Carlmont’s coed varsity badminton team beat the Aragon Dons 19-11 at Carlmont High School on Thursday, March 21. The Dons fought hard against the Scots, but Carlmont came out victorious.
“Going into the game, I knew we were going to have to play hard because this was one of the hardest teams,” said junior Daniel Lin.
Lin described how the Scots secured their victory after winning higher-point matches. The competition consisted of 15 best-of-three matches, which are worth one, two, or three points depending on the players’ rank. These matches add up to 30 total points, and both schools must aim to earn a majority of the 30 points across all five categories to win the game.
“You could feel both teams wanted to win,” Lin said.
This game came after a blowout win against the Capuchino Mustangs, which made the matches more challenging than previous games.
“I was looking forward to playing Aragon because of their intensity,” said sophomore Olivier Ansel.
Ansel missed the game due to an ankle injury from a previous match but hopes to come back stronger and more prepared, explicitly looking forward to playing Aragon in their next matchup.
“Considering this was our second season matchup, we played well; especially because Aragon is one of the best teams,” said freshman Brian Qian.
Qian looks forward to away games because home games start directly after school ends, which puts an extra burden on players.
“I’m looking forward to away games and early dismissal. It just helps keep me focused and ready to go,” Qian said.
Currently, Carlmont is the only undefeated team in the Bay Division. However, the Scots are looking to improve their skills and coordination; with the ultimate goal of winning the Peninsula Athletic League.
“I think we need to work on our consistency and organization this season,” said freshman Wylan Tsang.
Other freshman players also hope to maintain consistency and improve their skills to reach the varsity level. This comes after many new players have officially joined, meaning the team needs to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses to take on opponents.
“Badminton is played in a singular format, but the only way to win is through team coordination. We have a good chance at winning the league, we just have to stay committed,” Lin said.
