LJ b BB 42, Poway 56 - CIF D2 first round

Photos by Ed Piper

Carson Diehl (far left) reaches in for

a foul to knock the ball away.

LJ b soccer 3, SD Jewish Academy 1 - CIF D4 first round

Photos by Ed Piper

Vikes' Titouan Ferton (2) vies with Ben Coiner (12)

of SD Jewish Academy in early going

in the late afternoon lighting.

Ferton (2, far left) begins his celebration

after knocking La Jolla's second goal into

the net (past 0, Oren Cohen, kneeling)

for a 2-0 lead with 27:04 left

in the first half.

LJ b wrestling: Trio goes to Masters

By Ed Piper

Three Vikings--Noah Pace (120 pounds), Jayden Williams (165), and Asher Sternberg (175)--came out of the CIF Division 4 Finals placing fourth or higher in their respective weight classes, and as a result earned their way into the CIF Masters tournament at Christian High Friday, Feb. 21.

Pace made it to the 120-pound final Sat., Feb. 15, at Mar Vista High. The junior has been sick for a couple or three bouts this season, yet has built on his earlier successes as league champion in his freshman and sophomore years at La Jolla High.

Williams, a senior who moved from Texas to live with his father a year ago, and Sternberg, a junior, have both had strong seasons during winter 2024-25. Their seasons have not yet finished, either.

Liam Kressin, at 144 pounds, will go to Christian High as an alternate for his fifth-place finish. A teammate, 150-pound Patrick Fitzmaurice, wrestles Wed., Feb. 19, for the opportunity to win fifth place in his weight division and go to Christian as an alternate two days later.

Another Viking who placed in the division finals was Jack Long, a senior at 215 pounds.

LJ b wrestling @ CIF D4 Finals - Mar Vista HS

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Jayden Williams (right, 165) checks in

at the table for his first bout of the morning.

Williams took fourth in D4, making him

an alternate for the Masters meet

Fri., Feb. 21.

Asher Sternberg of La Jolla looks back

at the clock to see how he is doing

at the end of the first period, leading

9-2 over Tristan Rickert of Christian

in his first match. He pinned Rickert

in 3:47 and placed fourth at 175 pounds.

Jayden Williams (165) has his hand raised

after decisioning Jeffrey Krantz (left)

of Crawford, 8-6, in his first bout

of a long, grueling day beginning

at 5:45 a.m. when the wrestlers

met at LJHS to carpool to Mar Vista.

The La Jolla coaching brain trust at the

CIF D4 finals (left to right): Kellen Delaney,

Joey Stofko, Ryan Lennard, and Walter

Fairley.

Some of the Viking entourage at Mar Vista:

Noah Pace (bottom right, in black sweatshirt),

who placed second at 120 and goes

to Masters Fri., Feb. 21; his parents

(top  middle); Maddie Quach (with camera),

100. Brenda Delaney, wife of head coach

Kellen, sits in front of Noah Pace

in lower right bottom.

LJ b BB: Game story 2/13

Brody Sessa dribbles at midcourt against

the Islanders' Ah'mahn Oliver in the

intense fourth quarter on

Coronado's Senior Night.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Coronado, with some of the best names in CIF--Blue Wild and Kannon Seals--was celebrating its joint Senior Night with the girls varsity Thursday night, Feb. 13, the evening before the four-day Presidents Holiday. Plus the rain and wind outside were fearsome.

So a depleted La Jolla club, missing starters Lance Braga, 6'6", and Eyal Amsalem, along with Coach Paul Baranowski, faced a tough task in the Vikings' final game of the regular season, despite the Islanders' weak 2-7 City League record coming in.

The game started late (7:46) after the festivities. Leo Hawkinson, Brody Sessa and crew immediately fell behind after a short 4-1 lead following opening tipoff. They trailed by as many as eight points, 18-10 and 23-15, in a dismal second quarter, on senior Loxly Johnson's driving layups.

Viking assistant Scotty Epstein inserted 6'7" reserve Lee Mannheimer, a sophomore, midway through the third period. The stretch frontcourt player had an immediate impact on the game, hitting one of two free throws to trail 29-28 with 1:52 left in the quarter, then a bucket 20 seconds later for La Jolla's first lead since the start--30-29. The home crowd was delirious, as "2025" pillars for the Senior Night celebration stood at one end of the court.

The short-handed visitors, with the rain pouring outside, continued their lead: "Hawk" hit a three to open the fourth quarter, 35-29. Carson Diehl scored on a layup on an assist from Leo, 37-31.

But the margin wasn't to last. Johnson, seemingly one of a contingent of "Navy brats" with their dads based at North Island, came back to score on a twisty, body-contorting drive to trail 39-37.

La Jolla's Cole Hein, back as a starter, drilled a three. That was the peak for the Vikings, 42-37, with four minutes left in the game before the slide.

With the crowd egging on the Islanders--even small Seals, with a giant 'fro, only a sophomore, hit on one of his otherwise off-target three-point attempts--Johnson tied the score at 42 to end the Viking lead with 1:57 on the clock. Earlier, Mannheimer, the 6'7" stretch, blocked a shot of his.

La Jolla, who has worn out its fans this season with nail-biters that went down to the last moments, were going to crush us again. Brody committed his fourth foul on Coronado's Austin Brown with 1:29 to go. Brown sank both free throws, giving the Islanders a 44-42 lead.

Derick Ritter scored on a teardrop in the paint for a four-point lead at :51.

Ah'mahn Oliver delivered the piece de resistance on Diehl's foul to stop the clock with 13.6 left, sinking both free throws for the closing margin, 48-42. The elated crowd stayed inside as long as they could to feat their players on a win they accomplished off pure emotion, before going out into the wind and wet.

LJ b BB 42, Coronado 48 - regular season ends

Photos by Ed Piper

6'7" Lee Mannheimer (23)

blocks the shot of

Loxly Johnson (4) of Coronado

in waning minutes

of close game.

Vikings' Cole Hein (5) crosses the

midcourt line as he brings the ball up

against Ah'mahn Oliver (21)

of Coronado in closing minutes.

Viking timeout with 20.3 seconds

left with assistant coach Scottie

Epstein. Leo Hawkinson (partially

hidden) gestures in huddle.

Pouring rain outside in Coronado immediately

after the final buzzer of the LJ-Islander

basketball game - 9:06 p.m.

LJ g water polo 6, Valhalla 9 - CIF Open quarterfinals

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Aviana Cavaiola (red suit) defends

Grace Biko (14) of Valhalla

near the end of the first quarter,

trailing 3-0.

Ava Mammo (front) of Valhalla has her

part in the Norse offense disrupted

by Vikes' Stella Tezcan (hand up)

in the first period.

Grecia Ramirez looks to pass in the LJ offense

early in the first quarter.

LJ b BB 48, Madison 66

Vikes' Lance Braga (13)

goes physical in putting

up a shot inside against

Jorge Luque (3) of Madison.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

"The thrill is gone, the thrill of it's gone away..."

You get that feeling in the pit of your stomach, you just want some of that magic to happen.

While La Jolla's boys basketball team was working hard, running the offense, scrambling for loose balls, they stayed even with Madison during the first half Tuesday evening, Feb. 11. The second quarter ended, 29-27, the Vikings trailing only by a pair of points.

Guard Brody Sessa had a putback to trail 18-12 late in the first period. Backcourtmate Leo Hawkinson had two floaters in the second quarter, giving a cramp in the leg to his defender with 1:14 late in the half.

But Coach Paul Baranowski's troops had been down by as many as eight points in the opening half. The Warhawks, leading the City League with a 7-1 record, didn't look great but they were performing well enough in front of an appreciative home crowd.

As Hawkinson said afterward, "They're a good team." He gives props when they're due.

The trouble really set in during the third quarter, after La Jolla tied the game 29-all to begin the period on a Hawkinson basket in the offense.

Seigo Lavinsky (behind)

guards the Warhawks'

R.J. Miller as he tries

to bring the ball upcourt.

Coach Mike Stutz's first-place team steadily began to build a lead, riding R.J. Miller's baskets and some physical play inside and outside. It was 12 points, 41-29, at 5:08. Then an alarming 14 points at 1:22 left in the quarter.

The good thing for the Vikings was bigman Lance Braga's return. The 6'6" post player brought that height and aggressiveness that La Jolla had been missing for the past two weeks.

But even his presence wasn't going to solve the fact the hosts were attacking, and the climb continued to a 17-point margin--57-40--with 4:16 left in the game on a Miller free throw, making one of two.

That magic you saw in the tournament way back in December, when things were fresh and new, the excitement was there. You believed.

But an emotional rescue wasn't coming this night, as the Vikes had to settle for a steady-state bringing the ball downcourt in waning moments, passing the ball around the perimeter as they trailed by 15.

It just wasn't going to happen. All those dreams in pre-league games that brought you back to the sport, the fun, the wild-eyed thoughts of what could be if Hawkinson revved the engine with Sessa, Braga and Carson Diehl pairing up as a fearsome frontcourt duo.

This has still been an enjoyable season, the La Jolla bunch scrappy, clawing for balls, working on their craft.

LJ g water polo: Fourth in section

By Ed Piper

La Jolla, playing its first game in the CIF playoffs Wed., Feb. 12, at Coggan Pool, is ranked fourth in the section.

Coach Tom Atwell's Vikings, led by seniors Eddie Wells and Grecia Ramirez, hold a 15-7 record, and a 16.0 strength-of-schedule number. By the MaxPreps algorithm, this amounts to a 21.86 rating, behind Bishop's, Valhalla, and Carlsbad.

La Jolla stands ahead of Clairemont (fifth), Cathedral Catholic (sixth), and Torrey Pines (seventh) in the MaxPreps rankings.

The Vikes, the fifth seed in the Open Playoffs, featuring sophomores Aviana Cavaiola and Cora Pfau in their starting lineup, face fourth-seed Valhalla at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday evening.

LJ wrestling: Breaking down barriers

Senior Matisse Pickett, in the down position,

keeps her eye on the referee

to attempt an escape or reversal

against Miriam Metcalf of Mission Bay

at the D3 CIF Finals Sat., Feb. 8.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

In the late 1990's, Malaika Underwood matriculated at La Jolla High, and over the span of her high school career, she starred in girls' volleyball, girls' basketball, and--what set her apart--baseball.

Not softball, which is only played by girls in California high schools. Baseball. "Boys' baseball," we might say. Actually, it's baseball.

But Malaika played for the Viking varsity, second base, and did well, from all reports. (I'm still trying to find any statistics people might have from that era.)

She was named the CIF Female Athlete of the Year her senior year in 1999, and has gone on to star for the U.S. Women's National Team--in baseball. (She is a staff member of the program, working out of Florida.)

I'm reviewing all of this for you, because when thinking of barrier-breakers, the Vikings' Matisse Pickett, a wrestler, is establishing a wide path for herself and those that follow her.

Building on an outstanding winter season as a senior, Pickett decisioned Reese Ramirez of Clairemont 10-4 to take third place at 120 pounds in the CIF Division 3 girls' championship Sat., Feb. 8, at Lincoln High.

To get there, Matisse pinned three straight opponents, fighting her way back to the championship through the consolation bracket. This was after she won her initial bout Saturday morning with a fall (pin) of Miriam Metcalf of Mission Bay, then lost her second match. That sent her into consolation.

I have been there for each of Pickett's bouts this winter, when she wrestled on the La Jolla varsity team in Eastern League dual meets against Madison, Christian, and the rest. Not the "girls'" team--the varsity, which is boys, and for those who are selected by their coaches, girls as well.

She has carried herself well in this final season in high school as the overall team captain. More than that, Matisse has forged a wide path and taken up a lot of space for other girls who may follow her path.

It's much easier, for example, for a Julianna Barron, a freshman, new to wrestling, to join the La Jolla program and work out with team members--when Pickett has already done that. Not the first, but one of the most recent.

Her path and demeanor also make it easier for teammates Maddie Quach, a junior who had a pin at the D3 finals Saturday, and transfer Becca Durst, another junior, who placed fifth. Jacqueline Long also came out in November.

These events come when girls' and women's sports are having a moment nationally, with Caitlan Clark starring in WNBA basketball and drawing a lot of attention to women's sports.

Another dimension is that Underwood, the star Viking in 1999 who went on to play women's volleyball, her number-one sport, at the University of North Carolina for a full college career on a scholarship, also has a family with two kids. (Her younger daughter accompanied her when she was inducted into the Viking Baseball Hall of Fame last year.) Women can have it all--career, kids, family.

She serves as a coach for the USWNT, and takes on speaking engagements, as well.

Ed Piper, Jr. has reported for the Chico (CA) Enterprise-Record, The News (Mexico City), the Goleta (CA) Today, the La Jolla Light, and currently for the La Jolla Village News, in addition to his blog, The Pipeline. He studied journalism at Chico State.

LJ g wrestling @ CIF D3 Championships

Photos by Ed Piper

Viking senior Matisse Pickett (120 pounds)

grimaces (top) as she works aggressively

in her initial match with Miriam Metcalf

of Mission Bay. She pinned Metcalf

in 4:48. Coach Kellen Delaney

is in view (top right).

Maddie Quach of La Jolla

has her hand raised by

referee Dale Hanover

after she pinned

Breanna Padilla of Castle

Park in 1:25 in her

first match in the

consolation bracket.

Quach did not place

in her weight division.

Matisse "shadow-wrestles" in warming up

for her bout off the mat.

Pickett, no longer sporting pink braids,

senior and captain of the La Jolla

boys and girls teams, waits during

a "blood timeout" (ref detected blood

from a cut or wound) with coach

Joey Stofko (right).

Junior Becca Durst (bottom) competes

in the 145-pound weight division

against Jenna Lee of Ramona,

who won by a pin.

Matisse reports to the table at mat 3 before

her first match. Miriam Metcalf, her opponent,

is pictured far left, in Mission Bay colors,

talking with her coach.

Delaney wipes the mat after blood was detected

during Pickett's bout.

Durst (far left) reports at the table

before her first match of the day

against Jenna Lee (center) of Ramona. 

LJ g water polo: Game story 2/7

By Ed Piper

All-CIF junior Aileen Shin led Bishop's to a 22-5 win over La Jolla in the closing Western League match of the regular season Fri., Feb. 7, in the Knights' home pool.

Coaches Ian Davidson and Doug Peabody's squad were celebrating Senior Night, but they were led by Shin and a cast of scorers from all classes, just as the Vikings feature several sophomores, including Aviana Cavaiola and Cora Pfau.

The Knights built a dominating 6-1 lead by 3:49 left in the second quarter, only stopped by Grecia Ramirez's goal.

Then, the hosts didn't let their foot off the gas the rest of the way in the rivalry match. Bishop's is favored to win its 14th of the last 15 CIF titles the next two weeks in the playoffs--if this were to occur, it would make seven straight championships after an original skein of seven titles in a row, broken up in one lone season by Carlsbad.

In a bit of trivia, in 27 years of CIF girls water polo in San Diego, Bishop's has appeared in 26 finals.

LJ g water polo 5, Bishop's 22

Photos by Ed Piper

Vikings' defense collapses on Aileen Shin

(8, rear, far right) of Bishop's at start of game:

(left to right) goalie Lucia Vega (1),

Avery Edstrom (2), and Cora Pfau (5).

LJ's Cora Pfau (5) vs. Sydney Hagan

Grecia Ramirez (left) defended by Farren

Moss (9) of Bishop's in second quarter.

Senior Night at Bishop's - Eddie Wells (not playing)

of La Jolla (far right) holds flowers she received.

Junior Lucia Vega (1) starts

offense from her position

in goal.

Senior Night display: "Maddy, Sydney, Kylie"

LJ b BB: Photos 2/6

Photos by Ed Piper

Mission Bay coach Marshawn Cherry (gesturing)

takes part in the pregame meeting with

the referees.

Vikings' Brody Sessa (back right) checks his arm

during captains' meeting with officials.

LJ b BB 27, Mission Bay 72

Brody Sessa tries backhand

layup against Bucs'

6'8" Clay Grebing

in first quarter when

the Vikings couldn't

buy a basket.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Visiting Mission Bay, ranked sixth in CIF, demolished La Jolla in a non-league game, 72-27, Thurs., Jan. 6, before a big crowd in the LJHS Big Gym.

The Vikings, out-heighted at every position and again missing their one big man, 6'6" Lance Braga, struggled to keep the score down at 12-1 but lost ground more and more, trailing 37-11 at halftime.

For Coach Marshawn Cherry's juggernaut team, Pablo Balderas stands 6'6" and fellow big Clay Grebing taps out at 6'8".

La Jolla played hard, with spirit, from the beginning. Sparkplug Leo Hawkinson was speedy, but so were Buc wings Maseyo Elliott, Caleb Newton, and Atreju De la Cruz.

The Vikes' Brody Sessa, at 6'3", had some taps to deflect shots under the Mission Bay basket, frustrating Balderas several times.

Everybody went to the floor for loose balls, including LJ starters Eyal Amsalem and Seigo Lavinsky. 

After the 5'8" Hawkinson was sent sprawling at midcourt with 26.4 seconds left in the third quarter, the spread now 59-18, Leo got up to have a word with the offender--he calmly didn't make any gestures--but then got shoved by Buc Kevan Fitzpatrick.

Officials assessed Fitzpatrick, a guard, with a technical. "Hawk" then smoothly made four free throws in a row, two for the foul, two for the technical, suddenly bumping the score up to 59-22.

In the Western League, with one week to go before the playoffs, Mission Bay has suffered narrow three-point and four-point losses to Cathedral Catholic, then four points to 5-0 league leader St. Augustine on Jan. 21. The Buccaneers face the Saints a second time Tues., Feb. 11.

LJ track: 'Sunset Relays' in beautiful setting

By Ed Piper

La Jolla track fans are going to be treated to something new this spring: The annual Viking Relays will now take place March 8 in the afternoon and under the lights, "to take advantage of the beautiful sunsets", according to new boys' head coach Ben Martin.

"Our planning committee got PJ's (pajamas). We'll have food trucks and make it a fun event," said Martin, last year's sprints coach, now elevated to the top spot after Paul Byrne's faithful head-coaching since 2015. The event will commence at 1 p.m. for field events, 2 p.m. for track events.

In an interview, Martin spotlighted sprinter Olivia Smith, a senior wanting to run in college; Leed Smoole, who leads a pack of football players seeking to establish sprint times for college recruiters; distance prep All-American Chiara Dailey; Hannah Aalaei; and Zoe Dunfee, mile/3200-meter, among others.

Ben coached the freshman football team, so he has been talking with Viking head football coach Tyler Roach regarding having some football players who desire to work on their running.

Martin, himself, has an interesting background. After running and playing football at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, he entered the Air Force and became an agent with the Office of Special Investigations. His specialty was anti-terrorism.

He served four tours in Iraq, and trained hundreds of U.S. and partner-nation soldiers in combat self-defense.

Now a coach, Ben has become a trainer in sprint, agility, strength, and conditioning for high school and NCAA Division 1 athletes.

The staff for track and field is adding Donte and Kris Nall, a husband-and-wife team who both went to the Olympic Trials. Donte Nall was a jumper for the University of North Carolina, the ACC champ, and jumped professionally.

Kris Nall, the new girls' head coach, ran at UCLA and professionally in Europe.

LJ sports: 'Uni' grad, schoolmate of lefty Barry Zito

LJHS teacher Jerry Tellers,

enjoying Senior Night

at the Vikings-Coronado

girls water polo game

Fri., Jan. 31.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Jerry Tellers says, "I'm watching a lot of water polo" since he retired as badminton coach, while he continues to teach APUSH (Advanced Placement U.S. History) on campus at La Jolla High.

He attended the Senior Game for the girls Fri., Jan. 31. As a student, "I went to 'Uni' (USDHS). I traveled everyday from Oceanside, 45 minutes each way." (Not now--much more traffic.)

"Uni" was the predecessor to Cathedral Catholic High School. The USDHS campus was on the southern side of Linda Vista Road in Linda Vista, across from the University of San Diego campus, through the 1990's. Kelly Drobeck attended USDHS, played volleyball, and coached volleyball there, as well.

Tellers was a schoolmate of Barry Zito, Class of 1996. He starred for the Oakland A's (who are leaving Oakland for Sacramento, then Las Vegas, supposedly) in the Major Leagues. He was a top lefty.

Jerry has taught at LJHS for 20 years, after "four to five" in the Bay Area.

Prep sports: Related to John Wilkes Booth

Frank Booth, PLHS Class of 1953

By Ed Piper

Midway through my 21st year being around La Jolla High sports, and San Diego high school athletics in general, I have taken on an interest whenever I have the chance to explore and understand some of the history of prep sports in the area.

Such an occasion arose again recently, when Frank Booth, 91, Point Loma High Class of 1953, attended a local function. Frank, friendly and engaging, and still in pretty good health at his ripe young age, said he played basketball and baseball in high school for the Pointers.

"My daughter took my (class) ring," he said, apparently for safe-keeping. "She also took my letterman's jacket (with the big "PL" on the front left)," I would imagine for the same reason.

Always ask the question you think is impossible: I asked Booth if he was related to John Wilkes Booth, the actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. He said "yes".

I once had a student who was related to William Styron, the author of The Nat Turner Rebellion. I think this is where my penchant to "go for it" in asking the question everyone else thinks is ridiculous and embarrassing--you never know what you're going to find out.

LJ g water polo: Photos 1/31

Photos by Ed Piper

Sophomore Juliet Kula (15)

Eddie Wells (6), senior and captain

Evia Tettenbum (13), sophomore, with

nose jewelry, at poolside during a timeout

Kate Morgan (12), junior

Lauren Ostrom (14), sophomore

Lucia Vega (1), alongside Eddie Wells (6).

Lucia "talks a lot of smack (in the pool),"

says her dad.

Juliet Kula (15)

Kate Morgan looks for a pass.