By Ed Piper, Jr.
The La Jolla basketball program seemed to expect a confirmation of Reed Farley's knee injury as an ACL tear late Monday afternoon, Jan. 30, as he approached a medical examination scheduled for that evening.
The Farley family was waiting 24 hours to hear results of the MRI taken Monday evening.
Farley slammed the ball home in the Vikings' game against Scripps Ranch Thurs., Jan. 26, in the second quarter. As he came down, the high flyer landed awkwardly on his left leg. He fell and writhed in agony as he was removed from the game. He did not return.
La Jolla played the visiting Falcons even to that point in the game. From then on, also lacking forward Charlie Gal, the Vikings struggled and fell to a nine-point loss in the Eastern League contest--their first loss in league play.
A source said that Reed himself expected the MRI to show a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg. If that is true, that would mean the end of the four-year starter's high school career, potential surgery to repair the ACL, and a recovery time of six months or more.
"It's really sad, when you think of all he has done for the program," said Behzad Hashemi, a teammate and fellow guard who plays part-time on the varsity with Farley. Hashemi was shooting baskets on the side as head coach Paul Baranowski and JV coach TJ Parry ran a combined varsity-JV practice in the Big Gym Monday evening.
Gal, who has missed the Vikings' last four games with an ankle sprain, vowed Monday, "I will play Friday" in La Jolla's next game, which is at Hoover Fri., Feb. 3. The 6'5" frontcourt man was awaiting word from LJHS trainer Matt Bridges that he was released to resume practice.
Charlie said he has been shooting and running, though he was limited to those activities until he gets permission to practice with the team.
"It's definitely tough," potentially losing Farley, "but we have six winnable games. We could win league, then get ready for CIF (playoffs)," said Gal, a junior who has averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds a game most of the season. Without his presence underneath the basket, forward Daniel McColl has had to battle on the boards alone in a makeshift lineup.
A friend of the La Jolla basketball program, knowledgeable about basketball and the players, commented way back in early December about the increased risk of injury Farley faced in pushing the envelope with acrobatic dunks and high-leaping blocked shots.
A scary moment occurred in the Vikings' loss at Carlsbad right after the New Year. As Reed went up for a dunk attempt, a defender behind him and another in front of him made contact--though it wasn't malicious. Farley, being fouled, fell to the floor and slid past the baseline to the concrete block wall several feet behind the backboard. He didn't hit his head on the concrete block, but it was close. Everyone sighed a breath of relief, but it had been a close call.
In an interview on campus December 20, Farley himself said, "I'm going to attack the rim and try to dunk everything I can. It's a mindset I have (this season)."
Unfortunately, with Thursday's injury, what had been a danger became the reality of an injury possibly sidelining Farley for the duration of his senior season.
ACL tears are a common injury to athletes at all levels these days. He can come back to play at full ability when he enters Harvard University next fall.
Another Viking athlete, Helen Lee, a graduate two years ago, tore her ACL as a sophomore. Lee was able to come back and play goalie for the girls soccer team, and have a role on the volleyball team as well.
For La Jolla's basketball team, in the event of the loss of Farley, Baranowski, who is skilled at this, will have to try to find a way to jigsaw-puzzle his remaining parts together to fashion an Eastern League title with one round to go.
The Vikings' top ten ranking most of the season to this point ended Tuesday. For the first time since December, La Jolla received no votes in this week's media poll.
But La Jolla, at 3-2 after playing all five opponents once, is still in the league hunt. None of the six league teams are undefeated, lending hope. Hoover, though 0-5, played the red and black tough in their first encounter on La Jolla's court.
Madison, at 1-4, is out of the title picture. Henry and Scripps are both 4-1, Serra along with La Jolla 3-2. These games are winnable, if Gal can come back to provide some punch the La Jollans need.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
LJ b BB 41, Scripps Ranch 52
The over-under: Daniel McColl (right) looks like
he's about ready to take Falcon opponent's head
off, while Garrett Brown (left) fights for ball
in closing minutes. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
La Jolla, playing without forward Charlie Gal and losing captain Reed Farley in the second quarter, struggled and dropped a 52-41 Eastern League decision to visiting Scripps Ranch Thurs., Jan. 26.
The Vikings, losing a second straight league game to fall to 3-2, trailed narrowly by two, 24-22, at halftime after Farley went out after dunking, then landing awkwardly and twisting his left knee. He had a bag of ice strapped to his knee as he sat out the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, the hosts, behind seniors Nick Hammel and Daniel McColl, pretty much played the Falcons even in the third quarter, down only three at the close of the period.
Hammel, a 6'2" guard, put Coach Paul Baranowski's squad ahead 28-26 with a jumper early in the stanza. McColl connected on two free throws for 30-28, as he continued to pound the boards in the absence of his frontcourt mate Gal for the fourth straight game.
Gal, dressed in regular clothes, said late in the game that he would return to play in the Vikings' game next Fri., Feb. 3, at Hoover. That game will begin La Jolla's second rotation against its five Eastern League opponents to close out the regular season before the CIF playoffs.
Hammel added another jump shot from the right baseline, the Vikings (14-5 overall) now trailing by only one, 33-32, late in the third quarter.
The Falcons, behind Baturay Koyuncu, outscored La Jolla 16-10 in the fourth quarter and pulled away after leading by only five, 41-36, after Viking Garrett Brown's putback of his own miss.
Koyuncu hit a three, then added a two-pointer down the stretch to power Scripps Ranch, which still only won by nine with La Jolla's two big guns out.
The Falcons move up to 4-1 in the Eastern League, 12-7 overall.
The Vikings still had hope when junior Quinn Rawdin banked a three off the backboard to trail only 45-39.
They had another chance when McColl, consistently banging the boards, deposited a three-pointer from the corner with the shot clock running out. Baranowski called timeout, his team down only 47-42.
But those were the last points the red and black would score, as Koyuncu made a pair of free throws, Daniel Cox likewise for the final edge.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
LJ g soccer 6, Clairemont 0 - Second half
Sophomore Chloe Alexander (left) celebrates a
birthday goal for a 6-0 lead in the second
half. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
La Jolla's soccer team followed up a big win over Cathedral two days before by thumping a seemingly defenseless Clairemont squad Wed., Jan. 25. The Vikings were leading going away, 6-0 late in the second half, in the game played on the road.
Forward Chloe Alexander, celebrating a birthday, raised her hands in triumph after scoring a goal into the left of the net to achieve the six-goal lead. (See photo above.)
After sporting a decisive 3-0 lead in the first half, Kristin "Jonesy" Jones' unit saw the dam break midway through the second period when the Vikes scored back-to-back goals in the 19th and 20th minutes of the half, including Alexander's tap.
These followed shortly on the heels of a Charli Davey goal nine minutes into the second stanza.
"Jonesy" was still enjoying Monday's 2-0 triumph over the powerful Dons. "You missed a good one," she offered to a sportswriter. "The girls really played well."
In fact, the veteran coach, who is transitioning out of the La Jolla High coaching job due to requirements surrounding her "main" coaching position at UCSD, told her girls, "You are becoming a really good team."
The Tritons are moving to Division 1, and there is a stipulation in that step that says she won't be able to continue in the position she has held with the Vikings for several years.
Junior Nikki Collins also celebrated a birthday Wednesday.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
LJ b BB 54, Serra 69
Vikings Daniel McColl (L) and
McClain Thiel (R) pressure
Raequan Wright of Serra in the
first half. (Photos by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Serra's basketball team came to the La Jolla High campus for the first time in an Eastern League encounter and stuck it to the Vikings, 69-54, Tues., Jan. 24.
The Conquistadors, led by juniors Ryan Flowers and Raequan Wright, led in the contest virtually the whole night as Coach James Carroll's high-achieving squad built a 13-point lead at halftime and never let La Jolla get closer than seven points in the second half.
Both teams were without their big men: Charlie Gal for the Vikings for the third consecutive game, and 6'4" Tate Samuelson for the Q's, who Carroll said is lost for the season with an injury.
The team from Tierrasanta won its first 17 games of the season, gaining a lot of media attention, then lost post player Samuelson and guard Ben Weinberger, going 2-3 in their next five games.
But Weinberger, who suffered an injury to his ACL, returned Tuesday and helped beat up on the host Vikings, who struggled throughout.
La Jolla shot as cold as the frigid air inside the Big Gym, which had its doors open to the winter chill that remained after six days of continued surprising rain in the semiarid climate. From the second quarter on, Coach Paul Baranowski gave point guard Ryan Farley the green light to shoot frequently, and the bogged-down offense without Gal largely became a one-man show--through no fault of the 6'4" captain.
Nick Hammel tries to block
Jamari Brown's (11) shot. Daniel
McColl is already on the floor,
Quinn Rawdin stumbling
over him.
Farley finished with 34 points. The other Viking players could not seem to buy a basket. This played into Serra's speed, which Carroll said the Q's wanted to capitalize on, along with their man defense.
Their other goal: "to try to make it hard for Farley to score." This is a frequent statement from opposing coaches this season, as they look to shut down the La Jolla attack.
The Conquistadors' Jamari Brown showed good quickness. He had 18 points. Flowers, a 6'2" junior, starred in the first half, and finished with 18 points. The 6'4" Wright was effective inside in the second half as Serra recovered from its slim 39-32 advantage midway through the third quarter to pull away by 15 down the stretch.
Baranowski tried to apply three-quarter-court pressure in the closing minutes. But Serra's guards were quick and burned the La Jolla press multiple times to score.
La Jolla suffers its first defeat in Eastern League play, falling to 3-1 after relatively easily dispatching Henry last Thursday without Gal. This was one of the black-and-red's least artistic outings this season, if not the least artistic. It was ugly ball at its worst.
The Vikings' first outing without the 6'5" forward went badly at Orange Glen last week, when Farley was held out as well and the visitors suffered a 32-point loss on the road.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Apology and update
By Ed Piper, Jr.
To my photo viewers, especially, I just want to give my apologies for not being able to take photos the past several weeks except for boys basketball, my main sport and the one that I started with. My back has been sore and spasming over the past five weeks, since Christmas Eve when I picked up my heavy camera and used it to take photos of my family opening gifts.
That set off a series of spasms in my deteriorating lower left back, which has been a problem for several years. It all came from lugging the heavy camera body and zoom lenses around for various events.
As I texted Coach Kellen Delaney of the La Jolla wrestling team, I hope to be able to travel to Holtville Fri., Jan. 27, for the annual Holtville tournament. But that depends on finding a new treatment that works in a way that my physical therapy exercises (which I do daily) and chiropractor visits--which usually do the trick--haven't been able to do the past five weeks.
I'm hopeful, and thankful for people's well wishes during this time.
To my photo viewers, especially, I just want to give my apologies for not being able to take photos the past several weeks except for boys basketball, my main sport and the one that I started with. My back has been sore and spasming over the past five weeks, since Christmas Eve when I picked up my heavy camera and used it to take photos of my family opening gifts.
That set off a series of spasms in my deteriorating lower left back, which has been a problem for several years. It all came from lugging the heavy camera body and zoom lenses around for various events.
As I texted Coach Kellen Delaney of the La Jolla wrestling team, I hope to be able to travel to Holtville Fri., Jan. 27, for the annual Holtville tournament. But that depends on finding a new treatment that works in a way that my physical therapy exercises (which I do daily) and chiropractor visits--which usually do the trick--haven't been able to do the past five weeks.
I'm hopeful, and thankful for people's well wishes during this time.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
LJ b BB 68, Patrick Henry 61
Reed Farley (bottom left) tries
an awkward layup against
the Pats' Christian Choice (20).
(Photos by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Quinn Rawdin had a breakout shooting game, and La Jolla held on to take a 68-61 win on the road at Patrick Henry Fri., Jan. 20.
Rawdin hit five three-pointers--four in the first half--as the Vikings defeated the Patriots, previously undefeated in the Eastern League, upping their own league record to 3-0 atop the standings.
On a stormy night, following a second consecutive day of rain with streets flooded and trees waterlogged by the water falling onto cars in the strong winds, La Jolla got guard Reed Farley back but had to weather the continued absence of forward Charlie Gal.
Under a new presidential administration on Inaugural Day, the lefty Rawdin brought a new confidence and touch that he hasn't shown previously this season as he nailed a three for an early 13-7 lead before a loud Patrick Henry student section that stood the entire game.
The 6-foot-2 junior struck again from behind the arc for 16-12. The short-handed Vikings led by as much as 11 in the first half, but settled for a narrow 38-33 lead at halftime. Christian Choice and Jayden Holloway had key contributions for the Patriots.
Patrick Henry students, known for cheering
vocally, had fun with their chants about
Farley.
Henry coach Jason Bryant, the former Lincoln coach who led the Hornets to the state title in 2010, was delayed a little in his three-year effort to build the Patriots into Lincoln East. But the Pats are stronger than they used to be.
Farley, after sitting out Wednesday's nonleague loss at Orange Glen with Gal, was effective but got caught up a little in an "I'll show them" with the Henry vocal student section.
Two weeks ago, after a league-opening win over Hoover before a home crowd, the senior acknowledged it was possible to hear the crowd's noise too much.
With the Vikings nursing a narrow lead in the second quarter, the green-and-gold students began harping on Farley, "Ball hog, ball hog." By the third quarter, hearing this repeatedly got under the Harvard-bound captain's skin, as he tried a long three that missed.
Then, closing the quarter with La Jolla pulling away at 53-40 over the inconsistent host team, Farley hit a three from the top of the key and instantly turned to the Henry students, both arms raised in the air. This reporter has never seen the stellar athlete respond in this manner before in his four years of basketball at La Jolla.
Jason Bryant (R), former Lincoln coach:
His team not so fortunate this night.
A short time prior to this, the point guard tried an ill-advised backwards no-look pass over his head to a teammate which resulted in a turnover.
Meanwhile, Daniel McColl, effective underneath, and Rawdin were both in foul trouble as Coach Paul Baranowski employed only six players the first two quarters. Quinn, after another three-pointer in the second half, fouled out with five minutes left in the game, La Jolla ahead 57-49.
McColl finally was assessed with his fifth personal foul with 29 seconds left.
Henry's Choice and Holloway continued making things nervous for La Jolla, leading the Patriots back to within two on Choice's three-pointer with 1:47 left in the game.
But Farley, regaining his self-control, followed that long bomb with an authoritative one-handed jam and a free throw, and the Vikings never looked back.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Inclement weather stories
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Wet and windy weather outside--with Fashion Valley's parking structures expected to flood, granted that the development was constructed in a flood-vulnerable valley next to the San Diego River--conjures memories of bad weather game days in the past.
Two incidents come to mind. One was not rainy weather, but cold. The other centers on the merciless damaging of a fine piece of photographic equipment in a downpour in Edwards Stadium at La Jolla High. (I'm being overly dramatic.)
The cold: I was a high school sophomore on the "B" basketball team (too young and unseasoned for the junior varsity) at my alma mater in Ventura County, Camarillo High. We took the long bus ride with the varsity, I believe, to Antelope Valley to play their high school.
As deserts will be in the dead of winter, it was pretty chilly in Antelope Valley. (We took the I-5 north once we got east of Ventura County. Then Highway 14, I believe, a two-lane blacktop at the time.)
The challenge, though there isn't much to tell in this story, was our team had to run from the locker room, where we changed into our uniforms before the game, through the outdoor cold to the gym. All I remember is that going and coming, without sweatpants on, only warm-up sweatshirts, the outdoor chill was a tacticle experience.
I do remember that in the varsity game after our game, Mike Spahr threw the ball up in the air in closing seconds to try to kill time. The ball hit an obstruction, or came down early, leaving time on the clock for the home team to try for a last basket. But the Scorpion varsity (that was our mascot) prevailed.
The rain story happened right on the LJHS campus during a boys soccer game several years ago. I foolishly thought my Nikon D3 camera body was mostly waterproof. I foolishly subjected it to taking photos of the Vikings during a heavy rain. I did bring a plastic bag and had it wrapped over the body and 70-200 mm lens. The bag blew out of position with the wind, so when a heavy downpour came, it drenched my camera.
Much to my horror, the camera shut off. I freaked out. I immediately turned everything off and made my way out of there. I was pretty upset.
The camera body worked pretty well after that, though not perfectly. It would do minor malfunctions from time-to-time, something it never did before I subjected it to the rain. I had camera specialists check the D3 body out for moisture. They said they detected no moisture inside.
I have never taken my equipment out into the rain again. It's not worth it. Plus, the photos you get, with the rain pouring down, aren't great quality. Once you've seen action shots with precipitation in them, the novelty wears off and you really aren't motivated to go to other events for that effect.
Wet and windy weather outside--with Fashion Valley's parking structures expected to flood, granted that the development was constructed in a flood-vulnerable valley next to the San Diego River--conjures memories of bad weather game days in the past.
Two incidents come to mind. One was not rainy weather, but cold. The other centers on the merciless damaging of a fine piece of photographic equipment in a downpour in Edwards Stadium at La Jolla High. (I'm being overly dramatic.)
The cold: I was a high school sophomore on the "B" basketball team (too young and unseasoned for the junior varsity) at my alma mater in Ventura County, Camarillo High. We took the long bus ride with the varsity, I believe, to Antelope Valley to play their high school.
As deserts will be in the dead of winter, it was pretty chilly in Antelope Valley. (We took the I-5 north once we got east of Ventura County. Then Highway 14, I believe, a two-lane blacktop at the time.)
The challenge, though there isn't much to tell in this story, was our team had to run from the locker room, where we changed into our uniforms before the game, through the outdoor cold to the gym. All I remember is that going and coming, without sweatpants on, only warm-up sweatshirts, the outdoor chill was a tacticle experience.
I do remember that in the varsity game after our game, Mike Spahr threw the ball up in the air in closing seconds to try to kill time. The ball hit an obstruction, or came down early, leaving time on the clock for the home team to try for a last basket. But the Scorpion varsity (that was our mascot) prevailed.
The rain story happened right on the LJHS campus during a boys soccer game several years ago. I foolishly thought my Nikon D3 camera body was mostly waterproof. I foolishly subjected it to taking photos of the Vikings during a heavy rain. I did bring a plastic bag and had it wrapped over the body and 70-200 mm lens. The bag blew out of position with the wind, so when a heavy downpour came, it drenched my camera.
Much to my horror, the camera shut off. I freaked out. I immediately turned everything off and made my way out of there. I was pretty upset.
The camera body worked pretty well after that, though not perfectly. It would do minor malfunctions from time-to-time, something it never did before I subjected it to the rain. I had camera specialists check the D3 body out for moisture. They said they detected no moisture inside.
I have never taken my equipment out into the rain again. It's not worth it. Plus, the photos you get, with the rain pouring down, aren't great quality. Once you've seen action shots with precipitation in them, the novelty wears off and you really aren't motivated to go to other events for that effect.
LJ winter sports: Where we are
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Where we are beginning the latter third of January is appropriate to ponder, considering the time to write afforded by the heavy rains that are going on outside, as well as the big chunk of the winter league sports season already under our belts.
In this day and age, we're pretty fortunate to have artificial turf fields to play our sports on. La Jolla High's soccer teams can continue to fulfill the obligations of their schedules, even with the recent rains and expected continuance thereof.
Back in the day, at Camarillo High, we would have been hard pressed to play on the natural grass fields we had grown up with and didn't know could be otherwise in weather like this. (The Houston Astrodome's artificial grass wasn't commonly used by the time I graduated from high school in 1971.)
It would have been too water-logged and sloshy, creating immense mud slogs. I can picture our JV baseball diamond with this much rain--it would have been unusable for a couple of days after the rains, until it could drain a little.
But baseball is a spring sport, and soccer had not moved much beyond being an AYSO youth sport since the youth soccer organization was established in 1964 in not-too-distant Torrance, in greater Los Angeles. We didn't yet have school soccer teams yet in CIF.
I digress, but it's worth the telling: Our family's foreign exchange student from Rio, Frederico, a capable soccer player, had to suffer through playing his favorite sport in physical education classes at my high school. He would come home from school and say that it was miserable, getting kicked in the shins by all the (American) kids who didn't yet know how to play the sport.
Anyway, La Jolla's boys basketball team is going to try to put things back together in an Eastern League contest at Patrick Henry tonight, Fri., Jan. 20. Reed Farley is suffering from a tender left shoulder he dislocated last week--his first time ever dislocating the limb, according to his father. And Charlie Gal suffered what looked like a high ankle sprain in the win last Friday at home over Madison. (His mom shared a screen capture from her game video of poor Charlie's twister. It didn't look like fun.)
Both Farley and Gal sat out the Wed., Jan. 18 nonleague game at Orange Glen, when the Vikings' severely truncated lineup went down to a sizeable 71-39 defeat. The Diaz brothers, whom Reed knows, were effective in building a big lead as the game progressed, especially in the second half.
Where we are beginning the latter third of January is appropriate to ponder, considering the time to write afforded by the heavy rains that are going on outside, as well as the big chunk of the winter league sports season already under our belts.
In this day and age, we're pretty fortunate to have artificial turf fields to play our sports on. La Jolla High's soccer teams can continue to fulfill the obligations of their schedules, even with the recent rains and expected continuance thereof.
Back in the day, at Camarillo High, we would have been hard pressed to play on the natural grass fields we had grown up with and didn't know could be otherwise in weather like this. (The Houston Astrodome's artificial grass wasn't commonly used by the time I graduated from high school in 1971.)
It would have been too water-logged and sloshy, creating immense mud slogs. I can picture our JV baseball diamond with this much rain--it would have been unusable for a couple of days after the rains, until it could drain a little.
But baseball is a spring sport, and soccer had not moved much beyond being an AYSO youth sport since the youth soccer organization was established in 1964 in not-too-distant Torrance, in greater Los Angeles. We didn't yet have school soccer teams yet in CIF.
I digress, but it's worth the telling: Our family's foreign exchange student from Rio, Frederico, a capable soccer player, had to suffer through playing his favorite sport in physical education classes at my high school. He would come home from school and say that it was miserable, getting kicked in the shins by all the (American) kids who didn't yet know how to play the sport.
Anyway, La Jolla's boys basketball team is going to try to put things back together in an Eastern League contest at Patrick Henry tonight, Fri., Jan. 20. Reed Farley is suffering from a tender left shoulder he dislocated last week--his first time ever dislocating the limb, according to his father. And Charlie Gal suffered what looked like a high ankle sprain in the win last Friday at home over Madison. (His mom shared a screen capture from her game video of poor Charlie's twister. It didn't look like fun.)
Both Farley and Gal sat out the Wed., Jan. 18 nonleague game at Orange Glen, when the Vikings' severely truncated lineup went down to a sizeable 71-39 defeat. The Diaz brothers, whom Reed knows, were effective in building a big lead as the game progressed, especially in the second half.
Prep sports: Deluge
A river of flooding flows by the Fashion Valley
shopping center following rains.
(Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
As I pen (actually, keyboard) these words, the rain continues to pour down (started at 3:30 a.m. or so this morning--it's now 9:56 a.m.) at Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) off Highway 56, where I am substitute-teaching today, Fri., Jan. 20.
A thought I had soon after rising this morning was about potential postponements of high school games this afternoon and evening, in view of the forecasts of a second day of rain in a row, and powerful gusts of wind up to 50 miles per hour in the afternoon when the "core" of the storm comes through the county.
The expected flooding, with resultant closure of roads, and the high winds are two pretty good reasons for postponing needless travel, when games can easily be rescheduled for next week or later. (They could even be cancelled, if their outcomes don't influence league races.)
I'm seeing in my mind the water cascading down Friars Road last February, when we had the first of what was expected to be a heavy winter and spring of El Nino rains. (That didn't materialize.) I drove on Morena Blvd. near the Linda Vista trolley stop that afternoon, then up Friars. What I saw was gutters several feet wide, with water pooling into the intersection at Morena and Friars. The inclined road running past the University of San Diego was the scene of those streaming waters far too wide to be contained by the overwhelmed gutters.
I wouldn't want to see anyone injured today in trying to fight their way to a meaningless game that doesn't have to be played on this date at its scheduled time. I recall playoff contests being postponed by mutual consent of the two teams' coaches, due to high winds in East County and the Imperial Valley. That's just wise decision-making by adult leaders.
Here's to continued safe, healthy competition for our young people, and cautious, unharried travel by everyone else. Is that trip to do an errand really necessary?--or in view of the chance a large branch could come swinging down from a tree in the wind into the path of the car my grandchildren are riding in, would it be wiser to hold off?
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Mexico City: Furthermore
By Ed Piper, Jr.
One of the perks of being a foreigner in a foreign country is that you can end up being a kind of celebrity.
You enjoy a different relationship with others than what those around you have, and you can get away with things--I don't mean malicious things--others can't.
To give you an instance: When I lived for a year in Mexico City, my first basketball coach in a men's league was Jaime. He was nice to me, because he was a kind person and because I was his tallest player at 6'5" in a country that doesn't have many people that size.
I found out as time went on that Jaime was a nationally-known sports figure in his country. He was athletic director at UNAM, the University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), as well as basketball coach. (Keep in mind that high school and college-affiliated teams are not the big deal in the rest of the world that they are in the United States.)
Anyway, I was talking to Jaime one time as a teammate stood nearby. The teammate stopped me and said, "Lalo (Ed in Spanish), you can't address our coach informally. You have to speak to him using usted."
I heard what my teammate said, then returning to my conversation with my coach, completely ignored what my teammate had just told me. I continued speaking to Jaime in the familiar tu form. He showed no signs of displeasure, and our relationship continued in that positive vein for the duration of our knowing each other.
If I had followed my teammate's well-intended advice, backed by wisdom and technically being correct, I would have lost that special relationship I enjoyed with my coach from the first time I met him.
I'm sure, from Jaime's perspective, that in some ways it was refreshing to have an informal, friendly relationship with someone from outside his normal circle of professional and personal contacts.
The normal rules for etiquette were suspended for the gringo from up north.
One of the perks of being a foreigner in a foreign country is that you can end up being a kind of celebrity.
You enjoy a different relationship with others than what those around you have, and you can get away with things--I don't mean malicious things--others can't.
To give you an instance: When I lived for a year in Mexico City, my first basketball coach in a men's league was Jaime. He was nice to me, because he was a kind person and because I was his tallest player at 6'5" in a country that doesn't have many people that size.
I found out as time went on that Jaime was a nationally-known sports figure in his country. He was athletic director at UNAM, the University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), as well as basketball coach. (Keep in mind that high school and college-affiliated teams are not the big deal in the rest of the world that they are in the United States.)
Anyway, I was talking to Jaime one time as a teammate stood nearby. The teammate stopped me and said, "Lalo (Ed in Spanish), you can't address our coach informally. You have to speak to him using usted."
I heard what my teammate said, then returning to my conversation with my coach, completely ignored what my teammate had just told me. I continued speaking to Jaime in the familiar tu form. He showed no signs of displeasure, and our relationship continued in that positive vein for the duration of our knowing each other.
If I had followed my teammate's well-intended advice, backed by wisdom and technically being correct, I would have lost that special relationship I enjoyed with my coach from the first time I met him.
I'm sure, from Jaime's perspective, that in some ways it was refreshing to have an informal, friendly relationship with someone from outside his normal circle of professional and personal contacts.
The normal rules for etiquette were suspended for the gringo from up north.
Back in the day
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Just graduated from college, soon after my 21st birthday, I moved to Mexico City and taught English language arts at a small private school in the wealthy neighborhood of Lomas. My sister Melinda had been taking her math teaching methods course toward her secondary credential from a woman who ran her own school, and introduced me to Bernice during an earlier 10-day visit.
While living and teaching in the Distrito Federal, or Federal District, as it is known (much like our Washington, D.C.), I played basketball for two teams in the non-school-affiliated leagues for men in Mexico City. As you can imagine, the entire 14-month experience was thrilling and life-changing, and has served as a reference point for me ever since.
One thing that is remarkable is that my second coach, Yula, was the only female coach of a men's basketball team. She had played for the women's national junior team, I believe. But she was a natural as a coach, commanding respect and demanding hard work from her group of playground stars and me, a tall 6'5" foreigner who was just learning Spanish.
Yula's secret to our team success was running us throughout practice five nights a week, 9 to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday, in our tiny gym venue in the Delegacion (city section) Venustiano Carranza. That way, with our greyhound-like conditioning, we could full-court press the entire game and smother most opponents.
We weren't super-talented, but we were in shape basketball-wise and we did have our coach's firm hand. Our pinnacle was defeating Politecnico, a college team, in the championship game of a tournament held at the SOP arena (Secretaria de Obras Publicas, or Public Works), before a packed house. Our guard Tito stole the ball with 52 seconds left and scored to win the game. What a blast as a 22-year-old living his dream in a foreign country.
I look back fondly--though my young body felt the agony at the time--on being picked up from my rented room by Yula's boyfriend, Tono (I don't have the "enye" on my keyboard--pronounced TONE-yo for Antonio), on a Sunday morning and the entire team being taken out to a natural park, El Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions), where Yula ran us over hill-and-dale for a couple of hours.
It was a great team-building exercise, as well as great for our running shape on the basketball court. I also remember defeating a team in Xochimilco, site of floating gardens in southern Mexico City, hitting some key free throws near the conclusion. It was the one-of-a-kind experience you live as a young adult, and can never replicate.
However, I didn't move to Mexico City for the purpose of playing basketball. I had graduated from college with a major in journalism, and truth be told, I didn't want to sit inside an office wearing a tie while typing up stories for a newspaper. I had done that in three different internships during college, and though I loved--and love--writing, I didn't enjoy the things that inevitably accompanied it at the time.
When my sister's instructor offered me the job teaching language arts at her 22-student secondary school, I jumped at the chance. I didn't speak Spanish--didn't even know that it was Buenos dias instead of Buenas dias--but that was part of the excitement of venturing into a foreign culture. (I was the only non-bilingual student or staff member at the school.)
My year living in the biggest (and smoggiest) megalopolis in the world wasn't without its challenges: I was just out of college, not yet established, and I developed medical problems that went undiagnosed till some time later.
When the Mexican peso was devalued in August 1976, then again two months later in October 1976, cutting its value in half, then halving it once again, I gladly moved back to Southern California when the editor of one of my earlier internships who knew my family reached me in Mexico City and offered me the sports editor position at a tiny daily newspaper in Goleta, next to Santa Barbara. I hitched a ride north from a contact driving to the border, then took the bus from San Antonio back home to Ventura County.
As a young person, I always hoped to go back to Mexico City, the site of so many exciting and fulfilling experiences for me as a young adult, and live for a time. But I was never able to.
Just graduated from college, soon after my 21st birthday, I moved to Mexico City and taught English language arts at a small private school in the wealthy neighborhood of Lomas. My sister Melinda had been taking her math teaching methods course toward her secondary credential from a woman who ran her own school, and introduced me to Bernice during an earlier 10-day visit.
While living and teaching in the Distrito Federal, or Federal District, as it is known (much like our Washington, D.C.), I played basketball for two teams in the non-school-affiliated leagues for men in Mexico City. As you can imagine, the entire 14-month experience was thrilling and life-changing, and has served as a reference point for me ever since.
One thing that is remarkable is that my second coach, Yula, was the only female coach of a men's basketball team. She had played for the women's national junior team, I believe. But she was a natural as a coach, commanding respect and demanding hard work from her group of playground stars and me, a tall 6'5" foreigner who was just learning Spanish.
Yula's secret to our team success was running us throughout practice five nights a week, 9 to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday, in our tiny gym venue in the Delegacion (city section) Venustiano Carranza. That way, with our greyhound-like conditioning, we could full-court press the entire game and smother most opponents.
We weren't super-talented, but we were in shape basketball-wise and we did have our coach's firm hand. Our pinnacle was defeating Politecnico, a college team, in the championship game of a tournament held at the SOP arena (Secretaria de Obras Publicas, or Public Works), before a packed house. Our guard Tito stole the ball with 52 seconds left and scored to win the game. What a blast as a 22-year-old living his dream in a foreign country.
I look back fondly--though my young body felt the agony at the time--on being picked up from my rented room by Yula's boyfriend, Tono (I don't have the "enye" on my keyboard--pronounced TONE-yo for Antonio), on a Sunday morning and the entire team being taken out to a natural park, El Desierto de los Leones (Desert of the Lions), where Yula ran us over hill-and-dale for a couple of hours.
It was a great team-building exercise, as well as great for our running shape on the basketball court. I also remember defeating a team in Xochimilco, site of floating gardens in southern Mexico City, hitting some key free throws near the conclusion. It was the one-of-a-kind experience you live as a young adult, and can never replicate.
However, I didn't move to Mexico City for the purpose of playing basketball. I had graduated from college with a major in journalism, and truth be told, I didn't want to sit inside an office wearing a tie while typing up stories for a newspaper. I had done that in three different internships during college, and though I loved--and love--writing, I didn't enjoy the things that inevitably accompanied it at the time.
When my sister's instructor offered me the job teaching language arts at her 22-student secondary school, I jumped at the chance. I didn't speak Spanish--didn't even know that it was Buenos dias instead of Buenas dias--but that was part of the excitement of venturing into a foreign culture. (I was the only non-bilingual student or staff member at the school.)
My year living in the biggest (and smoggiest) megalopolis in the world wasn't without its challenges: I was just out of college, not yet established, and I developed medical problems that went undiagnosed till some time later.
When the Mexican peso was devalued in August 1976, then again two months later in October 1976, cutting its value in half, then halving it once again, I gladly moved back to Southern California when the editor of one of my earlier internships who knew my family reached me in Mexico City and offered me the sports editor position at a tiny daily newspaper in Goleta, next to Santa Barbara. I hitched a ride north from a contact driving to the border, then took the bus from San Antonio back home to Ventura County.
As a young person, I always hoped to go back to Mexico City, the site of so many exciting and fulfilling experiences for me as a young adult, and live for a time. But I was never able to.
Friday, January 13, 2017
LJHS sports: Odds and ends
Seen and heard around the sports complex:
--Head LJHS baseball coach Gary Frank, who also announces Viking basketball and football games, was seen at the Jan. 12 boys basketball game sporting a hand-lettered T-shirt that said "Spanos sucks". That was the day the Chargers' move to L.A. was made official. Frank is a native San Diegan, having played his high school baseball for the Vikings. He was a second baseman.
--Cindee Russell, third-year cheer coach, and her charges have been busy lately. They weren't at the Vikings' Eastern League boys basketball opener at home against Hoover last week partly because they have been preparing for competitive cheering. Their first event, according to the coach, who has established visible quality in the cheer squad's performances during her tenure, comes Sun., Jan. 15, at SDSU.
Russell, besides being a wife and mother, is also a full-time student working for her undergraduate degree. Her plate is full.
--The Viking boys soccer team, after a 5-0 win over Hoover last week and further success this week, is undefeated at 9-0 heading into league play. Striker Luis Goehler and defender Jose Bello stopped by to update a local photographer/reporter at the boys basketball game Jan. 12.
--Principal Dr. Chuck Podhorsky has had to endure boys basketball games the past two weeks with split loyalties. When Hoover came to La Jolla to play the Vikings last week, the former Cardinals principal said with a chuckle, "I'm going to stand in the middle."
This week, as Madison invaded the Big Gym, the math major, who has been a competitive archer since he was a teenager, informed a listener, "I graduated from Madison." Both of his former schools lost to his present institution's representative.
To further complicate his position in the local community, his family home overlooks the campus at University City High. But the Vikings aren't scheduled to play the Centurions this year in basketball, though they were league opponents in the former Western League through last season.
--Vikings guard Jacob Ohara has had to endure the continued slings and arrows of having his last name pronounced "O'Hara", even at home games this season. This is his first season playing for the varsity. Another ear-splitter was Charlie Gal's last name being pronounced "Gale" repeatedly. It makes you want to put a cork in it sometimes.
Ohara's brother, Zac, played for the Vikings half a decade ago. I don't recall specifically, but I'm sure on the road he probably endured the same mispronunciations as his younger brother.
--On the mistaken name theme, I, more than once, wrote former basketball guard Eddie Parker's name as "Eddie Palmer" more than once two years ago. Also, Coach Paul Baranowski's son, Jake, I dubbed something else--I can't even remember what. Paul enjoyed that one. He let me know.
--Head LJHS baseball coach Gary Frank, who also announces Viking basketball and football games, was seen at the Jan. 12 boys basketball game sporting a hand-lettered T-shirt that said "Spanos sucks". That was the day the Chargers' move to L.A. was made official. Frank is a native San Diegan, having played his high school baseball for the Vikings. He was a second baseman.
--Cindee Russell, third-year cheer coach, and her charges have been busy lately. They weren't at the Vikings' Eastern League boys basketball opener at home against Hoover last week partly because they have been preparing for competitive cheering. Their first event, according to the coach, who has established visible quality in the cheer squad's performances during her tenure, comes Sun., Jan. 15, at SDSU.
Russell, besides being a wife and mother, is also a full-time student working for her undergraduate degree. Her plate is full.
--The Viking boys soccer team, after a 5-0 win over Hoover last week and further success this week, is undefeated at 9-0 heading into league play. Striker Luis Goehler and defender Jose Bello stopped by to update a local photographer/reporter at the boys basketball game Jan. 12.
--Principal Dr. Chuck Podhorsky has had to endure boys basketball games the past two weeks with split loyalties. When Hoover came to La Jolla to play the Vikings last week, the former Cardinals principal said with a chuckle, "I'm going to stand in the middle."
This week, as Madison invaded the Big Gym, the math major, who has been a competitive archer since he was a teenager, informed a listener, "I graduated from Madison." Both of his former schools lost to his present institution's representative.
To further complicate his position in the local community, his family home overlooks the campus at University City High. But the Vikings aren't scheduled to play the Centurions this year in basketball, though they were league opponents in the former Western League through last season.
--Vikings guard Jacob Ohara has had to endure the continued slings and arrows of having his last name pronounced "O'Hara", even at home games this season. This is his first season playing for the varsity. Another ear-splitter was Charlie Gal's last name being pronounced "Gale" repeatedly. It makes you want to put a cork in it sometimes.
Ohara's brother, Zac, played for the Vikings half a decade ago. I don't recall specifically, but I'm sure on the road he probably endured the same mispronunciations as his younger brother.
--On the mistaken name theme, I, more than once, wrote former basketball guard Eddie Parker's name as "Eddie Palmer" more than once two years ago. Also, Coach Paul Baranowski's son, Jake, I dubbed something else--I can't even remember what. Paul enjoyed that one. He let me know.
LJ b BB: At the water cooler
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Andrei Soriano did a good job covering La Jolla's Charlie Gal initially. But then the 6'3" post for Madison made a few mistakes and visibly lost concentration, and Gal began to operate under the basket without much resistance on Soriano's part in the two teams' matchup Jan. 12.
The Madison forward, built big, wearing glasses and a man pigtail, scored one basket, then followed that with a right-handed jump hook over Gal in the lane to bring the Warhawks back to 15-8 after they trailed by as many as 10 in the first quarter Thursday night. The final went to La Jolla, 60-38.
Also providing opposition underneath for Coach Mike Stutz's squad were Derek Slider, a 6'2" senior, and Dontae Grady, coming in at about the same height. They alternated on the 6'5" Gal, meaning about 600 pounds were being used to try to wear down and fluster the solid La Jolla junior, who's got to weigh in at at least 200 pounds himself, though it's not listed on the team's MaxPreps roster.
Gal was fouled on an early attempt, and made two free throws. He was called for traveling midway through the opening period, a nasty habit he has to overcome. He, a short time later, drew another foul and made one of two charity tosses.
Late in the period, as if to answer Soriano's jump hook, Charlie scored on his patented back-in-then-swing-back-and-forth move from the right block below the basket. You can bet he practiced that a lot with his club team, and with Coach Paul Baranowski, over the past year. It's his bread and butter.
Soriano was basically done for the night, hardly being heard from again. The young man has athletic talent, but I think he just got frustrated in trying to cover his active counterpart. He shouldn't give up so easily.
Gal has a way of wearing on you, though, if you have to cover him. If he is on the left baseline, you know that he is going to fake toward the end line--or go ahead, if you give it to him--and swing into the lane for a shot. From the box on the opposite side of the lane, he is going to favor his right hand by going toward his left and banking the ball off the backboard.
Grady was the one who lost his temper in the third quarter after the Vikes' Nick Hammel accidentally slammed into him backwards, hitting him in the forehead and knocking him to the floor. Though it wasn't intended, the young man, understandably upset, let his mouth get the better of him and the referees ejected him when he cursed angrily and loudly at them twice within the span of a handful of seconds. That was too bad.
Stutz, though under control, came out onto the floor partway to discuss the play with the officials. But the incident served to rile up the Madison players a little, leading to the same referee who called the two technicals to talk to both teams about settling down. Baranowski said he felt the referees did a good job of managing the game.
The student athletes representing Clairemont hadn't been taking things lying down before that. Back in the first quarter, to set a tone, they had committed clean but physical fouls, first, on Gal, then on Reed Farley. The latter was by Slider.
These are good athletes, while maybe not being polished basketball players. Who is at age 16 or 17?
To the credit of the referees and Stutz, the Warhawk players didn't get out of control. They weren't mouthy. Daniel McColl of the Vikings afterward said that the Madison players were "handsy", by which he meant they made a lot of contact with their hands. But that isn't dirty basketball. But they weren't talking trash, despite the 22-point thrashing they suffered. It was more pure frustration.
Meanwhile, Gal headed for Matt Bridges' trainer's table at the far corner of the Big Gym in the third quarter. He went down with a painful left shin, lying on the playing surface with a grimace on his face, which is something you don't see Charlie do. The trainer taped a big bag of ice to his ankle as he lay on the table alongside the court throughout the fourth quarter. He looked pretty worn out, appropriate after the wear-and-tear he took from Soriano, Grady, and Slider.
The Vikings achieved a level of respect in the eyes of their opponents, winning decisively and clearly being the superior team on this night. Even the La Jolla reserves maintained the lead: Jacob Ohara, who's actually in the rotation, and Behzad Hashemi, who scored some points in closing minutes for the second straight game, as well as McClain Thiel and Garrett Brown. Madison couldn't make any headway against them, which has got to please Baranowski, attending a family wedding over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in Tucson.
Hashemi was rewarded for his productive pair of games in a cameo role by being added to the varsity the head coach maintains on maxpreps.com.
Farley's main assignment over the three-day break, given to him by Baranowski as the two began moving toward the exits Thursday night, was to limit his basketball activity to shooting. He's got to give his left arm, which he dislocated for the first time two nights earlier and banged again Thursday night, time for some healing.
Andrei Soriano did a good job covering La Jolla's Charlie Gal initially. But then the 6'3" post for Madison made a few mistakes and visibly lost concentration, and Gal began to operate under the basket without much resistance on Soriano's part in the two teams' matchup Jan. 12.
The Madison forward, built big, wearing glasses and a man pigtail, scored one basket, then followed that with a right-handed jump hook over Gal in the lane to bring the Warhawks back to 15-8 after they trailed by as many as 10 in the first quarter Thursday night. The final went to La Jolla, 60-38.
Also providing opposition underneath for Coach Mike Stutz's squad were Derek Slider, a 6'2" senior, and Dontae Grady, coming in at about the same height. They alternated on the 6'5" Gal, meaning about 600 pounds were being used to try to wear down and fluster the solid La Jolla junior, who's got to weigh in at at least 200 pounds himself, though it's not listed on the team's MaxPreps roster.
Gal was fouled on an early attempt, and made two free throws. He was called for traveling midway through the opening period, a nasty habit he has to overcome. He, a short time later, drew another foul and made one of two charity tosses.
Late in the period, as if to answer Soriano's jump hook, Charlie scored on his patented back-in-then-swing-back-and-forth move from the right block below the basket. You can bet he practiced that a lot with his club team, and with Coach Paul Baranowski, over the past year. It's his bread and butter.
Soriano was basically done for the night, hardly being heard from again. The young man has athletic talent, but I think he just got frustrated in trying to cover his active counterpart. He shouldn't give up so easily.
Gal has a way of wearing on you, though, if you have to cover him. If he is on the left baseline, you know that he is going to fake toward the end line--or go ahead, if you give it to him--and swing into the lane for a shot. From the box on the opposite side of the lane, he is going to favor his right hand by going toward his left and banking the ball off the backboard.
Grady was the one who lost his temper in the third quarter after the Vikes' Nick Hammel accidentally slammed into him backwards, hitting him in the forehead and knocking him to the floor. Though it wasn't intended, the young man, understandably upset, let his mouth get the better of him and the referees ejected him when he cursed angrily and loudly at them twice within the span of a handful of seconds. That was too bad.
Stutz, though under control, came out onto the floor partway to discuss the play with the officials. But the incident served to rile up the Madison players a little, leading to the same referee who called the two technicals to talk to both teams about settling down. Baranowski said he felt the referees did a good job of managing the game.
The student athletes representing Clairemont hadn't been taking things lying down before that. Back in the first quarter, to set a tone, they had committed clean but physical fouls, first, on Gal, then on Reed Farley. The latter was by Slider.
These are good athletes, while maybe not being polished basketball players. Who is at age 16 or 17?
To the credit of the referees and Stutz, the Warhawk players didn't get out of control. They weren't mouthy. Daniel McColl of the Vikings afterward said that the Madison players were "handsy", by which he meant they made a lot of contact with their hands. But that isn't dirty basketball. But they weren't talking trash, despite the 22-point thrashing they suffered. It was more pure frustration.
Meanwhile, Gal headed for Matt Bridges' trainer's table at the far corner of the Big Gym in the third quarter. He went down with a painful left shin, lying on the playing surface with a grimace on his face, which is something you don't see Charlie do. The trainer taped a big bag of ice to his ankle as he lay on the table alongside the court throughout the fourth quarter. He looked pretty worn out, appropriate after the wear-and-tear he took from Soriano, Grady, and Slider.
The Vikings achieved a level of respect in the eyes of their opponents, winning decisively and clearly being the superior team on this night. Even the La Jolla reserves maintained the lead: Jacob Ohara, who's actually in the rotation, and Behzad Hashemi, who scored some points in closing minutes for the second straight game, as well as McClain Thiel and Garrett Brown. Madison couldn't make any headway against them, which has got to please Baranowski, attending a family wedding over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in Tucson.
Hashemi was rewarded for his productive pair of games in a cameo role by being added to the varsity the head coach maintains on maxpreps.com.
Farley's main assignment over the three-day break, given to him by Baranowski as the two began moving toward the exits Thursday night, was to limit his basketball activity to shooting. He's got to give his left arm, which he dislocated for the first time two nights earlier and banged again Thursday night, time for some healing.
LJ b BB: Eastern League hopes
By Ed Piper, Jr.
After last week's opening rough-and-tumble win by La Jolla over Hoover in the newly-configured Eastern League, I was ready to declare that, unreservedly, I thought the league was going to be a lot of fun.
Hoover, visiting La Jolla for the first time in a while, if ever, played their hearts out despite the loss and brought home the fact that conference play can carry an intensity that just doesn't exist in games that don't count in the standings like tournament games.
Reed Farley, talking after the win over the Cardinals while the Big Gym on campus emptied, said, "We know league play is different. It's more intense."
But after a second Eastern League win Jan. 12, this one by a wide margin over another new league opponent, Madison, I'm still willing to say it's going to be a fun ride--if you're a Viking fan, why not enjoy the wins?
But this more recent triumph was characterized by a near-20-point spread before the first half was complete. And the belligerent words--hey, my sensitivities weren't offended. After all, I taught Juvenile Court students for 20 years and heard every possible term aimed at me and others by young people who were upset, desperate, or who just didn't display appropriate people skills.
But the bubble of good feeling kind of burst. It just wasn't the feel-good atmosphere by the end of the game that existed in my head following the Hoover triumph.
The Eastern League still means good things for Coach Paul Baranowski's team: This is an environment in which the Vikings can excel. No more Cathedral Catholic's with recruited 7-footers. Ditto St. Augustine (both of which Farley could have chosen to attend if he had wanted to four years ago).
And Serra, now 17-0, should be a treat to play. The Q's have a new coach, and they burned up the pre-league part of the season and are doing so in early Eastern League play.
It's going to be a good year. Patrick Henry has Jason Bryant coaching, he of Lincoln glory fame. Maybe La Jolla can show that it does pay to stay home to play for your local school.
After last week's opening rough-and-tumble win by La Jolla over Hoover in the newly-configured Eastern League, I was ready to declare that, unreservedly, I thought the league was going to be a lot of fun.
Hoover, visiting La Jolla for the first time in a while, if ever, played their hearts out despite the loss and brought home the fact that conference play can carry an intensity that just doesn't exist in games that don't count in the standings like tournament games.
Reed Farley, talking after the win over the Cardinals while the Big Gym on campus emptied, said, "We know league play is different. It's more intense."
But after a second Eastern League win Jan. 12, this one by a wide margin over another new league opponent, Madison, I'm still willing to say it's going to be a fun ride--if you're a Viking fan, why not enjoy the wins?
But this more recent triumph was characterized by a near-20-point spread before the first half was complete. And the belligerent words--hey, my sensitivities weren't offended. After all, I taught Juvenile Court students for 20 years and heard every possible term aimed at me and others by young people who were upset, desperate, or who just didn't display appropriate people skills.
But the bubble of good feeling kind of burst. It just wasn't the feel-good atmosphere by the end of the game that existed in my head following the Hoover triumph.
The Eastern League still means good things for Coach Paul Baranowski's team: This is an environment in which the Vikings can excel. No more Cathedral Catholic's with recruited 7-footers. Ditto St. Augustine (both of which Farley could have chosen to attend if he had wanted to four years ago).
And Serra, now 17-0, should be a treat to play. The Q's have a new coach, and they burned up the pre-league part of the season and are doing so in early Eastern League play.
It's going to be a good year. Patrick Henry has Jason Bryant coaching, he of Lincoln glory fame. Maybe La Jolla can show that it does pay to stay home to play for your local school.
LJ b BB 60, Madison 38
By Ed Piper, Jr.
La Jolla's 10th-ranked boys basketball team slayed the dragon again, this time physical but overmatched Madison, as the Vikings won their 13th game in 15 tries, 60-38, in an Eastern League contest at home Thurs., Jan. 12. La Jolla is now 2-0 in league play.
On the night before Friday the 13th with wet conditions prevailing outside, Coach Paul Baranowski's contingent got out with only two injuries in the increasingly bruising battle: a twist of forward Charlie Gal's left ankle and a blow to captain Reed Farley's left arm, dislocated in the win over Bishop's two nights before.
The persistent Vikings, who have remained in the county's top ten since last month, again opened early leads, of 12-4 and 15-6, behind Farley and Gal.
Shooting guard Quinn Rawdin continued showing confidence, hitting a three on La Jolla's second possession. A new wrinkle was the action-figure activity of postman Daniel McColl, who showed a speeded-up mode and effective board work against the Warhawks' big men, Dontae Grady and others.
McColl, La Jolla's all-league linebacker, pounded in the first basket of the game on a putback. Then, two minutes later, he drew a foul hitting the boards again and sank both free throws. La Jolla led, 7-2.
The 6-2 senior then scored behind the defense on a touchdown-like pass from Farley the length of the court.
"I was more aggressive," McColl conceded after the game, though he couldn't attribute it to anything in particular. "They're (Madison) really 'handsy'--they get their hands on you a lot."
Later in the game, as Madison (0-3 in the Eastern League, 6-11 overall) saw the lead increase to 36-18 by halftime, and 20 points to begin the third quarter, frustration took over and the burly Grady was kicked out after dropping a pair of F-bombs following his being knocked to the floor in a rare play involving the Vikings' Nick Hammel.
Hammel, in going for a rebound, sprung backwards under La Jolla's basket and reverse head-butted the 6-2 Grady behind him.
The play wasn't intentional. When referees declined to call a foul on Hammel, the Warhawk player stood up and rapidly put his upset into words the officials weren't going to tolerate, and he was banished.
This occurred with four minutes left in the quarter. Shortly, the referees called a huddle with both teams under the basket and warned them on behavior.
"The concern (in lopsided games like this) is players who aren't used to playing," said Baranowski when asked about the potential for injury. "Players who play a lot don't play like that."
Comparing this bruising contest to a loss to Helix in the Hilltop Tournament early in December, the coach said, "With Helix, if they are allowed to be physical, they will beat you. The referees called this game tight, so it kept it in check."
"I went out on the floor," Baranowski explained about the testy third quarter. "I told the referees I would pull my players off and talk to them. But they said they were going to talk to both teams."
La Jolla's 10th-ranked boys basketball team slayed the dragon again, this time physical but overmatched Madison, as the Vikings won their 13th game in 15 tries, 60-38, in an Eastern League contest at home Thurs., Jan. 12. La Jolla is now 2-0 in league play.
On the night before Friday the 13th with wet conditions prevailing outside, Coach Paul Baranowski's contingent got out with only two injuries in the increasingly bruising battle: a twist of forward Charlie Gal's left ankle and a blow to captain Reed Farley's left arm, dislocated in the win over Bishop's two nights before.
The persistent Vikings, who have remained in the county's top ten since last month, again opened early leads, of 12-4 and 15-6, behind Farley and Gal.
Shooting guard Quinn Rawdin continued showing confidence, hitting a three on La Jolla's second possession. A new wrinkle was the action-figure activity of postman Daniel McColl, who showed a speeded-up mode and effective board work against the Warhawks' big men, Dontae Grady and others.
McColl, La Jolla's all-league linebacker, pounded in the first basket of the game on a putback. Then, two minutes later, he drew a foul hitting the boards again and sank both free throws. La Jolla led, 7-2.
The 6-2 senior then scored behind the defense on a touchdown-like pass from Farley the length of the court.
"I was more aggressive," McColl conceded after the game, though he couldn't attribute it to anything in particular. "They're (Madison) really 'handsy'--they get their hands on you a lot."
Later in the game, as Madison (0-3 in the Eastern League, 6-11 overall) saw the lead increase to 36-18 by halftime, and 20 points to begin the third quarter, frustration took over and the burly Grady was kicked out after dropping a pair of F-bombs following his being knocked to the floor in a rare play involving the Vikings' Nick Hammel.
Hammel, in going for a rebound, sprung backwards under La Jolla's basket and reverse head-butted the 6-2 Grady behind him.
The play wasn't intentional. When referees declined to call a foul on Hammel, the Warhawk player stood up and rapidly put his upset into words the officials weren't going to tolerate, and he was banished.
This occurred with four minutes left in the quarter. Shortly, the referees called a huddle with both teams under the basket and warned them on behavior.
"The concern (in lopsided games like this) is players who aren't used to playing," said Baranowski when asked about the potential for injury. "Players who play a lot don't play like that."
Comparing this bruising contest to a loss to Helix in the Hilltop Tournament early in December, the coach said, "With Helix, if they are allowed to be physical, they will beat you. The referees called this game tight, so it kept it in check."
"I went out on the floor," Baranowski explained about the testy third quarter. "I told the referees I would pull my players off and talk to them. But they said they were going to talk to both teams."
Thursday, January 12, 2017
LJ b BB: Farley nominated
By Ed Piper, Jr.
There it is: "Reed Farley, La Jolla Country Day School."
Listed as a nominee to be a McDonald's high school all-American in basketball, the 6-foot-4 senior is a rare breed. In the 13 school years since my granddaughter Alexis enrolled at La Jolla High and I began taking photos of her and her cheer teammates--and the games they cheered at--no other LJHS basketball player has received the attention, and deservedly so, that the Viking point guard is receiving this season.
It's just the LJCDS thing. As Reed's father Dan said in an email, "The school designation". Like--yuck.
I used to get irritated when I would talk with sports people in San Diego, and they would say, "Oh, La Jolla. You mean La Jolla Country Day?"
NO in capital letters.
But over the years, I've reconciled with the fact that the local private school is prominent in high school sports, and people across the county recognize the institution.
That isn't so much a knock on La Jolla High, the local public school, as it is a compliment to the Torrey sports program. Athletic Director Jeff Hutzler and his colleagues have worked hard to build LJCDS's reputation.
And face it, private schools have a little more leeway to draw students than most public schools. There's the free tuition they can offer a prospective student. What can La Jolla High, renowned for its academics, offer a potential student athlete? "Hey, you can come here free, like everyone else, and excel in the subjects of your choice."
It doesn't have the same ring to it.
So, LJHS still is better known for tennis, and track, and--umm, maybe some other sports like water polo and swimming, than for basketball.
But Farley, an engaging personality who truly likes people and whose classmates at school like and are turning out in high numbers to watch him and his hoop mates, tells anyone willing to listen that he chose to stay home and play for little ol' La Jolla High School. Not La Jolla Country Day School.
His father, in private, will discreetly add that Reed, with the family's support, turned down the Foothills Christian's and Cathedral Catholic's (his family moves in church circles with Don families), and other schools in the process.
Imagine him playing in the Under Armour Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High over the winter break with Jaylen Hands on Foothills Christian. It would have been phenomenal. We're lucky to have him.
There it is: "Reed Farley, La Jolla Country Day School."
Listed as a nominee to be a McDonald's high school all-American in basketball, the 6-foot-4 senior is a rare breed. In the 13 school years since my granddaughter Alexis enrolled at La Jolla High and I began taking photos of her and her cheer teammates--and the games they cheered at--no other LJHS basketball player has received the attention, and deservedly so, that the Viking point guard is receiving this season.
It's just the LJCDS thing. As Reed's father Dan said in an email, "The school designation". Like--yuck.
I used to get irritated when I would talk with sports people in San Diego, and they would say, "Oh, La Jolla. You mean La Jolla Country Day?"
NO in capital letters.
But over the years, I've reconciled with the fact that the local private school is prominent in high school sports, and people across the county recognize the institution.
That isn't so much a knock on La Jolla High, the local public school, as it is a compliment to the Torrey sports program. Athletic Director Jeff Hutzler and his colleagues have worked hard to build LJCDS's reputation.
And face it, private schools have a little more leeway to draw students than most public schools. There's the free tuition they can offer a prospective student. What can La Jolla High, renowned for its academics, offer a potential student athlete? "Hey, you can come here free, like everyone else, and excel in the subjects of your choice."
It doesn't have the same ring to it.
So, LJHS still is better known for tennis, and track, and--umm, maybe some other sports like water polo and swimming, than for basketball.
But Farley, an engaging personality who truly likes people and whose classmates at school like and are turning out in high numbers to watch him and his hoop mates, tells anyone willing to listen that he chose to stay home and play for little ol' La Jolla High School. Not La Jolla Country Day School.
His father, in private, will discreetly add that Reed, with the family's support, turned down the Foothills Christian's and Cathedral Catholic's (his family moves in church circles with Don families), and other schools in the process.
Imagine him playing in the Under Armour Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High over the winter break with Jaylen Hands on Foothills Christian. It would have been phenomenal. We're lucky to have him.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
LJ cross country: Coach McCarthy
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Coach Robert McCarthy influenced a lot of young people's lives for the better.
At the memorial service for the long-time running coach at La Jolla High and other high schools January 4, several of McCarthy's former athletes turned out to honor him.
Andrew Farkas, a standout runner for the Vikings during his prep days, spoke with feeling when he said, "Many coaches and athletes are too focused on winning. He (Coach McCarthy) said, 'I'd rather have you five percent over-trained than 10 percent under-trained.' He helped me survive a college sports career."
In an emotional service held in the sanctuary of La Jolla United Methodist Church, attended by hundreds of friends and former neighbors, as well as McCarthy's former runners, several people also shared humorous quotes about the unique, often-frank individual, who fought a battle with cancer.
His athletes fondly remembered his offering them room-temperature YooHoo chocolate milk or soft drinks out of his car after hard runs.
Tom Atwell, long-time water polo and swim coach at La Jolla High, told a hilarious story of taking McCarthy to a Starbuck's for the first time on a sports team road trip. "He wasn't for frills. He had never been to Starbuck's," Atwell said. "'I just want a coffee,' he said. I said, 'You can get coffee here.' There was a tall (size). He said, 'I don't need that much.' There was grande. He said, 'From my Spanish, I know that's a lot. I don't need that much.' And venti--I didn't even want to go there."
Atwell, along with his humorous portrait of his fellow coach, emphasized his humanity and authenticity. "Coach McCarthy had a great impact on me. On the pool deck, just the way he was when he talked to you, you knew he was talking to you. His interest was sincere."
Mark Albers, a former neighbor, said, "A whole row of us are here who were Robert's neighbors." Albers said that when his wife Cindy bore their first son, McCarthy honored them by bringing over cigars.
LJ b BB: Backburner
Thiel just moments before his
bank shot to beat the shot
clock (see below).
(Photos by Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
There was some kidding that went on after La Jolla's 70-45 blowout win at Bishop's Jan. 10.
Coach Paul Baranowski walked up to guard Quinn Rawdin, who was being interviewed by a reporter, and told him, "Behzad (Hashemi) says you can have his JV uniform."
Then, addressing the reporter, the La Jolla coach said with a wry grin, "But I'll deny it if anyone asks."
Such can be the light atmosphere after yet another one of the Vikings' 12 wins in 14 outings so far this season. Part of the joke was that Hashemi normally plays for the La Jolla junior varsity, so he really does have a JV uniform.
Only, the likelihood is that the 5-10 guard will still being using it, despite his cameo appearance for Baranowski's varsity against the Knights in the fourth quarter.
The quick guard, who at times has popped up on the Vikings' varsity earlier this season, made the most of his five minutes of fame, making a pair of free throws with 4:20 left to atone for having the ball stolen by Justin Woodley of Bishop's, then fouling him to give the burly senior a three-point play. That had narrowed the visitors' lead to only 16 from a high of 24, and Reed Farley was out injured, so there was no help coming from there.
Behzad's lightning layup.
Hashemi juked his defender at one point, which thrilled the easily-pleased LJHS student section. Behzad also drilled two more free throws at 2:26, then drove for a layup at 1:52 for a secure 68-45 lead.
The "blackout" crowd then went crazy when Garrett Brown, who has dropped in the rotation, made a basket with 31 seconds left.
Another ecstasy moment for the reserves was McClain Thiel's jumper as the shot clock ran out just before the three-minute mark. Thiel and Brown had only been inserted by Baranowski late in the third quarter. On his jumper from the right elbow just inside the arc, McClain banked it off the backboard as if he intended it that way. The Viking fans jumped in elation as the 35-second buzzer sounded while the ball went in.
(Check the photo above. It looks like Thiel was fouled before he took the shot, but no call was made.)
Rawdin agreed he felt a lot more comfortable shooting, making a trio of three-pointers against the Knights. He added a steal and basket, as well as a driving basket, the latter which he had shown earlier in the season.
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