Nine Comets selected for All-PCAC; Turner named All-American
SAN DIEGO, CA (11/13/2023) -- After winning their first conference title since 2017, Palomar had nine selections to the All-PCAC teams, including the player and coach of the year.
All season, sophomore TJ Turner has been campaigning for conference player of the year and an All-American title and he got just that. In seven conference games this season, Turner scored 23 goals on 41 shots for 56.1%. He also wasn't afraid to share the ball and recorded seven assists. He also had five steals, two blocks and had five exclusions drawn. He had a conference-high five goals against Grossmont College on Oct. 4 and tied it against San Diego Miramar College on Oct. 11. In the conference tournament, Turner finished with seven goals, three assists, one block and one exclusion drawn. Turner's dominance in the pool went well beyond the conference schedule. He totaled 86 goals, including a season-high seven against LA Valley College in 3C2A SoCal Regionals, and 28 assists, earning him a First Team All-American accolade.
Arleigh Williams was the second Comet named to the All-PCAC First team. He was not the leading goal-scorer on the team. He was known for passing the ball and playing defense. In the seven conference games this season, Williams had 12 goals and 14 assists. He also stole the ball 15 times and recorded eight blocks. The sophomore from San Marcos High School, had a big game against San Diego Miramar on Oct. 11. He finished that game with three goals, four assists, five steals and three blocks. In the conference championship match, Williams finished with two goals, four assists, two steals and one block.
Caleb Hogle was exactly the type of freshman player the Comets needed this season. A well-rounded player, Hogle earned the First Team All-PCAC accolade as well. He finished the conference schedule with 15 goals, 11 assists, 18 steals, 12 exclusions drawn and eight blocks. Hogle had a season-high five steals against Grossmont College on Oct. 4, a game in which he scored three goals, recorded two assists and had one exclusion drawn. On Oct. 25, he had a season-high five goals on nine shots. He also had one assist, three steals, two exclusions drawn and four blocks. Hogle was one of eight Comets who scored in the conference championship match. He had one goal, one steal and a block.
Phoenix Schultz, like Hogle, helped fill in the gaps. A Classical Academy alumni, Schultz was named All-PCAC First Team after totaling 13 goals, 11 assists, seven steals, five exclusions drawn and 10 blocks. He had two three-goal matches this season, once against Southwestern College on Sept. 27 and again against Southwestern in the semifinal match of the conference tournament. Schultz had a season-high four assists and five blocks against Grossmont College on Oct. 4.
Rounding out the Comets named All-PCAC First Team is goalkeeper Tre Turner. Turner was a perfect 6-0 in conference play this season. In the seven games he played in, Turner recorded 59 saves and allowed only 41 goals through 20 quarters. People may ask if the Comets win the conference without Turner, but we'll never know since he recorded a career-high 17 saves against Southwestern in the championship match. He also had a double-digit save against Grossmont College on Oct. 4 (16).
Moving on to the Second Team All-PCAC. Emmanuel De La Torre was known for stealing the ball and giving it up for a better shot. Through the conference schedule, De La Torre finished with eight goals, 10 assists, 10 steals and five blocks. He had a season-high four assists against Grossmont College in the semifinal match on Nov. 3. He also recorded two-goal games against San Diego Miramar (Oct. 11) and Grossmont (Nov. 3). Against San Diego Mesa College on Oct. 18, De La Torre had a season-high four steals.
Cody Lovgren was the other Comet named to the Second Team. Lovgren, a freshman from Oceanside, finished the conference season with eight goals, four assists, nine steals, eight exclusions drawn and one block. He had a season-high four goals in the championship match against Southwestern on Nov. 4 and he also recorded one assist. He recorded three steals three times this season, against San Diego Miramar, San Diego Mesa and Crafton Hills.
Ian Ritchie was one of two Comets with an Honorable Mention. A spark off the bench, Ritchie finished the conference schedule with five goals, 13 assists, six steals, two exclusions drawn and two blocks. Against Southwestern College in the championship match, Ritchie had two goals and three assists. He had one assist, one steal and two blocks against Grossmont in the semifinal match. He also recorded three assists against Grossmont (Oct. 4) and San Diego Miramar (Oct. 11).
Alex Alvarez was the final Comet to receive an accolade. Alvarez had a season-high four goals against San Diego Mesa on Oct. 18 and scored three against Grossmont (Oct. 4), San Diego Miramar (Oct. 11) and in the semifinals (Nov. 3). He also recorded two steals against Southwestern College on Sept. 27 to go along with one goal.
In addition to the nine players, head coach Mike Mulvey was named the 2023 PCAC Coach of the Year for Men's Water Polo. Mulvey started at Palomar three seasons ago. In three short seasons, he brought the men's team back to the table and the program is competitive. The men finished in third place last season and one year later they are the conference champions and advanced to the 3C2A SoCal Regionals, where they defeated LA Valley College to advance to the second day of the tournament for the first time in recent memory.
Congratulations to all our Comets!