Girls’ Water Polo:

On Oct. 27, the girls’ water polo team managed to pull off a feat that, according to senior Alex Lincoln, the past 17 teams have fallen short of: a Palo Alto High School (Paly) defeat. With a close final score of 8-7 in overtime, the match was anything but smooth sailing for either side.

Lincoln scored the first goal of the game, but Paly matched that with a goal to close the first quarter with a score of 1-1. Senior Katie Lacek scored five goals and junior Shelby Newman chipped in a goal.

“This game is practically dedicated to Katie Lacek,” senior Jenny Anderson said. “They would try to block her, but they just failed.” Lacek scored most of her goals from the same left flat position with a 6-on-5 advantage.

The score was tied at 3-3 during half time and at 7-7 at the end of the fourth quarter, pushing the game into overtime. With 50 seconds left on the clock, Lincoln pushed ahead of her defender to catch the pass made by her sister, sophomore Casey Lincoln, and scored the last goal of the match, bringing the score to 8-7.

“I had no clue that it would be the winning goal,” Lincoln said. “I just knew that we had to score, so I got myself in position and our team was able to get me the ball in time.”

According to the Palo Alto Online, Paly had the chance to even up the score, but missed a shot with 40 seconds left to play during the second overtime, which was when Newman opportunely stole the ball away.

Both Paly and Gunn played up the importance of strategies during the game with Gunn bringing something new to the table during the 6-on-5 advantages. According to senior Thanh-Ha Nguyen, the two referees called many kick outs, meaning that one player on the team had to sit out for 20 seconds, hence the 6-on-5 advantage.

“We ran a 6-on-5 play that Paly had never seen before,” Nguyen said. “That’s how [Lacek] scored at least four of her five goals.”

Paly’s strategy, on the other hand, was to guard Anderson and her sister, sophomore Elizabeth Anderson.

“A lot of the Paly players are on the same club team as our players,” Nguyen said. “The Paly coach also coaches the club team, so they know who our best players are.”

However, the consequence of having two defenders on either Andersons meant that even if they couldn’t score, others, such as Lacek, could.

All in all, the Lady Titans are glad to have beaten Paly. “It felt even better knowing that we are able to focus and come together to achieve a common goal,” Lincoln said. “We played with a lot of heart.”

Football:

The 3-1 league, 5-3 overall Titan football squad is pushing towards qualifying for the Central Coast Section (CCS) postseason playoffs for the first time since 2002. They currently are tied for first in the SCVAL El Camino division with Los Altos High School.

Head Coach Bob Sykes is satisfied with where the Titans stand. “I’m happy with where we are,” he said. “We’ve been playing very well; we’ve been playing tough.” Sykes also noted the high intensity the squad has been competing with.

According to senior defensive end Jasper Dean, the next two games, against Santa Clara High School and Cupertino High School respectively, are crucial. “We’ve never played meaningful games this late in the season,” he said. “There is a sense of urgency.” However, junior running back Josh Jackson is optimistic. “They both are winnable,” he said. “We just need to play Gunn football, mistake-free football.”

Assistant coach Malakai Mataeoe believes the attitude of the players has made all the difference from last year’s last-place finish. “The kids have the will to play,” he said. “They’re good friends. We just want to bring home the win, have a fun game.”

According to Sykes, making the CCS playoffs is a good bet if they finish league play strong. After all the games are played, league coaches meet and figure out the CCS bracket.

Senior running back Maceo Parks wants the squad to come out and play with intensity in all aspects of the game. “We want to play Titan football, not lower our level for anyone anymore,” he said.