LJ g soccer 1, Coronado 0

Jessie Penner (R) accepts congratulations after goal

with minutes left in first half against Coronado

Fri., Jan. 30. The Vikes made it stand up for a 1-0

victory. (Photos by Ed Piper)

Sophomore Jessie Penner netted a goal in the 39th minute of the first half--with only minutes to play in the period--and La Jolla made it stand up for a 1-0 Western League win at home over Coronado Fri. afternoon, Jan. 30.

Penner is all smiles after

scoring her first half goal.

Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB: Update

Viking big man Alex Pitrofsky (R) has the underside,

while teammate Mark Rawdin has back of the ball

as they battle Hornets for rebound. (Photo by Ed Piper)

You have to play the hand that you're dealt.

That's an aphorism taken from card-playing that says reality can be ever so cruel.

For the La Jolla High boys basketball team, circumstances aren't cruel. The players are still relishing playing, the coaching staff is still giving its all, and friends and families are eating it up in big doses, like at the Lincoln-La Jolla game Fri. night, Jan. 30.

Senior guard Ladd Castellano played his heart out. Frequently, the blond two-guard could be seen slapping his hands in frustration, or grimacing with the emotion that accompanies desire, motivation, and a will to do all one can in the face of adversity.

Half of the Vikings' Twin Towers, Alex Pitrofsky, shows game-by-game his increasing shot-blocking ability, athleticism in stretching out and taking up space near the key, and working to get better at the offensive end.

Short-stuff guard Gaynor Blackmon carried a lot of the Vikings' ball-handling duties in the continued absence of point guard Reed Farley. In the last two weeks, the senior headed to matriculate at the University of Colorado in the fall has probably logged more playing minutes than he did in the previous several games combined. Gaynor's a nice guy, appealing as far as his short stature amid much taller opponents. The occasional fan asked, "Who's that little guy?"

La Jolla took a tough 54-32 loss, dropping them further in the Western League hunt. But, you know what, they played as hard as they could. They didn't quit. They were just beat by the superior athleticism on the part of the visiting Hornets.

The Hornets are not a great team. But they were plenty good enough to disappoint the large, loud home crowd egged on by the increasingly visible La Jolla High band, which occupied the upper level of stands in the LJHS Big Gym and played the fight song repeatedly throughout the boys contest.

One week earlier, on Fri., Jan. 23, the band played throughout the girls game that was part of the Friday boys-girls doubleheaders.

The Vikings went down early, 13-2. They were struggling. Lincoln's outside shooting is suspect, but the Hornets' superior quickness and jumping ability are not. However, the red and black fought to get back in the game. Coach Paul Baranowski used key timeouts to reset and instruct, and he coaxed, cajoled, and encouraged in the way he consistently does. La Jolla trailed at halftime, 28-13.

Noteworthy recently have been senior guard Zach Duffy's contributions in setting up the offense and bringing the ball downcourt, again with Farley out. Duffy played probably the best ball of his varsity career in the last week. It wasn't as apparent against Lincoln, but he still used deceptive quickness. He didn't hit a key three the way he has in previous games. But it's not for lack of focus and heart.

Mark Rawdin and Pitrofsky as Twin Towers is a variant that Baranowski employs. La Jolla hasn't had this much height in several years, so the rebounding and shot-blocking they provide is unique. On one sequence with the Hornets, first Rawdin stuffed a shot, then Alex followed with his own block on the same possession by Lincoln. You have to appreciate the effort evident in that. As Mark said recently, "How about when Alex and I play at the same time?" They have gotten individual coaching from the assistants this year.

Mark, 6'4" or so, pulled down a respectable six rebounds. Pitro added five. Alex, 6'6" and growing, blocked three shots. Rawdin "faced" one. With eight points, Pitrofsky had a stat line of 8/5/3--not bad.

Ladd led scoring with 14 points.

Gaynor had a "wow" statistic: seven steals. That's a lot.

There are still three weeks left in the league schedule, then CIF playoffs. Viking fans, take heart.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ Cheer: Stunting

Captain Reign Salas (R) and her

Viking cheer teammates

let loose with some spirit

during the girls basketball

halftime. (Photos by Ed Piper)

One of many things that was so refreshing at the boys-girls basketball doubleheader at La Jolla High Fri., Jan. 30, was the reappearance of stunting by the LJHS Cheer squad.

The girls (and one guy, Sean Nelson) also performed their choreographed routine at the halftimes of both the girls varsity game and the boys varsity game. If this has happened before, it hasn't been frequent.

The cheerleaders were grinning, loud, and pretty precise in their steps and motions, and it added a lot of energy to a fun, healthy, energetic night.

The Vikings' cheerleaders hadn't done stunting--the pyramiding on one another's shoulders to build towers, and the like--since losing their previous cheer advisor back in the sixth week of the football season, the middle of October.

New Cheer Advisor Mia Kelley promised in an initial phone interview that the girls would be stunting during Western League basketball games, and next year "they will be competing" (in cheer competitions against other schools' cheer squads).

Kelley delivered on her first promise, and a month later, the Vikes broke out their stunting skills for the first time in three and a half months. It was a good show. (View the photos on my sports photo website, ljhssportsbyedpiper.shutterfly.com.)

Halle Trimm (at

top) goes vertical

as the "flyer" in

her first appearance

as a Vike cheer-

leader.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the basketball court--cheer squads spent the entire two games lined up at opposite ends of the gym while cheering--the Lincoln cheerleaders brought their usual loud, foot-stomping style with them. It's a whole different style of cheer, and it adds a lot of flavor.

My granddaughter Alexis was a cheerleader on La Jolla's team from 2004 to 2008. She is African-American, Italian, Sicilian, Russian, Jewish, and the whole kit-and-caboodle. She was often one of the few African-American cheerleaders on the squads she served on during her years at La Jolla High. She always enjoyed the camaraderie and the competition between the rival schools' cheer squads. What I mean to say is, I think of her when I see the Viking and Hornet squads out there pounding out with their distinct styles. It presents a positive outlook for our teenagers, it's a place where they can get loud and burn off some energy, as my parents used to say, and the whole community gains from the interaction and exchange.

By the way, Ashley Monzon, the Vikings' cheer advisor prior to this year, came up and said hello at the basketball games at Cathedral Catholic High School Tues., Jan. 27. She is leading the dance squad there. Mia owes a big debt to Ashley for the health of the cheer program at LJHS. When Ashley arrived five years ago, she had to establish some new rules and clean house. Then-Assistant Principal Bev Greco was a part of that new regime that helped bring out more positives and decrease some of the negatives of the program at that time.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB 44, Mission Bay 63

La Jolla whittled Mission Bay's 15-point first quarter lead down to nine at halftime, but things gradually got away from the Vikings as they suffered a 63-44 defeat in the Buccaneers' home gym before a quiet crowd in Western League boys basketball play Tues., Jan. 20.

The small, nearly silent crowd following the three-day Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend and school holiday Monday reflected the Vikings' limited firepower, as they played without their leading scorer, Reed Farley, who sprained his ankle during the win at Bishop's Fri., Jan. 16.

Zach Duffy and Mark Rawdin each had eight points for La Jolla. Ladd Castellano added seven.

For the Bucs, ranked number six in San Diego by MaxPreps, with only a loss to St. Augustine this season, 6'4" guard Justin Moore stood out with 26 points. The junior also had eight assists, three steals, and four rebounds as he created numerous problems for the visitors. 

La Jolla got the Buc lead down to 14 at the end of the third quarter, 49-35, after it ballooned to 20 points. But then Mission Bay went on a run, punctuated by a resounding one-handed slam by 6'9" Armstrong Ojunkwu, and led 56-35.

At one point of frustration in the second half, LJHS Coach Paul Baranowski said, "Why is it so hard to come ready to play?"

Farley, sporting a leg splint and walking on crutches, said he thought he would be out "two or three weeks". "I'm just trying to stay off," he said.

The Vikings host University City in a girls-boys varsity doubleheader Fri., Jan. 23, the boys at approximately 7:30 p.m. following the girls at 6 p.m.

Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ FB: All-league honors

Quarterback Collin Rugg and receivers Brandon Bonham and Carlton O'Neal were named First Team All-Western League in offensive honors for the Viking football team.

The three seniors were key players in Coach Jason Carter's explosive spread offense which has basically rewritten every team and individual record in La Jolla High football history the past two years.

Receiver Trenton Fudge and lineman Stefan Stojic received Second Team honors, as did
Mateo Jimenez, Rugg's center.

Rugg was named MVP in the recent senior all-star game played in East County. O'Neal was one of his targets in the game, coached by the entire LJHS coaching staff. Bonham had the misfortune of playing for the opposing side, which did not put the ball in the air frequently.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ g VB: All-league honors

Vikings' Madeleine Gates powers a spike against

Clairemont in Scripps Ranch tourney Oct. 3.
Behind her in #3 libero jersey is Amanda Polcyn.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Middle hitter-blocker Madeleine Gates finally got the recognition she deserved, garnering First Team All-Western League volleyball honors in selections by the league's coaches.

Fellow middle hitter-blocker Emma Willis and defensive specialist Amanda Polcyn were named to the All-League Second Team.

Gates, a junior opting to play only volleyball this year, dominated the net as a sophomore in 2013-14 with an outstanding kill percentage. But in the way newer, lesser-known players have to build up a resume, she didn't receive league honors. This year the honors arrived.

Willis, a senior and like Gates 6'2", worked hard and accepted a full-ride athletic scholarship to play at the University of Denver next year.

Polcyn also decided to concentrate on volleyball only this year, after she and Gates were key players for the Viking basketball team that went to the CIF title game in March 2014.

Gates, a dominant player on the basketball court her sophomore year as well, averaging 11.9 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, failed to receive any CIF honors in basketball last year. In one game, she pulled down 22 rebounds.

Polcyn recently explained her decision to forgo basketball this year and focus only on volleyball, "Last year I played on a club volleyball team that didn't travel, and it was hard to play (high school) basketball and do homework as well. I figured if it was that hard being on a non-travel team, it would be that much harder on a team that travels."

Gates and Polcyn play year-round on club volleyball teams, in addition to playing on the La Jolla High volleyball team. Their schedules are wearying.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB 53, Bishop's 52

Guard Tony Coan battles for ball

in opening minutes.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

The La Jolla High boys basketball team won in dramatic fashion Fri., Jan. 16, over the Vikings' crosstown archrival, Bishop's, in a non-league game played before loud student body cheering sections from each school.

After trailing by small margins most of the game, the Vikings' Reed Farley slammed a two-handed dunk home with 50.1 seconds remaining on the clock, putting La Jolla in the lead, 51-50. Soon after the dunk, he began writhing in pain on the court. Apparently, he sprained his ankle when he was pushed by teammate Ladd Castellano in a sort of "Attaboy" after the big play, and he landed on a teammate's foot. He had to be removed from the game.

The La Jolla student cheering section, all the while standing and situated right in front of the Vikings' basket, erupted at Farley's slam to a new decibel level.

With Reed holding his right leg and grimacing on the LJHS bench, his teammates battled the final 50 seconds and stopped a last-second effort by the Knights to secure the win. 

Dan Farley, his father, texted the following morning in response to a question, "We (are) treating (it) as sprained right ankle. Right now he (is) icing and watching Duke game."

Following Farley's go-ahead bucket, Bishop's guard Eric Yu scored with 36 seconds left for a 52-51 lead. With 18.6 seconds on the clock, Castellano followed up a miss by Morgan Albers to give La Jolla the lead back, 53-52. That was the final margin.

Said Castellano, still pumped up after the game, of Farley's dunk, "That was literally the play of the game."

Vikings cheerleaders help pump it up in

raucous moments of fourth quarter

at Bishop's. (Photo by Ed Piper)

After the final buzzer sounded, the hundreds of La Jolla High students in the stands streamed down to the floor, posing a challenge for officials to keep them off the court surface, though they were well-behaved. Students formed a human tunnel on the baseline and sideline that all the Viking players except Farley walked through on two feet.

Then, with help and hopping, the 6'4" guard, a bag of ice taped to his right ankle, made his way through most of the human arch. Finally, students swarmed around the now-smiling Reed and lifted him on their shoulders in celebration.

The home scoreboard operator quickly shut off the scoreboard to delete the Vikings' winning score.

LJHS Coach Paul Baranowski told his players after a final huddle, "Don't show them (home fans) up by celebrating too much."

Castellano and Farley shared team-high scoring honors with 13 points each in a two-prong attack. Alex Pitrofsky pulled down eight rebounds, as did Castellano and Farley. Pitrofsky added two blocks.

On his basket for the win, Castellano said, "I saw Morgan drive baseline. He's (my defender) guarding me baseline. So I went in and laid it up."

The two teams were tied for the last time at 48-all with 4:42 left in the game. The Vikings led at the end of three quarters, 44-43, after trailing most of the time following a 15-14 lead late in the first quarter. They never trailed by more than five points in the scrappy, close-fought game.

 

Vikes' Eddie Parker drives baseline on Knights'

Eric Yu. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Free throw shooting was an Achilles heel for the red and black, making only 10 of 20.

Albers was particularly effective early. "I would see Reed was getting doubled. I would slip off the screen (and score)," he said. Morgan contributed seven points, hit three of four free throws, and grabbed four rebounds.

Said the Vikings' 6'2" wing of the win over their rivals, "We haven't beaten Bishop's a lot. On JV's, they beat us when I was a freshman."

The two student cheering sections, seated at opposite ends on the same sideline, buffered by a "demilitarized zone" of  parents and other fans between them, swapped chants throughout the game. After a Bishop's player committed a violation, La Jolla students chanted in chorus, "You can't do that." Bishop's students threw it back at them after a Viking violation later in the game.

The inevitable "Daddy's money" came from the LJHS sector with 1:01 left in the game, as Knight forward Justin Woodley, fouled by Albers, struggled in missing both free throws with Bishop's in the lead, 50-49.

The toga-draped Bishop's students rode Farley hard with "Airball, airball" after he threw up a three that missed everything in the first quarter. The resounding chant from the crowd right next to the Vikings' first-half basket seemed to affect him as he missed one of two free throws for a 15-14 Vikings lead, again one of two free throws with LJHS behind, 17-16.

La Jolla High students finished the night with chants of "We own LJ" as they began to move down the sideline toward the exits.

The challenge Reed is facing now is that he is a known quantity and targeted by rival defenses, following a freshman year in which he was the new kid on the block. The Vikings' other main offensive threat is Castellano. These are the two on the team who can create their own shot. Baranowski has been making adjustments that try to open up options for Farley to score.

Most of the game, Farley brought the ball down court and set up the offense. Later, Castellano took some of those duties. Another configuration, used in the tournaments in December to good result, positions Farley on the right wing for high-flying pyrotechnics like his slam dunk.

Baranowski went with Pitrofsky as a big man for 21 minutes, Mark Rawdin logging 13. The 6'6" Pitrofsky scored off an inbounds play under the basket from Castellano early in the third quarter. A short time later, he took a feed from Farley to send the Vikings up 37-35, then followed that with a block under the Bishop's backboard at the other end.

Guard Zach Duffy, coming off the bench behind Tony Coan after starting several games, launched a three-pointer to tie at 33-all in the third stanza. Earlier, he recorded a block, continued his nice rebounding for a guard, and had an assist to Pitrofsky for a score.

5'6" sub Gaynor Blackmon showed a new aggressiveness in driving into the lane multiple times and was rewarded with free throw opportunities, though he wasn't able to capitalize.

Eddie Parker opened scoring in the ballgame when his defender became more concerned with what was going on in the rest of La Jolla's offense. The 6'2" guard slipped in on the baseline from the right wing and laid the ball up unmolested for an early and what turned out to be a rare 2-0 lead.

The Vikings play at Mission Bay Tues., Jan. 20, following the three-day weekend with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Monday. Mission Bay trounced UC by 40 points.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB 49, St. Augustine 82

Ladd Castellano was in a zone in the early going

against the talented Saints. (Photo by Ed Piper)

La Jolla fans would have liked it differently, but St. Augustine's boys basketball team, ranked number five by MaxPreps in San Diego, was as good as advertised. After a initial threat, when the Vikes overcame a 9-0 lead to go ahead 17-15, the Saints sent in swarm-after-swarm in their 10-player rotation and mercilessly routed the hosts, 82-49, Tues., Jan. 13.

The Saints, under long-time and respected Coach Mike Haupt, played four sophomores and a junior in one of their core line-ups, which is pretty scary considering their youth and the prospect that "they are just beginning to jell," as one observer put it.

La Jolla was coming off a heartening win over Lincoln on Lincoln's home court Fri., Jan. 9. You might have thought that that would be a confidence-builder that could take Coach Paul Baranowski's crew to the next rung. Instead, maybe the Vikings got up too much for the Hornets and either let down from that high or didn't have enough left in the tank to face the storming Saints. LJHS had also played a thriller to beat Scripps Ranch Tues., Jan. 6, so maybe it was too much to ask of them to keep a fine edge for St. Augustine.

Guard Ladd Castellano was a force determined through the first 12 minutes, and it made a difference for the first eight. LJHS went ahead by two with 32 seconds remaining in the first quarter on the senior's jumper from the right elbow to wipe out the 9-0 lead the Saints took in the initial minutes.

Earlier, the 6'2" guard nailed a beautiful three to bring the Vikings within three, 13-10. Then straight away he sank another one from the opposite side of three-point range, putting La Jolla close at 15-13.

Starting the second quarter, Ladd gave more of the same: a field goal, then another on a driving basket. He had said after the win over Scripps Ranch a week earlier, "Attacking the basket gets my outside shooting going. I work inside to outside." He was being effective, yet after the driving basket his team still trailed 24-21 and they were done for, as it turned out.

The Saints didn't tolerate any more playing around, and they certainly weren't going to allow even a moral victory by their opponents on this evening. Haupt kept the throttle on, and there was no let-up as St. Augustine outscored the Vikings 33-12 following La Jolla's brief lead late in the opening stanza.

Viking cheerleaders strike poses in their first

game appearance since football in November.

It was their first basketball game under new

advisor Mia Kelley. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Early in the third quarter, following a 16-point halftime lead, St. Augustine led by 22, 51-29, and things only deteriorated from there for the red and black.

Mark Rawdin had a block early in the second quarter. He followed a miss to score a bit later. He willingly tangled with the young and talented St. Augustine big men.

But Haupt had thoroughly studied game film, as his guards never left La Jolla's Reed Farley alone, one of Lincoln's mistakes. Reed couldn't really get started offensively, and he had plenty on his hands handling the ball and moving the offense against the Saints' enveloping defense. He blocked a shot in the third quarter right in front of the backboard.

A bright spot was the insertion of Grant Miller into the game in the fourth quarter, after a month-plus recovery from a concussion sustained in football.

Another was the appearance of the Viking cheer squad for the first time under newly-named advisor Mia Kelley. The cheerleaders performed a solid halftime routine before the crowd made up of good-sized contingents from both schools.

The Western League is shaping up as a pretty tough league, even with the Vikings looking stronger this year. St. Augustine has beaten Mission Bay, which has some notable talent, as well as Cathedral Catholic. The La Jollans are going to have to have their heads screwed on right when they face both those teams.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ g soccer 3, Bishop's 0

In a rivalry grudge match on the Lady Knights' artificial pitch, the La Jolla girls soccer team clubbed Bishop's with three goals in the second half to take the tussle, 3-0, Fri., Jan. 9.

There was an added intensity to the girls' play, one could sense, due to the crosstown rivalry. A relatively large weekday crowd filled the stands on the northern side of the field.

The two teams played to a nil-nil halftime score, with time of possession appearing to be roughly equal, though Bishop's might have tipped the balance.

LJHS coach Kristin Jones' squad is still preparing for league play, having just come back from a two-week layoff during winter vacation.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ g BB 21, Lincoln 29

Junior forward Paulina Cardenas grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds and senior guard Sarah Tajran swiped five steals with six rebounds, but La Jolla dropped a 29-21 basketball decision despite holding even with host Lincoln at halftime Fri., Jan. 9.

Said senior captain Jenna Harmeyer of Cardenas' and Tajran's contributions, "They helped us keep possession of the ball, which allowed us to have a close game."

Forward Satori Roberson blocked five shots and added eight rebounds in a topsy-turvy tussle with the Hornets that saw scrums of girls scrambling for loose balls and unpredictable traveling calls and non-foul calls by the officials in the opener of a Friday night girls/boys varsity doubleheader.

La Jolla went down 9-4 at the end of the first quarter, but fought its way back to knot the score at 13-13 by halftime.

The Vikings then got out-scored 10-2 in a slugfest third quarter, which ended up being the difference in the game result.

Freshman Rebecca Saul, tenacious on defense as she sticks like glue to the player she is guarding, sank two free throws in capable fashion during the final period. She also had a field goal, five rebounds, and an assist.

Newcomer Melisa Conroy had eight boards. Harmeyer, the Vikings' main ballhandler, recorded a statistical line of five rebounds, two steals, one assist, and four points.

Kate Miller, returning for her second year on varsity as a sophomore, looks athletic and much more comfortable out on the court since her freshman year as she has gained more playing experience. Miller didn't score, but she did have three rebounds and played aggressive defense.

Harmeyer, Tajran, and Roberson serve as team captains for the Vikings.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB 58, Lincoln 49

Big man Alex Pitrofsky contests shot in

early going of long-awaited win over

Lincoln Jan. 9. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Sophomore guard Reed Farley hit a key three-pointer to put La Jolla up by five points over Lincoln with four minutes to play, and the Vikings sailed to a rare win on the Hornets'  home court, 58-49, Fri., Jan. 9.

Playing every minute, Farley finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Farley punctuated his mini-dagger of a jumper to send LJHS up 46-41 with 4:26 left with a fist pump and a shout, emblematic of La Jolla's new confidence accompanied by increased skill over the last two years.

Senior Ladd Castellano had 13 points, while Alex Pitrofsky bucketed 12 points with six rebounds.

Facing Lincoln, the state champs in 2010, has always been the mountain to scale on the Vikings' Western League schedule each year. Last year at Lincoln, LJHS had an early lead, but then fell prey to its accustomed nervousness under severe duress and got tripped up in the late going.

There have been so many attempts at "moral victories", and piles of defeats to the customarily cocky Hornets that yet another close call but a loss would have been a heartbreaker for the red and black.

But this time, fellow guard Castellano combined his aggressiveness with the upstart Farley's by attacking the basket in the lane repeatedly. Dual big men Pitrofsky and Mark Rawdin, a rare commodity in La Jolla's basketball history, showed some stick-to-it-iveness underneath. And the Vikings, who led much of the game, were able to bring the victory home.

Coach Paul Baranowski said before the game, "We're going to take the game to them." His contingent went up 14-8 in the early going, before completing the first quarter with a 14-10 lead, enough to give new Lincoln coach Jeff Harper Harris fits on the sidelines as he screamed at his charges and repeatedly pointed at the scoreboard in the huddle.

Defender Ladd Castellano (right) remains watchful

in opening minutes as the Hornets work their offense.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Farley, as calm collecting his gear at the conclusion as he appeared during the intense contest, said, "We start a new tradition," in reference to breaking the long skein of losses to the renowned basketball school.

Rawdin collected seven rebounds in playing 26 minutes. Guard Zach Duffy led the Vikings with three steals, and contributed four rebounds, two points, and an assist in a versatile statistical line.

La Jolla went into the locker room at halftime leading 26-23. This obviously didn't sit well with the Lincoln partisans, who are accustomed to the play of Norman Powell, part of the state championship team and now a senior on UCLA's squad, and the Robinson brothers, Tyrell and Tyree, other renowned members of that championship squad. Tyree, now a college sophomore, stars on defense for Oregon's football team.

The visitors fought and only gave up the lead to the Hornets at 37-36 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, never trailing after Rawdin made a post move near the lower right block that fell in for 38-37.

Pitrofsky sank one of two free throws to send La Jolla up 57-49, then again for the final margin of 58-49.

Rawdin's post work shows some moves that he didn't possess last year as a junior. He has obviously put in work to learn how to receive the ball down low, dribble to his left, then swing to his right into the lane to put the ball up. 

Farley displays almost a nonchalance in the comfort level he outwardly shows in big games like this. Coolly bringing the ball downcourt and setting up the offense, he helps calm his teammates' nerves. In the early going, however, the 16-year-old was uncharacteristically sloppy, most likely a result of being too amped up in facing the Lincolnites.

Admittedly, the Hornets (now 1-2 in league, 5-8 overall) are on a down cycle this season, having lost their coach of the championship years, Jason Bryant. But La Jolla is much improved over last year, and the formula of the Farley-Castellano guard tandem augmented by the contributions inside from the big men, Rawdin and Pitrofsky, is working well. The Vikings won two tough games this week in the opening act of Western League play, edging rival Scripps Ranch, 53-49, Tues., Jan. 6.

Impressively, La Jolla (2-0, 10-4) outscored Lincoln 22-14 in the final quadrant.

LJHS was helped in the final 16 seconds by an illegal substitution by Harper Harris, when a player did not check in at the scorer's table before entering the game. When the referees called a technical foul, Farley stepped to the free throw line and methodically dropped in two free throws.

The clock, which had been allowed to run down to :14.4, was reset to :16.0. Even so, Lincoln could not make headway on the 56-49 deficit, falling behind further on Pitrofsky's free throws.

The home crowd, formerly vocal, quieted in the closing seconds and filed out with a noticeable absence of sound. Baranowski's players refrained from celebrating outwardly on the court, taking it into the visitors team room.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b soccer 0, Clairemont 0

Center midfielder Jose Bello (25, black shirt) heads the

ball away from the goal as Viking keeper Eric Vela

(yellow shirt) deals with early pressure from

Clairemont  in the 7th minute of play. of a nil-nil

draw. (Photo by Ed Piper) 

La Jolla High's boys varsity soccer team played to a nil-nil standoff at Clairemont Thurs., Jan. 8, in a well-played game with few shots on goal.

The match marked the debut of Ole Cassidy, a student from Norway, who started for Coach Marcos Gonzales' side and who played most of the game.

The Vikings had a chance to score at 7:14 p.m. of the game that started at 6 p.m., in approximately the 64th minute of regulation time. But the goal, coming off a corner kick and ricocheting around among multiple players before rolling into the net, was nullified on a handball call.

La Jolla opens Western League play next Thurs., Jan. 15.

Andrew Estrella (8) handles the ball early

in non-league match at Clairemont.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

James Penner, who had to wait in December to play until after his club team obligations were completed, was "injured and sick" and unable to play against the Chieftains, according to Gonzales.

The Vikings seem well-stocked with talent and enjoying the structure and stability that coaches Gonzales and Victor Zendejas, who came aboard after the start of the season, are providing.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB 53, Scripps Ranch 49 - Western League opener

Ladd Castellano hit a three-pointer from the top of the key after La Jolla worked through its offense, putting the Vikings up 48-43 with 2:10 left in the game, and LJHS held on to beat visiting Scripps Ranch 53-49 in the Western League opener for both teams Tues., Jan. 6.

"Ladd was clutch at the end with a three," said big man Alex Pitrofsky.

La Jolla led 22-15 at halftime, and never relinquished the lead, despite the Falcons coming back within one at 40-39, and again 42-41 in nervous time.

The 6'6" Pitrofsky, playing only his second game since missing tournament play over the winter vacation, had a block near the basket early in the third quarter. Then, with La Jolla holding a slim three-point lead starting the fourth quarter, Alex tipped in a Reed Farley miss to push the Vikings up 33-28.

Despite a spate of LJHS turnovers in the third quarter, Castellano sparkled by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 25 seconds, in addition to his key jumper. That gave La Jolla a 51-45 lead.

Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB: Balance

Reed Farley (33) misses on

this alley oop attempt. Coach

Paul Baranowski called for

a foul, to no avail.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Coach Paul Baranowski made an interesting comment after La Jolla's win at Bonita Vista Jan. 3. He said, "It is good when we are doing well offensively when Reed (Farley) is off the court." This is the first time he has broached this subject.

It's an acknowledgement of the key role that the 6'4" sophomore plays in the team's success. But "Coach B" was also saying that the Vikings are a team made of multiple individuals, and they need all those elements. As part of the same conversation, he referred to the fact that all 13 members of the roster have not yet been all present and all healthy to play at the same time through the first month of the season.

The nice part of it is that the Vikings have done well, to the tune of an 8-4 won-lost record, without the full roster. Imagine what can happen when and if all the minions are producing.

Farley went on an early tear in the Bonita Vista win, sinking two long three's that seemed to startle the Barons, as well as other goodies. The Vikings took a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. Baranowski gave him a rest in the second quarter.

But alongside him, senior guard Ladd Castellano was flowing and looking aggressive, driving to the basket as well as shooting from outside, to the tune of 30 points on the night. Farley had 20.

A new contribution came from Mark Rawdin, down low, who scored 14.

Farley leads the team statistically with 18.6 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is second to Alex Pitrofsky in rebounding with 5.0 per game. Pitrofsky leads with 5.4. Castellano is the only other player in double figures in scoring average, with 12.9 per game.

Owen Porter has 4.8 rebounds per game, Ladd 4.7, and Morgan Albers 4.3. Porter has the same steals average as Reed, 1.3. Castellano has 2.9 steals per game.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB: League opener preview

Guard Zach Duffy (14) has been working hard and it

has paid off in a slot as a starter in this, his senior year.

Here Duffy and Mark Rawdin (24) face Bonita Vista.

(Photo by Ed Piper) 

"It's a pretty good preparation game for us," said La Jolla High basketball coach Paul Baranowski of its non-league win at Bonita Vista Jan. 3, "because Scripps Ranch will zone us," the same way the Barons defended the Vikings.

He went on to say, after the 89-58 win over the weekend, "And if we shoot it the way we did tonight, (we'll be in good shape)."

Scripps Ranch is the Vikings' opponent in their Western League opener at La Jolla Tues., Jan. 6, at 5:15 p.m.

Regarding Friday's opponent, Lincoln, at the Hornets' place, "film" yet to be viewed is going to hold the key. "We aren't sure what they're going to be like," said the coach, in his third year at the helm at La Jolla (20-plus years total coaching).

Friday's game will feature a girls/boys doubleheader, with the Vikings girls at 6 p.m., the boys following at approximately 7:30 p.m. That is the format for several of the league games coming this month and in February.

Baranowski noted that though his squad has gone a solid 8-4 through pre-league games, "We still have not had all 13 players here and healthy." Grant Miller is still inactive, recovering from a concussion in the football team's final CIF playoff game. A couple of players were away during part or all of the two-week winter vacation just completed.

Eddie Parker sat out a game due to a leg injury. Earlier in December, Mark Rawdin was out with a knee issue.

A basketball treat coming up, from this reporter's view, is La Jolla getting to try its skills against St. Augustine, which is ranked eighth in the San Diego CIF Section by MaxPreps. It's always fun to play against the best. Just ask Reed Farley. Last year he relished playing Lincoln at Lincoln, usually a tough task, when he was in his first year of high school.

La Jolla has a more matured, seasoned team this year. So the guard corps including Ladd Castellano and Farley should be able to lead the team to be more effective. Fellow guard Zach Duffy has been working hard. Wing Owen Porter showed his growth especially on one sprint down court against Bonita Vista in which he took the ball from halfcourt and laid the ball up from the left side under heavy duress.

Rawdin showed effectiveness close to the basket in the same game. Hopefully, big man Alex Pitrofsky can quickly transition back to where his game was before Christmas break, after time off with his family.

Greg Jones, whose son Matt played at La Jolla High about six years ago, asked how the team was. I said "not great, but solid." Some alumni from last year asked the same question at the Grossmont Invitational before Christmas. It portends to be a good league season.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB 89, Bonita Vista 58

Senior Ladd Castellano scores with emotion for a

72-49 Viking lead against the Barons. His free

throw to complete the three-point play extended the

La Jolla lead to 24. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Guard Gaynor Blackmon, Jr. said it was the two teams' fifth meeting already in this young season. But it was one that host Bonita Vista regretted, as the visiting Vikings sliced and diced the poor Barons, 89-58, operating on all cylinders in the first game of the new year Jan. 3.

La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski graded the performance as his team's best effort this season through 12 pre-league games. "It was a great team effort," said the pleased coach. Asked afterward for three words in a single clause, he replied, "Love these guys."

Ladd Castellano pumped in 30 points, Reed Farley 20, and Mark Rawdin 14. "If he's (Rawdin) going to be the big man we need, (that's awesome)," said Baranowski between handshakes with his players following a quick postgame huddle in front of the bench.

Castellano put some nails in the coffin on a move with his back to the free throw line in the fourth quarter that catapulted the Vikings up by a whopping 29 points, 83-54. Ladd spun to his left and blew by his defender as if the latter were nailed to the floor to lay the ball up cleanly.

Bonita Vista had only trailed by 13 points at halftime, 46-33.

Reed Farley missed on this

alley oop at the start of the

fourth quarter, but Coach

Paul Baranowski wanted a

foul called.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Earlier in the final stanza, Ladd closed the coffin lid with a three-point jump shot from a favorite spot of his, 20 feet out on the right side of the key extended, making it 68-49.

Farley missed an alley oop slam attempt near the end of the first quarter, a feat that he achieved in the Grossmont Invitational before Christmas. But he atoned for that with a score with his back to the basket on another alley oop feed to put the Vikes up 61-36 with 3:30 left in the third period.

The lob was a little to the right of the basket, and the 6'4" sophomore had to wriggle his body a little to catch the ball and bank it off the backboard behind him. Bonita Vista coach Don Dumas immediately called a timeout.

Reed was having a time of it in the opening stanza. La Jolla jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the hosts were even able to score. Then, after they did, Farley hit two straight three-pointers from long range that had Dumas looking bewildered and frustrated. The Vikings finished the quarter leading 22-13.

The super soph completed an old-school three-point play midway through the second quarter, scoring on a drive from the left side, then converting the free throw after being fouled to give LJHS a 36-25 lead. After the layup fell, he pumped his fist and shouted. He was truly charged up.

Rawdin surprised Bonita Vista inside, scoring the first basket of the game. He took a pass on the right low post from Castellano at the wing to score at 28-15 in the second quarter. He even told a photographer on the sidelines, "You get the action shot when I get the ball." The photographer playfully yelled back, "I don't have any action shots of you."

6'6" Alex Pitrofsky returned after a Christmas cruise vacation. Guard Daniel Hemming was also back with the team following the holidays.

The Vikings host Scripps Ranch in their Western League opener Tues., Jan. 6, 2015, at approximately 5:15 p.m. following the JV game.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB: "We vibe together"



Guard Gaynor Blackmon (behind) applies

full-court pressure against Santa Fe Christian

Dec. 20 in Grossmont Invitational.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

 

 

"I kind of just realized what I needed to do," Viking guard Gaynor Blackmon says about his new-found comfort on the basketball court, which is apparent in his movement, his effectiveness, and the minutes Coach Paul Baranowski is giving him in recent tournament games over the holidays. "I'm on the court if I'm putting out the energy, if I'm running the offense well."

Very recent good news is the email the senior backcourtman received at 12:20 a.m. Christmas morning, just after Christmas Eve, informing him that he had been accepted to the University of Colorado. He wants to continue studying physiology and possibly pursue research or be a family physician, the latter which would suit his people-orientedness.

His is the smiling countenance you often encounter if you hang around the La Jolla High varsity squad. "I was really shy and sensitive (at a younger age)," Blackmon reveals. "I didn't take any criticism well." He said that that made it tough in his brief foray into football, and he didn't enjoy it.

But basketball suits his skills and his personality. He has been playing the sport since he was eight years old. He likes the team aspect. And the game involves what Gaynor calls "finesse": "When you're 'finessing'," he elaborates, "that's when you're getting by your defender. When they're pressing, you've got to be more elusive than the other player.

"If you can fake one way and go the other, the other way might be wide-open."

The 5'7" guard preaches the team concept convincingly. From observing him all last season and the first month of this season, it's evident that the senior wants to play his role on La Jolla's team and help put his teammates in a position to succeed. There is a camaraderie among him and his teammates. He says he knows his fellow seniors better than some of the juniors--fellow classmen including Zach Duffy, Mark Rawdin, and Daniel Hemming, guys that he hangs with--though, of the whole team, "When we're together, we vibe together. We mesh together well."

"If I do good, I'm going to be happy," he says. "But it's about if we get there together as a team."

The Viking has some life experience already at his tender age of 18 that gives him insight into other people's struggles. He has moved four times, being born in Minnesota--"Are you a Timberwolf," he is asked; "I could be," he grins--then moving to Wisconsin, Colorado for eight years, then Calabasas, north of Los Angeles, and finally, La Jolla before ninth grade.

"Definitely, it's a big part of who I am," Gaynor says of the geographic moves. "(Moving) hasn't always been good. I've met so many people from so many different backgrounds.

"So many people only know one type of living. We lived in suburban areas with families" in the other states. "(As a result) I can relate to different people's struggles."

Where that experience comes out is in his ability to listen to others. "If someone vents to me about a situation, maybe I can give them a different perspective."

He has just taken his younger brother Grayson, a 7th-grader at Muirlands Middle School, out for sushi just before the interview. Blackmon says horchatas (sweet rice drink) from Rigoberto's are another favorite. Grayson is into football. Their sister Gabrielle, 11, does gymnastics.

Coming off the bench to set up the offense, he says he's mindful of the following things: "Who's just scored? Who's feeling it on that day? Also, mismatches."

"If the shooters aren't feeling it (confidence), I want to try to get them a chance to shoot (to gain confidence), when we're not fighting to get back into the game," he explains.

"I feel Owen (Porter) and I have a telepathic connection. He knows when I need him to backdoor."

He appreciates his mother Michelle's unconditional support. But he says his dad, Gaynor Sr., will speak bluntly to Gaynor Jr. about his responsibility in a situation. "If I've ever had a problem, I always go to my dad. He's the one who calms me out. I'm not going to go to my mom, because she'll say, 'It's the other person's fault.' He'll be: 'You're being selfish.' He'll tell me if I'm doing good or bad."

Son and dad speak frequently, via phone. Dad lives in Colorado, where Gaynor Jr. spent Christmas the past week.

The future Buffalo at the University of Colorado in Boulder sets goals and believes in hard work. "Life is what you put into it," he says philosophically. "If you're not proactive about setting goals, you're going to be upset. You're not going to feel fulfilled."

"Complacency is the enemy. I know what I want to work for. If I'm on track for what I want to do, I'll be fine. Stressing out isn't usually going to help things."

His present goals include continuing to work hard in the classroom, including physiology, in preparation for college, and staying focused on the basketball team, helping the team "continuing to win."

Gaynor's increasing self-confidence, overcoming his earlier shyness, still includes awareness of others' feelings. "I always try to make people laugh," he says, "or if I'm not putting anything into the relationship, (I will). I like to make everyone feel welcome."

Where does he get this sense of hospitality? "I think both of my parents are very accepting of people, regardless of their background. When I meet someone new, they have a clean slate (in my mind)."


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper