LJ badminton @ Mira Mesa "rookies" tourney - 4/24

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ baseball 15, Morse 2 - 4/22

By Ed Piper

La Jolla bats continued their recent high-scoring ways in City League play Wed., April 22, at Morse, as the Vikings ran around, through, and over the Tigers 15-2.

The victory Wednesday built on Coach Gary Frank's squad's 12-4 win in the first game of the week's three-game series against Morse Mon., April 20.

Two-three-four slot hitters Reed Turner, Joseph Crudo, and Charlie Martin, along with Harper Lane, all drove in a pair of runs apiece as the red-and-black once again piled on for 12 hits.

Will Griebe-Arzate, with his dad recording parts of the game on his phone from behind the backstop, went the distance against Coach Dallas Booker's Tigers, striking out nine, walking only one. The 11th-grader notched his third win against five losses and lowered his ERA to 3.07, yielding both earned runs.

In the first inning, leadoff hitter Carter Strauss singled, then scored on Turner's hit into centerfield. The visitors led, 1-0.

In the second, after Morse tied the game in the bottom of the first, La Jolla scored three more runs. First baseman Ryan Khourajian singled to center. He was picked off by pitcher Moises "Moi" Davison.

Lane then struck out, but he reached base on the mishandled pitch by the Tiger catcher, Tommy Killingsworth. Luke Cripe walked.

Brady Wilson drove a basehit over rightfielder Evan Prihoda's head, driving in Lane. With runners on first and third, Strauss came up to the plate. Wilson stole second base, and Killingsworth's throw was ill-advised and went into centerfield. Cripe came around for the second run of the inning.

Strauss walked. Cripe, nicknamed "Freaky" by his teammates for some unknown reason, popped out to second. Crudo also walked to load the bases.

With Martin, "Chubs" to his mates, at the plate, Brady scored on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead.

LJ diving vs. Scripps Ranch - 4/23

Photos by Ed Piper

Junior Alex Awbrey's sixth dive - a forward

flip (somersault) tuck (holding knees)

Junior Cole Weiss does a backward

tuck (hold knees) - dive #6.

Olivia Awbrey does a backward

straight (no bending) flip on her

sixth and final dive.

Freshman Payton Lukasik's forward

flip (somersault) tuck (hold knees)

on her sixth dive.

LJ baseball @ Morse - 4/22

Photos by Ed Piper

Brady Wilson (11) scores from third on a

passed ball in the top of the second inning.

First baseman Ryan Khourajian takes a

pickoff throw from pitcher Will Griebe-

Arzate on a runner in the bottom

of the second inning.

Harper Lane (1) leading off third base

in the top of the third inning.

Vikings huddle around Coach Gary Frank

in the dugout between innings.

The Morse program has quite a history. Adam

Jones (banner above) played the outfield

for the Orioles.

LJ b golf vs. Scripps Ranch @ Balboa Golf Course - 4/21

Photos by Ed Piper

Senior Lance Lin tees off

at the first hole at 3:46 p.m.

Sophomore Ryan Hassankhani starts

the arc of his swing from the tee

above the first green far below

at Balboa.

After the first two foursomes descend down the path

to the first fairway, LJ coach Christie Quinn

(far left) and her remaining golfers wait

for their own starts.

With downtown San Diego

a mile in the distance,

the Vikings follow the

paved path to the first tee.

Lance Lin takes Garfield the Cat with him

into battle against Scripps Ranch.

Freshman Ben Itkin shows the ball

he used for warmup on the putting

green. Itkin shot a 50 for nine holes.

Senior Tate Phillips shot

a 46. He acts as captain:

"This is the earliest

I have ever seen an LJ

team show up before

matches." Tate: "It's

all for the good

of the team."

LJ FB: 'Juice' on the move

By Ed Piper

Scott "Juice" Hughley said today (Mon., April 20) that he was waiting on word to join the Point Loma High staff to coach the offense.

"Juice", who works at Del Norte High, tried out a position at a local high school last fall--after five years as Associate Head Coach at La Jolla High--before leaving early in the season. His daughter can throw a pretty good spiral, as coached by then-La Jolla High senior Huddy Smith in 2024.

Hughley, sporting a "butterfly" Afro and bushy beard on the DNHS campus at present, would join Ryan Price at PLHS. Point Loma was highly successful under Price, who served as Defensive Coordinator for the Vikings in 2023, last season.

Scott said eight starters would be returning on offense, including Ryder Watson, a 5'11", 175-pound quarterback, who alternated at QB with Henry Heuser, formerly at La Jolla, 6'2", 175. Watson will be a junior, Heuser a senior.

Meanwhile, Viking head coach Tyler Roach said recently that the program is going to go ahead "with who is in the building" at present, lefty thrower/rising senior Emerson Rota, and rising sophomore Ty Tortorice. Both shared time at quarterback in an up-and-down season, along with Carson Diehl in the wildcat and even a try of baseball player Harper Lane behind center.

Smith's concussion status sidelined him most of the season after the first game, necessitating Roach's considerable ingenuity on offense.

"Juice" agreed that the group two and three years ago, headed by Jackson Diehl and Hank Hansen and others, had more players who could be vocal and challenge their teammates than the most recent group.

LJ b VB: Great sportsmanship

By Ed Piper

I cover high school sports during a time of turmoil, chaos, unlimited transfers, NIL, holdbacks (19-year-olds playing prep sports), and a whole host of other issues that can sometimes detract from the simple: teenagers learning and growing as they compete in interscholastic sports.

So, on Fri., April 17, I was delighted and dumbfounded to cover a pool-play match in volleyball at Granite Hills in which La Jolla's coach, Dave Jones, played only a "second-string" slate of athletes against an undermanned team of eight--all respect to those eight individuals and their coach--from Mount Miguel, a school not normally known for its acumen in boys volleyball.

After the first game of a best-of-three which the Vikings won fairly easily, Jones stayed with his lineup featuring Hudson Matheny as the primary setter and Dylan Marshall as a featured big man at the net, in the second game even when it got close and then tied, 24-24.

The Vikes ultimately won the pool encounter, 2-0, but it didn't obscure the fact that, in the gracious nature of the sport, and Jones choosing to step into that gracious moment, a team held back its top athletes (many who play club volleyball outside of school) in respect for their opponents, interscholastic competition, and the intent of the sport.

Following on a day earlier in the week on which I covered another team in another sport from another local high school (University City) participating in a service project, I was set up for a fresh, new outlook on covering the local high school sports scene--in which, sometimes, I get jaded or cynical about all the shenanigans that seek to professionalize youth sports.

In that other event, the Centurions' boys lacrosse team met in Old Town to serve the homeless Tues., April 14, in a weekly project that serves the needy in that community. I told some people at the site that it was the first time I have ever covered a high school sports team while they took part in a service project: taking clothing orders for individual clients, serving a burrito meal (which looked pretty appetizing) on a paper plate to seated attendees, and helping make available a coffee bar and haircuts by a barber.

Looking back, I realize that occasion set me up for the positive nature of Friday's game, in which many in the starting rotation stood at the back corner of the court at Granite Hills (day one of a tournament) cheering their teammates on.

I have to say my faith was at least partially restored in the ability of sports to bring out the best in young people, and provide a vehicle to let them use their gifts and abilities to help others, lift them up, encourage, build teamwork...Shine.

Both the volleyball match and the earlier lacrosse service project occurred during the week that included my birthday, which I consider one of the best birthdays in memory.