October 2020 Howler

14 November 6, 2020
SPORTS
The Northwood Howler
For Kobe Bryant: Gone but never forgotten
By William Baik and
Ryan Wu
Staff Writers
Capping off the NBA’s socially
distanced season, the Los Angeles
Lakers have been crowned as the
league’s victors after defeating the
Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of the
NBA Finals.
The championship represents
more than just a celebration to the
Lakers—it was a memoriam to Kobe
Bryant. The death of one of basketball’s
most beloved stars last February
especially shook Los Angeles,
and so the Lakers’ homage to Bryant’s
legacy put monumental weight
behind their championship victory.
The “Black Mamba” jersey, originally
introduced in 2018, made appearances
in Game 2 and Game 5 of
Girls water polo rises up the ranks
By Rachel Gima
Staff Writer
The Northwood Girls Varsity
Water Polo has earned its place in Division
3, following two increasingly
successful seasons, as their sudden
rise to stardom has caught the attention
of high school sports.
The Northwood Girls Water
Polo team was in Division 5 two
years ago, qualifying for the CIF-
Southern Section (CIF-SS) for the
first time in seven years, finishing
their season with a stellar 21-9 overall
record. As a result of their accomplishments,
they progressed to
Division 4 the following the 2019-
20 season, finished with a 20-10
record, and were crowned the Girls
Water Polo League Championship
for the first time in Northwood’s history.
These successes resulted in their
eventual progression into Division 3.
“We’re all hardworking and
determined to play our best,” var-
the finals, the team’s way of honoring
the memory of Bryant, a close friend
of Lakers superstar Lebron James
and an influential figure to others.
Though Bryant’s death still stings,
the trophy brings some closure to his
tragic passing.
“We’re thinking about the Bryant
family—Vanessa and the daughters.
They’re with us, we’re with you
guys,” James said after the Game 2
win. “We love you guys. And, hopefully,
we’re making them proud by
wearing these uniforms tonight.”
The Lakers’ victory in the Oct.
11 finals game gave them their 17th
ring and tied the franchise with the
Boston Celtics for most championships
won in league history. James
was named NBA Finals Most Valuable
Player, averaging 29.8 points,
11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while
sity right wing sophomore Ella-Blue
Wilmot said. “We all push each other
to be better players and I’m really
excited for another season with my
teammates.”
The season is scheduled to start
late December, with league games
beginning in January. In the meantime,
the team is preparing to compete
together again.
“It’s definitely going to be harder
playing in Division 3; Our competition
is going to be so much more
difficult,” varsity goalie junior Sanjana
Venkatesh said. “I’m excited to
play in a higher division because it’s
a new challenge, especially since we
were Division 5 my freshman year,
so it shows how much our team has
progressed.”
The CIF-SS assigns teams
“power rankings,” placing teams
with similar power rankings into one
of seven divisions. Each year, the division
of a team is determined by the
team’s performance average —influ-
shooting 59% from the field over the
six-game finals.
Though the finals pairing was
expected to be uneven, the storyline
behind the young underdog Heat team
and all-star guard Jimmy Butler’s
dominant game three and five performances
made the finals a worthwhile
and exciting watch. The Heat’s game
six was a disappointing outing, but
their run exemplified the threat they
pose for other title contenders in future
years. The composure and raw
talent of their rookies combined with
Butler’s defined leadership skills indicate
future success.
In an effort to deter the spread of
COVID-19, modifications were made
to all parts of the game this season.
This included a 100-page rulebook
that adapted the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
enced by factors such as a team’s win/
loss record and schedule strength—
from the previous two years. This
measure is a predictor of success for
this year, providing hope for many
of this year’s athletes, both new and
returning.
“Last year, we were a young
team, but we have built a lot of chemistry
which allows us to be successful,”
Venkatesh said. “Our coach also
contributed to our success last year
because he had a lot of faith in us and
led our team in the right direction.”
The team is currently holding
socially-distanced practices to prepare
for the upcoming season, which
will officially begin as early as January
2021.
“We’re nervous about playing in
Division 3, and we hope it won’t really
affect the outcome of wins and
loses very much, but we’re also excited
about it,” Wilmost said. “When
we play, we play for each other, and
that’s what makes us so strong.”
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
STOKED WHILE SOAKED: Head Coach Kyle Kim-E and Assistant Coach Isabelle
Comtois review the team’s playbook during a routine water break.
health guidelines to the 2020 NBA
Bubble, an isolated playoff zone in
Orlando. The bubble’s safety precautions
were headlined by its zero
COVID-19 cases, an impressive feat
in comparison to both football and
baseball. Still, the bubble subjected
athletes and employees to monumental
changes during their stay, due to
the mental strain it created.
“This was very challenging, and
very difficult,” James said after Game
6. “It played with your mind, and it
played with your body. You’re away
from some of the things you’re so accustomed
to that make you the professional
you are.”
During the finals, James became
all-time 2nd 3-pointers made during
finals and 2nd in all-time playoff assists,
while teammate Rajon Rondo
surpassed NBA legends Larry Bird
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
and Steve Nash for 6th in all-time
playoff assists. As for the Heat,
20-year-old rookie phenom Tyler
Herro became the youngest player to
ever be in the finals’ starting lineup,
and scored the most 3-pointers by a
rookie in a finals appearance. Butler
liberated himself from the “villain”
label in the media and improved his
legacy through his leadership and
killer mentality.
Basketball’s time in the bubble
was an impressive feat that managed
to balance the difficulties of quarantining
and delivering another year of
playoff basketball. The NBA Finals
is always a bittersweet moment for
basketball fans, but this year’s ending
also came with relief: relief from
the players who were free to go home
and relief for the fans, knowing that
basketball would always be there.
Ice hockey makes its mark
By Diego Moreno
Staff Writer
The cool air and rush of adrenaline
on the hockey rink was something
unique to the East Coast, but
with the rise of hockey in Irvine that
feeling is only going to spread to the
West Coast. Ever since the Anaheim
Ducks’ inauguration in 1993, hockey
has been spreading like wildfire
in and around the greater Orange
County area. Ever since the creation
of the Anaheim Ducks High School
Hockey League (ADHSHL), yet in
the past few years high school hockey
has seen unparallleled interest, especially
in Irvine.
Since ADHSHL first started
in 2008 with JSerra Catholic High
School, it has grown tremendously
every year. It currently consists of
53 teams across 39 schools, spanning
a number of districts in the process,
including the Irvine United Warriors
hockey team, which is a team made
up of aspiring hockey players from
high schools across Irvine, that compete
in regional contests against other
teams in ADHSHL.
“From prior hockey experience,
I knew some of the players from my
club team before playing on the Warriors,”
Northwood alumni Jaxsen
Foxfire said. “But, it was extremely
enjoyable meeting my new teammates
who went to Woodbridge and
it was a different experience bonding
with them on a level I hadn’t previously
experienced.”
Foxfire was a former right wing
and defenseman for the Irvine Warriors.
The Irvine team was formed
due to the lack of players at any individual
school to form a full hockey
team, however, the amount of hockey
participation in Irvine was too much
to ignore; thus, the ADHSHL board
members allowed a collective Irvine
team. However, many other teams in
the ADHSHL are compelled to play
on behalf of other schools as well,
making the Warriors team’s situation
traditional protocol.
“The development of additional
rinks and more exposure from the
Anaheim Ducks, leading to more
kids wanting to try it and get hooked
into it,” ADHSHL director Matthew
Blanchart said. “So we always want
to try to grow the sport and to get
more kids on the ice as it’s always a
considerable benefit for us.”
Like most sports, hockey is the
recipient of COVID-19 regulations,
especially with it being a full contact
sport. With the increased precaution,
ADHSHL has been adaptive in their
pracrices, as they focus on the fundamentals
of the sport, which include
stick skills, skating and passing.
“I think COVID-19 will affect
our league the same as it will affect
any other CIF sports,” Blanchart
said. “Our season is currently set to
begin the first week in January when
CIF sports return, and we are anticipating
a season but it won’t be a full
season.”
As of right now, it is unlikely
that there will be a Northwood hockey
team in the near future, but with
ADHSHL’s unprecedented growth in
the last few years and the new Five
Point Ice Rink at Great Park open
for service, that may change in favor
of hockey players. For Northwood
hockey to be a reality, a Northwood
student can start a hockey club,
which could potentially become a
club team and eventually enter CIF
as a full-fledged team, once the club
gains enough members and interest.
“Hockey is one of the greatest
experiences in my life,” Foxfire said.
“I hope hockey is able to become a
bigger sport in Southern California
so more schools can have teams.”