By Lucas Shaw
In most parts of the country, winter brings a change from rain to snow, from raincoats to parkas, from brown to bare trees. Here in sunny Southern California, we donât get these nice seasonal changes, we donât really have a sense of winter or fall, we just know sun and the occasional rainy day.
However, December does bring one change, a change important to all of us: from fall to winter sports. This change brings to mind a fall season that ended in disappointment and a winter season that canât possibly top last yearâs.
While the end may have been disappointing, the fall season was a great success. Water polo was expected to fall off with the loss of five starters. Girlsâ tennis lost its best player and the defending CIF Individuals Champion, Hilary Barte, when she decided to attend a tennis academy in Florida for her senior year.
Football hasnât been good for years and a division change wasnât supposed to have that large an effect. Yet all three teams performed better than last year. It was a season worthy of high praise and awards, so here we go:
1st ever end of season Shaw Awards
Best team: Football. As great as many other teams were, no team comes close. Football was a laughing stock before this year. It was an after thought. It was the kind of team where a win surprised you. This year they had a nine game winning streak, won their league and reached the CIF semifinals. They were actually expected to win games. Yet, something greater was accomplished by this team. The program actually gained respect. Whether it is because of a new coaching staff, a new division, more talent, or all three, our football program is now on the map. Thank heavens.
Most Underrated Team: Field Hockey. The perennial great team no one knows about. They made it further than any other team (CIF Finals), had a Division I recruit (Brenna Moeljadi â07) and yet still nobody attended their games. I think that paints the picture.
MVP: Brian Pingree. While he faltered in the CIF semifinal game, âOcto-Pingreeâ was a dominant force throughout the year for the water polo team. Pingree was a wall in front of the net and was more important to his teamâs success than any one player. No one else can claim to be one of the top 2 or 3 in the nation at their position.
LVP: Hilary Barte. Wouldnât it be nice to have the areaâs best tennis player? I think it would have helped. While girlsâ tennis made it to the CIF quarterfinals, her departure deprived the school of a #1 singles players and a CIF individual title.
Most Haunting Memory: Harris Letter â07. At both Homecoming and the CIF quarterfinal match against Esperanza, I looked around the stands and saw the usual signs and Fanatics shirts. Then all of a sudden: hair. Lots and lots of hair. While nauseating, Letterâs outfitâa Speedo, water polo cap and occasional robeâis both comedic and praiseworthy as it is a true show of spirit. While Iâll remember football, the one image stuck in my head for better or for worse will be Letter.
Best Looking Boysâ Team: Water Polo. Garbed in Speedos, these men always seem to draw a crowd of admirers (especially from the best looking girlsâ team (see below)).
Best Looking Girlsâ Team: Volleyball. Like their fellow male award winners, these girls have the advantage of wearing the least clothing.
Best offensive lineman inch for inch: Luis Medina â07. Only 5â8â, Medina was the rock at the center of the offensive line despite having to handle foes half a foot taller than him.
Roadrunner: Ryan Calvert â07. Though only 5â10â, Calvert was the Wolverines most dangerous offensive skill player. Any screen pass could turn into a 60-yard touchdown.
Darwin Award: Jon Sebastian â07. Sebastian, one of the football teamâs two best receivers, injured his foot, or should I say had it injured, by a girl at a party. He was wearing sandals and she stepped on the webbing between two toes with her stiletto. He walked around with his foot taped for the rest of the week.
Best Cheer: âHome Improvement.â Started by a group of juniors, this chant refers to junior linebacker Tim Allan and tries to link him to the film and television actor with the same name (Tim Allen). Funny and creative, this is the kind of chant there needs to be more of come basketball seasonâbut sent at the other team.
Future History and Sociology Majors: volleyball team. This yearâs volleyball team has three seniors who are playing college volleyball next season, two for Division I schools. Congrats and good luck.
Ms. Smiley: Ally Young â07. Young scribbles a smiley face on every ball she uses because it calms her down. Whatever works for the schoolâs best female golfer.
