The Cypress Creek High School girls’ water polo team celebrates after winning the TISCA Water Polo State Championship on April 30 in College Station.
The Cypress Creek High School girls’ water polo team clinched the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) Water Polo State Championship on April 30 at Texas A&M University, defeating Southlake Carroll 8-4 in the title game to win it all.
It was the Cypress Creek girls’ sixth all-time championship and first since 2005. Head Coach Jeff Chandler, who won his first title as the Cougars’ coach, was named TISCA Water Polo Coach of the Year.
Head Coach Jeff Chandler displays the TISCA Water Polo Coach of the Year certificate he received after the Cougars won the state championship.
“It was definitely a thousand-pound gorilla off my back kind of a feeling,” Chandler said. “But more than anything I’m very proud and happy for the girls. A lot of hard work and dedication went into this.”
The Cougars defeated Alamo Heights, Clear Brook and St. Agnes to advance to the championship game. They then concluded a dominant season in which they went 37-0 and never trailed in a game with an equally impressive championship performance.
The Cypress Creek girls’ water polo team takes its first place state banner in the water at the TISCA Water Polo State Tournament on April 30.
“It was kind of remarkable to see, because that was the best game that a lot of those girls have ever played,” Chandler said. “The word ‘team’ is exactly it. They have great teamwork and came into this tournament a lot more loose and confident than they had the past couple years.”
Junior Sydney Coachman was named the TISCA Water Polo Player of the Year.
Cypress Creek teammates join junior Sydney Coachman as she holds the TISCA Water Polo Player of the Year trophy following the team’s state title on April 30.
“She’s been a solid competitor all year,” Chandler said. “She plays both ends of the field and is just an all-around great athlete.”
The Jersey Village High School girls also represented at the state tournament, tying for fifth place overall.
In the boys’ tournament, Jersey Village tied for fifth place in the state and Cypress Creek tied for seventh place.
The following athletes were named to the TISCA Water Polo All-State teams:
First Team All-State
Girls
- Sydney Coachman, junior, Cypress Creek;
- Whitney Dore, senior, Cypress Creek; and
- Katie Gill, freshman, Jersey Village.
Boys
- Michael Lewandowski, junior, Jersey Village; and
- Todd Coachman, senior, Cypress Creek.
Second Team All-State
Girls
- Maggie Montgomery, sophomore, Jersey Village;
- Brooke Brown, junior, Cypress Creek; and
- Gaby Renteria, senior, Cypress Creek.
Boys
- Jake Sharar, junior, Cypress Creek; and
- Reece Dubaniewicz, senior, Jersey Village.
Honorable Mention All-State
Boys
- Chris Onorato, senior, Jersey Village
