LJ softball: Roxanne, JC shine

Freshman Maddie Ehlert, starting at shortstop,

leads off third base after getting aboard

in the bottom of the first inning.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

In a home encounter with visiting Montgomery, first baseman Roxanne Metcalf and centerfielder JC Taylor demonstrated some skills as they flexed their muscles and got a little more comfortable in the Vikings' second contest of the young season Mon., Feb. 27.

Metcalf, with her dad watching from beyond first base, clubbed a two-run basehit to give the La Jolla lineup a little power jolt. She was slotted in the fifth spot in the batting order.

JC Taylor looks at a low pitch

during her at-bat in the bottom

of the second. She hit in the

fourth slot in the lineup.

Meanwhile, Taylor, a stocky lefty who could play first base but there's really no need with her patrolling the outfield, walked her first time up, but then demonstrated some power in her swing that is going to pay long dividends for Coach Anthony Sarain's team this spring.

JC wears an "R" batting helmet she picked up from her play with Regulators, who are situated in Mira Mesa, according to her mother. Mom and dad came by for at least part of the game, after the heavy rains wiped out Thursday and Saturday.

Freshman JC Taylor gestures at third base

after she walked and came around in the

bottom of the second inning.

LJ wrestling: Head coach, 37, to wrestle in tourney

LJHS head coach Kellen Delaney (far right),

standing with four of his five All-leaguers,

all less than half his age of 37 years.

JV coach Kraig Feldman is seen at far left.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Do you want to know something unbelievable?

It is that Kellen Delaney, long one of La Jolla High's wrestling coaches, now their head coach, is going to compete in Las Vegas in a legitimate wrestling tournament put on by the U.S. Open in April.

The "young man" is 37 years of age.

All of his wrestlers are less than half his age--18 or under.

"I'm going to continue in Ryan Lennard's strength conditioning program (which began the last week of February), and lead the offseason Viking wrestling program beginning (Feb. 28)," said Delaney at the Sun., Feb. 26 team banquet.

He was quick to explain that Lennard, who was trainer two years ago for the China National Team, will be running the strength and conditioning program without his help. He will be one of the recipients of the workouts, in preparation for his April tourney.

Kellen Delaney (black shirt, walking toward camera)

at the 2011 City Conference Tournament

on Feb. 12, 2011. To his right is Timmy

Cundiff, one of the Vikings' all-leaguers

that year.

And Delaney's wife, Brenda, didn't even raise a fuss.

On the other hand, Lennard, who served as Viking head wrestling coach in the past and was a former high school wrestler, clarified, "I'm done with my competing days" in the sport.

Brenda Delaney told a reporter, "(Kellen's) wrestling shoes just arrived" at home, size 11 1/2.

The Las Vegas tournament will be held at the South Point Hotel Casino. Lennard said he will attend to watch his colleague.

Delaney grew up in Kansas City, Missouri--a Chiefs football fan--and attended Park Hill High School. (He was sporting a Chiefs banner in his converted garage/game room in the backyard during the team banquet.) He competed for the Park Hill Trojans at 140 pounds. In 2003, Kellen's senior year, Park Hill was state champ for the first time since 1981.

A long-haired Kellen Delaney (right, with

man bun) co-coaching the La Jolla wrestling

team at the Mira Mesa Invitational

Dec. 10, 2016. He would have been

about 30 years of age then.

LJ wrestling: Terry McPherson Award

Long-time wrestling coach Walter Fairley Jr. (right)

with the 2023 recipient of the Terry McPherson

inspirational award, All-Eastern League and senior

Charlie Long (left).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Charlie Long, the Vikings' 152-pounder, never makes things about himself. He is a humble, self-effacing young man who reacted to a news feature centered on him late in the 2022-2023 season as "amazing", something he could hardly imagine for himself. That, alone, is a rare reaction this sportswriter has almost never seen.

Well, standing next to him in front of the crowd at La Jolla's annual team banquet during the presentation of the Terry McPherson Award, in honor of the deceased prep who wrestled years ago, was one of the most self-effacing people around, Walter Fairley Jr., a former high school wrestler as a San Diego Caver who competed for Lincoln High, then a coach, and finally an administrator at LJHS (and many other schools, which he is adding to as we speak).

Fairley is a San Diego Sports Legend, in the local sports Hall of Fame, due to his accomplishments at all three levels. But he would never tell you that.

"I started the Terry McPherson Award" shortly after the young man passed away, said Fairley at the banquet. Fairley arrived at La Jolla High in 1996, and the award followed soon thereafter. He was delighted and honored to present Long, named to the All-Eastern League first team with four teammates with a 20-7 won-lost record in matches--many above weight, as Coach Kellen Delaney and his brain trust moved Charlie and others around to other weight divisions in a strategy to earn the Vikings more team points in league dual meets.

Long, whose brother Jack was also named All-Eastern League at 170 pounds, tied for most team pins, with 14. His season was cut short when he contracted skin lesions before the qualifying CIF meet, knocking him out of the competition. He was utterly disappointed to attend only as an observer following his stellar senior year.

The first recipient of the McPherson award was Juan Sanchez, a league champ from LJHS who still attends meets and helps coach on occasion.

LJ wrestling: 9 scholar-athletes with 3.5 GPA

Nine Viking "Student Scholars" stand behind

Coach Kellen Delaney at the team banquet: (from left)

Tora Tranheim, Noah Pace, Nicolas Sierra,

Jack Long, Caden Kestler, Charlie Long, Gustav

Rinaldi, Asher Sternberg, and Madison Quach.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Coach Kellen Delaney, at the Viking wrestling team's annual banquet Feb. 26, extolled the virtues of his athletes.

But he said he could hardly have expected the academic success that nine student-athletes experienced this past season: a 3.5 grade-point average alongside 20 matches (for boys) and 15 matches (for girls), a difficult combination of academics and athletics.

Some schools would have difficult sporting even one team member with a lofty GPA, much less nine of them.

LJ wrestling: 5 All-Eastern Leaguers feted

Vikings named All-Eastern League (from left):

junior Gustav Rinaldi (160 pounds), sophomore Jack

Long (170), freshman Noah Pace (106), senior Caden

Kestler (145), and senior Charlie Long (152).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

On a bright Sunday, Feb. 25, after two major storms with ice and snow in the area passed through, the La Jolla High wrestling family took time--finally free of COVID restrictions that ruled much of the previous three years--to recognize their five league champions who were named All-Eastern League as a result of their success at a banquet in the afternoon.

Tasty double-tortilla tacos catered to attendees couldn't compare with the mountain of achievement that athletes and their Viking coaches felt as each weight-class champ was introduced and his conquests during the 2022-2023 season enumerated:

--Noah Pace, freshman, 106 pounds.

--Caden Kestler, senior, 145 pounds.

--Charlie Long, senior, 152 pounds.

--Gustav Rinaldi, junior, 160 pounds.

--Jack Long, sophomore, 170 pounds.

These Viking wrestlers helped lead the team to a 5-0 Eastern League record in 2023, the first league title for the squad since the 2011-2012 unit.

Kellen Delaney, who hosted the event with his wife Brenda and who serves as the La Jolla head coach, talked about the demanding nature of the sort: "Wrestling is a difficult sport. It takes a lot to walk out on the mat alone in a gym full of people against another wrestler who wants to do the same thing that you want to do to them."

A Division 3 team (that may soon change), the Vikings finished seventh in CIF; fourth at the annual City Conference tournament among about 20 schools; fourth in boys, fourth in girls wrestling.

Of the spotless 5-0 league dual meet record, three duals were away, two at home, including Senior Night, which was a special event in itself with a large, enthusiastic crowd and several former Viking competitors in attendance. Many in the group celebrated afterward at a local restaurant which is also a sponsor of the team.

Matisse Pickett, a sophomore, one of the four girls competing for La Jolla, fell behind 10-4 in her varsity match. She ended up edging her male opponent, 15-14. The crowd reacted.

JV coach Kraig Feldman, a former La Jolla High campus teacher who now teaches at a nearby middle school, presented the five league champions. He explained how league champs are determined: the matches during league dual meets count. Then, tiebreakers are taken, such as how far the wrestler went in CIF.

Feldman noted that three of the four girls went to the finals of the "Queen of the Lake" tournament in San Marcos. Senior Tora Tranheim, who was given a plastic "Thor" hammer for her namesake hero by Joe Pace, the father of teammate Noah Pace, had a comeback pin for her second tournament championship of the season.

LJ baseball: Rained out for opener 2/25

 

Viking players from the 2023 team wait at the dugout

fence before the playing of the National Anthem

at the Alumni Game Sat., Feb. 18.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Full of anticipation and preseason moxie to get the 2023 season launched, the La Jolla Vikings baseball team received a stop sign the day before the scheduled Feb. 25 opener--weather forecasts predicted that the area would receive heavy rain through the day Saturday and until 3 a.m. the next morning.

"We have to adjust our pitching rotation, and push everyone back a start," said Vikings coach Gary Frank in answer to a question about the impact of the rainout of the game scheduled for the new all-weather turf field.

"This adjusts their (scheduled starters') daily preparations and changes the days they get their side bullpen work done."

The other facet has to do with the "preseason moxie" described above, that leads adolescents to deal with the ups-and-downs of a season.

Said Frank, "We have to manage the team's emotions. They have been gearing up all off-season with their focus on today (Feb. 25) being the start of the season.

"All the excitement and anticipation of opening day has been taken away from them by Mother Nature, and now they have to adjust and refocus on starting the season on Tuesday (Feb. 28) at Morse.

"Fortunately, for our team, the boys are very adept at adjusting on the fly," because of the situation of handling the field and its access in relationship to Muirlands Middle School.

Continued Frank, "On the bright side, the rain gives all of the boys a couple days to rest and recuperate after a lot of hard work over the first two weeks of practice."

Viking coach Gary Frank (center right, background)

gestures as he addresses his 2022 team

May 18, 2022 before a 4-1 CIF first-round loss

at Mt. Carmel.

LJ softball: Lefty in the lineup

By Ed Piper

When you think of left-handed hitter in the La Jolla High softball lineup, no one immediately comes to mind from recent memory.

Now Coach Anthony Sarain's team has a promising lefty: freshman Jerri Callen "JC" Taylor, who is listed on the new 2023 roster as playing "OF, INF"--that could mean any position on the field other than the battery.

For those of us who haven't seen JC play yet, we're looking forward to it. According to assistant coach Rich Cardenas, JC has played for the Regulators, a travel ballclub in the area.

In the Vikings' season opener at home Feb. 21, in her high school debut along with fellow freshmen Maddie Ehlert, a catcher, Savannah Putnam, who played in the outfield and pitched, and Sophia Bradley, an outfielder, Taylor had one hit, a double, in three at-bats, along with two walks. She did not strike out. She came around to score one time.

"It's (still) a little unusual to have a left-hander (she is a pure lefty) in the infield (other than at first base)," said Sarain two days after the game. "We'll try her in different positions."

LJ softball: Through the years

Photos by Ed Piper

Emmy Cardenas as a freshman pitching against

Morse March 9, 2020--right before

COVID hit the area March 13.

Dugout antics April 4, 2017

Stephanie Alvarez in 2020 University of Mary

(Bismarck, North Dakota) senior softball photo.

Stephanie is going to be helping with the 2023

Vikings hitters.

Kaitlin Murphy plays first base (seen behind

Emmy Cardenas, who is pitching) against Hoover

in a game May 19, 2021.

Kaitlin Murphy (#25, far left) with teammates

before a home game against SDHS

April 12, 2022.

LJ swim: Western League Relays March 2

By Ed Piper

The Viking swim team opens with competition at the Western League Relays Thurs., March 2, then follows the next day, Fri., March 3, with a home meet against Patrick Henry at 3:30 p.m., according to a schedule released by head coach Tom Atwell.

In all, La Jolla has eight meets against area schools, including Tues., April 11 against Bishop's at Bishop's School.

Cathedral Catholic plays host to the Viking swim team Wed., March 22.

LJ softball: Offense productive despite loss

Viking Emmy Cardenas delivers

a pitch against Sage Creek

March 24, 2022. Cardenas, now

a senior, pitched the first three

innings of La Jolla's game Feb. 21

against Monte Vista.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Things could be looking up for the Viking softball team this spring, with a cadre of new players promising increased productivity on the offensive side and greater field awareness due to their experience playing the sport.

In La Jolla's season-opening 22-14 home loss to Monte Vista Tues., Feb. 21, the Vikings gave up a ton of runs, but their offensive engine scored many runs, as senior Emmy Cardenas, a Winthrop University commit, had four hits, including her first home run of the 2023 season, and a whopping eight RBI's to power Coach Anthony Sarain's team.

Winthrop is a four-year school in Rock Hill, South Carolina, a member of the Big South Conference. Emmy, whose dad Rich is an assistant coach with the Vikings, will concentrate on pitching for the Eagles.

Five other Vikings drove in RBI's in a potential sign of future progress and strength throughout the lineup: Savannah Putnam, hitting in the third slot behind Cardenas, Vivian Jensen, Maddie Ehlert, a catcher, Kaitlin Murphy, and Roxanne Metcalf.

Ehlert, Murphy, and Metcalf each had two hits.

The score was actually 9-0 in favor of La Jolla, the hosts, when the Monarchs came to bat in the top of the fourth inning. Monte Vista erupted for 10 runs in that half inning, then exploded for 12 more in the fifth to take a commanding lead and end the game in five innings when the Vikings could only answer with two runs (bottom of the fourth), then three (bottom of the fifth) for the 22-14 final.

Julianna Lemen of Monte Vista had three hits, including a home run, and five RBI's to lead the visitors.

The Vikings' new additions this year include freshmen Ehlert, a catcher/outfielder, Putnam, a pitcher/outfielder, JC Taylor, a left-handed hitter, and Sophia Bradley, who plays outfield.

Savannah and Sophia play for Coastal Bay Select. Maddie plays for The Factory, which practices at Del Norte High in 4S Ranch.

La Jolla next plays Mon., Feb. 27, in a 3:30 p.m. tournament game against Montgomery High.

Kaitlin Murphy, 3b, before

a game against SDHS

April 12, 2022.

LJ b VB: Ready to roll

By Ed Piper

Dave Jones, long-time coach of La Jolla's boys volleyball team, is up and ready for the 2023 season, the first season pretty much free of COVID restrictions and cautions.

"We are looking for a renewed level of commitment from all our players at EVERY level as we continue to try to rebuild after the impact of COVID on our program the past few years," said Jones, also a classroom teacher on campus. "Our varsity goal is to compete for both an Eastern League and Division II championship this season."

LJ baseball: Varsity players

Photos by Ed Piper

Cole Roberts

Hank Hansen

Blake Symons

Zeke Barrera

Ethan Miller

Justin Graff

LJ wrestling: Five named All-Eastern League

Viking all-leaguer Charlie Long (top) works toward

a pin of Demetri Clark of Point Loma in the

first round of the Monte Vista Varsity Invitational

Jan. 14. Long achieved the fall in 2:45.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Five members of the La Jolla wrestling team received All-Eastern League honors, as the Viking squad continued to dominate the 2022-2023 season following a 5-0 sweep of league dual meets on their way to an Eastern League championship, now with five of the 14 weight divisions being allotted to La Jolla's highly successful unit.

Caden Kestler, at 145 pounds, pins his

Cathedral Catholic opponent Dec. 7

to help La Jolla to a 46-31 dual meet

victory, against their only close

rival in the Eastern League in 2022-2023.

Seniors Charlie Long (152 pounds) and Caden Kestler (145) took some of the middle weights with all-league honors, along with junior Gustav Rinaldi (160). Freshman Noah Pace picked up an expected title at 108 pounds.

Gustav Rinaldi (top, in red singlet) works toward

a quick pin in 3 min., 18 sec., versus San Diego

High Jan. 11. La Jolla took a 2-0 record

in league dual meets from that date.

The biggest surprise was Jack Long, a sophomore at 170 pounds, who filled a slot Coach Kellen Delaney tried to cover "by committee" early in the dual meet schedule with a rotating cast of characters from lesser weights who had to wrestle above-weight to earn points for the team. Jack came on later in the season to go to CIF. He is Charlie's younger brother.

The only other team in the league with five all-league awardees was Cathedral Catholic, which had some all-league placers in the lesser weights.

Future All-Eastern League freshman Noah Pace (right)

at 108 pounds has opponent Jason Brennan

of Mountain Empire in an almost helpless

situation, completely controlling him,

before a pin in 2:50.

The All-League selections cap a year of striving successful to triumph and come out of the COVID disaster, which dictated restrictions until this season over the past three seasons that prevented team members from working out together in the Viking team room and which definitely dampened the enthusiasm for getting into the hands-on, physical sport of wrestling--both as evidenced in lower numbers coming out and participating on the team from 2020 through 2022.

This season a major part of the squad's success has been the high number of varsity and junior varsity participants, as well as four girls making up the highest number of the female contingent in the history of the La Jolla High program.

Jack Long (left and behind) wins by decision, 13-7,

at Hoover High to start the dual meet season

with a Vikings' triumph on their way to a 5-0

Eastern League dual meet record.

LJ g soccer: More photos 2/17

Photos by Ed Piper

#17 Abby Plezia

#2 Ashlyn Brunette

#16 Tahlia Zadeyan

#10 Maya Hanley (middle)

LJ baseball: Holdgrafer a gem

Hall-of-Famer Timmy Holdgrafer, during

the Vikings' 6-0 win over Scripps Ranch

June 2, 2015 to reach the D2 Finals.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Tim Holdgrafer's induction into the La Jolla High Baseball Hall of Fame puts him among some pretty special people in Viking history. Bob Allen, a Class of 1977 graduate, and Gary Frank, 1990, both played pro ball in the minors after starring at LJHS. Brent Woodall, of course, took things to another level, a 3.9 GPA as a student who starred in the "legacy" sports of football, basketball, and baseball. He was named Prep Athlete of the Year in San Diego in 1988. He played in the Cubs' system, later a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001.

Not being from San Diego, I had Bob Skinner's baseball card as a kid. He and Gene Littler, the pro golfer, both Viking alumni, helped form a committee to move ahead on the baseball field at Muirlands Middle School in 1979.

Reading my Pipeline coverage June 14, 2015, the year "Timmy" (as he was commonly called) was named CIF Player of the Year in baseball, Frank, La Jolla's coach, said: "He is immensely talented, but also he is one of the hardest workers on the team."

"He wasn't always the most vocal person on the team, but when he said something, everyone paid attention," Frank continued. Holdgrafer had outstanding junior and senior seasons at La Jolla, his .364 batting average from the third slot in the order and his 10-1 won-lost record as a righthanded starter as a senior setting the pace--10 wins being the all-time LJHS record for a single season. (He hit .366 as a junior, .349 as a sophomore.)

What is interesting is that Holdgrafer joined his uncle, Jason Green, in the Viking record book as the only two pitchers with 100 strikeouts.

The Viking scorebook for June 2, 2015,

showing Holdgrafer (in the third slot)

going 2-for-3 in the Vikings'

win over the Falcons at home.

He won his 10th game that day.

He gave up a double and four singles.

LJ rugby: Tough times

Marc Oriol and company have been

in action in the past week.

Here the Point Loma junior

passes during an offensive

attack against Coronado

Feb. 3. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's rugby team faced Rancho Cucamonga on the weekend of Feb. 10, with Coach Ethan Willis saying, "We didn't do too well."

The Rancho Cucamonga team is largely made up of players from Centennial High in Corona, according to the Viking coach, and that helped make things a lot rougher for the visiting team.

The Vikings had their game against the Carlsbad JV's changed from an away game to a home game Fri., Feb. 17. Playoffs follow next week.

L.T. Roby-Cano (right, lifted up) of Helix grabs

for a  pass on a lineout against Coronado Feb. 3.

LJ wrestling: Tranheim, Rinaldi go far in Masters

Tora Tranheim wins by pin in 2:51 in an exhibition

on Senior Night Jan. 18 against

Canyon Hills. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Senior Tora Tranheim, at 133 pounds, and junior Gustav Rinaldi, at 162, showed the Vikings' many-faceted attack and versatility, reaching the second day of the CIF Masters tournament at Mission Hills High Sat., Feb. 18, and showing their stuff.

Tranheim, a student from Norway, is one of four girls who have competed for La Jolla this year, including junior Ella Roman, sophomore Matisse Pickett, and sophomore Maddie Quach. Tranheim went the farthest of any of them, into day two of the prestigious Masters meet, which pits survivors of the initial CIF meet the week before against one another.

At Mission Hills, Tora lost in a fall to Kyli Stanley of Granite Hills in 55 seconds. She then passed on as the survivor of a second match against Makenna Harbin of Olympian, facing Alyssa Jones of Rancho Bernardo, though losing in 2:44 by a pin. Tranheim gained three points for the Vikings.

Viking Gustav Rinaldi, at 162 pounds, gets his hand

raised after pinning Jad Carruthers of Patrick Henry

at the Willie Jones Jr. City Conference tourney

Jan. 28.

Rinaldi was one of several Vikings who had to rotate and compete above their normal weight class, since La Jolla didn't have a 170-pounder during Eastern League dual meets. Gustav, with another year of eligibility remaining, stood out among multiple Viking wrestlers this year, including Charlie and Jack Long, Noah Pace, and Jax Espinosa.

Gustav, who also goes by Gus, likewise gained three team points for La Jolla with his participation in Masters Friday and Saturday. He decisioned Erick Ulloa of Monte Vista, 12-7 in his first match at Mission Hills, then was pinned by Joe Anthony Perez of La Costa Canyon in 25 seconds.

La Jolla won the Eastern League title this year with an unblemished 5-0 record, to put itself up there with the outstanding 2011-2012 team 11 years ago.

Also at Mission Hills, Pace at 108 pounds competed, as did Caden Kestler at 147. Pace gained two team points for LJHS.

Freshman Noah Pace (right), at 108 pounds, dominates

Jason Brennan of Mountain Empire before

pinning him in 2:50 at the CIF meet

at Lincoln High Feb. 11.

LJ baseball 9, Alumni 2

The Vikings' new turf field, installed last summer,

to replace the original turf field dating to 2009.

The facility is located on the grounds of

Muirlands Middle School, next to

the LJHS campus. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Rob Ortiz, a third baseman from the Class of 2010, remembered at the annual Alumni Game Sat., Feb. 18, that La Jolla had originally installed the first turf field back in 2009, right before his senior year.

"I remember that's when they put the field in," said Ortiz, a veteran of the hot corner who took his turn there during the seven-inning exhibition against the present Viking team, which the Vikings won, 9-2. (The varsity has won all but three of the games against the alumni in the 30-year history of the event: 2005, 2017, and 2018.

Stan Smith, a catcher and infielder from the Class of 1960, played the National Anthem on his trumpet for the 29th time before the first pitch. (No game was played in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.)

Stan Smith, Class of '60

catcher/infielder, played

the National Anthem

before the Alumni Game

for the 29th straight

year.

Sophomore varsity left fielder Adam Lafever (12)

fouls off one of many foul balls, before dropping

the ball just inside the right field line for a basehit

to lead off the bottom of the first inning.

Lafever later moved to shortstop, then

second base.