Sports

Sports delves into all things involving a puck, ball, club, or racket, both inside and outside school.

All bases covered: Boys’ Varsity Baseball’s hopes for the season

by Riyana Goel (’26) | March 31, 2023 The Saint Francis Boys’ Varsity Baseball Team has proved that winning is a habit. Last year’s team finished the season with a formidable ranking of third in the state—an impressive feat given that California is definitively the best state for high school baseball. The team finished the…

Sports culture at Saint Francis

by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 10, 2023 Named Cal-Hi Sports’ State School of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year, Saint Francis High School is undoubtedly known for its athletics. It seems like nearly all students play on a sports team, which has created a strong sports culture on campus. When students were asked…

Girls’ Soccer wraps up season dominating NorCal

by Anusha Jain (’25) | March 10, 2023 The Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team continued their impressive winning streak through their final weeks, finishing their season off 25-1. They were undefeated in league and in their postseason, winning both CCS Open Division and CIF NorCal. MaxPreps ranks the team as second in the state of California…

Two wrestling teams and one stellar season

by Boladale Erogbogbo (’23) | March 10, 2023 Following a 5-0 Boys’ season and a 2-1 Girls’ season, the Saint Francis Wrestling teams have solidified their teams as some of the top programs in Northern California. The Boys’ team has awards across the board, with Bryce Luna (’24) becoming the fourth 2x State Placer in…

The rise of Brock Purdy

by Arav Bansal (’26) | February 3, 2023 The NFL Draft is one of the most watched events of the American football season. Millions of people tune in to watch college players get picked into their professional teams. Yet, most had turned off their TV when the 262nd, and final pick came around in the…

San Francisco Giants 2022 season in review

by Landon Kim (’25) | February 3, 2023 If any San Francisco Giants fan were to sum up the offseason in one word, it would be frustrating. There were two main goals coming into the offseason, as stated by General Manager Farhan Zaidi: spend a lot of money and land a top-end free agent. Ultimately…

Boys’ varsity basketball aims to win as WCAL concludes

by Anusha Jain (’25) and Anya Nandiwada (’25) | February 3, 2023 Over halfway through the winter season, the Boys’ Basketball Team is 4-5 in WCAL as they prepare to face Archbishop Mitty on Tuesday, January 31. The team has already accumulated numerous wins so far and with a winning spirit in mind, they hope…

Spend, spend, spend: how the Giants can get back to winning

by Landon Kim (’25) | November 18, 2022 The 2021 San Francisco Giants were one of the best teams in both franchise and Major League Baseball history. The 107-win team was balanced in every aspect of the game, from a dominant starting pitching staff to a home-run-fueled offense. With lead tactician Gabe Kapler leading the…

Women’s sports are ready to be seen

by Keira Schultz (’26) | November 18, 2022 “This is an important step towards closing the media coverage gap for female athletes, for women’s sports” – Angela Ruggiero, CEO of Sports Innovation Lab  The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball League), Athletes Unlimited (softball), LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), Premier Hockey Federation, World Surf League, and U.S.…

Markelle “The Gazelle” motivates the Cross Country Team to CCS podium finish

by Jack Sloan (’23) | November 18, 2022 The Saint Francis cross country team, led by Mr. Philip Pompei (’08), has a history of actively engaging with the larger running community. The team participates in service projects, such as volunteering to help maintain the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, and invites guest speakers for motivation…

A final goodbye to the queen of the court

by Keira Schultz (’26) | October 7, 2022 After twenty-seven years of playing professional tennis, Serena Williams retired after losing to Ajla Tomijanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. With tears of joy running down her face, Serena said goodbye to the world of professional tennis at the end of her match.…

Bay Area sports standings following several key trades

by Arav Bansal (’26) | October 7, 2022 Bay Area athletics is very exciting. One team or another keeps Californians on their feet for an entire season at a time–just last year, both the Warriors and the 49ers advanced to their respective conference championships. Unfortunately, the 49ers were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams, who…

The unparalleled Ultimate Frisbee club

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) | October 7, 2022 The Saint Francis Ultimate Frisbee club may be one of many clubs on campus, but it is a unique and awesome group for all to join. This club is not considered an official Saint Francis sport, but Ultimate Frisbee is a real sport, with competitions and awards;…

Men’s water polo takes on WCAL uncertainty

by Boladale Erogbogbo (’23) and Anusha Jain (’25)| October 7, 2022 Saint Francis High School was named Cal-Hi sports’s 2021-2022 state school of the year following its dominant records in Men’s and Women’s Volleyball, Football, Track & Field, and many other sports. However, returning teams have lost many seniors to college, so the strength of…

Varsity Boys’ Tennis sets up more victories this season

by Sophia Tran (’24) | April 8, 2022 With a season full of successes and memorable moments between members, the Varsity Boys’ Tennis Team dominated during this spring season. The team won every match aside from three losses to Bellarmine and Homestead. With new changes in training and continued connections with other team members, this…

Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team wins on and off the field

by Katherine Winton (’25) | April 8, 2022 The Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team is off to a great start this season, with seven wins and only four losses. Before their recent 10-13 loss against Sacred Heart Prep, the team was on a three-win streak against the Menlo School, Menlo-Atherton, and Archbishop Mitty. The team’s chemistry…

Saint Francis wrestling pins down the season

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) | March 21, 2022 This year, the Saint Francis Wrestling Team has exceeded at varsity, junior varsity, and freshman levels; varsity finished the season with a win-loss record of 5-0, JV finished with an overall record of 2-1, and the freshman team finished with an overall record of 2-1. These athletes…

Serving up the win: Lancer volleyball’s great start

by Smriti Vijay (’25) and Anusha Jain (’25) | March 21, 2022 The Saint Francis boys’ varsity volleyball team participated in the Best of the West Invitational in San Diego, facing six different high schools over the course of two days. The team already had an impressive start to the season, claiming three wins at…

ViewPoint: behind the scenes of Track & Field

by Da Hee Yang (’23) | March 21, 2022 Now we are back on track! Track season has started, with almost four hundred athletes looking forward to marking their personal records, coaches ready to offer expertise, and even parents enthusiastically volunteering and cheering in the bleachers. While you may immediately see a group of athletes…

Women’s Varsity Soccer Team concludes season with pride

by Katherine Winton (’25) | March 21, 2022 This past soccer season has been quite the ride, with some losses, a few ties, and many more wins. Starting with a tournament at Fremont High School, the Women’s Varsity Soccer team made their way up to the CIF NorCal semifinals against Buchanan High School in Clovis…

ViewPoint: Spirit Squad is unstoppable

by Da Hee Yang (’23) | February 14, 2022 Most indoor winter sports have been played in gyms that have been empty for the past few weeks. With the spread of the new omicron variant, spectators for sports were limited to the athletes’ family members. However, as the spread of the virus started to slow,…

Recapping the memorable 2021-2022 NFL season

by Arnav Bhardwaj (’25) | February 14, 2022 To say this season was unique would be a gross understatement. As the league operated under the shadow of the pandemic, stardom and heartbreak lit up the headlines. One week away from the end of an unforgettable season, we find ourselves looking back at what went on,…

Empty stadiums at the Winter Olympics

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) | February 14, 2022 When people think of the Olympics, they think of thousands of fans cheering on their favorite country or favorite athlete. However, since COVID-19 started, the stands have been completely empty. It’s been four years since the last Winter Olympics, and things have changed significantly with the absence…

Omicron takes Winter Sports by surprise

by Emily Williams (’22) | February 14, 2022 Prospects were finally looking up this December – COVID-19 cases were low, energy on campus was high, and winter sports were getting into the height of their seasons. Not long after, news of a new COVID-19 variant started to spread: Omicron. When we left for the long…

ViewPoint: flying high in the night

by Da Hee Yang (’23) | Nov. 19, 2021 Do you see a group of Lancers tumbling in a whirl of brown and yellow skirts across the football field? Jumping and cheering in their splendid school colors, the new Saint Francis cheer team adds more layers of entertainment and school spirit to our football games.…

Lancers knockout Monarchs in Homecoming Game

by Ava Malae (’24) |November 19, 2021 The Saint Francis Varsity Football Team faced the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs during the Homecoming game on October 29, and, with hopes for an exciting victory, the team certainly didn’t disappoint. Saint Francis defeated Mitty with an impressive win of 45-0, completely dominating the game.  In spirit of the…

Seasonal reflection: an interview with Varsity’s Men’s Water Polo

by Will Li (’23) | November 19, 2021 Emerging from a restrictive pandemic season earlier this spring, the Saint Francis Varsity Men’s Water Polo team concluded the fall season with an eighth place finish in the open division at the CCS championships. The Lancer recently interviewed the center, Andrew Blanco (’22), the utility, Nicholas Verstak…

Women’s Varsity Cross Country Team bests the competition in a momentous season

by Emily Williams (’22) | November 19, 2021 This year’s Women’s Varsity Cross Country Team had a season for the record books. The girls started off the season with a scrimmage at Gunn High School, followed by the Farmer Invitational at Hayward High School. Then, in late September, the first WCAL race was held; Lancers…

ViewPoint: Lancer Band drums their way to victory

by Da Hee Yang (’23) | October 11, 2021 Saint Francis triumphed in football against De La Salle, breaking its football team’s undefeated streak of 30 years, a total of 318 games, against all Northern California teams. De La Salle lost to Saint Francis, 31-28. Local newspapers and broadcasters reported this stunning victory, which brought…

Saint Francis Varsity Football bests De La Salle in a historic win

by Yatin Menon (’24) | October 11, 2021 As time expired on the game clock the players roared and the fans were ecstatic. The Saint Francis Varsity Football team had done it: they had beaten De La Salle’s 30-year streak against NorCal teams. In the first home game of the year, the crowds roared as…

Unrevealed wounds: the mental health of Olympic athletes

by Ridhima Vakkalagadda (’24) | October 11, 2021 Name the most common athletic injury. Ankle sprains? ACL tears? Most of your guesses are probably wrong. The sad truth is that one in three athletes suffers from mental health issues. For the past few months, mental health has been a prominent topic of discussion within the…

Lancer athletes are “on track” for success for WCAL

by Emily Williams (’22) |October 11, 2021 The Lancer Cross Country team recently started their regular season with their first WCAL meet at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Frosh-Soph girls raced for a perfect score, while the boys had three runners in the top ten before finishing second, only behind Bellarmine and their…

Saint Francis athletics springs into action

by Ava Malae (’24) | March 29, 2021 Saint Francis athletics recently were able to begin their seasons for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletic Director Michael Pilawski explained that starting sports this year was not an easy process. “There was just a lot of guidance from the state of…

The return of cross country meets

by Anna Morokutti (’23) | March 29, 2021 As vaccines are starting to be rolled out and COVID-19 infection rates are slowing down, Santa Clara County is moving into less restrictive safety tiers. The county’s progress has allowed them to authorize meets, games, and other competitions for high school sports. In alignment with the county…

The 2020 U.S. Open: a series of rarities

by Mallika Reddy | October 5, 2020 The 2020 U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, spanning from August 31 to September 13, was unlike any other sporting event due to COVID-19 restrictions, a surprising default from the top seed, and a series of comebacks. The crowd at the event is usually known to be enthusiastic and deafening,…

Saint Francis opens campus for fall workouts

by Ava Malae | October 5, 2020 Saint Francis recently reopened its campus to students for pre-season sports workouts. Student-athletes are placed in stable cohorts, required to maintain a six-foot social distance, and all participants must wear a face mask, in accordance with county health and safety procedures. They must also complete a health survey…

Working out quarantine style

by Will Li | October 5, 2020 Staying in shape during quarantine has not been easy. From gym closures to canceled team practices, many people have not been able to work out the way they used to. However, the recent reopenings of athletic facilities in Santa Clara County, such as pools and tennis courts, have…