Trailblazers head to CIF Finals

The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team has qualified for the Open Division championship game for a third time after plowing through the pool-play portion of the playoffs.

The Trailblazers, who have won 29 consecutive games, will face nemesis Etiwanda at 6 p.m. at Honda Center in Anaheim.

“It’s just amazing to be back and be here, again,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. “This is a great team and we want to finally win this section Open championship.”

Sierra Canyon lost to Etiwanda in last year’s final before avenging that loss the following week in the state playoffs en route to winning the state Open Division title.

The Trailblazers did the same exact thing back in 2019, winning 29 consecutive games, losing to Windward in the section final, avenging that loss a few days later and going on to win the state title in the highest classification.

USC-bound JuJu Watkins is averaging close to 30 points per contest and nearly 13 rebounds. Watkins has plenty of help from Mackenly Randolph, Izela Arenas, Crystal Wang, Leia Edwards, Sofia Ruelas and freshman Emilia Krstevski.

“It’s been a crazy run this year and we just want to keep the good times going,” Komaki said. “The girls have dealt with everything so great.”

Sierra Canyon and Etiwanda will be meeting for the sixth tie since 2018. Etiwanda holds a 3-2 advantage, winning two Southern Section playoff contests, including last year’s Open Division sectional final.

The Sierra Canyon track and field season is quickly approaching and this year it’s all about the speed.

The Trailblazers are going to make some noise and surprise people with their underclassmen sprinters.

The move to the Mission League may not be so rough with the four speed demons Sierra Canyon has at its disposal.

Sierra Canyon coach Troy Samuels is excited to unveil Devin Bragg, Terrell Cooks, Jae’on Young and Jalen Aguilar-Carnes.

Bragg is a sophomore, who ran a 10.33 as a freshman at Los Alamitos. Bragg will miss the early part of the season due to transfer sit-out rules. It may just help him stay fresh for the end of the year.

Cooks and Young both return from last year and are key parts of the Division 2 champion football team.

Aguilar-Carnes is another young special talent, who comes in from Moorpark HS. He ran a 10.91 last year, unheard of from a junior high kid.

“It’s going to be a fun season, we are going to shock some people,” Samuels said. “These guys are super fast.”

The quartet is also expected to make up the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.

“We just have to manage the workload, stay fresh and injury free,” Samuels said.

Other standouts include Michigan-bound Cameron Brandt in the shot put and 300 hurdler Jai Bell.

Brandt will play football at Michigan and was last year’s Gold Coast League shot put champion.

Bell is a junior, hoping to make his mark.

The team has seven league meets starting Wednesday with Harvard-Westlake.

The team competes each Thursday in March before a Spring Break hiatus and finishes with two league matches in April.

The 2023 Sierra Canyon boys golf season is quickly approaching and the Trailblazers are getting ready for a big jump to the Mission League.

“We are stepping up in class,” Sierra Canyon coach Mike Low said. “It will take us some time to adjust.”

Low will be looking to sophomore Zydon Yuan to lead the team this year. Yuan was a freshman standout that was the top golfer last year and lasted two rounds in individuals.

Another key contributor will be sophomore Sahil Banker.

Carr Early, a sophomore, has made marked improvement from last year and Katie Anderson is back as the lone girl on the squad.

“Carr will be better for sure this year,” Low said.

Low is also excited about freshman Neel Sodhi and even more excited about a group of eighth graders that will compete in 2024.

“We are very young and we need time to adjust but the future is bright,” Low said. “We will finally have depth in the years to come here. That’s what you need to compete in a league like this.”

A big difference this year will be playing 18 holes on match days instead of nine.

“We could struggle in the beginning,” Low said. “This is something our young guys will need to get used to.”

The team will compete in five matches where all league members play.

March 1 at Los Robles, March 14 at Harding, March 22 at Wilson, April 19 at Soule Park and April 27 at Brookside in Pasadena.

There is also an April 12 tilt with Campbell Hall at Balboa in Encino.

This moment has been building for some time.

The Sierra Canyon boys lacrosse team is entering a critical juncture in its trajectory as a powerhouse program.

Sierra Canyon will transition from the Gold Coast League to the Mission League and see if it can maintain its high standard of success in one of Southern California’s premier lacrosse leagues.

Coach Mario Waibel said he is eager to see where his program stands, especially after graduating his most impressive senior class that featured seven high-profile seniors.

“We have a lot of new faces. It’s one of those years where we will see who we really are,” Waibel said.

Sierra Canyon is coming off an impressive 10-5 campaign against an array of top-tier competition, capturing its seventh consecutive Gold Coast League crown before suffering a first-round playoff loss to St. Margaret’s in a brutal draw.

Sierra Canyon opens its season on Feb. 15 at Westlake, kicking off another loaded nonleague campaign that also includes Agoura, Los Alamitos, Faith Lutheran, St. Francis and Nevada powers Centennial and O’Dea.

Its Mission League opener will be March 7 against St. Francis, starting a gauntlet that includes matchups against Harvard-Westlake, Crespi, Loyola, Chaminade and Notre Dame. Loyola traditionally ranks as one of the most formidable programs in Southern California.

“We’ve played these teams before, but the stakes have not been as substantial,” Waibel said. “We’re going to have to elevate our game and prepare for league in a different way.

“We’ve never missed the playoffs, and we don’t intend to do that this year. We’ve got to go out and beat some Mission League teams.”

Waibel said he will lean on Swarthmore-bound senior defender Lucas Kearney, senior midfielder Carter Lee (headed to Brown University for academics) and junior midfielder Mickey Petraitis to set the foundation in the new Mission League landscape.

“Lucas has been the pillar of our defense the last three or four years, an aggressive and cerebral defender. He’s one of those rare gems you get in a program,” Waibel said. “Carter has been a big guy for us defensively, and Mickey is one of the best shooters in Los Angeles.”

Waibel said the team has been coming together nicely leading up to the opener.

Senior midfielder Brad Conners and senior attacker JT Nichols will provide valuable experience and consistency.

Junior attacker Lance Matthies and junior midfielder Parker Chodorow are also key returners.

Sophomore defender Huntington Cooper and junior midfielder Carmel Crunk are also expected to make major contributions.

Junior goalkeeper Logan Waibel, the coach’s son, will be tasked with replacing All-American goalkeeper Jake Pillsbury, who is now at Oberlin College.

Sierra Canyon also has the benefit of having two faceoff specialists in seniors Aeson Tripodis and Will Gaeta, a luxury most programs do not have.

“We just graduated one of our best and largest classes, and it’s going to open the door for others to prove themselves,” Waibel said. “We are actually in a really good position. We’ve got the talent. Now we’ve just got to step up.”

The Sierra Canyon boys basketball program has made history, again.

The Trailblazers were selected for the Open Division playoffs for the 10th consecutive year, the only school to be included in every year of the existence of the Open Division.

“It’s an honor to be at such a high level,” Sierra Canyon head coach Andre Chevalier said. “That’s what we strive for. We always want to be included with the best of the best.”

Sierra Canyon was given the No. 8 seed and will play all three pool-play games on the road.

The Trailblazers opened up with a tough, close loss against top-seeded Corona Centennial on Friday.

Sierra Canyon plays at Bishop Montgomery in Torrance on Tuesday and plays at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks on Friday.

Bronny James and Ashton Hardaway have been leading the way. Hardaway has been a prolific 3-pointer shooter of late, scoring 42 points while connecting on 10 3-pointers in a Mission League tournament victory against Chaminade.

Hardaway followed up that effort with 21 points, all on 3-pointers in Friday’s setback against Corona Centennial.

Sierra Canyon won the SS Open Division championship in 2019 and 2020 before being denied by Corona Centennial of a third consecutive title in the crazy 2021 pandemic season.

Last season, Sierra Canyon was one possession from advancing to the section final, being denied by Harvard-Westlake.

The Trailblazers have reached the state regional final four of the past five years, all in the Open Division.

Other top contributors for this year’s team have been Jimmy Oladokun, Dylan Metoyer, Isaiah Elohim, Majok Chuol, Noah Williams and Bruce Cofield.

The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team has been included in the Open Division for the 2023 playoffs.

After going 26-0 in the regular season, the Trailblazers have been awarded the No. 1 seed and are expected to meet juggernaut Etiwanda in the Open Division championship game Feb. 25th at Honda Center in Anaheim.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to not lose a game and we hope to continue our run through the playoffs,” Sierra Canyon head coach Alicia Komaki said. “We have a lot of work to do.”

USC-bound JuJu Watkins, the number 1 ranked player in the country, has been leading the way for Sierra Canyon, averaging close to 30 points per game and 15 rebounds.

Mackenley Randolph and Izela Arenas have been key contributors to help ease the load off Watkins. Randolph is a double-double machine and Arenas has speed and athleticism that is unmatched.

Crystal Wang (headed to Northwestern) and Sofia Ruelas have provided valuable play, as well.

Sierra Canyon opened up with a 74-35 thrashing of Bishop Montgomery last Saturday and has two more pool-play games this week.

The Trailblazers host Ontario Christian and prolific scoring machine Chloe Briggs on Wednesday before taking on Sage Hill of Newport Coast on Saturday.

Sierra Canyon won 29 consecutive games to start the 2019-2019 season before losing to Windward in the SS Open Division final. The Trailblazers rebounded that year to win the Open Division state championship, finishing a remarkable 33-1 overall.

 

Volleyball ready to stick toes into sand

The Sierra Canyon girls beach volleyball team is ready and excited for a wonderful 2023 season.

The Trailblazers top two teams will be Olivia Babcock and sophomore Lauren Lynch along with Jada Sione and Rachel Reyes.

The number 3 team will be a combination of Maddie Way, Zoe McNicol and Natalie Babcock.

Other key contributors will be Devyn Antoine-Dillon, Shyla Williams and Brandi Boston.

Olivia Babcock had a stellar indoor season back in the Fall, helping lead Sierra Canyon to the Division 1 championship. She will play at Pitt next year.

Sione is headed to Cornell and Way is a junior committed to Hawaii.

The beach game is much different than the indoor game.

“It’s definitely more finesse than power,” head coach Darrin Phillips said. “It’s all about placement and it’s much more strategic.

Sierra Canyon is in an 8-team league with Harvard-Westlake, Chaminade, Notre Dame, Louisville, Marlborough, Immaculate Heart and Notre Dame Academy.

The Trailblazers open up Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 3:30 p.m. against Immaculate Heart at Zuma Beach in Malibu.

Girls soccer struggle to find footing

The Sierra Canyon girls soccer team is adjusting to the rugged Mission League but can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Trailblazers are 1-6-1 during league play but still have three matches to right the ship for a possible playoff berth.

“It’s been a rough go,” Sierra Canyon coach Will Beard said. “However, we are competing hard and figuring some things out. Injuries have hurt us from the start of the year.”

Some bright spots for the Trailblazers are Olivia Theodortos and freshman Maya Charuvastra.

Theodoratos is the team’s leading goal scorer and Charuvastra has surprised at midfield.

“It’s been tough trying to replace 30 goals from last year and being in a very tough league for the first year,” Beard said.

Sierra Canyon owns a win against Flintridge-Sacred Heart and tied Marymount. The Trailblazers also won a tournament back in December up in Bakersfield (Garces Memorial HS).

There is still optimism late in the season because the final three matches come against Marymount, Notre Dame and FSHA. The Trailblazers now they can end the season on a high note with a few more victories.

“Like anything tough in life, we had to adjust to this new league with adversity,” Beard said. “The second half of league play has shown some improvement and we have a few more matches to keep that going.”

Things are looking up and getting better for the Sierra Canyon boys soccer team.

After a rough start in a brand new league, the Trailblazers have found some solid footing as of late are in contention for a playoff berth.

Leading the way has been Constantine Theodoratos, who had a hat trick in a 5-3 victory against Notre Dame this week.

Another player who has come on and taken a key role is J.T. Nichols. Primarily a Lacrosse player, Nichols has emerged a key player.

“J.T. brings a solid approach, great energy and enthusiasm,” Sierra Canyon coach Chris Bonawandt said. “He has been forced into a big role because of injuries and has played the part well for us.”

Armand Sahi is doing well as goalkeeper. Sahi and Ben Eisner are helping keep Sierra Canyon competitive in one of the best leagues in California.

“They have both made saves to keep us in games,” Bonawandt said.

Sierra Canyon is making great progress and strides. The Trailblazers dropped matches to Notre Dame and St. Francis earlier in the year both by scores of 2-1.

The Trailblazers have avenged those defeats with victories the second time around and have knocked off Alemany.

Sierra Canyon ends the regular season with matches at Crespi this Friday and at Alemany on Monday before hosting Chaminade next week on Wednesday.

“We have a real shot earn a playoff berth and that is our only goal for the next 10 days,” Bonawandt said.

The Sierra Canyon boys basketball team has been playing better of late and is poised to make another deep run in the Open Division playoffs.

The Trailblazers have knocked off Christ the King of New York and Wheeler of Georgia in recent weeks before rattling off four consecutive Mission League victories.

Sierra Canyon knocked off Chaminade, Loyola, Crespi and St. Francis.

That streak came to an end last week with a humbling 72-52 setback against Harvard-Westlake. However, the Trailblazers were missing key starters Bronny James and Isaiah Elohim, both out nursing minor injuries.

Sierra Canyon has a huge game coming up Friday against Notre Dame at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. The game will likely decide No. 2 in the league and give the winner the coveted double bye for the league tournament next week.

“We are still learning and figuring each other out,” Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier said. “We have been playing better and better. Our defense is great. We want to get better offensively.”

The individual talent on the team is undeniable. James, Jimmy Oladokun, Ashton Hardaway, Dylan Metoyer and Osisris Nalls are key seniors. Elohim, Noah Wiliams, Justin Pippen and Majok Chuol are talented juniors. Bryce Cofield has shown great promise in his sophomore year.

Sierra Canyon has had a remarkable run since 2016. Five Southern Section championship game appearances in seven years, three Open Division state championship appearances and three SoCal regional championships from 2018-2020.

The Trailblazers are expected to be in the Open Division again facing Harvard-Westlake, Corona Centennial, Bishop Montgomery, West Ranch, St. John Bosco and others.