Groundbreaking season for Carroll, Keller water polo teams as playoffs get underway

When Keller and Southlake Carroll jump into the pool on Tuesday, the Indians and Dragons will be making history.

This entire season has been one for the record books.

Water polo is in its first year as an official UIL sanctioned sport. The playoffs begin with the bi-district round on Tuesday and runs through Oct. 29 for the state championships in San Antonio.

The Carroll girls will open against Braswell at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lewisville ISD Eastside Aquatics Center. The Carroll boys will face Prosper Rock Hill following the girls game.

“These kids work hard and handle adversity well,” Carroll coach Keith Gomez said. “They have responded well and overcome some challenges. They have stayed very focused the whole season.

“We’re excited for the playoffs and how far we can go.”

Water polo was supposed to be a UIL sport in 2020, but according to executive director of athletics Susan Elza, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the process.

However, the UIL had been discussing water polo well before that.

“COVID changed our plans, but the delay helped increase the excitement and anticipation,” Elza said. “I feel like the support we got, we were ready and it was time.”

There are 19 schools from the Dallas-Fort Worth area participating in the pilot program, including Carroll and Keller, both in District 2-6A.

For this inaugural season, there is only Class 6A teams with nearly 30 districts across the state.

Carroll Dragons

Gomez said that 2-6A is the toughest in the state.

While some schools are playing for the first time, schools like Carroll, Keller and the rest of their district (Flower Mound, Marcus, Hebron, Jesuit) had water polo well before this season, just as a club sport.

“One big advantage going into the season, our boys varsity team, all our players play club outside of high school and they have for several seasons,” Carroll coach Keith Gomez said. “They play club, high school and in the ODP, the Olympic Development Program, so they’re in the pool year around which makes it little easier for us coaches that they bring that knowledge and experience.”

Both the boys and girls teams at Carroll won a co-district championship.

The boys tied with Marcus and enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed while the girls tied with Flower Mound and will be the No. 1 seed.

“They have been a blessing to coach,” Gomez said. “They’re able to share things with the newer kids that haven’t played water polo before. It’s been a great experience and great team. It’s fun to see.”

“We’ve been super excited to showcase our kids. We’ve had kids play in the past, but now we’re excited about where it goes,” Carroll athletic director Steve Keasler added.

Gomez had spent many years with Carroll and was the assistant coach for both the swimming and diving team as well as the water polo team. Then he moved to Nebraska after his wife took a job.

Now he’s back to a place that’s close to his heart.

“Part of it was that I missed the state of Texas,” Gomez said. “When you spend a number of years with a school, you start to miss being around the kids. So when the opportunity came to be the head water polo coach, it meant a lot to me. We’ve lived in Southlake and my kids grew up in the school system.”

Keller Indians

When Gomez was a water polo assistant at Carroll, he was helping Keeley Lowery, who is now the head coach at Keller.

Her Keller boys team finished third in district.

“When we found out last year about water polo at Keller, there was some excitement, but also some nervousness,” said Lowery, who is in her first year at Keller. “Now we’re able to represent our school. It was a little different in years past when it was just a club sport. Now they’re a part of the pep rallies and getting media coverage and tweets from the school district.

“You can see how excited they are at pep rallies when the school recognizes them. It’s a big deal for them and you just watch their faces. That’s the great part of it all.”

The Keller boys will play Prosper at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the LISD Westside Center.

The girls didn’t qualify for the playoffs, but Lowery said she was extremely proud of their work ethic.

“They were excited to come to practice every day,” Lowery said. “A lot of girls started last year. We’re a small group. But they loved it. They always wanted to learn and get better. I love that about this group of kids.”

“We’re very fortunate,” Keller athletic director Eric Persyn added. “It’s another way to showcase our kids. I’ve been to a couple practices and games. It’s fun to watch.”

Lowery has been with water polo for 13 years, the previous six with Carroll.

She was nominated for Texas girls coach of the year last season.

“Teams are diverse,” Lowery said. “A lot of kids have played at the club level for years, but then you have programs like Forney, North Forney, a whole bunch of schools that have never played and are learning from the beginning.”

Growth

Both Gomez and Lowery see the sport growing in the coming years, but it might be at a slow pace.

Lowery mentioned pool time and availability is key.

“We have four high schools in Keller and we share one pool,” she said. “I can see it growing at the collegiate level. It will grow at the high school level as well, but not as fast.”

“I can see another 20 schools added next year,” added Gomez, “It’s great to have another sport that kids have the opportunity to be active in.”

Elza said some schools had planned on playing this year, but had to change their minds, either from participation or they wanted to wait another year.

“It going to increase,” she said. “With more time, schools will be adding a program and no doubt water polo will continue to grow.”