Max Wagener’s water polo journey from Piedmont High to University of Redlands
PIEDMONT, Calif. — In water polo sport, speed and strength is required along with teamwork and a high level of fitness. The game is like a pool version of soccer that uses a lot of basketball-like tactics. Water polo is specific goal-scoring sport in which goals are located at each end of the pool, and the winner is the team that gets the most goals between the posts. Usually, a water polo team consists of 13 players. As per water polo rules, matches are split into 4 quarters of 8 minutes each.
Max Wagener from Piedmont, California has recently emerged as a promising water polo athlete. A former baseball player, Max grew up playing the game, and was given lessons by a family friend when he was only three years old. When he was a freshman at Piedmont, he played football and golf, as well as other sports.
As a sophomore, Max switched from football to water polo when he failed to see any improvement. Immediately upon joining the team, he found a camaraderie that was unmatched. Max was drawn to water polo the moment he saw it. He also received great attention from the coaches.
Wagener’s former water polo coach at Piedmont, John Savage, pointed out that Max was more than capable of being an elite player. The tall, lanky athlete had a great shot. His leadership and intensity made him a valuable member of the team. John further stated that Max had demonstrated great leadership as a team captain.
At present, Max has enrolled himself in the University of Redlands in Southern California where he has joined the Redland Men’s Water Polo team.
Earlier this month the Redlands Men’s Water Polo team narrowly missed out on beating the Air Force Academy in overtime 13-12. As the Bulldogs and Falcons matched each other goal for goal, the first game of the classic was a back-and-forth affair. With just five goals scored in regulation in the second half, it was a defensive stand. Tor Cole (Malibu) and Max Wagener (Piedmont) scored in the 3rd quarter to give UR a 2-1 lead. The quarter ended 10-10. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored, but the Falcons had a chance to win the game on their last possession.
In their second match-up of the day, the Bulldogs earned their first win of 2021 defeating Fresno Pacific 17-13 to give Head Coach Ryan Hall his first victory at Redlands. After intermission, Fresno Pacific outscored Redlands 4-3 to get within four points.
The final matchup of the day pitted the Maroon and Grey against UCSB, a Top 5 Division I team. After giving up 10 goals in the first quarter, they surrendered six every subsequent quarter. Despite this, they scored three goals in the second and third, before scoring two more in the final eight minutes. Wagener and other team members teamed up with Cole to score a hat trick.
Eventually, the Bulldogs finished off the Classic on Sunday, Sept. 12 by taking on Long Beach State, Ottawa (AZ), and Riverside City College.
Max, who’s almost six and half feet tall, considers Aaron Rodgers as his favorite professional athlete. The food he prefers to eat is sushi. In response to a question about his decision to become a Bulldog student-athlete, Max answered that he would be able to both graduate from high school and play the sport he loves.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
