February 26, 2026
By Loren Kopff * @LorenKopff on X
The Gahr High and Valley Christian High softball teams won the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 and 5 championships, respectively, on May 18, 2024 by a run. Last season, they played each other to a 2-2 tie in the middle of April and for the second straight season, third overall since 2014.
This past Tuesday on the west side of the 605 Freeway, two of the area’s powerhouse programs met in a battle of 2-0 teams and backed by the pitching of junior Bella Gonzalez, she enabled Gahr’s offense to build a 3-0 lead after two innings. The Gladiators added two more, then held off a late rally to defeat the Defenders 5-4 as darkness filled the skies over two hours after the first pitch of the game.
V.C. junior pitcher Rachel Zhang walked sophomore center fielder Megan Wong to begin the game and moved to third on a single from sophomore shortstop Hazel Anglo and a stolen base. Following a walk to junior designated player Cierra Contreras, Wong scored on a fielder’s choice from sophomore third baseman Mylah Burrowes.
The Gladiators would score two more runs in the second inning and had a chance to blow the game wide open as they stranded the bases loaded in the second and third innings. But Gonzalez was doing her part of keeping the Defenders at bay through the first five innings. She yielded a pair of hits, walked two and had a pair of perfect innings through the first five frames, not allowing a runner to get past second base. Gahr tacked on its fourth run in the fifth inning when freshman catcher Rylee Jackson was hit by a pitch, the third and final batter Zhang hit. Jackson was replaced by junior courtesy runner Jaidu De Avila Barroga and she later came home on an error.
The Defenders avoided the shutout in the bottom of the sixth when senior center fielder Choyce Chambers led off with a home run. But the Gladiators added what turned out to be the game-winning run in the seventh when senior first baseman Maryan McElroy and Jackson each singled. Then with one out, a groundout from freshman right fielder Skyy Saucedo allowed sophomore pinch runner Citlalli Gonzalez to come home.
V.C/ sophomore second baseman Jewel Malae led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to center and Bella Gonzalez walked sophomore first baseman Molly Douglas. With one out, Zhang reached on a fielder’s choice and Chambers was safe on an error after striking out. A walk to junior pinch hitter Lydia Dietz loaded the bases and another error allowed two runs to come across, making it 5-4.
The Defenders will go to Long Beach Poly High on Tuesday while Gahr travelled to Millikan High on Feb. 26 and will face Los Altos High and Chino Hills High on Saturday before going to California High on Tuesday and La Serna High on Wednesday.
BOYS BASKETBALL
La Mirada High dropped a 71-57 decision to Harvard-Westlake High this past Tuesday in a CIF-SS Open Division semifinal game. The Matadores drop to 24-8 and will wait until Sunday to see who they will play next week in the state playoffs. Gahr, which had lost in the Division 3 semifinals to Aliso Niguel last Friday, will also find out its first round opponent in the state playoffs on Sunday.
WRESTLING
Cerritos High senior Julian Espinoza will face Cole Schmidt of Windsor High in the 138 lb. division as his first opponent of the CIF State Championships with the winner to square off against James Otuhiva of Palo Alto High in the next round.
Also from Cerritos, in the 130 lb. division, senior Isabella Sermana, who is seeded fourth in the bracket, will go against Eliza Pena of Modoc High in the first round. In the 145 lb. division, Norwalk High senior Amber Farr opens against fourth-seeded Kirin Smith of Clovis West High.
The CIF State Championships will be held at Dignity Heath Arena in Bakersfield on Feb. 26-28.
