By Emily Edgcombe
It was an exciting weekend for the Pioneer boys water polo team. They traveled to Birmingham to Seaholm High School to play in the MWPA East Region playoffs where they successfully became the 2024 East Region Champs.
Friday night they trounced Lake Orion 23-1. Leading goal scorers were senior Sawyer Thompson with 4 and junior Ben Worden, who went three for three! Sawyer Thompson and sophomore Elijah Almeida each had three steals. Both goalies, senior Matthew Christiansen and sophomore Jules Ruelle had ten saves each.
On Saturday morning, Pioneer defeated Saline 27-12. Sawyer Thompson scored nine goals, junior Henry Colvig had four goals. Elijah Almeida had six assists and senior Mark Flautner had five.
On Saturday afternoon, Pioneer competed against Birmingham Seaholm for the East Region Championship. Pioneer again was the winner with a final score of 15-4. Sawyer Thompson led with five goals and Mark Flautner had four. Matthew Christiansen had ten saves for the game.
On Nov. 15-16, the Pioneers are headed to Hudsonville to compete for the state championships. The first game will be Friday at 1:30 p.m. against Zeeland.
“The team performed really well at districts and regionals,” Thompson said. “We are super exited showcase our talent at states. We feel confident going into states with great coaching staff, talented players, and amazing fans.”
