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By Loren Kopff
Sports Editor | Follow X
February 19, 2026
There was a time when the Cerritos High boys soccer team missed the CIF-Southern Section playoffs 19 straight seasons, going 25-182-19 in the Suburban League with a dozen last place finishes. Now, the Dons are in the semifinals, believed to be the first time since 1990 when that team fell to El Toro High 2-0 in the Division 3-A championship game.
Cerritos defeated Maranatha High 2-0 this past Tuesday in a Division 7 quarterfinal tilt to earn the rare trip to the semifinals where the Dons will visit Pasadena Poly High on Saturday. It’s the 12th straight shutout, (16th overall) for the 605 League champions, which improved to 16-4-2. It’s the best record the program has had since the 1999-2000 squad went 17-4-1.
Also this past Tuesday, Valley Christian High tied Vista Del Lago High 1-1, but lost 6-5 in penalty kicks. The Defenders wrapped up the season with a 15-5-1 record and a second place finish in the Olympic League. It was the first time since the 2019-2020 season that the program had reached the quarterfinals and fifth time in the past 29 seasons. The 1999-2000 team under current La Mirada High girls head coach Dave Christensen and the 2013-2014 squad under the tutelage of Sean Toth advanced to the semifinals.
BOYS BASKETBALL
La Mirada, which lost to Sherman Oaks-Notre Dame High 76-60 on Feb. 11 before knocking off St. John Bosco High 56-53 last Friday in the Open Division, will travel to Redondo Union High on Friday in a quarterfinal affair. The Matadores are 23-7 and have won 15 of their last 16 games and are guaranteed of at least one Open Division state game. If the Matadores defeat Redondo Union, they will play the winner of the Crespi High/Harvard-Westlake High game on Tuesday.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The lone area team remaining is Whitney High, where the Wildcats fell to Oakwood High 55-38 this past Wednesday in a Division 5 quarterfinal game. The Wildcats conclude their season at 19-9.
GIRLS SOCCER
The lone area team still alive is Artesia High, which travelled to Anaheim High this past Wednesday in a Division 5 quarterfinal game. The Pioneers (18-1-5) tied the Colonists 1-1 after regulation then won in penalty kicks 5-4 to advance to their second trip to the semifinals in school history. The other time came two seasons ago when they captured the Division 7 title. Artesia’s lone loss was back on Dec. 4, the second game of the regular season and since defeating Valley Christian 1-0 on Dec. 20 to win its pool of the Best in the West Tournament, the team has outscored its opponents 56-4.
BOYS WRESTING
The CIF-SS Masters meet will take place on Friday at Sonora High with several area grapplers hoping to advance to next weekend’s state finals. In the Blue Division representing Cerritos is Julian Espinoza (138 lbs.), La Mirada freshman Luke Montero (106 lbs.), senior Troy Montero (120 lbs.) and senior Tyler Mason (132 lbs.) and from Norwalk High is senior Yader Estrada (215 lbs.).
In the Gold Division is James Fukuchi from Cerritos (120 lbs.), senior Corey Brammer from Norwalk (190 lbs.), senior Matther Olivares from La Mirada (215 lbs.) and John Glenn High sophomore Jayden Chavarin (215 lbs.).
GIRLS WRESTLING
On Saturday, the girls will take to the mats at Sonora for the CIF-SS Masters Meet with 16 wrestlers from six of the eight area schools who have a wrestling program hoping to make it to the state finals.
In the Blue Division from Artesia is Kylie Mena (105 lbs.), from Cerritos is Ny’Kierra Jackson (235 lbs.), and from Norwalk are sophomore Adana Estrada (100 lbs.), senior Amber Farr (145 lbs.) and senior Citali Modesto (190 lbs.)
In the Gold Division from Artesia is Hennessy Morales (235 lbs.), from Cerritos is Isabella Sermana (130 lbs.) and from Gahr High are junior Lansang Nevaeh (105 lbs.), junior Naima Ochoa (120 lbs.) and junior Isabella Jamison (140 lbs.).
From Glenn are Myra Ramirez (135 lbs.) and Abrielle Enriquez (145 lbs.), from La Mirada is senior Abby Diaz (155 lbs.) and from Norwalk are junior Coral Vazquez (110 lbs.), freshman Lylah DeVries (120 lbs.) and sophomore Jaelynn Garcia (235 lbs.).
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