Last season the Loyola Water Polo team finally wrenched the MIAA A Conference championship away from coach Don Anderson’s Calvert Hall Cardinals.
Anderson retired after the finale, after leading the Cardinals to a remarkable nine championships in 10 years. Mark Rich,who once played for Anderson will take over at the Hall this season, and his goal will be to reclaim the title. It won’t be an easy task.
Loyola coach Keith Schertle’s team battled Anderson’s Cardinals tooth and nail for a decade before copping the crown last season, and now Schertle is preparing his squad to defend their title. Schertle will rely on five key seniors, Oliver Bennett, Alex Porter, Cole Lindner, Kevin Balhoff, and Michael Feihe.
Like Anderson, Schertle knows how to win. He has won four National Catholic Swimming Championships at Blakefield, and a phenomenal 17 consecutive MSA/MIAA A Conference swimming titles.
“We’ll be fast again, and we’ll be prepared,” said Schertle regarding the upcoming water polo season. “Calvert Hall, McDonogh, St. Joe and Gilman are all capable of winning on any given day. We’ll have to be ready to play.”
The Dons will open defense of their title at home on September 7 when Gilman travels to Blakefield. They will visit Calvert Hall for the first rematch of last year’s championship game on September 29.
Here is a recent interview with Schertle and three members of his team, as they prepare for the start of their season.
