Winter Sports Wrap-up

Highlights and awards from the winter athletic season.
Greetings and happy springtime! Once again, we experienced great success from our basketball and soccer teams this past winter. It is clear that Thacher teams embody all that is good about high school athletics.  

On the courts, our young men and women showed us what it takes to be successful. They were sportsmen and sportswomen; they were tenacious, fearless, and relentless. Each and every day, they brought passion and enthusiasm to the game. And did they ever give us highlights! What a season for the boys as they qualified for CIF in one of the most competitive Condor leagues we’ve seen in many years. The lady hoopsters were not to be outdone on their way to a second consecutive Condor League championship.  

The varsity teams rightly get kudos for their efforts, but the other basketball teams of Thacher deserve recognition as well. I was fortunate to watch many of the girls' and boys' JV games, as well as  the “senior ballers” and frosh boys team. The common denominator of each of these teams was that their process was just as important as their outcomes. Each team showed tremendous growth and improvement throughout the season.  

The soccer teams gave us the same fun and excitement as the hoopsters. The girls' varsity team was crowned the Condor League champions for the second straight year. On the boys side, Coach Coleman noted that “the first scoreboard was not as kind to us as the second scoreboard.” Although their overall record was not stellar, their efforts and enthusiasm never waned. In the motto of the “second scoreboard”, it’s not about the outcomes, but more about the process. This team truly embodied this.
 
As I’ve said often, our coaches are the most dedicated and tireless individuals to hit the courts and fields. They motivate, encourage, teach, listen and care about each and every player.  In turn, our students rise to the occasion.  They are humble in victories and honorable in defeat.  I couldn’t be more proud of the Thacher athletes and athletic program.  

Another season is in the books and now we set our sights to the spring time!
 
—Director of Athletics, Pete Fagan


Girls' Varsity Basketball
Coach: Mike McGowan, Derick Perry
Captains: Ciara Byrne '14, Georgie Becker '15
Season Record: 10-6
Seniors: Ciara Byrne
 
Season highlights: The varsity girls’ basketball team finished the season with a record of 10-6. Though three of last year’s starters graduated, the girls made terrific improvement over the course of the season on their way to being co-champions of the Condor league. With the addition of five freshmen and junior Anne Gregory, the girls established a style of play characterized by a high-tempo offense and strong defense. The team was led by lone senior Ciara Byrne and  junior Georgie Becker. Ciara continued to be an offensive force over the course of the season, averaging fourteen points per game. She also dominated the boards. As point guard, Georgie often played the whole game and became a steady offensive contributor, breaking out with a twenty-seven point effort against Providence Hall. Junior Sasha Ongley provided consistent offensive contributions, and ninth-grader Jordan Perry established herself as a presence in the post. Highlights of the season were victories over Nordhoff, Villanova, and Cate. The girls advanced to the second-round of the CIF playoffs before losing to Santa Clara. With ten girls returning from this year’s team, the future looks bright for 2014-15. 

Girls' JV Basketball
Coach: Kurt Meyer
Captains: Leah Ho-Israel '14, Stella Frank '15
League Record: 3-6
Season Record: 3-8
Seniors: Leah Ho-Israel
MVP: Team
MIP: Team
 
Season highlights: The girls played hard and displayed a growing array of skills on the court. Over the season there was noticeable growth in how the girls played together and anticipated each other’s moves on the court. This led to a better offense and to each girl feeling she was a significant contributor to the overall effort – an important development for this maturing team. The defense was tenacious: we caused innumerable shot-clock turn-overs over the course of the season – testament to how hard the girls worked on covering the ball defensively. Overall a great team effort all the way around.

Boys' Varsity Basketball
Coaches: Jason Carney, Donald Okpalugo
Captains: Blake Bowie '14, Jeff Rhee '14
League Record: 5-5
Season Record: 9-8
Seniors: Blake Bowie, Momo Lewis, Jeff Rhee
MIP: Lukas Ceseña '15

Season highlights: Lukas hitting two free throws with .4 seconds to play to send our game against Providence Hall into OT where we pulled out a three point victory. A total team effort where we beat a very good Besant Hill team 48-30 to avenge an earlier defeat. We played hard and were in every game. Great leadership from our three seniors and excellent experience gained for our nine returning players.

Boys' JV Basketball
Coach: Aaron Snyder
Captains: Alex Chen '15, Marshall Fisher '15, Alex Levers '15
League Record: 3-3
Season Record: 4-7
MVP: Cole Anderson '16
Most Inspirational Player: Peter Callan '16
Most Improved: Michael Finch '16
Best Full-Body Collisions: Marc Jiang '16
Best Celebration After a Made Basket: Kevin Ryu '16, Elliot Schiff '16 
Best Shot Blocking: Jahmari Josiah '16 
 
Season highlights: Our team was much better than our 4-7 record showed, and we made tremendous progress over the course of the season. Five of our seven losses were by 5 points or less. This shows that while we had trouble closing out some of our close games, we nonetheless played tough, competitive basketball in just about every contest. 18 players is a huge number for a basketball roster, but we had some lively practices, and everybody felt a part of the team. Highlights: a raucous skills competition in practice; big wins over Nordhoff and a strong Cate squad; a narrow 3 point loss to an excellent Villanova team that had defeated us by 39 only a few short weeks before.

Senior Boys' Basketball
Coach: Bill Omansiek
Captains: Team voted to have all members as captains
Season Record: 6-3
MVP: Drew Combs ‘14
Most Improved: Erich Herzig ‘14, Anand Shah ‘14
Most Inspirational: Jamie Rush ‘14, Alex Yeagle ‘14
Coach’s Award: Alex Zaldastani ‘14
 
Season highlights: 
Game #1 - vs. Carpinteria @ Rio Mesa Tournament
The "Senior Ballers" played their first game of the Rio Mesa Tournament tonight against the Carpinteria Warriors. This was also the first basketball game of their high school lives for Erich Herzig, Anand Shah, and Wade Warren. The guys had a blast. The team was led in the scoring column by Alex Zaldastani, who had a career night 14 points, 9 steals & 6 deflections. There was strong play across the board by all of the returning players: Drew Combs 10 points, 6 steals & 5 rebounds; Caleb Couturie - 7 points & 10 rebounds; Aidan Waugh - 4 points & 11 Rebounds; and Alex Yeagle - 4 points & 9 rebounds.
Game #2 - vs. Malibu @ Rio Mesa Tournament
The Toads defeated the Sharks of Malibu at the Rio Mesa Tournament. Each team used a 2-3 zone for a slower pace in this second game of the tournament. Leading the way for Thacher were Drew Combs (10 points, 4 steals, 4 rebounds) Anand Shah (8 points & 4 rebounds), Erich Herzig (4 points & 6 rebounds) and Wade Warren (10 rebounds). The team played solid zone defense as the less experienced players really stepped up their game.
Game #3 - vs. Ventura HS @ Rio Mesa Tournament
Next, the "Senior Ballers" took on the Cougars of Ventura High School. They were a big team that proved to be a great matchup for our boys. After going down by 10 points in the early part of the first quarter, our boys fought back strongly. By the end of the 3rd quarter the Toads held a 42-39 lead. The team played short handed with only eight guys in uniform. We ran out of gas a bit in the fourth quarter, scoring just 6 points as the Cougars edged us out for a narrowly decided game. There was strong play by all of the boys; it was really fun to watch. The standout performance of the night was provided by Drew Combs (21 points, 8 steals, 6 rebounds) as he tirelessly led the team on both ends of the floor. Other major contributions from: Caleb Couturie (10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists), Alex Yeagle (6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals) and Jamie Rush (5 points, 8 rebounds).
Game #4 - vs. Buena HS @ Rio Mesa Tournament
The "Senior Ballers" entered the 4th game less than 14 hours after a tough and exhausting game the night before. After going down by 10 points in the first quarter to the Buena High School Bulldogs, the boys clawed their way back to tie the game and then run neck-and-neck for a full two quarters. At the end of the 3rd quarter quarter the Bulldogs held a 3 point lead over our Toads. At this point there wasn't very much gas left in the tank for our team of eight boys. Four games in four days with a very short bench is tough. There were standout performances by Drew Combs (19 points, 7 steals, 4 assists), Caleb Couturie (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Alex Zaldastani (5 steals, 4 deflections), and Aidan Waugh (8 rebounds).
Game #5 - @ Garden Street Academy
The Senior Ballers took the floor for the first time in 2014 with a good deal of success in a win @ Garden Street Academy. The boys put together a strong defensive showing making it difficult for the opponent to manufacture much on their offensive end. While we were a bit rusty with the shooting touch today, we were dominant on the boards to help control the game. No one scored in double figures in this one; however, four guys scored at least 8 points. Team leaders in this game: Caleb Couturie (9 points, 13 rebounds), Drew Combs (8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals), Alex Zaldastani (8 points), Aidan Waugh (8 points, 4 rebounds), and Jaime Rush (5 points, 10 rebounds).
Game #6 - @ Nordhoff
With a key player out due to illness, we came out quite flat in this match-up. We were missing energy on the defensive side of the ball as our rotations were at times slower than usual and we were not often able to be in position to set up our press. As the energy we often create on the defensive end was largely missing, we also struggled to score on our own end of the floor. The first quarter proved to be our undoing as we were only able to put two points on the board. We did show stretches of solid play here and there as the game progressed, but we struggled to put things together consistently enough to play a competitive game. On the bright side, we did have two fairly strong performances on the offensive end, where Drew Combs scored 17 points (and 10 steals) and Caleb Couturie followed with 13 points (and 10 rebounds). The boys also showed some grit by continuing to play hard through the fourth quarter, achieving their goal of winning that final quarter of the game.
Game #7 -vs. Fillmore
A big crowd turned out to support the Senior Ballers at their first home game of the season. They helped to create an electric atmosphere which helped the team reach a high level of success in this game. Playing without our our top rebounder and second leading scorer, we knew this game would be a challenge. Having our second leading rebounder foul out of the game early in the fourth quarter added to the challenge. After going down 0-2 to start the game, a three point basket by Pascal Cevaer-Corey in the next posession put us ahead for good, as we never trailed again. The crowd was engaged early on as we scored a solid 17 points in the first quarter. The crowd went wild when Drew Combs assisted on a layup by Alex Zaldastani with a behind the back pass. While there were many highlights, the best part was the crowd support. Every basket and every rebound brought cheers. The boys proved to the fans that they love the game and know how to play. Standout performances were made by Drew Combs (10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, 4 deflections), Alex Zaldastani (9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 deflections), Aidan Waugh (8 points, 11 rebounds), Pascal Cevaer-Corey (6 points, 2 rebounds), and Alex Yeagle, who despite not filling up the stat sheet, kept the Fillmore offense from gaining any offensive traction or rhythm in the low post).
Game #8 - @ Fillmore
The "Senior Ballers" played their first game in over two weeks. It certainly showed in the first half as we came out very slow scoring only 11 points total. We entered the 3rd quarter down by 9 points. Everything changed after halftime. The boys were more agressive on both ends of the court and played with an intensity that showed how much they care for one another. Six different boys scored during the third quarter come back. Their defensive intensity and strong play continued in the fourth quarter sealing the win. Aidan Waugh had a huge game for the Toads (14 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 blocks), and Alex Yeagle played what was probably his best game of the season with most of his impact showing up during the second half (9 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks). In their last interscholastic game of their basketball careers, the boys played inspiring basketball in the second half. Team stats included 50 rebounds, 14 steals, 6 blocks, and 10 deflections.
Game #9 -vs Frosh boys
To close the season the Frosh Boys played the Senior Ballers on Friday night. The halftime score: 30-13 with the freshmen taking that 17 point lead. The final basket of the 2nd quarter was a half-court shot by Sam Richardson that went through the hoop as the horn sounded. The freshmen shot very well in the first half showing the seniors that they can play. The Senior Ballers were a bit stunned at halftime as the crowd support was strongly in the favor of the Frosh Boys. The 3rd quarter showed the Ballers taking the game more seriously as their defensive intensity picked up and they played smarter ball. By the end of the 3rd quarter the score was 26-36 in favor of the freshmen. The 4th quarter showed more hot action. The seniors clawed back into the game and got within 4 points as the game entered its final minute. The seniors scored their 17th point of the 4th quarter on a 3-pointer by Drew Combs with 10 seconds left. That basket put the Senior Ballers up by one point for their first lead of the game. The seniors held on playing good defense for the final 10 seconds to finish on top. The game was a crowd pleaser. There were fans cheering loudly for both sides throughout the game. The Frosh Boys proved that they could become a force on the court as they grow and continue to learn to play together. The Senior Ballers were reminded yet again that they can't underestimate any opponent. It was a fun event for all involved. Certainly in the end, the younger boys were about as disappointed in the final score as the older boys were relieved.  

Freshman Boys' Basketball
Coach: Kevin Berigan
Captains: Ronan Byrne, Jackson Carroll, Pierre Weil
Season Record: 4-5
MVP: Sam Richardson
MIP: Cameron Twichell
  
Season highlights: An enthusiastic, hard-working and skilled bunch of freshman boys hit the hardwoods for nine exciting games this winter. By all accounts the boys' season was a tremendous success. Because they preferred an up-tempo style of offense, each of the ten team players learned the value of tough, intense defense, which provided them with many fast-break opportunities. This group was also fearless (sometimes too much so) from 3-point range, hitting 10 long shots in a single game.
 
Girls' Varsity Soccer
Coaches: Bob St. George, Sabina McMahon
Captains: Joanna Knutsen '14, Sage Whipple '14, Mackenzie Boyden '15
League Record: 4-2
Season Record: 6-7-2
Seniors: Annika Bhasavanich, Nayla Kidd, Joanna Knutsen, Susanna Renfrew, Madison Rubeli, Madeline Taylor, Sage Whipple

Season highlights: Winning the Condor League and making it to the 2nd Round (Sweet 16) of the CIF playoffs. We also tied Nordhoff 1-1 in a closely contested match, which was our best result against them in a while.
 
Girls' JV Soccer
Coaches: Heather Grant, Jake Jacobsen
Captains: Sienna Currie '15, Arianna Finger '15, Hayley Kong '15, Emma Rogowski '15
League Record: 1-3-3
Season Record: 1-6-3
Seniors: Olivia Simonson
MVP: Emma Herzig '16
MIP: Carrie Eastburn '16, Bailey Cypheridge '15
Most Inspirational Player: Bailey Cypheridge '15

Season highlights: This was a team that knew how to have fun and was ready to learn the inner workings (and the very basics) of the game of soccer. We fought hard in every game and never gave up. Our best match-ups were our games against Cate, Dunn, and the Oak Grove School. Our captains, Hayley Kong, Arianna Finger, Sienna Currie, and Emma Rogowski were all terrific leaders for the team this season. They provided great models of hard work on the field and were sure the team had a good time off the field by organizing fun team events, including a team sleepover. Throughout the season the girls were eager to develop their individual skills and improve their ability to work as a unit. Because of the terrific amount of progress made by the team, any of the girls could have been identified as our Most Improved Player. The girls recognized two of their teammates for their obvious growth this winter: Caroline Sacken Eastburn volunteered to be our goalie this season where she where she improved by leaps and bounds each game. Carrie just seemed to get stronger and more courageous in the face of tougher opponents. Bailey Cypheridge who started the season asking the fundamental question "how do I kick the ball without falling down?" and ended the season as a fiesty member of the attack. She jumped into each day with enthusiasm and eagerness to experience each part of the game – which included scoring a beautiful goal in our first game against the Oak Grove School. Bailey’s teammates also recognized her enthusiasm by voting her the Most Inspirational Player for the season. Our Most Valuable Player was Emma Herzig, who scored 60% of our goals this season. Emma’s ball skills, speed, and sure shot made her our go-to-girl on the forward line.

Boys' Varsity Soccer
Coach: Fred Coleman
Manager: Jackson Baldwin '14
Captains: Truman Hanks '14, Alex Morris '14, Paul Ammons '14
League Record:  0-6-0
Season Record:  1-10-1
Seniors:  Truman Hanks, Alex Morris, Paul Ammons
MVP: Alex Morris '14
MIP: John Carey '15, Jack Pierrepont '16
Best Sportsman: Kevin Griffee '15
Most Inspirational: Kipper Berven '15
Captain for 2014-15: Kipper Berven '15
 
Season highlights: With only three seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores (the most we’ve ever had by far), and a lone freshman, we were the youngest Thacher soccer team in decades, probably ever. Despite this difficult situation, the boys never gave up in their effort to be the best they could be. Our non-league schedule was demanding to say the least with opponents like Fillmore, St. Bonaventure, and Carpinteria – all much larger schools loaded with superb Latin players. Early games with such high-level competition accelerated our development, and served as examples of how the game should be played.
 
We were blessed with speed, quickness, toughness, and enthusiasm. With hard work and perseverance our technical proficiency improved throughout the season, and that led to some very well played games in February. As always, we played our best soccer in the 4th Quarter.

Boys' JV Soccer
Coaches: Juan Sánchez, Joel Sohn, J.P. Manoux
Captains: Jackson Dolphin '14, Harry Hayman '14, Raul Soto '14
League Record: 1-5-2
Season Record: 2-7-2
Seniors: Harry Hayman, Jackson Dolphin, Raul Soto
MVP: Liam Kirkpatrick '17
MIP:  Santi Vargas Garcia '16
 
Season’s highlights: Tying 2-2 at Midland after going down 2-0 in the first half, but most importantly after the tragic lost of the first game against Fillmore. Winning our first game against St. Bonaventure was a memorable moment for the players and gave them confidence to go to Besant Hill and tie them at their home. The last game of the season against Cate’s 3rd team was probably the most enjoyable and memorable game of the season for the players who came to Cate. It wasn't just the win or the score (6-1), it was the first goal in five games and the boys celebrated it like a championship goal. The character that the students built during the entire season. It is not easy to lose games with a great margin of goals, but our players just kept playing as hard as they could all game long. This “we do not quit” attitude gain the kudos from many opponents’ coaches.
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