LJ FB: 'Don't duck the grind'

Without missing a workout, rising

senior Joseph Crudo lifts hand weights

during Monday's session. Crudo

plays goalie in soccer, infield

in baseball, and running back/

defensive back in football.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"Don't duck the grind."

La Jolla head coach Tyler Roach told the assembled 20 to 25 athletes at the end of a two-hour strength and conditioning workout in the Viking weight room and on the turf triangle in front of the weight room, "From all my years playing and coaching, I know that if you duck the grind, it will come back and get you."

He implored the faithful--including aspiring freshmen fresh off the campus at Muirlands Middle School--to be diligent about the workouts, show up, and truly benefit from new Defensive Coordinator Stephen Dixon's planned-out, timed barbell and hand weight exercises.

Dixon, for his part, newly-returned after serving as an assistant under Roach from 2019-2021, then heading the football program at Escondido High School for three years, told the boys, "Prepare a taco bowl. Have a pound of ground beef, brown rice, black beans, corn," and other ingredients to the tune of 4,000 calories a day during summer workouts leading up to the fall campaign.

In re-introducing himself to a reporter Thursday, June 4, the former Country Day assistant reminded him, "I was here during the Southern California Regional championship season in 2019," when drop-back passer Jackson Stratton was quarterback, and 2021, when a shortened season under COVID restrictions resulted in Roach's squad going 5-0 in the spring and winning the league title, with no playoffs allowed.

LJ FB: Summer workout - strength and conditioning - 6/8

Photos by Ed Piper

Even with the obstacles put up to impede

the building of nests (see tiny wires affixed

to light shields), a baby osprey peeps out

over the football field (top - 2:00 position).

Perseverance.

New Defensive Coordinator Stephen Dixon barks

out commands during loud-music, high-intensity

strength and conditioning work on the turf

outside the weight room. This followed

targeted weight-lifting earlier in the 7-9 a.m.

workout. Dixon was an LJ assistant in 2019-2021.

Rising sophomore Travis McCarther

holds in position while his partner

lifts hand weights, then they switch.

McCarther graciously came up to a

reporter/photographer and introduced

himself.

Returning QB Ty Tortorice,

a rising sophomore, lifts

a barbell. Team members

worked on form to lift

the weight properly, not

arching their back and so forth.

New DC Stephen Dixon,

also strength and conditioning

coach, reinforces some of

his points about the workout

portion inside the weightroom.

Transfer QB Brody Bukich, a rising

junior, hefts the weight with an

expression on his face. In M-W-F

morning workouts, Vikings do different

things than they do Tu-Th afternoons.

LJ baseball + softball: Rare occurrence

By Ed Piper

Rich Cardenas, father of Andrew (baseball) and Emmy (softball), players from LJHS, remarked at least twice to me this spring, "When I read that article (about both teams winning league titles), I had never seen those two teams mentioned (in that way) in the same article." (The article appeared in the La Jolla Village News, which I write for.)

The spring was quite remarkable: an Eastern League title for the Viking softballers (8-0), and one for the baseball team (7-6). Gary Frank's baseballers went to the edge of the cliff against Lincoln, losing two straight games, before winning the title-decider May 15 after a three-run bomb by the Hornets' Dom Mendoza, a sophomore, in the bottom of the seventh. Nerve-wracking. I can still feel it now.

What's more remarkable, and fun from the Viking side, is that Rich's kids both experienced league championships during their years performing for La Jolla High. Emmy, a pitcher/home run hitter during her years on campus, helped win a league title during her sophomore year, 2021. (The previous season was mostly wiped out by the COVID pandemic, costing her games in which she could have furthered her then-home run record.)

Andrew (alternately known as "Drew", "Andrew", even "Andy"--Rich says he himself doesn't mind), of course, was a crucial part of the Vikings' pennant effort this spring. During La Jolla's nail-biter to win it May 15, the younnger Cardenas sibling hurled 6 2/3 innings of gutsy ball in an argument-filled (by Lincoln's coach) contest.

LJ FB: Summer workout 6/4

Photos by Ed Piper

Head coach Tyler Roach works out receiver

Preston Armstead, a rising sophomore,

at running back.

Joseph Crudo does the same.

Transfer Brody Bukich, from Mt. Carmel,

goes through his paces at quarterback.

Rising sophomore Ty Tortorice (gray hoodie)

works out at QB next to Bukich. They did a

simultaneous short-and-long drill, throwing

to receivers.

LJ softball: Ella, Ellie, Aviv named First Team All-Central League

Shortstop Ella Pearl (30, center left) poses with her

underclass teammates while the seniors get recognition

on Senior Day May 14. On Pearl's right is

another all-league selection, Ellie Thomson

(far left). (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

A trio of Vikings have been named to First Team All-Central League honors, in addition to Player of the Year Jacey Taylor. (See previous entry.) Shortstop/pitcher Ella Pearl, catcher Aviv Laska, and third baseman Ellie Thomson all received the honors, all being underclassmen--Laska a junior, Pearl a sophomore, and Thomson, holding down the hot corner, a freshman.

La Jolla coach Anthony Sarain was proud to share the news of his individual players' recognition, as the 2026 team went 8-0 through the Central League schedule, reached the finals of the Division 5 playoffs, and played into the semifinals of the Southern California Regionals, the last which they have never participated in before.

Catcher Aviv Laska, with shin

guards on, works out at third

base before the Senior Game

May 14.

In addition, two more members of the Viking starting lineup, both seniors, centerfielder Savannah Putnam and second baseman Maddie Ehlert, received Second Team honors.

Pearl, the sophomore, batted .500 at the plate and provided prime leadership of the infield in her position at shortstop. Unfortunately, though successful, Ella had to spend a lot of games as a pitcher, along with Taylor, since La Jolla had no players who specifically are pitchers.

Pearl's gem in the pitcher's circle came in the Division 5 semifinals at La Jolla High May 27, when she put the brakes on an aggressive, optimistic Orange Glen squad coming off an upset win on the same field the day before, when Viking pitchers walked or hit 22 batters to succumb in that contest. Ella, wearing earrings and a double-braided ponytail under a visor, gave up one run and only permitted four hits in a shortened 11-1 win to qualify for a trip to the finals three days later.

Savannah Putnam (far right) stands with fellow

graduating seniors and Emmy Cardenas (in blue

jeans), the former LJHS home run record-holder,

on Senior Day May 14.

Aviv (pronounced "ah-VEEV"), waited a long time for deserved recognition at her favorite position behind the plate. A solid, steady presence in the battery, she provided stability as Sarain cycled through pitchers in trying to find the right combination. Struggling through a 3-11 stretch prior to Central League play, the Vikings suddenly were winning--to the tune of a 12-game win streak into the playoffs. The head coach repeated, "It's all about the walks. We have to limit how many walks we give up."

Finally, Ellie Thomson was an unexpected star as a freshman third-sacker. Her glovework on grounders is flawless, her throws to first base are on target, and with her experience in travel ball, she knows when to make a throw and when to hold onto the ball--not always an easy decision. Sarain batted her in the sixth slot in the lineup, which worked well for her.

On the Second Team, Savannah played four years and was reliable in centerfielder. She batted leadoff, often using her speed to beat out bunts that immediately put the opposition on notice.

Ehlert, another senior, was steady at second base, giving the Vikings an infield unit that held down the defense. Often arriving just before game time during college courses she was concurrently enrolled in, "Maddie E" (the other Maddie is "Maddie Q", Maddie Quach), got ready in a hurry and had a good year offensively, as well.

Maddie Ehlert, rushing to

the field after her concurrent

college class, warms up

before the Senior Game

May 14.

LJ softball: Photos 6/2

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ assistant coach Matt Pearl (red shirt)

puts down a signal for the next pitch,

seated next to head coach Anthony Sarain.

Viking players put their hands together

and let out a cheer before opening pitch.

LJ softball 16, Franklin (L.A.) 3 - So Cal Regional quarterfinals - 6/2

The Vikes' Melanie Smith (22)

was fabulous from the pitcher's

circle, allowing four hits and

only four walks in the

16-3 win over Franklin.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Tuesday's (June 2) regional playoff game featured some elements you don't see so often in a garden-variety high school softball game, as the surprising Vikings swamped visiting Franklin (Highland Park, Los Angeles), 16-3, to move on to a semifinal today, June 3.

In the fourth inning, pitcher Melanie Smith swung away on an illegal pitch called by the plate umpire and bounced an RBI double over the center-right field fence. La Jolla coach Anthony Sarain then got to choose "result of play"--the run scoring--or a penalty for the illegal pitch by the Panthers' Laura Duarte, and of course, he chose the RBI. The Vikings scored five runs in the inning, after a nine-run explosion in the third, and led 16-3  after four to threaten to shorten the game (via the 10-run mercy rule, which they did).

The "result of play" rule doesn't exist in baseball.

In the same inning, with La Jolla running around the bases and piling up runs, Emily Hernandez batted after Smith in the sixth spot, instead of Lily Fernandes hitting. By then, Maddie Quach, lower in the order, had seen one pitch from Duarte. Franklin coach Maribel Cortez talked to the umpires, and after a long delay, Emily was called out for batting out of order and her basehit disallowed.

Finally, not quite so unusual, involved all-league catcher Aviv Laska's flyball to short right field in the third inning. Kaela Remias, Franklin's second baseman, drifted back and caught the ball in her glove. But she and rightfielder Hailey Aguilar bumped into each other, and the ball popped out. Ella Pearl scored all the way from first base as the big inning continued--further sealing the Panthers' fate.

Players from the two teams exchange high-five's

after the game.

Outside of all that, very unusual, the visitors had failed to win a single game in the Northern League (0-10) in the Southern Section, yet here they were in the exclusive Division 5 playoffs. Cortez explained: "Our league is tough (including Eagle Rock, 9-1, and Bravo, 7-3). Every team went to the playoffs. One went to Division 1 (playoffs). One went to Division 2."

More importantly, the Panthers were seeded fourth, the Vikings fifth. Franklin traveled 117 miles one way to La Jolla, yet was the home team.

Smith, in the pitcher's circle, hurled an outstanding game, walking only four and giving up three runs. At the plate, she had three hits, including the double. Melanie had three of her team's four hits. The rest of the runs came on walks, errors, or fielder's choices, not uncommon at this level in softball. The starter only gave up four hits, and the defense limited the Panthers by committing only one error.

The 16-3 win was a celebration point after Saturday's (May 30) disappointment, losing 17-9 to Monte Vista in the D5 championship game for the San Diego Section.

This afternoon, La Jolla travels two hours-plus to San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino to face number-one seed Arroyo Valley (3-5 in the San Andreas League, 11-14 overall) in a 4 p.m. semifinal. The Hawks are a Division 7 team in the Southern Section.