The Plank

On March 18, 2025, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity baseball team started a three-game series against the Oak Ridge High School Trojans. Then, following a hard-fought 2-1 series win, the Marauders would get tested yet again against the Folsom High School Bulldogs, in a series starting on March 24. 

The Marauders used a combination of strong hitting from shortstop Sammy Kane ’26 and first baseman Cade Colombara ’25 and impressive pitching performances from Owen Lesser ’26 and Alex Quigley ’26 to win 5 out of the 6 games.

During the Mid Semester Break, I had the opportunity to go down to Southern California and tour a variety of schools in the beautiful city of San Diego, California. The three schools I toured were the University of San Diego (USD), University of California San Diego (UCSD), and San Diego State University (SDSU). Each school had their own individual strengths that I hope to highlight. 

“It’s the most goated club on campus.” 

These words, spoken by Mr. Lawrence Simon ’13, refer to the club he founded: the Pizza and Prayer Club. Created in 2023 to get students to engage in more prayer, the club creates a relaxed environment for students to converse about their religion with like-minded peers.

When I walked into the Black Box Theater on Saturday, March 8, to watch Jesuit Drama’s production of Mary Poppins Jr., I was expecting a standard high school performance, complete with all the charming foibles one would expect of a high school play. 

I did not see that show. 

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, “Godzilla Minus One” is the 37th movie in the Godzilla franchise. It was released in Japanese theaters on Nov. 3, 2023 and in American theaters on Dec. 1, 2023 for the 70th anniversary of Godzilla. The film received critical acclaim and won an Oscar for best visual effects a few months after its release.

“Godzilla Minus One” is a reimagination of the original 1954 “Godzilla,” and is heavily inspired by Jaws and Shin Godzilla. The title, “Godzilla Minus One,” hints at the fact that after World War Two, Japan was at its lowest point (aka ground zero), but the resurgence of Godzilla has taken Japan below zero (aka minus one). The film follows a former Kamikaze pilot, Kōichi Shikishima, who encounters Godzilla during the war and is destined to face the monster.

Over the course of Feb. 19 to Feb. 27, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity basketball team played in the section tournament, fought all the way to the final, and suffered a devastating loss to Rocklin High School. 

Despite ending the section tournament without a banner to hang, Jesuit did make the NorCal tournament as the three seed. Then, from March 4 to March 15, the Marauders would go undefeated over their next five games winning the Norcal Final and the first State Title in program history.

The 2024-2025 varsity soccer season was a year of growth, challenges, and achievements for Jesuit High School Sacramento, who ended the season with a record of 4-7-8. Despite being a largely new team, the players showed determination and unity, battling through every match to earn a playoff spot. 

Contributing to this fresh team was a new coach: for the first season in 46 years, the team was without Mr. Paul Rose. Taking up this opening was Varsity Head Coach Joshua Palone ’99. Being the new face of the Jesuit soccer program, Coach Palone finished off his first season strong, fostering a competitive nature.

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity basketball team won a thriller against the Destiny Christian Academy Lions. The sold out crowd in the Father Barry Gymnasium witnessed a 65-55 win for the Northern California title. Once again, the team displayed incredible teamwork and a strong sense of pride.

A raucous student section greeted the team as they walked onto the court following the national anthem. After a short delay due to a uniform issue, the game began.