As school gets back in season, so does all the winter sports. January was a month filled with league games. As it comes to an end, each team hopes for the League Champion title.
Boys Basketball
Boys basketball were tied with Camarillo with a league record of 5-2 having their last game determine whether they would get the title they fought for the whole season. After the ultimate league championship against Camarillo, the team is back-to-back league champions. The team beat Royal and Moorpark twice and Simi Valley and Camarillo once. They have also lost to Simi Valley and to Camarillo.
“This season in league we’ve faced some unexpected challenges and taken a couple losses so far,” senior Ethan Perez said. “But nonetheless I feel like we are still a very good and strong team and are looking to finish out league 6-2 and win another league championship.”
The focus this year has been on team bonding and keeping energy high.
“I feel like our positive relationships with each other off the court greatly contribute to our success on the court and has become our strongest aspect and key to winning especially in close hard fought games,” Perez said.
The boys are excited and looking forward for CIF playoffs with high expectations and their heads held high.
Girls Basketball
Girs basketball ended last season as 2023 Division 5A CIF State semifinalists and moved up to Division III for the 2024 season. During preseason they went 1-7 after competing against the top teams in the state. After an impressive 15-game win streak, the team now has an overall record of 16-7 and are currently undefeated league champions.
“We know what people say about our record, but we focus on ourselves,” senior Lindsay Gould said. “The only person who know what we’re going though is us, and we’re doing just fine.”
All the girls hold themselves to a high standard on the court, although it can get intense, the team is a family, who knows that everything they do comes from love and respect.
“I’m really looking forward to CIF and playoffs,” Gould said. “After winning the title last year, we want nothing less than to be back in the championship game. I have two rings, but it would really special to get one more before I leave highschool.”
Boys Soccer
Boys soccer finished the month with an overall record of 12-2-1. They beat Simi Valley, Royal, and Camarillo, tied Moorpark once and lost to them once. With a league record of 6-1-1, the team are once again league champions. The group is proud to be able to continue off last season’s success and bring home another League Championship.
“So far the seasons been great, we’ve really come together as a group and every win feels better and better,” senior Artun Vance said. “We are really proud to have been able to uphold our undefeated record on out home field so far.”
The strongest aspect of this team is their mentality and the trust that they have built from within.
“While we haven’t been successful in close games, we learn so much about each other and what needs to be done to close out those games in the future. We trust ourselves to win every game, it’s just a matter of executing on every front,” Vance said.
Girls Soccer
Girls soccer ended the month with an overall record of 9-6-2. They beat Simi Valley and Royal twice and lost against Moorpark, Camarillo and Simi Valley once. Finishing this extremely competitive league season, the team finishes with a record of 4-4.
“I feel that our team as a lot of talent and potential and we’ve had some solid wins but our losses show that we have to stay focused,” senior Malea Johnson said. “It is very unpredictable and you never know what can happen. I believe we started off very well but as we’re reaching the end we struggle to keep our confidence up.”
The chemistry on and off the field is unmatchable. The relationships they have with each other allow them to perform even better.
“I feel super excited going into CIF,” Johnson said. “Yes there is a lot on the line going into it, but that makes it even more fun. I am confident we can get past the first round but it is definitely unsettling not knowing if it will be my last game.”
