Last week we whipped out the old adage of “the rich getting richer,” in an attempt to convey the depth of talent on the CHS Girls Soccer Team this season. Last year’s team reached the Division III final game and the current squad returns 14 players from that group.

So armed with a total of 18 players who can all compete at a high level, Head Coach Kiko Medina and his charges set off to play four games last week and added a fifth contest to start this week. They emerged with a very fine mark of 4-0-1 for their efforts and a slot in the semi-finals of the Lady Vaquero Tournament, handily defeating some strong teams in the process.

The week started with the Islanders demolishing El Capitan 6-1, a game the Medina said, “Coronado dominated from the start. We did a nice job of finishing our chances. It was good to get everybody some playing time. The non-starters kept the level of play up. They went out and created opportunities.” Tuesday the scoring parade was led by Lauren Tobin and Katie Centeno who scored twice each. Stephanie Hamilton and Alana Pokorny scored one goal each to round out the Islander scoring.

Thursday Coronado hosted Point Loma, the CIF Division II champions from last year. “They were a little beat up,” said Medina of the Pointers. “We really played well and dominated possession. Cory De Marco made some very nice saves to keep us going. They were big saves when it counted. She is playing really well right now.” Lauren Tobin again had two goals and was joined in the scoring column by Stefanie Pietkiewicz.

Just to make sure the team had enough games last week, the Islanders played in Lady Vaquero Classic and had two sessions on Saturday. Their first tournament game was against Steele Canyon and after the Islanders sprinted out to a 3-0 lead at halftime, then coasted to a 3-1 final score. Medina wasn’t enthralled with the team’s second half, but a win is a win. Mallory Mitchell found the back of the net twice and Tobin scored for the third game in a row.

Just to make sure there was some competition, in their second game of the day, the Islanders faced Hilltop, which were CIF Division II finalists last year. “They were missing a couple of girls,” Medina noted charitably. “It was one of the strangest games that I have been a part of in a long time. We were ahead 7-0 and for the last 20 minutes of the game, it was just us possessing (the ball). For the last 10 minutes, Hilltop was just standing there, not putting any pressure on.”

Kaitlyn Couture scored twice, as did Pietkiewicz, with single goals coming from Annie Lovering, Demi Waitley and Mitchell.

Monday morning, while still embroiled in the Lady Vaquero Classic, Coronado had a bit of a letdown and tied Helix 1-1. Medina noted that a malaise of sorts hit the team. “We were just off. It was strange and it wasn’t just one or two players. The whole group was off. We weren’t connecting offensively. There was never any real threat of Helix taking over the game.” Hamilton scored the lone Islander goal on an assist from Pietkiewicz.

The tie did advance Coronado to the semi-finals, where they were scheduled to play Western League rival University City Monday evening, well after the Natterings deadline. Medina looked at facing another Western League team this early in the season philosophically. “We’ll get to see what we have to deal with in January. If the girls stay sharp and motivated, we should continue to have these (6-1-2) results.”

Boys Soccer Posts 2-0 Week

The male side of the CHS soccer world showed they had some ability since our visit in this space last week. Quoting CHS Head Coach Brian Hiatt-Aleu, “We had a great week. We won both games, against two very good teams.”

The first contest was against San Dieguito Academy and the Islanders had to win this one the hard way, by coming from behind. The two teams, now both competing in Division III, have faced each other a number of times in the post-season, a fact not lost in Hiatt-Aleu. “These two teams are always in the playoffs and it was a very intense game. We were behind 1-0 and won 2-1. It was good for a new team with a lot of young players to come back and win the game.”

In addition to the victory, an aesthetic element to the game was also present. Hiatt-Aleu described the two Islander goals. “Eddie Vita hit a rocket from 25 yards out into the upper corner of the net. Our second goal was from a cross on the left side by Riley Peterson, which Seth Willey volleyed from the top of the box and hit the top corner of the goal as well. They were two really spectacular goals, like you would see on highlight shows.”

The second game of the week was a nail biter as well, with Coronado edging out El Capitan 1-0. This time Peterson kicked a line drive into the opposite corner of the net from 20 yards out for the game winner. “We’ve been scoring some really nice goals this year,” said Hiatt-Aleu of his team. “Not a lot of goals, but they’re really nice.”

Hiatt-Aleu continued to discuss how his very young team has mounted a 6-1 record so far this year. “Our defense is the most experienced part of our team. That is our strength. If we don’t give up a lot of goals, we will stay in games.” Specifically Hiatt-Aleu noted the contributions of defenders Connor Marcone, Ruben Perez, Tommy Hart and Jack Schwartz, as well as goalie Patrick Toomey.

Monday night the team tries to push their record to 7-1 with a home game against Uxbridge High School from Quebec, Canada. Tuesday morning the team starts their annual holiday workout regimen. “We’ll work out every day except Christmas and New Years Day,” Hiatt-Aleu said. “It’s a good time for us to hit the weight room, run on the beach and improve our fitness level as much as possible. We have a lot of games coming up between the beginning of January and the end of February. It’s good for the team to spend time together, bond and get to know each other a little better. It’s a good group of kids.”

Coronado returns to the pitch January 6 when they play their first Central League game of the season, with Madison as their opponent.

Boys Basketball Defeats Steele Canyon and Sweetwater

Based on personal observation, the CHS Boys Basketball Team will play an up tempo brand of basketball this year, keyed in large part by a full court zone press that in two games last week worked to perfection. Friday night at home the Islanders demolished Steele Canyon 54-28, with the zone press helping establish a 19-12 first quarter lead.

In the second quarter Coronado ran off 13 straight points to open the proceedings and upped their lead to 35-19 at the half. At one point in the third quarter the Islanders lead by 30 points on their way to a 54-28 victory.

Although it did not impact the result of the game either way, the contest featured historic levels of defensive hand-checking for a prep basketball game. The relentless and persistent contact, which the two man officiating crew tried unsuccessfully to rein in late in the proceedings, made for very aggressive play, especially late in the final quarter.

Several good efforts were turned in by Coronado players. Off guard Justin Hebner scored 21 points to go with four assists and three steals. Point guard Danny Hebert scored 11 points, dished out four assists, and led the team with seven rebounds. Bryan Beverly contributed eight points, and three steals. In total Coronado was credited with a total of 14 steals.

Although not a titan in the scorebook, a large contributor to the energy and pace needed to make the press work was turned in by senior Peter Zeller. A member of the basketball program for four years, Zeller is probably better known as the starting goalie on the CIF Champion CHS Lacrosse team. But he may have found a home in the middle of Coronado’s 1-3-1 zone press, according to Head Coach J.D. Laaperi. “During the Small Schools Tournament (where Coronado posted a mark of 2-2) Peter wasn’t starting. I wanted to start the game with a press and Peter is an ‘energy guy.’ He’s a guy who will go hard and we looked for him to replace Blake Malkemus in the role from last year.”

Zeller hit an open jump shot when the result of the game was still in question and was credited with four steals, two rebounds and an assist.

In a re-telling of an old basketball joke, the Islanders free throw line defense was exceptional. In the fourth quarter alone, Steele Canyon was 4-16 from the free throw line and at one point missed eight straight charity tosses. The final quarter of the game could best be described as ‘extended garbage time.’

Saturday afternoon the Islanders defeated Sweetwater 66-38 in the Extreme Glass Invitational Tournament played at Mar Vista High School. Coronado used a 31-point effort from Hebner and 17 more points from Hebert to dominate the game. Coronado held the lead 37-13 at the half.

“Saturday we played well,” said Laaperi. “It was similar to the game Friday night. We pressed and Danny Hebert had all 17 of his points in the first half while we were making our run. Justin Hebner hit a number of 12-14 foot jumpers and attacked the basket. He had a real nice afternoon.”

With the lopsided victories, Laaperi was able to find some playing time for sophomore forward Harley Ralph, who is returning to play after suffering a broken ankle this fall. “We played Harley for longer stretches Saturday,” Laaperi said. “He played for six minutes in the fourth quarter and played better. He’s starting to get his basketball legs back. He’s not a kid who lacks confidence and he will never shy away from shooting the ball.”

According to Laaperi, another contributor in the victory over Sweetwater was Harley’s older brother, senior Hunter Ralph. “Hunter played well and did a nice job catching and finishing. He hit a three-pointer that made Sweetwater get out of their zone defense. We have too many guys who can shoot the ball.”Monday afternoon the Islanders were scheduled to play Santa Fe Christian in the quarter-finals of the Extreme Glass Invitational.

The Islander Holiday Tournament is just around the corner and starts play Saturday, Dec. 26th. Coronado will play at 5:30 pm against Preuss Academy and again at 8:30 pm against Maple Ridge High School from Canada. Monday Coronado plays in the feature game at 8 pm, this time against Julian High School. The Islander’s fourth game will be Tuesday at 3:30 pm when they play Temecula. The tournament’s championship game will be held at 6:30 pm Tuesday.

Other teams competing in the tournament include Mission Hills, South Pasadena, Valley Center, Fairmont Prep and Clairemont. Games run from 10 am to 8:30 pm Saturday, 9:30 am to 8 pm Monday and 11 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday. The tournament is the Islander Boys Basketball program’s primary fundraiser each year and admission will be charged at the gate, but for a worthy cause.

Islander Girls Basketball Routes San Ysidro

Though small in numbers, the CHS Girls Basketball Team has had a nice run since their opening four games of the season, all of which were losses in their own Thanksgiving Tournament. The third game of their victory skein came by virtue of a 46-31 effort over San Ysidro. That doesn’t sound overly one-sided, but consider the fact that the score was 31-4 at halftime.

“We scored on two of our first three possessions,” recounted Head Coach Toler Goodwin. “And so did San Ysidro. In the first two minutes of the game the score was 4-4 and they didn’t score the rest of the half.”

As you would expect, with the game no longer in doubt, it was playing time for everyone. Nice efforts were turned in by Peri Curtis with 16 points; Alex Evans with nine points, 10 rebounds and five steals and by Cory De Marco who handed out five assists to go with two points.

Goodwin described the fourth quarter. “We were outscored 20-7 in the fourth quarter. We were not as sharp as I would have liked finishing the game, but we were getting some people court time. Freshman Samantha Kirk is starting to score and is playing with confidence. She had seven points and is part of our guard rotation.”

This week the Islanders depart San Diego on Sunday to travel to San Francisco to participate in the West Coast Jamboree. The annual event has more than 130 teams competing in 14 divisions and the Islanders will participate in the Ruby Division. Presumably the Emerald Division was already full. For their first game, the Islanders will face Wood High School from Vacaville.

“We should get three or four competitive games in the tournament,” Goodwin said. “That will be good as we head into Central League play.” Shortly after returning to school, on Tuesday, Jan. 5th to be exact, the Islanders open at home with Clairemont. Friday night, Jan. 8th Coronado will host Point Loma in a Girls/Boys Central League doubleheader.

Islander Girls Water Polo Finds Tough Going in Santa Barbara

Sometimes roller coaster rides, just aren’t all that pleasant. Despite the fact that their two games were played in the scenic Santa Barbara area last weekend, The CHS Girls Water Polo Team may not have enjoyed the trip all that much.

After losing to Newport Harbor handily to start the season, last week the Islanders beat La Jolla and Long Beach Wilson. Then they went north to Santa Barbara.

Their first game of the weekend was Friday night against Dos Pueblos, which is the No. 1 team in the CIF Southern Section. “Dos Pueblos has had outstanding talent for the past couple of years,” said Islander Head Coach Dave Throop. “And they still have it. Hands down they have the best talent in the state. They may lose a game this season, but they are really talented. Their strength starts in goal and they have a member of the Women’s Senior National Team on their roster.”

Dos Pueblos jumped out to a 7-0 lead and cruised to a 14-6 win. Lauren Conrad scored twice for Coronado and Natalie Stringer was credited with a goal, an assist and a steal.

The second game of the trip was a 4-3 loss to Santa Barbara. Ashley Young lead the Islanders with two goals. “We went up 2-1 and played pretty well,” Throop recounted. “In this game we were focusing on our defensive lanes. We did a good job with that and expended a lot of mental energy that we’re not used to. We were flat in the second half, but we tied the score 3-3. With no time left on the clock, a Santa Barbara player, who was in the water next to our bench, took a cross cage lob shot that went in. That was the only angle she had and we lost. When we get into January and February, I don’t see that (losing) trend continuing.”

Coronado is now 2-3, but has played a killer schedule to date. It doesn’t get much easier as next Tuesday, Dec. 29 the Islanders host Los Alamitos at noon. Los Alamitos is currently ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section.

Islander Baseball Reminder

A final reminder that the CHS Baseball program, under the direction of Head Coach Sam Ceci, will be holding their annual Alumni Game Saturday, December 26th at 11 am at Strand Field. Batting practice and the fun, both coincidentally start at 9:30 am. As has been the tradition for this event, hot dogs and hamburgers are supplied to the attendees after the game.

“All former Coronado High School players are welcome,” Ceci said. For more information on the CHS Alumni Game, please contact Coach Ceci at 435-0854.

Football Re-Leaguing in the Central League

On several occasions, it has been noted that one of the biggest challenges in writing this column is keeping the leagues and divisions straight where Coronado High School’s sports teams compete. At one point Your Natterer had a handle on the football alignment in the Central League. That concept is about to change.

If a proposal currently before the CIF Board of Governors passes, Madison will move to the Western League and University City will return to the Central League. That would make Clairemont, Coronado, Morse, Kearny, University City, Crawford and San Diego all members of the Central League starting in 2010.

That sounds equitable from a competitive perspective, but San Diego has a student enrollment of 2,894, while Morse is next at 2,471. Coronado is the smallest of the proposed seven- member conference with 1,109 students. San Diego is in CIF Division I, Morse is in Division II and the remaining five schools are in Division III. Considering those numbers, the new Central League lineup looks considerably less fair to the Islanders.

Merry Christmas to All

The Natter Family and I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to the readers of “Nado Natterings.” Also, best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope to see you at CHS sports events in the coming year.