Despite putting up a tough fight, varsity boys water polo lost a close game to the Gunn High School Titans, with a final score of 11-13 last Tuesday.

After a strong yield on the ball and a quick shot from junior Isaac Mills, the Mustangs managed to score a point, leaving them with the upper hand in the first quarter, leading 2-0.  

Heading into the second quarter, the atmosphere was competitive, as the Titans were looking to make a comeback. However, the Mustangs’ defense remained strong, and they continued leading the game with a score of  3-0. 

With a new line-up from the Titans, they quickly regained possession of the ball and made several breaks through the Mustang’s defensive line, scoring their first few points. 

Although the team communicated well early on in the game, their fatigue made it hard to keep up with plays and cooperate. Looking back, senior Jaden Yang said he hopes for the team to improve on communication and individual endurance. 

“We were up by three points at one point, but then toward the end, there were some questionable calls,” Yang said. “Our team was very tired as we don’t have a big bench, which led us to start losing points.” 

Going into the third quarter, the Mustangs were still leading 5-3. To gain more points, coach Antonio Jen said he implemented specific plays focused on applying greater offensive pressure.

“I had a play designed and ready for the start of the game once we got possession first,” Jen said. “We did it twice, and it was successful both times. Just having goals for each player, having goals for the whole team and just being very clear on what you should do when you have the ball, helped them out.” 

With a few seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs were up 11-10. In one last attempt, the Titans threw a pass to the corner of the goal and hurdled the ball inside, managing to tie the score

As the game went to overtime, the Mustangs attempted shots at the goal, but none followed through, sophomore Zorez Syed said.

“The other team was very aggressive towards the end, [when] we kind of eased off, which we should not have done,” Syed said. “But I guess it’s a good experience to see how important it is to stay focused during touchdown with the season coming to an end.” 

Despite the loss, the team was pleasantly surprised by the results of the game, Mills said. The team surpassed pre-season expectations, displaying better levels of communication and technical skill, Mills added.

“I feel like we’ve really improved, like our team chemistry and our friendship too,” Mills said. “We’ve been able to make plays without having to communicate, because we can feel when we’re gonna pass [to each other].” 

The Mustangs will rematch GHS on Oct. 28 during league finals for a CCS bid.