It’s been a banner winter sports season for Malibu High School athletic teams, and individual recognition has followed. Malibu athletes garnered first-team all-league honors in men’s and women’s basketball and soccer, as well as women’s water polo in what has been a highly successful year schoolwide.
After leading the Malibu High boys basketball team to its first ever undefeated league title in school history, sophomore Justin Holmes has been named the Frontier League’s Most Valuable Player. In addition, seniors Jack Platner and Harrison Kaplan were also named to the Frontier League first team.
The Sharks (18-8, 10-0) won their first outright league title in the program’s history and its first league championship since 2007.
Holmes, a 6’6” center, averaged 18.2 points and 14.1 rebounds per game for the season. “Justin had a great sophomore year. He put in a lot of time and effort last summer to get to the level where he wants to be at,” said Malibu Coach Bobby Tenorio, who was also named the Frontier League Coach of the Year. “He’s one of those special players that comes around every once in a while. He’s really excited about the next two years. So am I. He’s very deserving of the honor.”
Holmes had a staggering 20 double-doubles (double figures in points and rebounds in a game) out of a possible 26 contests. “That was one of my personal goals for the season. It meant a lot to win it,” said Holmes, who also was named first-team All-Ventura County. “We had a break-out season as a team.”
Malibu will move to the more competitive Tri-Valley League next season in basketball, joining the likes of Oak Park and Oaks Christian. Holmes is ready to take his game to the next level. “There is not a day that I don’t touch a basketball. Next year I have to play even better,” Holmes said. “My goal is to play Division One basketball.”
Senior guard Jack Platner connected on 36 three-pointers from downtown while scoring 9.2 ppg and dishing out a team-high 93 assists (3.6 per game). Kaplan, a starting forward a year ago, became the Shark’s sixth man this season and did a stellar job providing scoring, rebounding, defense and much-needed energy off the bench.
Kyle Sandler, the Sharks’ senior point guard, and sophomore Anthony Kodomichalos were selected to the Frontier League second team. Pat Fontenette, Will Rosenthal and Andrew Yazdani were named honorable mention.
The Malibu girls water polo team won its sixth consecutive league championship this winter. Senior captain Jessie Sorce and juniors Linda Brown and Jenny Hill-Carta were named to the Tri-Valley League first team.
“The first-team league recognition is quite an honor,” Malibu Coach Meredith Butte said. “The girls who made it were selected as a result of their overall performance in league play.”
The Sharks (16-11, 9-1) were led by Sorce, who scored 65 goals. Brown paced the team with 64 steals and 31 assists and Hill-Carta added 54 goals of her own while drawing 35 kickouts. “It was one of my New Year’s resolution goals to make first-team,” Sorce said. “I’m very happy with it. To lead our team made my season. It was one of the best years I have ever enjoyed.”
Seniors Lauren Haas and Devin Demattia earned second-team all-league honors while Sara Toussieng and Rae Jackson made honorable mention.
The MHS girls soccer team (13-5-4) made a remarkable run to the California Interscholastic Federation Division IV quarterfinals behind the outstanding play and leadership of senior goalkeeper Maddie Clarfield. Clarfield was named the Tri-Valley League Goalkeeper of the Year and made first-team all-league for a third consecutive season.
Sophomore Jane Sidley and freshman Carmen Flood were selected to the Tri-Valley League second-team. Seniors Paige Stoker, Coral Silverberg and Carleigh Madden earned honorable mention.
The Malibu boys soccer team (12-5-2) cracked the country’s top 100 of MaxPreps.com early in the season behind the efforts of seniors Sam Haft and Gio Landou and junior Adam Fote. Each made the Tri-Valley League first team.
Haft led the team with an outrageous 24 goals on the season to go with 12 assists. Landou led the Sharks with an equally impressive 26 assists, while Fote chipped in with 15 important goals and nine assists.
Underclassmen Jacob Gooden and JoeMack Leonardo earned second-team all-league recognition while London Walley, Jake Wexler and Ari Taublieb received honorable mention.
The MHS girls basketball team was represented by senior Carolyn Pushaw on the Frontier League first team. Pushaw, who has been accepted to Harvard, the U.S. Naval Academy and USC as a student, averaged seven points and 10 rebounds per game and was a three-year starter for the Sharks. “She has been the face of our program the last few years,” said Malibu Coach Andy Meyer. “Carolyn is one of the toughest players I have ever coached, boys or girls.”
Agaly de Jesus made second-team all-league while teammate Chiara Alfaro made honorable mention.