TPHS sports dominate at the local and state levels
Photo courtesy of Scrippix.
Thus far in the 2022-2023 school year, dedication and perseverance has allowed varsity teams like girls water polo, girls basketball and boys rugby to perform at the top of their games, with numerous titles to prove their success.
Varsity girls water polo season began Nov. 7 and ended Feb. 25. They won the CIF and state championships. The team competed against Bonita Vista High School in the CIF finals and won 8-5, as well as competed in state finals against Mt. Carmel High School and winning 8-5.
“You can tell the team loved being around each other and they were playing to win for one another,” second-year coach Brandon Carman said.
They practiced Monday to Friday for two hours each session, stretching at the start and conditioning for 30 to 40 minutes, working on their skills and drills.
“It was one of our first times making it this far in any sport and to see the coaches faces was unforgettable,” Martie Cohen (10) said.
Working hard all season, they hope to see the same success in the pool next year.
“[Our] goal for next season is to keep growing as a team and go far in CIF,” Ryland Smith (10) said.
Moving out of the pool and onto the court, varsity girls basketball won their first CIF section championship since 1995, a significant accomplishment for the program, beating Oceanside High School 52-41.
“Every athlete understands that, to develop their skill, it takes hours of work and conditioning and all that not-so-fun stuff,” center Laura Rucks (12) said. “In that final moment when we won, it was really rewarding and relieving.”
The athletes worked hard in their basketball PE class, pre-season practices, and throughout the season as a whole. The team found the right balance of work and fun.
“We are such a funny team. If you were to see one of our practices, you’d wonder how we get stuff done,” Rucks said, “We are always joking around and making each other laugh.”
TPHS holds many titles and varsity boys rugby has earned the school one more, making history as the first ever Southern California rugby team to win the California State Championship. The game took place at Saddleback College, where TPHS took on Saint Francis High School and won 31-14. Despite their undefeated season, tensions were high going into State competition.
“It was a game we did not think we were going to win because no SoCal team had ever done it before. The feeling of success was unbeatable,” club president Colin Brogan (12) said.
The team also won SoCal Single High School 15S, where they competed against all Southern California teams and won finals 19-14.
Team captain Jonty Lee (12) reflected on why he believes the team had a successful season.
“I think the main thing that created a successful season for us was that we all had the respect and gratitude,” Lee said. “This made each boy in the team want to be at training…so we could have a great season and create history for SoCal.”
After making history this year, those varsity teams hope to achieve the same success next season, whether they are competing in the pool, on the court or on the field.