Culver City’s winter sports teams are loading up for the CIF playoffs as they face the most important part of their season. With three Ocean League games remaining three out of four winter teams are facing must win games. The first place girls’ basketball team is the only team that is guaranteed a playoff spot. Boys soccer, girls soccer and boy basketball need to win games this week and next week if they expect to reach the postseason.
Although the girls’ basketball team is in first place injuries has made head coach Julian Anderson go deeper into his coaching book.
“Trying to figure out all the different situations because of the injuries is fun and frustrating all at the same time,” said Anderson last week. “We are just trying to get through one game at a time.”
Several players are doing their best to fill the injury void.
“Megan Yoon is really stepping up and doing her best but sometimes she gets a little tried but she is doing a great job.”
Anderson also expects Kailey Tooke be that super star that he thinks she can be.
“With the talent that she has we want to see her dominate games,” said Anderson. “When she scores 16 points we feel like she could have scored 30. That’s how much talent she has.”
The girls basketball team is currently 13-9 overall and 6-0 in the Ocean League. They travel to Santa Monica on Friday and they have two home games next week against Hawthorne on Tuesday and Beverly Hills on Thursday. All three games will start at 6 p.m.
The boys’ basketball team is 8-14 overall and 1-5 in the Ocean League. They need to win two more games if they expect to get an at-large bid to the playoffs. The way they have played lately two more wins is tall order, but like we all saw in the Super Bowl anything is possible.
“I like the way we play defense but it’s our offense that’s killing us,” said boys head basketball coach Adam Eskridge. “It’s a lack of ball movement and a lack of people movement. In practice the ball moves around but when we play against teams that are athletic we freeze up. We are trying to teach basketball instincts. I feel good about our defense but unless we fix our offense we are going to be in trouble.”
The boys’ basketball team we travel to Santa Monica on Friday and return home for two games next week against Hawthorne on Tuesday and close out the Ocean League schedule with a game against Beverly Hills on Thursday. All three games will start at 7:30 p.m.
The girls’ soccer team is currently 9-6-2 overall and 3-3 in the Ocean League and is playing some of their best soccer of the year. They are tied for third place and if they win two out of their last three games they should make the playoffs.
The girls’ soccer team will host first place Santa Monica on Friday at 3 p.m. The Vikings have a record of 9-6-2, but are 6-0 in the Ocean League. The Lady Centaurs will play two road games next week when they battle Hawthorne on Tuesday at 3p.m. and Beverly Hills on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The boys’ soccer team is currently in fourth place with a record of 6-8-2 overall and 2-3-1 in league play. They travel to Santa Monica on Friday to play the 5-9-1 and 3-3 Vikings at 3 p.m. and next week they will host two home games on the Jerry Chabola field. On Tuesday they will play Hawthorne and battle Beverly Hills on Thursday. The last two regular season home games will start at 6 p.m.