Costa boys water polo falls to Martin Luther King in third round CIF

By Camille Juton
Staff Writer

The Mira Costa boys varsity water polo team played its semi final CIF match against Martin Luther King Junior High School on Wednesday Nov. 14 and lost, 7 to 6.

Junior Gabe Smith and senior Sam Siltanen each scored a goal, and senior Jimmy Bissell scored two goals. Senior Mitchel Trainoff scored two goals and had four steals.

“It was a rough loss,” Siltanen said. “We definitely could have won but we just
weren’t hitting our shots and focusing on getting the ball into the goal.”

This was the boys’ third CIF match, making it the semi finals, but the loss prevents the team from advancing to the finals.

“I’m really sad we couldn’t win and disappointed because we really thought we were going to win it all,” Kelley said. “Now that its all over we have nothing to really work towards because as seniors it was our last year. I think we’re definitely going to miss being a team together.”

Ultimately, the team wasn’t able to get the ball past the goalie. The offense was charging the goal nonstop and dashing down the pool, but the plays were unsuccessful.

“Our offense wasn’t playing too badly,” Kelley said, “We just had a few plays where our communication was off, which led to a few of their goals. In a way we weren’t very lucky, we just weren’t making our shots.”

The Costa defense kept the game close in its entirety. They were able to stop many goals and push the ball up to Martin Luther King Junior’s side of the pool. Trainoff and Smith had a combined six steals.

“Overall we played our match very well,” Bissell said. “ Everyone was where they were supposed to be and on top of the game but we just couldn’t pull through to win in the end.”

This was the boys last game of the season and for the seniors on the team, their last high school water polo match ever.

“It was pretty sad knowing when we lost that it was the last time I would be playing water polo with this specific team,” Bissell said. “A part of me is excited to see what’s next in my future but knowing its all over with Costa is a bittersweet feeling.”