Another year, another title for Curie boys

Updated: May 7, 2011 9:04PM

By now Curie boys water polo coach Omar Vazquez knows to have an extra set of clothes on hand and to get his shoes off in a hurry.

Vazquez needed that knowledge Saturday as he was swarmed by his players before being shoved into the pool as the Condors celebrated their fifth consecutive Public League championship.

“He deserves it after all the yelling he does and all the swimming and the work he puts us through,” Condors senior Eric Hernandez said. “It’s the thing we really look forward to.”

Hernandez scored three goals and Eduardo Chavez added four – including two in the final minute to punctuate the victory – to lift Curie to an 8-3 win over Young at UIC and set off the celebratory manhunt for their coach.

“I saw them coming and was like, ‘Aw man, these are expensive shoes,’ I had to get them off real fast,” Vazquez said. “I know it’s coming and I know it’s going to hurt. Good thing I brought extra clothes. Last year I forgot and I had to borrow some kid’s swimming shorts – that was horrible.”

The moment was especially sweet for the Hernandez because he got to share the title with younger brother, sophomore goalie Marcos.

“It means a lot because my older brother also shared it with me,” Eric Hernandez said. “He was a senior my sophomore year and winning now with Marcos just feels like continuing that tradition.”

Marcos Hernandez made 11 saves – including five in the third period – for the Condors (23-5), who led 2-1 at halftime.

“I didn’t want to let my team down,” Marcos Hernandez said. “We had already lost to this team once and I didn’t want to let it happen again.”

Said his brother, Eric: “I didn’t expect anything less from him. He’s something else.”

Edgar Lopez, Rustam Mendbaev and David Mora each scored and Nate Anderson had 10 saves for Young (21-4), which finished second to Curie for the second year in a row.

“We honestly thought we were better than them, and I still think we are, but they played better than us,” Anderson said.

Ramiro Almaraz added a goal for Curie, which won its fifth league title in the program’s sixth season – all under the guidance of Vazquez.

“These are Public League kids and that’s what I care about the most,” Vazquez said. “These are kids that can’t pay the big Catholic school tuitions, but want to have a place to play water polo and compete at a high level. I’m very proud we’ve been able to provide that at Curie.”

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