Lions Win State

The varsity water polo team competed in the TISCA State Championships this past weekend, playing in front of a home crowd as the top overall seed. With a bye into the semifinals, St. Mark’s faced the Dallas Consolidated Water Polo Team and delivered a dominant performance.

Nine Lions scored in the semifinal victory, led by senior Matthew Liu with three goals. Seniors Oliver Geheb and Doan Nguyen each added two, as did juniors Max Lee and Tyson Diep, along with sophomores James McGinnis and Luke Nguyen. Junior Wyatt Melvin and sophomore Will Behnke each scored once. Final score: St. Mark’s 17, Dallas Consolidated 4.

In the championship match against Houston United, the Lions jumped out to a 5–1 lead in the first quarter. Despite a surge of goalkeeper saves from Houston in the second, St. Mark’s extended its lead to 8–2 at halftime. Defensive adjustments after the break proved effective, as the Lions held Houston scoreless in the third quarter and added two more goals. A 4–3 fourth quarter sealed a 14–5 win and the 2025 TISCA State title.

Final goal scorers: Doan Nguyen 3; McGinnis 2; Lee 2; Geheb 2; Diep 2; Melvin 1; Behnke 1; Luke Nguyen 1.

The Lions now travel to California for the Steve Pal Memorial Tournament, their final competition of the season.

 

Last Friday, the Lions hosted the undefeated John Cooper Dragons. St. Mark’s struck first with a touchdown pass from Blaize Schuhmacher to David Dickson and reached the red zone multiple times in the first half, though two field-goal attempts were blocked. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Lions trailed 10–7 at halftime. St. Mark’s cut the deficit to 17–13 late in the fourth quarter, but John Cooper answered once more to secure a 23–13 win.

Defensively, three Lions recorded double-digit tackles: Mac Saye (20), Tobias Pulido (14) and Jack Levy (10). Reid Smith notched three sacks and three pass breakups. Offensively, the Lions rushed for 102 yards, with Dickson gaining 94 on 15 carries. Schuhmacher completed 17 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns—one to Dickson and one to Grant Kennington—and connected five times with Matthew Wier for 64 yards.

The 4–3 Lions travel to Houston on Friday to take on St. John’s.

The varsity volleyball team endured a difficult three-match week, testing both physical and mental endurance. On Tuesday, the Lions were swept by the Dallas One club team in a match marked by unforced errors.

The team rebounded on Thursday, securing a lengthy, hard-fought win over the DASCHE Spartans club. However, senior setter and captain Ethan Yau suffered an injury late in the match.

Without Yau in the lineup Friday, the Lions struggled to regain rhythm and fell in four sets to the Red River Rattlers club. Despite the setbacks, the team hopes the adversity will prepare them for the SPC championship push.

 

The cross country team was idle from competition this weekend. Instead, the middle and upper school squads held a joint practice followed by a community service effort at White Rock Lake, where athletes helped with trash cleanup.

The Lions return to racing on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Cistercian in a small meet on the Hawks’ new home course.