The Road to State
Jesuit Dallas Water Polo’s 2025 season has been defined by two extremes, moments of brilliance balanced against periods of struggle. The Rangers entered the season with high expectations, eager to build on the program’s storied history and to compete at the highest level in Texas by winning a State championship. Their opening stretch of games, particularly the Southlake Tournament, offered a glimpse of what this team could achieve when its pieces came together.
Early Games and Victories
The Rangers began the season with fire, setting a program record by beginning the season winning their first four matches at Southlake. Each victory reflected the team’s strengths: precise passing from returning varsity layers like Charlie Gall ’27, aggressive defense embodied by Noah Nicosia ’26, and unselfish teamwork shown by Winston Quinn ’27‘s extensive assists.
Against Hebron, Jesuit rallied from an early deficit to secure a momentous 10–9 comeback victory, with Junior Charlie Gall scoring the decisive goal in the final minutes. Rockwall was destroyed by the Rangers’ balanced offense, falling 20–7 in a game highlighted by Junior Winston Quinn contributing multiple goals, while goalie Cayden Bartusek ’26 posted a series of crucial saves. Against Fort Bend Travis, Jesuit’s offensive machine surged once again, finishing with a 16–11 victory, while a narrow 10–9 win over Keller demonstrated the team’s ability to perform under pressure, with Aidan Reardon ’28 netting a last-second goal to secure the win. These early wins set the stage for a strong season, especially considering Jesuit was missing two key starters: Sebastian Lazar ’27 (who plays a pivotal role in the teams defenses and is a strong outside shooter), and Tamer Nino ’28 (who is the team’s only lefty, playing a crucial position on the four-five wing).
Senior attacker Jack Stevens ’26 pointed to the team’s first matchup against Strake Jesuit as a defining moment of the season:
“One game that has stood out to me the most this year would be our first game against Strake…This is one of the first games this season where our team has been able to work together smoothly and we were able to conquer our Jesuit rivals.” – Jack Stevens ’26
That game exemplified Jesuit at its best: confident, cohesive, and capable of dominating opponents whom Jesuit had never beaten in the past. This was a historic game in Jesuit water polo history going down as the first Jesuit win against Strake with several notable players contribution to this win. For example, Charlie Gall, who scored a significant amount of the goals and was able to setup a strong offense in accordance with Coach Gall’s instruction, gave some assists to key shooter Sebastian Lazar who buried a few goals in the game. Jack Stevens and Aidan Reardon both had goals from the two-meter position, modeling a great offense. Senior Cayden Bartusek had a remarkable game with a significant number of saves barricading the goal and sealing off fifteen shots.
Trials and Tribulations
Even with their early triumphs, Jesuit also faced a few challenges that tested both their skill and resilience. Losses against Prosper (10–17), Marcus (10–13), Boerne-Champion (13–15), Westlake (8–13), and St. Mark’s (6–13) exposed vulnerabilities—breakdowns in communication, player injuries and illnesses, and momentum shifts that left the team scrambling to recover. These games raised difficult questions: could the Rangers sustain the intensity and cohesion needed to compete consistently at the State level? Could they maintain the focus required to close out tight matches?
Leadership and Brotherhood
In adversity, leadership becomes vital. For Jesuit Dallas, Senior Goalie and Captain Cayden Bartusek has emerged as both a crucial asset to the team and a motivational force. He sees his role not only as the last line of defense but as the emotional anchor for his teammates.
“Our team has definitely had its ups and downs this season…We’ve had moments where our chemistry really showed and we played like a championship team, and then we’ve had moments where things fell apart.” – Cayden Bartusek ’26
Bartusek understands that success depends as much on accountability and communication as on talent or skill. The team’s first District loss to Southlake highlighted that reality.
“We were up 4–1 after the first quarter, but once we stopped communicating, we lost momentum,” he said. “For us, momentum is going to be the key if we want to go far.” – Cayden Bartusek ’26
Leadership, Bartusek believes, is about more than calling out defensive lapses or celebrating goals: it’s about cultivating a culture where players are both competitive and cohesive. He aims to motivate his teammates to recognize and celebrate big moments, while also taking responsibility for errors, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
For Senior Jack Stevens, leadership is equally rooted in the cultural side of the sport. Beyond scoring goals, he wants to strengthen the team’s culture and the relationships that form the backbone of Jesuit water polo.
“GENERALLY, I think the main goal is to win state, but my personal goal this year would be to better the environment and the community that is the Jesuit water polo team…I hope that by being someone to count on and to look for whenever you need anything will help strengthen this team. I am here for my brothers.” – Jack Stevens ’26
Together, Bartusek and Stevens exemplify how Jesuit’s identity extends beyond athletic talent. The team’s cohesion, trust, and mutual accountability have become as important as its performance in the pool. The bonds formed in practices, games, and locker room discussions are crucial to creating a championship-caliber environment.
Lessons Learned and Adjustments
Coach Jason Gall has framed the season not just in terms of wins and losses, but as a continuous journey of growth. The Southlake loss, while painful, offered key insights for improvement. Gall emphasized, “team defense and individual defense,” as the biggest areas where the Rangers could improve.
He has also underscored the importance of shot selection, ball movement, and effective communication—areas critical for maintaining consistency and closing out games. Gall’s approach is methodical: he stresses fundamentals during practices and emphasizes that success stems from executing basic skills under pressure, rather than relying solely on talent or spontaneous brilliance.
Through drills, film sessions, and one-on-one feedback, Gall has been working to ensure the team internalizes these lessons. For him, the goal is clear: develop a team that is mentally tough, strategically sound, and capable of performing at a high level when it matters most.
Junior Varsity Recap
The Jesuit Junior Varsity Water polo consists of seven freshmen, with three of them being completely new to the game, as well as two sophomores, all of whom have been improving exponentially since the start of the season. This team has started their season strong with a solid 4-1 record, beating some first-class JV teams such as Prosper JV, Walnut Grove JV, Hebron JV, and one win against St. Mark’s JV.
Hebron JV Game
One recent win against Hebron on August 30 was a pivotal moment in the JV’s development as both individual players and as a team as a whole. Specifically, in an interview with Nixon Scoble ’29, he commentated on how he finally understood the importance team work in the form of passing the ball when he was on offense trying to score a quick goal off the counter. At the Hebron JV game, Scoble had four assists to Ben Durgin ’29, who was able to score four goals. Scoble also had two goals himself, scoring well placed outside shots in the top corner of the goal easily and sliding past the Hebron goal tender.
In addition to Durgin and Scoble, Adrian Acosta ’29 scored his first goal of the game with an assist from Winston Quinn. Acosta reflected on how Winston has given all of the JV team wonderful advice and helped their development, modeling a good student athlete as an upper-class man. Quinn not only played a key role in setting others up for success, but also to set up the offense in the game, and contribution to the score with a perfectly placed high right corner shot. Diego Sepulveda ’28, Mateo Combs ’28, and Sumner Wilson ’29 all scored one goal during the game. Two new freshmen, Gabriel Lazar ’29 and Jamie Tison ’29, played on the Cadet National Team and are currently participating in the PanAm Aquatics U15 Water Polo Championships in Bauru, Brazil. Unfortunately this impressive young talent is unable to play for the Varsity team due to UIL regulation (first year students must live in their school’s district or have attended a feeder school to their current school in order to compete for Varsity).
Additionally, a new international athlete and water polo player will be joining the JV team this season while he is at Jesuit for the semester on an exchange program from Milan, Italy. Ricardo Carotenuto ’27 plays for the city team of Milan and is one of the highest ranked left-handed players in Italy.
Looking Forward
Despite setbacks, Jesuit remains determined. Their schedule continues, beginning with their yearly journey to Strake Jesuit in Houston for three games with the defending state champs, Clear Creek, as well as the Houston Consolidated Tournament with the hosting team, Strake Jesuit. This tournament could give Jesuit the rebound it needs to prepare for the further challenge that lies in the rest of their challenging district, full of opponents like Highland Park, Keller, and Southlake, presenting ongoing tests. The Rangers have repeatedly shown the ability to regroup after early-season struggles, staying resilient to the challenges that face them.
The team’s guiding principles moving forward are evident: build chemistry, reinforce defensive discipline, and maintain accountability. Bartusek’s leadership emphasizes clear communication and trust during practices, while Stevens ensures that the human element—the camaraderie, encouragement, and support among teammates—remains strong.
Coach Gall maintains a broader perspective, emphasizing that the season should be remembered not just for victories but for the lessons learned, the resilience displayed, and the bonds strengthened along the way. By fostering both skill and character, Gall aims to cultivate a team capable of long-term success, both on and off the pool deck.
Conclusion
Jesuit Dallas Water Polo’s season, marked by early triumphs and a hard-fought district loss, reflects the unpredictable rhythm of the sport. Wins and losses form the framework of the narrative, but it is the team’s response to adversity that defines its character.
In the pool, as in life, the scoreboard is only one measure of success. Equally important are resilience, camaraderie, and the drive to improve. With lessons learned and leaders like Bartusek and Stevens guiding the way, the Rangers are poised not just to play games but to write a story of perseverance, brotherhood, and the pursuit of excellence.
“We’ll get back up…This isn’t the end—we’re just getting warmed up.” – Cayden Bartusek ’26
With that determination, Jesuit Dallas water polo continues its journey toward redemption, one quarter, one game, and one season at a time.
Tune into The Roundup for Water Polo’s Postseason coverage!
