The 2024-2025 school year is in its final few weeks of school. With that comes the end of the Huntington Park sports which include Fall, Winter, and spring sports. Each season has their respective sports assigned to them according to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules. Fall has football, flag football, cross country, girls golf, and girls volleyball. Next winter has boys and girls basketball and boys and girls soccer. Lastly spring has baseball, softball, track and field, boys golf, and boys volleyball.
Starting off our year strong our girls volleyball team ended with an impressive record of 10-9 while winning the CIF championships. Coach Perkins states that with their captain and MVP of the season Erica Lovo, their foundation wouldn’t have been the same. Erica was unanimously named MVP for the team and also All Division for girls volleyball which is a big accomplishment. Coach Perkins favorite memory of this season and for a long long time would be winning that championship.
Continuing with the fall sports, we have our football team. The varsity football team ended with a record of 7-4. They made it into division 1 playoffs and were sadly eliminated after a tough battle against Westchester High School (44-40). This season they were very successful due to their effective running backs who are the MVP of the season Noah Mancillas and Diego Garcia averaging over 89 rushing yards a game. Coach Jimenez favorite memory from this season would definitely be the senior night as it was a special moment for the seniors and against one of their rivals south gate.
During football season we introduced a new sport here at Huntington park, flag football. With the help of coach jazmine they had a record of 5-6 while going 2-4 in the eastern league. Unfortunately they didn’t even make the playoffs, but had a pretty good successful season with their MVP being junior Kandie Chavez. She led the team in revealing yards and was a dual threat, also at quarterback being the second string quarterback.
Our first running sport of the school year is cross country coached by coach bonsteal. They had a successful season by making into the playoffs but unfortunately came second in the playoffs. Their best runner or MVP was Rudy Chavez, he led the boys in the best team and was a big reason why they were able to advance to the next rounds in playoffs. Coach Bonsteel’s favorite memory from the season, was able to spend every day practicing with the team and seeing how the teams bonded and created.
Our final fall sport for the school year is girls golf Coach Moreno. With the second year of being a sport in HP they have increased on their skill, getting a record of 6-2. They had two super stars/MVP, Kayla P and Daniella B. They lead the team in strokes and in most games won for the team. They led the team to the playoffs where they lost to the first seed in the first round against Bell, which Bell won league.
The favorite memory of coach Moreno is the senior night, he says “it’s nice to celebrate the players, prideful and emotion, and the closing of a chapter.”
Starting off the winter sports we had basketball and soccer this season. Basketball despite the addition of a new coach and the start of a late season they were successful and very prideful in the season with having 6 seniors. The boys ended the season with a 8-10 and a 4-8 in league. Usually the boys have more games in their total schedule but not this year, and ended off in 4th in league which has been an improvement from the previous years. The MVPs of the season nominated by Coach Casiano are captains Julian Avalos and Diego Garcia.
“Our point guard Diego was a team player and helped our main scorer Julian who was a leader on and off the court. He helped us lead and be very successful at the end of the season and the playoff run we had despite losing by 3.”
They made the playoffs with a very good position and opportunity to make a deep run, but was cut short by losing by 3 to the number 1 seed Downtown Magnets High School. Coach Casiano favorite memory from this season definitely is the practices as each practice was very very fun and would even participate in the practices in the scrimmages.
The girls basketball season was on the way as well, they also had the opportunity to have a new coach, coach hardy. With the new coach in play they adjusted many new plans and was pretty successful finishing the season with a 8-11 record. The MVP Kandie Chavez helped lead the team in scoring with almost 20 points a game and lead the team to playoffs. In the playoffs they faced San Fernando, which they had faced earlier in the season so they knew what needed to be done.
“When we played them in the first round we had a good first half but came out flat.”
Something he wishes he did was that he took the job earlier, because then they would have been in a better position as a team and himself as coach. Coach Hardy’s favorite memory would be during a game with limited players, 2 of his players fouled out and was forced to play with only 3 players on the court.
Now in the soccer team, the boys had a very very successful season with coach Bonia as head coach to the division championship game. The boys ended with a 8-10-3 record and a 2-7-3 in league play. Coach Bonia says the record does not represent the type of team they are, hence the outcome of the playoffs. Going into the playoffs they were not projected to make such a big impact in the long round but with grit and determination from their leaders and the MVP Max Clara who is the goalie of the team who was a big factor in the defense of the team. Coach Bonia’s favorite memory this season was the championship game, making that long run and being able to experience it is such a special feeling not everyone is able to experience.
The final winter season sport being girls soccer. For the longest they were such a successful team. The head coach, coach correa was a very successful coach as the girls were non stop putting in work day or night,rain or shine. He helped shape the team into success today with the season ending record of 6-14-3 and 1-9-2 in league. Coach Correa says the record does not picture the type of team they were this year, with many hard working and skilled players which lead them in the division 1 playoffs this year. The MVP of the team is the goal scoring Elisa Aquino, who led the team in goals this season. Coach Correa favorite memory of the season is the fun practices with the team and the laughter with the team and the team will be missed without the seniors as it is every year.
Closing out the school year we have the spring sports, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, Boys volleyball, and Boys golf.
Starting out with boys volleyball, lead by Coach Espinoza, with the team ending with a 11-17 record and a 2-10 record in league. With the previous years of boys volleyball it hasn’t been very successful with the previous years the boys volleyball had not made the playoffs since 2019 and with that having the number 2 seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs they made it to the quarter final round and fell short in the game 3-1. But despite the loss the MVP Nathan Sanoval helped lead the team both on the court and vocal statements. Even the games lost were very close thanks to the very efforts of Nathan which won him MVP for the team. He was the hustler of the team, the glue, the quarterback. Coach Espinosa’s favorite memory of the season was enjoying every game and practice as she knows all good things must come to an end but despite that the love she has for the team and game.
In Baseball news the season recently concluded its 24-25 season. Coach Padilla in his second year of being the baseball coach had big goals and dreams which he was able to accomplish. Huntington Park is in, considered one of the hardest leagues in the LA city section for all sport, they ended the season 5-16 and 0-12 in league finishing last. The boys were able to make the playoffs but the coach believes the record does not define the team they had as it was hard fought games they lost and not blow outs. In the playoffs they made it to the quarter finals where they lost 8-2 against WISH Academy. Despite the loss, the nominated MVP of the season, Jadon Lopez, who plays 3rd base and 2nd base, had his best game of the season with almost perfect batting and many great defensive plays. Coach Padilla’s favorite memory this season was the many fun practices starting from last school year’s spring and the fun drills they would do, seeing all the kids smile and enjoy the time together as it was a special moment.
Boys golf is now in its second year of being an official sport with Coach Moreno who is also the head coach for girls golf. In the second year here they ended off the season with a 1-7 record, but believe they have a bright future ahead of them says coach moreno. The MVP of the season is senior Carlos Valenzula who was the leader of the season for strokes. In golf the less strokes you have the better.
Moreno states “ since it was only the second year a lot of first year players and it shows hence our record.”
The team this year consisted of first year players but throughout the year there was a lot of growth from the beginning to the end. They were able to bring their stroke count between 10-15 strokes. Coach Moreno’s favorite memory from the season was seeing the excitement of the players breaking their score record which many started around 63 for one match. “Seeing them break below 60 they knew they could do anything, it was as if they won the super bowl.”
Track and field season has now officially ended with the finals being held at Birmingham and one of the teams competed in the 4×8. MVP Senior Richard Tejeda is the man according to coach bonsteal. He is a part of the 4×800 team that made it to finals and jumped up almost 8 spots and was seconds away from getting a medal and making history. Coach Bonsteal’s favorite memory was even benign aart for a while and so it was tough but he said the fun activities they did to build their bond together. They did very well as a team due to the individual effort for each race which allowed them to win many meets against other teams and still quakfit for playoffs.
To wrap up the 24-25 school year our final sport is softball. Currently the girls coached by Coach Castillo and coach Gonzalez, are in the playoffs and come off their win in the quarter finals to advance to the next round. They finished the season 4-15 but 0-12 in league, but despite the record they have what it takes to make the push for a deep playoff run. Coaches decide to choose the MVP Senior Haylee Nunez, who is not only captain but was their key vocal point on and off the field. Her splendid skills in the box to get runs and on defense is what allowed her team to be the best they could be and to continue the grind to the next round in playoffs. Good Luck!!!
Written By: Julian Avalos, Staff Writer