The LJCDS 2025-2026 Winter Sports season has wrapped up after three months full of victories. From November to February, there was success in every sport, and it is now time to break it all down.
Women’s Basketball took 1st place in the Coastal League. They had dominant records, going 17-10 overall and 5-1 in league. The Torreys had big wins against Mater Dei Catholic and Mission Hills, both ranked top-3 in San Diego. In a game against Escondido Charter, they scored an incredible 102 points in the demolition of the White Tigers. I had the opportunity to speak with shooting guard Mahlia Washington on how the season went, and she said, “The season was kind of rocky but memorable, we lost a lot of games, but we still have a great team, program, and coach.” Mahlia stayed humble when reflecting on the season, as they were successful, but she knows they could have been better. Senior point guard Safiyah Sugapong reached 1000 career points, in one of her best seasons yet. They earned the #5 seed in the Open Division playoffs. Unfortunately, their season ended in the first round, falling 46-53 to the Mission Hills Grizzlies.
Men’s Basketball had a rocky season, finishing 3rd place in the Coastal League. They finished 12-15 overall and 5-5 in league play. The Torreys had a big win against the Mira Mesa Marauders who are in the top-10 teams in San Diego. They defeated Mira Mesa by a score of 79-64 here at the Smith Gymnasium. I had the chance to catch up with shooting guard Iris Matanza, and he said, “Despite being a young squad loaded with underclassmen, the Torreys have demonstrated flashes of big-game potential and resilience that reflect their core values of FATE: Family, Accountability, Toughness, and Excellence. With so many players gaining valuable experience this season, the future looks bright as we build toward even greater success.” The Torreys earned the #10 seed in the Division 1 playoffs. They headed to Mission Hills High School to take on the Grizzlies. The two teams already played once this season, the Grizzlies beating the Torreys 61-51. Unfortunately, they were defeated once again, falling 57-66.
Women’s Soccer finished the season with a 8-6-2 (W-L-D) overall record and 6-2 in league play. They ended up taking 2nd place in the Pacific League after a very competitive fight for first. They had exceptionally dominant wins against Del Lago Academy and Maranatha Christian, beating both teams 6-0. I had the absolute honor to speak with center midfielder Rosha Anjomshoaa about how the season went for the Torreys. She commented, “It went great, I love the team.” They earned the #11 seed in the Division 3 playoffs. The team travelled to Otay Mesa to face Montgomery High School. The Torreys were defeated by the Aztecs 2-0.
Men’s Soccer also had a successful season, claiming the Coastal League title yet again. The lads finished with a 12-5-2 (W-L-D) overall record and 8-1-1 in league play. The Torreys had many big wins, the most important coming against Bishop’s and Orange Glen. The Torreys beat the Knights 5-2 in El Clásico. This turned out to be midfielder Mateus Carvalho’s favorite win of the season. I asked him if he could share a few words about the squad and he said, “This team is special.” He is completely right, as this has been one of the most successful seasons in recent years. The biggest win of the season came against Orange Glen. The Torreys had fallen to the Patriots 3-1 in Escondido earlier in the season. They would play them again, this time at home. The match was tied 0-0 at halftime, until Aaron Guss broke the deadlock with a 40-yard screamer into the top-left corner of the goal. Owen Dorros followed up seven minutes later with an on-the run bullseye into the bottom left corner of the goal. The Torreys would end up winning the game 2-1, clinching the league title. They earned the #7 seed in the Division 2 playoffs and faced off against Patrick Henry in a rematch of a 0-0 draw earlier in the season. The Torreys prevailed by a score of 2-1 in a wild match full of red and yellow cards. They travelled to Bonita to take on the Bonita Vista Barons. After a scoreless first half, the Barons took a 1-0 lead. Soon after, Aidan DK went on a good run, passed the ball to Owen Dorros, who then laid it off to Ryan Salami who slotted it to the bottom right corner, who had come in all the way from the back. The match would go on to overtime, where the Torreys lost a heartbreaker, final score 2-1.
Ice Hockey experienced another great season under coach Dan Wagner. I contacted center Brooks Schwager for some words on the season. He said, “The hockey season is currently in playoffs right now and we our getting ready for our big game against Fairmont. The season as a whole was exciting with all of our games being closely competitive. One highlight from the season was beating St. John Bosco on senior night.” Brooks was one of the seniors celebrated that night and will be missed.
Surf has one remaining competition which will take place on March 8 at the Army-Navy Beach. I have had the absolute privilege to become the first manager in program history, making my debut earlier this month. I learned about the surfing competition process and met the team, including Hudson Siegel. He commented, “It was a great season for The LJCDS surf team. Our team improved each contest, supported each other in the water, and had a lot of fun along the way.” I was able to see Hudson have his best performance of the season at my debut on February 8. At the Army-Navy Beach, Hudson brought home two 4th place medals, for both shortboard and longboard.
Dance continued to amaze fans at home basketball games this season. I spoke to captain Jessica Gizzo, and she said, “We had a very successful season, and I’m very proud of our team.”
Now, LJCDS will focus on the spring season, with Tennis, Baseball, Softball, and Lacrosse. Be sure to stay tuned.
