The Accolade

Coaches, players react to revised CIF bylaws for 2020-2021 season

Boys tennis player rising sophomore Jaden Han returns the ball to his opponent in a March 3 match against Whitney. With the new CIF bylaw modifications, athletes will have the opportunity to participate in outside club activities and events during the regular school sports season.

August 4, 2020

While the reorganizing of the sports seasons and their delay no sooner than December took center stage in the California high school prep sports world July 20, CIF State and CIF-SS made two unprecedented changes for the upcoming school year. The most significant change is CIF State’s decision to suspend...

Sunny Hills sports delayed until end of 2020 given spread of COVID-19 cases

Defensive back rising junior Dane Soaper kneels while stretching following a June 23 practice on the Sunny Hills baseball field. The SH football team had been preparing to defend its 2019 CIF-SS Division 8 title when the Orange County Department of Education opened schools for sports summer workout sessions but now must wait until January 2021 to play under Friday night lights again.

Andrew Ngo, Kristima Aryal, and Grace Johnson

July 23, 2020

On March 12, the Sunny Hills boys volleyball team walked out of the SH gym with a 3-0 victory over Artesia, the Lancers’ first best-of-five set win in its inaugural season. It would also be the last match involving an SH varsity squad until December at the earliest. After a July 6 letter from ...

Head football coach, staff, parent booster personally deliver about 80 rings to players’ homes as alternative to canceled ring celebration because of COVID-19 school closure

Andrew Ngo

April 19, 2020

Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the governor's stay-at-home order, two Sunny Hills football coaches and a booster contributor took it upon themselves from April 3-8 to distribute roughly 80 rings commemorating the 2019 CIF-Southern Section Division 8 championship-winning squad. “We wanted to make ...

With CIF State officially canceling spring playoffs because of coronavirus-related school closures, what are implications for fall sports?

Tight end and defensive lineman sophomore Ethan Johnson (center) celebrates following the team's championship game victory over Santa Barbara at San Marcos High School Stadium on Nov. 30. After the spring sports cancellation, football may not have its chance to defend the fourth CIF-Southern Section title in school history. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

April 13, 2020

After CIF State postponed a March 17 decision to cancel the spring sports playoffs, the organization’s executive director Ron Nocetti made an April 3 announcement that all spring playoff events would be canceled, effectively ending the spring sports season for all high school athletes in California.�...

Sunny Hills offers rooter bus for third week in a row — this time to the Dec. 7 Lancers football game in Bakersfield

Wide receiver and defensive back senior WIlson Cal (center) leads the team onto the field before the Lancers' 24-21 win in the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 championship game at San Marcos High School Stadium Nov. 30. Cal intercepted a pass in the Sunny Hills endzone to seal the victory with 30 seconds left in the game. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Gianne Veluz

December 6, 2019

Students who want to be a part of Lancer sports history will once again have a chance to ride a rooter bus to Bakersfield Christian High School stadium, where for the first time ever, the Sunny Hills football team will compete in a state CIF playoff game. Assistant principal Hilda Arredondo sent a m...

Game recap: Cardiac kids do it again, erase halftime deficit to beat Santa Barbara in CIF final 24-21

Running back and defensive back senior Jun Ahn (center) avoids Santa Barbara special teams players during a kickoff return while linebacker junior Carson Irons (left) blocks in front of him. Ahn had 142 rushing yards on 30 carries during the Lancers' 24-21 victory over the Dons in the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 championship game at San Marcos High School stadium Nov. 30. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

December 4, 2019

A shorter recap is available on this story. Update: The story was updated Dec. 9 at 11:00 a.m. to change the number of total CIF championships won by the team from three to four. For the Lancers’ 2019-2020 football season, it wouldn’t be a Sunny Hills playoff win without a comeback. In t...

Sunny Hills football team defeats Santa Barbara 24-21 to take CIF-Southern Section Division 8 title

The Lancer football team celebrates its first CIF title in 27 years by posing with the championship plaque in the rain Nov. 30 at San Marcos High School stadium. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

December 1, 2019

Sunny Hills football captured its first CIF title in 27 years after a 24-21, come-from-behind victory Nov. 30 against Santa Barbara at San Marcos High School stadium. “It’s still surreal," head football coach Peter Karavedas said. “I’m really proud of our guys; they battled tonight, and they...

Game recap: The new cardiac kids? Sunny Hills football team comes back from behind again in Nov. 22 CIF semifinal win over Trabuco Hills

Linebacker junior Carson Irons (center) leads the Lancers on to the Trabuco Hills High School field in Mission Viejo during the Nov. 22 CIF Southern Section Division 8 semifinal game against the Mustangs. Irons made the game-saving interception off a tipped ball at the one-yard line with less than seven seconds left in the game. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

November 24, 2019

A shorter recap of this game with more quotes is available in this story. One main point Sunny Hills head football coach Peter Karavedas emphasized immediately after the Nov. 22 CIF Southern Section Division 8 victory over Trabuco Hills was how many times his players have come back from behind to...

Late interception near goal line secures Sunny Hills football’s 31-27 victory over Trabuco Hills; Lancers advance to first CIF playoff final in 27 years

Running back and defensive back junior Brandon Roberts prepares for an oncoming defender during a first half rush. Roberts opened the scoring early with a 69-yard run that put the Lancers up 7-0 early in the first quarter. Photo taken by Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

November 23, 2019

This story has been updated Nov. 23 and 24 to include revised information as to the date of the CIF Southern Section Division 8 title game and the name of the Trabuco Hills quarterback. In a rematch of the Lancers’ thrilling 41-34 overtime win over Trabuco Hills High School’s Mustangs earlier...

Lancers’ offense pounces on Notre Dame early and often in 49-24 blowout; Sunny Hills will face Trabuco Hills in CIF semifinal Nov. 22

Quarterback senior Luke Duxbury pushes down a Notre Dame linebacker to avoid getting tackled in the first half. Duxbury threw two touchdowns in the first half of the 49-24 rout Nov. 15 of Notre Dame of Riverside at Buena Park High School stadium. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo and Gianne Veluz

November 16, 2019

The Lancer football team (10-2, 4-1 Freeway League) knocked the Notre Dame Titans (7-5, 2-1 Freeway League) out of the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 playoffs in a dominant 49-24 victory at Buena Park High School stadium Nov. 15. After a slow start to the offense in the Nov. 8 21-14 first roun...

Lancer football ends 24-year CIF playoff win drought, comes back from 14 down to defeat Tustin Nov. 8

The Sunny Hills football team celebrates together following its 21-14 comeback win against Tustin High School in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 8 playoffs Nov. 8 at Buena Park High School stadium. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Andrew Ngo

November 9, 2019

This story was updated Nov. 12 to reflect the number of years that the football team last won a first-round CIF playoff game. It took 21 unanswered points — including a two-point conversion and a go-ahead score with 31 seconds left — for Sunny Hills to prevail in its CIF-Southern Section Division...

Football caps off regular season with 48-16 victory over Troy; the team heads into CIF Division 8 playoffs ranked No. 1 and will play Nov. 8 at home against Tustin High School

Running back senior Jun Ahn breaks a tackle from a Troy defender during one of his first quarter runs. Ahn ended the game as the leading scorer with four touchdowns and 164 total rushing yards in the 48-16 victory Nov. 1 at Buena Park High School stadium. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

Gianne Veluz

November 3, 2019

This story was updated Nov. 3 at 4:30 p.m. with information on the first round of CIF Division 8 playoffs and Nov. 8 at 2:20 p.m. with quotes from head coach Peter Karavedas. The Sunny Hills football team finished the regular season Nov. 1 at home with another trouncing of a Freeway League opponent,...