Last Hurrah

Maybe Davis High’s most-decorated boys H20 polo player, Connor Stapleton entered the SJS playoffs still seeking his first title.

  Editor’s Note: This story ran in our Nov. 1 issue. Stapleton and his Davis teammates did attain their goal of winning the program’s first SJS title since 2008. 

By JIM McCUE | Senior Contributor

Connor Stapleton has an impressive resume. 

The Davis water polo star is a two-time High School All-American, a member of the U.S. National Youth Team, and a four-year starter for one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s most prolific programs. The one thing he doesn’t have, though, is a section championship.

The Blue Devils have won a total of 13 section titles, but the last time the Blue Devils captured a championship was in 2008, one year before Stapleton’s freshman season. Despite finishing as runners-up in each of his three seasons, he does not see his last opportunity at a high school title as a make-or-break proposition for his psyche.

“It will only be a disappointment if we don’t give our best effort,” he said of the chance of losing a fourth section final. “As long as we play well, I will be proud of my four years here and of our effort this year.”

The Blue Devils’ effort so far this year has been good enough to earn what is sure to be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Davis has yet to lose to an SJS team this year, and has played top teams throughout the state in preparation for its playoff run.

“We seek out the best competition we can get and travel to play top teams,” head coach Tracy Stapleton said of preparing his team for the postseason. “We are trying to make our athletes the best they can be by giving them these experiences.”

Connor Stapleton, the coach’s son, has accumulated plenty of experience and is a primary reason this year’s team is poised to return to the top. As the team’s lone starting senior, the two-year captain is the Blue Devils’ statistical and tactical leader.

“He really understands what we are trying to do,” the coach said. “He is like a coach in the water whether it is at practice or in a game.”

That Connor is comfortable leading in and out of the pool is no surprise since he grew up poolside at Davis High. His dad, who is in his 25th season as the Blue Devils’ coach, has had Connor and his younger sister, Colby, a sophomore on the girls’ team at Davis, in the water and on the end of the bench for most of their lives.

Connor was exposed to the game at a very early age and began swimming and throwing the ball around the pool at age 6. That didn’t stop him from exploring other sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball around the same time. The multi-talented athlete was a three-sport star until fifth grade when he decided to dedicate his time and effort to becoming the best water polo player he could be.

The accolades and honors piled up as he and his game grew. With just a handful of high school games left, the next chapters of his athletic and academic careers will be written shortly. Stapleton will leave shortly after the section playoffs conclude for Australia, where he will compete for the United States Under-18 youth squad in the FINA World Championships in Perth. 

When the new year rings in, he will deliberate over where to continue his education and water polo endeavors. He has already been accepted to Stanford, but Stapleton says he is still considering UCLA and Cal as college options.

“I am really happy that I got accepted to Stanford, but I am still considering everything,” Connor said.

His options are wide open as he carries a 4.3 GPA and would be welcomed by any top tier water polo program in the country. The decision will be just another choice in the student-athlete’s busy life that has included high school and club water polo, AP classes, and, when time permits, a social life.

“I have had to set priorities and budget my time between water polo, school, and a social life,” he said of balancing studies and sports with enjoying his senior year of high school. “I have a ‘work now, play later’ mindset that has been taught to me by my entire family, from parents to grandparents.”

For now, the work is his play for Davis in the section playoffs. Stapleton is at the top of his game, having grown stronger each year through his high school, club, and international experience.

“I have become stronger and have more explosiveness than I had in the past,” he said of his strength in the pool. “I also think that I am more tenacious and don’t back down from anyone.” 

The Blue Devils will face a steady line of capable opponents with the goal of knocking off the favorite and derailing Stapleton’s hopes of finishing his high school career on top. After coming so close for three years, the senior believes that the pain and heartbreak of years past can propel the team to a championship.

“The sting of losing fuels our team,” Connor said of last year’s loss to Jesuit-Carmichael in the section final and his experience finishing as runner-up the last three years. “We don’t want to feel that way again.”

Stapleton is hopeful that the young team that fell short last year has learned from the experience of being in the postseason.

“It is absolutely huge to have played in the do-or-die situation that the playoffs provide,” he said. “It makes the players comfortable in the water, so that they don’t get caught up in the atmosphere of the playoffs.”

After the recent conclusion of the Finis Memorial Cup in San Jose where the Blue Devils went 3-1 with their lone loss to eventual-champion Corona del Mar of Southern California, the team is confident it can handle the best teams that the section has to offer.

“We just want to go out and keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Connor said of his team’s upcoming playoff run. “My expectation is to blow away the competition in sections because I believe that we are capable of doing that.”

If they can do it, Stapleton can finally add that SJS championship to a resume that will continue to grow far beyond this year’s playoffs.