By Will Baskin-Gerwitz

Just like in the fall trimester, every winter team finished its regular schedule with more games to look forward to. And just like the fall trimester, no winter team managed to end the school’s CIF championship drought that is now approaching two years since the boys’ tennis team last won its second consecutive title in spring 2005.

 This year marked the first time in school history that every winter team advanced to the CIF playoffs. Several teams were optimistic about the playoffs, including a freshman-dominated girls’ basketball team that won the Mission League with a 9-1 record and a boys’ soccer team that reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Girls’ soccer fell in the first round of playoffs, getting shut out in a 1-0 loss at home to Glendora Feb. 16.

Boys’ basketball made it to the second round, but did not repeat last year’s playoff showing where they came within a game of winning the CIF championship. The team won its first game, a 15-point rout of Calabasas, but the young team with only three seniors could not win at Compton High School after falling behind 19-3 by the end of the first quarter.

Despite regular season success, girls’ basketball lost in its second round playoff game to Santiago High School after Santiago guard Lindsey Salazar sunk a buzzer beating shot to win. Yoyo Greenfield ’07 had 14 points and nine rebounds in her last game.

“A lot of people expected us to lose in the first round, so to make it to the second round was pretty impressive,” Sydney Haydel ’10 said.

Boys’ soccer progressed to the quarterfinals of the playoffs, racking up two upset wins before falling to Long Beach Millikan, ranked third in the CIF Southern Section. The team started with a win over Highland and then beat Royal in a game that went to double overtime and eventually to a shootout. Goalie Matt Kremer ’07 suffered a shot to the chest from the Royal keeper, but helped the team to a 3-1 win on penalty kicks. In the quarterfinals, the team again pushed Millikan to the brink, but the favored squad finally ended the Wolverines’ playoff run by outscoring them 4-1 on kicks.

“We played a great team, but it was disheartening to lose because I definitely thought we could have won,” starting defender John Howe ’07 said. “I thought it felt a lot like our football season, where we played really well, and it took a really good team to stop us in the playoffs.”

Girls’ water polo progressed further than any other team ,but lost to Cabrillo in the CIF semifinals, 6-9, Feb. 23. The team reached the playoffs after winning its second consecutive Mission League title.

“We’re sorry that we lost, but we made it further than we expected to, so we’re feeling good and hopefully will make it much farther next year,” Nadia Dan ’08 said.

The boys’ wrestling team scored a team record 51 combined points in the CIF championships, but did not win the championship. Captain Matt Katz ’07 managed to make the CIF Masters tournament for individual athletes after the CIF Championships Feb. 24-25.