The Week in Sports

January 18, 2018

A lot can change in six weeks time. About that long ago, the Rams were eyeing winter break even as the season was just starting. Two natural disasters later and our student-athletes returned to the Mesa ready to get back to some sense of normalcy. For us, that means returning to the fields, courts, and pools we missed while we were away. This return to play will be unlike any other. We will continue to mourn for those impacted by the disasters in our neighboring communities while appreciating the special opportunities we have here on the Mesa.

The Rams kicked off their return when girls varsity soccer went to Ojai to take on Thacher. Fresh off just two days of practice, the team shook off some understandable rust. After giving up an early goal, the team clawed back only drop the contest to the Toads by a 3-2 margin. Tali Nam ’21 scored her first goal in a Cate uniform in the first half, while Grace Blankenhorn ’18 found the net in the second half. While defeat is never easy, there were reasons to be excited about the upcoming season. Head coach Lisa Holmes also praised the play of Isabella Montes de Oca ’18, Sophie Johnson ’18, Emily Burns ’18, and Kim Rogers ’20.

Cate’s girls varsity basketball team has had a busy restart to the year with two games in two days after just one day of practice. The first test was about as tough as it gets, as Cate lost to defending CIF champion Grace Brethren on the road. The battle-tested Rams were back in action the next night as the welcomed Villanova to the Mesa. What looked like an easy Rams win early on became a tight second game in the second half. The tired Rams able to hold off the Wildcats. Sarah Polowczak ’19 and Lily Zanze ’21 helped pace Cate, while Maya Blattberg ’20, Piper Brooks ’20, and Elle Smith ’19 all were big-time contributors to the Cate win.

The boys varsity basketball team was one of the few Cate teams to have a game under their belt before the long layoff. That experience, albeit very little, helped the Rams go on the road and knock off rival Thacher. The big moment of the game actually came before tip-off as the Toads presented Cate’s team with a signed team ball as a thank you gesture for hosting Thacher during the Thomas Fire evacuations. During gameplay, Marko Pliso ’18 and Khadim Pouye ’20 each had 20 points for the Rams. Head coach Andy Gil was also pleased with the way Andy McHarg ’18, Thomas Nettesheim ’20, and Patrick Armstrong ’18 played.

With a month left in the regular season, all Cate teams are making the most of a truncated season. We welcome local fans to cheer on any of our teams on the Mesa and are covering many games with a livestream that you can watch at home.