LJ BB 53, Scripps Ranch 49 - Western League opener

Ladd Castellano hit a three-pointer from the top of the key after La Jolla worked through its offense, putting the Vikings up 48-43 with 2:10 left in the game, and LJHS held on to beat visiting Scripps Ranch 53-49 in the Western League opener for both teams Tues., Jan. 6.

"Ladd was clutch at the end with a three," said big man Alex Pitrofsky.

La Jolla led 22-15 at halftime, and never relinquished the lead, despite the Falcons coming back within one at 40-39, and again 42-41 in nervous time.

The 6'6" Pitrofsky, playing only his second game since missing tournament play over the winter vacation, had a block near the basket early in the third quarter. Then, with La Jolla holding a slim three-point lead starting the fourth quarter, Alex tipped in a Reed Farley miss to push the Vikings up 33-28.

Despite a spate of LJHS turnovers in the third quarter, Castellano sparkled by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 25 seconds, in addition to his key jumper. That gave La Jolla a 51-45 lead.

Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB: Balance

Reed Farley (33) misses on

this alley oop attempt. Coach

Paul Baranowski called for

a foul, to no avail.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Coach Paul Baranowski made an interesting comment after La Jolla's win at Bonita Vista Jan. 3. He said, "It is good when we are doing well offensively when Reed (Farley) is off the court." This is the first time he has broached this subject.

It's an acknowledgement of the key role that the 6'4" sophomore plays in the team's success. But "Coach B" was also saying that the Vikings are a team made of multiple individuals, and they need all those elements. As part of the same conversation, he referred to the fact that all 13 members of the roster have not yet been all present and all healthy to play at the same time through the first month of the season.

The nice part of it is that the Vikings have done well, to the tune of an 8-4 won-lost record, without the full roster. Imagine what can happen when and if all the minions are producing.

Farley went on an early tear in the Bonita Vista win, sinking two long three's that seemed to startle the Barons, as well as other goodies. The Vikings took a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. Baranowski gave him a rest in the second quarter.

But alongside him, senior guard Ladd Castellano was flowing and looking aggressive, driving to the basket as well as shooting from outside, to the tune of 30 points on the night. Farley had 20.

A new contribution came from Mark Rawdin, down low, who scored 14.

Farley leads the team statistically with 18.6 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is second to Alex Pitrofsky in rebounding with 5.0 per game. Pitrofsky leads with 5.4. Castellano is the only other player in double figures in scoring average, with 12.9 per game.

Owen Porter has 4.8 rebounds per game, Ladd 4.7, and Morgan Albers 4.3. Porter has the same steals average as Reed, 1.3. Castellano has 2.9 steals per game.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB: League opener preview

Guard Zach Duffy (14) has been working hard and it

has paid off in a slot as a starter in this, his senior year.

Here Duffy and Mark Rawdin (24) face Bonita Vista.

(Photo by Ed Piper) 

"It's a pretty good preparation game for us," said La Jolla High basketball coach Paul Baranowski of its non-league win at Bonita Vista Jan. 3, "because Scripps Ranch will zone us," the same way the Barons defended the Vikings.

He went on to say, after the 89-58 win over the weekend, "And if we shoot it the way we did tonight, (we'll be in good shape)."

Scripps Ranch is the Vikings' opponent in their Western League opener at La Jolla Tues., Jan. 6, at 5:15 p.m.

Regarding Friday's opponent, Lincoln, at the Hornets' place, "film" yet to be viewed is going to hold the key. "We aren't sure what they're going to be like," said the coach, in his third year at the helm at La Jolla (20-plus years total coaching).

Friday's game will feature a girls/boys doubleheader, with the Vikings girls at 6 p.m., the boys following at approximately 7:30 p.m. That is the format for several of the league games coming this month and in February.

Baranowski noted that though his squad has gone a solid 8-4 through pre-league games, "We still have not had all 13 players here and healthy." Grant Miller is still inactive, recovering from a concussion in the football team's final CIF playoff game. A couple of players were away during part or all of the two-week winter vacation just completed.

Eddie Parker sat out a game due to a leg injury. Earlier in December, Mark Rawdin was out with a knee issue.

A basketball treat coming up, from this reporter's view, is La Jolla getting to try its skills against St. Augustine, which is ranked eighth in the San Diego CIF Section by MaxPreps. It's always fun to play against the best. Just ask Reed Farley. Last year he relished playing Lincoln at Lincoln, usually a tough task, when he was in his first year of high school.

La Jolla has a more matured, seasoned team this year. So the guard corps including Ladd Castellano and Farley should be able to lead the team to be more effective. Fellow guard Zach Duffy has been working hard. Wing Owen Porter showed his growth especially on one sprint down court against Bonita Vista in which he took the ball from halfcourt and laid the ball up from the left side under heavy duress.

Rawdin showed effectiveness close to the basket in the same game. Hopefully, big man Alex Pitrofsky can quickly transition back to where his game was before Christmas break, after time off with his family.

Greg Jones, whose son Matt played at La Jolla High about six years ago, asked how the team was. I said "not great, but solid." Some alumni from last year asked the same question at the Grossmont Invitational before Christmas. It portends to be a good league season.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ b BB 89, Bonita Vista 58

Senior Ladd Castellano scores with emotion for a

72-49 Viking lead against the Barons. His free

throw to complete the three-point play extended the

La Jolla lead to 24. (Photo by Ed Piper)

Guard Gaynor Blackmon, Jr. said it was the two teams' fifth meeting already in this young season. But it was one that host Bonita Vista regretted, as the visiting Vikings sliced and diced the poor Barons, 89-58, operating on all cylinders in the first game of the new year Jan. 3.

La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski graded the performance as his team's best effort this season through 12 pre-league games. "It was a great team effort," said the pleased coach. Asked afterward for three words in a single clause, he replied, "Love these guys."

Ladd Castellano pumped in 30 points, Reed Farley 20, and Mark Rawdin 14. "If he's (Rawdin) going to be the big man we need, (that's awesome)," said Baranowski between handshakes with his players following a quick postgame huddle in front of the bench.

Castellano put some nails in the coffin on a move with his back to the free throw line in the fourth quarter that catapulted the Vikings up by a whopping 29 points, 83-54. Ladd spun to his left and blew by his defender as if the latter were nailed to the floor to lay the ball up cleanly.

Bonita Vista had only trailed by 13 points at halftime, 46-33.

Reed Farley missed on this

alley oop at the start of the

fourth quarter, but Coach

Paul Baranowski wanted a

foul called.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

Earlier in the final stanza, Ladd closed the coffin lid with a three-point jump shot from a favorite spot of his, 20 feet out on the right side of the key extended, making it 68-49.

Farley missed an alley oop slam attempt near the end of the first quarter, a feat that he achieved in the Grossmont Invitational before Christmas. But he atoned for that with a score with his back to the basket on another alley oop feed to put the Vikes up 61-36 with 3:30 left in the third period.

The lob was a little to the right of the basket, and the 6'4" sophomore had to wriggle his body a little to catch the ball and bank it off the backboard behind him. Bonita Vista coach Don Dumas immediately called a timeout.

Reed was having a time of it in the opening stanza. La Jolla jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the hosts were even able to score. Then, after they did, Farley hit two straight three-pointers from long range that had Dumas looking bewildered and frustrated. The Vikings finished the quarter leading 22-13.

The super soph completed an old-school three-point play midway through the second quarter, scoring on a drive from the left side, then converting the free throw after being fouled to give LJHS a 36-25 lead. After the layup fell, he pumped his fist and shouted. He was truly charged up.

Rawdin surprised Bonita Vista inside, scoring the first basket of the game. He took a pass on the right low post from Castellano at the wing to score at 28-15 in the second quarter. He even told a photographer on the sidelines, "You get the action shot when I get the ball." The photographer playfully yelled back, "I don't have any action shots of you."

6'6" Alex Pitrofsky returned after a Christmas cruise vacation. Guard Daniel Hemming was also back with the team following the holidays.

The Vikings host Scripps Ranch in their Western League opener Tues., Jan. 6, 2015, at approximately 5:15 p.m. following the JV game.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB: "We vibe together"



Guard Gaynor Blackmon (behind) applies

full-court pressure against Santa Fe Christian

Dec. 20 in Grossmont Invitational.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

 

 

"I kind of just realized what I needed to do," Viking guard Gaynor Blackmon says about his new-found comfort on the basketball court, which is apparent in his movement, his effectiveness, and the minutes Coach Paul Baranowski is giving him in recent tournament games over the holidays. "I'm on the court if I'm putting out the energy, if I'm running the offense well."

Very recent good news is the email the senior backcourtman received at 12:20 a.m. Christmas morning, just after Christmas Eve, informing him that he had been accepted to the University of Colorado. He wants to continue studying physiology and possibly pursue research or be a family physician, the latter which would suit his people-orientedness.

His is the smiling countenance you often encounter if you hang around the La Jolla High varsity squad. "I was really shy and sensitive (at a younger age)," Blackmon reveals. "I didn't take any criticism well." He said that that made it tough in his brief foray into football, and he didn't enjoy it.

But basketball suits his skills and his personality. He has been playing the sport since he was eight years old. He likes the team aspect. And the game involves what Gaynor calls "finesse": "When you're 'finessing'," he elaborates, "that's when you're getting by your defender. When they're pressing, you've got to be more elusive than the other player.

"If you can fake one way and go the other, the other way might be wide-open."

The 5'7" guard preaches the team concept convincingly. From observing him all last season and the first month of this season, it's evident that the senior wants to play his role on La Jolla's team and help put his teammates in a position to succeed. There is a camaraderie among him and his teammates. He says he knows his fellow seniors better than some of the juniors--fellow classmen including Zach Duffy, Mark Rawdin, and Daniel Hemming, guys that he hangs with--though, of the whole team, "When we're together, we vibe together. We mesh together well."

"If I do good, I'm going to be happy," he says. "But it's about if we get there together as a team."

The Viking has some life experience already at his tender age of 18 that gives him insight into other people's struggles. He has moved four times, being born in Minnesota--"Are you a Timberwolf," he is asked; "I could be," he grins--then moving to Wisconsin, Colorado for eight years, then Calabasas, north of Los Angeles, and finally, La Jolla before ninth grade.

"Definitely, it's a big part of who I am," Gaynor says of the geographic moves. "(Moving) hasn't always been good. I've met so many people from so many different backgrounds.

"So many people only know one type of living. We lived in suburban areas with families" in the other states. "(As a result) I can relate to different people's struggles."

Where that experience comes out is in his ability to listen to others. "If someone vents to me about a situation, maybe I can give them a different perspective."

He has just taken his younger brother Grayson, a 7th-grader at Muirlands Middle School, out for sushi just before the interview. Blackmon says horchatas (sweet rice drink) from Rigoberto's are another favorite. Grayson is into football. Their sister Gabrielle, 11, does gymnastics.

Coming off the bench to set up the offense, he says he's mindful of the following things: "Who's just scored? Who's feeling it on that day? Also, mismatches."

"If the shooters aren't feeling it (confidence), I want to try to get them a chance to shoot (to gain confidence), when we're not fighting to get back into the game," he explains.

"I feel Owen (Porter) and I have a telepathic connection. He knows when I need him to backdoor."

He appreciates his mother Michelle's unconditional support. But he says his dad, Gaynor Sr., will speak bluntly to Gaynor Jr. about his responsibility in a situation. "If I've ever had a problem, I always go to my dad. He's the one who calms me out. I'm not going to go to my mom, because she'll say, 'It's the other person's fault.' He'll be: 'You're being selfish.' He'll tell me if I'm doing good or bad."

Son and dad speak frequently, via phone. Dad lives in Colorado, where Gaynor Jr. spent Christmas the past week.

The future Buffalo at the University of Colorado in Boulder sets goals and believes in hard work. "Life is what you put into it," he says philosophically. "If you're not proactive about setting goals, you're going to be upset. You're not going to feel fulfilled."

"Complacency is the enemy. I know what I want to work for. If I'm on track for what I want to do, I'll be fine. Stressing out isn't usually going to help things."

His present goals include continuing to work hard in the classroom, including physiology, in preparation for college, and staying focused on the basketball team, helping the team "continuing to win."

Gaynor's increasing self-confidence, overcoming his earlier shyness, still includes awareness of others' feelings. "I always try to make people laugh," he says, "or if I'm not putting anything into the relationship, (I will). I like to make everyone feel welcome."

Where does he get this sense of hospitality? "I think both of my parents are very accepting of people, regardless of their background. When I meet someone new, they have a clean slate (in my mind)."


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper

LJ BB: "Go your hardest"

Vikings' Morgan Albers (32) drives near

the baseline in 64-54 win over Patrick

Henry in the Grossmont Invitational.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

When you walk up and shake hands with Morgan Albers, you realize how big his hands are. More to grab those rebounds with. He stands 6'3".

The quiet, unassuming young man is working his program: A junior who often starts for La Jolla High, he would like to play basketball in college. He has gained "a lot of weight" since his sophomore year, building his upper body strength. He has been lifting weights, which has really made a difference. "I'm better at boxing out (for rebounds), and stuff," Albers observes.

He had a recent encounter with 6'10" Brandon McCoy of Morse, as did his fellow Vikings, in the Grossmont Invitational. "He used his elbow and I got hit in the chin," relates Albers. "He didn't even get called for a foul." It still hurts five days later. "I'm going to go to the chiropractor Monday (Dec. 29) if it still hurts," the forward says. "My jaw is sore. It's a tightness. It's weird."

Such are the verities of life under the boards in varsity basketball. Morgan had to sit out basketball much of the summer a year ago, after breaking his pinkie in practice, requiring surgery. That was frustrating, as he was vying for significant minutes of playing time in Coach Paul Baranowski's program.

Morgan's older brother has played a significant role in his younger brother's development. Three years older than Morgan, Garret used to play basketball and the two would compete. "He's bigger and stronger. Playing him helped me out playing tougher," says Albers. It has aided him in facing opponents like McCoy.

Garret is part of a University City-La Jolla dynamic in Morgan's life. The Albers family lived in Clairemont when the older brother attended UC High, one of the Vikings' rivals. Morgan was on track to attend UC as well, when he attended Standley Middle School. The second week of his seventh grade, he transferred to Muirlands Middle School, leading to his attending La Jolla High. So he knows some of the players on the UC basketball team, including Justin Holder, a starter a year ahead of Morgan.

A tight-knit family, the Albers clan just returned from spending Christmas in Northridge at the home of Morgan's maternal grandparents. They played miniature golf one day during the vacation. At other times, Morgan had bonding opportunities with his grandfather watching basketball on television together.

The family moved from Clairemont to La Jolla, where Morgan's father grew up, after his paternal grandfather passed away and his dad's childhood home was remodeled before they moved in. Morgan's father has set up a nice basketball court in the backyard, where the 17-year-old can shoot and get a sweat going, with dad rebounding, then shower to get more alert, his preferred routine to prepare for games.

Eddie Parker, Alex Pitrofsky, and Albers, all juniors, eat lunch together at school and "hang out". They've all contributed to the team already in the first month of the basketball season. Parker, a newcomer to the varsity, has gained significant minutes during preleague and tournament games recently. He has some smooth moves to the basket, and has good basketball sense.

Pitrofsky, 6'6", looks to contribute more inside under the boards when Western League play starts in January. Albers plays wing and sets up under the basket at various times. All three have been starters at one time or another as Baranowski goes with different lineups.

As far as academics, Morgan is taking AP Environmental Science, which he says is a difficult course. He might take marine science next year, since things about the ocean interest him.

A philosophy he tries to put into action is "Go your hardest, work your hardest all the time." At practice, he tries to run hard as part of that effort.

In the food department, "Thanksgiving food" is tasty, and steak and mashed potatoes are a favorite meal. Cookies and cream gets the nod in the ice cream freezer, oreo also a front runner. "Sometimes my mom gets (ice cream) drumsticks," he reveals.

Albers, gaining "street cred" for sustaining injuries, also broke his right middle finger when he was younger. "I shoot with my left hand a lot. I don't know if you noticed," he says. "So I shot with my left hand a lot more," and he has continued that as part of his game, as a result.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

Water polo: "Walshism"

I have a confession to make, here two days after Christmas

I am connected to "Walshism".

Walshism is embodied, in this case, in the person of Jack Walsh, a water polo player for Coronado.

The reason I'm "confessing" this (tongue-in-cheek) is because he played a major role in beating La Jolla's water polo team in the fall. And I'm related to him.

I'm sorry, Vikingland fans.

Walsh the water polo player is the nephew of my son-in-law Brendan.

I remember last fall when Brendan came home and informed me, as I was spending time with the grandkids at his house, that he had attended the Coronado-La Jolla match, and that the Islanders had powdered my boys.

It's all in the family.

The reason I'm part of the Viking family is that my granddaughter, Alexis, graduated from LJHS, Class of 2008, and she was a varsity cheerleader for four years. That's how I got started taking photos of La Jolla High sports (and cheer).

Now, the other wing of the family has engendered a water polo star who plays for one of the Vikings' enemies. Ouch. It's a mini-version of the North vs. the South, the Hatfields vs. the McCoys.

Actually, I thought I'd better write about it now, because it may be the last chance I have to do so. Jack was just named UT Academic Captain for water polo.

He was also named an Academic All-American in water polo by Water Polo magazine, according to the source.

His photo in the announcement had him wearing black horned-rim glasses--just like the ones his uncle wore in photos taken during his schooldays.

Anyway, as I give best wishes to any Viking opponent, congratulations, Jack, and well wishes, but not too much--at least if you ever face La Jolla High again. But I don't think he will, at least in water polo, because he is a graduating senior. (I don't know if he plays any other sports.)

At the family brunch on Christmas Day, Brittany Black, Jack's cousin, was present as part of the host family, gracious enough to invite the in-law grandparents over. Brittany played for La Jolla coach Kristin Jones in soccer in her junior year, which was 2012-13. This is the first time I have met her. She now attends Cal.

Brittany wore uniform number 6, and played midfielder.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper