CHS Girls Soccer Team Wins CIF Division III Crown, Are Tops in County

By the time the Coronado Girls Soccer Team took to the pitch at Valhalla High School Saturday evening, they were the lone No. 1 seed to advance to the finals in San Diego County CIF soccer, boys or girls. The Islanders were also ranked No. 2 in the county, second only to Bishop’s who handed Coronado their only loss earlier in the season. But Bishop’s fell in the Division IV semi-finals and No. 3 ranked Torrey Pines was an early round Division I playoff victim.

Mixing metaphors, the Islanders were the lone tree standing in the forest and they had a target painted on their collective backs the size of the USS Ronald Reagan. If you were looking for additional elements to wring your hands over, Coronado didn’t look particularly sharp in their 1-0 semi-final victory over Mission Bay. Also, Coronado was going to face La Jolla High School in the Division III finals, a team the Islanders had knocked off twice already on their way to an undefeated season in the Western League. The Vikings were the same team that defeated Coronado in the finals a year ago, under a similar set of circumstances, by the score of 4-0.

None of this was lost on Islander Head Coach Kiko Medina as Saturday slowly wound down toward the scheduled 6:30 pm game time. “Honestly, leading up to the game, was one of the worst days I’ve had. I was nervous all day and I wasn’t comfortable leading into it. The girls are always kind of chipper and upbeat like typical teenage girls, but in training they seemed real nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Obviously that wasn’t the case. Once again they proved me wrong. In a weird way they were really focused. There was no question that we were going to win once the game started.”

Coronado struck first, scoring 10 minutes into the game. Medina picks up the narration. “We were fouled 40 yards out. We had been working on set pieces in practice. Mallory Mitchell sent in a great ball and we were just hungry. Danielle Gillberg stepped up and outmuscled everybody and finished for the goal.” According to Medina, both the large metropolitan newspaper and the on-site public address announcer credited both Coronado goals incorrectly.

Gillberg had an interesting odyssey to scoring the first goal in the CIF Finals. The senior co-captain had been injured for three weeks and had not been able to play. In the Mission Bay game, junior forward Kaitlyn Couture injured her left knee and was unable to continue. When a prior season-ending injury to high-scoring forward Lauren Tobin was factored in, the ‘super-deep’ Islander roster was now just ‘deep’ and Gillberg was asked to play more than planned. “Danielle stepped up huge in the Mission Bay game,” Medina said. “She did ok in training. I had to put her in earlier than I wanted to because of Kaitlyn’s injury (at the 20:57 mark of the first half against the Buccaneers). She changed the game for us.”

The game-clinching goal came two minutes into the second half, with Mitchell again starting the play and being credited with the assist. “We talked at halftime with Mallory,” said Medina, employing either the first person plural, or perhaps referring to his coaching staff. “We talked about taking players on and getting to the ball early. We crashed into the six (the area directly in front of the goal) and Stephanie Hamilton was in the right place and put it in.”

A two goal lead equated to a championship title for Coronado, as the Islanders had not yielded a goal in the last 10 contests they played, including their three game run through the playoffs. Goalie Cory De Marco was credited with the shutout.

Medina discussed other contributors to the victory. “We received big play from our center midfield. Senior Co-Captain Stefanie Pietkiewicz was consistent as always. Cassie Callahan, Demi Waitley, Katie Centeno and Gillberg all stepped up. The best two performances of the night were from Brianne Clifford and Mariah Stacy. Brianne organized out of the back well. Between her and Mariah, I don’t remember a legit shot that Cory had to save. The defense did a phenomenal job last night. La Jolla is a dangerous team and we just completely shut them down. Honestly, everybody stepped up. It was a weird feeling going into it, but we got to play everybody, which was great. They worked their butts off and they really, really wanted it. It’s tough being the No. 1 seed and having those expectations. Not just from me, but them too.”

You would logically think that this was the conclusion of the soccer season, but not so fast. Now comes the CIF Regional Tournament which combines the best teams from all of Southern California into a dizzying array of divisions. As an example, Coronado (21-1-3) which is the Division III San Diego Section Champion and the queens of all they survey, now competes in Division II for the purposes of Regional competition. West Hills, the San Diego CIF Division II champion is in the same Regional division. Seriously, I couldn’t make that up. As a point of information, Northern California teams play girls soccer during the fall months and don’t compete in this event.

Coronado earned the No. 1 seed, which means they host Sierra Vista (24-3) from Baldwin Park and the CIF Southern Section Tuesday at 4 pm. If Coronado defeats the No. 8 seed, they will host a Regional Semi-Final game Thursday, again at 4 pm. The Regional Finals will be played at Warren High School at 10:30 am, Saturday, March 13.

CHS Boys Soccer Falls in CIF Division III Semi-Finals

A fine playoff run by the Islander Boys Soccer Team ended last Wednesday when Coronado fell to Cathedral Catholic by the score of 3-0. The game was closer than the score would indicate, as for 57 minutes of the 80-minute game, the score was 1-0 in favor of the Dons.

Cathedral scored on a counter attack, finished off by a nice header at the 32:31 mark of the first half. Cathedral had the better of the play for the first 20 minutes of the game, including the first score. But Coronado rallied and matched the Dons intensity level for the balance of the half.  

Islander Head Coach Brian Hiatt-Aleu shuffled his line-up masterfully, to keep fresh legs on the field for Coronado in the fast-paced game. The Islanders had several solid attempts on goal, including a strong shot with 12:46 remaining in the first half , followed 30 seconds later by a header that went directly into the arms of the Cathedral goalie.

Two minutes into the second half, another header was stopped. At the 21:18 mark a Coronado shot attempt by Paul Romero hit the left post.

Four minutes later, a loose ball was at the feet of the Islander on the team’s best scoring opportunity of the evening, but Coronado could not convert. Hiatt-Aleu said of the play, “David Rodriguez headed the ball past the keeper, and I thought it was rolling into the goal, but it didn’t go in. I asked the referee later about the play and he said, ‘I had my whistle in my mouth. I thought it was going in.’ Ninety seconds later Cathedral scored and the game was over.”

The Dons score gave them a 2-0 advantage with 15:29 remaining in the game. Hiatt-Aleu sent

his team forward at that point to try to score. With less than two minutes left in the game, Cathedral scored their third and final goal.

The loss capped a strong Coronado playoff run and a successful season, which saw the Islanders (17-5-2 and 7-3-2 in league) finish second in the Central League behind Clairemont. Coronado lasted a round longer than the Chieftains in the CIF Division III playoffs, which lent considerable credence to Hiatt-Aleu’s questioning of the seeding allotments at the outset.

As reported last week, the Islanders went to the desert and emerged with a first round playoff victory over Central Union. They then traveled to No. 3 seeded Montgomery and defeated the Aztecs 2-0, before taking on Cathedral Catholic. Castle Park, which was not included among the top seeds in Division III, took out No. 1 seed St. Augustine and No. 2 seed Cathedral on their way to the title.

Islander Baseball Season Underway

Since Your Natterer hails from the Midwest, growing up in Prairie Village, Kansas to be exact, the whole concept of high school baseball in March is still foreign to me. Taking a break mid-week last week, I ventured out to meet with CHS Head Baseball Coach Sam Ceci at Islander Field, only to find that the team had already played a practice game, had another tune-up slated for the following day and that the regular season was slated to start last Saturday. Take two and hit to right, let’s start the season.

The operative phrase is ‘rebuilding year,’ as most of the players who carried the Islanders to a 21-11 record and a slot in the Division IV playoffs in 2009 have graduated. The only returning pitcher with a varsity victory from 2009 is sophomore Jake Meloche and he had one in spot starting duty as a freshman.

The two primary returnees are seniors Ryan Shepard and Hunter Ralph. Shepard, an outfielder, hit .321 last season with an on-base average of .515 in 28 games. Ralph ranked third on the team in RBIs last year and hit .313 with an on-base average of .457. He also had the distinction of having 150 defensive chances at first base last season without committing an error. This season Ralph will likely play both first and third base.

Several seniors saw action in more limited roles last year, including outfielder Zack Wheeler, who Ceci described as “having a great early season.” Other seniors who will make an impact include catchers Patrick Toomey and Sean Masino; infielder Jack Nicholson, who is currently out with an injured foot; right-handed pitcher Steven Preciado; outfielder Tyler Hill-Hanson and infield candidate Leo Legidakes.

The junior class is represented by first baseman Tyler Brownell, Colin Clark, third baseman Jack Mikesell, shortstop Garrett Smerdon, second baseman Andrew Toomey, middle infielder Toby Talampas and outfielder Hank Taylor.

The sophomore class, though relatively small in number, is very important as both of the primary starting pitchers Meloche and Austin Denson are members of the class of 2012. Both hurlers are also left-handed, which is a rarity in high school baseball. Sophomore Kyle Teachout, who is returning from a two-year absence due to injury, figures to contribute.

A lot of the challenge facing a coaching staff in prep baseball is placing the kids in the slots that best fit their talents. In addition to the playing positions outlined above, Talampas, Preciado, Shepard and Mikesell will see mound duty.

 “It’s going to take us a while to find out where everybody plays,” said Ceci. “By the time we get to league and at the end of the year we will be competitive. We will be in every game, but the question is do we have enough to stay in front. The kids play hard and work at it. This is a classic re-stocking year.” You say ‘re-stocking,’ I say ‘re-building,’ but you get the idea.

One of the factors facing the Islanders is a schedule that Ceci categorized as “our most difficult ever.” In the early going Coronado faces 2009 playoff teams Grossmont, Steele Canyon and Valhalla. The Islanders will compete in the Premier Division of the Lions Tournament and then venture into competition in the always tough Western League.

The regular season started Saturday with a 7-3 loss to perennial powerhouse Vista in the Aztec-Foothiller Tournament. Smerdon had a double and two RBIs, while Meloche, who was the starting and losing pitcher, helped his own cause with two hits and an RBI. The Islander’s defense coughed up seven errors. Meloche gave up only one earned run and Preciado pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Ceci thinks the competition in the Western League will come from Cathedral Catholic, Point Loma and Madison. “Cathedral graduated everybody, but they were really deep down to the JV level. Point Loma and Madison have everybody back.”

The discussion then turned to the competition in Division IV. “Christian is the defending champion and they have everybody back, as does Madison. Santa Fe Christian is stepping up and they have one really good pitcher back. They get kids and they are good.”

Some things remain the same and the varsity coaching staff returns en masse. Long-time assistants Jerry Brown, Chris Barbera (CHS ’01), and pitching coach Chris Blanton (CHS ’00) all return this year. Morgan Cummins (CHS ’03) assumes the reins as head JV coach, and he is assisted by Tom Kelleher (CHS ’74). Bill Seager serves as a coach and team statistician. Joe Woerman (CHS ’01) who toiled as a pitcher in AAA is working out with the team and assists the program.

Islander Boys Volleyball Reaches Semi-Finals of Monte Vista Classic

Steve Merrill’s real job is coaching Varsity Spanish at Coronado High School. The additional good news is that the former Long Beach State volleyball star is returning to the helm of the CHS Boys Volleyball program in 2010.

Last week the Islanders launched into the new season with a bang, losing in four games to Montgomery High in their first regular season contest. Then they competed well, advancing to the semi-finals of the Monte Vista Classic. “We didn’t do too badly,” Merrill said. “It could be an interesting year.”

Several players return from last year’s squad, including middle blocker Chris Maskevich, fresh from a successful basketball season. Jake Nicholson and Wade Zolla will be the team’s primary setters. Will Cumming and Nick De Marco will play outside hitter. Jaime Gonzalez will play the ‘libero’ or defensive specialist position. Kevin Clay and Cameron Oakley will also play the middle blocker position.

The recent conclusion of the boys’ soccer season has brought more players out for volleyball. Merrill said he plans to carry 16 athletes on the varsity level.

“We had some ball control issues against Montgomery and some first match jitters,” Merrill said of his team. “But the ball control issues ironed themselves out in the tournament. We beat Mater Dei, El Capitan and then Hoover. That was a good game and Hoover is going to be pretty strong this year. Maskevich is playing well in the middle and Cumming is starting to come into his own. It was a long weekend, but the kids got some great experience. That’s a good tournament for us. None of the big powerhouses are there to crush us. We should do pretty well this year. If we don’t give up chunks of points, we should be competitive. This is one of the better boys volleyball teams I’ve seen come through here in a while.”

Coronado, which will face Hoover in Central League play, defeated the Cardinals 25-16, 12-25 and 16-14 in the quarter-finals. Coronado fell 25-21 and 25-18 in the semi-finals to eventual champion and host Monte Vista.

In addition to Hoover, Coronado will face Crawford, Lincoln, Christian, Clairemont and Madison in Central League play. This week the Islanders will travel to Point Loma Wednesday and will host Mission Bay Friday at 3:30 pm.

Islander Boys Tennis Debuts This Week

Fresh from an exhibition victory last week over San Dieguito, the CHS Boys Tennis Team will play their first regular season matches this week. New Islander Head Coach Leslie Koshland (CHS ’79) is at the helm of a team that is very young. “Our top two players are a freshman and a sophomore,” said Koshland.

The singles lineup has been determined, with sophomore Sean Lee playing No. 1 and freshman Greg Lyon playing No. 2. Senior Robbie Cattell will play the third singles position.

According to Koshland, the No. 1 doubles team is in place, but the final two pairings are very much up in the air. “Senior Cody Webster and sophomore Scott Samperio will play No. 1 doubles. But we’re still working on who is playing with whom in the other two slots. That’s what this week is all about. Some combination of Brad Mathews, Cort Dalton, Luke Hoffman, Kyle Koshland, Sean Koshland, Chip Fisher and Grey Halpin will make up the last two doubles teams.”

The program will carry 13 players at the varsity level and 16 will play on the JV under the direction of David Brummett (CHS ’83). “The junior program is growing in general in Coronado,” Koshland said in explaining the number of players out for tennis. “It’s becoming more competitive to be on the varsity level. I really do think tennis is headed in the right direction. We have a lot of good, young players. It’s a matter of keeping them playing year around. Our top singles players play year around and are ranked in Southern California. We have a really good chance to be competitive in the Western League. I hope it will be a successful year.”

The entire program including 29 players and two coaches will attend the professional tennis event at Indian Wells Saturday. Koshland said, “It will be a great team building experience.”

This week the Islanders host High Tech High Wednesday at 3:30 pm and Thursday they host Hilltop at 3 pm.

CHS Sailing Performs Well in Cardinal Regatta

CHS Sailing Head Coach Jon Rogers files a report on the Islanders success in the recent Cardinal Regatta, sailed in San Francisco Bay. “The team had its best result in my two and one-half years as coach, by placing third in the Gold Division and first in the Silver.

The sailors were Esteban Forrer, Alex Cavalieri, Katie Dowling, Hans Henken, Kaitlin Dunphey, Chuckie Eaton, Philip Lozier, Karisa Chapa, Ryan Nies, Patrick Powell and Jenny Melnick.

The regatta was run by the Stanford University Sailing Team and included 26 teams in the Gold Division and 24 teams in the Silver. The team currently sits in fifth place overall for the season in the Pacific Region.

The next regatta the team will compete in is the Gaucho Regatta in March at Santa Barbara. The Pacific Coast Championships follow in April on the city front of San Francisco. If Coronado can stay in the Top 5, they will qualify for the High School Nationals to be sailed at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in New York this May.”

Didn’t Football Season Just End?

Following the trend established by the ESPN family of networks that the populace can’t get enough football, ‘Nado Natterings’ hereby issues a gridiron schedule alert for the 2010 prep season. Friday, August 27th Coronado will host the Eight Annual Kick-Off Football Classic.

At 5:30 pm, La Jolla Country Day School will play the Hoover Cardinals. At 8 pm Coronado will play Francis Parker. Tickets will go on sale July 1, 2010. My guess would be that tickets will be available at the door.

Proceeds from the pre-season games in all sports accrue to the CIF San Diego Section fund to help defray travel expenses for playoff teams.