This Week in Athletics

September 12, 2025

Fall sports are officially underway at Cate! After returning from the annual Outings Week and getting back into the swing of the school year, all five fall teams have now started their seasons. Thursday marked the first competition for the cross country team, and the girls tennis, football, volleyball, and boys water polo squads have all seen action as well. With a mix of returning leaders and new faces stepping up, it’s been an exciting start to the season for the Rams.

Girls Tennis
Through two matches, the Cate girls tennis team is off to a perfect 2-0 start, opening the season with back-to-back wins over local Channel League opponents. The Rams first showed their resilience in a thrilling comeback against Dos Pueblos, rallying from a 5-7 deficit to clinch the match with dominant third-round performances in both singles and doubles. They followed that effort with a convincing 14-4 victory at San Marcos, where every varsity player—and two JV call-ups—saw action. Sophomore Ivy Huang led the charge with clutch singles play in both matches, while the doubles duo of junior Lisa Hasebe and sophomore Chelsea Newlove stayed unbeaten on the year.

Head coach Trevor Thorpe praised his team’s depth and adaptability, noting: “As was the case last year, we have a lot of depth at both the singles and doubles positions. We’re working out how all the pieces are going to fit together in the best way.”

Football
The Rams opened their 2025 football season with their first game on the brand-new Meldman Field, facing a tough Valley Christian Academy squad on a hot Carpinteria afternoon. Despite a strong start, including a 65-yard touchdown connection from junior quarterback Alek Kroehl to senior co-captain Chase Meyer and multiple defensive takeaways by seniors Noah Casbarro and Barron Crayton, the Rams fell 30-20. Senior running back and co-captain Josh Butler also made an impact with a 35-yard touchdown run. The game was tightly contested, with both teams trading scores through the first three quarters, leaving the Rams tied 20-20 heading into the fourth. Ultimately, a late field goal and touchdown by Valley Christian sealed the outcome.

Head Coach Ben Soto reflected, “After graduating 16 seniors from last year’s squad, we knew we just had to get our young guys some reps. While the outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, it gave us valuable experience against a quality opponent.” The Rams will take to the gridiron next on Saturday, Sept. 20 against Coast Union at home.

Boys Water Polo
The Cate boys varsity water polo team opened the season with an 11-9 win at Newbury Park. The Rams jumped to an early lead, turning strong defense into fast counterattacks and holding Newbury to just two goals at halftime. Freshman Liam Moes led the way with seven goals and three assists in his impressive Rams debut, while Emmanuel Brine added two goals and an assist. Elliott Paige and Sebastian Brine each contributed a goal, and goalie Andrew Sheshunoff came up with eight key saves. Junior Jae Wykoff helped control center play all game, communicating well and playing tough without fouling.

Coach Jesse Morrison was impressed with the team’s effort and energy, saying the defensive performance was “special” and highlighted the group’s togetherness.

Girls Volleyball
The talented girls volleyball team opened the season on a high note, sweeping Orcutt Academy 3-0 and following it up with another 3-0 victory over Fillmore. At the competitive Bishop Diego Tournament, the Rams dropped tough matches to Atascadero and Laguna Blanca but will look to bounce back when they face Bishop Diego on Friday, September 12.

Cross Country
The Rams harriers opened their cross country season with a solid tune-up at the TCAA Preview Meet at Arroyo Verde Park.

In the boys’ varsity 3-mile race, Ati Zwieback ’26 crossed the line first overall in 16:51.20. He was joined in the top-10 by Bruce Li ’28 (18:11.1) and Jordan Ryan ’26 (18:28.3).

On the girls’ side, Carmen Lack ’26 led the way with a 9th-place finish with a time of 24:28.70. She was followed by Sofi Ridgway ’26 (25:18.2), Posie Hexner ’28 (25:29.4), and Mimi Power ’28 (25:40.5), with all four Rams placing in the top 15.

In the JV 1.98-mile race, Ian Kim ’29 was the top Cate finisher, taking 5th overall in 13:10.2. The Rams run again at the Twilight Meet on October 8.

*Games through 9/10 (aside from XC)