Men’s Basketball:
After a stellar start to the season, the Lick-Wilmerding basketball team is in a slump. A er losing to the Devils at Oracle, the team has struggled to win league games. They have been defeated by league foes, including Stuart Hall, Urban and University. Losing stellar guard Chip Thompson ‘17 to a nagging leg injury has further thinned the team’s depth at guard, but sharp shooter Nick Lam ‘17 has done a fine job filling in. The team is still very much centered around Walter Lum ‘18, who continues lighting up the highlight reel with nifty ball handling, extraordinary jumping ability and arrays of ashy passes. Avi Leung ‘17 has displayed excellent leadership and a deadly mid-range shot, while Zach Johnson ‘19 maintains his attacking mentality, doing work on the boards and giving the Tigers lots of second chance points. Even though the team has fallen short in league games, they have an opportunity to redeem themselves in playoffs. With a respectable 17-6 record, the squad will surely look forward to a run in NCS. In these times of hardship, Coach Smith’s advice should resonate with players: Champions find a way.
Women’s Basketball:
The Lick-Wilmerding Women’s team has exceeded expectations this year, boasting a 13-10 overall record, and a 3-3 league record. A er defeating University handily at Oracle, the team barely fell short in the rematch: losing 28-27. Captains Zeli Grey ‘17 and Maya Burris ‘17 can lead the Tigers versus the Devils in the playoffs. If the team can stay healthy, they have a shot of making it far in the league playoffs.
Maya Burris ‘17 will surely be missed next year. The versatile center is averaging a stunning 18.0 points per game. She is rock solid on the defensive end, a major shotblocker and a strong post defender. ere is plenty of talent in addition to Burris on the team. Emily Rupright ‘18 and guard Samantha Fong ‘19 continue to improve; they are the future of the women’s team. However,the team might need a star freshman next year to maintain a winning streak at Oracle.
Women’s Soccer:
A year ago Lick moved its soccer season to the winter, when the drought was still happening. is season, the Lick-Wilmerding Women’s Soccer team is feeling the effects of a very rainy winter. Star defender and the Paper Tiger’s very own Bonnie Wong ‘17 stated that “weather has been a big down for us.” There are no rainouts for the Tigers because all games are now played on turf fields. Captains Leila Shokat ‘17 and Kiera Coe Collins ‘17 have led a strong Tiger squad through torrential downpour and icy cold conditions. e team has an overall record of 8-5-5, and a league record of 5-4-3, including a 2-1 win over University. Tigers goalie Sarah Dean ‘19 and the rest of a suffocating defensive line have limited opposing teams to few goals, but the team needs to get healthy in order to improve. Kiera Collins ‘17, Carly Brown ‘18 and Franny Jacobsen ‘18 are all battling injuries; however this has given players such as Pilar McDonald ‘19 more playing time and the chance to breakout. With better weather and playoffs right around the corner, the team can make a push for the BCL title and a high seed in the NCS tournament.
Wrestling:
When people think of wrestling, many associate the sport with the WWE. High school wrestling is not the fake and scripted version one can purchase on pay per view, it is the real version. Often people only believe wrestling brings pain and sweat to those who play, but what can be overlooked is the enjoyment the members of wrestling teams can have. e Lick-Wilmerding wrestling team has continued its success thanks in large part to captain Cal Crompton ‘17, who was the first wrestler in school history to make it to the second day of NCS. While wrestling is considered an individual sport, Crompton says that the team “feels like a small family.” Crompton will have to be replaced when he graduates next spring. Up and coming underclassmen such as Jacob Cherdak ‘19 and Alix Sivolella ‘19 have the talent needed to lead next year, and more wrestlers will need to be recruited. As always, student talent marches on year by year.
Spring Sports Update:
Spring sports at Lick- Wilmerding seem to be the most popular among the three seasons because of the competition that each sport brings. Lick- Wilmerding elds six sports in the spring season.Although teams such as Men’s Baseball, Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s Tennis lost key players who graduated, there remains plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming season.
Keanu Velasquez ‘17 and fellow teammates can make a splash this year in swimming. The Men’s Tennis team is excited to welcome phenom freshman John Peabody ‘20 on to the team. Returning captain of Girl’s Lacrosse Zeli Grey ‘17 will lead an improving squad that will bene t from solid team chemistry. The Boys Lacrosse team will reload with skillful freshman who can complement talented leaders Ryan Kimball ‘17 and Liam Maniscalco ‘18. Track and Field is in prime position to challenge Stuart Hall and University for the BCL title. As the Boys Baseball welcomes a new assistant coach this year, the team’s rock solid pitching rotation will give them plenty of opportunities to win games. And finally, Warren Tse ’17 and Matthew Liu ’17 are determined to challenge University’s stronghold of the BCL West title in Badminton this upcoming season.
These teams need all the support they can get, be sure to come out to watch Tigers in action this spring season.
