The crisp winter breeze is kicking in, which means our fall sports teams are heading into playoffs and their seasons are coming to an end. For the seniors in sports, this is a very sad time, as this is the end of most of their athletic careers. A huge congratulations goes out to our football, girls volleyball, girls tennis, girls golf, boys water polo, and cross country teams for all their hard work and outstanding seasons.
On our field and under our lights, we have last year’s D3 CIF Champions playing for us – The Stable. Every Friday the players go out there and overcome hardships, for the sport they love. After losing 16 starters, most teams would take the year after as a year to rebuild the team, but not the Mustangs! While our football team ended with a 7-3 winning record, we unfortunately have to say bye to 25 seniors. However, we don’t have to say bye quite yet; they have their first CIF game on Friday, November 3rd, at home against Moorpark.
Also on the field, the girls flag football team showcased their talent for their first year! Although it was tough adjusting to a completely new team and sport, the girls managed to work through such adversities. We can’t wait to see them next year; they show great potential!
This was a hard-fought win, and I am so proud of me and Avery [Yang] for all we’ve accomplished together, and I can’t wait for next season!
— Kaylie Cao (11)
Out on the tennis courts, we had our womens’ tennis team competing against other local schools. The varsity team ended with an 11-1 winning record, they had an amazing season! They won almost all of their games, and according to Dhyani Balsara (11) “Our biggest competition was Foothill.” Overall, they had an amazing season and one of their doubles teams – Avery Yang (10) and Kaylie Cao (11) – won the Crestview League Individuals Tournament. We asked Kaylie Cao (11) what the win meant to her and she stated: “This was a hard-fought win, and I am so proud of me and Avery [Yang] for all we’ve accomplished together, and I can’t wait for next season!” They are currently training and preparing for CIF, so be sure to wish them good luck before their next match!
By the pool deck, we have our men’s water polo team. Our water polo team consists of 3 seniors, 2 juniors, 5 sophomores, and 2 freshmen. This season, they were led by senior Dylan Armstrong (12) and coached by Coach English, Coach Layana, and Coach Powers. They ended with a 5-25 record, and we can’t wait to watch them bounce back next season!
In the gym we have our women’s volleyball team. They ended as 2nd place in their league, and ended with a 17-17 overall record. Not including their team bonding tournament Santa Barbara, that gave the varsity team to challenge themselves against high competition and make life long memories. This year Makayla Gates (12), Delaney Renaud (12), and Taylor Ditmar (11) led the team to CIF. Unfortunately they lost in Round 1 to Windward in a 5 set match. Nevertheless, they had an amazing season, and all their hard work during summer paid off.
On the golf course, our women’s team placed second in their league. A great season for everyone! Ashley Tsai (12) and Taylor Wadleigh (11) qualified for individuals in CIF, and the team has made it to CIF together. Great effort and hard work by everyone, and we are so excited to see how they do in the playoffs!
You can see them running almost anywhere, from open grass fields to dirt paths, cross country has put amazing work into their sport. The men’s team did incredible, with 3 runners qualifying for individuals: Dante Maldonado (11), Torren Habbestad (10), and Mason Farley (12). In their Huntington Beach race, the boys placed 2nd, a great accomplishment after all the hard work they have dedicated into the sport. For the women’s team, they placed second in their league, which qualifies them for CIF! Olivia Reed (11) was the league champion, so a huge congratulations to her! They are also ranked second in their division and sixth in the state. Incredible work by both teams, and we wish a healthy and successful CIF for all qualifiers.
Finally, a huge congrats to our fall sports teams, we can’t wait to see you next year!
With winter sports just around the corner our Mustangs are more excited than ever. Good luck to both of our basketball teams, both of our soccer teams, girl’s water polo, and our wrestling team- we can’t wait to see all the hard work you guys have been putting in this off-season!
Lauren Urquico • Nov 30, 2023 at 7:39 AM
such an interesting article!!