Freshman boys basketball head coach, varsity and JV assistant coach, Griffin Jimenez (‘13) walks into the huddle on Feb. 21 against Mission Bay High School (21-10). The varsity boys basketball team (24-7) played their last game on March 6 after losing to Mira Costa (31-5) 44-39 in the second round of the Division II CIF State Championship. Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.
The 2024-25 winter sports season brought historic achievements and new records for the school’s varsity teams. The varsity girls soccer team (17-5) won the CIF Division II State Championship, the varsity girls water polo team (18-12) won a CIF Open Division game for the first time in program history and the varsity wrestling team (16-1) finished their best season yet by breaking records at the CIF State Wrestling Championship.
The CIF State Wrestling Championship, from Feb. 27 to March 1, marked the end of the varsity wrestling team’s nearly undefeated season.
“It feels pretty nice knowing that we are the best team … in Torrey Pines history,” Carter Bolt (11), 120-pound class and one of four wrestlers on the boys team who qualified for state, said.
The team finished the season with a 16-1 record, losing only one of 17 matches. They also beat La Costa Canyon for the first time in school history, a season highlight, according to Bolt.
Varsity girls water polo was also more successful than previous seasons, making program history with their first-ever CIF Open Division playoff win on Feb. 18 against Grossmont High School (18-9), winning 12-9.
“I think we had some really good close games that we won,” attacker Jayda Modir (10) said. “We’ve had some really high-intensity games that we ended up winning, but we also had some high-intensity games that we ended up losing.”
Overall, the team saw significant improvement from last season, ranking seventh in San Diego and finishing second in league play. Utility player Finn McNamara (11) attributed their success to their head coach Brandon Carman.
“Brandon is a really good coach because he pushes you a lot,” McNamara said. “If he gives us a hard swim set or a workout set, he gives it to us because he knows we can do it.”
Along with the many record-breaking seasons this year, the varsity girls soccer team won the Division II CIF State Championship, becoming the first team in program history to win a state title.
“Winning states and making history for Torrey Pines women’s soccer was an incredible feeling,” forward Maya Washington (10) said. “It is so empowering to know that I created history that will forever stay with TP and have a connection to my high school that can never be taken away.”
Aside from setting a program record, the team overcame the challenge of starting the season off with many of their starting players injured.
“So many players stepped up into these pivotal roles and truly shined,” Washington said. “With all the support from the injured players on the bench and the insane effort and work rate of everyone on the field, we as a team were able to succeed.”
Washington mentioned what differentiated their team from others.
“What truly set us apart from other teams was our team camaraderie which was built up through multiple mindset trainings and team bondings,” Washington said. “Any team can train for a countless number of hours, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t truly know each other and play together as a unit.”
The varsity boys soccer team (8-12-3) made it into Open Division CIF playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but fell to Del Norte High School (15-2-6) in the first round. According to varsity boys soccer head coach, Fransico Lona, the team’s goal for next season is to win a CIF title.
“This season was among the most gratifying because though we started the season in a very rough patch with multiple losses, the boys stayed together, kept persevering and ended up making the season a very successful and memorable one,” Lona said.
Lona highlighted the positives of the season.
“A couple of season highlights were the sophomores making an impact on the team, a freshman making varsity and the seniors leading by example on the field and in the classroom,” Lona said.
The varsity boys basketball team (24-7) also had a successful season, winning the Coastal League Championship and earning the Team Academic Award for the highest boys basketball unweighted team GPA in the North County Conference. Zain Mehio (12), a forward and center for the team, received the Student-Athlete of the Year Award for his leadership and dedication on the court and on campus.
“This season was a statement year for Torrey Pines,” combo guard Zander Ovies (11) said. “I felt that we were able to prove a lot of people wrong that doubted our abilities at the beginning of the year. Even though we weren’t the biggest or strongest team, we had a lot of hours we put in together and as a group that was impactful towards our amazing season.”
Ovies shared how the team’s dedication to training and camaraderie benefitted their season.
“We work extremely hard every single day, and we all bought into the goal early on in the year that helped contribute to it all,” Ovies said. “With so many hours put in during film, practice, extra reps unseen by anyone, this group is extremely special. I wouldn’t want to go to war with anyone except these guys.”
The varsity girls basketball team (20-10) also achieved great success this season, winning 20 games for the fifth time in program history and finishing second in league. They defeated rivals La Costa Canyon High School (14-16) and Carlsbad High School (20-13). According to Scott Herrin, the girls varsity basketball coach, the team had to switch tactics this year as they went up against other teams with much taller players, which “forced [them] to play a more up-tempo style of basketball and more full-court press.”
“Unless you win the championship you always end the season with a bit of disappointment,” Herrin said. “But, when you reflect back on the season you are able to see how much you grew as a player and teammate. We improved in every single statistical category over the previous season. That shows growth.”