Facing an empty computer screen, where a finely crafted treatise on high school sports must be fashioned in time to meet a weekly deadline, occasionally drives a writer to do zany things. An example of this craziness is creating a self-titled sports awards column. Alas, this is the 6th Annual Axey Awards, so it’s probably too late to turn back now.

This column comes with two disclaimers each year. First, these awards are totally subjective and are intentionally biased toward honoring multi-sport athletes. Their collective participation in two or more sports permits Coronado High School to field the wide offering of sports (25 in all) that it does.

Second, don’t operate heavy machinery while reading this column. Contact your physician if drowsiness persists.

Best Team – For the second year in a row, the nod goes to The Girls Varsity Soccer Team, which tied for the CIF Division III championship with USDHS, on their way to compiling a 25-3-4 record this year. During the Christmas tournament season they were dominating good teams and their only downfalls were a couple of losses during the second half of a very tough Western League season. With quality athletes sprinkled throughout the roster, combined with talent, experience and strong senior leadership, this was the consistently best team from CHS in 2004-05.

Honorable mention goes to Girls Lacrosse, Baseball, Girls Water Polo and Boys Swimming, teams which all took second place in their respective CIF playoffs. The Baseball and Boys Swimming teams came out of nowhere to finish strong. Girls Lacrosse and Girls Water Polo both had extended periods of dominance during the season.

The "All-Smarts Team" – In a school with as many talented student-athletes as Coronado has, singling out one athlete is risky. However, Class of ‘05 Valedictorian Jake Ruzevick combined an outstanding academic record with a sterling prep career in cross country and track. Ruzevick two CIF Cross Country Titles and was the Harbor League titlist in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs for the past two years. Headed for M.I.T. and a possible career in medicine, Jake has a bright future based on his strong athletic and academic performance level he established at CHS.

Best Conversation During a CHS Sporting Event – Part 1 – During a home soccer game, Dr. Steve Copp, father of senior soccer star Ashley Copp and I found some time to talk basketball. Copp, who played the sport at San Diego State, and I agreed that Gus Johnson of the old Baltimore Bullets was the best power forward we had ever seen grace the hardwood. Learned discussions of 1970’s era NBA basketball in and around Coronado are quite rare.

Best Conversation – Part 2 – Your Natterer sat next to Will Nygard (CHS ’04) during the CHS Baseball playoff game with St. Augustine at Hickman Field. Nygard scored a 1550 on his SAT exam a year ago and currently is an applied mathematics major at Harvard. During the game, Will and I discussed academics and professional sports in the Boston area. I was able to nimbly carry my portion of the conversation on one of those two topics.

Great Plays and Performances –

Islander Girls Soccer goalie Jamie Klages made a save in the CIF Division III semi-final game against Valhalla that will long be remembered. Coronado was holding a precarious 1-0 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest. A Viking forward put a shot on goal that looked like it would catch the far upper corner from where Klages was stationed. The Nebraska-bound Klages immediately launched herself diagonally upward and deflected the ball over the crossbar, covering half the goal horizontally and nearly 7-feet vertically at the same time. CHS Head Soccer Coach Miles Ramirez called the effort, "One of the best saves I have ever seen." A great play in a big game.

Junior baseball player Kevin Couture hits the Top Performances list twice for his efforts on the diamond this season. First for his no-hit, no-run pitching effort against Western League rival Point Loma. Second, during the playoffs, Couture hit a grand slam homer to help defeat Mission Bay in the first of the three playoff games the Islanders played against the Buccaneers. Coronado had trailed going into the inning and Couture came through with a clutch hit in a clutch situation.

Junior catcher Blake Spitzer had two key game-winning hits in the baseball Division III Playoffs, one against St. Augustine and one against Mission Bay. The Islanders season started to take off when Spitzer went behind the plate to call the pitches, help manage the pitchers, and strengthened the Islanders defense up the middle.

Chas Marks, a sophomore small forward for the CHS Boys Basketball Team hit a 35-foot, game-winning three-point shot, at the final buzzer in a home court victory against San Dieguito Academy. The Islanders won the contest 44-41.

The Boys Soccer Team had not defeated Harbor League pre-season favorite Hoover on the Cardinal’s home turf in memory. The Islanders stepped up and handed Hoover a 3-0 home loss on Coronado’s way to a perfect 10-0 Harbor League record.

Coronado Middle School’s seventh grade middle and long distance running sensation Sallie Privett ran in a county middle school event held at Coronado a few weeks ago. Running in an 800-meter race, she defeated her closest competitor by half a lap or roughly 200 meters, in a two-lap race. It could have been worse. Privett coasted during the first half of the race because she had a big meet to prepare for two days later.

CHS Boys Lacrosse Goalie Kevin Chenoweth was between the pipes when Coronado hosted Wantagh High School from Long Island, New York over Spring Break. Chenoweth made saves on several point blank shots by the Wantagh attackers, some coming on two-on-one fast breaks that literally and figuratively saved the 6-5 win for Coronado. It was a great performance against a nationally-ranked team by Chenoweth.

Best Performance by a Fan – Islander Sports Foundation President Susan Schelkun’s daughter Julia Schelkun was a star on the CHS Girls Lacrosse Team this season. When the Islanders played La Jolla on the road for the City Conference Championship, it would be fair to say that Susan was in fine voice for this pivotal game, which resulted in a 2-goal victory by the Islanders over the defending CIF champions. All of the Coronado fans in attendance appreciated and were used to Susan’s cheering, but the La Jolla parents still haven’t quite recovered.

Best Improvement Over the Course of the Season – CHS Girls Basketball Center Amanda Marks started her senior season with her teammates in the CHS Thanksgiving Shootout. She fired up several knuckleballs from the free throw line in the early tournament games, failing to draw iron on a couple. Later in the year she regained her form as well as her accuracy and helped the team finish strong in Harbor League play, just missing the CIF playoffs. A fine rebounder, good competitor and a student-athlete and student leader with a great attitude, Marks seemed to get better with every game.

Best Improvement Over the Course of a High School Career – Senior Megan Braun is an athlete who took some talent, combined it with a great work ethic, and developed into one of the best water polo goalies in San Diego County by her senior year, when she was voted the MVP of the CHS Water Polo Team. A fine student as well, Braun seems to embody the concept that you get out of sports what you put into them.

Boys Team Coach of the Year – This category is a tie between Head Baseball Coach Sam Ceci and Boys Head Basketball Coach Sandy Dillon.

Ceci took the Islanders on an improbable and historic ride that ended with the Coronado Baseball Team in the finals of the CIF Division III Playoffs, the first finals playoff baseball appearance in the 85 years that Coronado has fielded a baseball team. The team caught fire in the playoffs and won road games at San Marcos, St. Augustine, and two out of three contests at Mission Bay. Seeded 10th entering the playoffs, clutch hitting and inspired pitching carried the Islanders to a second place finish.

The Islander Boys Basketball Team was composed of a collection of fine athletes, most of whom played basketball as their second sport. Dillon coached the team to a 17-9 record and a first round CIF Division IV Playoff victory over Army-Navy Academy. A team that was better than the sum of their individual parts, the Islanders competed hard, played the game with enthusiasm and represented the school well all season long.

Girls Team Coach of the Year – Another tie, with this year’s Axey Awards honoring Girls Soccer Coach Miles Ramirez and Girls Lacrosse Coach Jessica Battle.

Ramirez, also the winner of the Axey in this category in 2003-04, led the Islanders to the CIF Division III Co-championship with USDHS in 2004-05, which followed the Islanders outright title won the previous year. Ramirez weaved a mixture of Division I university-level talent, senior leadership, and youthful exuberance into a team that had another strong result this season.

The Girls Lacrosse Team came within one victory of the CIF title, losing to No. 1 seed La Costa Canyon 10-4 in the championship game. Only an early-season tournament loss and the loss in the finals offset the team’s 21 victories. Following a path similar to that of Ramirez, Battle had considerable talent to work with, witness the fact that three of her players (Liz Thaete, Marissa Nagler and Angela Naple) were named to The San Diego Union-Tribune All Section Team and a fourth (Julia Schelkun) earned All-American honors. But talent alone will only carry a team so far and Battle had the team playing hard and smart all season long.

Girls Team Coach - Honorable Mention – Due to the luck of the talent draw, Head Girls Basketball Coach Toler Goodwin wasn’t blessed with a lot of material to work with this year and the team missed the CIF playoffs for the first time in several seasons. If a coach with less ability and dedication was at the helm of the 2004-05 team, the Islanders wouldn’t have approached the 10-16 record they earned this year.

The Top 15 Senior Class Athletes – The Top 15 athletes in the Class of 2005 were honored at a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Coronado one week ago. The winners in alphabetical order included: Megan Braun, Dallas Chase, Kevin Chenoweth, Jed Considine, Ashley Copp, Stuart Gallant, Elizabeth Hopkins, Jamie Klages, Reid McLean, Adam Munns, Brad Munns, Drew Ratcliffe, Jake Ruzevick, Alex Vido and Ashley Walsh.

Girls Freshman Athlete of the Year – It’s unusual for a freshman to contribute in one sport, but this year’s winner Hannah Sebenaler was a star in two sports with totally different skill sets, water polo and lacrosse. Consider that Sebenaler scored six goals in water polo against USDHS to help Coronado win the America’s Finest City Tournament. In lacrosse, she scored five goals in the CIF semi-final playoff game against La Jolla. That is truly a unique combination. Greer Goebels, a valuable contributor to both the soccer and lacrosse teams, had an excellent freshman season, as did Carly Hoshko in water polo and swimming. Tiffany Depfer played one sport, but ended the season as the starting point guard on the CHS Basketball Team, which is a fine achievement for a freshman.

Boys Freshman Athlete of the Year – Ben Enowitz earns the nod and the Axey for his outstanding results in track and cross country. The heir apparent to Ruzevick in both the classroom and on the track, Enowitz is slight of frame, but long on talent. Baseball’s Kyle Pokorny earns a special mention. Starting the year on the JV, Pokorny ended the season in the varsity pitching rotation, hurling a complete game playoff victory against St. Augustine, while frequently filling in at shortstop. He was third on the Islanders in innings pitched this season. Other athletes deserving mention are Jacob Smith in water polo, and the sailing tandem of Pike Harris and Ryan Sullivan.

Girls Sophomore Athlete of the Year - Brooke Becky earned MVP honors on the Girls Basketball team, was a contributor on the Girls Lacrosse Team and earns the Axey. A fine shooting guard in basketball, Becky figures to be the team leader next season. Others deserving mention include: Sarah Player in cross country and track; Amanda Purvis in tennis and cross country; Lexi Donovan in golf and lacrosse; and Hope Alexander in cross country and lacrosse.

Boys Sophomore Athlete of the Year – The coveted ‘Axey’ goes to Ben Thorne for his efforts in football and baseball. Thorne had an excellent football season as both an offensive and defensive lineman. He played most of the baseball season on the JV, but made valuable offensive contributions at the plate during the CIF Playoffs. Thorne received competition from Geoffrey Worley, last year’s winner in this category. Worley is a standout in lacrosse and has a bright future in basketball, where he contributed to the varsity at the conclusion of the 2004-05 season.

Girls Junior Athlete of the Year – This category is so close we had to go with Co-Axeys to Megan Mushovic and Marisa Nagler, both of whom are outstanding three-sport athletes. Mushovic was a setter in volleyball and the leader of the team that tied for the Eastern League title. She also played soccer and was a multi-event performer in track and field. Nagler, ran cross country, was a valuable contributor in soccer and was the leading scorer (59 goals) on an outstanding girls lacrosse team.

An unusually strong class, other multiple-sport athletes of note included Kelly Phelps (volleyball and water polo); Sasha Vido (volleyball, soccer and lacrosse); Farrell Pompa (basketball, softball MVP); and Jessica Davis-Ricci (basketball and softball).

Boys Junior Athlete of the Year – It’s rare when an athlete is truly a star in three sports and that description applies to the Axey Award winner Kelcey Fisher. Rushing for nearly 1,000 yards as a tailback on the football team, Fisher also played defensive back and handled the punting and place kicking responsibilities for the Islanders. Moving to soccer season, he was a standout in that sport and was voted ‘Middie of the Year’ by the boys lacrosse coaches. The middie in lacrosse is called upon to score and to play defense and is generally considered to be the position played by the best athletes on the team, an accurate description of Fisher. Honorable mentions are accorded to Blake Spitzer (basketball and baseball); Sean Castillo and Preston Lujan (water polo and swimming); plus Kyle McArthur and Will Purvis (football and lacrosse).

Girls Senior Athlete of the Year – One of the best athletes to come through Coronado High School, male or female, in the past several years is Axey Award Winner Jamie Klages. A three-sport star in volleyball, soccer and track, Klages also flirted with basketball as a freshman. Had soccer not conflicted with hoops, believe Your Natterer that Klages could have lettered for four years in that sport as well.

On her way to the University of Nebraska to play goalie for the Cornhusker Women’s Soccer Team, Klages is also getting a close look for a future role on the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team. The San Diego Sectional Champion in the high jump this year, and a fifth place finisher in the California State Championships a year ago, Klages was also Co-Captain of the CHS volleyball team this year.

Klages eclipsed the three-sport efforts of two fine senior athletes Elizabeth Hopkins (tennis, water polo and swimming) and Alex Vido (volleyball, soccer and lacrosse). Ashley Copp (volleyball and soccer) and Ashley Walsh (cross country, soccer) also deserve to be mentioned for their superior senior years.

Boys Senior Athlete of the Year – The nod in this category goes to Reid McLean, who played cross country, basketball and track, all at a very high level. McLean was the captain of the basketball team and was named Co-MVP of the track team. Headed to Cal Poly SLO to continue his track career, McLean has an opportunity to be a quality multi-event (pentathlon or decathlon) athlete in track and field. He was one of the best age group decathletes in the nation last summer.

The Axey Award senior boys runners-up included Dallas Chase (water polo, soccer, and swimming) and Ryan Cummins (football, soccer and lacrosse). Two-sport stars included: Jed Considine and Jack Scott (football and volleyball); Jake Ruzevick (cross country and track); Adam Munns (basketball and track); Brad Munns (cross country and basketball); Stu Gallant (soccer and golf); Drew Ratcliffe (water polo and swimming) and Jonathan Smith (basketball and volleyball).

Thanks to the coaches who helped teach our athletes more than just the sport they play. Congratulations to all of the CHS student-athletes who take the time and energy to participate in sports, when it would be far easier to not stand out from your peers. And finally, congratulations to the parents, for riding out the emotional twists and turns that your athlete goes through during their sports season. The highs can be high and the lows incredibly low, but the life lessons your kids learn, and the future physical benefits they derive from sports, are invaluable.