Senior Night belonged to all five of them.

Coach Chapman started every senior and kept them in for the entire first quarter against Monache on October 27. By the end of Mount Whitney’s 23–9 win, seniors Casey Sherbrook, Ruben Ramirez, Phillip Soria, Eli McLennan and Isaac Hernandez had each scored. Even the goalie got his moment.

The lineup looked a little different from Whitney’s usual starting group, but the Pioneers quickly found their footing. They built a 7–3 lead after the first quarter, then outscored Monache 8–1 in the second to take a commanding 15–4 advantage into halftime.

Whitney was pulling away, and its seniors were helping lead the charge.

McLennan finished with a game-high six goals. Ramirez and Soria added two apiece, while Hernandez and Sherbrook each contributed one. Sherbrook’s goal came on a second-quarter penalty shot, putting the senior goalkeeper on the scoring sheet alongside his classmates.

Hernandez’s goal stood out.

Hernandez doesn’t always get extensive playing time, but his commitment to showing up for the team made the moment especially meaningful. On a night set aside to recognize the seniors, he delivered a nicely placed shot and gave everyone rooting for him something to celebrate.

While the seniors shared the spotlight, Micah O’Dell seemed to have a hand in nearly everything, earning the game’s MVP honors.

O’Dell scored five goals, but his impact went well beyond finishing possessions. O’Dell was credited with four assists, three steals, three exclusions drawn and a five-meter penalty drawn. He fought for space, created opportunities for teammates and made Monache work to contain him.

He just all around was making things happen.

O’Dell and McLennan were especially effective together. As defenders collapsed toward O’Dell, his passing helped Whitney find openings, with several connections between the two. His ability to threaten a shot and find a teammate gave the Pioneers more than one way to finish an attack.

Jamen Radmacher added five goals and four assists. Zane Piper contributed a goal, two assists, three steals and two sprint wins. Whitney carried a 19–7 lead into the fourth quarter and finished with eight different scorers.

Monache continued competing through the final period, but the Pioneers had established control long before the final whistle.

Away from the action, the evening offered the moments that make Senior Night more than another game: families beside their boys and fellow water polo player, Mia Filiponi, roses and gifts, and teammates finding ways to make each other laugh. Boys being boys, McLennan, Hernandez and Soria joked around with rose stems held between their teeth, embracing their inner Blood and Sand flamenco dancing spirit. Don’t tell them it was actually the female flamenco dancer with the rose in her mouth. Either way, it was a fun night, another win for the Pioneers, who remain unbeaten in league play, and the love was felt for those who will be throwing their last polo ball with Whitney in the next few weeks.

The final score told the story of a comfortable Whitney victory. Those smaller moments told the story of the team.

Chapman gave every senior a place in the starting lineup. They made sure every senior had a place in the scoring column, too.