Dougherty Valley Men’s Water Polo lost to the Foothill Falcons after a neck-to-neck game on Sept. 26. 

Seconds after the first quarter began, Foothill scored the first goal, showing off their remarkable offense. The Wildcats’ defense failed to keep up with the speed of the Falcons’ offense as they kept hammering out goals. The first quarter ended 4-2, with the Falcons in the lead.

The Wildcats picked up their pace in the second quarter as senior Alexander Burr and Michael scored three consecutive goals. Their defense improved remarkably as the Falcons scored only one goal, bringing the overall score to 5-5 by the end of the first half. 

The second half intensified as both teams fought for the win. Falcons Daniel Kim and Sanjay Menon both carried the offense during the third quarter as the Wildcats’ defense began to falter. Dougherty scored two goals while Foothill scored four, bringing the overall score to 9-7 by the end of the third quarter. 

The final quarter fell into a similar pattern of strong offense from both teams, but where Dougherty’s defense faltered, Foothill’s defense picked up. The Falcons’ defense constantly closed in on the Wildcats throughout the quarter. Each team scored two goals, ending the game with an overall score of 12-9.

The Wildcats will play Amador Valley, Monte Vista and California on Oct. 10, Oct. 15 and Oct 24, respectively.