The Cal High Grizzlies sent multiple athletes to the NCS playoffs this year, with boys tennis, volleyball, and golf advancing the baseball and softball squads, and several individuals from track and field and swim/dive earning postseason appearances after strong performances.

Boys Tennis

Cal came up short in its bid for a third straight NCS title earlier this month when the Grizzlies lost in the semifinals.

After another very successful season, Cal’s postseason run came to an end on May 14 when top-seeded San Francisco University High beat the Grizzlies 6-1.

Senior Kenn Wijesekara also reached NCS as an individual, earning the fourth seed and winning his first two matches before losing to top-seeded and eventual NCS champion Casra Asharipour from Redwood on May 9.

Wijesekara finished third after beating SF University’s Karam Dhawan. It was the second straight season Wijesekara placed third at NCS.

“Getting third place back-to-back, the results could be better, but I’m still content, still happy with how I placed,” said Wijesekara, who is playing for NYU in the fall.

Wijesekara beat Campolindo’s Linus Wirstrom 6-2, 6-2 in the opening round and Amador Valley’s Kabir Galani 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on May 8 to reach the semifinals.

As a team, Cal secured the fourth seed in  NCS after finishing the regular season with a 14-2 overall record, 12-2 in league play, and placing second behind crosstown rival Dougherty Valley.

Cal won its first match at NCS, beating EBAL rival Amador Valley 4-3 on May 12 at home.

“Unfortunately, we came up short, but I’m still proud of my entire team for making semifinals,” Wijesekara said.

Senior Armaan Suresh, a two-year varsity player, said some of the team’s toughest matches came against Dougherty Valley, which accounted for Cal’s only two losses before the NCS semifinals.

“They were all close matches, just really tight games,” Suresh said. “We just couldn’t close it out.”

Suresh, who played on varsity during both his freshman and senior seasons, said the team’s synergy played a major role in its success this year.

“Probably just our chemistry with each other,” Suresh said. “We’re all really close friends. We all just enjoy playing with each other and are always there for each other.”

For Suresh, qualifying for NCS represented the outcome of the team’s efforts throughout the season.

“It means a lot for the team,” Suresh said. “All the hard work they put in throughout the season finally paid off.”

Boys Volleyball

For the boys volleyball team, this year’s NCS berth represented a major step forward for a program that has spent the last several seasons rebuilding.

The Grizzlies finished the regular season with an 18-15 record to officially secure a playoff spot.

“It means a lot because we’ve been really bad for a long time,” senior middle blocker Chase Dutcher, a four-year varsity player, said. “My sophomore year, we got a new coach, and he really turned the program around.”

But Cal’s first postseason run in a decade was short lived as the Grizzlies lost to El Cerrito 3-1 on May 5 in the opening round of the Division II playoffs.

Cal reached the NCS Division 1 semifinals in 2016, but hasn’t seen the postseason since.

Dutcher said a major factor behind the team’s success this season was the level of commitment shown by players during practices and matches.

The team faced adversity throughout the year, including injuries that forced younger and less experienced players into larger roles during important matches.

Even through these challenges Cal continued to improve throughout the season, relying heavily on teamwork. Many of the players have competed together for years, something Dutcher believes separates this year’s team from previous seasons.

“We all kind of know what everyone else is going to do,” Dutcher said. “Being comfortable with each other on the court is really helpful.”

Softball

The softball team qualified for the Division 1 NCS playoffs after finishing the regular season with a 14-11 overall record and an 8-6 league record, placing fifth in EBAL.

Cal earned the eighth seed in one of the most competitive playoff divisions in the section, beating No. 9 Clayton Valley Charter 7-2 on May 19 in the
opening round.

Cal then played against top-seeded Alameda, where they lost 8-0 on May 22.

Three-year varsity player Kirsten Li, a senior, noted that while the road to NCS was tougher than previous years, the team found its footing just in time.

“I think it’s definitely picked up these past few games,” Li said. “I think the team dynamic and just the overall energy that we bring to the field and our games have improved a lot. I think we found a new gear.”

Junior Gabriella Nudo adds on by explaining how her team  continues to grow and even through the obstacles they stay together and the support never wavers.

Nudo is a recipient of the Second Team All League which is given based on the stats of the players regular season.

“I think that our team is playing really well together,” Nudo says. “We won our first game at NCS and I’m really proud of  the team.”

As Cal entered NCS, the reality of the tournament brought a different level of intensity.

“Qualifying for NCS requires you to have a winning record, but then again, you play so many league games, so if you play relatively well, you’ll still make it,” Li said. “I think we’re capable of winning, it’s just going to be we just have to work hard and just stay focused throughout our games.”

Baseball

Cal’s baseball team almost pulled the upset of NCS Division 2 playoffs but was edged out by top-seeded McKinleyville High 2-1 on May 20 in the opening round.

The Grizzlies finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-11-2, 4-4 in league, to place third in the EBAL.

Boys Golf

Cal placed 11th out of 21 schools at the NCS Championship on May 18 at Windsor Golf Club.

The team shot 415 and was led by sophomore Brandon Tse, who shot a 4-over 76 in extremely windy conditions. Junior Gabe Pineda shot a 78, followed by senior Jaishan Sharma (85), junior Brayden Rouillard and senior Aden Williams (both 88).

Cal was 6-7 in league this year and placed sixth in the EBAL. Season highlights are winning the Cowboy Classic, placing second at the Aiello Invitational, and third at the Spring Classic at Monarch Bay Golf Course.