Winter teams hope to continue past success

At Etiwanda High School, the winter sports season is coming up. Boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, wrestling, and girls’ water polo are included in this next season. The sports that have not started yet are expected to do well in their upcoming seasons, and the seasons that have begun are off to a great start.

The league change at Etiwanda is not expected to affect the sports seasons much. In this league change, Glendora High School and Alta Loma High School were replaced by Chino Hills High School and Damien High School. A trouble expected to come from this league change is the travel distance between games, according to assistant principal Derek Bub. Additionally, the league change should cause the league to become more competitive for each sport.

This year’s boys’ basketball team is expected to do well as always. Etiwanda has a successful history in basketball: the team has won two total CIF championships (in 2005 and 2013) and 17 total league championships. Last year, the team finished with an overall record of 25 wins and three losses, one of the best records in the league. They are expected to win a state championship. Although there will be tournaments played in December, the first official game is Jan. 1, 2015, at 6:30 PM against Colony High School. The game will be played at Etiwanda High School and is expected to be a great way to start off the boys’ basketball season.

Similar to boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball is off to a great start. Last year, they finished with a record of 18 wins and 5 losses. The Varsity team has 14 League Championships under their belt, and their head coach Anders Anderson is excited for their upcoming season. They are expected to do just as well as last year, if not better. Their first game was on December 9, 2014 against Chaminade at home; Etiwanda lost 67-56 in overtime.

Last year, the girls’ soccer team finished off the season with a record of 12 wins, seven losses, and five ties. They are expected to go to the CIF championship for this year, if not win it. They have been working hard all fall, and have won the Duarte Classic, according to athletic director Dave Masucci. Additionally, the girls’ soccer head coach Jason Montgomery is really excited for the season, and has great expectations for the team.

Both the girls’ soccer program and the boys’ soccer program are expected to be successful and improve every year. Each team is looking to replace most of the seniors that left last year with fresh, young faces, and both expect to have a better record than last year. These new players are anticipated to replace the star players that were lost through graduation, and to play better than them.

Although girls’ water polo finished with a record of 14 wins and 14 losses last season, they are expected to blow this next season’s competition out of the water. Head coach Kyle Smolinski is excited for the season, and expects the team to go far. Currently, the team has played against Palm Springs High School and Corona High School, and beat them both. Athletic director Masucci expects the young, talented team to perform well this year.

Lastly, even though last year’s performance by Etiwanda’s wrestling team was exemplary; they are predicted to do even better in the upcoming season. Etiwanda has had a prosperous wrestling team through the years, and this year’s group has no lower expectations. Head coach Larry Cutbirth expects the team to make it to the CIF Championship. Etiwanda’s wrestling team’s first meet is on Dec.18 against Los Osos High School.

—Ty Koslowski