The Cerritos College athletes have elevated their play this past fall season and a consistent high level of play has helped them to be at the top of their respective sports as many of them have been able to earm spots on their respective all-conference teams.
Eight of the nine Falcons’ sports teams were able to make the postseason this year.
Conference champions
While the football teams’ season (9-3) came to a close at the hands of a 51-0 thrashing at the hands of Mount San Antonio College, it was able to land 16 of its athletes on the National Division Northern Conference team.
Sophomore running back Daveon Barner and safety Keith McGill won the conference’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the year, respectively, while head coach Frank Mazzotta was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
The women’s soccer team captured its fifth straight SCC title, however, its season was cut short after a 1-0 loss to Santa Rosa Junior College in the semifinal round of the California state championship tournament.
Head coach Ruben Gonzalez was named the conference’s Co-Coach of the Year, along with former assistant coach, Tessa Troglia, now the head coach at East Los Angeles College.
Defenders Justine Telles and Janeth Arroyo and forward Liliana Leos made the first team for the second time, along with first-time selection freshman midfielder Nayely Alcala.
Sophomores Tiffany Schultz, Tatiana Cortes and freshmen Daniela Martin and Vanessa Plascencia made the second team for Cerritos, while freshman goalkeeper Sandra Coto set the school’s single-season record for shutouts with 17 and was an Honorable Mention.
The wrestling team won the South Coast Conference Championship with a team score of 143 points, and has now set its sights on the California State Championships this Saturday.
Freshman Estevan Cabanas and sophomores Eric Sauvageau and Jose Lopez all won individual titles for Cerritos at the Santa Ana South Regionals.
The team will now send nine participants to the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships this Friday and Saturday at Victor Valley College.
Playoff Contenders
The women’s water polo team finished third in the SCC with a 22-8 record and was eliminated in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
Sophomores Shelby Gleason and Grace Quintana earned first time All-SCC recognition while sophomores Georgiana Bray and Jesse Ku was named to the second team.
Gleason was also named a first team All-American and a first team All-Southern California member.
Quintana was selected to the second team All-American team and Bray was named to the second team All-Southern California team.
The men’s soccer team’s season ended with a 2-1 loss on its home field for the first time in five years to College of the Canyons in the second round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
Six of its players were selected to the All-SCC teams.
The men’s water polo team’s season also ended in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs after it posted a 17-11 record this season.
Driver PJ Gabayeron was selected as one of three players of the year. Gabayeron finishes his Falcon career, third in career goals (131), second in career steals (131), second in career steals (112), and tied for fifth in career assists (68).
Utility player Isaac Ogloblin and drivers Jon Canizalez and Pete Sirihanyakorn were named to the first team All-SCC team along with Gabayeron.
Losing season
While the volleyball team was the only Cerritos College team to miss the playoffs, it played the season valiantly through its last game ending in a sweep over Los Angeles Trade-Tech, finishing its season at 10-11.
Sophomore outside hitter Chanelle Puou and freshman outside hitter and setter Jessika Suesoff carried the team through the season as they both made the All-South Coast Conference team.
