Let it all 'fall' down..... (Women's sports fall semester wrap-up)

Many of the women's teams decided that they weren't going to be overlooked compared to its male counterparts.

In fact, some of them had better season records but were stopped short of going for the championship by teams that were slightly better.


Water Polo:

Of all of the teams in the fall semester, this one had the biggest improvement. From barely missing the playoffs last year, to setting a school record for most wins in a season (28-3), these ladies came a long way.

Among the many accomplishments were being seeded no. 2 in So. Cal during the playoffs and beating conference-rival Long Beach for the first time.

But its record-breaking season came to an end with a playoff upset at the hands of eventual state runner- up Golden West .

Despite the upset, coach Sergio Macias and the ladies can be proud of a season in which so many expectations were exceded and records were broken.


Volleyball:

A late season surge of winning eight straight games was not enough to keep it from a first-round exit from the playoffs thanks to Golden West (yet again, a Cerritos defeat at the hands of the Rustlers!!).

After starting the season, 1-5 (not including pool play) the team found motivation to stick through close games and not blow early leads. Losses against Mt. SAC stopped the team from taking the conference crown, placing the team second.

Unlike some teams, there wasn't just one person who was the "do-all, be-all" player. There were several players who each had different specialties.

On the season, Jennifer Espinoza had a team leading 283 kills, Terri Del Conte led with 43 aces. Bridgette Enriquez led the team with 338 digs and Le'Sauna Johnson led the team in blocks and blocks assisted.

Teamwork at it's finest!

But in order to get further next year, it must hold on to leads in crucial games


Soccer:

So much promise, so much potential! This team had the talent to rival its male counterparts and take it all. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Santiago Canyon had other plans.

It's record 17 straight wins (including the two playoff games) and 22-2-0 couldn't save the team from a 7-0 trouncing.

What happened, what went wrong?

It's hard to pinpoint what exactly happened. The only answer is that the team finally met its match. The women have to take this as a learning experience so they can go all the way next year.


Cross-Country:

The team finished seventh place in the state title and rivaled the success of the men's team by winning two invitationals, the Riverside Invitational and the Crystal Springs Invitational.

Jessica Azarte and Angelica Negrete were just a few of standout runners. Just like the men's team, many of the runners were first year athletes. If they return next year, they could capitilize on the win and place even higher in the state.

Let it all 'fall' down.....(Men's sports fall semester wrap-up)

This fall semester, there were teams who exceeded expectations and experienced letdowns. Other teams kept streaks alive and others broke them. While some teams had a resurgence, for others it was the "same old, same old" season. Let's take a look at some of them.

Cross Country;

Though the team itself did well, there was one sprinter who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Daniel Clifford-Sorenson not only established himself as the best runner on the team, but also as one of the best in the state, placing first in five tournaments. He placed fourth in the state match, thus earning a spot on the All-American team.

As a team, it had several good tournaments including the Fresno Invitational and Crystal Springs Invitational. The team placed first in both invitationals, respectively.

With several returning athletes, including Clifford-Sorenson, planning to come back next fall, this team could make a possible run at the state title.



Wrestling:

Being the only school to send 12 athletes to the state championship, the wrestling team definitley made its presence known this season.

Though only one of those twelve would win his respective match and move to the final round, the fact that those players made it says enough about the stellar season that the wrestling team had.

The team placed fourth in the state with 101.5 points.

Carlos Alaniz, 133-pounder, dominated once again, winning the state title in the 133-pound division. Two others, 285-pounder Brandon Doran and 125-pounder Jason Carrillo also competed for a state title in their weight classes. However both lost.

Though the season was an overall good one, the wrestling team still never got over the hump of defeating Santa Ana in the regular season and playoffs.
In order for Cerritos to be more of a contender for the state title in '07 it must dethrone the Dons.


*For a season wrap-up of men's soccer, visit the previous entry .


Football:

The team's 3-7 season was really no different than others. It was inconsistent and lost close games. This makes it the third straight losing season for Coach Mo and the other players.

Cerritos' football team reminds me of the Raiders . Once upon a time, both were respectable teams now are just a "shell" of its old past. Season after season, both start out with so much promise. But you can never build your hopes up too high because you know in the end, you're going to be let down and the team will give you three and four win seasons.

Despite its up and down season, the team did have a few highlights. As always, the team had a bunch of players make the all-conference team. It also had some high scoring games, including one against West L.A. in Sept. when it scored 50 points against the Oilers.


Water Polo:

The team's conference arch-rival Long Beach ended not only its nine game winning streak in Sept., but it would also end its entire season with a 13-5 defeat in the second round of the regional playoffs. The Vikings went on to win the state title.

The Sept. loss seemed to take out confidence from the team. From that point on, it would go on to become inconsistent. It interchanged wins and losses, losing three straight in an Oct. tournament at Citrus College .

Though it finished 19-11, this season was a dissapointment for the team, considering consecutive appearances in the state championship the two previous years.

*The next entry will be a season wrap-up of women's fall semester sports.

"Socc-ing" painless for men

Victory has never before been as thrilling for the men's soccer team as it has been this season.

The team reached its season long goal of winning a state title by defeating Taft College , 1-0 last Sunday in the state championship game at Fresno Pacific University.

This is the second time in three years that the Falcons have made it to the state title, but the first time in school history that it has won.

It finishes the season 20-3-5 after losing the first two games of the season to Golden West and Fresno City . The Falcons defeated the aforementioned Rams in the regional final 1-0.

It also got revenge on Santa Ana, who defeated the Falcons the last time it reached the state championship in 2004, defeating them 1-0 in the second round of the regional playoffs.

Throughout this season, the team's strength has been its defense. All four playoff games were shutouts, making it nine games where the Falcons have stopped the opposition from scoring.

Artiaga told www.ccsoccernews.com "Our defense shutout four of the best teams in the state. It goes beyond our three defenders and goal keeper. All 11 of our guys plays defense. That's something we emphasize as a team."



Infielder Juan Huerta scored the game's only goal in the 35th minute.

The playoffs have been Huerta's time to shine. He only scored two goals this season, but both were the most crucial to the Falcons' season.

He also scored the goal that defeated El Camino College and sent Cerritos to the final four.

If he, along with other freshmen including defender and tournament MVP Esuebio Alvarez returns next year, the team can possibly make another run at the state title.