Think of a combination of wrestling, soccer, and lacrosse on water, that’s water polo. Water polo is a relatively new sport at Jesuit, having come off of a short hiatus last year, but the experience of the team is far from little. Under Coach Gall’s direction, the team has gone into the deep end facing some tough competition from top schools in the state, yet the boys in the pool have not shied away from the challenge.

This will be the team’s inaugural season in the UIL as it competes in District II-6A. The varsity team has started off the pre-season games with a splash, recently competing in three tournaments, including the Jesuit Dallas Ranger Invitational, the Hebron Hawk Classic, and the Crusader Classic. The team has seen hard-earned victories throughout these matches and appears to be lining up for a great first season. Massimo Caruso ’25, expressed his “high hopes and ambition” for the team this year, and so far it looks like they’ll hit the mark in their first UIL season starting this week. This sentiment seemed apparent throughout the team with Ale Acosta ’25 advocating how he believes “[they’ve] been working hard” and how he “thinks they have an opportunity to go far.”

 

Interview with Coach Gall

What are your thoughts on the team’s performance at these recent tournaments, do you believe it will be consistent with what we can expect from the team this season?

“We are still a very inexperienced team. The number of games that our team and our athletes individually have played is generally less than most of our opponents. I wanted to get the guys as many games as possible against high-level teams in August, before the district started on Sept 2. Varsity has played 11 games in August and is 6-5  going into District play. I have seen improvement in different areas with each game that we have played. Playing a tough pre-season is the only way to prepare us for our district games.  We have arguably the most competitive district in the state and I think any of the 6 teams in our district could make a good run into the postseason. Unfortunately, only 4 of us will qualify for the postseason.”

How do you think the team will do in this inaugural UIL season, do you think this new district and schedule may pose more of a challenge to the team than TISCA?

“I think we will be competitive against most of the schools in our district and I am optimistic that we will pick up a few wins. We have a good core of returners from last year and we played most of these teams last season so we have a much better idea as to what we need to do to beat some of these teams and what it takes to compete at that level. Last year we were sort of going into the season blind, not fielding a team here during the previous 2 years and last year was my first year coaching in Texas. Depending on how you look at it, there are pros and cons to our district. The pros are that we will get 10 really good games and good teams. I feel that there are always more opportunities to improve by playing a tough schedule vs playing teams that aren’t going to challenge you. There are some districts in which there are only 1 or 2 schools that even have water polo teams in their district, so those schools are having a hard time even finding teams to play in September. The con of our tough district is as I said, 2 of us will not qualify for the postseason, even though the 2 teams that wind up being out may very well be stronger than many of the teams that do qualify for the postseason. TISCA was a different format where 12 teams from the north qualified for the postseason and there was a double-elimination tournament to get you to state. With the UIL format, it is a win or go home bracket if and when you get to playoffs.”

What are your hopes or expectations from the team this year?

“My hopes and expectations initially were that I would have a committed group of young men to start the season that bought into the training plan, the practice schedule, shared a common vision of becoming a successful program and understanding what it takes to compete at the highest level of water polo in the state of Texas. So far the team has done exactly that. I couldn’t have asked for a more committed group of young men that give it their all every practice, from our returning juniors and sophomores to our first-year freshmen.  It’s a group I look forward to seeing every day at practice. As far as results, I think we will all be happy if we finish top 4 in our district.  I think we are capable of finishing higher.  But as a reference, we did not beat any of the teams in our district last year when we matched up against them throughout the season.”

JESUIT DALLAS RANGER INVITATIONAL – The Gull

Jesuit Dallas VS Highland Park Loss, 8-21 – August 12/13

Jesuit Water Polo faced a tough game in their first match against local opponent Highland Park.

Jesuit Dallas VS Strake Jesuit Loss, 9-13 – August 19/20

A close game against fellow Jesuit school, Strake Houston, and with a 0-3 record, they continue to be difficult opposition.

Jesuit Dallas VS Denton Guyer Win, 15-7 – August 26/7

With the first win of the season, Jesuit took a significant lead over Denton Guyer with a strong performance that has now cemented a 3-0 record against the opponent.

HEBRON HAWK CLASSIC – LISD Eastside

Jesuit Dallas VS Denton Ryan Win, 21-2

Putting a second notch on their belt, the Varsity team dominated in their first game of the Hebron Classic.

Jesuit Dallas VS Prosper Win, 10-6

Continuing a sturdy three-win streak with the win against Prosper, the team has been making significant progress against these experienced opponents.

Jesuit Dallas VS Prosper Rock Hill Win, 11-2

The Varsity team rides the top of the wave, taking yet another victory against Prosper Rock Hill.

Jesuit Dallas VS Rockwall Win, 15-2

Jesuit Water Polo finished out the tournament in stride, dominating in all four matches to come out from the Hebron Hawk Classic undefeated and bringing the pre-season score to 5-2.

CRUSADER CLASSIC – Strake Jesuit Competition Pool

Jesuit Dallas VS Strake Jesuit Loss, 3-16

With a tough loss against strong opponent Strake Jesuit, the Varsity team’s five-game win streak is broken.

Jesuit Dallas VS The Woodlands Win, 9-4

This marks the first win on the table from the Crusader classic in a well-played game against The Woodlands.

Jesuit Dallas VS Foster Loss, 5-9

With difficult competition in the closing games of the Crusader Classic in Houston, Jesuit took an unfortunate loss to Foster after a strong performance.

Jesuit Dallas VS Dawson Loss, 6-10

Unfortunately, a loss ends the tournament against Dawson in another close and very competitive match.

 

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