The Spartans went out on a high note at the varsity water polo state championship tournament last weekend, and they finished one spot better than last year’s squad.

The team won one out of their three matches — the final one — over the course of the challenge and finished in a “well-earned seventh place” overall, said Spartan Head Coach Jacob Millican.

First, they lost 19-2 to Mercer Island, then they came up short in a 6-3 contest against their longtime rivals from Wilson High, before finally belting out a 10-8 win over Kentridge.

Several Spartans gave particularly standout performances throughout the matches.

Senior Cade Taylor had 30 saves, junior Jem Bullock managed five goals and senior Riker Haddon sneaked in seven steals and effectively shut down the 2M players from Wilson and Kentridge, Millican said.

All three players were named as honorable mentions to the All-State team.

The top 10 finish was far from guaranteed earlier this season, which saw the team get off to a bit of a rocky start, Millican said. It was a pattern that would be echoed, albeit on a much accelerated timeline, in the championship.

Ultimately, the first round of the tournament against Mercer Island was a real kind of “take your medicine” situation for the Spartans.

However, faced with a technically superior opponent, almost certain defeat and an immediate points deficit (7-1 in the first quarter alone), the team swam hard, stayed engaged and moved on to their next match with dignity intact.

Dignity aside, the face-off against Wilson took some wind out of the Spartans’ sails.

Having lost several times to Wilson already this season — but by less each time — the BHS squad was bound and determined to finally come out on top. However, it was not to be.

The loss narrowed down their final possibilities to seventh place at best.

Millican said he was really happy with the Spartans’ improved playing, even in the games they didn’t win.

“There was a maturity piece that was missing,” he said. “It was great to see them really fulfill their potential.”

The Spartans finally got their spot in the sun during their final match at state against Kentridge, a contest that Millican said saw the team firing on all cylinders and looking great from start to finish.

The top 10 finish was a reward, Millican explain, for the players’ dedication and drive — especially during some of the early season setbacks.

“It was a good group of kids,” he said of this year’s team. “They had a great attitude.”

The Spartans stand to lose three senior players to graduation (Taylor, Haddon and Eric Nibarger), but with a solid crop of juniors and sophomores moving up in the ranks and a consistent interest in the water polo club program throughout the year, Millican said he expects good things next season.