ST. PETERS • Paul Baudendistel embraced John Lewis. The coach and player smiled at one another, hugged and exchanged a few words.
They did so while treading water.
The St. Louis University High water polo team had just captured the Missouri Water Polo state championship Saturday night at the St. Peters Rec-Plex with its 9-6 win over Ladue and Baudendistel was tossed into the pool for a celebratory dip.
Standing poolside, soaked from head to sneaker covered toe, Baudendistel couldn’t have been happier.
“They throw the coaches in,” he said with a wide smile. “I never bring a change of clothes. I don’t want to jinx it. If I have to drive home wet, I’m happy with that.”
Last year, Baudendistel made the trek home bone dry. SLUH finished fourth after a run of four consecutive championships. For a program that prides itself on collecting titles, a fourth-place finish was devastating.
Lewis did his part to make sure his coach would need a towel.
The senior scored three goals, including the first of the match, to give him 40 on the season.
“It’s unbelievable,” Lewis said. “It’s sad that it’s over, but it’s great to end it on top.”
Five different players scored for SLUH (28-1), which had to rally back from a 4-2 halftime deficit.
After decimating the competition throughout the first part of the spring, the Junior Billikens found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard time and again at halftime down the stretch.
They clawed their way to victory every time.
“It was really a tale of two seasons,” Baudendistel said. “I don’t know how they do it.”
They did it again Saturday.
Ladue (17-17) held SLUH without a goal in the first quarter, something rarely seen. But SLUH returned the favor. After scoring five goals in the third quarter and another two in the fourth, the Junior Billikens shut the door on the Rams, holding them scoreless in the final quarter.
Ladue, the No. 7 seed, managed to secure its place in the title game by winning four consecutive one-goal games. It only found itself in the state championship match after escaping a sudden-death overtime thriller the night before with Parkway South.
“I think we kind of ran out of steam,” Ladue coach Corey Miller said. “I think we showed we can play.”
In the third-place game Saturday at the Rec-Plex, fourth-seeded Parkway West (25-7) beat Parkway South (18-4), the No. 3 seed,10-7.
