As the leaves change color and we progress through the first semester our athletics are still working hard this season. Let’s take a look at how all of our teams are doing.
Football
Although there were some key losses this month, football had one of the best comeback games of the year. Unfortunately, they lost to Birmingham 56-7, Thousand Oaks 41-13 and Moorpark 46-4, but they won against Brentwood with a nail-biting score of 22-21.
“We’ve had some tough games, but we have learned a lot about ourselves as a team and have come together really well,” senior Blake Wiltfang said. “We’re looking forward to the Kanan Bowl against Agoura.”
Even though the league record as of right now is 0-2, the team is determined and excited for the Kanan Bowl this Friday. Oak Park High School students, parents and faculty can come to support our football team on Sept. 29 at Agoura High School.
Cross Country
Training long and hard all season, the Cross Country team attended three different races this month: Cool Breeze Invitational, Woodbridge Invitational and Coastal Canyon League #1 with great results from each. The Coastal Canyon League #1 was the first league meet of the year, in which two of our very own runners did an exceptional job.
Junior Katarina Modrzejewski won the varsity girls’ race with a time of 17:42.
“This season is going pretty good,” Modrzejewski said. “My favorite moment of this season is winning the biggest race of my high school career and seeing my parents right after the win and to see that my hard work is paying off.”
Junior Grant Jones finished third in his huge varsity race with the team best 15:07 for 3 miles.
“It was a great start to a long race season that sets a precedent for success,” said Jones. “Our varsity team is doing better than expected and has a good opportunity at making it to state.”
With high hopes and commitment, the team looks forward to their next meet, Coastal Canyon League #2 on Sept. 28.
Girls’ Volleyball
Our Girls’ Volleyball team has had great moments and awesome plays, but there have been tough losses as well. So far the team has a league record of 1-3 and an overall record of 7-9-1. The girls won against Fillmore 3-0 and Camarillo 3-1 and lost to Immaculate Heart 3-2, Royal 3-0, Moorpark 3-1 and Simi Valley 3-1.
“I think as the season has gone on, people have bonded more and come together to complete one big team, especially being with 16 girls,” junior Taylor Mansmann said. “My favorite game was Camarillo, which was a great start to our season with a win and the energy was great.”
The team continues to work together and find their identity as a team hoping to reach their goal of making it to CIF. OPHS students, parents and faculty can come to support our Girls’ Volleyball team at their last home game and senior night on Oct. 9, against Simi Valley.
Girls’ Golf
Once again, it’s looking good for our Girls’ Golf team, as they are undefeated and hopeful that it stays that way. This month, the girls won against Agoura 235-196, Moorpark 253-191, Simi Valley 228-186, Oaks Christian 209-195, Royal 314-198 and Camarillo 231-194. The girls also participated in the Walnut Invitational Tournament on Sept. 18, placing fifth place.
“My highlight from last week is getting a birdie at Spanish Hills vs. Camarillo,” sophomore Madeleine Kim said. “I’m looking forward to the match this Thursday because we get to drive golf carts, which we never do.”
Without a doubt, things are looking good for our hard-working team. Check out their schedule along with their results of another successful season.
Girls’ Tennis
The Girls’ Tennis team defended their D1 level title this month by winning all of their tennis matches. The girls won against Calabasas 9-9, Agoura 12-6, Foothill Technology 15-3, Oaks Christian 14-4, Newbury Park 16-2, Royal 18-0 and Simi Valley 17-1.
“During the Calabasas game, the match was so close so the coaches needed to sit together and tally up all of the games. We were all crowded up against the fence, and from the expression on his face, we thought we lost,” senior Michelle Jiang said. “But then he came over and told us we won and we all started screaming because we were so happy.”
The girls are looking forward to their match against Camarillo, as they have been the best team in the league. With determination and hard work, the team is hopeful to beat them this season.
Girls’ Flag Football
Girls’ Flag Football team left Simi Valley, Moorpark, Royal, and Newbury Park in the dust bringing home wins against all of them. With all three teams not managing a single touchdown.
Several players showed impressive feats, including senior Avery Pryor who scored her first touchdown during the game against Newbury Park.
“My favorite moment from this month was our away game against Simi Valley, which was our first league win,” senior Avery Mansmann said. “I got a safety that game, and we got a fancy bus with the nicest supportive bus driver who stayed and watched to cheer us on.”
OPHS students, parents and faculty can show their love for the seniors at their next game against Simi Valley on Oct. 5, the first-ever girls’ flag football senior night.
Boys’ Beach Volleyball
Continuing their successful season, the Boys’ Beach Volleyball team has a record of 11-1. Last weekend at their last tournament before the championship, the varsity Oak Park Wave team went undefeated. With their championship coming up this weekend, the boys are confident in their abilities to become champions just like last year.
“I am hopeful that we will win the championship,” junior Adam Noy said. “My favorite game is Oak Park Wave vs. Royal Gold, it was really fun because although we won it was a very close game.”
Water Polo
Water polo ended this month strong with a win 17-6 against Moorpark. The first win in school history, junior Mason Lewis made an impressive play scoring a half-court shot in the last few seconds of the game.
“This season is going great since we won our most recent game,” senior Hunter Glass said. “We’re looking forward to playing schools in our league this coming month because we’ve only improved since August.”
Cheer on the team at their next game on Oct. 11, against Thousand Oaks.
Cheer
After a busy month of football games and our first rally of the year, the cheer team is proud of their successful season so far. With multiple crowd-pleasing routines, they work hard to continue their progress as a team.
“Our arch stunt that we had been working on for a while seemed like a hit with the crowd so that was a rewarding feeling for our team,” senior Makenzi Martinell said. “As a senior, hitting my last homecoming routine ever [was a heartfelt moment] and the feeling of love our whole team had for each other after we hit it.”
Since there are a handful of seniors on the team this will be their last year to cheer with this team.
“I’m thankful that our cheer program is in great hands with our wonderful coaches and future upperclassman cheerleaders,” Martinell said.
Dance
The dance team stays motivated and continues the hard work after a busy month of halftime shows and the first rally performance. After putting hours of practice into choreographing the performance, they are proud to see that the crowd loved it.
“Even though it was a little stressful, it was also rewarding because we were able to nail both performances after lots of hard work,” senior Neala Blank said. “I’m looking forward to senior night since we get to highlight our large group of seniors this year.”
OPHS students, parents and faculty can come to support the highlight of the graduating seniors during halftime at the last home football game on Oct. 27.
Marching Band
Along with a month of halftime performances and playing music throughout the home football game, the Marching Band participated in their first competition of the season. Though the band thinks there is room for improvement, they had an astounding performance.
“Our showcase went pretty well and our music is progressively getting better,” sophomore Ananya Bathija said. “We push ourselves a lot and we think we have a good chance for championships.”
With another competition and elementary school tour coming up next month, all the musicians and color guardians are determined to perform their best and get the results they hope for.
