Story by Angel Martinez, Sports Editor
Photo Courtesy of Chargers Athletics
The Cypress College men’s water polo team started off the season with a win against local rival teams in a mini tournament on Sept.5 and 6.
Chargers are off to a dream start as they kick off the 2025-2026 season. The team is coming back after a rough second round exit in the 2024-2025 Socal Regionals last season. The Chargers lost 15-5 and were eliminated by Golden West College in November 2024.
Cypress hosted Rio Hondo, El Camino, California Technological University, Ventura, Chaffey, San Diego Mesa, and Cerritos for this tournament. The Chargers started the tournament with an important win against Rio Hondo by a staggering 24-1. They later competed against Caltech and took home a 16-6 win to end off the day.
On the second day, Chargers competed for a first place finish with two games remaining. The first game was against San Diego Mesa where they remained tied after regular time. Although the Chargers had the lead throughout most of the game, the tie took the game into overtime and eventually Cypress took the win, 16-15. Their ball movement and tight defense played a vital role in their victories, often outpacing their opponents. Chargers showed complete domination after going 4-0 with a 16-9 victory against Ventura to close off the tournament.
Sophomore Wes Brazda, a utility player, scored goals with ease and tallied up a total of 12 goals and led the team throughout the tournament. In six games this season Brazda has been able to help his team with 23 goal contributions. Brazda was also recently named in the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team which recognized his commitment and teamwork throughout the previous season making him the only community college student to receive this award.
A long season is still ahead for the Chargers but they had a strong season opener. The team grows stronger every match and are thrilled to put on a show this fall season. To follow and find new information on the water polo team, visit the Cypress Chargers Athletics website.
