Sports

Downey hunts fourth water polo title — The Downey Patriot

Published

4 months ago

September 4, 2025

DOWNEY — After winning the 2022 boys CIF-Southern Section Division IV water polo championship, Downey High School had reached new heights after a 50-year drought in title-winning seasons.

Downey, which had previously won titles in 1962 and ’72, was a powerhouse in the 50’s and 60’s. The Vikings also finished as runner ups on five different occasions.

Since that magical season, Downey has continued to be one of the top programs in Southern California under ninth-year coach Uriel Villa.

With the 2025 season just underway, the Vikings have lofty goals for this year.

“Our big goal is to win another CIF Championship,” Villa said. “I think we’ll again end up in DI and I think we do have a shot to compete.

“Based off teams we’ve already played and done well against, I don’t see how we’re not. We have a lot of chemistry that’s been building for years.”

Four of his current players, all seniors, were part of that 2022 championship team.

“It’s crucial to have those four guys on the squad this year as seniors because they have championship experience,” Villa said. “It’s (2 meter) Matthew (Moran), Leo Garcia (2-meter defender) Sebastian Lugo (utility) and Nathan Martinez (driver), who were all part of that championship team when they were freshmen, so they had that run.”

Since that title run, Downey advanced to the quarterfinals the next season in DIII and were bumped up to the CIF-SS DI playoffs last season and lost in the first round to Mira Costa.

The Vikings have a modest nonleague revenge game next Tuesday (September 9) against Mira Costa.

“Because of that (DI playoffs last year) we are challenging ourselves with a harder schedule, and so far, we are 4-1 and these guys are proving that we belong at that DI level. We wouldn’t be able to do that without these four seniors having that experience.”

With the nucleus of starters as seniors this season, along with some talented underclassmen, the Vikings hope to make a deep run in the playoffs and come home with the school’s fourth title.

Downey defeats El Segundo, 17-9

The Vikings, behind Moran’s three first period goals, got off to an early 5-3 lead and never looked back in the game.

“It helps to set the tone, when (Moran) is able to establish his dominance and give us a little cushion,” said Villa, of Moran’s early goals. “It gives us a little bit of comfort …….. and it puts the pressure on the other team, which is huge.”

Moran led all scorers with a game-high six goals, followed by three each from junior utility Marcus Fierro, Martinez and Lugo. Sophomore driver Emiliano Gonzalez and sophomore 2MD Ethan Aguirre added one goal each.

Leading the way for El Segundo (2-4) was Cooper Albano with a team-high four goals and Austin Miller had three.

It’s always said that defense wins championships, and Villa especially emphasizes that part of the game.

“We emphasize defense, and we always talk about how we would rather win a game, 2-1, than 15-14,” Villa added. “The guys really buy in and put in the work with their shot-blocking, and they communicate well and work together to make the stops that we need to.”

That happened multiple times in the game, with Moran making field blocks and junior goalie Rocco Cooper coming up with big point-blank stops, followed by counter attacks that resulted in goals.

“He’s (Cooper) very athletic and is a kid that has a lot of physical abilities and is a natural athlete,” said of his second-year varsity goalie. “He’s our fastest freestyler but doesn’t like to swim.”

Cooper is a valuable piece to the counter-attack for the Vikings.

“When a goalie can make deep passes like that, it creates more goal scoring opportunities for us,” Villa said. “We do play aggressive and do try to push the counter and take those risks that other division I schools won’t.”

A long outlet pass from Cooper to Moran started the scoring for the Vikings in the first minute (6:19) to lead, 1-0.

“Scoring on counters is usually a lot of our specialties, because we have a lot of fast players,” said Cooper, who has started in goal last year and this season. “We are well conditioned for counters.”

Less than a minute later (5:33), Lugo took a pass from Fierro to lead, 2-0.

El Segundo, which last won a CIF title in 2023, cut the lead in half, 2-1, on a goal by Miller.

Downey would outscore the Eagles, 4-2 to end the opening period, leading 6-3.

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Sports

Tennessee Tech Closes 2025 with Tennessee State at Eblen Center

Published

2 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech (6-7, 1-1) men’s basketball plays its final game of 2025 against Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1) at Hooper Eblen Center at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The Golden Eagles return to the hardwood after an extended break for the holidays to face the Tigers. TSU has won five of the last seven games but most recently fell, 91-82, to SEMO, opening OVC competition 1-1. Tech has won three of the last four games and opened conference play with an 85-74 victory over SEMO, then fell to UT Martin (L, 62-86).

TTU enters today’s game 4-2 at home this season with wins over SEMO, Bethel (101-69), Berea (86-64), and Va. Lynchburg (118-58), and losses to West Ga. (L, 59-61) and UT Martin (L, 62-86).

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Tennessee Tech (6-7, 1-1 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1 OVC)
Date & Time: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Hooper Eblen Center
Watch: ESPN+ | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Noah McKay (PxP) and Jacob Vinson (Analyst)
Promotion: Purple Haze – WEAR PURPLE!

INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: TSU leads, 41-39
In Cookeville: Tech leads, 23-17
In Nashville: TSU leads, 18-22
Neutral sites: TSU leads 2-0
Current Streak: TTU won 1
Last Meeting: TTU won 77-74 in Cookeville (Feb. 22, 2025)

TECH NOTES
Dani Pounds leads Tech in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game (19th in OVC), and Mekhi Cameron is second on the team with 12.2 points per game (20th in OVC). Pounds is fourth in the OVC in free-throw percentage, shooting 84.1 from the line. Pounds leads the Golden Eagles in rebounds with 4.8 per game (20th in OVC).

JaJuan Nicholls is second on the team in rebounds per game (4.7), which is 23rd in the conference.

Tennessee Tech’s 118 points against Va. Lynchburg (W, 118-58, 11/10/25) mark the third-most points scored in a single game by an OVC team this season.

Ty Owens is second in the OVC with 4.2 assists per game (54 total). Nicholls is tied for fifth in the conference in blocks per game (1.2) and fourth in the OVC in total blocks (16).

The Golden Eagles are second in the conference in points per game (79.7), as well as fourth in the conference in scoring margin (3.5). TTU holds the second-best shooting percentage in the OVC (47.0, 365-777), making three fewer shots than the conference leaders (Lindenwood, 47.4).

OPPONENT NOTES
Tennessee State (7-5, 1-1) leads the all-time series 41-39 as the teams split the last two matchups during the 2024-25 season.

The Tigers are coming off a hard-fought 91–82 loss to Southeast Missouri at the Gentry Center, while the Golden Eagles also enter the contest following a defeat.

The game marks the return to action for both programs after a 10-day break. Tennessee State will open the 2026 calendar year on the road at Little Rock on Saturday, Jan. 3.

Aaron Nkrumah leads the Tigers in scoring with 17.0 points per game, averaging 4.8 rebounds per contest and 2.6 assists per game. Travis Harper II is second on the team with 15.8 points per game, and Dante Harris is third on the squad per contest with 12.6 points on average.

PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets for Tennessee Tech Men’s Basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or order online at TTUsports.com.

FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Fans can be sure to follow the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team on X (@TTU_Basketball), Instagram (TTUMBB), and Facebook (TTU MBB) for all of the news, notes, and updates.

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Sports

Top 25 Moments of 2025

Published

2 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Helms, a transfer from Texas A&M, bested his previous Heptathlon score of 5394 which he earned at the Stan Scott Invite and Multis taking place on Jan. 30-Feb. 1, hosted by Texas Tech. He has had immense success in the Key City, posting three different splits at the Red Raider open in the 60m hurdles (8.30), 4x400m (3:16.21, 49.27 split) and pole vault (16-2/4.93m).

At the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Robertson has etched herself in the record books. At the NCAA Outdoor National Championships, she recorded the best finish by a Bronco since the 2022 campaign by finishing 53rd in a field of 254 total runners.

Robertson was the first Bronco woman to earn All-America honors in the 1,500 since 2019 (Emma Bates). Hanna Ackermann also posted a top finish while in Eugene. Ackermann recorded a time of 9:54.21 in the steeplechase. The time was the third-fastest time in Boise State history.

Helms registered a score of 7,696 in the decathlon. His mark ranks third in Boise State school history and improved his previous mark in the decathlon at the 2025 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships which were hosted by Fresno State in Clovis, California.

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Shondell Inks Transfer Lameen Mambu – Purdue Boilermakers

Published

3 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Outside hitter Lameen “Mimi” Mambu is set to transfer to Purdue volleyball, announced by head coach Dave Shondell. Mambu joins the Boilermakers after spending her freshman season at Georgia Tech, where she led the Yellow Jackets’ offense with 345 points and 304 kills.

“What a wonderful Christmas gift to get the commitment from a smart and dynamic student-athlete,” Shondell said. “We’re excited to have this hard-hitting high-flyer join our team after such a strong first season at Georgia Tech where she helped lead them to an NCAA tournament appearance. We watched Mimi play in high school and knew she would be a special player. Mimi learned so much about our program from Kash [Akasha Anderson] and Isabelle Bardin who are good friends from the D.C. area.”

2025 // AS A FRESHMAN AT GEORGIA TECH

Played in all 30 matches as a freshman, making 25 starts
Led Georgia Tech’s offense with 345 points, 304 kills and 854 attempts while averaging 2.92 kills per set
Posted 10 digs, seven kills and two block assists at Purdue in Georgia Tech’s 3-1 win at Purdue (9/3).
Averaged one dig per set with .46 blocks per set
Recorded a season-high 17 kills vs. Georgia (9/19)
Secured a career-high 20 points vs. Arkansas State (8/31), including a career-high 16 digs and 16 kills
Registered three double-doubles
Went nearly errorless on the attack in the sweep at Clemson (11/12), posting a .481 attack % behind 14 kills and one error on 27 swings
Saw at least 20 attacks in 25 matches and 40 attacks in four matches
Served up four aces in the season-opener vs. Wofford (8/29), a career-high
Totaled 14 kills, second-most on the team, along with four digs and a block assist in the five set loss to UCLA in the NCAA First Round

HIGH SCHOOL

Spent four years playing at Chantilly High School
A three-time District Player of the Year award winner (2022-2024)
Three-time All-State First Team honoree (2022-2024)
Four-time All-Region First Team honoree (2021-2024)
Led her to team to become three-time District Champions (2021, 2022, 2024) and two-time Regional Champions (2022 And 2024)
2025 Under Armor Next Volleyball All-American competitor
Won a silver medal with the United States U19 National Team during the summer of 2025

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Best of small school volleyball in Palm Beach

Published

3 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 28, 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET

The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for small school volleyball.

Player of the Year winners will be announced at the South Florida Fair in a live ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be able to register to attend for free, thanks to sponsors. For more information about the show, please reach out to deputy sports editor Eric J. Wallace (ejwallace@pbpost.com).

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Best of large school volleyball in Palm Beach

Published

3 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 28, 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET

The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for large school volleyball.

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Sports

December 28 – Kelly Sheffield was hired to coach UW-Madison’s Volleyball team

Published

4 hours ago

December 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MADISON, Wis. — On this day, December 28, 2012, Kelly Sheffield was hired as Wisconsin’s head volleyball coach, instantly propelling the program into one of the best in the country.

The Badgers had been coached by Pete Waite for the previous 13 years, and the program had been struggling since 2008. Sheffield turned things around immediately in his first season, making it all the way to the national championship in 2013, falling just short to Penn State.

Since then, the Badgers have made the NCAA tournament each season and have not lost more than 10 games in any season since he was hired.

He led the program to the top of the mountain in 2021, when they defeated Nebraska for the first championship in program history.

Since then, they have made the Final Four twice, most recently this past season, where they fell just short to the Kentucky Wildcats in five sets.

Sheffield has also coached 20 different Badgers to 45 All-American nominations, headlined by Dana Rettke and Sarah Franklin who won AVCA Player of the Year honors in 2021 and 2023.

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