In an action-packed weekend, the Foothill girls’ water polo team took first place in a two-day tournament at Arroyo Grande High School. Foothill played five games total, two on Saturday and three on Sunday, and won each one.

On Friday, Foothill played Pioneer Valley High School first, and defeated them with a final score of 15-3.

Coach Samantha Ebberson believed that “the girls played great” and that “they all did exactly what they were supposed to do.”

In the second game on Friday, according to Ebberson, “the girls were tired,” but defeated Santa Maria High School with a final score of 20-8.

“After a long week, […] it was to be expected [for them to be tired], but they never gave up,” said Ebberson. “They played with their heart and went [all] out.”

On Saturday, Foothill first played Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and won with a final score of 9-8 in double overtime. Freshman Josie Thorp scored the winning goal of the game during the final seconds of overtime.

“This had to have been the best game I ever saw the girls play,” said Ebberson. “They got pushed to their limits, but they handled the stress well.”

In their second game of the day, Foothill defeated Paso Robles High School with a score of 10-3. Even though the girls were “exhausted at the beginning of the game,” Ebberson said that “they never stopped fighting.”

However, Ebberson believes that the girls need to work on “pushing through the pain.”

Foothill ended the tournament by defeating Atascadero High School with a final score of 10-3.

“They saw the finish line and nothing was going to stop them,” said Ebberson. “They started off slow and frazzled, but never giving up the lead. They pushed back, fighting even harder and pulled any […] energy they had left in them out.”

In five days, Foothill girls’ water polo team played eight games. Ebberson was proud of how the girls never gave up.

“I am so proud of these girls. Taking first in their first tournament of the year is huge […] No one thought they were going to make it except for them,” said Ebberson. “They wanted it and they went out and got it. Winning first [place]out of about 14 teams is huge and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Foothill now has a league record of seven wins and zero losses, with a total of eight wins and zero losses.