This Week in Athletics

September 26, 2025

Football

The Rams move to 2-1 after a big 40-20 win over Coast Union last Saturday, their first-ever victory at Meldman Field. Cate came out firing, with quarterback Alek Kroehl scoring on a 10-yard keeper and later connecting with Nolan Montoya for a spectacular toe-tap touchdown. The defense dominated early, with Noah Casbarro making plays in the backfield and Josh Butler delivering the highlight of the half — a 75-yard pick-six that sent Cate into the break up 28-0.

Coast Union clawed back in the second half, capitalizing on mistakes to trim the lead to 32-20 in the fourth quarter. But Cate’s depth proved the difference. Freshman quarterback Ashton Knecht energized the Rams late, using his size and speed to power the offense downfield before sealing the win with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Sam Lambiotte.

With the 40-20 victory, Cate showcased explosive offense and a defense that forced multiple turnovers, while also showing resilience in the face of a late rally. Head Coach Ben Soto praised his seniors for their poise and credited the team’s growth from week one to week two. The Rams now travel to Righetti High School next Saturday to take on Orcutt Academy at 1 p.m.

Girls Tennis

Cate girls’ tennis continues their winning ways with three straight victories, rolling past Villanova, Santa Ynez (9-0), and Thacher (15-3) to open Tri-Valley League play.

Senior captain Claire Bianchi led the charge against Thacher with a sweep in singles, while fellow captain Elsie Chamberlain and Claire Tang swept in doubles. Junior Reyna Takahashi delivered the most dominant performance of the day, not dropping a game against Thacher’s top two players. Sophomore Elly Edwards also swept all three of her doubles sets with different partners.

Additional wins from Jade Wang, Ivy Huang, and Lisa Hasebe rounded out the effort. Coach Thorpe praised the team’s resilience in tight doubles sets and highlighted Takahashi’s sharp, efficient singles play.

Girls Volleyball

Cate girls’ volleyball has won four of their last five matches, posting strong performances across the past two weeks. The stretch began with a five-set win over rival Bishop Diego (25-17, 25-18, 24-26, 20-25, 15-12). Senior Oyin Opawumi had a monster game with 29 kills and 27 digs, while senior Emerson Evans added nine kills and senior Elise Tsai dished out 26 assists.

Next, Cate faced Louisville at home, dropping a close three-set match 12-25, 15-25, 25-27. Opawumi led with 13 kills and nine digs, Evangeline Little added 14 kills, and Coco Kliman contributed key points in the third set.

At Villanova Prep, Cate bounced back with a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-18, 25-13). Opawumi had 13 kills, seniors Emerson Evans and sophomore Cassidy Rose added six kills each, and Evan Walters served four aces. Elise Tsai and junior KayKay Ercil led the team in assists.

Cate continued their run with a sweep of Grace (25-7, 25-10, 25-12), led by Opawumi’s 13 kills, Evans and Rose’s six kills each, and contributions from across the lineup.

Most recently, the Rams defeated Nordhoff in straight sets, rounding out a strong two-week stretch with balanced offense and consistent serving.

Boys Water Polo

Cate boys’ water polo has won two of their last three matches, bouncing back from a narrow loss to Santa Barbara with two dominant victories.

The stretch began on September 11 at Santa Barbara High School, where Cate fell 6-5 in a back-and-forth contest. Senior captain Sebastian Brine led the Rams with two goals, while Emmanuel Brine, Elliott Paige, and Fletcher Prince each added one. Jae Wykoff led the team with four takeaways, and goalie Andrew Sheshunoff recorded four saves in a tightly contested match.

On September 16, Cate traveled to Rio Mesa and posted a statement 18-3 win. Senior Sebastian Brine and freshman Liam Moes each scored four goals, Emmanuel Brine added three, and Jae Wykoff and Tristan Maigret chipped in two apiece. The Rams’ press defense fueled a fast counterattack, and Andrew Sheshunoff had six saves, including a key 5-meter block and several counter stops.

Cate followed that with a 16-6 home win over Oxnard on September 18. Emmanuel Brine and Liam Moes again led the attack with four goals each, while Sebastian Brine and Fletcher Prince added three apiece. Eric Jin made an impact on both ends with steals and an assist, and Sheshunoff helped limit Oxnard to single-digit scoring.

Stay tuned for more from Cate Athletics and as always follow along on Instagram at @Cate_Athletics. Tune in to see livestream and highlights on Hudl!

Go Rams!