Hart High School has always upheld a sense of tradition and success and the 2017-18 sports year was no exception.
Some teams continued their typical standards of success, but there were a few other teams that jumped in the mix to create their own clout.
A plethora of Hart baseball players earned college scholarships, and some even became MLB Draft picks, including Cole Roederer and Bryce Collins. However, the team had to learn how to function at a high rate when Roeder’s season ended due to injury and Collins’ season was delayed due to illness.
Nevertheless, the Indians collectively stepped up to snatch the Foothill League title after last season’s third-place finish in league.
Football stuck to the standard, too, finishing second in league and making it to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. JT Shrout, a Tennessee commit, orchestrated the offense while guys like CJ McMullen and Trevor Laible held down the defense.
Girls soccer won its fifth-straight Foothill League title and posted 12 shutouts en route to an undefeated season. The boys team matched their success as the Foothill League champions, then rushed into the postseason and didn’t stop until they reached the Division 4 semifinals.
Jess Scheller headlined the golf team, making it to the CIF/SCGA Southern State Regional Championship as the team as a whole finished second in league and earned a bid to playoffs.
Hart’s girls volleyball team electrified the league once again, while the boys volleyball team turned some heads by making history. The Indians achieved their first home playoff win in their first postseason appearance since 2013.
“It’s awesome,” said then-senior Dylan Lange during the May playoff stretch. “I’ve been on varsity for three years and each year we get closer and closer to playoffs and this year we actually made it.”
Although the boys lacrosse team didn’t achieve a spot in playoffs, this year’s team nevertheless went to new heights. The Indians went 11-8, achieving the most wins in program history.
“This year we were a great team, but next year we have more experience and we have this season under our belt and then I think from here, we’re going forward,” said Hart lacrosse player Jacob Montes at the conclusion of the season.
Montes’ declaration seemed to sum up Hart athletics in a whole this year. Years and years of experience and accomplishment, with plenty of motivation to advance, too.
Five most memorable male athletes
Lawrence Luna – The sophomore was the boys soccer team’s top-scorer and always provided an energetic presence on the pitch. By the end of the season, Luna scored over 20 goals for the Indians.
CJ McMullen – The dual-sport athlete had personally unprecedented seasons in both football and track and field. In football, he recorded seven sacks in one game against Sierra Canyon and totaled 25 sacks on the year in addition to 82 total tackles. He also competed in discus and threw 184 feet, 6 inches for first place at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.
Cole Roederer – Even though injuries halted his senior season, Roederer managed a .392 batting average and ranked third on the Hart baseball team with 19 RBIs in 18 games. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Jess Scheller – Scheller outlasted all boys golfers from the Santa Clarita Valley, reaching the CIF/SCGA Southern State Regional Championship in his senior year. He was part of a Hart team that was finished second in Foothill League play behind West Ranch.
JT Shrout – As Hart’s starting quarterback, the Tennessee commit completed 211 of 414 passes in his senior campaign for 3,064 yards, 27 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Five most memorable female athletes
Brooke Marquez – – In her junior year, the Notre Dame commit led the softball team with 43 hits, with 14 multi-hit games.
Annie Christofferson – The sharpshooter surpassed 1,500 career points in her senior season with the Hart girls basketball team. She sank 74 3-pointers and averaged 20.2 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Rachel Melvin – Hart girls soccer is built around defense, and Melvin was a key part of the Indians’ defense. Her endurance and crossing ability made her a dangerous piece of this year’s Foothill League champion Hart team.
Aly Kaneshiro – Kaneshiro was a ferocious rebounder on the Hart girls basketball team, pacing the Indians with eight per game. On the softball team, she ranked first in terms of home run with seven and boasted a .451 batting average.
Shelby Grubbs – Grubbs brought a physical presence to the Hart girls volleyball team with her 6-foot-tall net presence. She executed 136 blocks for a new Indians record.
Five most memorable teams
Baseball – The Foothill League champions worked their way to a 12-3 overall record and a playoff berth in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs. The postseason run ended in the second round against Cypress.
Football – The Indians made it to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs. While the offense chugged along, the defense saw a spectacular performance from CJ McMullen in his seven-sack game against Sierra Canyon.
Boys golf – There was plenty of competition for the top spot in the Foothill League this season. Hart came in second behind West Ranch, but made it to the postseason and saw Jess Scheller go all the way to the CIF/SCGA Southern State Regional Championship. They also won the Coyote Invitational title in early March.
Girls volleyball – The Indians played in honor of Alyssa Cosey, a player who was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2017. Two records were broken by players from this year’s team — Shelby Grubbs broke the record for blocks and Makenna Fall broke the record for digs.
Boys volleyball – This team made Hart history by claiming the first playoff win in boys volleyball history after beating Millikan 3-1 in a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 wild card match. It was the Indians’ first postseason appearance since 2013.
Playoff teams
Baseball – The Indians shut out Los Alamitos in the first round of the Division 1 tournament, 3-0 before losing to Cypress 4-0 in the second round.
Football – As the second-place team in the Foothill League, the Indians beat Sierra Canyon in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs before falling to Rancho Verde in the second round.
Boys golf – After finishing second in the Foothill League, Hart advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division Team Championships, where they finished at 378 strokes at the Santa Anita Golf Course event.
Boys soccer – Reaching the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs, the Indians fell to Indian Springs in the semifinals.
Girls soccer – Capitalizing on a successful Foothill League season, Hart made it to the second round of the Division 1 playoffs.
Boys tennis – The Indians clinched a playoff spot after beating Saugus 15-3, but lost to Long Beach Poly in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 3 tournament.
Boys volleyball – In a historic postseason run, this team beat Hillcrest in a Division 2 wild card match to break into the tournament. Hart’s season ended against Orange Lutheran in the first round.
Girls volleyball – Hart swept Woodrow Wilson in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs before losing to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the second round.
