Houston Hall

The Harvard water polo team's season ended Friday night in New Haven. With it ended the four-year career of senior co-captain Houston Hall.

The aquamen encountered a psyched-up Yale squad last weekend, a team out for blood following three earlier losses to the Crimson this season. Jumping off to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, the Elis failed to hold their advantage, and in the fourth the score stood knotted at ten. With the final seconds ticking away on the clock, Hall whipped the ball past Yale goaltender Allen Damon to give the Crimson an 11-10 victory in the season finale.

The Yale game wasn't as close as the score, but throughout his career Hall has played well in the clutch. Hall's successor as co-captain Rich Guerra says "Houston has always risen to the occasion. He plays consistently well and when it counts most he's always there."

For four years at Harvard, Hall has combined the best of both worlds, clutch play and consistency. During his career, the water polo program here has improved dramatically, rising from a largely disorganized club sport to its current ranking among the top teams in the East.

A quick look at his record shows that Hall had more than a little to do with this. The economics major led the team in scoring during all of his first three years and was recognized as All-New England each year. One might even say that the fortunes of Hall and the aquamen have been inextricably entwined since Hall first stepped foot in Harvard Yard three-and-a-half years ago.

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Houston Hall grew up in Dallas, Texas, and discovered water polo his sophomore year in high school. Three years later Hall was a three-time letter winner, the team's leading scorer, and a recipient of All-State honors. And his team won the state championship.

Freshman year at Harvard arrived, and Hall faced the dilemma of having a strong water polo background on a weak college team, then a lowly club sport. Hall met the challenge head on. Rather than settling for being a big fish in a small pond, he committed himself to working with rookie coach Steve Pike to improve the program as a whole.

The effort has clearly paid off. In 1981 the aquamen, co-captained by Hall, posted a 21-6 record and finished number two in New England for the second year in a row.

Harvard's improvement came gradually. In Hall's first two years, water polo was a club sport with disorganized and informal practices. Because of their lack of seriousness, the aquamen often struggled against opponents like Brown, Yale and MIT, all of whom had already received varsity billing.

In the spring of Hall's sophomore year the aquamen petitioned the Athletic Department and acquired varsity status themselves.

At the same time, Rich Reid began practicing with the team at the request of his roommate, Hall. A year later Reid was named the second team All-New England goalie, and shortly thereafter Hall and Reid were elected co-captains.

Hall's role on the team has changed as the aquamen have improved. The Kirkland House senior is no longer a oneman offense. With the addition of Dave Fasi, Steve Munatones, Rich Guerra and others the Crimson now has a balanced attack, but Hall still directs the offense.

"In the games I'm sort of a quarterback for the team, especially during a man-up offense," Hall says. Pike adds, "He is a very good point guard--he runs our offense and does it well. He knows the game and is very dependable."

Hall's poise and experience has meant a lot to the aquamen this year, as he has developed a reputation for coming up with the big play and sparking rallies for the Crimson. Case in point is Harvard's first game against Brown this season, an 11-7 loss on October 10. Hall accounted for all of the Crimson scoring in the second half, including two key goals in the third period to bring the aquamen within one.

"I play my best in our closer games," Hall admits, revealing the competitiveness and determination that opponents have long respected him for. Pike adds, "He wants to win as badly as anyone I've ever met and also wants to feel proud about his performance."

Along with intensity, Hall possesses enough raw talent to truly excel in the pool. A capable swimmer, Hall owns a rocket arm which when combined with his intense desire to win makes the Crimson co-captain "the team's best outside scoring threat," according to Pike.

The aquamen have learned to turn to Hall in pressure situations. In the battle for the New England title November 7-8, Hall contributed five goals and five assists, but in the final against Brown his sterling play was not enough. Ditto for the Easterns the next weekend, when Hall led all Harvard scorers with nine tallies. His performance included a pair of goals and five steals in the heartbreaking 8-7 loss to Fordham to drop the Crimson out of the top four. "That game was the most disappointing loss I've ever had," Hall says, but he concedes, "it was one of my best games of the year."

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In many respects Houston Hall represents the old guard for Harvard water polo, a holdover from an era when the team was not a team but really just a semi-serious club. With his departure Hall leaves the team primarily in the hands of a California contingent. Guerra, Munatones, Phil Atkinson and Graham all hail from the Golden State and Hawaiian Fasi also comes from the West Coast. With this central core the aquamen should be able to continue the team's progress.

For a while Hall was the only core the aquamen had. The team has come a long way since those days, and Hall deserves quite a bit of the credit. He says, "I know what it was like then and what it's like now. We've accomplished a lot. We haven't done everything I wanted to but coming as far as we did has been very satisfying."

Water polo has become a way of life at Harvard for Houston Hall, and he knows it. "It's the best thing I could have done here, and it's been an incredibly enjoyable experience in every respect. I enjoy the game, like to compete and like to win."

Over the course of four years Hall has done them all--enjoy, compete and win--and for those with even the slightest capacity for memory, his presence will be felt at Blodgett for many years to come.

For a while Hall was the only core the aquamen had. The team has come a long way since those days, and Hall deserves quite a bit of the credit. He says, "I know what it was like then and what it's like now. We've accomplished a lot. We haven't done everything I wanted to but coming as far as we did has been very satisfying."

Water polo has become a way of life at Harvard for Houston Hall, and he knows it. "It's the best thing I could have done here, and it's been an incredibly enjoyable experience in every respect. I enjoy the game, like to compete and like to win."

Over the course of four years Hall has done them all--enjoy, compete and win--and for those with even the slightest capacity for memory, his presence will be felt at Blodgett for many years to come.