LJ FH: Something happened

Viking goalkeeper Claire Telford.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"Things were more disjointed last year," said Viking captain Caeley Hickson Long. "Our stick skills are better, but also our connectedness as a team has increased."

Hickson Long, a senior upper midfielder, was speaking in the context of a 12-2-1 start on the season, up from 9-13 the whole season last year.

Half the school roster play for Coach Amanda Combs Warford's club team, Coastal Clash. That's a big advantage, skill-development-wise and for team cohesiveness.

Something clicked partway through the season in 2018, even though it might not have been evident from La Jolla's first-round exit in the Division 1 playoffs. The year before, in Warford's initial one at the helm, the Vikings made it to the D1 title game, narrowly falling to Mission Vista, 1-0.

Even Warford tells her team they're different from previous. In winning the Valley Center Tournament a week ago, basically the same roster as last year--with minor changes--bumped up their performance a notch.

The three-year march has landed the field hockey program on the fringes of the elite programs in the county. The Vikes are still looking up at Serra and Scripps Ranch, the two perennial powers. But not by much.

"I didn't know our championship in the Valley Center tourney (Sept. 7) was the first one in the history of the school," said senior captain Serene Liu, an outstanding defender. "But I'm not surprised. I've been in the program three years, and I've seen how it has developed."

In her sophomore year, Liu was the surprise new star defender. She made up a lot of ground in a short time. Now, a veteran of two full campaigns, she helps direct the defense from her vantage point at the back.

Claire Telford, who Warford rates among the top five goalkeepers in the county, attests to the same growth of players' skill level from her position behind Liu, surveying the whole field.

"They (teammates in the field) get the ball really fast," she said, prior to the Vikings' opening game in the prestigious Serra High Tournament Sat., Sept. 14.

Telford, La Jolla's new goalie this year as a junior, moving up from last year's JV team, recorded three shutouts on the final day of the Valley Center Tournament as the Vikings secured the championship.

On Sat., Sept. 14, Warford's crew notched two wins and one tie, the last 1-1 against rival Canyon Crest, whom the Vikings beat in overtime a week ago.