Story by Amber Chen, Kimberly Hsueh, Zoe Schlaak, Haelee Kim, Noah Kuhn, & Aanji Sin
Staff Writers, Associate Opinion Editor, Associate News Editor, & Senior Staff Writer
Photo by Oscar Walsh, Ella Jayasekera, Jayden Eden, Katelyn Hernandez, Sean Jin, & Sarah Lee
Photo Editor, Associate Photo Editor, & Staff Photographers
The Rio Hondo League (RHL) has ended and, compared to the fall season, which earned South Pas two league titles, the winter teams have struggled. Tiger ranks the six sports heading into CIF competition.
1. Girls basketball: Girls basketball clinched a second place finish in the Rio Hondo League this season with a 6-2 record. This year has brought more of the same outcomes: consistent losses to La Cañada, but crushing victories over every other team in the RHL.
Sophomore star Allysan Tse has stood out as the Tigers’ leading player, scoring more than a third of the team’s total points this season. After last year’s disappointing loss in the first round of CIF, the Tigers are looking to redeem themselves this playoff season.
2. Boys Basketball: The boys basketball team had a season full of close games, with most matches being decided by less than 10 points. Senior Billy Reed III led the Tiger offense, scoring double-digit points in every league game.
Since going 4-2 in the first part of league, the Tigers have come up short in their last three games. Still, boys basketball expects to qualify for the playoffs and hopes to make a deep CIF run.
3. Boys soccer: After a solid 14-4-1 record in 2019, the boys soccer team has experienced a rough up-and-down season. The South Pas defensive line struggled to contain the opposition’s attacks in the beginning of the Rio Hondo League, conceding 10 goals in the opening three matches.
The team’s defense improved as the year progressed, but wasn’t able to muster up enough offense to win many games. The Tigers complete the season in fourth place with a 5-4-1 record and may miss the CIF playoffs for the first time since 2016.
4. Wrestling: Numerous injuries debilitated the wrestling team throughout the year and the lack of a consistent lineup across the league duels contributed to only one win. Junior Devin Peries (160 lb) shined in his duels, regularly placing high on the podium and winning points in the cumulative team totals.
Fellow junior Roxanne Lynch (132 lb) was another strong presence in the team. Lynch displayed a steady growth throughout the season, often the sole female competitor in the male-dominated lineup. After excelling in the Rio Hondo League finals, the team will move on to CIF competition.
5. Girls water polo: This year, girls water polo was far from the team that reached CIF last season. The Tigers have fallen to all but one of their opponents, the San Marino Titans. Starting the season with only four returners, the new players only had preseason to familiarize themselves with the team and fast varsity-level style of play. With a lack of experience, South Pas’offense has struggled when pressured and rarely been able to generate consistent offense for a full game.
However, several players flashed potential, saving an otherwise disappointing season. While junior Gloria Gray led defense as a goalkeeper, blocking powerful strikes, junior Amanda Kanaly and freshman Grace Markus guided offense, securing half of the total number of goals scored with skip shots and high tosses.
6. Girls Soccer: Girls soccer has had a lackluster season, losing its first seven games in the RHL. South Pas’ back line suffered from a lack of experience, conceding 18 goals. The players are skilled individually, but have failed to work as a unit.
The defensive, midfield, and forward lines struggled to connect with weak passing quality throughout. The Tigers’ attack barely finished any scoring opportunities, only netting six goals in the league season.
