By JOSHUA KIM
Staff Writer
Triumphing with a score of 14-7, the Boys Water Polo team was victorious against Mission Viejo this past Thursday.
However, the first half of the game did not go too smoothly.
One player,  Senior Aaron Marciano, admitted that the team did have “some problems getting [their] offense going,” and the “offensive pace was not nearly the best.”
Senior Captain Pono Tsang echoed the same sentiment.
“We had a slow first half and we were down by two.” Tsang said.
Senior Shin Takahashi was initially frustrated with the lack of results.
“We didn’t always get what we wanted but in the end, we were able to get the win,” Takahashi said.
The team’s energy started to seem to fade away in the first half.
After the first half, Coach Jesse Briggs wasted no time gathering the players to talk about some of their issues and gave an inspiring talk to bring some momentum to the team.
Sophomore Matt Wallin also attributed the team’s comeback to “The team leaders, Pono, Shin, and Cameron Bernardo [who] held us together and allowed [the team] to pull off a win.” The boys’ teamwork with the leadership of the captains ultimately allowed them to pull off a win in the end.
When the players went back into the water, their plan was starting to show in the game. The player’s passes to each other were more accurate and the defense was tougher. From them on, the team performed much stronger and were consistent in their scoring.
After the game, Coach Briggs felt hopeful about his team’s future.
“We lost a lot of seniors last year and our team is fairly young with very little guys having varsity experience,” Briggs said, and that “the future of Uni Polo is looking strong.”
So far the team is 3-1 in league. The boys’ next game will be on Tuesday, September 11, against Marina High School.