LJ g water polo 7, JSerra 21 - 12/9

Aviana Cavaiola (3, white cap) tries to back

her way toward the goal as she is defended

by JSerra's Kylin Barnes (14, black cap)

in the second half Tues., Dec. 9.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's girls water polo team has been on the top looking down this season (for example, LCC four days before), and Tuesday, Dec. 9's match was definitely the opposite experience as the Vikings traveled the 60 miles to San Juan Capistrano and were humbled by national superpower JSerra, 21-7.

Coach Ethan Damato's first-year team--he having moved over from club water polo--dominated the talented but striving Vikes. LJ coach Tom Atwell kept to mostly his rotation players, while his opposite subbed in every player on the roster as the lead ballooned.

The Lions sped off to a quick 4-0 lead in the first three-plus minutes, behind authoritative goals from junior Kylin Barnes, senior Sloane Paulson, Barnes again--firing a shot off goalie Lucia Vega's arm--and senior Maddy Weston.

La Jolla attacker Cora Pfau stopped the bleeding for a second with her own score from the point. Freshman Carys Villano added another two minutes later, at 1:33 left in the first  period, to edge back, 4-2.

Teammate Avi Cavaiola, with Pfau looked to for a lot of production, was having a difficult time getting situated in the center, and being open enough to receive a pass. JSerra defenders were aggressive, physical, on top of players they were guarding--leaving no room to maneuver.

LJ's Taylor Goldstein (white cap) is heavily

covered by Skylar Shin (17, black cap, right)

and Sloane Paulson (far left) of JSerra during

the first half.

It was more than being being pushed back on their heels. The visitors were watching, as the Lions began forcing errors, stealing passes, and scoring on fastbreaks.

Barnes, after her hard shot off Vega's arm, toyed with her with a soft touch, a lob on a breakaway goal for 7-2 later in the second quarter. The PA announcer commented on another gentle score, "If the lob isn't broken, don't fix it."

Atwell's squad is going to have to increase their physicality against elite teams. Villano, starting or being inserted early in games so far in the early season, and Mackenzie, among the four freshmen on the roster, will have to adjust to the faster speed of the game and the physical aspect.

The coach commented at the Rancho Bernardo Tournament last weekend that Cathedral Catholic is improved. The other Western League contender, Bishop's, brings back its team that has won 13 league titles in a row.

LJ g water polo: Q&A with JSerra coach 12/9

Viking team leaders (in the pool) get ground rules

from the referees before the La Jolla-JSerra

match in San Juan Capistrano Tues.,

Dec. 9. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Ethan Damato is the new coach of JSerra's varsity girls water polo team. La Jolla played at Junipero Serra Catholic High School, which goes by JSerra, in San Juan Capistrano Tues., Dec. 9.

The Lions were ranked 10th in California, 10th in the nation last year.

Q: Tell me a little about your team.

Damato: (Silence)

Q: Who are some leaders?

Damato: We have some pretty good senior leadership, with Kam McCord, Sloane Paulson, Maddy Weston, our goalie Sayre (sigh-eer) Duran. We also have some good youth. We'll play four or five freshmen today. Pretty balanced.

Q: Do you know anything about La Jolla?

Damato: I just know they're a good program. They have some quality players, I know from the club side of things. It's good to play an out-of-the-area team that's one of the better teams in their (CIF) section. Just excited for a quality game today.

Q: Do you guys schedule matches, like the boys teams played each other? Is it a regular thing?

Damato: This is my first year coaching at JSerra. They played them last year, so I looked at the schedule and emailed the coach. He said he could have a game with us. So, here we go.

LJ JV wresting vs. Holtville 12/8

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Dylan Haugum (top, 215) wins by pin

within seconds of the start of the bout

against Devon Ramirez of Holtville,

as La Jolla wins the first six matches by pin

and dominates the green Vikings.

LJ's Oliver Franklin (left) gives a fist bump

to the Holtville assistant coach after

winning the first of six straight pins

by the Vikings. Franklin, a freshman,

wrestled at 132 pounds. His foe was

Efrain Velarde.

Emi Barajas Najera (top) produces a grimace

in his opponent, Kalvin Johnson, whom he pinned

in a very brief match at 140 pounds.

Emiliano Barajas Najera (left) has his hand

raised by the referee after his fall.

Assistant Ryan Lennard gestures as he shouts

instructions to Slater Olson in a 146 bout.

The ref counts out the fall as Slater Olson

(top) holds Pedro Garcia of Holtville

to the mat for three seconds.

The match was the third of six

pins in a row by La Jolla.

Viking Streeter Kerch (top) shows perfect form

as he maneuvers Noe Garcia with a head lock.

Kerch, at 152 pounds, had a 3-0 lead

before a fall to end the bout.

Colton Warren (158) looks up after pinning

Oliver Turner within moments of the start

of their match.

LJ JV wrestling vs. Mountain Empire @ Madison six-team meet - 12/8

Photos by Ed Piper

Freshman Alex Mourlas (nearest camera), 138,

Oliver Franklin (over his left shoulder), and others

wait in line for weigh-in at Madison High.

Oliver Franklin (left, 132) wins 14-13

in an exhibition match between

Vikings to kick off the dual meet

against Mountain Empire.

LJ g water polo: Crazy schedule

Viking coach Tom Atwell (far right), in his 25th year

on campus, holds his favorite tennis ball--a stress

reducer--as his players get ready for the opening

sprint Fri., Dec. 5., at Rancho Bernardo High.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Coach Tom Atwell keeps up a pretty "crazy" schedule.

Someone commented on that.

Under his black cap, peeking up, pool-side, he chuckled a little. "Not getting much sleep," he said, in a conversation before La Jolla's girls water polo team took on LCC Friday, Dec. 5. "After the game (a night game--the Viking boys competed in the semifinals of the Southern California Regionals Thurs., Nov. 27, at Coggan Complex), I drove a van up to Manhattan Beach with 15 girls.

"The next day we toured UCLA. Nick Thomson (older brother of senior Nate) is a sophomore there. He plays for a club team.

"Nick is in a group of six guys who scrimmage against the UCLA women's team." (Pretty elite experience.)

The visit was good, Atwell, somehow, was good, then the team, coach, and van departed for Ventura, an hour-plus away, for the first tournament of the season.

"We played well," he said.

Atwell, in his 25th year teaching and coaching at LJHS after a short stay at Scripps Ranch, teaches AP European History, and coaches all three seasons, fall, winter, and spring--boys water polo, girls water polo, and swimming.

When he finds himself with extra time on his hands, he is running ultramarathons to raise money for cancer. If you ever see him run his many miles on the Edwards Stadium track, running in the evening, overnight (with rest breaks), and into the next day, don't cross the track at the wrong time. (He had to tell this reporter one time to watch out as he buzzed by on mile number zillion.)

All for a great cause, near and dear to his heart.

LJ g water polo: Q&A with LCC coach

La Costa Canyon defenders Margot Grant

(4, white cap, upper left) and a teammate try

to stop LJ's Mackenzie Adams (14, black cap),

a freshman, in a shot on goal against

keeper Maisy Cooper (1A, red and white

cap, lower right). Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Sean Joy is the head girls water polo coach at La Costa Canyon High. These comments were made prior to the LCC-La Jolla game starting the Rancho Bernardo Tournament Fri., Dec. 5.

Q: Tell me about your team.

Sean: We're rebuilding. A lot of new players.

Q: Who would be leader you would look to?

That would be Delaney Daniels. She's a senior. She's a defender, but with us she is going to be playing everything. She plays at Shores, so she knows a lot of these kids (looking toward La Jolla's team). But a lot of the other girls have never played before, so we have a smaller cast.

Q: Have you played games before (today)? How would you characterize that?

Yes. We are learning exponentially.

LJ g water polo: Atwell's outlook

Viking players submit to a check of sharp

edges on their fingernails prior to their first

game in the RB Tourney Fri., Dec. 5.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Tom Atwell, coach of the La Jolla High water polo teams, was in a mood to talk before the girls' opening game in the Rancho Bernardo Tournament Friday, Dec. 5. It is this reporter's first interview with the 25-year head coach since his boys team's Open Division championship. These were the topics of conversation.

Q: Coach Atwell, how are you doing?

AT: Good, how are you?

Q: Tell me about your team so far--how you guys looked in the Ventura Tournament.

AT: We looked good, but I still don't know everybody yet. We have a couple of different clubs of kids who are coming into high school to play together. So, trying to figure out who's who.

We have four freshmen that are on the varsity. A couple of them, I think, will play immediately and make impact right away. I am still kind of learning who can do what. But it's a good group, they're enthusiastic, and they're training hard.

I have five seniors. There's 18 (total) on the roster. It'll be interesting.