By Justin HAGER

The disappointment on the faces of the CVHS boys water polo team was palpable two weeks ago when, just minutes before game time and both teams already in the pool, the match against San Marino was canceled due to the possibility of exposure to COVID-19. The disappointment was only amplified when it was discovered that the exposure had never occurred. But while disappointment and frustration may have ruled the day, it also seems to have lit a fire in the Falcons.

When the team returned to the pool a week later, it was with a clear intensity and determination. Three-and-one San Marino had come to play as well. The team was already four games into its season, held first place in the Rio Hondo League, and was ready to take down one of its toughest opponents of the season. Fortunately, 28 minutes into the game, Crescenta Valley exited the pool as the victor, defeating the San Marino Titans 17-10 in a hard-fought non-conference match.

For the Falcons, the victory would mark the first of four consecutive wins in only three calendar days.

Less than 24 hours after their first match, the varsity boys were on a bus headed to Chino Hills to compete in the “Thrills in the Hills” tournament. In their first tournament play match they defeated a woefully underpowered but tenacious Sunny Hills Lancers team 18-10. Next up was the 8-2 Los Altos Conquerors, which was coming off a neck-and-neck 16-13 victory over the national top-100 ranked Upland Highlanders. The match started in a dead heat with both teams tied at 3 at the end of the first quarter. But as Crescenta Valley got loose and hit its stride, the team found itself outscoring its opponent by a combined 13-1 in the second and third quarters, eventually leading to a 17-6 rout.

Saturday morning, less than 48 hours and three full matches after its season began, the Falcons faced the Etiwanda Eagles, which boast one of the best defenses in the state and had outscored its opponents by a ratio of nearly 4-1 in its four previous matches. The Eagles defense proved a true challenge for CV, but the Falcons’ defense proved to be just as good (and the offense perhaps even a bit better) leading CV to a 6-5 nail-biting victory. Saturday night, as the tournament wound to a close, CV faced its biggest threat. In its final match of the weekend it faced off against the Clovis Cougars, which are currently MaxPreps’ No. 38 ranked team in the country. Unfortunately for the Falcons, cats enjoy hunting birds and the Cougars defeated CV 18-3.

Despite the loss, CVHS has made waves as a water polo powerhouse. MaxPreps currently ranks the Falcons as the No. 35 team in the United States and in the top 20 in California’s stacked Southern Section. A Wednesday afternoon showdown with the national No. 25 ranked Crespi Celts gave a glimpse of whether these Falcons are for real, but unfortunately the match will not be concluded until after press time.

CV water polo concludes its non-league play over the next week with matches against St. Francis today, Sept. 16 and La Cañada on Sept. 23. League play begins on Sept. 28 against Glendale.

Do you have photos of CVHS water polo or other CVHS sports? If so, we want to see them and share them. Please share your CVHS sports photos and stories by emailing Justin@CVWeekly.com.