SHP Fall '23 Sports Recap

1/10/2024

Fall '23 Season Athletic Teams in Review

The SHP Boys Cross Country team capped off another strong season with a 5th place finish in the West Bay Athletic League. Senior Arjun Singh and Freshman Grant Bennitt both qualified for the CCS Track and Field Championships after Top 20 finishes in the WBAL Championships. Senior Nick Karros was named to the WBAL All League team.

The SHP Girls Cross Country team finished 3rd overall in the West Bay Athletic League and qualified for the CCS Team Track and Field Championships, where the Gators took home a 5th place finish in Division IV. Six Gators finished in the Top 60, led by junior Sophie Cheung, who took 5th overall. Cheung also qualified for the CIF State Meet, where she finished 47th of 197 runners.

The SHP Football team put together another impressive campaign in 2023, finishing 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the vaunted PAL - Bay Division. The 3rd place league finish clinched an automatic berth into the redesigned CCS Football Playoffs and an appearance in the Division II Quarterfinals. The Gator regular-season was highlighted by wins over Burlingame (41-7) in the annual “Under the Lights” game, a 27-21 overtime win over Menlo-Atherton, and a 31-19 win over crosstown rival Menlo in Valpo XXI.

Twenty-six Girls came together and made history in 2023 as SHP formed its first-ever Girls Flag Football Team. The Gators, led by first-year Head Coach Dennis O’Malley, won 4 games highlighted by wins over The King's Academy and crosstown rival Menlo. Senior Tessa Espinosa tallied the first points in program history with a game-winning safety against Menlo, while Ryleigh Longaker threw the first TD in program history - a 46 yard pass to Ellie Shen.

The SHP Girls Tennis team picked up right where they left off in 2022, winning a total of 16 matches, the most wins in a single-season for the Gators in well over a decade. Their 9-2 finish in WBAL play earned the Girls an automatic berth into the CCS Tennis Team Tournament, and an appearance into the Tournament Quarterfinals. Sophomore Charlotte Weber, the WBAL Singles Tournament Champion, also earned an automatic berth in the CCS Individual Tournament.

The SHP Girls Golf team picked up two wins during their 2023 campaign, highlighted by a 276-293 win over Notre Dame - Belmont. Emily Hallum and Lauren Matsuda each qualified for the WBAL Girls Golf Championships, where Matsuda finished 30th overall, shooting a 99, and Hallum finishing 15th with an 85. Hallum was selected to the WBAL All-League Team.

The SHP Volleyball team earned berths into the CCS Open Division Tournament and NorCal Open Division Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Gators finished the regular season 20-10 overall, with 5 of those 10 losses coming to teams ranked in the nation’s Top 25. The Gators also finished in the Top 8 at the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, knocking off the then 6th ranked team in the country, Sierra Canyon, in straight sets.

The SHP Girls Water Polo team had one of its finest seasons in program history which was highlighted by the Gators’ first CCS Open Division Championship since 2019. The Girls ended the season with a record of 27-3, and clinched WCAL Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the 12th consecutive season. The Gators also won their first NorCal Invitational Tournament Championship since 2007, and ended the 2023 campaign as MaxPreps’ 2nd ranked team in the nation.

The SHP Boys Water Polo team won their 3rd straight NorCal Open Division Championship, defeating Miramonte 13-10 in the finals. The Gators finished the season 25-7 overall, and in addition to their NorCal title, the Boys also claimed their 6th straight CCS Open Division Championship, 12th straight CCS Championship, and 12th straight WCAL League title. The Gators ended their historic campaign as MaxPreps’ 3rd ranked team in the country.

Player of the Year Awards:

Andrew Spencer - Cal-Hi Sports Boys Scholar Athlete of the Year

Aseli Fangupo: PAL - Bay Division Defensive Lineman of the Year

Charlotte Weber: WBAL - Foothill Division Girls Tennis MVP

Elliot Spieker: PAL - Bay Division Defensive Back of the Year

Megan Newby - Cal-Hi Sports Girls Scholar Athlete of the Year

Nathan Fox: PAL - Bay Division Special Teams Player of the Year

Tyler Hogan - Cal-Hi Sports Boys Scholar Athlete of the Year

Tyler Hogan - Central Coast Section Boys Water Polo MVP

Vivian Golub - Central Coast Section Girls Water Polo MVP

All League Recognition:

First Team: