Senior Ruben Ramirez had company on the opening sprint. It was a close race, but he got Whitney the ball and the Pioneers were ready to go.

After several games in which the Pioneers needed a few minutes to get going, Wednesday’s home meeting with El Diamante began with Whitney ready to play.

By the end of the first quarter, the Pioneers led 5–0. By halftime, it was 9–1. Whitney finished with a 15–5 victory.

Behind that start was a goalkeeper giving his teammates every reason to keep attacking. Senior Casey Sherbrook finished with 12 saves and earned Player of the Game honors. Some stops were anything but routine. One shot caught him in the face and another met his shoulder. El Diamante kept testing him, and Sherbrook kept making the cage a difficult place to find.

Watching from the deck, his effect on the rest of the team was apparent. The boys played aggressively, with confidence in the senior behind them. Sherbrook was giving them room to compete without every defensive mistake becoming a goal.

Junior Jamen Radmacher made good use of Whitney’s opportunities at the other end, finishing with eight goals. He gave the Pioneers a dependable finish throughout the evening, adding two assists and two steals. The junnior is developing into a solid all-around water polo player. With another 20-30lbs on him, he could find himself as a D1 prospect.

Freshman Zane Piper had the ball and looked ready to take it himself. Instead, he spotted sophomore Micah O’Dell open near the cage and delivered the pass. O'Dell finished, turning Piper's decision into a much easier scoring opportunity.

It was one of five assists for Piper, who also contributed a goal and two steals. That possession showed what his passing can do for Whitney. He's a player willing to shoot, but still looking for someone with a better chance.

O'Dell had to work considerably harder for his space on other possessions. At two meters, he spent much of the game with big, physical oppoenents, like sophomores Nico Bolagot, Hunter Reid, and Carter Orgeron leaning into him. It looked exhausting. Before a pass could even reach him, there was already a contest over where he could put his body and whether he could hold that position. The sophomore kept going back to work. He scored twice and drew three exclusions, making El Diamante deal with him even when he wasn’t finishing a possession.

While, Bolagot, Reid, Orgeron are sophmores, O'Dell generally plays the position against older boys and it takes a willingness to absorb contact and stay involved. O'Dell already has that. Watching him compete there offers an encouraging glimpse of what he could become as he gains strength and experience.

El Diamante made Whitney adjust, too. When the Miners took away the entry to O'Dell, the Pioneers had to look for a driver. When that route closed, they needed another option. The early lead hadn’t made the offense automatic.

And the Miners supplied one of the evening’s most spectacular defensive plays. Senior Eli McLennan unleashed a shot, and Bolagot rose to block it. The impact cracked across the pool. The ball flew beyond the opposite side, leaving a burst of spray hanging above the water. McLennan’s arm provided the force. Bolagot met it. It was a remarkable collision to see and hear from the deck.

El Diamante outscored Whitney 3–1 in the third quarter, narrowing the margin to 10–4. Still, the Whitney team remained in control and carried its effort through the finish.

Ramirez helped sustain that effort with six steals, repeatedly taking possessions away from the Miners. Sophomore Alex DeBock contributed a goal and two steals, playing the sort of steady game that can get overlooked beside a big scoring total. He stayed involved at both ends without a turnover recorded.

There is work left for Whitney, particularly in communicating on defense and helping Sherbrook direct the players in front of him. But Wednesday brought a welcome change, the Pioneers were ready from the opening sprint.

It also produced a photograph worth keeping for reasons beyond the result. Piper is in the air, preparing to throw. Reid is rising to challenge him. They are best friends, and their matchup demanded plenty from Piper against Reid's greater size and strength. Piper used his reach, with teammates closing in to help. The photograph catches the competition without needing to explain the friendship. For that instant, both boys are simply trying to win the same play.

Nearing the end of the season, Whitney will be sad to see the seniors move on. Coaches, Steven Chapman and Tim Van Scyoc and the players will have to recognize the gaps left in the pool and adjust. Freshman goalie, Zayden Kendig will have some big shoes to fill in Sherbrook's absence. Looking at the boys returning next year, they will have to be highly receptive to Chapman's and Van Scyoc's instructions. A 500 daily caloric increase and resistance training wouldn't hurt, either.