Like every sports season, the competition must eventually come to an end. In the case of the Forest Hills varsity girls water polo team, its season ended strong and proud. 

With the loss of their coach during the first week of the season, the girls went through a lot trying to overcome the obstacle and knew they had their work cut out for them from the get-go.

“The team went through a lot at the beginning of the season when we lost a coach, but I think we were all able to adapt to the change and make the best out of it,” junior Sydney Bacon said. 

The season started off on Saturday, March 19, with a tournament at East Grand Rapids against East Kentwood, Chelsea, and Zeeland. The girls beat Chelsea and Zeeland but were not successful in beating East Kentwood. This left the team at 2-1 at the start of the season. 

The team then played Hudsonville on March 22, where it hoped to add a win to its record. Despite all of the girls’ efforts, the team lost 16-0 to Hudsonville. Two days later, the team hosted Jenison at home for the first time of the season where the girls fell short, losing 10-6. 

The day after falling to Jenison, Forest Hills went head-to-head against EGR in a heated battle for the win. At the end of the fourth period, though, the EGR Pioneers won, making the Forest Hills record for the season 2-4. The team then traveled to Grand Haven to play Grandville, Hudsonville, Grand Haven, and EGR. The girls beat Grand Haven and Grandville, but lost to EGR twice and Hudsonville once. At this point, the team sat at a 4-7 record.

Next, the girls played Zeeland West and lost by 2 points with a score of 12-10. Their luck turned around in their game against West Ottawa when they crushed their opponent 17-6. This bumped the team to a 5-8 record with a clutch win over one of its rivals. 

At this point in the season, the seniors started feeling the wave of memories connected to their years on the team and reflected back on their experiences. 

“It is bittersweet leaving the team,” senior Caroline Bell said. “I will miss my teammates a lot since they all mean so much to me. However, I am excited for the seniors as we take our next steps in life.”

The team went up against Okemos, West Ottawa, and Zeeland next in a tournament and came out with a 1-2 record for that week, winning against West Ottawa yet again with a clean victory. The girls then played EGR at home on April 21, where they fell by only 2 points to the Pioneers with the final score being 10-8. After this game, the team’s record stood at 6-11. 

Following these games, the team went 0-4 against Jenison, Zeeland, Steverson, and Grandville during a long week of competition and struggles. On Tuesday, April 26, Forest Hills went up against Rockford high school in a tough matchup to end off the month. The team lost 10-4.

The girl’s luck changed on Monday, May 2, when they faced off against Mason at Mason. Both teams battled hard, but Forest Hills came out with the win with a score of 11-9 in a close game. This boosted team morale and gave the girls hope going into their last game before the district finals. In the girls’ last regular-season game together, the team battled against Grand Haven for higher seeding in its upcoming tournament. The team was successful in its battle with a smooth 11-8 score in the end. 

Going into the district tournament, the Forest Hills girls kept their heads high as they took on Holt, East Lansing, and Okemos’s joint team. The competition was tough and the girls were beaten by their opponent 14-5. At the end of the season, the team’s overall record was 8-17. 

Despite the season not going how the girls planned, the athletes were so happy to see how they grew over their months together and they can’t wait to see what next season brings. 

“The team this year has been great to be a part of and I loved playing with them. I am sad to see the season end because we are losing seven seniors that are all super talented and fun to be around. They brought so much to the team and made the season amazing,” Sydney Bacon said.