Starting the 2025 season the boys water polo team has their eyes set on another unforgettable run in this year’s state playoffs. With last year’s seniors leaving, this brings new opportunities for this year’s class to develop leadership a skills which will play a big part in what the Duke are trying to achieve this year.
Last year the program made a great run in the playoffs losing in the quarterfinals 9-8 to the state runners-up, Stevenson. In this game the Dukes were down 8-3 at half time. They couldn’t get much going on offense and the high powered offense of Stevenson was destroying them on the defensive end. Drumm knew his team had to adjust and find a different game plan.
“Credit Stevenson, they came at us with something they had not shown anyone all season,” Head Coach Brian Drumm said.
The Dukes were able to adjust but it wasn’t enough as Stevenson edged out York by one goal, knocking York out of the championship bracket. Even though they lost, Drumm had some encouraging words to say,
“The second half of that game was the most perfect half of water polo I’ve ever watched as a coach,” Drumm said.
After last season, the team lost Gavin Honken who was the all time leading scorer in York history. However, Drumm isn’t too worried with his star player leaving as he has multiple rising players who will be able to provide for the team. Players like returning senior Captain Tim Jensen who was all state as a sophomore and a junior, is looking to add on to that impressive stat. Other players Drumm mentioned were junior Gabe Piper and senior goalie Aaron Rivera who played internationally for the Mexican Youth National team. Drumm thinks Jensen in particular can really step up and be the big leader this year for the dukes.
“A lot of what we do is going to revolve around [Jensen], and his skill set,” Drumm said.
Teddy Kamenika and Ethan Allen are both returning starters who were freshmen last year. Drumm wants both of these young talents to step up from starter to a bigger central role on the team. Rivera, who Drumm mentioned as one of the biggest returners on this year’s team, is taking a new role of being the starting goalie this year. Rivera has been a backup his whole career at York but the learning experiences he has endured throughout his time in the program led him to where he is now. He says that the biggest role models to him growing in the program were definitely the upperclassmen goalies in front of him, Jack Schroeder and Nate Reidy, both goalies who have graduated, in addition to all of his coaches. All the
offseason training and club games have helped him improve immensely as well.
“I have been playing with the Elmhurst Aquatics premiere team with a mix of York teammates and other great players from around Illinois,” Rivera said.
Rivera also competed in the Junior Olympics in California and the Elite League season in the fall. He is proud to say he was able to participate with the U-19 Mexican National team in the Summer Pan-American games in San Salvador, El Salvador. Overall Drumm has himself what he thinks is a state contending roster. Drumm has been used to this type of team that is always in the title picture for state. His teams have been so close to reaching that trophy, but never have.
“The attitude and the culture has never been better with this group, I know they’re hungry, losing so close the last couple of years has really stung, and these guys have been a part of that, so just getting another shot at it really excites me,” Drumm said.
