This year, the Parkway South Water Polo team has been anything but ordinary. Currently, with a 6-4 record and a roster filled with experienced starters, this team is determined to end the season on a high note.
A major storyline this season has been senior goalie Ben Southard, who has been a major defensive anchor for the team defensively. Southard has currently recorded 109 saves so far this season, with also having a 0.626 goalie percentage. This puts him at the top of his position in the state, according to stats in the St. Louis area.
Offensively, this team has a trio of standout scorers. Seniors Joseph Schutte and Aaron Mizerny are in the top 20 in the state offensively right now. Schutte has 33 goals and Mizerny sports 31 goals on the season. Junior Charlie Shaffer is next up with 23 goals.
However, this successful season has not been without its challenges. The team had to practice and play games at other Parkway schools after losing their home pool.
“We’ve been at North and we’ve been at Central. Practices are later, which kind of sucks, but that’s okay,” said Shaffer.
Head Coach Jeremy Nichols echoed the difficulty, noting the inconsistency of the practice times and travel as ongoing obstacles. Still, he praised the team’s commitment: as he mentions the team has, “been flexible and understanding, and they’ve stayed dedicated to getting better.”
Even with the setbacks of losing the pool, the Patriots have not let that drag them down as they delivered strong performances, like their 19-4 win against Rockwood Summit, April 3.
“We saw a lot of younger players step up,” said Mizerny.
Mizerny said leadership has been a major strength for this team. Southard, Schutte and Mizerny serve as captains of the team this year.
“All our starters came back from last year, so we’ve kind of had some development with that,” Mizerny said. “And if there’s a younger person, I’ll pull them aside and give them advice.”
That leadership has been heavily noticed on the team as teammate junior Gideon Koenig praised both Mizerny and Schutte for their communication and ability to push the team forward, while also calling Southard “one of the best in the state.”
The team’s unity has been key to overcoming adversity, according to Coach Nichols.
“Our strength is, without a doubt, our unity. We are a family, we all work hard for one another and look out for one another.¨ he said.
This water polo team just recently suffered a 10-9 loss against John Burroughs on April 21, but they will have a chance for redemption as they get a highly anticipated rematch with them on April 29.
With the postseason coming soon, everyone’s goals have been the same and simple, getting top 10 in state or even a top 5 mention. The team remains focused and determined on improvement to and making a statement for this water polo team.
As though this season has come with many obstacles, setbacks, growth, and determination, this water polo team continues to prove their resiliance and how they are a dangerous team for other schools in the area.
As Shaffer put it, “We just gotta keep it behind us, keep pushing ahead, and keep working to get better, even without the facility.”
![“All-Suburban [choir] was really fun because I got to work with a lot of people from other schools that I didn't know and I got to make friends. We got to learn fun but challenging music and perform for my parents so that was really fun. But the audition process was really stressful, because over 600 people auditioned but only around 150 actually made it into the choir so that was really intimidating for me. I was one out of three girls in my class who made it so that made me feel really special and I was really grateful to have this opportunity.”](https://psouthtreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Image_20260523_140845_694.jpeg)
