend playing in Orlando, Gainesville High School Water Polo would showcase their determination in a solid showing against two Orlando based sides.
The teams would go against Lyman High School and Winter Springs. It would be the only scheduled matchup this season for the teams against Winter Springs this season, while both teams are scheduled to face off with Lyman in the Lyman Invitational Tournament on March 29.
The girls would first play against Lyman High School. It would prove to be a nail-biter of a match, with both teams scoring early in the contest. This would be confirmed after the first quarter, with GHS leading 3-2.
After a second quarter where GHS would register the lone goal, the girls led 4-2 going into halftime.
The second half would prove to be a struggle, with both teams intent on securing the victory. GHS senior Meghan Bishop would shine in the field, scoring a team-high five goals and three steals.
In the end, the Hurricanes defense would prove to be the difference. Starting sophomore goaltender Amanda Velez-Salcedo would record an impressive 12 saves for GHS. The girls would hold on to beat Lyman, 7-6.
On the boys side, it would also be a close matchup. Both teams would put up incredible showings on offense, putting up double-digit scores. Ultimately, the boys would fall short, losing 16-14.
In the second round of games, the teams would match up against Winter Springs.
The girls would once again find themselves in a tight matchup throughout the game. After a valiant effort in the first half, the girls would trail 4-2 going into halftime.
In the second half, the girls would chip away at the Winter Springs advantage. Junior Gillian Collins would score a pair of huge goals for the Hurricanes, as they continued their comeback effort.
The second half effort by the girls would prove enough to put them over the top. They would win 9-8, completing a perfect 2-0 trip in Orlando.
On the boys side, it would be a much more comfortable outing. The boys would put the pressure on early, securing an 8-4 lead heading into halftime.
The boys would be able to see out their lead in the second half. Senior captain Obi Smith would put up a team-high seven goals, while sophomore Nathan Roberts would record a team-high four assists. In the end, the boys won 17-8.
WHAT'S NEXT-The team travels to Apopka on Saturday to faceoff with Apopka High School
