The Cate boys basketball team won the program’s first CIF-Southern Section playoff game since 2008 after a 74-33 thrashing of Westmark in the first round of Division-6 CIF play on Wednesday night in Northridge.
The Rams outscored the Lions 29-3 in the first quarter and never looked back, taking a 45-13 lead into halftime.
Marko Pliso led all scorers with 22 points, while Andy McHarg contributed 11 for the Rams.
“We were able to stop Westmark’s crafty point guard Sam Weiss and hold him to 7 points, well below his season average,” explained Cate coach Andy Gil.
The Rams scored 43 points in transition on the night.
Gil praised the defensive play of Pierce Lundt and Chase McCaw, who guarded Weiss most of the night.
The Rams host a second-round matchup against Mesa Grande on Friday.