The St. Benedict’s Varsity Water Polo team upset the 2014 State Champions, The Lawrenceville Big Reds, 14-12, in their second straight victory of the season. The Gray Bees won a crucial game over their long-time rival while playing in front of a lively home crowd, making their record 2-1.

The Gray Bees have not won against Lawrenceville in their last four face-offs, and were runner-up to them in the State Championships.

“This time around, the team was more prepared and we worked harder during practice and on plays,” said junior Ameen King, a varsity starter for the Gray Bees.

Benedict’s matched Lawrenceville’s skill set with a tie in the first quarter. Senior Varsity Captain, Kenya Moncur-Whitaker, executed two defensive blocks to keep the Big Reds from scoring in the first period. A rainbow-assist from deep-end goalie, Juan Abalo, to teammate Robert Marshall, energized the crowd and carried spirit into the next quarter.

The second quarter featured senior Otis Tyson, who scored four goals during the period, including a back-handed goal that galvanized the crowd and his teammates. Otis played a prolific game, scoring eight goals overall and helping his team to a 10-4 lead at halftime. His dominant second quarter performance decided the game.

Lawrenceville came back after halftime and outscored Benedict’s in the third quarter, 5-2. The Big Reds came within one goal and fought back during the fourth quarter, finding holes in Benedict’s defense; however, they could not surpass the Gray Bees.

The Benedict’s Varsity squad continue with a major win as they face down the rest of their season and look to advance past a strong, but disappointing second place finish during last year. Shallow-end goalie, Gregory Cordero, said, “This season we plan to do better [than the last] and this year our team chemistry is excellent.”