By Ed Piper, Jr.
Keyboarding a few thoughts early on a Monday morning in the Valley of the Sun, the first week of Cactus League play, there are so many things that have already transpired.
Watching Giants World Series legend Madison Bumgarner hurl his first inning of the year was a highlight Fri., Feb. 24, in the opening game of Spring Training West. (You see one of this year's logos a lot, featuring the "West" theme for Phoenix/Tempe, alongside the "East" with an arrow to the right representing the Grapefruit League in Florida.)
The lefty, though, got shelled--so to speak--in his one inning of work. The Reds touched the 2014 World Series hero up for two runs in the top of the first inning, though I doubt that Bumgarner really cared.
When your arm is worth $8 million a year, you take care of it like gold and stick to a pretty regimented throwing schedule that pays no attention to results the first inning of a practice game.
Yesterday, at the Indians' Spring Training complex in Goodyear, Arizona--a half hour west of Phoenix on the Interstate 10--I was able to watch nifty shortstop Jose Lindor participate in morning fielding practice.
A Cleveland fan, retired, ran through some of the names of the Tribe infielders that I might recognize from last fall's World Series. Lindor was using some kind of funny fielder's glove, predominantly white on the normally-brown leather mitt. He also appeared to have a tiny glove in his arsenal, which he uses possibly to challenge himself more to fine-tune his glovework. I'm not sure.
The Ohio retiree alongside me behind the fence said he was staying in the area two months. I was salivating. I've lengthened my annual stay at Spring Training to six days, Thursday to Tuesday. When I first began coming in 1994, the year after I moved to San Diego, I only spent a long weekend here.
I asked my fellow baseball enthusiast why the two months--to watch baseball? "To get out of Cleveland," he said, warming to the topic (pun intended). What is the temperature back home right now? "28 degrees," he said.
I have to realize sometimes who I'm talking to. In a faux pas earlier in my stay, I was recounting to another gentleman how last year at Sloan Park, the Cubs' facility, "I had never seen so many Chicagoans in shorts, with untanned legs, wearing dress shoes and dark socks." Something like that.
My fellow conversationalist, looking down at his attire and untanned appearance: "I'm from (Chicago or Illinois.)" I was laughing at myself. Of course I was talking to a Cubbie fan who fit the very description I gave!
Monday, February 27, 2017
LJ b soccer: Quarterfinal spotlight
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Before La Jolla's CIF quarterfinal playoff game at home against Helix, Highlander coach Joaquin Huertero knew his squad had their hands full.
"We don't know (much about the Vikings)," said Huertero Friday morning, Feb. 24, before the 5 p.m. game. "We know they have some guys up front we'll have to deal with."
Those "guys up front" include Lukas Keeling, a U.S. Soccer Academy veteran, and Andrew Estrella, among others. Keeling favors his left foot, Estrella his right.
Plus "we're a young team", said Huertero, whose squad defeated Gompers 1-0 in overtime in the first round Tues., Feb. 21, on a sudden-death "golden goal". "We only have four seniors at the moment. We have four freshmen," including starting goalkeeper Joey Luna, who has performed well.
The fourth-year head coach at Helix, his 14th year coaching in the Highlander program, said his seniors have taken responsibility for showing their underclassmen teammates the way. "The seniors do a good job of policing the younger players," said Huertero, in an interesting choice of words.
Exercising leadership are senior Eduardo Barrios, a center back on defense, and Jorge Grijalva, who is actually a sophomore.
"I would say (Grijalva) is a sophomore who is vocal. He's mainly a utility player. He'll play wherever we need him."
Of his team overall, as the ninth seed in the Division 3 bracket to the top seed of La Jolla, the CIF Division 4 defending champion, Huertero said, "I would say the technical ability we possess as a group (is a team strength). We're not big, but most of the guys are pretty crafty with the ball.
"Their soccer IQ is high."
In the course of the phone interview, after a reporter told Huertero that his last name meant "orchard worker" in Spanish (huerta, orchard, and -ero the masculine form of the ending meaning "of the orchard"), he seemed a bit surprised and caught off-guard, but acknowledged that was the correct meaning of his surname.
He probably had not encountered too many sports reporters, white or Latino, who could accurately parse the meaning of his last name.
Before La Jolla's CIF quarterfinal playoff game at home against Helix, Highlander coach Joaquin Huertero knew his squad had their hands full.
"We don't know (much about the Vikings)," said Huertero Friday morning, Feb. 24, before the 5 p.m. game. "We know they have some guys up front we'll have to deal with."
Those "guys up front" include Lukas Keeling, a U.S. Soccer Academy veteran, and Andrew Estrella, among others. Keeling favors his left foot, Estrella his right.
Plus "we're a young team", said Huertero, whose squad defeated Gompers 1-0 in overtime in the first round Tues., Feb. 21, on a sudden-death "golden goal". "We only have four seniors at the moment. We have four freshmen," including starting goalkeeper Joey Luna, who has performed well.
The fourth-year head coach at Helix, his 14th year coaching in the Highlander program, said his seniors have taken responsibility for showing their underclassmen teammates the way. "The seniors do a good job of policing the younger players," said Huertero, in an interesting choice of words.
Exercising leadership are senior Eduardo Barrios, a center back on defense, and Jorge Grijalva, who is actually a sophomore.
"I would say (Grijalva) is a sophomore who is vocal. He's mainly a utility player. He'll play wherever we need him."
Of his team overall, as the ninth seed in the Division 3 bracket to the top seed of La Jolla, the CIF Division 4 defending champion, Huertero said, "I would say the technical ability we possess as a group (is a team strength). We're not big, but most of the guys are pretty crafty with the ball.
"Their soccer IQ is high."
In the course of the phone interview, after a reporter told Huertero that his last name meant "orchard worker" in Spanish (huerta, orchard, and -ero the masculine form of the ending meaning "of the orchard"), he seemed a bit surprised and caught off-guard, but acknowledged that was the correct meaning of his surname.
He probably had not encountered too many sports reporters, white or Latino, who could accurately parse the meaning of his last name.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
LJ b soccer 3, Helix 3 (LJ won on penalty kicks)
Senior Takumi Nishikawa got a replacement
penalty kick that helped forge La Jolla's
4-3 win over Helix in the CIF
quarterfinals.
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Tai Nguyen called out to the referees that Helix's goalkeeper was out of position when Viking Takumi Nishikawa's penalty kick failed.
The officials gave the senior Nishikawa another chance, and he made good on his replacement kick.
Meanwhile, defensively, after Takumi's kick kept La Jolla's skein perfect in netting their first four penalty kicks after overtime in the CIF Division 3 semifinal playoff game, Nguyen, the Vikings' senior keeper, stopped the Highlanders' fourth and fifth kicks to secure the win.
"It was an intense game," said Viking forward Andrew Estrella.
Coach Marcos Gonzales's squad, the defending CIF Division 4 champion, held a 2-1 edge after a half, but things were tied at 3 at the end of two halves. It took two overtimes before the penalty kick phase kicked into play.
The Vikings advanced with a bye in the first round to the semifinal game on the strength of their top seed in the playoff bracket. Helix, under Coach Joaquin Huertero, was the ninth seed. The Highlanders defeated Gompers 1-0 Tues., Feb. 21, on a "golden goal" (sudden death) in overtime.
Spring Training: Opening parry
By Ed Piper, Jr.
First stories from the Cactus League in Phoenix have to include my experience at the "crack house", what I call the first hotel I checked into off Black Canyon Highway--it was a pit.
But anecdotes from the abyss will have to await more time at the new-hotel computer keyboard. Right now I'm rushing off a quick story on La Jolla boys soccer before speeding to Sloan Park in Mesa, where the Cubbies train.
I hit Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers' and White Sox complex for Spring Training here in Phoenix, Friday morning, Feb. 24, on my first day (on three hours of sleep at the wannabe-crack house).
Then, after that quick glimpse of Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Sergio Romo, and the rest of the Dodger pitching staff doing situation fielding drills, I sped across the Valley of the Sun for the opening game of the Cactus League: the Giants playing host to the lowly Reds at Scottsdale Stadium.
Today, Sat., Feb. 25, I watch the A's play the World Series champion Cubbies in a 1 p.m. game. More to come.
First stories from the Cactus League in Phoenix have to include my experience at the "crack house", what I call the first hotel I checked into off Black Canyon Highway--it was a pit.
But anecdotes from the abyss will have to await more time at the new-hotel computer keyboard. Right now I'm rushing off a quick story on La Jolla boys soccer before speeding to Sloan Park in Mesa, where the Cubbies train.
I hit Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers' and White Sox complex for Spring Training here in Phoenix, Friday morning, Feb. 24, on my first day (on three hours of sleep at the wannabe-crack house).
Then, after that quick glimpse of Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Sergio Romo, and the rest of the Dodger pitching staff doing situation fielding drills, I sped across the Valley of the Sun for the opening game of the Cactus League: the Giants playing host to the lowly Reds at Scottsdale Stadium.
Today, Sat., Feb. 25, I watch the A's play the World Series champion Cubbies in a 1 p.m. game. More to come.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
LJ b BB: Postgame chatter
Nick Hammel (12) is a blur not totally due to
his quick movement in the second quarter
vs. Valhalla: The point-and-shoot is a bit
over-matched by the Big Gym's lighting.
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Reserve Garrett Brown scored a bucket underneath. This was at the midpoint of the second quarter.
Forward Daniel McColl followed with a lunch pail putback: earned "the old-fashioned way".
La Jolla's basketball team, down 20-7 in its first-round playoff game to guest Valhalla only a short time before, now trailed a little less, by nine.
These were the beginning of the Vikings' resuscitation, getting off the floor in their opening CIF action.
The fact Brown was on the floor was significant. Coach Paul Baranowski has used the friendly senior at times to bring some new energy, to break the spell of whatever may be holding its power over a La Jolla offense in the doldrums.
As Baranowski said the next day, "We played well on defense. We didn't play so well on offense."
Another sign something was different at that juncture in the sudden-death contest was the presence of Jacob Duffy: The 6-foot sophomore aggressively drove to the hoop, and his shot was blocked--something that happened more than once with the Norsemen's 6'5" Malique Shaw in the area for the evening.
Duffy was recently promoted to the varsity when Baranowski phased out the freshman team, moved those players up to the junior varsity, and began suiting up Duffy and other JV teammates for the varsity games as well. (Stated reason: an unexpected number of "injuries", including Reed Farley's ACL tear.)
Shaw, a rough gem on offense who has good leaping ability and swatted a few of Charlie Gal's shots, was one of the more effective parts of the Valhalla attack. Another was guard Kai Komaki, who potted a trio of three-pointers in the first half.
Baranowski, likewise, had inserted Duffy in the second quarter, giving starter Jacob Ohara a break.
Jacob D. (sounds like a rapper--now we have two Jacob's on varsity) had the next word, driving down the lane and throwing the ball on a high bank off the backboard to score, whittling the scoreboard tally even more, to 20-13.
The flow of the game didn't change instantly.
Daniel McColl made a steal, but then instead of throwing the ball down court--which Baranowski, impassioned on the sideline, pantomimed after the play--he threw it across court and out of bounds. Turnover, cancelled out by another turnover.
Shortly, guard Nick Hammel tried a jumper and missed. But Shaw, reaching over while rebounding the shot, was called for an over-the-back foul.
McColl put up a jumper. It was off-target.
Hammel, showing healthy aggressiveness, drove and was fouled with 43.5 seconds left in the half. He missed both free throws.
Brown, still in and working hard, was fouled and missed the front end of a one-plus-one.
Duffy, a little high energy as a recent promotee to the varsity but showing good effect, turned the ball over with 12.1 left.
Hammel committed a personal at :07.9. The half ended that way, the Vikings trailing 20-13.
Right after halftime, Quinn Rawdin's two treys brought La Jolla up to 20-19, and it was a whole new ballgame.
LJ b BB: From the Vikings' side
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Told that Canyon Crest coach Brian Baum indicated he didn't know much about La Jolla for their upcoming playoff game, La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski responded, "Don't believe him. He knows all about us. Don't let him fool you. He's a good coach, and he knows what he's doing."
As for his stable of talent following the Vikings' 44-41 overtime first-round win over Valhalla Wed., Feb. 22, the coach was blunt: "I think (Charlie Gal) needs to work harder. I don't think he's working enough.
"I think he's being careful since coming back from his injury (high ankle sprain a month ago).
"He's not a guy to bounce the ball and pound it in. He isn't doing the things he was doing before," said Baranowski, when earlier in the season Gal was averaging 17 points a game.
With Reed Farley out, "Everybody is trying to fill the vacuum," said Baranowski, in his 37th year of coaching, fifth at the helm at La Jolla. "The guy who did that last night was Nick Hammel.
"We need everyone to fill the vacuum every night, not one guy, then another guy.
"Daniel McColl needs to score more for us, since Charlie isn't scoring." The senior forward pulled down multiple key rebounds and sank clutch free throws at the end of overtime.
"Quinn (Rawdin) needs to be a playmaker for us."
Baranowski talked about Hammel's steadiness: "He doesn't get too excited. He doesn't celebrate too much when things go well. He doesn't get discouraged when we get down.
"If everyone was like that, we'd be in great shape."
Regarding Rawdin, who hit some threes from outside, "If he had half the confidence in himself that his teammates have in him, he'd be taking 20 to 30 shots a game."
Looking ahead to the CCA matchup Sat., Feb. 25, at CCA at 7 p.m., the coach opined, "We got our hands full. We'll have a plan for us. We'll disguise some things so they don't know everything we're doing. We'll adjust according to what happens in the game."
La Jolla is the eighth seed, CCA the top seed in the CIF Division II playoffs.
Told that Canyon Crest coach Brian Baum indicated he didn't know much about La Jolla for their upcoming playoff game, La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski responded, "Don't believe him. He knows all about us. Don't let him fool you. He's a good coach, and he knows what he's doing."
As for his stable of talent following the Vikings' 44-41 overtime first-round win over Valhalla Wed., Feb. 22, the coach was blunt: "I think (Charlie Gal) needs to work harder. I don't think he's working enough.
"I think he's being careful since coming back from his injury (high ankle sprain a month ago).
"He's not a guy to bounce the ball and pound it in. He isn't doing the things he was doing before," said Baranowski, when earlier in the season Gal was averaging 17 points a game.
With Reed Farley out, "Everybody is trying to fill the vacuum," said Baranowski, in his 37th year of coaching, fifth at the helm at La Jolla. "The guy who did that last night was Nick Hammel.
"We need everyone to fill the vacuum every night, not one guy, then another guy.
"Daniel McColl needs to score more for us, since Charlie isn't scoring." The senior forward pulled down multiple key rebounds and sank clutch free throws at the end of overtime.
"Quinn (Rawdin) needs to be a playmaker for us."
Baranowski talked about Hammel's steadiness: "He doesn't get too excited. He doesn't celebrate too much when things go well. He doesn't get discouraged when we get down.
"If everyone was like that, we'd be in great shape."
Regarding Rawdin, who hit some threes from outside, "If he had half the confidence in himself that his teammates have in him, he'd be taking 20 to 30 shots a game."
Looking ahead to the CCA matchup Sat., Feb. 25, at CCA at 7 p.m., the coach opined, "We got our hands full. We'll have a plan for us. We'll disguise some things so they don't know everything we're doing. We'll adjust according to what happens in the game."
La Jolla is the eighth seed, CCA the top seed in the CIF Division II playoffs.
LJ b BB: Second round preview
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Canyon Crest Academy coach Brian Baum was about to go get lunch and watch some film to prepare for La Jolla in the two team's CIF Division 2 boys basketball second-round playoff game Sat., Feb. 25.
"I haven't seen them since early in the season," said Baum, who doubles as Athletic Director at CCA, where the 7 p.m. tilt will be held. "So I'll watch some film and try to figure it out, and hopefully have a plan by the time we practice."
The Ravens, the number one seed in Division 2, smoked Del Norte, 63-30, in the first round. But it didn't come without a struggle.
"We didn't play well in the first half. We were down. You miss a few shots," and things went south.
"Like you say, you're working with high school students."
"Don't know" why the team came out flat, Baum said, when asked the reasons for CCA's slow start.
But the Ravens played well in the second half, limiting their opponents to eight points.
CCA is benefiting from that new wave in high school sports called transfers: Jakob Travis from Torrey Pines, and Sam Crespy from La Costa Canyon. "It's (we've) been fairly consistent through the season," said Baum, returning a call during the regular school day Thursday. "After the New Year we have had (these two) getting eligible."
Travis, a 6'4" senior, bucketed 13 points in the win.
Team leaders? Definitely Ryan Michaels and MJ Metz. "MJ is kind of our vocal leader," said Baum. He's a 6'5" junior. "(Michaels) is more quiet. He leads by example." He's a 6'2" senior captain.
CCA lives in a tough neighborhood. The Ravens have to vie in the Avocado West League with Torrey Pines, which swept its conference schedule with an 11-0 record. The Ravens were a very good but distant 7-3. La Costa Canyon is also an Avocado West member.
Canyon Crest Academy coach Brian Baum was about to go get lunch and watch some film to prepare for La Jolla in the two team's CIF Division 2 boys basketball second-round playoff game Sat., Feb. 25.
"I haven't seen them since early in the season," said Baum, who doubles as Athletic Director at CCA, where the 7 p.m. tilt will be held. "So I'll watch some film and try to figure it out, and hopefully have a plan by the time we practice."
The Ravens, the number one seed in Division 2, smoked Del Norte, 63-30, in the first round. But it didn't come without a struggle.
"We didn't play well in the first half. We were down. You miss a few shots," and things went south.
"Like you say, you're working with high school students."
"Don't know" why the team came out flat, Baum said, when asked the reasons for CCA's slow start.
But the Ravens played well in the second half, limiting their opponents to eight points.
CCA is benefiting from that new wave in high school sports called transfers: Jakob Travis from Torrey Pines, and Sam Crespy from La Costa Canyon. "It's (we've) been fairly consistent through the season," said Baum, returning a call during the regular school day Thursday. "After the New Year we have had (these two) getting eligible."
Travis, a 6'4" senior, bucketed 13 points in the win.
Team leaders? Definitely Ryan Michaels and MJ Metz. "MJ is kind of our vocal leader," said Baum. He's a 6'5" junior. "(Michaels) is more quiet. He leads by example." He's a 6'2" senior captain.
CCA lives in a tough neighborhood. The Ravens have to vie in the Avocado West League with Torrey Pines, which swept its conference schedule with an 11-0 record. The Ravens were a very good but distant 7-3. La Costa Canyon is also an Avocado West member.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
LJ b BB 44, Valhalla 41 (OT)
Senior Daniel McColl puts up one of his key
free throws at the end of overtime to help
stave off Valhalla, 44-41. (Ed Piper photo)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Senior Daniel McColl, facing the end of his high school career, twice secured key rebounds at the end of overtime after Charlie Gal put La Jolla ahead with clutch free throws as the Vikings came back to edge visiting Valhalla, 44-41, in a first-round CIF Division 2 basketball playoff game Wed., Feb. 22.
McColl, a veteran 6'2" forward better known on campus for his football prowess, leaped high to snag Gal's missed free throw. Gal had put the Vikings ahead 42-41 by making the first of a pair. The Norsemen were forced to foul McColl to stop the clock with 20.8 seconds left.
McColl made the first of a one-and-one, La Jolla now leading by two.
Then, missing the second free throw, the senior--headed to Stanford next fall academically, not to play sports--maniacally grabbed his own rebound. Again, Valhalla was forced to foul to avoid the clock running down. There were 18 seconds on the clock.
Daniel repeated in making the first of a one-and-one for a three-point lead, and the Norsemen were only able to put up a weak air ball in the remaining seconds.
Said La Jolla assistant Hugh Demiral, a veteran of the European Pro League, "In a playoff, it's all about desire." McColl certainly showed that.
Prior to Gal's free throw for 42-41, he had knocked down a pair of charity tosses for a 41-39 La Jolla lead with 1:47 left. Then at the other end, guard Jacob Ohara made a spectacular defensive play by tipping a pass inside to Valhalla's Malique Shaw away into La Jolla's possession.
Gal was whistled for his fourth personal foul, all since halftime, with 2:06 left. On the play a minute and a half later that led to his free throw for the lead at 42-41, he drove in the lane and conceivably could have been called for a charging foul, which would have been his fifth and given the ball to the Norsemen.
In the last minute in regulation time, senior Nick Hammel hit a three-pointer that brought the hosts back to tie at 36, after La Jolla worked through the offense for an open shot. Valhalla turned the ball over with four seconds left to send the playoff game into overtime.
La Jolla, the eighth seed, trailed Valhalla, seeded ninth, early on in the first-round contest despite enjoying home court advantage. The Vikings found themselves down midway through the second quarter, 20-7.
Senior guard Kai Komaki hit a trio of threes for the orange-clad visitors in the first half.
Coach Paul Baranowski tried to shake things up and inject some life by inserting sophomore Jacob Duffy and senior reserve Garrett Brown, as well as McClain Thiel, another senior.
La Jolla trailed at halftime, 20-13. The Vikes battled to lead 25-23 after three quarters, powered by two threes by Quinn Rawdin to start the second half.
A silly foul by the Norsemen's Ty Schimke on Ohara with under six minutes left in the third quarter could have been the difference in regulation time. As Ohara rushed up court with the ball, the junior defender reached out and pulled Ohara's jersey to hold him back. That was a foul.
But instead of letting it go at that, in his frustration he then gave Ohara a light push, and the officials called a flagrant foul. That awarded Ohara two free throws, instead of the ball merely out of bounds. Jacob made both.
From trailing 22-19, La Jolla now trailed only 22-21. When the Vikings were also awarded the ball out of bounds, McColl made a nice jump hook in the lane. Bingo, the Vikings led, 23-22. They only trailed once again, at 36-33, before Hammel made his clutch jumper to tie.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
LJ g water polo: Quarterfinal preview
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Coach Amy Jennings says her sophomores, Katy Koening and Jensine Bugelli, "really need to step up" in La Jolla's semifinal matchup against second-seed Carlsbad in the CIF Open Division playoffs Wed., Feb. 22.
"Other teams are starting to leave them open," said Jennings, the first-year coach of the second-seed Vikings (25-3). "In fact, in practice today (Feb. 21) I'm going to call them out and tell them. They can't rely on our seniors, Karli Canale and Ciara Franke, anymore.
"No more hiding out."
Jennings, who kept her head coaching job at Miramar College when she added her new duties at La Jolla High this winter, saw the Vikings' 15-5 quarterfinal win over Westview from both sides.
The former Orange Glen prep standout previously coached the Wolverines.
"I know all of the girls on that side," said Jennings, "so it was kind of hard. I wanted them to do well.
"All the years I coached Westview, we could never get to the level of La Jolla and Bishop's. They played well."
On La Jolla's present state of mind, the veteran coach said, "We had a good win over Westview. We needed to have a good win after two losses in a row to end the regular season.
"As far as I know, we're going to come out with a fresh outlook and surprise people tomorrow."
Coach Amy Jennings says her sophomores, Katy Koening and Jensine Bugelli, "really need to step up" in La Jolla's semifinal matchup against second-seed Carlsbad in the CIF Open Division playoffs Wed., Feb. 22.
"Other teams are starting to leave them open," said Jennings, the first-year coach of the second-seed Vikings (25-3). "In fact, in practice today (Feb. 21) I'm going to call them out and tell them. They can't rely on our seniors, Karli Canale and Ciara Franke, anymore.
"No more hiding out."
Jennings, who kept her head coaching job at Miramar College when she added her new duties at La Jolla High this winter, saw the Vikings' 15-5 quarterfinal win over Westview from both sides.
The former Orange Glen prep standout previously coached the Wolverines.
"I know all of the girls on that side," said Jennings, "so it was kind of hard. I wanted them to do well.
"All the years I coached Westview, we could never get to the level of La Jolla and Bishop's. They played well."
On La Jolla's present state of mind, the veteran coach said, "We had a good win over Westview. We needed to have a good win after two losses in a row to end the regular season.
"As far as I know, we're going to come out with a fresh outlook and surprise people tomorrow."
LJ b BB: First-round opponent
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Looking at the season of Valhalla, La Jolla's opponent in a CIF Division 2 first-round playoff game Wed., Jan. 22, one thinks of "Rich Man, Poor Man."
Or: sticking your head into the blades of a chipper machine.
First, as seems to have been their practice of the last few years under head coach Keith Jackson, who has been at the helm since 2006, the Norsemen clocked their December opponents by playing down a bit and entering tournaments in the South Bay against lesser teams.
In doing so this season, Valhalla won the San Ysidro Cougar Classic, beating the host school on its home court 71-56, and the Montgomery Aztec Holiday Classic.
At one point, the Norsemen, behind seniors Kai Komaki, a 5'9" scorer, and Malique Shaw, a 6'4" rebounder/shot-blocker, as well as Ramzi Sultan and Evan O'Neill, had a 13-game winning streak early in the season.
They stood at 16-2 and looked on paper like world-beaters.
Then the "poor man" part clicked into gear; the chipper action came into play.
Valhalla returned home to play in the Grossmont Hills League after the New Year, and quickly dropped all but one of its conference games, going 1-7 to Helix's 8-0.
In fact, Jackson's squad had the unenviable task of facing the Highlanders, newly equipped in January with Mater Dei transfer Miles Norris, a 6'9" power forward. Norris, whom La Jolla didn't have to face when the two teams met in December, is rated four stars (out of five by national prep rating services).
Needless to say, Komaki, Shaw, Sultan, O'Neill and their teammates--earlier having enjoyed so much success in the December tournament season--were no match, losing both games to Helix.
The Norsemen's one win in the Grossmont Hills League appears to have been a 58-54 upset of Grossmont to end the regular season, after the league race was basically decided. Against the Hillers, a mediocre team at 4-5 in league, 13-15 overall, Komaki sparkled with 26 points, adding four rebounds and four assists.
Shaw recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.
Junior Ty Schimke, not to be confused with his older brother Trey, who graduated last year, scored 24 points, with four assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
Sultan grabbed seven rebounds, adding two blocks, an assist, and a steal.
Micah Campos collected four rebounds, three assists, and a blocked shot.
Austin Pola had two rebounds and one steal in a limited role.
For the Vikings, one thinks of all the yoga sessions Coach Paul Baranowski had his players take part in last year. They need to somehow bring a new outlook to the gym for Wednesday's match-up, different from the locked-down one they had after the Scripps Ranch disaster last Friday. Even Reed Farley, on crutches, was muttering. He's not coming back to save his teammates.
The two first-round opponents have both experienced a before-and-after split this season, for different reasons. The Vikings went 10-1 through December's tournaments, started league play, then lost Reed Farley, a key player, to an ACL injury Jan. 24.
Last year, La Jolla went through a similar tournament-success-then-crash a la Valhalla's current season, because the Vikings still played in the Western League and were crushed by private-school opponents Cathedral Catholic (the first game after the New Year, after over a week without practice) and St. Augustine.
Now, this year, with the equity approach newly leading to re-leaguing by recent performance, instead of the long-time traditional standard of school enrollment, the Vikings were looking forward to playing Eastern League opponents much more in their sphere of ability: Henry, Scripps Ranch, and Serra, besides lowly Madison and Hoover.
Henry downed Serra on Serra's home court last Friday to secure the Eastern League title, but the Patriots also lost starter Christian Choice to injury.
La Jolla can focus on some of the following results of the two teams against common opponents:
Both squads, with their presumed current lineups, edged Serra, La Jolla by four points Feb. 7, Valhalla by a mere point Jan. 13, Friday the 13th.
Both squads, with their current lineups, defeated Madison, though Valhalla enjoyed a wider margin of victory. The Vikings prevailed Feb. 11, 55-46, in an Eastern League game, the Norsemen a week earlier, 45-28, in the Coaches vs. Cancer fund-raiser.
Both lost to Patrick Henry with their current rosters, La Jolla by 14 on Feb. 14, Valhalla by a whopping 23 way back on Dec. 8.
Looking at the season of Valhalla, La Jolla's opponent in a CIF Division 2 first-round playoff game Wed., Jan. 22, one thinks of "Rich Man, Poor Man."
Or: sticking your head into the blades of a chipper machine.
First, as seems to have been their practice of the last few years under head coach Keith Jackson, who has been at the helm since 2006, the Norsemen clocked their December opponents by playing down a bit and entering tournaments in the South Bay against lesser teams.
In doing so this season, Valhalla won the San Ysidro Cougar Classic, beating the host school on its home court 71-56, and the Montgomery Aztec Holiday Classic.
At one point, the Norsemen, behind seniors Kai Komaki, a 5'9" scorer, and Malique Shaw, a 6'4" rebounder/shot-blocker, as well as Ramzi Sultan and Evan O'Neill, had a 13-game winning streak early in the season.
They stood at 16-2 and looked on paper like world-beaters.
Then the "poor man" part clicked into gear; the chipper action came into play.
Valhalla returned home to play in the Grossmont Hills League after the New Year, and quickly dropped all but one of its conference games, going 1-7 to Helix's 8-0.
In fact, Jackson's squad had the unenviable task of facing the Highlanders, newly equipped in January with Mater Dei transfer Miles Norris, a 6'9" power forward. Norris, whom La Jolla didn't have to face when the two teams met in December, is rated four stars (out of five by national prep rating services).
Needless to say, Komaki, Shaw, Sultan, O'Neill and their teammates--earlier having enjoyed so much success in the December tournament season--were no match, losing both games to Helix.
The Norsemen's one win in the Grossmont Hills League appears to have been a 58-54 upset of Grossmont to end the regular season, after the league race was basically decided. Against the Hillers, a mediocre team at 4-5 in league, 13-15 overall, Komaki sparkled with 26 points, adding four rebounds and four assists.
Shaw recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.
Junior Ty Schimke, not to be confused with his older brother Trey, who graduated last year, scored 24 points, with four assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
Sultan grabbed seven rebounds, adding two blocks, an assist, and a steal.
Micah Campos collected four rebounds, three assists, and a blocked shot.
Austin Pola had two rebounds and one steal in a limited role.
For the Vikings, one thinks of all the yoga sessions Coach Paul Baranowski had his players take part in last year. They need to somehow bring a new outlook to the gym for Wednesday's match-up, different from the locked-down one they had after the Scripps Ranch disaster last Friday. Even Reed Farley, on crutches, was muttering. He's not coming back to save his teammates.
The two first-round opponents have both experienced a before-and-after split this season, for different reasons. The Vikings went 10-1 through December's tournaments, started league play, then lost Reed Farley, a key player, to an ACL injury Jan. 24.
Last year, La Jolla went through a similar tournament-success-then-crash a la Valhalla's current season, because the Vikings still played in the Western League and were crushed by private-school opponents Cathedral Catholic (the first game after the New Year, after over a week without practice) and St. Augustine.
Now, this year, with the equity approach newly leading to re-leaguing by recent performance, instead of the long-time traditional standard of school enrollment, the Vikings were looking forward to playing Eastern League opponents much more in their sphere of ability: Henry, Scripps Ranch, and Serra, besides lowly Madison and Hoover.
Henry downed Serra on Serra's home court last Friday to secure the Eastern League title, but the Patriots also lost starter Christian Choice to injury.
La Jolla can focus on some of the following results of the two teams against common opponents:
Both squads, with their presumed current lineups, edged Serra, La Jolla by four points Feb. 7, Valhalla by a mere point Jan. 13, Friday the 13th.
Both squads, with their current lineups, defeated Madison, though Valhalla enjoyed a wider margin of victory. The Vikings prevailed Feb. 11, 55-46, in an Eastern League game, the Norsemen a week earlier, 45-28, in the Coaches vs. Cancer fund-raiser.
Both lost to Patrick Henry with their current rosters, La Jolla by 14 on Feb. 14, Valhalla by a whopping 23 way back on Dec. 8.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
LJ b BB: How can we hang on to a dream?
How can we hang on to a dream?
Tim Hardin, 1966
By Ed Piper, Jr.
The La Jolla basketball team is trying to hang on to a dream. The Vikings got the CIF Division 2 first-round pairing they expected, Valhalla (18-11) at home Wed., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
They'll have to play with who they have, but that is saying a lot: Coach Paul Baranowski's squad has its core, with Charlie Gal and Daniel McColl underneath, and Nick Hammel, Quinn Rawdin, and Jacob Ohara on the perimeter.
Only Ohara, who has developed a lot this season, is a newcomer. Francisco Ramos provides additional ball-handling.
The Vikings don't have to go off in a corner like a bird with a broken wing. This is the future. It's not far-fetched that Behzad Hashemi, a some-time varsity player up from the junior varsity, and JV stalwarts Jacob Duffy, Evan Brown, and Nick Hulquist, among others, could play a role in La Jolla's playoff games this week.
The impassioned varsity reserves, namely Garrett Brown, McClain Thiel, and Ramos, played with heart in the Senior Night game earlier in the week.
You think of all the hours, and years, the starting core has put into basketball training and competitive game experience. Why not La Jolla? This Valhalla team, though at this point we know almost nothing about them, are not the San Antonio Spurs.
One key that Baranowski has to find is how to unlock Gal's effectiveness underneath. The last couple of games have been pure frustration for the big, 6'5" forward. He hasn't been able to score in going one-on-one against his defenders. The opponents have all watched video, and they know from the low post on either side he is going to trying to pivot and drive baseline.
Leaning his shoulder into the defender to try to butt him out of the way is only going to lead to an offensive foul. So what's a low post player to do?
The Vikings don't have the same scoring threats out front, so defenses aren't as worried about the perimeter. They can collapse on Gal.
Said Baranowski before the regular-season finale loss at Scripps Ranch Thurs., Feb. 16, "We've scripted some other offensive sets, depending on what the game dictates. We're not simplifying things, but" streamlining the offense (the last my wording of the coach's intended meaning).
La Jolla fans were pretty morose after the game, hanging around to wait for players to emerge from the visiting team room at Scripps. The Vikings had only managed seven points in the first quarter. Just terrible.
Scripps Ranch is an okay team, but not that much better than La Jolla. Then again, if the Vikings are going to play that way, maybe they are.
It didn't seem to be for lack of effort on the visitors' part. Gal seems to be playing at full tilt. The others, too.
Someone is going to have to step up. Hammel has taken the initiative the second half of the season, driving on offense, taking the outside shot. That change is visible. He has acknowledged his intention to be more aggressive.
McColl is another veteran athlete. These guys are used to playing in important games, whether basketball or football. (McColl is also on the LJHS volleyball team, while Hammel pitches on the baseball team.) McColl has been banging the boards, being aggressive in putting shots back up underneath.
The 6'2" Daniel could shoot more from the outside. He has the ability. He has shown that outside shooting touch at times.
Ohara forces the issue by driving the lane inside. At this point, and he is still young in his development, he is more effective driving than pulling up and shooting the jump shot. But he can develop both aspects of his game over time. Defenses have figured out his tendencies, because they have plenty of video to look out now after 25 games. He'll just have to adapt.
Rawdin--he's an outside shooting specialist. The day he puts the hours in the gym shooting hundreds of shots and clicks, it's going to be scary. But La Jolla needs more of that now. He had a pair of threes late in the game against the Falcons. Wednesday's game against the Norsemen would be a good time to break out.
The home squad would be helped by a larger fan contingent, making noise to give the Vikings a home court advantage. The tradition is for someone on the team to go to Facebook and spread the word. Maybe that's their homework for this weekend?
Tim Hardin, 1966
By Ed Piper, Jr.
The La Jolla basketball team is trying to hang on to a dream. The Vikings got the CIF Division 2 first-round pairing they expected, Valhalla (18-11) at home Wed., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
They'll have to play with who they have, but that is saying a lot: Coach Paul Baranowski's squad has its core, with Charlie Gal and Daniel McColl underneath, and Nick Hammel, Quinn Rawdin, and Jacob Ohara on the perimeter.
Only Ohara, who has developed a lot this season, is a newcomer. Francisco Ramos provides additional ball-handling.
The Vikings don't have to go off in a corner like a bird with a broken wing. This is the future. It's not far-fetched that Behzad Hashemi, a some-time varsity player up from the junior varsity, and JV stalwarts Jacob Duffy, Evan Brown, and Nick Hulquist, among others, could play a role in La Jolla's playoff games this week.
The impassioned varsity reserves, namely Garrett Brown, McClain Thiel, and Ramos, played with heart in the Senior Night game earlier in the week.
You think of all the hours, and years, the starting core has put into basketball training and competitive game experience. Why not La Jolla? This Valhalla team, though at this point we know almost nothing about them, are not the San Antonio Spurs.
One key that Baranowski has to find is how to unlock Gal's effectiveness underneath. The last couple of games have been pure frustration for the big, 6'5" forward. He hasn't been able to score in going one-on-one against his defenders. The opponents have all watched video, and they know from the low post on either side he is going to trying to pivot and drive baseline.
Leaning his shoulder into the defender to try to butt him out of the way is only going to lead to an offensive foul. So what's a low post player to do?
The Vikings don't have the same scoring threats out front, so defenses aren't as worried about the perimeter. They can collapse on Gal.
Said Baranowski before the regular-season finale loss at Scripps Ranch Thurs., Feb. 16, "We've scripted some other offensive sets, depending on what the game dictates. We're not simplifying things, but" streamlining the offense (the last my wording of the coach's intended meaning).
La Jolla fans were pretty morose after the game, hanging around to wait for players to emerge from the visiting team room at Scripps. The Vikings had only managed seven points in the first quarter. Just terrible.
Scripps Ranch is an okay team, but not that much better than La Jolla. Then again, if the Vikings are going to play that way, maybe they are.
It didn't seem to be for lack of effort on the visitors' part. Gal seems to be playing at full tilt. The others, too.
Someone is going to have to step up. Hammel has taken the initiative the second half of the season, driving on offense, taking the outside shot. That change is visible. He has acknowledged his intention to be more aggressive.
McColl is another veteran athlete. These guys are used to playing in important games, whether basketball or football. (McColl is also on the LJHS volleyball team, while Hammel pitches on the baseball team.) McColl has been banging the boards, being aggressive in putting shots back up underneath.
The 6'2" Daniel could shoot more from the outside. He has the ability. He has shown that outside shooting touch at times.
Ohara forces the issue by driving the lane inside. At this point, and he is still young in his development, he is more effective driving than pulling up and shooting the jump shot. But he can develop both aspects of his game over time. Defenses have figured out his tendencies, because they have plenty of video to look out now after 25 games. He'll just have to adapt.
Rawdin--he's an outside shooting specialist. The day he puts the hours in the gym shooting hundreds of shots and clicks, it's going to be scary. But La Jolla needs more of that now. He had a pair of threes late in the game against the Falcons. Wednesday's game against the Norsemen would be a good time to break out.
The home squad would be helped by a larger fan contingent, making noise to give the Vikings a home court advantage. The tradition is for someone on the team to go to Facebook and spread the word. Maybe that's their homework for this weekend?
Friday, February 17, 2017
LJ g BB 38, Morse 53
The Vikings' Rebecca Saul makes the second
of two free throws against Morse.
(Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)
By Ed Piper, Jr.
In typical Viking fashion during the Coach Darice Carnaje era, La Jolla's girls basketball team cut a Morse lead that swelled to as many as 24 points at the end of the third quarter to a more respectable 15 by the end of the Eastern League game, losing a 53-38 decision at home Wed., Feb. 15.
La Jolla trailed by 10 at the end of one quarter. Then, in the second quarter, Imani Trinidad-Gallagher drove to score to make it 25-13. Sina Anae laid the ball up on an inbounds pass from Rebecca Saul for 28-15.
Si Young Kim put in a runner with 2:41 left, and Anae completed the Vikings' scoring in the first half with a layup.
The Tigers, behind Kyra Springs' 10 points, including a pair of threes, led 30-19.
The hosts, playing on the next-to-last night of the regular season before a modest crowd, lost further ground in the third quarter, ending the period down 50-26.
But La Jolla came charging back, and whittled nine points off Morse's advantage in closing minutes.
Saul was her usual furious and hard-working self, pushing the ball up court and leading her teammates in negotiating the Morse press. She showed herself to be calmer and a better ball-handler--including being able to dribble left-handed--than in the past. The junior has grown in her skills visibly since her freshman year two years ago.
LJ b BB 28, Scripps Ranch 41
Sophomore Jacob Duffy
in pregame warm-ups.
(Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)
La Jolla could hardly throw a pea in the ocean, and host Scripps Ranch took advantage, throttling the Vikings while allowing only three baskets in the entire first half to win the two teams' final regular-season game, 41-28.
The loss further dampened the spirits of Coach Paul Baranowski's team, which ended the Eastern League by losing five of seven after winning its first three games back in January.
The word "brutal" was said during half time, after Charlie Gal, with two, and Nick Hammel scored the only Viking baskets in the opening half. La Jolla, facing a home team playing on Senior Night before a supportive crowd, fell back 16-5 after one quarter, 26-7 at halftime.
Baranowski inserted sophomore Jacob Duffy, promoted from the junior varsity, with two minutes left in the opening period to try to stem Falcon Baturay Koyuncu's production.
Koyuncu, a 6'3" senior averaging 24.7 points a game, sliced and diced the Viking defense, with three buckets in the first quarter.
Regrouping in the team room off the end of the Scripps court at halftime, La Jolla came back to shut the Falcons down in the third quarter and outscore them, 9-3. That reduced the gap to 29-16.
The Vikings fought back to within nine, 37-28, with 1:35 left in the game. But the hosts pulled away to win by 13.
Emblematic of the struggles the visitors had in the final game before the CIF playoffs, guard Quinn Rawdin committed back-to-back turnovers to open the fourth quarter, but then deftly canned two threes in the last minute and a half and had a stop under the basket on his man sandwiched between.
"They're missing their main guy," said Scripps Ranch guard Sean "Irish" Kelly after the game. He powdered the Vikes with three three-pointers and two other baskets.
Regarding Gal, whom the Falcons' 6'5" Kyle Mullin bottled up, Kelly said, "I played with Charlie. They don't have anybody tall enough (with Reed Farley out) to get the ball to him at the post."
La Jolla finishes at 5-5 in the league, 17-8 overall. It has been a steep fall from 10-1 and 13-2 to open the season.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
LJ baseball: Preview
By Ed Piper, Jr.
"I haven't been to Spring Training since I became a coach," says Gary Frank, La Jolla High's head baseball coach, every February when a sportswriter tells him he is going to the annual rite of Spring.
Frank says his Viking team will have a little different flavor this year: maybe not as much talent overall spread across the 15-man roster as last year's highly-talented team, and possibly more of a gap between the upper tier and the reserves.
But we could still say we're in something of a golden age for La Jolla High baseball, which is less than two years removed from playing in the CIF title game at Fowler Park on the USD campus.
Frank will enjoy veteran right-hander Nick Hammel coming over to the diamond once the basketball season is over. Ditto fellow senior and batterymate Garrett Brown, who has started behind the plate since midway through his sophomore season two years ago.
Hammel, one of the aces of the staff last year until sustaining an arm injury, went 7-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 44 1/3 innings, the last category leading the staff despite missing time after hurting his arm.
His 14 appearances were second-most on the team, with seven starts. His 16 strikeouts to six walks yielded an excellent ratio in that area.
Brown, in his first full season handling the pitching staff--though his sophomore year was highlighted by a spot in the CIF title game--pounded the ball at a .306 clip (one of six Vikings hitting over .300), with 26 hits, 10 RBI, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 12 walks, and 5 hit-by-pitch in 103 plate appearances, including 85 at-bats.
Dane Hansen returns at first base. Cole Dimich, coming off being named all-league at quarterback in football last fall, will move from left field to patrol centerfield.
Hansen clubbed the ball last year at .327, third on the team. He was first in hits (32), second in plate appearances (118), and third in RBI (19), while tying with Brown for most games played (33). The bespectacled big stretch at first base also had three triples and was 2 for 2 in steals.
Dimich looks to make major improvement on his junior year, when he batted .200, with 14 hits, 7 RBI, three doubles, and 7 bases on balls. His OPS was .516.
Frank, a former second baseman who starred at La Jolla, then played in college and professional baseball, will have returner Nick Ferenczy at that spot, moving over from third base.
Sebastian "C-bass" Partida could take the spot that opens up at the hot corner. "He's a streak hitter," comments the coach. Personally, this sportswriter favors the nickname "Slice" for the burly right-hander, which his last name means in Spanish.
Partida will be in the mix among the mound corps, which typically involves half or more of Frank's entire 15-man roster.
"I haven't been to Spring Training since I became a coach," says Gary Frank, La Jolla High's head baseball coach, every February when a sportswriter tells him he is going to the annual rite of Spring.
Frank says his Viking team will have a little different flavor this year: maybe not as much talent overall spread across the 15-man roster as last year's highly-talented team, and possibly more of a gap between the upper tier and the reserves.
But we could still say we're in something of a golden age for La Jolla High baseball, which is less than two years removed from playing in the CIF title game at Fowler Park on the USD campus.
Frank will enjoy veteran right-hander Nick Hammel coming over to the diamond once the basketball season is over. Ditto fellow senior and batterymate Garrett Brown, who has started behind the plate since midway through his sophomore season two years ago.
Hammel, one of the aces of the staff last year until sustaining an arm injury, went 7-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 44 1/3 innings, the last category leading the staff despite missing time after hurting his arm.
His 14 appearances were second-most on the team, with seven starts. His 16 strikeouts to six walks yielded an excellent ratio in that area.
Brown, in his first full season handling the pitching staff--though his sophomore year was highlighted by a spot in the CIF title game--pounded the ball at a .306 clip (one of six Vikings hitting over .300), with 26 hits, 10 RBI, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 12 walks, and 5 hit-by-pitch in 103 plate appearances, including 85 at-bats.
Dane Hansen returns at first base. Cole Dimich, coming off being named all-league at quarterback in football last fall, will move from left field to patrol centerfield.
Hansen clubbed the ball last year at .327, third on the team. He was first in hits (32), second in plate appearances (118), and third in RBI (19), while tying with Brown for most games played (33). The bespectacled big stretch at first base also had three triples and was 2 for 2 in steals.
Dimich looks to make major improvement on his junior year, when he batted .200, with 14 hits, 7 RBI, three doubles, and 7 bases on balls. His OPS was .516.
Frank, a former second baseman who starred at La Jolla, then played in college and professional baseball, will have returner Nick Ferenczy at that spot, moving over from third base.
Sebastian "C-bass" Partida could take the spot that opens up at the hot corner. "He's a streak hitter," comments the coach. Personally, this sportswriter favors the nickname "Slice" for the burly right-hander, which his last name means in Spanish.
Partida will be in the mix among the mound corps, which typically involves half or more of Frank's entire 15-man roster.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
LJ b BB: Water cooler
By Ed Piper, Jr.
As Reed Farley's fourth and last Senior Night at La Jolla High Tues., Feb. 14, was bittersweet, so has the Vikings' final week to the regular season been.
With a 60-46 loss on their home floor to Patrick Henry, Coach Paul Baranowski's 2016-17 bunch, which had touched the heights of sixth place in the county rankings earlier in the season, took a defeat to a team they had beaten in their previous encounter.
With Farley's ACL injury, La Jolla--which had been in the Top Ten since early in the tournament portion of the season in December--dropped out of the rankings and had to take a workman-like approach to their six remaining regular-season games.
The Vikings drop to 5-4 in the Eastern League, down three slots from the first-place Patriots (8-1). The locals won their first three games in the conference in January, setting hearts aflutter with high hopes for a league championship.
La Jolla went 10-1 overall through December, 13-2 up to mid-January.
At 17-7 overall now, the red-and-black have played well often, even without their point guard. Their power ranking by CIF is 44.38, seventh in Division 2, just behind Patrick Henry. They will benefit greatly from their success the first two-thirds of the season in the seeding that they will receive Saturday morning for the playoffs.
The advantage will come in being paired with a lesser opponent due to La Jolla's high ranking. That way, Baranowski's bunch could be awarded a home game in the first round, as well as greater likelihood of winning its initial game in the post-season.
Looking at the season as a whole, the development of junior guard Jacob Ohara is a highlight, and Charlie Gal's sturdiness in the front court has been a major contribution, despite his having an off-game against Henry.
Quinn Rawdin's shooting from beyond the arc in the fourth period Tuesday showed what he is capable of, when he hit four three-pointers as the Vikings furiously fought to come back against the Patriots.
Accompanying the good feeling that came with the graduating seniors' impassioned effort early and down the stretch in the Valentine's Day contest--featuring reserves Francisco Ramos, Garrett Brown, and McClain Thiel, besides starters Daniel McColl and Nick Hammel--are the playoffs next week and the knowledge that anything can happen in a sudden-death game.
Also, we Viking basketball adherents have the future to look to: smart guard Jacob Duffy was moved up to the varsity for the end of the season, while Behzad Hashemi, a hot-shooting guard, spent much of the season on the varsity roster.
Evan Brown looks great on the junior varsity, and Nick Hulquist is going to create all sorts of match-up problems as a taller guard, a rarity among La Jolla players.
Plus Gabe Solis has already shown the sparks he can create when he starred for the Viking varsity football team in the late season. There are folks I don't even know on the junior varsity who will light things up for La Jolla this spring, this summer, and next winter.
As Reed Farley's fourth and last Senior Night at La Jolla High Tues., Feb. 14, was bittersweet, so has the Vikings' final week to the regular season been.
With a 60-46 loss on their home floor to Patrick Henry, Coach Paul Baranowski's 2016-17 bunch, which had touched the heights of sixth place in the county rankings earlier in the season, took a defeat to a team they had beaten in their previous encounter.
With Farley's ACL injury, La Jolla--which had been in the Top Ten since early in the tournament portion of the season in December--dropped out of the rankings and had to take a workman-like approach to their six remaining regular-season games.
The Vikings drop to 5-4 in the Eastern League, down three slots from the first-place Patriots (8-1). The locals won their first three games in the conference in January, setting hearts aflutter with high hopes for a league championship.
La Jolla went 10-1 overall through December, 13-2 up to mid-January.
At 17-7 overall now, the red-and-black have played well often, even without their point guard. Their power ranking by CIF is 44.38, seventh in Division 2, just behind Patrick Henry. They will benefit greatly from their success the first two-thirds of the season in the seeding that they will receive Saturday morning for the playoffs.
The advantage will come in being paired with a lesser opponent due to La Jolla's high ranking. That way, Baranowski's bunch could be awarded a home game in the first round, as well as greater likelihood of winning its initial game in the post-season.
Looking at the season as a whole, the development of junior guard Jacob Ohara is a highlight, and Charlie Gal's sturdiness in the front court has been a major contribution, despite his having an off-game against Henry.
Quinn Rawdin's shooting from beyond the arc in the fourth period Tuesday showed what he is capable of, when he hit four three-pointers as the Vikings furiously fought to come back against the Patriots.
Accompanying the good feeling that came with the graduating seniors' impassioned effort early and down the stretch in the Valentine's Day contest--featuring reserves Francisco Ramos, Garrett Brown, and McClain Thiel, besides starters Daniel McColl and Nick Hammel--are the playoffs next week and the knowledge that anything can happen in a sudden-death game.
Also, we Viking basketball adherents have the future to look to: smart guard Jacob Duffy was moved up to the varsity for the end of the season, while Behzad Hashemi, a hot-shooting guard, spent much of the season on the varsity roster.
Evan Brown looks great on the junior varsity, and Nick Hulquist is going to create all sorts of match-up problems as a taller guard, a rarity among La Jolla players.
Plus Gabe Solis has already shown the sparks he can create when he starred for the Viking varsity football team in the late season. There are folks I don't even know on the junior varsity who will light things up for La Jolla this spring, this summer, and next winter.
LJ b BB: Emotion
"Swee-e-e-e-t emotion"
Aerosmith
By Ed Piper, Jr.
The Viking senior active five played the entire first quarter in La Jolla's tilt at home against Patrick Henry Tues., Feb. 14.
Then Coach Paul Baranowski re-employed them, including the seniors who are normally reserves, in the third quarter, and kept some of them on the court into the crucial fourth quarter--a somewhat unusual move in light of the fact the Senior Night game was still decisive in the league title race.
"Yeah, it was pretty emotional," said McClain Thiel, in a rare expression of sentiment for the young man. "It was my first start on varsity."
Then he went into his team-oriented sing-song: "It was a tough game, and we had to fight."
But then Thiel, who sat out basketball last year, revisited his emotional temperature again: "It was nostalgic."
Granted, it came with persistence from a sportswriter. But even Thiel's father, Paul, who was standing nearby, agreed this was a rare expression of feeling from a son who doesn't do it often--if at all.
Thiel, an articulate and likable senior who was willing to stand and answer questions after the Vikings' post-game team meeting in the Big Gym on campus, was told that during warm-ups he looked excited and animated.
"It was an energy boost," he acknowledged about the Senior Night festivities, in which the six seniors (Reed Farley in post-surgery knee bandages) were introduced with their parents on the floor.
The five senior starters' passion was evident in their first-quarter play: earnest, hard-working, pushing things as they dealt with Patrick Henry's capable starting unit. To be fair, the visitors were playing without their starting point guard, Marcus Oliveira, who was ill and on the sidelines.
What really fulfilled the spirit of the night--after all, this was the seniors' last time playing before their home crowd, at least in the regular season--was the fourth quarter "comeback-lette", cutting a deficit of 20 at the start of the period to nine.
It was heartening to see Garrett Brown in waning minutes out there, something he hasn't had the opportunity for much this season. Brown, like Thiel, took his junior year off from basketball, but for different reasons.
Francisco Ramos, the 5'7" guard, also saw lengthy minutes.
Brown, the Viking baseball team's starting catcher since he was a sophomore, scored his most authoritative basket of the season on a drive from the right of the basket against an aggressive defender to make the score 48-30, Patriots leading, to open the fourth quarter.
For Farley, having seen his high school career end two weeks ago with an ACL tear, it was a bittersweet night watching his teammates in a 60-46 loss to Henry. It looks like the Vikes will end in fourth place.
"It hasn't really set in that I won't be playing at that gym anymore," he texted in answer to a reporter's query after the seniors departed while Thiel was being interviewed, "but I know I'll miss it."
"It made me think back to the three sets of seniors that had come before me that I'd played with, and how unique ours was," said the 6'4" point guard, who went to center court on crutches with his parents Kara and Dan in the pregame ceremony.
The sandy-haired four-year starter and third all-time Viking scorer, summed up, "I would say it was still an enjoyable experience despite my not playing."
Then Coach Paul Baranowski re-employed them, including the seniors who are normally reserves, in the third quarter, and kept some of them on the court into the crucial fourth quarter--a somewhat unusual move in light of the fact the Senior Night game was still decisive in the league title race.
"Yeah, it was pretty emotional," said McClain Thiel, in a rare expression of sentiment for the young man. "It was my first start on varsity."
Then he went into his team-oriented sing-song: "It was a tough game, and we had to fight."
But then Thiel, who sat out basketball last year, revisited his emotional temperature again: "It was nostalgic."
Granted, it came with persistence from a sportswriter. But even Thiel's father, Paul, who was standing nearby, agreed this was a rare expression of feeling from a son who doesn't do it often--if at all.
Thiel, an articulate and likable senior who was willing to stand and answer questions after the Vikings' post-game team meeting in the Big Gym on campus, was told that during warm-ups he looked excited and animated.
"It was an energy boost," he acknowledged about the Senior Night festivities, in which the six seniors (Reed Farley in post-surgery knee bandages) were introduced with their parents on the floor.
The five senior starters' passion was evident in their first-quarter play: earnest, hard-working, pushing things as they dealt with Patrick Henry's capable starting unit. To be fair, the visitors were playing without their starting point guard, Marcus Oliveira, who was ill and on the sidelines.
What really fulfilled the spirit of the night--after all, this was the seniors' last time playing before their home crowd, at least in the regular season--was the fourth quarter "comeback-lette", cutting a deficit of 20 at the start of the period to nine.
It was heartening to see Garrett Brown in waning minutes out there, something he hasn't had the opportunity for much this season. Brown, like Thiel, took his junior year off from basketball, but for different reasons.
Francisco Ramos, the 5'7" guard, also saw lengthy minutes.
Brown, the Viking baseball team's starting catcher since he was a sophomore, scored his most authoritative basket of the season on a drive from the right of the basket against an aggressive defender to make the score 48-30, Patriots leading, to open the fourth quarter.
For Farley, having seen his high school career end two weeks ago with an ACL tear, it was a bittersweet night watching his teammates in a 60-46 loss to Henry. It looks like the Vikes will end in fourth place.
"It hasn't really set in that I won't be playing at that gym anymore," he texted in answer to a reporter's query after the seniors departed while Thiel was being interviewed, "but I know I'll miss it."
"It made me think back to the three sets of seniors that had come before me that I'd played with, and how unique ours was," said the 6'4" point guard, who went to center court on crutches with his parents Kara and Dan in the pregame ceremony.
The sandy-haired four-year starter and third all-time Viking scorer, summed up, "I would say it was still an enjoyable experience despite my not playing."
LJ b BB 46, Patrick Henry 60
By Ed Piper, Jr.
Patrick Henry showed why it may end up being the Eastern League champion, downing host La Jolla convincingly, 60-46, on Senior Night, which was also Valentine's Day, Tues., Feb. 14.
Henry (8-1) travels to Serra (7-2) Thursday night to decide the league title on the final night of the regular season. Henry, under third-year Coach Jason Bryant, the former Lincoln coach when the Hornets won the state title in 2010, has only lost to the Vikings, when they had a full lineup.
The Patriots, including 6'7" power forward Joshua Burton, hit three-pointers that in the two teams' previous meeting on the Henry home court they didn't hit, and it made for a whole different ballgame.
Burton looked stellar, showing a touch from long range, as well as some maneuverability underneath.
The hosts, behind an emotional starting five of seniors--with a sixth senior, Reed Farley, watching from the sidelines on crutches--played gamely, but they just couldn't defuse the smart bombs from long range.
The Vikings were only down 8-6 halfway through the first quarter, when they let the lead get a little out of hand. Senior Daniel McColl hit a beautiful shot on a feed from classmate McClain Thiel to open the game, and Nick Hammel soon followed a Thiel misfire with his own basket for a short-lived 4-3 La Jolla lead.
When McColl hit a too-rare, but well-formed, jumper from the side, the Pats were just heating up behind shooting guard Sam Galaif. Galaif, a 6'2" senior captain, sank two out of three from beyond the arc. Then 6'6" Christian Choice hit his own three, followed by the uninhibited Galaif, who didn't hesitate to shoot.
This is what their veteran coach, Bryant, expected, but which the Vikings had not seen before.
7
Meanwhile, LJHS Coach Paul Baranowski stayed with his senior starters--McColl and Hammel being the only regular starters, alongside Thiel, Garrett Brown, and Francisco Ramos--through the end of the quarter.
Speaking of Brown after the game, Baranowski, who could also have been speaking of his other senior reserves, said, "Garrett can still give you something at times. When he's contributing like that, why take him out?"
The red-and-black seniors were playing with emotion. But the lead ballooned to 14-6 closing the period, 19-8 early in the second quarter. The Vikings, though playing hard, weren't scoring enough against an aggressive Henry defense. The half ended with La Jolla trailing by a respectable 10, 28-18.
The Patriots weren't playing around, though. They came out torrid in the third quarter, burying La Jolla under a barrage of scores inside and out, and the landscape changed quickly to a despicable 48-28.
Junior Quinn Rawdin, who had had to sit that first quarter while his elders started, put on one of his best two shooting demonstrations of the season in the final quarter to help bring the Vikes within nine, 50-41. The lefty guard canned four threes in the stanza--he banked one of them--and showing confidence and aggression added a one-handed runner on the left side of the lane.
But Henry, anxious to close out the win against the Farley-less Vikings, held solid and won by 14.
Patrick Henry showed why it may end up being the Eastern League champion, downing host La Jolla convincingly, 60-46, on Senior Night, which was also Valentine's Day, Tues., Feb. 14.
Henry (8-1) travels to Serra (7-2) Thursday night to decide the league title on the final night of the regular season. Henry, under third-year Coach Jason Bryant, the former Lincoln coach when the Hornets won the state title in 2010, has only lost to the Vikings, when they had a full lineup.
The Patriots, including 6'7" power forward Joshua Burton, hit three-pointers that in the two teams' previous meeting on the Henry home court they didn't hit, and it made for a whole different ballgame.
Burton looked stellar, showing a touch from long range, as well as some maneuverability underneath.
The hosts, behind an emotional starting five of seniors--with a sixth senior, Reed Farley, watching from the sidelines on crutches--played gamely, but they just couldn't defuse the smart bombs from long range.
The Vikings were only down 8-6 halfway through the first quarter, when they let the lead get a little out of hand. Senior Daniel McColl hit a beautiful shot on a feed from classmate McClain Thiel to open the game, and Nick Hammel soon followed a Thiel misfire with his own basket for a short-lived 4-3 La Jolla lead.
When McColl hit a too-rare, but well-formed, jumper from the side, the Pats were just heating up behind shooting guard Sam Galaif. Galaif, a 6'2" senior captain, sank two out of three from beyond the arc. Then 6'6" Christian Choice hit his own three, followed by the uninhibited Galaif, who didn't hesitate to shoot.
This is what their veteran coach, Bryant, expected, but which the Vikings had not seen before.
7
Meanwhile, LJHS Coach Paul Baranowski stayed with his senior starters--McColl and Hammel being the only regular starters, alongside Thiel, Garrett Brown, and Francisco Ramos--through the end of the quarter.
Speaking of Brown after the game, Baranowski, who could also have been speaking of his other senior reserves, said, "Garrett can still give you something at times. When he's contributing like that, why take him out?"
The red-and-black seniors were playing with emotion. But the lead ballooned to 14-6 closing the period, 19-8 early in the second quarter. The Vikings, though playing hard, weren't scoring enough against an aggressive Henry defense. The half ended with La Jolla trailing by a respectable 10, 28-18.
The Patriots weren't playing around, though. They came out torrid in the third quarter, burying La Jolla under a barrage of scores inside and out, and the landscape changed quickly to a despicable 48-28.
Junior Quinn Rawdin, who had had to sit that first quarter while his elders started, put on one of his best two shooting demonstrations of the season in the final quarter to help bring the Vikes within nine, 50-41. The lefty guard canned four threes in the stanza--he banked one of them--and showing confidence and aggression added a one-handed runner on the left side of the lane.
But Henry, anxious to close out the win against the Farley-less Vikings, held solid and won by 14.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
The times, they are a-changin'
By Ed Piper, Jr.
I was substitute-teaching at Rancho Bernardo High yesterday (Feb. 13), and some basketball-enthusiast boys in class, naturally, asked me if I played basketball, seeing my height.
I said yes. One asked me an interesting question I haven't been asked before: Did freshmen play on the varsity back when I was in high school?
I said, no, that it was very unusual in most of the "traditional" sports at my high school at that time for underclassmen to play on the varsity. When Dave Cordial, a sophomore, not only made the varsity baseball team but also started much of the season at catcher, it created a sensation. It was very unusual.
Dave was advanced in his skills behind the plate, including his defensive skills and his maturity in handling pitchers.
What I told the student in class at RBHS was that this difference with present-day varsity players was that travel and club teams did not exist at that time they way they do now.
For example, La Jolla High has had a freshman starter in boys basketball (Reed Farley), and sophomores who were part of the rotation (Quinn Rawdin, Charlie Gal). Baseball had a sophomore who was starting catcher the second part of the season (Garrett Brown). It's interesting that we had Colt League and American Legion baseball where I grew up (Camarillo), but no one but Cordial made an early impact the way he did.
A girl in class at RBHS plays soccer. Now, that's a whole different animal. One, girls tend to mature earlier than boys. (There were no CIF sports for girls when I was in high school.) Two, in my experience you see more girls excelling on varsity--at least, in the "traditional" sports--than boys.
Look at Destiny Littleton at Bishop's. She has excelled ever since she was a freshman on Coach Marlon Wells' Knights basketball team. There was no break-in period for Destiny. She was averaging 35 points or so a game from the beginning.
No doubt that travel and club teams have changed the landscape, helping individual athletes develop their skills in a way you just couldn't do playing only on a high school team.
I remember reading about Jason Heyward's development several years ago.
The Atlanta Braves tracked him on his travel team during his high school years in a way that other major league teams didn't, and they missed drafting him. The Braves, getting to know him and realizing he played a lot more games on his travel team than on his high school team, were well-aware of his considerable talents, and made him a high draft choice.
I was reading recently about Angel pitcher Matt Shoemaker's comeback from a line drive to the head last season. His father was his coach in Little League years. Then they embarked on his travel team years, and he was traveling to hither-and-yon at the tune of 80 or so games a year. Incredible. Every weekend and vacation was devoted to Matt's baseball games.
My brother and I played Patrick Henry Cub League in Long Beach, then Pleasant Valley Baseball Association ball (non-Little League affiliated at that time) in Camarillo at the rate of 21 games a year. Even during high school, when Steve and I played for Camarillo High, Colt League, and American Legion--even with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday--we were topping out at no more than 50 or so games, I think. A whole different level.
I'm surprised, putting these numbers together, that we even played that many games. We did that as sophomores and juniors in high school. There was not the intensity, the attention, the videotaping, the HUDL highlight films, the taping by dads and moms. No MaxPreps.com. No YouTube.
Plus there were no scouting services like the present ones, no Internet to begin with, no showcases. You get the idea.
I was substitute-teaching at Rancho Bernardo High yesterday (Feb. 13), and some basketball-enthusiast boys in class, naturally, asked me if I played basketball, seeing my height.
I said yes. One asked me an interesting question I haven't been asked before: Did freshmen play on the varsity back when I was in high school?
I said, no, that it was very unusual in most of the "traditional" sports at my high school at that time for underclassmen to play on the varsity. When Dave Cordial, a sophomore, not only made the varsity baseball team but also started much of the season at catcher, it created a sensation. It was very unusual.
Dave was advanced in his skills behind the plate, including his defensive skills and his maturity in handling pitchers.
What I told the student in class at RBHS was that this difference with present-day varsity players was that travel and club teams did not exist at that time they way they do now.
For example, La Jolla High has had a freshman starter in boys basketball (Reed Farley), and sophomores who were part of the rotation (Quinn Rawdin, Charlie Gal). Baseball had a sophomore who was starting catcher the second part of the season (Garrett Brown). It's interesting that we had Colt League and American Legion baseball where I grew up (Camarillo), but no one but Cordial made an early impact the way he did.
A girl in class at RBHS plays soccer. Now, that's a whole different animal. One, girls tend to mature earlier than boys. (There were no CIF sports for girls when I was in high school.) Two, in my experience you see more girls excelling on varsity--at least, in the "traditional" sports--than boys.
Look at Destiny Littleton at Bishop's. She has excelled ever since she was a freshman on Coach Marlon Wells' Knights basketball team. There was no break-in period for Destiny. She was averaging 35 points or so a game from the beginning.
No doubt that travel and club teams have changed the landscape, helping individual athletes develop their skills in a way you just couldn't do playing only on a high school team.
I remember reading about Jason Heyward's development several years ago.
The Atlanta Braves tracked him on his travel team during his high school years in a way that other major league teams didn't, and they missed drafting him. The Braves, getting to know him and realizing he played a lot more games on his travel team than on his high school team, were well-aware of his considerable talents, and made him a high draft choice.
I was reading recently about Angel pitcher Matt Shoemaker's comeback from a line drive to the head last season. His father was his coach in Little League years. Then they embarked on his travel team years, and he was traveling to hither-and-yon at the tune of 80 or so games a year. Incredible. Every weekend and vacation was devoted to Matt's baseball games.
My brother and I played Patrick Henry Cub League in Long Beach, then Pleasant Valley Baseball Association ball (non-Little League affiliated at that time) in Camarillo at the rate of 21 games a year. Even during high school, when Steve and I played for Camarillo High, Colt League, and American Legion--even with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday--we were topping out at no more than 50 or so games, I think. A whole different level.
I'm surprised, putting these numbers together, that we even played that many games. We did that as sophomores and juniors in high school. There was not the intensity, the attention, the videotaping, the HUDL highlight films, the taping by dads and moms. No MaxPreps.com. No YouTube.
Plus there were no scouting services like the present ones, no Internet to begin with, no showcases. You get the idea.
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