Despite a losing record and playing a game the day before, the Dougherty Valley men’s water polo team earned their first win of the season against the Castro Valley Trojans, 12-4, at the home non-conference game on Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Although the Wildcats faced tough games the previous week, particularly a loss to De La Salle, 20-2, the team was optimistic about the upcoming game.

“Once a loss is over, we put it behind us and look to the next match,” Head Coach Matt Denham said.

Compared to previous games where the team was unable to keep up with their opponents, the Wildcats used their speed to play effective defense, preventing the Trojans from making or even attempting shots.

“I attribute this win to our solid defense today, how we all dropped back and helped defense today,” senior David Wong said.

The Wildcats used their superior speed and passing to gain an advantage. Juniors Alex Burr and Noah Richard were constant threats on offense, each scoring four points during the game.

“Noah and Alex did really well with the passes; they opened up opportunities to score,” senior Sharwin Patel said.

Although they constantly led the game in points, the excitement in the pool peaked when sophomore Charles Lee, in part due to the team’s strong passing, took advantage of an opening in the Trojan defense to score his first goal of the season.

“[My favorite part of the game was] seeing Charles score; he got in for the first time and got a quick goal … hopefully he can do that more,” Richard said.

Despite their commanding win, Coach Denham remains wary about future games. He noted the importance of conditioning, stating that “[they] will play [teams] that are very competitive.”

This month, the Wildcats will face Granada, Moreau Catholic, and Kimball on Sept. 13, Sept. 25, and Sept. 26, respectively.