Max Abravanel leads Northwood’s water polo team into two home matches this week. (Photo courtesy Abravanel family)
Max Abravanel has had quite a season for the Northwood boys water polo team, which is ranked third in this week’s CIF Division 3 water polo poll and is battling Woodbridge for the Pacific Coast League title.
“He’s one of our strongest players and probably the player that teams worry most about,” said Northwood Coach Kyle Kim-E.
So far, the junior has 34 goals, 14 assists and 22 steals.
“He missed the South Coast Tournament because of the flu though, so he has only played in eight of our 13 games,” Kim-E said. “So he is actually averaging 4.3 goals per game.”
Abravanel has been an all-league and All-CIF player and Kim-E expects him to earn similar honors this year.
“I expect him to make first team all-league again this year and depending on how our team performs in CIFs, I think Max will make first or second team All-CIF,” the coach said.
Already, some Division 1 Ivy League programs and some of the top UC programs have talked to him, Kim-E said.
“Being a junior, I think he’s still very open-minded about where he would like to attend but I know that he would like to attend somewhere balanced that can offer him a great academic experience and a great water polo experience as well,” Kim-E said.
“Max is a hardworking individual that strives to be the best leader and teammate that he can be. As is evident by his stats, Max embodies a complete water polo player oftentimes leading in goals, assists, and steals. He’s one of the best players in our league and is most likely one of the best players in our division as well.
“What I appreciate most about Max, however, is his ability to be a leader both in and out of the water: showing his teammates that it’s important to not only excel in the water but also in the classroom.”
If you have a possible player to watch for any sport, please email Editor Tim Burt; timburt@ocsportszone.com
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone
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