The UC High Boys Varsity Water Polo Team worked hard through a challenging season this year, ending the season with a 6-23 overall record, according to a high school sports statistics site (maxpreps.com).

   According to Head Coach Beto Vazquez, “It was a rebuilding year, meaning we lost a lot of kids, so it was fun and exciting, but we suffered a lot of losses, which made it kind of tough. Compared to past years, our team was pretty on pace to match the records from previous years. We were a tough team in a tough League, so wins came few and far between.”

   On October 30, the team had their first and last game in the San Diego CIF Tournament, while playing against Westview High. “In the first round of CIF, we lost. We seeded number twelve in Division 1, and the team that defeated us was ranked as number five. The final score was fifteen to seven,” said Vasquez.

   Senior Captain Jackson Cassidy hopes to see underclassmen continue to practice during the offseason, whether it be through club water polo or swim teams. Hopefully, the outcome of this season will help the team come out stronger next season, Cassidy explained.

   Vasquez noted that confidence is the main aspect that held back the team this season. “We needed to learn to trust our abilities and instincts as a group, not be afraid of taking risks, and learn from our mistakes,” stated Vasquez.

   “We played our best when we competed against the best. We had the opportunity to play some of the best, and I mean the best teams in the state and country, like Redlands East Valley High and Cathedral Catholic High,”  said Vasquez.

   “We usually play best when we’re relaxed but focused, communicating in the game with each other, and working the ball around on offense, searching for the best opportunity to score,” Cassidy stated.       

  Vasquez spent countless hours each week working with his teams, with the help of Assistant Coach Gary Smith.  In his opinion, Vasquez believes the team was best at defense. His main focus this season was on teaching the boys how to communicate throughout the game. “Communication was most important because if we had started communicating more, we could have erased a bunch of mistakes,” said Vasquez.

   According to Junior Nate Frazer, “The season could have been better, but it could’ve also been worse.” Frazer knew the team had a lot of work to do, but he was okay with the losses because he knew his teammates were still working hard and improving.