Archie Williams players celebrate in the pool after defeating Redwood 11-8 at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Jake Carrera of Archie Williams shoots and scores his fifth goal against Redwood on a penalty shot at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11–8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Vincent Krilanovich of Archie Williams swims after the ball at their MCAL boys water polo championship against Redwood at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Ossie Joplin of Redwood blocks a shot by Hayden Long of Archie Williams at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Archie Williams goalkeeper Josh Dixon blocks Redwood goal attempt at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Vincent Krilanovich of Archie Williams takes a shot while being defended by Storm Jackson of Redwood at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Archie Williams players pose with their pennant after defeating Redwood 11-8 at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Redwood’s Charlie Poser shoots and scores in front of Archie Williams defender Nate Greenberg at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Nate Greenberg of Archie Williams takes a shot while being defended by Charlie Poser of Redwood at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
In the foreground, Hayden Long of Archie Williams races Redwood’s Isaac Nikfar , left, and Ossie Joplin to the ball at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Storm Jackson of Redwood reacts after scoring against Archie Williams at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Whit Flake (7) of Archie Williams looks to pass the ball through the Redwood defense at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Nate Greenberg of Archie Williams takes a shot over Storm Jackson of Redwood at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Hayden Long of Archie Williams shoots and scores against Redwood at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Jakob Engberg, left, of Redwood works to move the ball past Archie Williams defender Hayden Long (11) at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Redwood’s Storm Jackson secures a loose ball in front of Archie Williams defender Max Gauna (20) at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
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Archie Williams players celebrate in the pool after defeating Redwood 11-8 at the MCAL boys water polo championship at Archie Williams High in San Anselmo, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Redwood 11-8 for the title. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Jake Carrera and his teammates celebrated their freshman season at Archie Williams High in 2021 as boys water polo champions. Now nearing the end of their high school careers, they again hoisted the MCAL pennant on Saturday.
After falling to Redwood in the MCAL playoffs each of the past two years, Archie Williams finally struck gold as the Peregrine Falcons secured an 11-8 victory over the defending champion Giants.
“The last time we won the title, it was at our home pool,” Carrera said. “I want to thank all those seniors who have gone through here before and taught me how to be a leader. It meant a lot to me to come into this game and make it our own.”
For Carrera and his father, there was something extra special about Saturday’s win.
“The opportunity to coach my kid is amazing,” Archie Williams head coach Steve Carrera said. “We’ve had a lot of highlights through his club and high school careers, and to give him this experience means a lot.”
The Falcons (22-3), undefeated in the MCAL this season, are expected a berth in the Open Division for the North Coast Section playoffs, which kicks off next Saturday. The Division I and II playoffs begin on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively. Redwood (23-3), which was the top-ranked team in the NCS entering the MCAL finals, is playing a wait-and-see game ahead of Sunday’s NCS seeding meeting.
Jake Carrera scored a game-high five goals for the Peregrine Falcons, who also got four goals from senior Hayden Long, and one each from junior Nolan Anderson and sophomore Nate Greenberg.
Redwood’s attack was hampered without senior Sawyer Goldberg, who got into early foul trouble, but the Giants still managed to build a 6-5 lead by halftime.
“We had a fair chance of winning this game,” Redwood head coach Rudy Kardos said. “Sawyer got into foul trouble, but Ossie Joplin put everything on his shoulders and played a great game on offense, on defense. In the end, though, Archie Williams deserved to win this game. They’re a great team.”
Joplin scored one goal in each period for a team-high four goals. Storm Jackson scored twice in the first half for the Giants, who also got goals from Charlie Poser and Jakob Engberg before halftime. Jackson’s second goal came in the second period off a pass from Maddox McClellan. Jackson’s shot from the top of the zone threaded its way through traffic to give Redwood its only lead of the game.
Archie Williams netminder Josh Dixon had six saves against 20 Redwood shots as the Falcons defense swarmed around the ball to shut down any clear shooting lanes.
“In the end, I feel like our togetherness and our prowess on defense really helped us,” Jake Carrera said. “We got a couple of steals and we got a couple of goals off those steals, and that gave us some momentum.”
Carrera’s fourth goal of the game, a catch-and-shoot on a pass from Long, gave the Peregrine Falcons an 8-7 lead in the final minute of the third quarter. The momentum carried over into the final quarter, as Long scored two quick goals in the first minute to give the Falcons a 10-7 lead.
A goal on a penalty shot by Joplin gave the Giants some renewed hope as they trailed by just two points with 5 1/2 minutes to play, but Archie Williams’ defense didn’t let them get any closer. A penalty goal by Carrera 3 minutes later seemed to end Redwood’s hopes of a comeback.
“This win was about the school, the tradition Archie Williams has had of always being at the top,” Steve Carrera said.
Jake Carrera added, “The guys who have been here for four years, we’ve lost in the league playoffs the past two years, and we wanted to make this our own. We wanted to come out and play for each other.”
