Gallery • 9 Photos

Delaney Lavelle

TURNING THE TIDE: The McCallum girls water polo team huddles around coach Ishan Saharoy during their recent district tournament at the Round Rock aquatic center on Sept 13. There, they celebrated their first official victory of the season over the Bowie Bulldogs. The Knights played four games at the tournament, finishing 1-3, but junior Charley Silkenson felt that the team played exceptionally well throughout. Even though we didn’t win the other games, we still played extremely well,” Silkenson said. “I am so proud of the team, especially since how far we’ve come since just last year.” Silkenson, one of the few girls on the team with prior experience, played her freshman year at Anderson before transferring to McCallum as a sophomore. Silkenson explained that the team’s biggest challenge isn’t a lack of experience, but adapting to change. “Our main challenges we have faced this year are a coaching change and the addition of so many more people,” Silkenson said. “This was and is welcomed, just an adjustment for sure.” The Knights doubled their roster this year and are working under two new coaches. Despite those changes, Silkenson mentioned that her own background in swimming before joining water polo is an advantage to the team, as she can keep up during practice and games. “I have been swimming for pretty much my entire life,” Silkenson said. “Though I have never swam competitively because of my chlorine allergy, throughout the years as a kid, my parents would take me to Deep Eddy or Barton Springs to swim. My background in swimming in deep waters mainly helps with the treading water aspect of water polo. When most people would have to learn how to tread for minutes straight, I could already do that from swimming super deep with my cousins in the summer.” Silkenson looks forward to the team’s next district tournament on Sept 27. A win there would give them a chance of reaching the playoffs. Caption by Kaylee Breecker.

On Sept. 13 at the Round Rock Aquatic Center, the McCallum boys and girls water polo teams competed in a tournament, with the girls team coming away with a win against Bowie, which was also their first official win. Even though they started behind in the score, the team’s positivity and toughness helped them take the lead. Both teams will return to action Sept. 27 for another tournament, where they’ll compete for a chance to advance in the district.  

We are proud to highlight the girls’ and boys’ water polo teams for this week’s Thursday Top 10.

TURNING THE TIDE: The McCallum girls’ water polo team huddles around coach Ishan Saharoy during their recent district tournament at the Round Rock aquatic center on Sept 13. There, they celebrated their first official victory of the season over the Bowie Bulldogs. The Knights played four games at the tournament, finishing 1-3, but junior Charley Silkenson felt that the team played exceptionally well throughout.

Even though we didn’t win the other games, we still played extremely well,” Silkenson said. “I am so proud of the team, especially since how far we’ve come since just last year.”

Silkenson, one of the few girls on the team with prior experience, played her freshman year at Anderson before transferring to McCallum as a sophomore. Silkenson explained that the team’s biggest challenge isn’t a lack of experience, but adapting to change.

“Our main challenges we have faced this year are a coaching change and the addition of so many more people,” Silkenson said. “This was and is welcomed, just an adjustment for sure.”

The Knights doubled their roster this year and are working under two new coaches. Despite those changes, Silkenson mentioned that her own background in swimming before joining water polo is an advantage to the team, as she can keep up during practice and games.

“I have been swimming for pretty much my entire life,” Silkenson said. “Though I have never swam competitively because of my chlorine allergy, throughout the years as a kid, my parents would take me to Deep Eddy or Barton Springs to swim. My background in swimming in deep waters mainly helps with the treading water aspect of water polo. When most people would have to learn how to tread for minutes straight, I could already do that from swimming super deep with my cousins in the summer.”

Silkenson looks forward to the team’s next district tournament on Sept 27. A win there would give them a chance of reaching the playoffs.

Caption by Kaylee Breecker. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

BEATING BOWIE: Senior Will Bowman swims towards the ball, attempting to gain possession, in the first district tournament for water polo on Sep. 13. The Knights faced Austin High, Anderson, Bowie, and LASA, but Bowman’s favorite game was their victory over Bowie.

“It was great,” Bowman said. “We knew going into the game we had a good shot, and we were able to deliver.”
Although Bowman wishes the Knights had beaten Bowie by a greater number of points, he enjoyed the consistency of the Knights’ performance.

“We didn’t crush them hard,” Bowman said. “But it’s fun when you’re actually playing and shooting goals and doing good.”
Bowman primarily plays point, covering the middle of the court and making long passes. He occasionally fills in at set. He acknowledges that while the position still feels difficult, he has greatly improved at it since freshman year, when he began playing water polo for the first time.

“When I was a freshman, I was a skinny little kid,” Bowman said. “I still am, but I know what I am doing, and it’s pretty satisfying.”

After playing water polo all four years in high school, Bowman will miss the sport when he goes to college next year.
“It’s a little unfortunate this is my last time playing because I don’t think I’m going to play in college,” Bowman said. “At least I’ll have memories of these four years.”

Bowman has one more opportunity to form more memories with the water polo team this Saturday, Sep. 27, at the second district tournament. If the team wins one game, they will advance to bi-districts, which will take place on Oct. 6. Bowman hopes not only to make bi-districts but to make a run in the playoffs and believes that the team can as long as it plays consistently.

“As long as we’re making goals and hitting well, we should do good,” Bowman said.

Caption by Elizabeth Nation. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

MAKING A SPLASH: The McCallum boys’ water polo Team competed in their district tournament on Sept. 13, facing Anderson Austin High, Bowie, and LASA. The boys’ score against Anderson was 12-4.

Junior Viggo Gonzales played a sprinter in the game, and he said he especially enjoyed racing for the ball against his friend, with whom he used to swim.

“I’ve been swimming on and off since I was in third grade,” Gonzales said. “I’ve always loved swimming. It’s my passion, and I love how you can always get better in the sport, while it’s a mental game along with a physical one, too. Swimming is my favorite sport, especially when you’re swimming after a sprint or a race and you get to cool down in the pool. It feels almost magical, the way the water moves, it’s like cutting into warm butter, with how easy it feels to move through after a race.”

Even though the Knights lost, Gonzales said he was proud of the team’s effort.

“It was a fun game where we played great,” Gonzales said. “My favorite part of that game was the sprints before each quarter/half, where I could race my old swim buddy. I was happy to get us started on offense, going well.”

Compared to the scrimmage with Anderson, Gonzales said the tournament game felt more serious.

“The scrimmage with Anderson was a bit more relaxing than how they play in the tournament,” Gonzales said. “It’s understandable, but all in all, it’s really fun playing. I just love doing water polo and swimming. I also very much like being a sprinter because I get to race the other teams’ fastest guy. After the sprint, I’m usually pretty tired and need a break, but I stick with it and hold on. I’m proud of how McCallum did not give up and stuck with it until the final buzzer.”

Caption and Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

WAITING TO START: Lining up against the edge of the pool, sophomore Julep Ulack, junior Brela Chappel, and junior Charley Silkenson wait for the quarter to begin during the Knights’ water polo match.

Ulack, who played as a sprinter in this game, explained the rules of her position.

“We have to sprint to the ball and try to get it to our team first,” Ulack said.

The Knights faced other schools like Bowie, LASA, Anderson, and Austin High. Ulack’s team played Bowie and was able to secure the team’s first official win. Next weekend, Sept. 27-28, the Knights will play Bowie again, and if they are victorious, they will be able to advance into the next tournament.

The day of the tournament was eventful, with the Knights playing four games throughout the day.

“It was a really long day, but really fun,” Ulack said.

This is Ulack’s first time playing water polo with the Knights after missing out on her freshman season. She said what she enjoys most is not just the sport but the community around it.

“I love how fun and aggressive it is, and I love being able to be a part of a team sport since I do swim as well, which is an individual sport,” Ulack said, “But most of all, I love being able to work with the team and everyone working together.”

Caption by Vera Petrowsky. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

JUST KEEP SWIMMING: Junior Arturo Frias and teammates talk to their coach during a break in the action. Frias said that his favorite part of tournaments is playing alongside his teammates.

“It’s been so much fun,” Frias said. “I love the people that I’m with. The captain, [senior] Will Bowman, is such a joyful person and so much fun to be around. He really motivates the team and always has a smile on his face. He motivates me to be better and is always looking out for us.”

Frias said that although they were losing in their first game against Anderson, the coaches kept them in the game.

“We were down ten,” he said. “But our coaches were right there with us, giving us feedback and motivating us. They never gave up on us.”

Frias, also in the marching band, said that balancing both water polo and Band has been hard but fun.

“It’s been difficult,” Frias said. “I feel bad because sometimes I have to miss water polo practice for marching band, but I still go to most of the practices. I also love going to the football games. It’s a little overwhelming, but I have so much fun doing both.”

Frias said that he’s excited to be able to play against his old friends.

“I used to practice at Longhorn Aquatics,” he said. “One of my friends from Bowie also practiced with me so it makes the game more fun. Even playing against each other, we’re uplifting each other and our teammates.”

Caption by Fletcher Vandegrift. Photo by Julep Ulack.

STAYING BUOYANT: During the first girls’ water polo tournament, senior Zwi Meza had a beneficial experience.

“One of the best things I saw us do was stay positive,” Meza said. “The girls’ team is still very new, so we have a lot of improving to do. Even when we were losing or having a hard time, we cheered each other on.”

For Meza, her favorite memory from the first tournament was when the whole team was playing a card game of Moose Master.

“We got Coach Saharoy to play,” Meza said. “The girls had convinced him earlier to join in putting on spirit glitter, so he had it on his face. Everyone was so confused on how to play Moose Master, so it was pretty funny chaos.”

Throughout the tournament, the team huddled around the Coach for instruction.

“Coach Saharoy used to play water polo,” Meza said. “He was giving us instructions while the play was paused, for when it resumed. He’s really good at assessing the situation and making a plan out of it.”

Overall, the girls’ water polo team secured one win from the tournament. The next tournament is Saturday, September 27th, at Round Rock Aquatic Center.

Caption by Emerson Merritt. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

FIGHTING SPIRIT: The water polo team competed in the district tournament on Sep. 13, with senior Amir Habib-Weymouth gathering the group together before the match to offer encouragement and focus.

They reflected that the team’s greatest strength this season has been their mental toughness and willingness to fight through difficult moments. That mindset was especially visible against Bowie, where the team fell behind early but refused to give in.

“They just kept working until they had the lead and won,” Habib-Weymouth said. “Our biggest strength this season was probably our mental toughness and our willingness to fight through the game.”

The win against Bowie stood out as the highlight of the tournament for them.

“The thing I’m most proud of is our win against Bowie since we started off behind, but then we won by three,” they said.

Caption by Mira Patel. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

MAKING WAVES: Senior Vivian Moore and the girls’ water polo team gather to hear from their coach at a scrimmage against Anderson.

The team scrimmaged Anderson twice, and Moore said that even though the Knights lost both scrimmages, she was pleased to see improvement.

“It was a good learning experience, especially for the new players,” Moore said. “I was really proud of how we worked as a team and how good all the new people did. In the second scrimmage, we lost by less, so it was really cool to see that improvement.”

Although the water polo season is short, and only five district games are played, Moore has said that the team has improved significantly. The girls’ team won their first game in school history against the Bowie Bulldogs, a testament to the effort the team has been putting in.

“It was really exciting because we’ve worked so hard and it’s nice to see that pay off,” she said. “I think it showed that we’re not just the new team anymore.”

Moore attributed the recent success to the growth of the team as well as the work they have been putting in.

“The girls’ water polo team grew a lot this year in numbers, which definitely helps us play better,” she said. “We also started the season earlier this year than last year and have been practicing more times a week, which I think has definitely helped us overall.”

Caption by Julia Copas. Photo by Delaney Lavelle.

A WATER POLO PIGGYBACK: Juniors Lucinda McCollum and Delaney Lavelle share a piggyback ride before their water polo scrimmage with Anderson on Sep. 16. McCallum was missing one of their team captains and another one of their main scorers, which led to plays being changed.

McCollum, who has played on the team for two years, believed that had the biggest impact on their performance during the scrimmage.

“We were all tired because we had regular practice for the first hour and the scrimmage the second hour,” McCollum said. “I think if we had a few more minutes before the game to talk as a team and plan, we could have done a bit better.”

To McCollum, cooperation is the most important part of being on a team. As a post, she helps to defend and attack. Coming up against schools like Anderson takes a plan.

“Anderson is one of the best teams in the district and has a very strong offense, so it was definitely more difficult to defend and block their shots,” McCollum said.

Caption by Carlo Hinsdale. Photo by Rylee Sterns.