For three quarters Wednesday night at San Joaquin Memorial, the Mt. Whitney boys found a way to keep up. Jamen Radmacher had two Panthers following him all night long. Micah O’Dell had company every time he set up at two meters. And still, when the boys swam out for the fourth quarter, the game was theirs to win.

It was 4-4 at halftime and 7-7 after three quarters. In the fourth, Memorial outscored Whitney 4-1 to win 11-8 and end the Pioneers’ season.

The play that gave Whitney the most trouble started in the hands of the Panthers’ goalie. As soon as Memorial had the ball, a swimmer would break for the other end. The goalie could throw the outlet pass over the chase and hit his teammate in stride. For a Whitney team with few subs, even a sprint that didn’t end in a goal meant another hard length of the pool.

At the other end, Memorial made a choice. The Panthers doubled Radmacher, packed defenders around O’Dell and gave Whitney’s passers room on the outside. Zane Piper found teammates for five assists without taking a shot himself. Senior Eli McLennan shouldered much of the shooting and scored four times. O’Dell, a sophomore, still managed three goals from a night spent wrestling for space. He also drew an exclusion and a five-meter penalty, managing to earn player of the game, even though he spent the night with three opponents trying to down him at every opportunity. Radmacher scored Whitney’s other goal.

Whitney had its own answers on defense. Ruben Ramirez took the ball away twice and blocked a shot. Casey Sherbrook made seven saves. What hurt the Pioneers were the passes that didn’t connect: against most teams, a missed connection costs a possession. Against Memorial, it could also give a Panther a head start toward Sherbrook’s cage.

Wednesday was the last time these eleven boys played together. For the seniors, that last swim came one round sooner than they wanted. They’ll have another night to remember, too: their own pool, Tulare Union on the other side, and a 10-9 win that made them WYL champions. They played ten league games together and won every one. Coach Chapman developed an exceptional water polo team. They were, The Boys in the Pool.