Rita Martins Wins District MVP for Highland Park Water Polo
Sophomore leads Lady Scots to record 18 wins and district title, though team exits area round against a national powerhouse.
By Marta Gray ·
Sophomore Rita Martins earned the district Most Valuable Player award for Highland Park girls water polo. She led the Lady Scots in scoring with 123 points, recording 68 goals and 55 assists. Martins also topped the team in steals with 69, a performance that anchored a historic regular season for the program.
Highland Park finished the 2026 regular season with an 8-0 district record and a program-best 18 wins. The Lady Scots claimed their third district title in five years. Head coach Chris Cullen called it a great season, though the team’s postseason run ended in the area round. They lost 14-9 to Flower Mound Marcus, a squad ranked eighth in the nation by maxpreps.com.
Cullen noted that the alignment often forces early matchups against top-tier opponents. "That’s how the alignment falls," he said. "But it was a great season for us." The team’s success was built on depth, with senior captain Kaylee Schmidt finishing as Offensive Player of the Year. Schmidt scored 87 goals and added 22 assists. She is one of only four seniors on the roster and has not yet committed to a college program.
The Lady Scots received all-district recognition for four additional players. Sophomores Aleksa Zivaljevic and Taylor Ramo earned first team honors, while sophomore Gianna Holdridge made the second team. Senior Olivia Slaughter received honorable mention. Zivaljevic posted 64 goals, 34 assists, and 55 steals. Ramo contributed 26 goals, 38 assists, and 56 steals. Holdridge recorded 113 saves in the goal position.
Cullen, who was named Coach of the Year, indicated the team has a strong foundation for the future. "We should have a good setting for next year," he said. "We were a pretty young team outside of Kaylee, and having Rita, Aleksa, Taylor, and Gianna is a good group to build with." The girls' success contrasted with the boys' season, which saw an 11-13 overall record.
The Highland Park boys team secured a 20-11 victory over Sachse in the playoffs before falling 19-14 to Flower Mound in the area round. The Jaguars entered that game ranked 78th in the nation. Cullen described the boys' campaign as a rebuilding year, citing a roster with only one senior and multiple starting freshmen. Junior captain Harrison Howarth led the boys in scoring with 132 points, ranking 45th in the nation.
Howarth recorded 98 goals and 34 assists for the Scots. Sophomore Beau Kohl and junior Knox Kohl both earned second team all-district selections. Kohl posted 56 goals and 67 assists, while Knox contributed 71 goals and 51 assists. Knox also led the team in steals with 58. Junior Dean Hemphill made 141 saves for the Highland Park boys.
