FLAG FOOTBALL 

After Flag Football became an official fall sport at MVHS last year, senior and captain Jennifer Jelovic said the players were completely new to the sport, which allowed them to bond through the learning process. Now that they are more familiar with the style of the game, Jelovic believes the team will come back stronger this season and hopes it can bounce back from a 3-9 record last season.

“In the end, we got the hang of it despite having a rough season,” Jelovic said. “Our losses helped us reflect on what we needed to improve on and motivated us to do better this season. I noticed that the lack of spirit was negatively affecting our team, so I’m always cheering on the sidelines so other people will too.” 

Junior and halfback Isobel Schweigert adds that the team gained a lot of interest from the freshmen class, increasing its roster to 22 players. Now that the team has enough players to make a separate JV and Varsity team, roles and positions have the potential to be switched in the coming weeks. 

“Some of our players have gotten injured already, so we need to make sure everyone has a definite role on the team and get everyone in the right positions,” Schweigert said. “After that, we need to work on certain plays that haven’t been working so well.” 

Despite settling into new roles this season, Schweigert and Jelovic emphasize how the team’s loss against Palo Alto High School on Sept. 8 was a turning point for the team, as it won its next four games after that. As the team currently holds a 4-3 record overall, Jelovic believes that the team has what it takes to go to CCS.

 “We’ve had one goal ever since preseason started and it’s to go to CCS,” Jelovic said. “We have amazing chemistry and a good combination of league finalists, so with more practice and an audience on our side of the stands, our team can get there.” 

GIRLS GOLF 

Head Coach Ken Gan says girls’ golf is entering this season with renewed confidence after a strong season last year — the team went undefeated and qualified for the Central Coast Section.  Gan aims to continue the success and believes the team has the potential to qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation state championship after CCS this season. 

Gan wants the team not only to focus on the physical aspect of golf but also on the mental aspects as well. He hopes to strengthen the bond between players through team-building exercises to create a team that can withstand the pressure of higher-level competition. 

“When you’re playing in the upper levels of competition, going deeper into the playoffs, CCS, NorCals, having a strong mental base is really important,” Gan said. “I think it’s something that can always be reinforced and strengthened as we go into the season, especially this year, since we are going to be playing in some additional tournaments.”

Senior Eesha Sah fears that their team’s overall performance might be affected by the second coach’s departure from Monta Vista back to Kennedy Middle School, as reserve players cannot practice during a tournament since the coach is busy, leaving no one at the practice course, thus lowering the incentive for players to come and practice. 

Despite having to share one coach with the starters, Sah continues to have high expectations due to the team breaking into the top five in the league last season and hopes to win most of their upcoming matches. Additionally, she looks forward to the increased intensity that bigger tournaments will bring to her team. 

“We don’t just play nine holes like in our normal tournaments,” Sah said. “But in the bigger Invitational tournaments, it’s a full 18 holes — it’s an all-day tournament. Many really good schools in golf are playing in those tournaments. I think the team is really looking forward to that challenge and to playing in those types of tournaments.”

Gan prioritizes the community he is building through golf more than simply participating in higher-level tournaments, as he attributes success to an overall compassionate team.  Despite golf being a mostly individual sport, Gan says that the success of individuals can have a wide ripple effect on the entire team and uplift the group as a whole. 

“My general hope for this upcoming season is to build a strong community,” Gan said. “Not only to play really good golf, but also to create a community where students are able to be themselves and be able to play this game that hopefully we all love.”

VARSITY BOYS WATER POLO 

After Varsity Boys Water Polo placed fifth in the El Camino League last season, captain Zachary Lo hopes to continue the team’s strong performance. While six seniors left MVHS water polo last season due to injuries or lack of interest, Lo says that there are several strong players this year who have helped to round the team out and support newer players transitioning from junior varsity.

“Scott Weaver, our set player, is our strongest shooter, so he is our main offense,” Lo said. “Andy Chen is very calm, and he’s a very smart player, so I believe he’s the brain of our whole team. Ivan Hon is an overall well-rounded player, especially in defense.”

While Lo acknowledges that the loss of seniors heavily impacted the team as they were coming into the new season, head coach Lauren Tang believes that the team’s underclassmen have the potential to become a formidable force within the league. Despite having some room for improvement, Tang says that the newer Varsity players are adjusting smoothly to the higher level of competition.

“There are times when the team gets a little scared, which creates a stagnant offense,” Tang said. “I think as the season goes on, the team will gain that confidence. I can see it already in practice and in games where they’re starting to make those small adjustments and quick decisions and not being afraid to take that shot. Eventually, they know that I’ll tell them what to do differently next time.”

Lo has also been working closely with the reserve players on the team inside and outside of the pool so that he does not have to rely solely on his starting lineup. Lo says that practicing with reserve players is important if there are any unforeseen troubles mid-game, such as injuries.

“My hope this year is to get everyone on a similar level,” Lo said. “Last year, we had a really strong starting lineup, but our bench was quite lacking in skill level. I want to make sure our bench this year will be at least as good as a couple of players on our starting lineup. This way, we won’t be at a disadvantage when we substitute them in.”

While some of the newer Varsity players lack game experience, Tang has faith that their shared learning of the fundamentals during practice will allow them to shift between offense and defense quickly. She says that this will make the team more adaptable to various playing styles. 

“I am trying to run plays and my offense around key players, but I think now I don’t have one person I’m going to try and feed the ball to,” Tang said. “This team has an opportunity to create scoring all around for everybody, which is really exciting. I’m hoping that by giving them the opportunity for everyone to get involved and be a playmaker, their overall confidence will grow. As our offense gets stronger and stronger, they will have to work together in the future to succeed.”

CROSS COUNTRY

While some coaches might be worried about having 40 freshmen and sophomores and only 10 upperclassmen, Cross Country coach Kirk Flatow is excited for his team this season, describing them as hardworking and supportive of one another.

Flatow hopes that the encouraging nature of the team helps instill values of discipline in the athletes. Cross Country went to the Three Course Challenge in Oregon on Sept. 20, where they earned fourth in the boys’ division and second in the girls’. According to Flatow, the girls and boys teams each have a good chance of making it to the State Championships in November despite each team’s relative youth. He says MVHS has qualified for the event seven times in the last 15 years, and is looking forward to going back. He believes Crystal Springs is another race his students are likely to succeed in due to its similarity to the elevated terrain they train on at Fremont Older Nature Preserve.

Sophomore Melinda Zhao agrees that through the sport, she’s grown both as a runner and a person. She feels like cross country is inherently motivational, as every improvement in her time pushes her to keep training and getting better.

“When I see other people working really hard and putting in their best effort for the team, it also radiates that effect on me,” Zhao said. “Then I’m more likely to also put that into the environment, overall not only boosting myself, but also other people around me.”

Flatow isn’t worried about any particular meets, since to him, cross country isn’t about trophies — it’s about consistency, discipline and growth. He says that he often hears students complain that they could never run 10 miles in a day. In response, he emphasizes that most cross country athletes couldn’t do that as beginners, either.

“The thing about distance running is it really is a long term project,” Flatow said. “There’s no way to shortcut a path to excellence or greatness. You getting the most out of your abilities is all we want. But you can’t do that in a day — you can’t even really do it in a season.”

VARSITY FOOTBALL