Even with just three sports in the winter season, basketball, soccer, and water polo have given Westridge something to celebrate, with every team showing improvement from last season. With big wins, including water polo’s incredible season with a CIF playoff run, let’s dive into what these three teams had to show. 

Basketball shows hopeful signs of improvement, with a 34-13 win against Mayfield.

Basketball did not advance to CIF this season, a trend that has continued for the last several years. This season, the Tigers finished last in the Prep League with a league record of 2-9. However, their overall record, 6-13, was noticeably better. 

Despite not making it to CIF, basketball still improved from last season. They won two more games in the Prep League than last year, when they had a league record of 0-10, and they won four more games overall.

According to Coach Brett Washington, 80% of the team has had chronic injuries throughout the season. Considering the team’s condition, the Tigers’ improvement from last season is even more celebratory. Westridge can hope that basketball will recover from their injuries and make a steady climb towards a CIF Playoff run in the years to come.

Soccer shows tremendous improvement by winning more than half of their games for the first time since 2019.

As a team that has been historically inconsistent in terms of winning, soccer finally seems to be finding their footing. They finished with an overall record of 8-6, winning more games than they lost for the first time since 2019. They also won the first five games in a row, four of which they conceded no goals from the other team.

With a fourth place finish in the Prep League and a league record of 2-6, soccer broke their four-year streak of finishing fifth place. The last time they finished fourth in the Prep League was in 2021. With this fourth place finish, soccer had a chance to advance to CIF Playoffs with an at-large bid, but were just shy of advancing. However, with how much they have improved this year, the Tigers can be optimistic for a CIF Playoff run in the near future. In addition, soccer won against Chadwick for the first time in five years, in two hard-fought games with scores of 2-1 and 2-0. 

Esperanza O.-C. ’26, a standout player who was on the Nicaraguan U-17 National Team, was out due to an ACL injury, but the Tigers have filled her role in her absence. In addition, Espe’s younger sister Kassandra O.-C. ’28 is joining the Nicaraguan U-17 National Team as well, following in her sister’s footsteps. Although injured, Espe has continuously shown support for the Tigers by visiting practices and cheering on her team during games. 

Water Polo has an inspiring underdog story with an undefeated record in the Prep League, a Prep League Championship, and an advancement to CIF Playoffs. 

Saving the best until last, water polo has had a season that is nothing short of exceptional. Water polo has a solid 18-6 overall record, even maintaining an undefeated streak in the first 14 games of their season. Remaining undefeated in the Prep League with a 6-0 record, water polo was crowned a well-deserved Prep League champion. Their championship gained them an automatic entry into CIF Playoffs, and they won their game against Ventura High School 12-11 in overtime on February 5. Their second round playoff game is against Bonita High School on February 10.

This season marks a tremendous improvement from recent years. When the current seniors Skye I., Sloan C., Josephine W., and Irene A. were on the team as freshmen in the 2022-2023 season, water polo won just five of their games, with an overall record of 5-15 and finished dead last in the Prep League. Developing their skills for four years together, the team has transformed from a lackluster team to one of brilliance.

The four seniors graduating this year could be a hard blow to the team’s success, but there’s still hope. With young talent making up a majority of the team, water polo can be optimistic for a successful season in the future.