High School Sports - A Year in Review
NORWALK – It’s been a year of firsts and deep playoff runs for the Norwalk area sports high school teams in 2022.
In addition, a 20-year reunion of a group of youth baseball players from the Norwalk Pony 2002 World Series Champions, a longtime coach and Norwalk resident honored with the naming of a softball field after her, two firsts for the Norwalk girls wrestling program and a first-time state appearance for a John Glenn girl wrestler.
Glenn High also advanced into the CIF Basketball quarterfinals for the first time in nine years, while La Mirada athletics had multiple major accomplishments in three different sports. The St. Paul boys basketball also advanced to the CIF quarterfinals.
The biggest step was the Santa Fe Girls Volleyball team advancing to the CIF Semifinals and state playoffs for the first time in 20 years.
All of that and more, including a ceremony to break ground for the new football stadium at La Mirada after four long years.
2002 Pony WS Champions reunion
The 2002 Pony League World Series Champions gathered on opening day for the Norwalk Pony League season in March at Holifield Park. On display was the Roy Gillespie Memorial Trophy that the team received in the World Series. Many former players and coaches were in attendance.
Norwalk dominated the series and shutout Levittown, Puerto Rico, 10-0 in five innings to win the title. “It was an amazing run,” Johnny Perez said, who was the teams’ second baseman.
They became the first area team to win a Pony World Series since the 1965 Long Beach team.
The team also honored former assistant coach Tony Rivas, who had since passed away. His original jersey was on display.
“This has always been home for many of us here,” said former Norwalk Pony All Star coach Ruben Velazquez of the field. “It’s always great to come back here and see the league still going.”
La Mirada teams shine
The youthful boys basketball team advanced to the CIF 2A Championship game, but fell, 59-49, to San Juan Hills. However, four days later the Matadores, who had come into the title game on an 11-game winning streak, won a CIF State first-round game, 65-60, over King Drew of Los Angeles. The Matadores season came to an end with a loss to Los Altos in a second-round game
The team featured four freshmen that played major minutes during the season.
Coach Randy Oronoz, who led the team in his first year last season, said of their 2021-22 schedule, “….the thing I’ve been telling everyone is we played one of the toughest schedules I’ve ever been around.”
In baseball, the Matadores finished the season with their 38th consecutive Suburban League win, dating back to 2016. They won the league title with a perfect 8-0 record, which was their 27th overall. La Mirada has also won two CIF titles.
Coach Jimmy Zurn, who has amassed an overall record of 154-58-2 in his eight years knows how hard the kids have worked through the years. “It’s a tribute to our kids,” he said. “In our program, we strive to be consistently good.
“This is all a tribute to our coaches and all of the hard work.”
Softball, behind the coaching of Brent Tuttle, won its third consecutive Suburban League title and is also in the midst of a long winning streak. The Matadores finished the season with an 8-0 record for their 31st consecutive win.
The Matadores finished with a 22-7 record and advanced to the CIF second round playoffs.
And finally, the long-awaited football stadium complex broke ground in late July and is currently in full swing with construction and hopes for an August 2023 completion date.
The scope of work includes a new synthetic turf and track, new home and visitor bleachers, new concession stand, restrooms, team room building for home and visiting teams, a new ticket booth, a new nine-lane track, a new accessible ramp and new lighting.
The stadium was funded by Measure G, a $375 million dollar taxpayer-funded bond aimed at renovating and modernizing Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District facilities.
Norwalk resident Ginger Larsin honored
A Norwalk resident of 60 years, Ginger Larsin, received the honor of a high school softball field named after her in April.
The former La Serna Softball coach of 27 years, won the Del Rio League title 14 times, qualified for CIF-Southern Section playoffs 26 of her 27 years, had 503 wins and played in four CIF title games, winning three in 1996, 2001 and 2008.
“The program that coach Larsin built over nearly three decades, is one of consistency, quality, and effectiveness,” La Serna Athletic Director Steve Hemenway said.
Larsin, who was coaching volleyball at Bell Gardens at the time, remembers the call for the La Serna position.
“I got a call (while at volleyball practice) from my mom and she said La Serna wanted to interview me for a job,” Larsin said. “I went right to La Serna and they hired me right then and there.
Norwalk girls wrestling makes history
In only the second year of CIF Girls Duals Division Championships, the Norwalk team, behind coach Bryan DeVries, won a CIF duals match in late January.
After losing in the first round of the CIF-SS Girls Duals in 2021, the Lancers had a monumental first-round win this year over Carter.
“The girls have worked really hard,” third-year Norwalk Girls Wrestling coach Bryan DeVries said after the team season ended in January. “We have put a big emphasis on family. One thing I like about these girls is the passion that they bring, and they all genuinely root for each other. “They are happy now, but excited for the future.”
The Norwalk boys and John Glenn boys also both won CIF first-round matches.
Norwalk defeated Canyon (Anaheim), 42-39, and Glenn defeated Bell Gardens, 54-27.
In individual competition, Norwalk had four girls qualify for the CIF Masters for the first time in program history– Sabrina Sinohui (106), Zitlali Sarmiento (131), Casey Otero (143) and Thalia Ariste (170).
However, the big winner of the season was Glenn’s Mia Ramirez in the 116 Lb. weight class.
The senior became the first in program history to qualify for the state championships with an eighth-place finish.
Glenn advances to first CIF boys quarterfinals in 9 years
The Eagles (15-12) defeated River Springs, 55-24 in the first round and Hawthorne MSA, 61-58, in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals against top-seeded Fontana (22- 5).
St. Paul, for the second year in a row, advanced to the CIF-Southern Section quarterfinals with a 66- 60 win over the visiting Hillcrest Trojans in mid-February. With their 11th consecutive win, the Swordsmen upped their record to 21-9 at the time.
Santa Fe girls volleyball advances to CIF Semifinals
Perhaps, the biggest story came from the Santa Fe Girls Volleyball team this past season.
The upstart Chiefs who finished tied for second in the Del Rio League, were ranked No. 9 in the division and advanced to the CIF-SS Semifinals with a 3-1 win over Trinity Classical Academy for the first time in 20 years. Santa Fe improved to 23-12 overall and travelled to Nordhoff of Ojai for the semifinals. They lost, 3-2, but moved on to CIF State action.
The Chiefs won a first-round match, 3-0, over Poly of Sun Valley and moved on to the second round where they lost to Palisades.
“I’m just really proud of this program,” Santa Fe Principal Craig Campbell said. “Coach Gay (Brokenbough) came back and had a vision for this program and put the time in to work with these girls, battle through the pandemic and now we’re seeing the fruits of their labor.” The Chiefs finished tied for second in the Del Rio League and were ranked No. 9 in the division.
2022 High School Athletes of the Year
La Mirada – Boys: Aidan Nasser; Girls: Janis Espinoza
John Glenn – Boys: Natanael Jacobo; Girls: Gabriela Ortega
St. Paul – Boys: Jordan Williams; Girls: Rebecca Topete
Santa Fe – Boys: Andrew Hernandez; Girls: Kayla Viramontes
Norwalk – Boys: Jonathan Goodloe; Girls: Denise Cortez
2022 Scholar Athletes of the Year
John Glenn – Boys: Jimmy Torres; Girls: Geovana Ramos
St. Paul – Boys: Isaiah Dunn; Girls: Alyssa Ledezma
Academic of the Year
Norwalk – Boys: Bryan Echesirim; Girls: Liyah Salazar
Local college, university highlights
Biola University completed its inaugural season in women’s water polo and came within a game of reaching the conference championship game in the post season.
Under coach Sarah Orozco, the team won 13 games in 2022.
“This year was a season to learn about ourselves with all other DI, DII and DIII programs we got to play,” Orozco added. “I wasn’t sure what this year’s team would look like coming from COVID.
“We made sure we showed everyone we will be a first-ranked team next year,” said Orozco, on the college athletic website.
Cerritos College Men’s Soccer came within a game of advancing to the CCCAA State Championships.
Entering the Southern California Regional Championships, the Falcons were undefeated and ranked first in the state with a 20-0-2 record. However, they ran into an old nemesis in Mt. SAC, which has won six state titles.
The Falcons, who have won four state titles, lost, 1-0, in overtime to the defending state champions and finished with a 20-1-2 record.
“The unfortunate part of this game sometimes is, we finished the season undefeated (one loss) and yet we’re done,” Cerritos College Men’s Soccer coach Benny Artiaga said. “In playoffs, unfortunately, someone has to be sent home and (Saturday) it was us. “We were clearly the better team (Saturday). It’s unfortunate man. In soccer, it’s not the best team that wins all the time.”
The Cerritos College football team finished the season with a 7-3 regular season record and qualified for a post-season bowl game.
The Falcons (8-3) hosted the Long Beach City College Vikings in the Western State Bowl game and had an exciting, 35-28 win. The win was the fourth consecutive bowl game win for the Falcons.