BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS · VOLUME II, ISSUE FIVE · DECEMBER 2, 2011 thesportsedition Soccer teams kick off season with new goals Captain Elijah Lichtenberg dribbles the ball during a game against Saint Monica. OLIVER GALLOP Arman Zadeh This season’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams tell a tale of two squads. The boys’ team remains relatively experienced and enjoys familiarity with their head coach, Jarvis Turner, who is entering his second season at the helm. By contrast, the girls’ squad has few returning players and is working to establish team chemistry. The boys (1-0) rolled past Ayala to open the season with a 69-57 home victory on Nov. 22. Led by 22 points from Austin Mills, the team was able to win without its two starting guards, Brodric Smith and Mike Lanier. The team also received a much-needed boost from Ben Cohen, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the team clinch the win. In the team’s second game, though, the squad was unable to emerge victorious in a 63-58 loss to South Torrance on Tuesday. For Mills, this season is his fourth and final on the squad. In comparison to previous teams, Mills revealed that the current roster has higher expectations to aim for, among other differences. The team aspires to become the Ocean League champions and win a CIF title. “This team is very different,” Mills said. “We all have a close bond, share a strong chemistry. Our team is extremely organized and well-coached. This year we have higher expectations.” Smith believes the difficult goals that lie ahead are attainable. The boys’ increased familiarity with Turner allow them to better understand his methods. “He kind of joined us late last year and this year we had him for the whole summer, so now we’re used to him and we play very hard for him,” Smith said. “We have bought into his coaching and we believe he could lead us to be league champs and even lead us to state.” The boys’ team can next be seen in a home tournament from Dec. 5-9, beginning with a game against Shalhevet on Dec. 5. On the other hand, the girls’ team struggled to close out their opener in a 57-47 loss at Santa Monica. Although the game was tied at 45 with five minutes remaining, the Normans were unable to find their rhythm in the clutch. “We really wanted to start off giving it our all but [we] lacked in areas of scoring,” Dorsa Mehrannia said. “We played good defense yet failed to transition into offense.” After losing seven players from last season, the girls’ squad only features two returning starters. As a result, the expectations have been altered. While the girls do have their sights set on qualifying for CIF playoffs, their primary focus is to simply win games and improve with experience. “The varsity team is fairly new and it’s difficult at times for all of us to come together,” Debbie Reyhan said. “A lot of the new kids are not used to the intensity of a varsity game, thus they get a little lost, and everything does not go as planned.” The team’s struggles continued with a 51-46 loss on Monday to Venice and a 52-41 loss on Tuesday against Bell. Although the squad trailed 10-1 in the opening minutes of the Venice game, both teams were tied with four minutes remaining. However, a costly turnover and 17 missed free throws led to a disappointing outcome. By contrast, the Normans began the Bell game aggressively, but lost momentum during a third quarter in which they had trouble scoring. Results for the girls’ game on Thursday against Cleveland were not available as of press time. Benjamin Hannani Basketball teams hone skills for new season Sophomore Ben Cohen shoots a layup against Ayala. OLIVER GALLOP Soccer seasons started successfully for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, each win- ning their first games of the year. The boys began with a victorious perfor- mance against Santa Monica, beating the Vikings 3-2 in a scrimmage on Nov. 22. Captain Elijah Lichtenberg leads the team. Darren Davis and Steve Rappaport coach the team again this year, with Rap- paport as head coach. The team’s second game of the season was on Tuesday, Nov. 29, against Saint Monica, not to be confused with rival Santa Monica. From the start, midfielder Phinneas Bauer knew the team was pre- pared to face the Mariners. “I feel that we are ready for the game and we know we have to work hard and give [Saint Monica] everything we have if we want to win,” Bauer said. The Normans were triumphant, beating Saint Monica 7-0. They now hold a record of 2-0. Lichtenberg believed the team played excellently, executing all the tactics impec- cably. Lichtenberg was also pleased that the team was able to play some of their newer members, giving the team more of an opportunity to learn each other’s styles of play in real game situations. Striker Nick Marmureanu, midfielder Alvaro Guerrero, striker Gefen Laredo, midfielder Joshua Horowitz and Lichten- berg all scored for Beverly. Marmureanu contributed a hat trick. Midfielder Roman Zaragoza believes that the team’s tighter chemistry will allow the squad to have a more successful season. “On last year’s team, we had a lot of strong individual players, but this year, we work as a team and I feel like this years [team] is better…We work as a team... rather than just individual players doing whatever they want,” Zaragoza said. The team’s main goal is to win league and ultimately move on to CIF playoffs, after losing last year in the first round of playoffs. “Considering we beat Samo in our latest scrimmage, we think that this is something very achievable,” Lichtenberg said. Players know they are capable of reach- ing this goal, but they are aware it will be a difficult process. “I think we’re starting off really strong and I think we’re only going to get better from here… I think it’s going to be a really great season for us,” Bauer said. The team’s next game took place on Thursday, Dec. 1 against Windward. The results were not available as of press time. The girls begin their season with a 2-0 record, leaving them in first place in the Ocean League. With high expectations, captains Tiffany Moore and Monica Salandra plan on keep- ing their team on top of the league for the entire season. Midfielder Kaela Reisfelt believes that due to injuries, this year’s team is in need of rebuilding. “The team’s chemistry is alright off the field, but [we] need to work on [our] chem- istry and playing like a team on the field,” Reisfelt said. The team played their first home game on Monday, Nov. 28, against Lawndale. The team was victorious, beating Lawndale 2-0. Scoring for the team was striker Sarah Patterson and striker Ashley Aviram. The girls played Leuzinger on Wednes- day, Nov. 30. The team was victorious, beating the Olympians 7-1. Moore and striker Leila Sadeghi con- tributed one goal each; Patterson had two goals and Aviram scored three goals. The team’s next game is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 5, against Mira Costa.