Monday, September 1, 2025

LJ FB: Frerker comes by

David Frerker (far left) lets LJ students Savannah
Putnam and Dylan Fong hold his long zoom lens
and look through it during halftime. The two students
are taking Multimedia class on campus.
(Photo by Ed Piper)


By Ed Piper

David Frerker renewed his relationship with La Jolla High football Friday night, August 29, shooting the Vikings' game at home against Patrick Henry.

Frerker, a former LJHS football player himself, annually makes the trek to walk along the sidelines and takes photos of the action on the field.

He is a professional sports photographer. On Friday night, he revealed, "I have a rare eye disease called keratoconus. I learned how to take photos with my non-dominant eye, and my brain was able to adapt and make my vision work, despite the disease," as we were talking during the game.

In multiple years of taking photos of the Vikings together, he had never mentioned this. It is quite a story of fortitude and following his dream to pursue sports photography.

Frerker, who looks like the former lineman that he was years ago for LJHS, told me earlier, "USA Today made me their number-two photographer for MLB." That's a step up from his status two years ago, when he described a painful game in which he knelt on hard ground in the stands at Petco Park (he hadn't brought any kneepads), having to keep an eye on his expensive camera equipment with fans only a short distance away. It was a tough job, but that was part of being a lower-rung photog trying to get in the good graces of USA Today and work his way up.

"I was credentialed last fall for the Padres in the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series, but the Padres didn't make it all the way," he said proudly, the guy with the most media passes on the sidelines.

We often talk and catch his updates of his latest exploits, as he, Tom Bardaro, Nico's father, and I talk and listen and share what photos we've taken lately--though wowed by the ones that David takes.

A year ago, he shot photos of the Lakers' preseason exhibition in Palm Desert. To meet his deadline for turning in his photos, he had his car rigged up with Wifi and the ability to send photos. While his friend drove back from Palm Desert, Frerker madly processed his images on his laptop in the car and sent them in on time.

He arrived at the Vikings' football game that Friday night, having just gotten back from the desert. It sounded like a harried rush to and from Palm Desert, but for him altogether worth it. Telling us the story was part of the rush, I'm sure.

Frerker also takes photos of the San Diego Wave, USD, and other local pro and college teams.

LJ FH: Martinez did double duty

Coach Sandy Martinez (head down), Amanda Combs
Warford's high school coach, listens to Combs
after the first quarter Tues., Aug. 26, between
Lilly Ferrari (19) and Olivia Morrison-Reyes (8).
(Photo by Ed Piper)


By Ed Piper

Coach Sandy Martinez, coaching La Jolla's JV "B" team as Ashley Cross's fill-in, had quite a story to tell Thursday, August 28.

Besides serving as the long-time head coach of El Capitan's field hockey program--where she had Amanda Combs (now Warford), the Vikings' present coach, as an All-CIF performer--Martinez also juggled duties at Westview in 2021.

The context: COVID restrictions. CIF suddenly announced in January 2021 that all sports could play mini-seasons. The different sports overlapped, and people had to react quickly if their schools were going to play (La Jolla football played five games, with no postseason playoffs).

Laughing, Sandy related, "I'd coach El Capitan in the morning, then drive to Westview for a late-afternoon practice." It was rush-rush, somewhat insane, but Martinez apparently loved it, because she loves the sport and coaching the girls.

The opportunity presented itself, and she took it.

The veteran coach went into a second retirement last year after three years at La Jolla under her former players, Combs Warford, who has built the program to an elite level in the last eight years. The Vikings were a CIF Open Division finalist for the first time.

Then Amanda came a-calling, and she is substituting for Cross, who coached the JV "B"'s last year for the first time. Ashley is way out there, ready for her delivery coming very soon. She was present at practice Thursday.

Martinez's first retirement came after stepping down at El Capitan. Two years ago, the entire Viking coaching staff were alumnae of the Vaquero program under Martinez.