The women’s basketball team enjoyed one of its greatest seasons in program history, finishing as the No. 2 team in the EBAL with a record of 22-8, and winning an NCS playoff game. 

“It was pretty amazing to be apart of a record-breaking season,” said freshman guard Audrey Moulton.

After a big 48-39 win over Clayton Valley in the first round of NCS, Cal lost to Castro Valley in the quarterfinals to end the year. The girls went 10-4 against league opponents and averaged over 60 points per game. 

“This team was so amazing on and off the court, it was such a great experience” said senior Haley Ramsey. “I know the team will be extremely successful in the years to come.”

The Grizzlies started the year 9-0 and never looked back.Their most dominant victory was a 45-point win over Granada.

Junior Gabby Edmond was the team’s top scorer, amassing 439 points and shooting 44 percent from the field. She surpassed 1,000 points scored in her high school career. Edmond also added 47 blocks on the year.

Junior point guard Mikaela Bismillah led the team with 123 assists, including 13 in a game against Carondelet. She also had 93 steals.

The Grizzlies were also led by a pair of standout freshman, Audrey Moulton and Kelani Yuto, each of whom averaged about 10 points per game. Moulton had 133 steals, and Yuto was a lights-out three-point shooter.

“We’ve accomplished a lot this year, but with three more years to go, I hope to go further and reach state,” said Yuto.

Wrestling

This year’s wrestling team finished strong by sending six wrestlers to NCS, two of whom placed in the top seven.

Senior Blaine Nye placed fourth in the 220-pound weight class, while junior Justice Besser took seventh in 145 pounds.

Other wrestlers who qualified for NCS included juniors Jonah Perez, Ryan Hurcombe and Ethan Lister, and sophomore Cole Waskey. 

“It was a good season, but not as good as past years,” said Nye.

Considering it was his last year, Nye was grateful for the way the season wrapped up, but he was disappointed that he did not reach the state championships. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advanced.

As a whole, Nye was most proud of his performance at the Jim Root Wrestling Memorial Tournament, which he won.

Perez said this year’s highlight for him was placing at every tournament and being a captain for the team.

As for Besser, his most memorable tournaments were the dual meets and Battle of the Axe.

Members of the team agreed that the season could have gone better, but it was still a great experience. 

“If only we’d had less injuries throughout the course of the season,” said Nye. “Three to four of our captains got concussions.”

Added Perez, “As captains we could’ve been more proactive and worked to our full capacity.”

– Rhea Saini

Women’s soccer

The women’s soccer team had an exceptional season this year, going 12-4-5 and falling just one win shy of reaching the NCS Division I finals. 

The Grizzlies excelled in league play, with a 5-3-5 mark. 

After big wins over Deer Valley and Berkeley in the first two rounds of the NCS playoffs, the Grizzlies traveled to face rival Carondelet in the semifinals but suffered a 2-0 loss to end their season.

Despite the defeat, the girls are proud of everything they accomplished over the course of the year. The Grizzlies were ranked as high as 11th in the state and 25th in the country at one point early in the season.

This team will always be remembered for the tremendous chemistry and camaraderie that developed between each and every teammate. 

“I had a great season this year,” said sophomore Nikki Trucco. “I’ve made a lot of new friends and relationships with some of my best friends now.” 

The close bonds and relationships that were made carried the team to an unforgettable run through the winter.

Cal got off to a fast start, winning its first seven games. One of the highlights of the season was the Grizzlies’ 6-0 win over Heritage at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, home of the Earthquakes. 

– Brendan Ogburn

Men’s soccer

The men’s soccer team endured a frustrating campaign on the field, finishing with a record of 4-15-4 and losing an unfathomable seven games by a margin of one goal. 

The top moment of the season was Cal’s huge 1-0 upset over De La Salle in early February. Junior Jacob Edwards scored the game-winning goal in the final minutes to deliver a memorable win. 

“The team was awesome and the boys were great,” said senior goalkeeper Kyle Rudd. “I had so much fun playing with everyone.”

The season got off to a slow start as the Grizzlies dropped their first seven game. The team got to play at Avaya Stadium, but lost 3-0 to Monte Vista. In the end, they finished with a 3-9-1 EBAL record.

Senior Kelton Stone led the team with five goals scored, while junior goalkeeper Israel Mendoza racked up 60 saves. 

Overall, the team managed to have a lot of fun out on the field, despite the unfavorable results. Head coach Tyler Rosecrans brought the boys together and implemented an attitude of toughness and hard work.

“Overall, he brought the team close to the point where we started thinking of ourselves as family,” said sophomore Blake Hazelton. “The work rate Tyler put into us really paid off.”

– Lauren Cambra

Men’s basketball

The men’s basketball team had quite the eventful season with a tremendous amount of ups and downs throughout. 

The Grizzlies finished eighth in the EBAL with a 4-9 record, 10-16 overall.

“It was a good season,” said head coach Anthony Khoo. “And with the varsity returners, we should be good for a while.”

After losing their first five league games, the Grizzlies finally hit their stride at the end of January with three consecutive victories over Granada, Livermore and Amador Valley. 

But the top moment of the year came against crosstown rival Dougherty Valley, when sophomore Skylar Robinson banked in a buzzer beater in the 69-67 win.

This single game was a reflection of the entire season itself, with so many constant changes of emotions and ups and downs. 

Robinson’s game-winning shot is a moment that both players and fans alike will remember for a long time to come. 

For Robinson, the best part of being on the team was the familial aspect and getting to know so many new people. 

Freshman Jalen Pierce was enthusiastic about this season as well, considering he was the only freshman on the team. He enjoyed the opportunity to go to LA and hang out with his teammates. 

Senior captain Ryan Kwong said it was a fun season and he will definitely miss the team next year.

– Rhea Saini