by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

With Claremont high school sports straddling both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, there is quite a bit to recap as we come to the end of 2022.

The year’s winter sports programs at both CHS and Webb included title winners.

The Claremont High School girls varsity soccer team clinched the Palomares League title after a 1-0 win at Alta Loma, sealing a perfect 10-0 league run. The team fell to Villa Park, 1-0, in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I postseason tournament.

The CHS boys soccer team took second place in the Palomares League before losing to Riverside Polytechnic High, 3-1, in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division IV tournament.

CHS senior attacker Roman Robles winds up for a shot during the Palomares League championship game against Alta Loma on October 26. Claremont lost to the Braves in the final, 17-10. COURIER photo/Andrew Alonzo.

The Wolfpack’s girls basketball team rebounded in style last season. After several years of finishing fourth and fifth in the Palomares League, Claremont snagged the league title with a 56-34 win at Ayala. Later in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3AA playoff tournament, the team suffered a second-round loss at home against Cerritos, 52-46.

Head coach Chilavo Anderson told the COURIER at the end of the season, “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re the team to beat next year.” Fast-forward to the present and he’s right: Claremont’s currently on an 11-game win streak after its 39-22 victory at Corona del Mar on December 16.

In March, The Webb School’s girls soccer program made history: the Gauls brought home the Division V CIF-Southern California Regional title and Division VI CIF-Southern Section title — the school’s first CIF titles — after besting Arrowhead Christian Academy, 3-2, at home twice in a week. Webb ended the season with a perfect 20-0 record and the San Joaquin League title.

The Webb Schools girls varsity soccer team celebrates with hugs and cheers after defeating Arrowhead Christian in the Division VI CIF-Southern Section championship game on Saturday, February 26. In a thrilling game the Gauls edged the Eagles, 3-2, for the victory and the title. COURIER photo/Andrew Alonzo.

In April, Claremont High’s baseball team finished Palomares League play in fifth place with a 5-10 league record, 11-15 overall. The Wolfpack’s softball team finished in fourth place with a 6-9 record, 11-10 overall.

In May, CHS’s boys tennis team earned its seventh straight Palomares League title with an easy home win over Alta Loma, 17-1. The team posted a perfect 10-0 league record and for the first time competed in the CIF-SS Open Division team tournament. The Pack lost at Corona del Mar 10-8 in the first round, capping a 17-2 season.

CHS boys golf also won the Palomares League title in May.

On May 27, CHS junior Benjamin Schulz, who has one arm, took home the gold as the state champion in the 400-meter dash at the boys track and field Ambulatory Para Division CIF-State Championships with a time of 1:01.68.

Preseason action began between August and September.

In September, the CHS and Webb football programs began their respective seasons. By October’s end, CHS were San Antonio League champions while Webb finished fifth in Manzanita League play.

Webb finished 2-4 in league, 2-5 overall.

Claremont’s stellar season came to an end November 11 with a second-round 12-7 loss at home to Mayfair in the CIF-SS Division VII playoff tournament. Claremont finished with a perfect 3-0 league record, 8-3 overall.

Both Webb and Claremont girls golf squads had solid years. The Wolfpack were runners up in the Palomares League, while the Gauls brought home the San Joaquin League title. On October 31, the CHS girls placed 15th out of 20 schools in the Division I CIF-SS team championships. Webb placed third in the Division IV CIF-SS team championships.

November Claremont’s boys water polo team were runners-up to the Palomares League title, and Webb brought home its first Mountain View League title since 2016. Each saw postseason play but exited early.

Boys and girls cross-country also wrapped up their seasons in November. At CHS the girls program won an incredible ninth consecutive Palomares League title. The Webb boys team also earned a title this year in the San Joaquin League. The CHS girls team came in second at the Division II CIF-SS prelims, fifth in the finals, and 12th in the state championships. The Pack’s boys team qualified for the Division II CIF-SS prelims meet and placed sixth. Webb’s boys team ran at the Division V CIF-SS prelims, placing second, and the finals, finishing 13th. After earning San Joaquin League MVP, Webb freshman Nicole Samson won the Division V CIF-SS prelims before heading on to the finals, where she finished ninth. She capped her season with a 390th place finish out of a field of 198 at the state championships.

As fall sports wrapped up, basketball, soccer, water polo and co-ed wrestling ramped up.

In early December, the COURIER began a new feature by naming its male and female fall athletes of the year at Claremont High and Webb. The inaugural cohort from CHS featured senior football player Caden Campuzano and junior cross-country captain Denise Jie Yi Chen. Webb’s winners were sophomore water polo player Scott Wishek and freshman cross-country runner Nicole Samson.

Wrapping up 2022, the community learned the CHS boys soccer program was left in good hands following the departure of longtime varsity coach Fred Bruce-Oliver. Eddie Flores has so far kept the Wolfpack unbeaten in his first seven games in charge, which included a 3-0 avenging home win over familiar rival Riverside Polytechnic High School on December 9.

Webb girls soccer kept up its winning ways and is currently 8-0 to begin the season. The team recently broke a CIF-SS record for most consecutive wins for a girls program. The team is currently on a 28-game win streak following a December 15 win over Glendora, 3-0.

From experienced teams led by seniors looking to go out with a title to young teams looking to make a name for themselves in the months and years to come, there’s plenty to look forward to in high school sports play in both 2023 and beyond.