A successful spring athletic season for Malibu High sports resulted in the recognition of 21 athletes garnering all-league honors, including 11 first-team recipients and two Most Valuable Players.
Leading the way was the powerhouse Sharks baseball team, which saw Chase Lambert and Noah Simon recognized as Frontier League’s Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.
Lambert put together a standout junior season both at the plate and on the mound to lead Malibu to a school-record 24 wins and its first league title since 2005 with a 13-2 league mark.
He had a team-leading .454 batting average, 44 hits, 31 runs, 19 RBIs and 13 doubles while going 3-0 as a pitcher with a 0.79 ERA, eight saves, 50 strikeouts, eight walks and allowing only eight hits in 26 2/3 innings pitched.
The Sharks finished 24-5 on the season and advanced to the CIF-Southern Section second round in Division VI.
“Chase is a dynamic player and a game changer at shortstop, on the mound and at the plate. The MVP is not only a feather in his cap but it is a nice accomplishment for the entire program as well,” Malibu coach Ari Jacobs said. “Malibu baseball had many accolades and honors this year as we have announced to the world of Southern California high school baseball that we have arrived and are now a force to be contended with.”
Junior pitcher Noah Simon earned first-team honors and the Frontier League Pitcher of the Year award. Simon went 10-2 with a 1.83 earned run average, 65 strikeouts and issued only six walks.
Joining Lambert and Simon on the first-team were sophomores Austin George and Andre Simoneau. George batted .390 with 21 RBIs and nine doubles, while Simoneau went 4-3 on the mound with a 2.88 ERA.
Seniors Alvie Alvarado and Riley McMillin, junior Chris Falk and freshman Ezra Allen were named to the second-team. Senior Frank Thomas, sophomore Bronson Bard and freshman Dylan Ross made honorable-mention.
Lacrosse
Sean Ryan was chosen as the Independent League’s Most Valuable Player after leading the Sharks to a share of the league championship with Oak Park and Oaks Christian. Ryan was also named a high school All-American for the second year in a row by U.S. Lacrosse.
Ryan led Malibu to an 11-6 record with 25 goals and 11 assists.
“Sean is certainly one of the best lacrosse players Malibu High School has ever produced,” Malibu coach Mark DeOliveira said. “As a four-year starter and three-time captain, I’m glad Sean has been recognized outside of our team for his efforts these past two years. For anyone who knows Sean, we know how great of a kid he is off the field as well.”
The Sharks placed five other players on the first team. Jake Wexler was selected as the Goalie of the Year after making 100 saves in goal, Will Rosenthal earned first-team defense, Duke Conrad was a first-team midfielder along with Ryan, and Patrick Wetton and Riley Smoller were chosen as first-team attackmen. Smoller led Malibu with 47 goals while Wetton had a strong season with 24 goals and team-highs of 40 assists and 64 points. Brennan Cassone received second-team honors. Cassone battled for a team-high 118 groundballs. With the exception of Conrad, who is a junior, the other six senior honorees ended their careers having established a strong foundation for future Malibu lacrosse teams.
Boys volleyball
The Malibu boys volleyball team was represented by senior Joey Gray, who collected Tri-Valley League first-team honors. Juniors Chris Papavassiliou and Jonathan Baldwin were named second-team and honorable-mention, respectively.
