Samo wrestling ready to pin their competition in this winter season
The Samo co-ed wrestling team has begun their long anticipated season, currently standing evenly with three dual-meet wins and losses against their rivals in Bay League and two tournament placements. Led by Coach Jason Mun, boys team captains Raden Madley (‘25) and Frederick Ekberg (‘25) and girl team captain Maia Baker (‘25), the team is confident the season will be success for the program.
Returning starters look to lead boys’ basketball to postseason
In the 2023-2024 season, the Samo boys’ basketball team finished their year strong, ending with a 16-13 record overall. A 4-6 record in the league allowed them an at-large playoff bid in the CIF-SS playoffs. Seeded against a tough Westlake team, the Vikings fought hard until they were eliminated with a final score of 71-49 in the first round of playoffs.
samo sports hub
On Nov. 3 and 4, the San Antonio Spurs, a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, rented out Samo’s gym in preparation for their match against the Los Angeles Clippers. From NBA teams such as the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder to the U.S. Olympic Artistic Swimming Team, professional sports teams have been renting Samo’s sports facilities for years.
athlete’s impact on viewership
From Caitlin Clark’s ability to represent strong female athletes to Jared Mccain’s ability to bring in a younger crowd, a new wave of sports fans have been formed. Many sport surrounded fan bases aren't just built off of the love for the sport, but also from seeing the athletes you admire and look up to on the big screen.
Boys’ soccer with dominant start on return to CIF journey
The Samo boys’ varsity soccer team finished last season with an overall record of 9-10-1 and a league record of 4-6, ultimately falling short of qualifying for CIF playoffs. This season, however, the Vikings have started off strong and are well on their way to maintaining a positive record. As of Dec. 15, the Vikings are 5-1. Head coach Chris Sandoval (’16) has his eyes set on glory this winter, hoping for a successful playoff run come February.
Girls’ basketball aims to make playoffs after patchy start
The girls’ basketball team had a disappointing year last year, notching only four wins in regular season play and just falling short of the playoffs. This year’s team however is more experienced, having a large portion of last year’s roster returning for the season. With one of the largest senior classes in recent years, head coach Lance Radford is hopeful the team will find more success than last year.
Marching band’s championship run reflects both art and athletics
Samo’s marching band finished their season 4th in 5A with a score of 88.2 at Championships this past Saturday, Nov. 23. While the band’s performance is undeniably an achievement, it resurfaces the challenge of categorizing marching band as either a sport or a performing art. Marching band walks a fine line between physical performance and artistic expression, blending musical talent with technical skill and athleticism, making it tough to distinguish the activity as either a sport or an art.
Boys waterpolo faces heartbreaking CIF semi-final loss
The Samo boys’ varsity water polo team capped off their season on Nov. 12, 2024. The Vikings’ made it all the way to the CIF Semifinals and ended the season with an overall record of 19 wins and 16 losses and a record of 3-5 in league play. Despite losing 11 crucial seniors last year, this year’s team adapted and exceeded expectations.
The unseen struggles of the Samo surf team
Samo students have a plethora of opportunities and communities available to them through the school; many of which provide room for freedom and expression that aren’t necessarily centered on campus. The Samo surf team embodies all of these qualities and offers students a chance to represent their school up and down the California coast, still without being considered a CIF sport.
LA Galaxy to conference final, LAFC fall short
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club were battling it out for first place in the MLS Western Conference throughout the 2024 regular season, in what has been the most competitive year for the rivalry since LAFC’s establishment a decade ago. The Galaxy spent much of the year in the driver's seat, but it was LAFC who came out on top during the dying embers of the season.
HOTLB: how does a good coach impact highschool sports?
The impact of a coach can make or break a students' experience with a sport, especially in high school. A good coach can instill values of hard work, teamwork and discipline, all of which contribute to an athlete's life outside the game.
Cross Country Wrap Up
Samo cross country is wrapping up their 2024 season as the Ocean-League Champions and historic qualifiers for the CIF Southern Section Finals. For the first time in Samo history, both the boys’ and girls’ teams qualified for CIF finals.
Football looks to next season after missing playoffs
The Samo Vikings’ football season officially started on Aug. 23 with their 26-0 win against Chino Hills High School. After ten games in the regular season, the Vikings ended with an overall record of 4-6 and a record of 1-5 in the Pioneer League.
Samo girls’ golf: Leadership and resilience mark 2024 season
The Santa Monica High School girls’ varsity golf team wrapped up the 2024 fall season with a record of 1-6, finishing fifth in their league. Despite some overall struggles, individual achievements highlighted the team’s success this season.
An athlete’s guide to preventing sports injuries
Derrick Rose, Robert Griffin III, Greg Oden. The list of promising athletes who have had their career cut short due to injuries goes on and on. Sports injuries are some of the most devastating things to happen to any athlete. Luckily, there are ways to prevent them.
Lakers’ father-son duo set the stage for a new era
The Los Angeles Lakers, led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season by the Denver Nuggets. After a fourth straight season of disappointment, the Lakers were looking to make some serious changes.
Samo football looks to secure spot in CIF playoffs
The Samo football team currently holds an overall record of 4-5 as they head towards the end of their season. With four league games down, Samo has been gearing up for their final home game against Peninsula that will conclude their regular season. Special leadership has been shown by the captains throughout the season that has built a stronger team and community of players.
Cross-country on road to CIF
Halfway through the 2024 cross-country season, the varsity teams have made a name for themselves in their first year in the Ocean League. So far, the boys have won two meets and the girls have won one, coming second in others. With performances like these, the team is on track to qualify for the CIF Preliminaries, needing a top-three finish in Ocean League to do so.
Girls’ golf team captains shine amidst league struggles
The Santa Monica High School girls' varsity golf team finished the 2024 fall season with a final record of 1-6, ending 5th out of 5 in the league. Despite the team’s inconsistency, both team captains, Frances Aguilar (’26) and Cash Henton (’25) made it to league finals, with Aguilar additionally advancing to the first round of CIF.