Waubonsie Valley enjoys strong start to season
With 20 wins in its first 22 matches, the Waubonsie Valley boys water polo team is one of the hottest teams in DuPage County.
The Warriors' lone defeats have been spread out, coming against Naperville Central (17-3) on March 15 and 16-6 to Naperville North on Tuesday.
"Halfway through our season, our team has established each role," Waubonsie Valley coach Mike McWhirter said. "We have a strong class of seniors and sophomores where the seniors are helping show the ropes to the underclassman. I feel very confident in each of my athletes to perform their role on the team perfectly. Our goal each and every game is to start off with a strong defense and let the offense happen.
"Our goal throughout this season is to protect our cage and our goalie as much as possible by creating the best defense out there. I have been very pleased to see all of my athletes accomplish this over the last 22 games."
The Warriors have relied on three standout players to raise projections for their season, led by senior Matt Malik and sophomores Cameron Censullo and PJ Bartzen.
"Matt Malik is leading our team in goals with 78, with most of which have been from the hole set position," McWhirter said. "Matt is a powerful hole set and the primary focus of our offense.
"Cameron Censullo is leading our team in overall points with 74 goals and 59 assists. Cameron shows his skill with speed and ability to move by being able to steal the ball and move it up the court to his teammates for the assist. PJ Bartzen is leading our team in saves with 277 and has been a key aspect of our defensive game. PJ works very hard during practice and games to keep his legs going and arms out of the water to make incredible blocks."
Metea Valley boys update:
Seniors Tyler Leslie and Yehia El Touny are among the high-goal scorers for the Metea Valley boys water polo team through 18 games. Leslie tops the team with 82 goals, while El Touny has 56 goals. Tony Finch has a team-high 29 goals, and Jacob Henkle is third in goals with 40.
Freshman goalie Youssef El Touny is one of the leading factors in the Mustangs' (10-8) solid start, recording 107 saves in 18 games. The Mustangs are hosting a tournament this weekend,, with a key battle against Neuqua Valley on Friday.
"Overall, I'm happy with our performance so far," Metea Valley coach Sean McNicholas said.
"Our record doesn't reflect our strength. We've lost quite a few close games early in the season. Our team defense has improved over the last few weeks, and we're moving the ball around quickly. We have a few different options for the hole-set position, and one of our strengths is drawing ejections. An area of improvement is converting our man-up opportunities and getting all of our starters involved on offense.
"But what I'm most pleased with is our team attitude. They never give up and they're always willing to work hard at practice. The boys are very close with each other, and they're rarely critical of each other."
York boys update:
The York boys water polo team is gearing up for the playoffs by relying on talented, but new group of faces. The Dukes have won 17 of their first 23 games this season despite losing their top four scorers from last season's 21-7 team.
"We have a great group of coachable athletes," York coach Brian Drumm said. "These guys all had to step into new roles this year, and the transition has been as smooth as we could have hoped for. Our team defense has been outstanding, so now we're looking to get more and more players comfortable in their offensive roles."
The Dukes have a difficult stretch of games in the next few weeks, hosting Neuqua Valley next Tuesday for Senior Night. They play in the highly competitive Stevenson Tournament, which includes highly ranked New Trier.
Drumm said junior Nick Kamenica and senior Matthew Skwiot have been key players for his team this spring.
"Nick Kamenica is in the top two on our team in goals, assists, and earned ejections this season," he said. "He's a player who can score and distribute, which makes makes him a threat every time he touches the ball. He's really taken a nice leadership role on offense this year as a junior.
"Matthew Skwiot has been a great leader on the defensive end this year. He's probably our most vocal player in the water during games, especially on defense. Matthew played regular minutes off the bench last year, but now sees the game so much more clearly and is central to our defensive attack."