John Steinbeck’s literary masterpiece "The Grapes of Wrath," which is set in the Dust Bowl Era of the early and mid 1930’s, could easily be performed for the stage on Coronado’s Niedermeyer Field. You can almost picture Tom Joad and his bedraggled family abandoning their ravaged Oklahoma tenant farm and emerging from a dusty cloud at Coronado’s midfield, just in time for the opening face-off of an Islander lacrosse home game.

Over the weekend, within a span of 18 hours the CHS Boys and Girls Lacrosse Teams played worthy opponents and both emerged victorious, based in large part on great individual scoring efforts. The Boys kicked off the proceedings Friday evening by hosting De La Salle High School from Concord, the legendary California football power.

Interestingly, only one member of the Spartan football squad plays varsity lacrosse, but the visitors arrived with plenty of talent to face the Islanders. The Spartans opened the game with a goal 1:20 into the contest, but that was quickly countered by a goal from Geoff Worley on an assist from Patrick Murphy, a Kelsey Fisher tally followed a minute later and then another goal from Worley. Halfway through the first quarter, it looked like the Islanders were settling into their game and would win handily. But, by halftime De La Salle had tied Coronado 6-6 and it was either team’s game to win.

Worley opened the second half with two quick goals, but De La Salle countered with five straight tallies and seemed to have regained the upper hand in this see-saw affair, capturing an 11-8 lead. Fisher and Murphy scored with under a minute to play in the third quarter, sandwiched around another Spartan goal, and Coronado trailed 12-10.

Four straight Coronado goals by Worley, Cory Couture, Worley again and Murphy pushed the Islanders in front 14-13, before De La Salle returned fire to take a 15-14 lead. Couture tied the game on a goal, assisted by Worley with 1:47 left in the contest. Worley then scored what would become the game-winning goal with 37 seconds remaining.

With a one goal lead and little time remaining, Coronado Head Coach Alex Cade sent senior midfielder Fisher to the dusty face-off circle to win possession of the ball for Coronado. Fisher won the face-off and Cade called a timeout with 17 seconds remaining. Coronado then went into the lacrosse version of the University of North Carolina’s basketball four corners stall, giving the ball to Worley who ran around and away from the Spartan defenders, until the game clock ran out.

Worley finished with seven goals and five assists, while Fisher, Couture and Murphy added three goals each. De La Salle simply didn’t have an answer for Worley, who sliced through their defense, seemingly at will. "Worley had a great game," said Cade of his junior attack. "He is continuing to develop throughout the year, which is the sign of a good player, who could become a great player. He’s come a long way. With his work ethic, he will continue to improve and get better. He’s already an outstanding player."

Cade also appreciated the effort put forth by Couture, a sophomore attack. "Erik Karlsson got injured at the beginning of the year and Cory stepped in and has done a great job, especially for a young guy like he is. Will Purvis had a nice game and helped with our transition (from defense to offense). Our midfielders did a good job of getting the ball up and down the field. Not much defense was played by either team."

"Jacob Vita is coming off of an injury," Cade continued. "He saw his first action in about four weeks. I expect him to get back into playing shape pretty soon and knock some of the rust off his stick and to be one of our top guys."

In conjunction with a 13-1 pasting of La Jolla, the Boys Lacrosse squad is now 5-2 and facing a tough week ahead. They will face Poway Tuesday on the road, before hosting University City Wednesday and Foothill Thursday. "Foothill is a great team," said Cade of the Tustin-based school. "They beat La Costa Canyon and Torrey Pines and it will be one of our biggest games of the year. Poway and Foothill, those are arguable two of our Top 3 games this year. I wish I would have scheduled them on different weeks."

A scant 18 hours after the Boys Lacrosse Team squared off against De La Salle, the CHS Girls Lacrosse Squad hosted Torrey Pines Saturday afternoon. As the dust settled a couple of hours later, the scoreboard might have read Marissa Nagler 11, CHS Team 4, and Torrey Pines 3.

Seemingly intent on stopping high-scoring Coronado sophomore Hannah Sebenaler, Torrey Pines won that battle, but lost the war. "Marissa played a phenomenal game and she is a great player," said Head Coach Jessica Battle. "The fact of the matter is that we have an incredibly strong attack. You can shut out one player, but two or three others can step up. They should have realized after Marissa scored her fifth goal that they needed to make an adjustment. I told Hannah, ‘if nothing else, you took your (defensive) player out of the game’."

For the record, the CHS Team entry on the scoreboard included goals from Hope Alexander, Erin Colvin, Lindsey Negrete and Greer Goebels. "The Naples (twins Lindsay and Angela) are holding the defense together," Battle said. "They’re phenomenal. Negrete is playing fantastically as well. Greer on attack has been an absolutely key asset. Goalie Alyssa Littin did very well. Mickey Crow, who works with our goalies, has been working with her quite a bit. She is enjoying the position and adding maturity and confidence. " Litton was credited with eight saves.

From a competitive perspective, the game played earlier in the week against La Jolla, which found the Islanders prevailing in overtime 14-12 was probably the more compelling contest. "We definitely dominated the game," Battle said of the Vikings game played on the road. "But we let them have a five goal run in the second half, which allowed them to tie the score with a minute left. We took a brief break and readjusted. We played two three-minute overtimes and we scored two goals in the first two minutes. Marissa had two goals in overtime and Hannah had the third."

Nagler had eight goals and three assists in the La Jolla game, while Sebenaler scored three times and single goals were tallied by Alexander, Negrete and Goebels.

Earlier in the week, Coronado dominated Patrick Henry 14-4 to move their overall record at week’s end to 8-0, which does not include six tournament games won earlier in the season. This week the Islanders host Poway Monday evening and then go international in scope, when they host Wycombe, a varsity high school team from England. "I don’t know a thing about them" said the always candid Battle regarding Wednesday’s opponents. "They could be absolutely fantastic or just average. They are starting with some games in San Francisco and Los Angeles and then coming down this way. This is their first time in the United States and it should be interesting."

The Islanders Baseball Team posted a 2-2 record last week and finished in second place in the City Conference Tournament, but Head Coach Sam Ceci characterized the week as "very interesting, but not particularly rewarding."

The week started with pitching ace Kevin Couture winning his fifth game of the season, but saw him yield his first earned run, in a 7-1 victory over University City. "We played pretty well in that game," said Head Coach Sam Ceci. "We put a little pressure on them and bought ourselves a couple of runs. They’re a good team and that was a good win for us." Offensive stars for Coronado included Danny Cepin, who was 3-4 with three stolen bases. Ben Thorne, Alex Rowan and Blake Spitzer added two hits each.

Wednesday’s game with St. Augustine was postponed until Friday and found the Islanders on the short end of a 3-2 extra inning affair. "It was disappointing," said Ceci of the contest. "We could have won that one and didn’t. To advance in the tournament, we could have lost, as long as we didn’t give up more than 12 runs. Ryland Gill battled on the mound and Benson Lorden did okay. We got our first look at Kyle Pokorny and he did fine, which was encouraging." Pokorny, a sophomore hurler who has had arm trouble in the early going this season, was limited to a 30-pitch count.

Ceci explained that there were multiple opportunities for the Islanders to defeat the Saints. "We stranded men at third base, with nobody out, three times and didn’t score. One of those times, the bases were loaded. We got nine hits and they were all at the wrong time. We didn’t get the timely hit."

Saturday morning Coronado qualified for the tournament semi-finals and played Point Loma. After spotting the Pointers five runs in the early going, a pitching combination of Chas Marks, Couture and Josh Fink held the Pointers to one run and three hits. Coronado held on to won 12-6. "We had nine hits and they had eight errors," said Ceci. "They came apart at the seams and couldn’t make routine plays. Kevin got the win in relief and Josh came in a closed it at the end."

The finals were played Saturday afternoon at Cathedral Catholic, where the Islanders found their 2005 playoff rival and Western League rival Mission Bay waiting for them. "My hat is off to them," Ceci said of the Buccaneers. "They lost a lot (of talent). I think this year’s team is a better team. They play well together and they were a little bit of a surprise for us." Mission Bay won the game 8-0, taking the tournament title in the process. "They’re young, they play hard and they’re aggressive."

"Nothing positive came out of the game," Ceci allowed. It was our first multiple error game of the year. We had three for the game. We reached the finals of the City Tournament, which we have never done before, so that’s a modest accomplishment."

This week Coronado starts Western League play, only to see University City again at home Wednesday at 3 pm. Mission Bay will visit Coronado Friday at 3:30 pm.

The CHS Track and Field Team kicked it into high gear last week with their first dual meet and by participating in an invitational meet Saturday. Head Coach George Green checks in with this report. "Juniors Sarah Player and Danielle Eckert set the pace for the Girls’ squad in their 87-45 win over Crawford Wednesday. Player won the high jump, the 100 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles and the 400 meter dash. Eckert took the 100 meter dash, the long jump, the triple jump and ran a leg on the winning 400 meter relay team along with Neisha Scales, Christen Grant and Megan Mushovic.

Mushovic won the discus throw and placed second in both the high and triple jumps. Scales was second in the 100 and won the 200 with Grant second in the latter event. Kelsey Fitzgerald and Allison Cabana took second and third in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs, with Turner Stanley placing third and second respectively.

Kasey Zapatka and Michael Davies went 1-2 in the 800. To save their legs for the Runge Classic on Saturday, we didn’t run them in any other events. Levi Lozano placed second in both the discus throw and the shot put, Drew Stacy won the 200, Kenny Twomey placed second in the 400 and Alton Smith placed third in the 110 hurdles.

Sarah Player had a busy day at the Runge Classic, held at Patrick Henry High School Saturday. The high jump started at 2 pm, but she was still in Coronado at 1:45 pm, having just finished her SAT tests. She arrived after the competition had begun, but our great high jump coach Kerry Elders talked to the meet officials, who agreed to let her jump-in when she got there.

The problem with being a multi-event athlete is sometimes your events happen at the same time. Shortly after Player arrived and took a few jumps at the lower heights, she had to report for the seeded heat (the fast heat) of the 100 meter hurdles. She placed fifth overall (it’s not her best event) and she returned to the high jump pad with spent legs. Sarah soon found herself in a jump-off with three other girls at the height of 5 feet, 2 inches. All three made that height, but not the next (5-4). Based on misses, Sarah placed third, but all three shared in a new meet record for the event.

Several hours later she lined up for the fast hear of the 300 meter hurdles. Trailing two runners coming into the last hurdle, she managed a surge which gave her the Runge championship with a time of 48.22.

Our pole vaulter Danielle Eckert had been trying to get on a new, longer and stiffer pole for two weeks. The process of "getting on" a newer model pole is that it requires getting past the point where the pole ejects you back on to the runway, rather than over the bar. At the Runge, she finally got on the pole and won the event with a school record vault of 10 feet, four inches.

Multi-talented athlete Mushovic picked up three individual medals, with a fourth place finish in the triple jump, an eighth place in the discus throw and a tenth place finish in the long jump.

In the Boys’ events, it looked like Davies would win the Frosh/Soph 1,600 meter run, but he was nipped at the finish line for second place in 4:52.12. Zapatka set a personal record in the open division of the 1,600 meters, placing ninth in 4:44.16. Lozano had a nice double, placing 12^th in the discus and 19^th in the shot put."

The CHS Golf Team is winning matches left and right. Last Monday they defeated Crawford at Balboa Park 207-225, with Bryan Reed earning medalist honors with a 39.

Not to be outdone, Bobby Senter led the Islanders to a 201-252 victory over Madison Tuesday at Coronado Muni. Thursday it was James Carney’s turn to lead the linksters, as he posted a 38 in Coronado’s 197-230 victory over Clairemont at Coronado.

Briefly channeling domestic diva Martha Stewart, CHS Head Coach Dean Cummings opined that having three different medalists in three winning matches was, "a good thing." Overall the Islanders are 7-1-1 and a robust 5-0 in Central League play.

This week Coronado plays Christian at Cottonwood Monday, St. Augustine at Riverwalk Country Club Wednesday and Hoover at Coronado Thursday.

Spring Break follows in a week. Sophomore Dillon Hakes, a transfer from Bishop’s is now eligible to play for Coronado, adding depth to the squad. "He has been playing in the coaches’ group for mot of the matches and participating in everything," said Cummings.

The Islander Girls Softball Team had a back-loaded schedule last week, as they played their first game Friday, losing to La Jolla 5-4. "We lost in the last inning," said Head Coach Ed Shanholtz. "Sara Noceto pitched almost the whole game and did extremely well. In the eighth inning, their leadoff hitter hit a line drive through the box that hit Sara in the head. But, she was a trooper and we put her on the mound the next day."

Against La Jolla, Christy Mebust had a double and a triple in four trips to the plate, with two RBIs.

Saturday morning, Coronado played in the Aztec Tournament at Montgomery High School, facing San Ysidro and defeating them 5-0. Freshman Sandra Cepin pitched the first three innings of the game to earn the victory. Cepin, a freshman, was a pitcher and first baseman on the JV squad until recently, also pitched a complete game in the afternoon session against Francis Parker. Shanholtz liked what he saw of the young Cepin, sister of Islander Baseball’s third baseman. "She hit her spots well and changed speeds, and kept their hitters off balance. She is a great addition."

Farrell Pompa was 3-4 with a triple against San Ysidro, with Mebust accounting for two more RBIs.

The Islanders lost to Parker 3-1, but Shanholtz was pleased with the team’s progress. "The kids are gelling as a team. They are playing well, with enthusiasm. Kids are stepping up as leaders. In general, we had great team defense in all three games."

This week the Islanders host Mission Bay Wednesday at 3 pm and Friday they host Francis Parker at 3:30 pm.

The Girls Soccer Team held their post season banquet last week, with Head Coach Kiko Medina announcing the following award winners: MVP – Sasha Vido; Rookie of the Year – Brianna Baszak; Most Improved – Lindsay Naple; Most Valuable Defensive Player – Kindall Caldwell; Most Valuable Offensive Player – Leah Hatheway; Unsung Hero Award – Rosie Harris; Coaches Award – Greer Goebels; and the Islander Sports Foundation Award for Integrity, Sportsmanship and Friendship –Vido.

Congratulations to all of the award winners.

Looking for something for the kids to do for Spring Break? From April 10-13, the CHS Aquatics Staff will be holding a swimming and water polo clinic from 2-4 pm daily. The clinic is planned for kids from kindergarten through high school. The cost is $25 per person.

"The plan is to learn to swim, or learn to play water polo and have fun," said CHS Swimming Head Coach Dave Throop. "The kids will be coached by the CHS staff and coaches from around the area. We’ll have some of the premier high school players from the San Diego area there."

For more information on the clinic, contact Throop at 619-851-9734.