On September 17, 2025 Pacific Grove High School’s Boys Varsity Water Polo played against their biggest rival, Carmel, in the Fin Game. Unfortunately for the Breakers, the game was a devastating loss, 22-4. 

Just last year, PG had dominated the league and emerged victorious in the Fin Game, but the tides have shifted. After the graduation of most of last season’s players, the Breakers were left to rebuild their roster, relying heavily on underclassmen. Carmel, meanwhile, has enjoyed a surge of new players, as many athletes from last year’s JV team stepped up to varsity this fall.

The imbalance showed immediately. By the end of the first quarter, the Breakers were already behind 1-9, with sophomore River Merrick scoring the early goal for PG. For the Padres, senior Jack Balas was unstoppable, scoring the majority of his team’s goals and keeping pressure on PG throughout the match. Despite the huge loss, it still was a massive experience for the PG team. Coach Casey Lyon emphasized the importance of growth throughout the season. 

The JV squad faced similar struggles in their matchup, also falling 21-4 to Carmel. Pacific Grove’s JV team is almost entirely made up of newcomers, with many players experiencing their first official water polo season this fall. 

Sophomore, Santana Perry on the JV boys team reports “The reason why we lost is that the Carmel team was faster during fast breaks (switch of possession of the ball between plays, usually in an unexpected turnover), and had better communication compared to us.”

While the losses were hard to accept, coaches stated that both teams are in a rebuilding phase. With so many new athletes getting playing time, the expectation is that the Breakers will grow stronger with each game and build a foundation for future seasons.