A Colorado water polo club which started in Aurora is making a big splash in this unique sport. The Colorado Pirates won the 2nd annual Davey Jones Classic held October 17 th and 18th at Hinkley High School in Aurora.

The Colorado Pirates hosted the top club from Utah, Kearns Water Polo, and the top team from New Mexico, Duke City Aquatics. Teams of boys and girls ages 18 and under competed in a round-robin format playing each other twice. The final game of the tournament decided the winner with Colorado, at 2-1, facing Kearns, also at 2-1.

Colorado jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter which ended with a length of the pool shot by one of the newest Pirates, Luis Vidal. Kearns stormed back in the second quarter to tie the game 4-4 before halftime. The game remained close throughout the third quarter with Kearns trying different strategies to beat Colorado's tough defense.

The Pirates pulled away in the fourth quarter as their greater size and speed wore down the Kearns team. Colorado won the final match 11-7 and clinched the best record in the tournament. Colorado finished with a 3-1 record. Kearns finished 2-2. And Duke City was 1-3.

"We put up a good fight," said team captain Gunnar Oerman. "It shows we're competitive in the region. It also shows we've grown to the point where we can have people in and bring the sport to Colorado."

There was also a 14 and under division in the tournament which gave younger players a chance to get some valuable game experience. Kearns defeated Colorado in all three games in the younger division.

Water polo is a fast-paced sport which combines swimming with elements of soccer, basketball, and even wrestling. Each team has a goalie, plus six field players who move up and down the pool playing both offense and defense. Players can swim a few miles in a single game as they try to work the ball into a goal which is one-meter high by three-meters wide.

New Pirates Making Waves

Two big contributors to the 18U team are Luis and Ramon Vidal who moved to the Denver area after playing at the highest levels in Puerto Rico. Both were members of Puerto Rico's 18U national team.

"They bring a skill level to our team that we've never had before," said Coach Grier Laughlin. "They'll be tremendous. All of our players can learn from them."

Two of the Vidal siblings play at Colorado State University. Their older sister Lorene is a member of the women's NCAA program there. Older brother Raphael, who was a member of Puerto Rico's National Team, plays on the men's club team at CSU.

Jasmine Griffin and Brigitta Games played for the Pirates 14U team during the tournament. Both played in California before moving to the Denver-metro area in recent months.

Finding More Pirates

Head Coach Grier Laughlin started the team in 2003 with eight boys from Grandview and Smoky Hill high schools. Now the team has more than 40 boys and girls participating at locations in Aurora, Littleton, and Boulder. Word of mouth is helping the team grow, along with those players who move into town with a background in the sport. Youth leagues, held twice a year, are introducing younger boys and girls to the game. The most recent Youth League was held in September and helped sixteen kids, ages 7 to 13, discover the game.

"The little kids are so much fun," said Coach Laughlin. "They are excited to play a new sport and just happy to be in the water playing ball."

The next big event for the Pirates is the Colorado Cup at Hinkley High School November 15 th and 16 th. The Pirates will play various college club teams there. The public is welcome to attend. To find out more about the team or the upcoming tournament go to www.coloradowaterpolo.com.