Winter Sports Recap

The Winter Sports season culminated with celebrations and excitement. It was an athletic season in which one team was named Co-Champions of the Liberty League, two teams made the CIF playoffs, and eight Milken athletes were selected to All-Liberty League Teams in several sports. Girls Varsity and JV Basketball, Girls Varsity Soccer, Boys Varsity Soccer, and Girls Water Polo all held awards ceremonies on February 26. Players were honored and recognized for their contributions and achievements before family, friends, and faculty.

All-Liberty League Players

Girls Soccer:  
Daniella Banton ’18
 
Girls Basketball:  
Audrey Mokhtarzadeh ’18
 
Boys Soccer:  
First Team: Joey Sarvian ’20
First Team: Gavin Lieberman ’19
First Team: Aitan Stuppel ’19
 
Boys Basketball:  
Co-MVP: Amitai Afenjar ’18
1st Team: Aaron Harouni ’18
1st Team: Doron Pakravan ’18

Girls Basketball

Varsity
Girls Varsity Basketball concluded their season with a 7-16 record. This year’s team was a young one, losing nine seniors from last year and one player to an ACL injury. With two starters returning, the rest were first year varsity players. Senior Candice Nourian broke the single game record of three-pointers in a game with 6, and smashed the previous record of 27 three-pointers in a season with an impressive 52. All-Liberty League selection senior Audrey Mokhtarzadeh led the team in steals and in assists, with 36 during the season. Coach Barbara Iversen is looking forward to next year saying, “If the girls work on their individual games over the summer, we will improve. And if they work on their shooting, we will win games.”
 

JV
According to Coach Elijah Kirkland-Cuffee, the Girls JV team played hard the whole season with their confidence growing steadily. One of the most notable moments was besting their rival, Beverly Hills High School in a thrilling game at Beverly Hills. The team  also tied for third in the Marymount Girls JV Basketball Tournament. “I was fortunate to have coached for my first year a great group of girls who always played hard and played to win,” remarked Coach Kirkland-Cuffee. “While our record was not a winning one, the team grew tremendously as the season went on, and I truly believe everyone one of the players on my team will have amazing careers as Milken basketball players.”

Girls Basketball Awards

Varsity
Love of the Game - Candice Nourian ’19
Hustle Award - Leeor Abutbul ’19
Coaches Award - Lauren Okhovat ’18
All Liberty League - Audrey Mokhtarzadeh ’18
 
JV
Hustle Award - Amanda Amirieh ’21
Positive Attitude - Liana Pakravan ’21
Big Man Award - Miriam Zoghi ’21

Boys Basketball

Varsity
The Boys Varsity basketball team had an impressive season that featured many notable highlights. They made it all the way to the championship game of the preseason Cooper Invitational Tournament in Memphis Tennessee. Continuing their strong tournament play, they advanced to the semifinals of the San Fernando Valley Invitational. Finishing the season as Liberty League Co-Champions, the team won their 12th league title in 23 years and their first-round CIF playoff game against Dana Hills. However, the season wasn’t without its challenges. There were a few injuries and they were plagued by illness. Players were shifted around and played out of position, but the team improved throughout the season as they found their roles within the offensive and defensive schemes, and they played great defense. Coach Mike Whiting looks forward to next season when there will be a new system of play implemented to compliment the talent level. It will utilize more three point shots and full court pressure defenses. Next year’s team will look a lot different, as the team is losing nine seniors, with only three players returning. Some of the standout players include senior Amitai Afenjar, who led the team in scoring and rebounding and was selected Co-MVP of the  Liberty League.Senior Aaron Harouni lead the team in assists, was second in scoring for the season, and was named to the All-Liberty League First Team.

JV
The Boys JV Basketball team finished off the season strong. There were some exciting, close games that they won or lost by five points or less. Comprised of mostly juniors, the team also had two sophomores and a freshman. The team improved throughout the season, and according to Coach Robert Miles, they beefed up their defense and developed a strong camaraderie.
“Although the season started off rough, I truly enjoyed coaching and mentoring these young men this season,” said Coach Miles. “They definitely helped me grow as a coach and mentor.”


Frosh/Soph
The Boys Frosh/Soph team closed the season with an impressive 14-1 record. A notable moment came during a game against Holy Martyrs. After being down at halftime, they made adjustments and went on to win the game by 11 points. Coach Stephen Parmelee noted he was proud that the team followed the game plan and executed it well on the court. The team worked well together, which translated to success on the court. "In my 24 years of coaching, this was one of the most rewarding teams to coach,” revealed Coach Parmelee. “They worked hard in practice, played with determination in games, and showed great sportsmanship throughout the season." Coach Parmelee says the future is bright for the team, and he looks forward to seeing the players’ improvement during the offseason, with the summer league giving the players great competition.
 

Boys Basketball Awards

Varsity
Co MVP – Aaron Harouni ’18 and  Amitai Afenjar ’18
Most Improved – Blake Asherian ’19
Coaches Award - Doron Matian ’18

JV
Coach Award- Matthew Rahimi ’19
Coaches Award - Brandon Navidbakhsh ’19
Most Improved Player - Doron Pakravan ’20

Frosh/Soph
MVP - Eitai Abutbul ’21
Most Improved - Aaron Frey ’21
Hustle Award - Sky Nahum ’21
Coaches Award - Rod Bostani ’21


Girls Water Polo
Coach Jason Walters noted that the team was much more competitive in matches this season than in previous ones. Team leaders, seniors Slava Chemerinski and Sophia Kaplan, provided strong leadership, while newcomers, sophomores Chloe Saba and Jacquelyn Stern, made big contributions to the team. Coach Walters is looking forward to building on their successes next year.

Girls Water Polo Awards
Offensive Player of the Year - Slava Chemerinski ’18
Defensive Player of the Year - Jacquelyn Stern ’20
Coaches Award - Grace Zucker ’19
Newcomer of the Year - Chloe Saba ’20
Most Improved - Sabrina Sharafian ’21

Girls Soccer

The Varsity Girls Soccer Team overcame many challenges, but still managed to compile a 4-3-7 record. Only 12 girls were on the team, which left them with only one substitute since there are 11 players on the field. There were some highlights of the season such as winning a game while playing only 10 players. According to Coach Bryan Gonzalez, they outplayed most of the soccer teams who had stronger and bigger teams with larger rosters. The team improved as the season progressed, putting into action what they learned in practice. “They were hard working, committed, dedicated, competitive, and team players,” said Coach Gonzalez. He told his players, “Don’t give up! When you’re committed and work hard together towards a common goal you can achieve anything you put your mind to.” Senior Daniella Banton’s hard work paid off and she was named to the All-Liberty League Team.

Coach Gonzalez is looking forward to next year. He says they had a great group of girls on the team with good attitudes, which made for an enjoyable environment for players. The team is only losing two seniors, but they will be missed, since they have had such a great season and a notable impact on growing the team.
  
Girls Soccer Awards
MVP - Sasha Stone ’20
Coaches Award - Daniella Banton ’18

Boys Soccer
Wrapping up their season in 2nd place in the Liberty League, the Boys Varsity Soccer Team ended the season 9-4 overall and 4-2 in league play. Their only loss was to Buckley. Season highlights include two exciting come-from-behind victories. Against Whitter Christian, they were down 0-2 at the half and worked their back in the second half, winning 4-3. Down 0-2 against de Toledo at the beginning of the second half, the team once again powered through and came back to win, securing a playoff spot. Three players were selected to the All-Liberty League First Team: Joey Sarvian ’20, Gavin Lieberman ’19, and Aitan Stuppel ’19.

Coach Will Correas noted that this is the first time in the three years he has been head coach that the team has made it to the playoffs. “It took a bit of team building and growth to get to where we are now,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of the whole team and our achievements.”


Boys Soccer Awards
Rookie of the year award - Sawyer Shalit ’21
Leadership  award - Bryan Bekhrad ’19
Offensive Player of the Year - Evan Avicasis ’19
Defensive Player of the Year -Anakin Szew ’20
MVP -  Joseph Sarvian ’20








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