Success in sports can be measured in so many different ways. Winning a championship, having a winning season and improving from the previous year are just some of the ways teams can point to as a successful season. In some cases teams can be a victim of their own accomplishments.
Culver City girls’ basketball has reached that level that all great programs reach. They are a victim of their own success. They have won their league five out of the last six years, they have a CIF championship under the belts so when they were beaten in the CIF semifinals and when they lost their first round state playoff game it still hurts.
Although they lost to City Section Division 1 champion Carson in the state playoffs over a week ago, you could still hear the disappointment in the voice of the Culver City coach. “I am still trying to swallow that bitter losing pill,” said head coach Julian Anderson. “I think the lost to Warren in the CIF semifinals took its’ toll on the girls. They wanted to win that CIF title really bad. I think the CIF loss really hurt our three seniors. After that loss the girls seem to lose some of their motivation.” The three senior girls are Lauren Jones, Angel Morris and Haley Yamamoto.
A 25-7 season looks good on paper, but for the Centaur girls’ basketball team they keep chasing perfection. Still the future looks bright. They return 11 girls from their current roster and according to the coach several girls from the Culver City middle school will step in and make the varsity. “What I like about our program is most of our kids are home grown,” said Anderson.
Returning players are Khalilah Ali, Heaven Cooper, Junie Dickson, Alyse Hayes, Leah Howard, Lindsey Kojima, Ali Macgaffey, Shelby Montez, Shana Moten, Malina Mura and Amy Yoon. “Next year we expect Junie, Leah, Amy, Alyse and Heaven to step up and take their place as some of the best players to play for Culver City,” said Anderson.
A full slate of Culver City high school sports continues this week when the 4-1 baseball team battles a very good 5-1 Peninsula team in a double header on Saturday at home. The first game starts at 11 a.m. and the second game begins at 2:30 p.m.
The unbeaten boys and girls track and field teams are in action today (Thursday) when they travel to El Segundo for a 2:45 p.m. dual meet. On Saturday they stay on the road when to run and jump in the Mustang Relays at Mira Costa high school. That meet starts at 9 a.m. A week from Thursday they face Lawndale at Culver City at 2:45 p.m. on March 22.
The Culver City the boys’ 4-6 volleyball team will travel to El Segundo for a 3:15 p.m. match today and they will battle Lawndale at home on March 20 at 3:15 p.m. They also have another home match against Hawthorne on March 22, at 3:15 p.m.
Rounding out this weeks’ sports schedule the boys’ lacrosse team will face Downey at home on Friday at 6 p.m. and the girls lacrosse team travels to Downey on Friday.