News Archive
Water Polo Squads Wrap Up Seasons With 8th, 9th Place State Finishes
On consecutive weekends in late October, the Milford High School water polo squads wrapped up the 2017 season by competing in the annual Ohio State Championships. The Eagles’ boys squad capped their season with an eighth place finish and a 10-25 overall record, while the girls placed ninth and finished 7-21-1.
THE BOYS REPORT: Game 1 vs. Sycamore: The ninth-seeded Eagles opened the tournament with a bang, knocking off No. 8 Sycamore by a 12-11 score in overtime. Braeden Kennedy paced the offense with four goals and added five steals, with did Evan Higgins matching the steal count. The five-man senior class of Kennedy, Branham Leavens, Kam Weaver, Matt Schnelle and Jan Rae Chavez were major playmakers throughout the victory.
Game 2 vs. Worthington: The Eagles’ “reward” for its victory was a battle against a fresh No. 1 seed in Worthington. The top-seed proved too much for Milford as the Eagles fell by a 22-4 score.
Game 3 vs. St. Francis: Milford’s next game in the tournament resulted in a 16-3 loss to St. Francis, resulting in the Eagles’ playing later in the 7th-8th place game.
Game 4 vs. Mason: Battling for seventh place, three goals by Braeden Kennedy weren’t enough in a 9-5 Eagles’ defeat to Mason. Jan Rae Chavez added seven steals in the hard fought defeat.
THE GIRLS REPORT: Game 1 vs. Princeton: Entering as the No. 9 seed, the Eagles opened play with a narrow 7-4 loss to eighth-seeded Princeton. Ellen Victory led the way for Milford, accounting for all four goals. Megan Krieger tallied five steals on defense.
Game 2 vs. Kilbourne: Needing a victory to stay alive in the tournament, the Eagles got just that, knocking off Worthington Kilbourne by an 8-7 score. As was the case in the opener, Ellen Victory had four goals on offense, while Megan Krieger put up fives steals on D.
Game 3 vs. Sylvania: The win over Kilbourne pushed Milford into a game to determine ninth place Sylvania, which the Eagles came out victorious in by a 10-8 score. Ellen Victory kept her scoring spree going with six goals, while Acacia Spencer tacked on seven steals to pace the defense.
Coach Metzger on the tournament: “We played great games of water polo the entire state tournament. The girls went from a team with a minimal motion offense, to a team that put a strong game against an aggressive opponent such as Princeton. Our offense was full motion and we were able to generate some strong offensive plays from all of the movement. As a young team, it is an honor to be able to take home two wins during the state tournament. These girls worked so hard for their achievements in the state tournament!”
POLL TALK: In the final Ohio High School Water Polo rankings, both Milford squads were ranked ninth in the state, thus earning the No. 9 seed in the state tournament. The rankings are computed with a unique formula where teams earn two points for a winning record in a series against any Ohio team. If the series is tied, each team will earn one point. A team will earn zero points for a losing record in a series. The number of points is divided by the number of series played for an overall score. Games against non-Ohio teams do not count in the rankings but are reported in the overall record.
