In some of the worst conditions this area has to offer — high winds, pouring rain and low temperatures, MVHS lost the match 0-3 after putting up a valiant effort against a physically larger and more offensively skilled LAHS team.
Due to the unsuiting weather conditions, the team warmed up with simple passing drills that focused on containing the ball in the rain. For many players, the rain made it difficult to execute simple passes and maintain ball control.
MVHS defends the ball against one of Cupertino HS’ early possessions in the game. Photo by Becca Zheng.
For senior and defender Reuben Weaver, the rain made playing especially difficult in terms of getting the right touch on the ball. At times he was forced to use his head when the ball would go above it, rather than his foot, for the latter would cause the ball to skid off.
Fullback junior Aurum Kathuria admitted, even when wearing gloves to keep his hands warm in the cold, throwing the ball was still difficult.
“Just the wetness of the gloves, the wetness of the ball, you could barely get enough power onto the throw itself,” Kathuria said.
The temperature affected the mentality of players on the bench as well. With nothing but their jerseys on, the players sat in the cold waiting to play.
“At one point, I felt like it was hailing just ’cause of how hard the wind was with the rain,” Weaver said. “It was like stinging my back.”
The effects weren’t long lasting. After playing on the field for a few minutes, Weaver felt as though the temperature was not nearly as noticeable as the excitement of the game. Players still needed to remember however, the sensitivity of the ball in the rain.
Aside from the weather, Weaver also admitted that the team has been dealing issues with players’ individual skills and lack of practice attendance. The previous day, coach Patrick Lowney discussed how players who needed improvement are the ones who didn’t show up to practice, which essentially made it harder to play as a team, according to Weaver.
“It’s hard to bring the entire team together and play as a team when we have that huge gap,” Weaver said.
For this game, LAHS’ size advantage also led to a more offense versus defense type of game, where LAHS held a strong offense for majority of the time. MVHS’ strength, however, was defense, as most of its defensive line composed of returning players. Kathuria claimed how their coach reminded the team to maintain that defensive mindset throughout the game and that they had nothing to lose.
MVHS’ game ultimately resulted with a loss of 3-0 against Los Altos.
The Matadors play their next home game against Homestead on January 10th.
