By ELYSIA OUYANG
Sports Editor
This month, the Sword & Shield asked each coach to select one player who showed the most promise for the upcoming season. We then asked the athletes what they were looking forward to this season.
Wrestling: John Farah (Sr.)
“He was third in CIF last year, he’s second now [in CIF] and he’s ranked in state. He’s a crazy hard worker; that’s why he’s so good. He has extraordinary agility for such a big guy. He is fast but also powerful. Usually, guys sacrifice one for the other, but John is the whole package.” – Peter Alix (English Dept.)
“I’m looking to win state. I’m working with a former NFL player, Coach Shar, to get better. As a team, we’re looking to get to CIF and make it to playoffs. It’s not about loving winning, everyone loves to win. It’s about hating losing and not quitting in practice and getting better and better each day.” – John Farah
Girls Soccer: Hanna Ghamari (Sr.)
“She’s one of our captains and just a fantastic player all around. She has incredible work ethic and drive on the field and has great talent.” – Martin Stibolt (English Dept.)
“Our team is a fairly young group, but we have a lot of chemistry on and off the field, so I’m hoping it will work to our advantage throughout the season. Our team’s strengths are our chemistry, taking shots and passing. Our weaknesses include finishing our opportunities and communication.” – Hanna Ghamari
Girls Basketball: Kiara Warren (Sr.)
“We’ve had three games so far and she’s been our leading scorer and rebounder and she’s one of our captains and provides a lot of leadership for the team. She was in the second team all-league last year, so we expect big things from her this year.” – Nicole Bradshaw (Math Dept.)
“I think that we are going to have a fun season. We are a team that works hard in practice, so if we play as hard as we work then we will have a great season. Also I have a lot of friends that I have played with throughout high school and I’m excited to go through this season with them this one last time.” – Kiara Warren
Boys Soccer: Evan Mouchard (Fr.)
“My assistant Joey Cascio and I are excited to be able to field some young players [Mouchard and Sam Kelley (Fr.)] with great promise. Even though they are freshmen they both started today’s [December 4] game against Warren and were fantastic. They contributed heavily in a 1-0 win. They both have tons of potential and I am excited to see them play at this level and grow in the program. I’m just excited to watch him [Mouchard] grow in the program. He has great ability and great potential to be a 4 year starter on Varsity. I look forward to him leading the program in a couple years’ time.” – Martin Carrington (Athletics Dept.)
“I’m looking forward to beating Woodbridge. [Personally] I’m going to try to get better at working with my teammates. I think in a few years, Uni will be the best soccer school in the world. That’s my opinion.” – Evan Mouchard
Girls Water Polo: Sophia Bajak (Jr.)
“She’s shown the most improvement and I think she’ll be a big difference-maker for our team this year. I’ve only been coach for one year, but since I’ve been here she’s shown a lot of improvement. Sophia does a great job, using her length to deny people on defense and create shooting opportunities. Her positive attitude helps lift our team in critical times.” – Jeff Colton (Math Dept.)
“We’ve made so much improvement from last year, and it’s already showing in our performance in games. Our positive attitude has been contagious and we are better than ever. Make sure to come out and watch!” – Sophia Bajak
Boys Basketball: Kiron Dey (Jr.)
“He’s a third-year varsity player and was the team’s co-MVP last year. He’s one of the better players in our league and should be one of the best in the county next year, so this should be a big year for him. He’s constantly improving; he works on his game and he’s constantly dedicated to being a better player.” – Mike Dinneen (Social Science Dept)
“As a team I am really looking forward to this season because I feel like we have worked hard together all year and have prepared ourselves to be in a position to win most of our games. Personally, it’s my junior year and I want to step my game up, be a leader, and finally get some league wins.” – Kiron Dey