Varsity Boys Water Polo lost against Santa Clara High School on Friday, Sep. 26, with a final score of 14-5. SCHS’s strong offense led to the team scoring a consistent three to four goals each quarter throughout the game. However, past halftime, MVHS was able to find paths past their defense and secure some points. Assistant coach Sam McCluskey believes the team has the potential to rise in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League standings due to their strong teamwork.
“The special thing about this team this year is that they’re very cohesive,” McCluskey said. “They’re working together. It’s not just one person who’s good. They’re all good at a certain level. No one’s better than anybody, and I think that’s the best thing about this team this year.”
Senior Scott Weaver, as an experienced water polo player of four years, has noticed minute mistakes the team made throughout the game and how they slowly led MVHS to a loss. However, he notes that the synergy between players, such as Weaver and sophomore Ivan Hon, during offense led to moments where the team was able to outmaneuver SCHS.
“We just need to work on endurance a bit,” Weaver said. “We all get a little tired, and we’re out of it later into the game, which causes our communication to slightly weaken. However, when Ivan was on the outside, the passes he made were pretty accurate, and I was able to get a goal off. While he was on the outside, those drives by him were also pretty good.”
Weaver acknowledges that due to the various levels of experience across the team, there was a lack of creativity in strategy during the game, leading to a more predictable pattern when it comes to their offensive plays. Despite this, McCluskey is proud of MVHS’s current level compared to their previous games, as she says that gradual progress matters more than the result of a match.
“I’m always hoping for a win, but I just want to see an improvement from the boys at all times,” McCluskey said. “I always tell boys, no matter what, keep your heads up high, especially if you are making a mistake and you’re improving on that mistake. If you take anything from water polo, or anything from a game, it is that you’re making yourself 1% better — and that’s all we can ever ask for.”
