Thirty seconds in, Tulare Union scored. Thirty seconds later, Union scored again. Another 45 seconds passed, and Mt. Whitney was looking at a 0–3 deficit.

Coach Steven Chapman had seen enough to call a timeout.

He clarified the defensive assignments and sent the boys back out. Whitney answered with four straight goals, turning a rough opening into a 4–3 lead by the end of the first quarter.

There was still plenty to sort out Tuesday night at Tulare Western. Passes missed their targets, scoring chances slipped away, and Union had a player capable of making Whitney pay for either. But the Pioneers kept working through it, eventually pulling away for a 14–10 win to remain unbeaten in West Yosemite League play.

Union senior Caiden LaPoint demanded attention from the opening sprint. Junior Jamen Radmacher is Whitney’s fastest swimmer, but even he had trouble matching LaPoint’s pace to the ball. Once Union had possession, LaPoint’s combination of speed and scoring ability presented a much bigger problem.

Chapman gave senior Eli McLennan the assignment of staying with him, with another Whitney defender dropping back to help when needed. It was a demanding job that pulled Eli away from some of his usual offensive work. LaPoint still finished with five goals, but Whitney made a deliberate effort to keep him from taking over the game.

Eli found another way to contribute at the other end. His powerful arm remained a threat from five meters, and he finished with three goals while carrying one of the night’s toughest defensive assignments.

Union wasn’t going away quietly. The teams reached halftime tied at 7–7, and Whitney’s lead was just 9–8 entering the fourth quarter. The Pioneers finally created some breathing room by outscoring Union 5–2 in the last period.

Having several boys who could finish made a difference. Sophomore Micah O’Dell matched Eli with three goals, while Jamen and senior Ruben Ramirez added two apiece. Senior Phillip Soria and sophomore Alex DeBock also scored. Union could pressure the ball, but there was no single Whitney shooter it could shut down to stop the offense.

Two goals were only part of Zane Piper’s night. The freshman also supplied two assists, two steals and two field blocks, and drew an exclusion and a five-meter penalty. His contributions at both ends earned him player of the game.

Behind the defense, senior Casey Sherbrook finished with 12 saves. In a game that stayed within one goal through three quarters, those stops helped give Whitney time to find its separation.

There will be passes and missed shots the boys would like back. But after allowing three goals in less than two minutes, they listened, adjusted and worked their way back into the game. By the fourth quarter, seven different Pioneers had helped build an offense Union couldn’t contain.