For most teams, starting a season 3-7-1 would be far from where it would want to be.
While that is exactly the case with the Fort Zumwalt West water polo team, just having expectations of righting the ship prior to season's end is a step in the right direction.
"We have just been so hot and cold, really inconsistent this season," Zumwalt West coach Gerard Gonthier said. "If we get consistent and play the way we can play, by golly, I would put us up against any of the top teams. We played Lindbergh and they beat us by two (goals, in a 7-5 loss March 24). That's never happened before. We've also never held them to seven goals."
So far this season, Zumwalt West is scoring an average of 7.3 goals per game while giving up 9.2 scores to the opposition each outing.
Four players have shouldered the load for the Jaguars' offense in 2010.
That group includes junior Anthony Menichino (22 goals, 22 assists), senior Denny Cody (19-7), junior Wes Clark (9-5) and junior Tanner Kruger (9-3).
"Denny's got some strength but we're not effectively using Denny at this point," Gonthier said. "He's got strength and talent. Anthony is one of those guys that has got so much strength that when you see him shoot, he comes out of the water. Wes - with his left hand - is a power on the side of the goal that doesn't usually exist. We put him to the middle, he'll drive and he's got a wicked backhand. It surprises everybody when it comes out of nowhere. We've just got to start living up to the potential we have as a team."
Zumwalt West has also got a solid defense. The Jags have been led this season by sophomore goaltender Peter Rackovan, who has made 113 saves this season while allowing 46 goals.
Gonthier added that there is nothing but upside to Rackovan's growth potential.
"Pete's a sophomore, he's a soccer player, and this is his second year playing," Gonthier said. "He's following in his sister Taylor's footsteps. She was voted female (water polo) athlete of the year last year. She was our goalie. Pete has stepped into the goal for us and is doing just tremendous."
Gonthier added that his team need look no further than Wednesday's opponent and that team's coach - Parkway Central and Kevin Mabie - as inspiration for how to do things in the pool and how to do them right.
That's especially true in the wake of Wednesday's 6-2 win by the Colts over Zumwalt West in a match at Rockwood Summit as part of the Rockwood Invitational.
"Kevin has got a standard in coaching his kids that I admire," Gonthier said. "I always look forward to playing his team. You know, he started the program here (at Zumwalt West). He's about character building, responsibility and performing to the best that you can. That is something in our program that we try and emulate.
"Winning is great and that's the objective. Losing doesn't feel good and you don't feel good when that happens but if you learn from everything when that happens and bring it to the next game, what more can I ask?"
That's exactly the mental track Gonthier is asking his team to take as the season winds down because if the Jags are on top of their game, then there is no reason why they couldn't win most of the matches left on their schedule.
"We've got that capacity to win every game left on our schedule," Gonthier said. "I feel like we've got a real shot at being in the top 12 district teams. In past years, we've gone from 19 to 16 to 15 (in district seeding). I think we can get to that top 12 and finish above .500 this year. We're just not living up to our potential right now and I've got to figure a way to pull that out of my team."
