Last week was a busy week for the Athletics program, as Baseball, Softball, and the Boys Tennis team got their seasons off and fully running, and the Girls Basketball team continued their playoff run with two hard fought games. Next week is more of the same, as the Baseball team finishes a tournament, Tennis competes in a Doubles Tournament, and three other teams play as well. Next week also brings the long-awaited season debuts for the Lacrosse and Boys Volleyball teams, so good luck to all teams competing!

Girls Basketball

            The Girls Basketball team’s playoff run came to an end this week in the CIF Semifinals, with a loss on Saturday night after advancing on Wednesday. Wednesday night’s game was an incredible all-around performance, as the Patriots jumped out to a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. After an Anaheim player flexed after hitting two free throws in the second quarter, the Patriots responded with a 26-0 run, blowing the game wide open. At one point, the Pats led 70-7, before cruising to a 77-20 dub. Katie Topacio (’20) had her third straight game with five threes, finishing with 17 points, and Freshman Karlee White added 20. Sophomore Kayla Keshmeshian added 15 of her own, and Vanessa Ogbu (’20) scored 12. Senior Nicole Emi continued her 100% rate from three, hitting twice from behind the arc, resulting in utter pandemonium from a loud and proud student section. Saturday was the first game that had even been close in the postseason tournament, but we did not come out on top, losing to Eisenhower 66-57. The game was incredibly competitive, and it wasn’t until late that Eisenhower pulled away. However, this is likely to not be the end of the road for the Patriots, as the CIF Semifinal finish is likely to be enough for an invitation to the State tournament. Regardless of that, congratulations to the entire team on an incredible postseason run!

Baseball

           The Baseball team won three games in the first half of a tournament this past week, behind stellar pitching and excellent run support. On Tuesday, we beat Fairfax 7-2, behind a complete game from Treye Meadows (’21). Treye struck out 7 in the game. Alex Margules (’21) was 2-2 with a double and a run scored to lead the offensive efforts. Thursday was an incredible game for our bats, as we put up 15 to win via the mercy rule against Monroe. Will Lashever (’21) struck out 8 in four innings, and Zack Chayet (’21) walked and hit a two-RBI double in a seven run third-inning outburst. Finally, Saturday’s game was a game in which everyone contributed, as we cruised to a 9-0 win over Reseda. Next week, we play twice on the road, against Heritage Christian on Tuesday and Grant on Thursday.

Boys Tennis

            The Tennis team started their campaign with two big victories in non-league play, crushing Santa Barbara in the opener 16-2, followed by a 14-4 win over Milken on Thursday. The win over Santa Barbara was especially sweet, as they’ve been one of the team’s biggest rivals in years past. Next week, the team travels to play against Oaks Christian, followed by many members of the team competing in the Santa Barbara Doubles Tournament on Friday and into the weekend as well. The competing teams are Theo Katkov (’20) and Alex Roesler (’21), Ben Reznick (’21) and Liam Frenkel (’22), Chris Fillipakis (’22) and Sam Tabandeh (’23), and Zach Samuel (’22) and Michael Barin (’22). Good luck to each team!

Boys Volleyball

           In researching for this article, I asked the volleyball team what their expectations were for this season. Senior Trevor Hylen summed it up best: “Two words. A. Ring.” The Boys Volleyball team is likely to be one of the most fun teams on campus this Spring, as a tight knit group of guys looks to make some magic happen on the court. Led by Senior Hitter Ollie Davidorf (’20) and Setter Shane Bunting (’21), the team has lofty goals for the season, and are excited for the games to come. They start Tuesday night at 6:00 PM in the PFAC against Chaminade, before travelling to Laguna Blanca on Thursday. Good luck as the season gets underway!

Lacrosse

            The Lacrosse team begins their season this week, starting at home on Friday against Valencia. This year, the team is led by the senior tandem of Connor Blake and Joe Terenzio (both ’20), who will hope to impart their leadership onto a relatively young team. The team expects to be very competitive this year, challenging against league opponents Brentwood, Sierra Canyon, and Village Christian. The Patriots have plenty of home games this year, so come out and support the team on Ring Family Field! Friday’s game starts at 3:30.

Softball

            Softball played twice last week at home, coming up short against Heritage Christian, but defeating Oakwood on Thursday in a game that went down to the wire. Freshman pitcher Peyton Rohr was the hero for the Patriots, throwing seven innings, allowing only one hit, and striking out twelve of the twenty four batters she faced. Sophomore Jules Mazzolini went 3-3 on the day, with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Isabella Appell (’21) doubled and scored as well, to clinch the team’s first win. Next week, the Softball team plays at Louisville on Wednesday, before returning home for a matchup with Bishop Diego on Friday at 3:30 at Robertson Field. Good luck to the team!

Track and Field

            The Track and Field team continued practicing this week, competing in a Time Trial on Wednesday to set baselines for the rest of the season. However, the team’s best performances were not on the track this week, but instead, on stage, as four Seniors showed other talents at the Cum Laude Society’s Coffeehouse. Seniors Thomas Matthew and Lizzie Scott combined on an impressive dance routine together, Brach Shubin (’20) sang a hilarious song, and Ronnie Orosky (’20) proved himself as a Pun Master with an incalculable number of puns in his performance. Next weekend is the Track and Field team’s first true meet, as the entire team competes in the Malibu Invitational at Malibu High, so good luck to the entire squad!

 “Congratulations to the Girls Basketball team on their great season. They played incredibly well over the whole season and the Navy couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished. The Navy is also excited for all of the teams set to play this spring season. As a member of the baseball team, I know that we cannot wait to get the regular season started, and I am sure the same goes for all of the other teams. We wish all of the teams the best of luck. We know that they are going to kill it this season!” – Eli Kreshek (’20), Navy Captain