CCS DII boys water polo playoffs: Stevenson falls to top seed Harker
GILROY – Having pulled off one mild upset in the postseason, another would be needed for Stevenson to make its first ever finals appearance in the water.
“We did everything right in terms of our preparation,” Stevenson boys water polo coach Brooke Higgins said. “We had a solid game plan. It just slipped from us in the final period.”
As the No. 5 seed, the Pirates weren’t supposed to be in this position. Making the most of a rare semifinals appearance, they put a scare into top-seed Harker of Sunnyvale before falling 11-8 Thursday in the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals at Gilroy High.
Harker is back in the CCS Division II finals for the first time since 2021, when it knocked off Mitty 9-5.
The Pirates (14-14) were involved in eight matches this season decided by three goals or less, going 1-7 in those battles.
“There are tears on the deck,” Higgins said. “This is the tightest group of kids I’ve ever coached. They were in it for each other. Our seniors Laird (Welch) and Matías (Higgins) set the tone. Our ninth graders saw what the culture is like.”
Stevenson, who had its run of six straight Gabilan Division titles and school record 43 straight league wins end to Carmel this year, gained a measure of redemption by beating the higher-seeded Padres in the CCS quarterfinals.
The Pirates, who spent part of their summer playing water polo in Croatia, were familiar with Harker, having scrimmaged them back in August.
“Everyone is a different team in November,” Higgins said. “They have a goalie with a Division I ride. They have other complementary pieces. It’s a good team.”
Yet, after the first period, Stevenson held a slim 2-1 lead and was within a goal at the half of the Eagles (18-8), who were the runner-ups in the Santa Clara Valley De Anza League to CCS power Los Gatos.
“We tried to focus on their two big scorers,” Higgins said. “But like all good teams, a couple of their complementary players stepped up. They were just a couple of goals better. We were excited to be where we are.”
The loss marked the final games for Welch and Higgins, who were both team captains. Welch, who finished with 75 goals, moved to a different position this year to help improve Stevenson’s defense.
Another defensive demon, Higgins added 28 goals this year, while freshman Brooks Honegger collected 110 goals, a school record for a freshman.
