STORY BY AIDEN EISEL, STAFF WRTIER
PHOTO COURTESY OF CYPRESS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
The men’s water polo team is off to a fast start this season. They currently sit at a record of 5-2 and appear to be one of the best teams in the state.
Last season, the team had a record of 14-13, struggling in conference play, only going 2-6. They ultimately lost to Long Beach City in the playoffs. The team is trending towards improving on their mark from last season, though they have a long way to go before the end of the season.
Head Coach, Mark Canner, talked about the season so far, he thinks “they’ve done well against some of the best teams in the state”. Going into his seventh year as head coach, he hopes the experience he has with coaching will help his team in the long run.
He also praised his team’s work ethic, stating “Everyone wants to be here…everyone’s on time, everyone’s focused and the excitement for water polo has impressed me”.
When asked what he plans to do to improve the team throughout the season, he stated staying healthy and ensuring everyone stays motivated including doing weights in the morning.
Canner also talked about player development, stating: “Our ability to develop players on the offensive and defensive end on different triangles is something we take a lot of pride in.”
Canner put an emphasis on getting more athletes on the team from clubs in the area as well, mentioning that recruiting them from these clubs helps with the player shuffling that goes on in between seasons.
The team’s problem has been the lack of experience as well. Canner mentioned that they have four returning players from last year, putting an emphasis on the returning players to step up and perform well. Canner also mentioned an effort to improve communication amongst the team.
In regards to his overall goals for the season, the goal is the simple: make the state finals, and win, and Canner believes that his team has the pieces to get it done. The state playoffs for the water polo team is set to begin on Friday, Nov. 1.
