The 2019 Western League season thus far can be characterized as somewhat disheartening to La Jolla fans, with no victories to claim against the top three of St. Augustine, Mission Bay, and Cathedral Catholic.
In fact, the entire league slate has been too predictable, with the Saints, ranked tops in the county, defeating all comers to this point with a week left in the regular season. Likewise, the Buccaneers, defending their Open Division title from a year ago, have beaten everyone below them but have not been able to crack the Saint ceiling above them.
And Cathedral, never one to be predictable in Coach Will Cunningham's decade in the hot seat, hasn't been able to solve either their Catholic brethren in North Park nor their secular superiors under Coach Marshawn Cherry at Mission Bay.
The winter break also set in a midseason lull that has made the Vikings, who have been fired by the spirit of transfer Jett Wilson and holdover Behzad Hashemi, look like they're climbing uphill in a Division 1 league that neutral observers find a poor fit for their talents.
Coach Paul Baranowski's squads on Westbourne have always over-achieved, slaying Goliaths on numerous dates, rising to the occasion for blows against opponents stocked with transfers and recruits.
There is the struggle between the "college spirit" mentality of "Let's play up, bring on the best teams while maintaining traditional rivalries"--meaning getting your head handed to you by St. Augustine repeatedly, carving courtesy of Mike Haupt, the Saints' able handler--versus the "equity" mandate of the "new" CIF beginning four years ago, basing league placement on recent performance rather than enrollment.
But regular realignment based on results for some reason kept striving La Jolla in Division 1 this year with teams far superior to them, especially St. Augustine and the Mission Bay of the past three years (guard Boogie Ellis' reign).
Is it due to a need for teams to fill out conference slots? Serra is lowly and just doesn't seem a fit. Patrick Henry, losing coach Jason Bryant to Mater Dei Catholic, hasn't been competitive this season.
There's still an opening for the Vikings to stun Christian at the faith-based school's location, and one last appearance against the Bucs and Boogie at home.
We're all hoping for the best.
We don't fault the guys. They're playing their hearts out. We fault the league placement.
And a CIF first-round game won't provide any respite, with the Vikings most likely to matched up against a strong team.
* * *
If the Division 1 playoffs started today, with the top eight teams going to the Open Division bracket, number-18 La Jolla would travel to number-15 La Costa Canyon, no other factors included.
This wouldn't be an insurmountable, impossible matchup for the Vikings. Maybe this would be just the thing to key seniors Wilson, Hashemi, Nick Hulquist and company into primal action like they showed in December against all comers.
LCC is a big sports-machine North County school (I substitute-teach there), but its 11-11 basketball team isn't a superpower. So, dilute some of the things I said above in the aftermath of the disappointing loss to a vulnerable Cathedral team (last night, as I write this).
In fact, in the Vikings' favor, their strength-of-schedule (how tough their opponents have been) is rated at 14.6, one of the better numbers in the MaxPreps rankings online. LCC is looking at 16.8, but that doesn't mean they would be heavily favored.
LJHS is 10-14, which ain't bad considering missing Diego Solis, a likely starter, the whole season till now, plus Evan Brown, another starter, and Gabe Solis due to the horrific triple-collarbone-break issue.
The Vikings kind of take an against-the-whole-world attitude, the few but proud (sporting a small roster versus some teams that have up to 10 reserves on their bench). Baranowski has never favored a bloated roster just to increase the number of players.
With that economy of players can come more discipline and better-defined roles.
Who knows? Maybe even the date versus Mission Bay Friday night, Feb. 8, at home to finish the regular season holds a surprise for us. We would love it. We're hoping for it.
It could be Hulquist's, Hashemi's, and Wilson's final games at La Jolla High. Wouldn't that be a way to go out?
No comments:
Post a Comment