Nado Natterings
A weekly column by David Axelson

7 October 2009 Issue #38

It’s been a tough couple of weeks around the Coronado High School sports teams, as roughly one-third of the members of several of the fall sports teams have been out due to illness. Clearly there was a carryover effect as only the CHS Girls Cross Country Team, which has a depth of talent found roughly once in a generation in a small enrollment high school, had a really strong showing since our last visit. Islander Cross Country Head Coach George Green elaborates.

“Last Friday we thought we'd finally get the entire girls varsity team in the same race at the St. Augustine Small Schools Invitational, but whatever malady that has been going around the school kept Adie Davies out and was obviously affecting several of the other girls who did run. Even so, this harbinger for the CIF Finals in November, and verified the fact that no Division IV girls' team in San Diego is at the same level as Coronado this season.

Out of all the runners from the 12 teams competing in the girls' varsity race, only Lauren Collins from Bishop's managed to break-up Coronado’s Top 5. She finished fourth behind Islanders Annie Lovering, Sadie Gimber and Meg Sweeney. Our runners, who placed fifth, sixth, ninth and 24th were Nicole Davies, Sallie Privett, Ashley Engleman and Maddy Danielson.

Our Top 5 ran in a tight group, all finishing within 34 seconds of Lovering's winning time of 17:39 over the 2.75-mile CIF course. This was the same course and the same teams, in addition to a few Division III teams, that we'll face at the CIF finals. Because of this, a successful defense of last years' division title for the CHS Girls seems inevitable.

Cross Country is scored by adding the finishing places of the top five runners from each team, with the low total score being the best. A perfect score, or sweep, is 15 points. In this race Coronado scored 17 points with Our Lady of Peace (a Division III school) placing second with 79. Third place went to Bishop's with 93 points, fourth place to Francis Parker with 146 and the fifth slot went to Christian with 148 points.

In the Girls' JV race Stephanie Pietkiewicz and Mollie Privett took the first two spots with times of 19:42 and 20:10 respectively. They were followed by Mary Grace Braun in 16th, Yvonne Wood in 22nd, Anna Coumes in 25th, Lindsay Garner in 30th and Melissa Wood in 34th.

Ryan Keeney led the Boys' varsity efforts by finishing 18th with a time of 18:23 over the boys' 3.04-mile CIF course. He was followed, in order, by Will Funk, Aryan Shay, Kevin Siefert and Gabe Salvatierra.

Jason Vance was our top finisher in the JV boys' race. He placed 19th in 20:41 followed by Nicolas Robles (25th), Nicolan Beall (34th), Jack Nolan and Weston Breay.

There are three teams in contention for the Boys' Central League title this year, Coronado, Christian and Clairemont. Based on the results from this meet, the race with Christian could go either way with the Patriots scoring 27 points and Islanders 28 in a "paper" matchup. We'll face Christian this week and Clairemont next week.

Those two meets will determine the league champions for both boys and girls. Clairemont is the only school with any chance of toppling our Girls' team as they're one of the top teams in Division III and they have been running very well.

CHS Girls Volleyball Fights Flu and Patrick Henry in Eastern League

Last week the Islanders defeated Serra Wednesday in their Eastern League match, winning in four games. According to Head Coach Leilani Au Hoon, her trio of setters, including seniors Krista Baszak and Mariah Stacy, as well as junior Alanna Pompa all played well in the victory.

“Krista started and played the first game, and then Alanna and Mariah came in later,” Au Hoon said. “They all stepped up.”

Au Hoon allowed that the win wasn’t necessarily artistic. “It wasn’t our best win, but the girls tried their best. It was a bit of an off day, but we won. It’s tough for us to play teams that aren’t tempo teams, or teams with a slow offense. It forces us off of our game. Teams like that are always challenging.”

Friday Coronado hosted Patrick Henry, generally acclaimed to be the best team in the Eastern League, although the Islanders defeated them earlier in the season in tournament play. This time Patrick Henry got the better of Coronado. This was due at least in part because five players, including starters Heather Rowan and Megan Moran were ill and could not compete.

Despite the loss, Au Hoon liked what she saw from her team. “The girls played really well, but we had a hard time finishing plays. We were a little bit out of sorts. Our starters being out upset our substitution rotation. We played and tried hard. I’m okay with the loss because the girls played a good game. We should have an exciting rematch with Patrick Henry at their place. We can definitely beat them.”

This week the Islanders take to the road twice. Wednesday they travel to Mira Mesa. Friday they are on the road at San Diego High School, which presents Coronado fans with an interesting sports doubleheader option. The Islanders play the Cavers (Cavettes, Cave Women, Lady Cavers, Cave People, help) at 3:30 pm and Football kicks off at 6:30 pm, both at nearby San Diego High School.

CHS Football Falls to Madison 51-17

With apologies to Charles Dickens, we’re recycling the ‘Tale of Two Halves’ analogy again this week to help describe the Coronado vs. Madison home football game Friday night. Varsity English and Varsity Football Coach Bud Mayfield went for a Robert Louis Stevenson reference, calling his squad a team with a ‘Jekyll and Hyde complex,’ but you get the idea.

The first half was competitive, with an opening scoring drive from Central League arch rival Madison matched quickly by a six play, 80-yard drive from the Islanders. Quarterback Kodie Englehart rushed three times for 57 yards and then threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Bona, who found himself virtually alone in the end zone. Andrew Toomey converted the extra point and in five minutes both teams had scored on impressive drives and it looked like a high-scoring affair was in the works.

The teams then matched field goals, with the Islander kick being a 35-yard effort from Toomey, and the score was knotted at 10-all. The highlight of that drive was a 39-yard pass play from Englehart to Alex Bookout.

Madison’s ensuing touchdown was matched by a quick strike from Coronado, the highlight of which was a 71-yard pass play from Englehart to Chris Page. On the next play Englehart found Andrew Smith in the end zone and the score was again tied, this time at 17-all.

But the scoring drive by Coronado left Madison with five minutes on the game clock and the War Hawks used roughly four minutes of the remaining time to score yet again. The half-time score was a very manageable 24-17, and the impression on the sidelines was that the Islanders were still very much in the game. However, that was where Coronado’s offensive production effectively ended. War Hawks ran off 27 unanswered points in the second half to prevail 51-17.

 “We played very well in the first half,” said Mayfield after invoking the title of the Stevenson masterpiece. “I wasn’t worried at halftime. To go back out in the second half and play like that is mystifying. We have seniors and young guys, both groups with little playing experience. But the kids continue to work hard. We have some fire power. We have talent and play well for a time.”

Despite the loss, there were some fine individual efforts by the Islanders. Toomey provides the Islanders with a legitimate field goal threat for the first time in years. The junior also punches a high percentage of his kick offs into the end zone, which by high school rules cannot be returned. Toomey also blocked an extra point attempt with 2:34 remaining in the game. The issue of which team would win the game had long since been settled, but Toomey’s effort was reflective of the fact that the Islanders played hard until the end.

Englehart carried the ball 10 times for 86 yards and in the early going of the contest completed four out of six pass attempts for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Englehart, who also plays a defensive back, left the game in the second half with leg cramps and the Islanders seemed to deflate as a unit. The senior signal caller later returned to the game as a wide receiver, while sophomore Austin Denson handled the quarterback duties. 

Friday evening’s game will be played against San Diego High School at Balboa Park and despite the fact that the Cavers are 1-3 and coming off of a 41-19 Central League loss to Morse, Mayfield thinks the Cavers are much improved. “This is the best San Diego High team I have seen in a long time. They are big up front and they have a lot of speed. They have scored on everybody, even in the games they have lost.”

The freshmen teams from the two schools play at 4 pm, as San Diego does not field a JV team. The varsity game is scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 pm.

North County Times Prep Football Poll

Your Natterer is again in the distinguished group, well not that distinguished as there are 20 of us, who votes in the “North County Times” Prep Football Poll. This week’s results: 1. Oceanside, 2. La Costa Canyon, 3. Cathedral Catholic, 4. Escondido, 5. Eastlake, 6. Valley Center, 7. Vista, 8. Ramona, 9. Helix and 10. Mission Bay. Also receiving votes (in order) were Scripps Ranch, Mission Hills, Lincoln, Santa Fe Christian, Mount Miguel, and St. Augustine.

Islander Boys Water Polo Falls to Mater Dei of Santa Anna

For those of you who watch televised poker tournaments, you are perhaps familiar with the phrase ‘bad beat,’ which is when a seemingly good hand is beaten by a lucky, late arriving card. Something similar happened to the CHS Boys Water Polo Team Saturday when they hosted Mater Dei of Santa Anna.

Mater Dei is ranked No. 2 in Division II of the Southern Section, which roughly translates into being a formidable foe. The ‘bad beat’ part came when Mater Dei scored the winning goal with .8 remaining on the game clock. That’s .8 as in less than a second remaining in regulation time. The Islanders were on the shorter end of the scoreboard, losing by the score of 9-8.

Islander Head Coach Randy Burgess was philosophical, to an extent, about the loss. “We played a very good game, probably our best game yet. But, it was not a complete game. Overall we need to develop, learn our team roles and gain some confidence. I’m optimistic and the season is young. I saw some good things across the board and we played better as a team. We have a good team effort every game we play.”

Rex Butler scored three goals for Coronado, followed by two tallies from David Rodriguez and single goals from Andrew Ireland, Alex Johnson and Tommy Schofer. Johnson drew five exclusions and Braydon Hummeldorf, who played the entire game in goal, was credited with five saves. Burgess also noted that senior defender Rodriguez, “Stepped it up in practice last week.”

Thursday the Islanders play their first Western League game of the season when they travel to La Jolla for a 3 pm game. Friday they travel farther north to Irvine, when they compete in the S&R Sports SoCal Invitational. Their first game is at 11 am when they face Jesuit of Sacramento.

In the SoCal Invitational format, first round games pit Southern California schools against Northern California schools. Coronado enters the event as the No. 4 Southern California seed.

CHS Girls Golf Splits Pair of Matches

Having played golf about a dozen times in my varied athletic career allows me to know something about the game. Foremost on the list is that my golf game is pretty bad. Next on the same list is that the CHS Girls Golf Team has it pretty good. Their playing home is the Coronado Municipal Golf Course and last week their two matches were played at Torrey Pines North and Torrey Pines South. If you’re going to play golf, playing for Coronado High is a pretty sweet gig.

Starting their week with a match Tuesday, the Islanders lost a close match with La Jolla by the score of 265-275. The match medalist from La Jolla shot a 39 for nine holes, which as Islander Head Coach Hanna Cohan accurately pointed out, “Was pretty much the difference in the match.” Most of the Coronado competitors shot in the mid-50’s, as did the balance of the La Jolla team.

“The girls struggled with the rough, which was a new challenge,” Cohan said. “They learned lessons in extricating themselves from the deep rough. They also had hang gliders sailing above them during the match.” Somehow the prospect of Jack Nicklaus dealing with that concept in his next article in “Golf Digest,” seems unlikely, but such is life in glorious SoCal. “Hitting Pesky Hang Gliders with Your Nine Iron,” just doesn’t work journalistically.

The second match of the week was a 275-335 win over University City, which saw Islander Liza-Jean Logan shoot a 49. According to Cohan, that marked a personal best nine-hole score for the sophomore.

This week the schedule cranks up a bit as Monday the Islander play Point Loma High School at Balboa, then return home Tuesday to host Cathedral Catholic. Wednesday they host Our Lady of Peace. “That’s a tough week,” Cohan said. “Plus some of the girls are starting to feel the pressure of playing and getting their homework done.”

Islander Wins State Sailing Title

CHS Sailing Team Head Coach Jon Rodgers updates us on some major happenings in his program. “Team Captain Philip Lozier recently won the 2009 Pacific Coast Laser Championship. The CHS Sailing Team started its season two weeks early this year to further prepare for what appears to be a very promising season.

There are 17 sailors on the team, all of them good students.  We have a depth of talent on the team that has been created thru collaboration with the Coronado Yacht Club’s Jr. Sailing Program.

Congratulations to CHS sailors Morgan Bower, Kaitlin Dunphey, Patrick Powell, Hans Henken and Lozier for their performance at last weekend’s Laser National Qualifier hosted by Richmond Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay. A total of 46 boats sailed under Angel Island, which provided for challenging currents in the atypical moderate wind conditions.

This marks the third time that Lozier has qualified for the High School Nationals, which will be held in Corpus Christi, Texas over Halloween Weekend. You can follow the event at www.highschoolsailingusa.org.”

Girls Lacrosse CMS Clinic

A final reminder that CHS Varsity Head Coach Jessica Battle will be holding a two-day girls lacrosse clinic Oct. 10-11 from 9 am to 3 pm. The clinic is for beginning, intermediate and advanced players and costs $150.

The age range for prospective players to participate in the clinic is third through ninth grade. Players should bring their own stick, running shoes/cleats, mouth guard and goggles. You should also bring your own lunch and water. Loaner sticks are available if requested in advance. If you have questions regarding the clinic, please contact Coach Battle at 619-459-0162 or by E-mail at jbattle@telecomfinders.com.

Pop Warner Report

Coronado's Junior Midget Pop Warner football team played a great game Saturday evening to run their record to 4-2 by defeating the Alpine Mountaineers 33-0.  Devin Stuber had a great game at nose guard with a fumble recovery and two sacks.  Casey McPherson contributed two fumble recoveries, while Joe Fernandez made several key tackles. 

Johnny Matamoras added two more touchdowns to his season total and Tanner Caldwell had his first touchdown of the year, after being a key element in the Islander's running game all season.  Caldwell also kicked a 26-yard field goal, his second of the season. 

Conner Schulte and Eric Thorliefson had great runs in the fourth quarter. Great blocking by Casey Engelman, Andre Olsen and Fausto Miranda was essential to the team establishing the running game early.  Other scoring plays included great runs by Marty Dykstra and Robby Weissenfels.  Great efforts were turned in by both the Coronado offensive and defensive lines. 

The Coronado Jr. Peewee Team improved their record to 3-2 with a 34-14 win over Alpine.  John Descisciolo ran 60 yards for a touchdown on the Islanders first play from scrimmage and Coronado never looked back.  Michael Wilson had a nice touchdown reception from quarterback Braden Seay, who also kicked two extra points. 

Alec Legidakes flattened several defenders from his fullback position, providing ample running room for backfield mates.    Hugo Shirey-Villavicencio and Nick Semo led the defense with some jarring hits. Ryan Brown made a diving interception and Wyatt Montague recovered a fumble at the one yard line to set up the final Coronado touchdown.