The Week in Sports

March 6, 2018

Many sports teams aim to finish their respective seasons with a bang. Here on the Mesa, that adage rings true, as the spring sports season tends to be the busiest. With seven interscholastic sports offered in the spring, our fields, courts, and pools will all be bustling throughout the end of the school year. Most teams have had a taste of competitive action prior to spring break and will hit the ground running upon return.

The track team is one of Cate’s most popular spring sports. With roster numbers continuing to grow, the Rams have plenty of options on which players will compete in which events. Elle Smith ’19, Sarah Polowczak ’19, Rovenna Armi ’19, Isabela Montes de Oca ’18 and Rivers Sheehan ’19 will all be major factors for Cate. For the boys, Buba Fofanah ’20 will compete in several events for the Rams, as will Sean Zhan ’19 and Drew Anastasio ’19.

The swim team has yet to hop into the pool for competition, but they are hard at work preparing for that first meet. The Rams won’t compete until after Spring Break, but they are prepping for a big season. On the girls side, the team will look to Celia Foster ’19, Tilly Bates ’18, and Elle Hendricks ’19 to lead the way. Molly Dorion ’18, Mari Espinoza ’18, and Jasmin Esteves- Rosas will also be key contributors for the Rams. The boys team will be led by Andre Pincot ’18, Victor Vasquez ’19, and Marcos Brasil ’20.

On the diamond, the Rams picked up their first win on Tuesday, February 26 when they took down Ojai Valley School by an 18-0 clip in Ojai. The Rams were led at the plate by Ethan Cassulo ’19 and Daniel Panadero ’21 who combined went 5-5 with 6 RBIs. Jack Deardorff ’19 picked up the win for Cate, firing two hitless innings and adding 5 strikeouts. This year Cate will lean on captains Patrick Armstrong ’18 and Emily Burns ’18 to help guide a young squad.

The boys varsity tennis team came out of the gate to face some very tough competition. The Rams have taken on two of the area’s toughest teams to get the season going, which will pay major dividends for the squad later in the year. Joe Thomassen ’18 will help captain the team this year. Ethan Ha ’20, Cole Dexter ’18, and Carter Melnick ’18 are all major players for Cate, who will look to make another deep run into the CIF-ss playoffs.

Boys volleyball got on the board with a three-set victory over Malibu on Tuesday, February 26. Cullen Barber ’19 and Theo Mack ’20 paced Cate offensively, while Carson Williams ’19 had a couple nice blocks in the game. Sebastian Richardson ’19 was solid at the setter spot, dishing out sets and passes to his teammates all afternoon long. Albert Barber ’21 was impressive in his Cate debut and led the team in digs.

Like most of the Cate programs, the girls varsity lacrosse team has yet to take the field. However, when they do, they are going to be a nightmare for opposing teams. The Rams will return a solid core from last years team that advanced deep into the playoffs. Brie Walker ’18, Julia Farner ’18, and Maddie Erickson ’19 will look to put the ball in the back of the net while Liza Borghesani ’20 looks to turn teams away in net.

The boys varsity lacrosse team was able to get two games in before break, winning both road contests. After beating Grace Brethren on Saturday, February 24, the Rams used a second-half scoring flurry to pick up a thrilling comeback win over Simi Valley High School on Thursday, February 27. Parker Bowlin ’20 scored a clutch goal late in that contest, while Dylan Vincent ’21 has been dishing out assists so far this season. Will Bowlin ’18 has found the back of the net several times already this season, and Cate has seen some great play from Caden Cutter ’18, Will Anderson ’20, Anthony DuPrau ’19, and Luke Beckmen ’18 so far this season.