BOYS BASKETBALL
At the Gator Basketball Tournament in Newbury Park, the boys opened Monday with a hard-fought win against Beacon Hill. Senior captain Joey Edelson was the leading scorer with 23 points and newcomer freshmen Edward Ying poured in 14 points, helping OVS come out on top with a final score of 62-51.
The next day, with the absence of Joey, junior captain Ray Hsu stepped up and ended the night with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Freshman Harry Ying was a force under the basket with 8 points 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Time was the biggest enemy, and the Spud ended with a tough loss.
On Wednesday, the boys squad fell to San Fernando Valley Academy by 3 points. It was a tough loss, as the Spuds lost on a half court buzzer beater. After being down 18 points, the boys team came back to tie the game with 2 minutes left.
Joey and Edward were a force on scoring, with both dropping 20 points and bringing the team back from its large deficit. Harry was a force under the basket with 10 rebounds and at least 10 points.
Finally on Thursday, the OVS basketball team defeated Beacon Hill once again finishing the game with a five point win 51-46. Senior Joey Edelson had an amazing night with 21 points, including 3 three pointers. Sophomore Russell Zhang got his first points in the tournament with a corner 3. The basketball team finished the tournament taking 4th place.
The boys basketball team will travel Tuesday for its season opener against Westmark 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
After opening with a couple of losses, the Upper Campus girls soccer team took its first win of the season on Wednesday, besting Nordhoff JV 7-0. “During the first half, the girls got a little lost with the excitement (of scoring goals),” said coach Paloma Sandoval. “But in the second half, they were able to slow down a bit more, pick up their heads, find connecting passes, and for the first time, play as a team.” She noted excellent passing from new player Tallulah Bell as well as Kay Johnson’s ability as a defender to “read the game and get us out of tough situations.” The girls suffered a close lost to Cate on Saturday, and will be back in action on Tuesday at home against Laguna Blanca at 3 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
The Upper boys soccer team opened its season with back-to-back home wins against Westmark and Gorman. In the opening match against Westmark on Thursday, players Kai Ishikawa, Scotty Hatton, Drew Radford and Rafi Hirsch all scored goals. Camaraderie, sportsmanship and fun were evident in an unusual match that found several Spuds subbing for the visitors, who didn’t have enough players to field a full team. “I was told wonderful things by the (opposing) coaches, who were very appreciative of the opportunity, provided the circumstances,” said coach Adam Woll. The boys play at home vs. Gorman today at 3:15 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Upper girls basketball found themselves short on players in a 38-14 loss to Villanova on Wednesday. Coach Brad Weidlich said the girls “played hard and battled to the end with only six players available.” Notable leadership and rebounding, he said, came from Scout Mortenson while Laura Bell displayed speed and defensive grit.