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1998
The final deadline for getting information in the yearbook was the end of February and this was much too early for much information on the Spring seasons.

FOOTBALL Practice games: Stevenson 0-39, Carmel 13-14, Alvarez 27-40, Lincoln San Jose 14-6. Practice record 1-3. League: Watsonville 14-41, SLV 0-51, Harbor 14-6, Aptos 14-31, Monte Vista 0-43, Soquel 13-22. League record 1-5 for sixth place. Season record 2-8.

Yearbook. Write up of the Harbor game. Fourth and goal, Harbor was threatening to score. The ball went to the running back …and he was stopped short of the goal line!! The SC defense held led by Ryan Deane, George Urban, Manny Kester, Matt Windt and Daniel Cortez.
Another goal line stand was made in the fourth quarter. Then senior quarterback Sam Martisius found Chris George open in the secondary for the game sealing score.

The Cards didn’t win many games this year, but they proved the nay-sayers wrong with their inspiring play. They had the smallest roster in the league forcing more players to play “ironman” football. The athletes worked through grueling double days, late night practices and the difficult task of being undermanned to finish with their heads up. It was an impressive season, because of their tough schedule and small roster. The top runners were Austin “Gutti” Perez, Brixton Lagua and Boris Quintanilla. Top offensive linemen were Urban, Dean, Marcos Olivas, “Tiny” Myers and “Stop Sign” Lund. Rest of roster: Sean Morris, Mike Croghan, Morgan Pena, Gerardo Rosas, George Karagiannopoulos, Reynaldo Olivas, Chris Newey, Bernabe David and Carlos Perez.
Head Coach Ron Mehuron and assistants Vic Miguel, Randy Quilici and Sean Belverd.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of September 30 was Matt Windt, a senior wide receiver, who scored a pair of touchdowns in a loss to Alvarez. Windt found the end zone on a 33 yard reception, that pulled SC to within 28-13 at halftime. He scored his second TD by returning a third quarter kickoff 82 yards for a score. “I just got up field as fast as I could and raced for my life,” said Windt, who has a 4.7, 40 yard dash time. “it’s a little easier than returning punts.” Windt also plays cornerback on defense for SC 0-3. With only 20 varsity players regularly suiting up, Windt comes off the field only on extra point attempts. “We’ve become more of a team, because of how few players we have. We’ve pulled together, The team philosophy is Have fun and play as hard as we can,” said Windt.

Sentinel. October 17. SC Runners Small In Size, Big In Heart. Agustin Perez has no problem admitting it straight up. He was scared. When you stand 5-6 and weigh 128 pounds and play varsity football, it is considered a natural reaction. But the junior, who is the SCCAL fifth leading rusher says that was then and not now. In a game three weeks ago, he was hit by a linebacker right in the gut so hard it felt like my stomach was coming out. “He wanted to come out, but since we have so few guys, I stayed in and kept going. That was the key. The perseverance. After that I was OK There’s no way I can get hit harder then that,” he said. Perez and senior Birxton Lagua 5-6, 145 pounds form the tiniest backfield/kick return tandem in the league. What they lack in girth, they more than make up for in toughness. “These kids are fearless. They go up against guys twice their size every week and never let up,” said assistant coach Vic Miguel. Perez, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the JV team last year was slated to play wide receiver this fall, but when starting tailback Matt Windt was injured in the Jamboree,
Coach Mehuron called on Perez and every ounce of his 128 pound frame to stand solo in their one back set. “I wish I could be bigger, but it’s probably better this way for me, because they don’t see me coming through holes,” Perez said. He has carried the ball 77 times in five games for the second most carries in the league. He runs the 40 yard dash in around 4.6 and has become the SC workhorse.
In the opening drive against Watsonville, Perez squirted his way through a hole after hole lead his team to an early 7-0 led, that didn’t last. Lagua, who is playing only his second year of organized football, took the opening kickoff against Alvarez 88 yards for a touchdown, which has been his highlight game so far.
Against SLV, Lagua, who plays cornerback on defense had to go up against a 6-6, 80 pound larger receiver and the receiver was able to make some catches over Lagua. Lagua could have easily gotten discouraged and hung his head, but he didn’t. “You’ve got to have it in your heart. You can’t just say ’OH, his bigger than me, so I can’t cover him, You’ve just got to keep trying,” said Lagua. And that could be the motto of this entire SC team. The Cards have been out scored 185-54 so far this year.
There’s a very real chance they won’t win a game this season, although their game tonight against Harbor seems to be their best chance. The Cards, though, say they refuse to feel sorry for themselves. The way they look at it, the fun of playing football is the fun of playing football, win or lose. “It’s not about wins and losses, It’s just about being out on the field and having fun,” said Lagua. Perez added, “We know we don’t have many guys and there’s only so much we can do. So we just go out and do our best.”
(There is a picture to go along with this article showing Perez and Lagua standing between two of the largest players, linemen George Urban and Marcos Olivas, which really brings out the differences in size,)

Sentinel. October 18. Cards Nab First Victory. SC Beats Harbor, 14-6. SC got its first win of the year that gave SC a 1-2 record in the SCCAL and put Harbor in the cellar at 0-3. SC played tough defense and used counter running plays to keep Harbor off balance most of the night. Things started off badly for Harbor when it lost its star running back on the second play off the game. SC held Harbor to a minus six yards rushing on 18 running plays. SC had no trouble running the ball. Starting on its own 14 yard line, the Cards stuck to the ground on an 11play scoring drive. Running back Agustin Perez got most of the calls, including the last play, a one yard touchdown run. His running mate Boris Quintanilla had two big plays, one going for 33 yards and the other for 16, both on counter plays, setting up Perez’s TD.
“The counter play, we hadn’t used all year, We talked about it and made the adjustment right before the kickoff. I hate adjusting right before a game, but it worked,” said Coach Ron Mehuron. The Card defense cam up big twice in the first half, first stopping Harbor on fourth and one at the SC 45. The second stop was at the two yard line, when on a third and goal with time running out, the Cards stopped the running back for a two yard loss. Time expired before Harbor could run another play.
“That was big. In our situation everything is huge,” said Mehuron. The final score could have been 7-0 as the Card defense continued to play well in the second half, and Harbor misfired on numerous pass plays. SC place kicker Marcos Olivas just missed a 27 yard field goal late in the third quarter. That was the only serious scoring threat until there was just 6:30 left in the game.
On a third and 17 at the Harbor 31. SC quarterback Sam Martisius threw a pass that was tipped and picked off by Harbor, which returned the pass 65 yards for a score. Harbor went for two points, but the pass was incomplete making the score 7-6 SC.
On the ensuing kickoff, SC got a good run back and on the first play from scrimmage picked up 15 yards on a penalty, giving SC the ball at midfield. Five plays later SC had fourth and ten at its own 32. With the game on the line, Martisius hit Chris George right down the middle for the touchdown. There was 2:32 left, but the 14-6 score would hold up as Harbor’s last drive ended in a sack at the SC 25.

November 8. Cards Make All Right Plays. SC scored the first two touchdowns of the game in the first half and its stubborn defense held Lincoln of San Jose to one score in the Cards 14-6 win. The players gave coach Mehuron and ice bucket shower to celebrate the win in the last home game.
Mehuron said, “It was a defensive game. We got conservative on offense because we wanted to run the ball and run the clock down. I’m tickled that we won the game.” SC opened the scoring in the second quarter with 3:57 left, when the offensive line opened up a huge hole for Agustin Perez. He took it straight up the gut for a seven yard TD.. Marcos Olivas added the first of two extra point kicks for a 7-0 lead.
Ryan Deane, who stood out on defense for SC, came up big with a fumble recovery after Lincoln had driven to the SC 16 yard line. The Cards 2-4 in league and 2-7 overall, then went up 14-0 after quarterback Sam Martisius, who was 6 of 13 passing for 97 yards in the game, connected with wide receiver Chris George, who split the seam between the corner back and the safety on a post pattern. On the kick off SC used a squib-kick with Lincoln getting the ball on their own 47 with only 49 seconds left in the first half. A 25 yard pass and a another pass put Lincoln in the end zone. On the extra kick, Deane crashed the middle of the line to block the kick, leaving the score 14-6.
Lincoln out gained SC in total offense 279-228, but key defensive plays at crucial times by SC led to victory. George Urban batted down a pass on what looked to be a promising Lincoln drive in the fourth quarter. Olivas followed it up, when he stuffed the runner on the next play. Also Lincoln was flagged nine times for 90 yards. Perez finished with 80 yards on 18 carries. Boris Quintanilla added 24 yards on four tries.

There is no Junior Varsity football this year as only four of the 19 freshman players from last year returned to play. The only other team than varsity this year is the Freshman Team.

Sentinel All County team: Honorable mention: George Urban, offensive line; Sam Martisius, quarterback; Agustin Perez, running back.

FRESHMAN FOOTBALL
Yearbook. No write up
Yearbook Roster: Ryan Welter, Alex Winterle, Alden Orgain, Josh Long, Jamie Quartarero, Sterling Marizette, Aaron Longinotti, Nick Bassano, Bernabe David, Eric Paris, Omar Padilla, Brett Lindgren, Roel Ruiz, Michael Nuno, Carlos Valdez and Omar Diaz.
Coaches: Randy Quilici, Jesse Trumbull, Hoppy and Sean Belverd.

CROSS COUNTRY BOYS
Yearbook. Defeated Harbor in one of their big wins. The team members all consistently finished in the top ten during dual meets. MVP was Torrey Smith, the rest of the team was Jan Jerratsch, Joel Devalcourt, Matt Harris, Dan Randall, Aaron Mohammed and Francois Cote. Coach Claire Choat.

Sentinel. October 31. SC 30, Harbor 38. SC improved their record to 1-5 in defeating Harbor. Brian Moser crossed the finish line first in a meet at UCSC that featured runners from private school G.B. Kirby that were not included in the SCCAL meet scoring. In second place was Dan Graybill.

CROSS COUNTRY GIRLS
Yearbook. Running Cross country demands fitness, dedication and a keen ability to deal with intense pain. But the rewards are endless. Team members were Eva Marie Bittleston, Julia Ando, Jaquie Ramos, Isis Sien and Jenny Greenburg. Coach Claire Choat.

GIRLS TENNIS
Yearbook. The team consisted of eight juniors and four sophomores opened SCCAL play with a 7-0 win over SLV. Eleanor Haber and Audrey Waller, both have shown a tremendous amount of improvement since last season. Rick Bassalone was back for his second year coaching the team. Former coach Dennis Mullen graciously helped coach the doubles teams. Rest of the team: Emily Caviglia, Kendyll Whiting Alysia Piffero, Catherine Bartz, Angie Woodard, Karen Martisius. Tami Pinheiro, Malena Vega, Jayme Kilburn and Rachel Knutson.

Sentinel. September 24. SC 7, SLV 0. Last year Kendyll Whiting as a freshman, lost twice to SLV. But Whiting a sophomore won this year 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, in the number one singles match, in the league opener at the Boulder Creek Country Club. Whiting was one of three-set matches that all ended in SC victories. The others were won by Audrey Walters at number 3 singles, Tami Pinheiro and Jayme Kilburn at number three doubles.

October 15. Soquel at Santa Cruz suspended due to darkness. Soquel led 3-2, with two matches still in progress, the number two and three singles. At number one singles, Kendyll Whiting lost 6-4, 4-6, 4-6. At number four, Catherine Bartz won 6-4, 6-4. Tami Pinheiro and Jayme Kilburn won the number three doubles.

BOYS WATER POLO
Watsonville tournament: North Salinas 12-8, Los Altos 10-11, Salinas 8-14.
League: Aptos 14-5. At end of October the record was 1-7. At the SCCAL playoffs, beat Aptos 11-7 to face league champion Soquel in the finals.

Yearbook. Petar Samac, a junior foreign exchange student from Croatia, led the team this year. Back in Croatia he was on the junior Olympic team, so he brought much experience and skill with him. This years team consisted of only two seniors, two juniors and 14 under classmen.

Roster: Peter Whitney, Brad Jones, Lloyd Mueller, Marlin Henton, Cory Atkins, Joe Blanco, Petar Samac, Matt Foster, Casey White, Sean Echols, Royce Perez, Jessie Cordero, Todd Hedgpeth, Kevin Atkins, Tim Daly, Matt Heartbreaker, Matt Colen and Catlin Malady. Coaches Chuck Reed and Brent Emmons.

Sentinel. October 31. SC 14, Aptos 5. Lloyd Mueller and Cory Atkins scored three time each and Petar Semac added five goals to lead the Cards to their first SCCAL win. SC 1-7 in league, got 15 saves from goalie Marlon Henton.

November 3. SC capped off a performance at the Watsonville Tournament by beating North Salinas 12-8 to finish 1-2 in the Tournament. Petar Samac scored 10 goals in the 11-10 loss to Los Altos and Samac had six goals in a loss to Salinas 14-8.

November 18. SC 11, Aptos 7. Cards cruised into the second round of the SCCAL tournament with the help of a season best 26 saves from sophomore goalie Marlin Henton and eight goals by Petar Semac. Peter Whitney scored twice and Lloyd Meuller added a crucial fourth quarter goal that helped turn the tide for good. SC next plays league regular season champion Soquel at UCCS.

GIRLS WATER POLO Placed fourth in league.
Yearbook. The team finished the season strong. It was a year of rebuilding, but the spirits and morale were kept high throughout the season by team captain and MVP Diana Willis. Other team leaders were seniors Kate Semas, Alison Marshal, Erin Hichman and Michelle Blight, who played major roles on defense, attacking both the ball and opponents as needed.

Rest of roster: Jaime Langley, Katy Overbeck, Hillory Brooks, Michele Zimmerman, Molly Devine, Kelly McCormick, Emilie Powell, Michelle Overbeck, Lea Oliver, Sara Dubin, Paige Nutt, Laura Atack, Adrienne Cramer and Rachel Willis. Head coach Aubrey Miller and assistant Pat Chapman.

Sentinel. November 14. SC 13, Aptos 6. Seniors Michelle Blight and Alison Marshall scored two goals each and junior Diana Willis tallied three goals to led the Cards to victory in the first round of the SCCAL tournament.

Sentinel. December 6. The ALL SCCAL GIRLS water polo team selected by the coaches from SC on the first team were two drivers Erin Rice and Diana Willis. On the second team was driver Alison Marshall. Honorable mention were Adrienne Cramer and Kate Semas.

GIRLS JV WATER POLO
Team MVP Iris Burnett led the strong JV team to wins over Watsonville and Aptos and putting up incredible fights against Harbor and Soquel, who beat them by only a few goals each.

Roster: Amy Orlando, Aurora Malady, Paige Nutt, Laura Atack, Becky Phillips, Kelly McCormick, Diana Abrams, Katy Overbeck, Lauren Sugihara, Rachel Willis, Lea Oliver, Eva Primack, Michelle Overbeck, Ashley Horne, Sara Dubin, Iris Burnett, Amy Clerisse, Natalie James, Gabriana Marks, Nicole Hanks and Lily Mandel. Head coach Aubrey Miller and assistant Pat Chapman.

GIRLS and BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING was combined in yearbook.
The teams were an outstanding success. With an excellent coaching staff and many dedicated swimmers, they had very strong teams. The teams endured endless morning and afternoon work outs. Despite the menacing El Nino weather, they managed to swim 30,000 laps a week. This years teams are stronger and larger than recent years. The teams had very strong squads, that took numerous events and dominated relays. Four time SCCAL winner Laura Beach made the diving team stronger than ever.

Combined roster: Julia Jones, Kiara Hooper, Rhianna Babka, Diana Abrams, Amy Clerisse, Michelle Overbeck, Nicole Hanks, Emilie Powell, Jamie Langley, Paitra Sharp, Christy Howe, Lucretia Miguel, Todd Hedgepeth, Matt Cohen, Tim Daley, Jesse Cordero, Brandi Richards, Amanda Ballard, Lauren Sugihara, Katy Overbeck, Autumn Dolan, Rachel Willis, Iris Burnett, Molly Martin, Jessica Curnow, Peter Whitney, Joanna Kelly, Abbie Schindler, Laura Kinship, Anna Nitz, Alex Jones, Diana Willis, Molly Devine, Laura Beach, Adrienne Cramer, Jessica Cavo, Justine Migdall-Wilson, Michelle Zimmerman, Amelia Mitcalf, Lloyd Mueller Petar Samac, Marlin Henton, Ashley Adams, Forrest Myatt, Royce Peres and Amy Orlando.
Coaches Willis, plus two other coaches.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Practice matches: Monterey 3-2, North Monterey 3-2, Mills 3-1.
League: Soquel 3-1, 3-2; Harbor 0-3, 0-3; SLV 3-0, 3-0; Watsonville 3-0, 3-0; Aptos 3-2, 3-1; Monte Vista lost twice to the league champions. 11-3, tied for second place in league with Aptos. Season record 23-9 and a trip to CCS playoffs. Set the school record for games won.
Lost to Palo Alto in the first round of CCS 1-3. Overall record 23-9.
In a poll compiled by the Sentinel and the Salinas Californian of the three leagues in the Monterey Bay area, SCCAL, MBL and MTAL, SC was ranked number four.

Yearbook. The teams intensity level was set by it’s seven seniors, including returning varsity starters Elena Russell-Nava, Katie Hintz, Cori Tom, Amy Reidt and Megan Eastman. Together the team completed an amazing season beating powerhouses Aptos and Harbor. They set a school record for the most wins in a season and had tons of fun in the process. Rest of team: Sophomores Chana Orescan and Cristal Santos. Juniors Tracy Baldwin, Anna Heyman and Kelly Howell. Senior Laura Beach. Coach Kim Cave.

Sentinel, September 10. Cardinals Win Four Setter Over Monterey. SC broke open a tough match with Monterey with two outstanding sets to close out a 15-10, 13-15, 15-7, 15-7 victory.
“We kind of broke down in the second set, then came back in the third and fourth.” said Coach Kim Cave. SC is now 5-1. Cave said Tracy Baldwin enjoyed an outstanding match that included five straight service aces to open the fourth set. Cori Tom had ten kills and played solid at the net and Shana Orescan played great defense.

Sentinel, September 17. Santa Cruz coach Kim Cave had the luxury of emptying her bench as the Cards dropped North Monterey 15-5, 11-15, 15-10, 5-15, 15-2. Megan Eastman had nine aces, Cori Tom tallied 11 kills and Elena Russell-Nava totaled 25 assists. SC is now 6-1.u

September 19. SC tuned up for league with a easy four setter, taking down Mills 15-1, 15-3, 5-15, 15-2. Cori Tom led the way with 11 kills and seven blocks. Katie Hintz played a great back row defense and Tracy Baldwin made a great heads up play, winning a point with a header. SC is 7-1.

September 24. “We are for real,” said Coach Kim Cave after the Cards 15-9, 15-9, 13-15, 15-3 league opening victory over Soquel. SC improved to 8-1 overall, behind the defensive play of Gabriela Chirinos, the hustle of Elena Russell-Nava, the hitting of Cori Tom, 15 kills and the gutsy play of Anna Heyman, who played despite a severely sprained ankle. Tracy Baldwin provided the spark to rally the Cards from a 13-3 third game deficit. Though SC didn’t win the game, it carried the momentum into the decisive fourth.

September 26. Santa Cruz Dispatches Harbor In Three Games. Elena Russell-Nava had 32 assists in leading the Cards to a three game upset of Harbor. The 15-6, 15-6, 15-11 win marked the first time in 12 years that the Cards have defeated Harbor. “The girls are absolutely charged,” said Coach Cave. SC is 9-1 overall and 2-0 in league. “We are for real.” Cori Tom chipped in 14 kills and six blocks, while Megan Eastman, Katie Hintz and Amy Reidt played “great all around games,” according to Cave. Cave said defensive quickness and better serving have been the difference this season. “We’re playing really well right now. It’s going to be interesting.,’ said Cave of the rest of the games.

October 8. SC was able to empty the bench in a 15-8, 15-12, 15-5 league match with SLV. To improve their record to 4-1 in league and 14-4 overall. Cori Tom paced SC with ten kills and six blocks. Elena Russell-Nava dished out 24 assists, Katie Hintz served three aces, Laura Beach played strong at the net, and Gabriella Chirinos and Kelly Howell both played solid back row defense.

October 10. Tracy Baldwin dished out 22 assist and the Cards stayed in the SCCAL title race with a 15-7, 15-2, 15-6 victory over Mt. Madonna. SC 5-1 in league, got great serving from Anna Heyman and Cristal Santos, while Amy Reidt and Gabriella Chirinos played solid in the middle.

October 15. SC kept pace in a tightening SCCAL race by beating Watsonville 15-6, 15-4, 15-9. SC is 6-1 in league. Cori Tom played a dominating game in the middle and Tracy Baldwin and Cristal Santos played great all around games.

October 24. Cardinals Stay Alive In SCCAL Title Race. SC was struggling and Aptos was rolling. But when they finally met SC proved it belonged. Team leader Cori Tom blasted a season high 15 kills and had six blocks and three aces as SC, which was taken to five games by Aptos in their first meeting, won this time 15-5, 9-15, 15-2, 15-11, against an uninspired Mariner team. So, when SC 8-2 in the SCCAL visits Monte Vista at 9-1 on Tuesday, the Cards have a chance to win a share of their first SCCAL volleyball title.
“I Think SC is much tougher then Monte Vista right now,” said Aptos coach Ryan Cooling. SC certainly looked to be a long shot after being taken to five games by Soquel and being blitzed in three by Harbor. Aptos on the contrary, carried a five match winning streak to this match, which made its poor performance all the more mystifying. Every hard hit ball, and even some that were not so hard seemed to create chaos in the Aptos defense.
In contrast, the SC defense was outstanding. SC emphasized defense for this match and it showed. Aptos had nowhere to hit. Of their 105 hitting attempts, Aptos had 36 errors and only 25 total kills. That meant that SC successfully dug 44 kill tries. “SC came in wanting to win,” Cooling said, “And Cori Tom basically killed us.”
Tom, not a true power hitter, normally gets about nine or ten kills per match, but she was given a lot of sets and gave the Cards lifts whenever they required them. Plus, her vocal leadership got her teammates focused in the fourth game, when Aptos had cut and 11-3 deficit to 14-11. “She’s a real motivator on the court,” coach Cave said. “The whole team looks to her, whether she’s talking or hitting.” Tom was not the only SC player to have a big match. Amy Reidt had nine kills and setter Elena Russell-Nava had 31 assists. Cave also said Cristal Santos and Chana Orescan provided sound back row passing. And that’s the reason for the Cards success, teamwork. The teams seven seniors have been teammates since their days at Mission Hill Junior High and it shows in their familiarity and cohesiveness on the court.

October 31. SC withstood an inspired SLV attack in taking a three game SCCAL win 15-10, 17-13, 15-8. SC improved to 9-3 in league. Cori Tom and Amy Reidt shared the limelight in the middle with 10 kills each. Setter Tracy Baldwin distributed well. Anna Heyman played a good defensive game and Megan Eastman served five aces.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of October 28 was senior volleyball player Cori Tom, who helped power SC to a 15-5, 9-15, 15-2, 15-11 victory over Aptos. But more than that, Tom has been the catalyst in SC’s surprising rise from one of the worst teams in the SCCAL to one of the best. Tom had 15 kills, six blocks and three aces against Aptos and followed that up with 28 kills in four matches at the Harbor Invitations, leading SC into the quarterfinals. Tom is SC’s top hitter, but more importantly, is its biggest leader. SC has great team chemistry, seven of its players are seniors whi have played together since their days at Mission Hill Junior High. Tom is a player that enables that chemistry to work on the court, by making sure everyone understand each other and the situation , including offering encouragement. A year ago, SC finished 4-8, good for fifth place in the SCCAL and 16-15 overall. Already the Cards are 8-2 and 20-7.

November 5. SC held on to their second place tie with Aptos by beating Mt. Madonna in three games 15-0, 15-9, 15-2. SC is 10-3 in league and 22-8 overall. Cori Tom had seven kills and ten blocks in limited action. Katie Hintz and Anna Heyman severed 12 straight points in games two and three respectively.

November 13. Palo Alto Halts Cardinals Season. In the first round of the CCS Division III playoffs, Palo Alto, the number ten seed, upset the number seven seed Cardinals 15-7, 15-11, 9-15, 15-3 to eliminate SC at Fehliman Gym. SC was coming off its best season in quite some time. SC finished tied for second in the SCCAL with a 11-3 record.
The loss didn’t dampen the Cards spirits as they chose to remember their accomplishments instead of their loss. “We had an awesome season and I’m definitely happy,” setter Elena Russell-Nava said. Palo Alto proved to be too strong at the net. “They blocked and picked up everything and that was tough,’ Russell-Nava said. “Wherever middle blocker Cori Tom was, they were there to block her.” “ They were a lot bigger than we were and it affected our game,” Coach Cave said. “We jumped on them in game one but then we just had a little lull.”
Despite starting strong in each game, SC, 23-9 on the season, encountered lulls in every game that eventually led to its down fall. Trailing 2-0, SC sprang to life after coach Cave told the team to basically forget the first two games and concentrate on the third. “I told them that we needed to start all over and play our style of volleyball,” Cave said. “Then we finally started playing our volleyball.” Riding the hot serving of Russell-Nava, SC bolted out to a 6-0 lead. SC was able to increase the lead to 13-5, before the Vikings began what looked like a would be a match ending comeback. Palo Alto cut the lead down to 14-9, before Megan Eastman ended the game with an ace. Palo Alto didn’t fool around in the fourth game ending all hopes of a SC miraculous comeback. Tom finished with 12 kills and eight blocks, while Russell-Nava had 27 assists. Amy Reidt collected 19 digs and eight kills.

Sentinel ALL COUNTY VOLLEYBALL. SC coach Kim Caves was selected Coach of the Year. Senior, 5-9, middle blocker, Cori Tom was named to the SENTINEL ALL COUNTY volleyball team first team. Senior, 5-6, setter, Elena Russell-Nava was named to the second team.

Santa Cruz’s coach Kim Cave was selected COACH OF THE YEAR, by her peers as she was by the Sentinel Cori Tom a senior middle blocker was named to the first team ALL SCCAL by the league coaches. Elena Russell-Nave a senior setter was selected for the ALL SCCAL second team. Amy Reidt and Megan Eastman were honorable mention. Cori Tom led the Cards to their best record in some time. Tom helped the Cards battle SCCAL champion Monte Vista down to the wire.

JV GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Tie with Harbor for THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Yearbook. The JV’s has an amazing season as well. Leaders were junior middle blocker Irene Schindler. Freshman were setter Maya Russell-Nava; outside hitters Abbie Schindler and Tenaya Fihe. Rest of roster: Freshmen Sarah Bell, Sophia DeMalivinsky, Monica Grova, Joanna Doubleday,
Noelle Huskey, Rita Case and Lesley Sudduth. Sophomore Molly Kearney and junior Irene Sherwood. Coach Donna Beronia.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL
Practice games: Gilroy tournament: Live Oak 68-67 for consolation title. Palo Alto 56-55, Jefferson 60-56 Alvarez loss. Sentinel practice record 6-8.
League: SLV 58-57, loss; Monte Vista 48-58, ?; Aptos 64-50, ?; Watsonville 57-55, ?; Soquel 35-59, Harbor 55-63, 59-49. League record 5-7 tied for fourth.
SCCAL Championship tournament: Watsonville 68-60, SLV 54-52, Soquel 42-56 in finals.
CCS Division III playoffs: Mitty loss. Overall record 13-17.

Sentinel. League standings by school, league record and overall record.
SCHOOL LE OV
SLV 11-1 14-10
Soquel 9-3 21-7
Harbor 6-6 15-12
SC 5-7 13-17
Watsonville 5-7 8-18
MVC 3-9 7-19
Aptos 3-9 5-20

Yearbook. This years team was a young one having only two players, Tyler Williams and Marcel Jackson returning from the previous year. However the team was still very talented and had the advantage of Pete Newell’s great coaching. As of mid season there were some difficult losses, even though the Cards gave every team a challenging game. There were some excellent wins against teams like SLV and Aptos and hopefully they will finish off the season strong. Top juniors were Eli Wilson, Morgan Pena and Colvin Marshall. Top sophomores were George Czechowski, Tyler Williams and Derek McDougall. Rest of the roster: Andrew Ackerman, George Urban, Sam Martisius, Michael McDonald, Ryan Villanueva, Marcus Olivas, Youngwoo Kim, Niya Levi and Richard Smith.

Sentinel preseason write up December 10. Coach: Pete Newell twenty-fourth season. Last year: 20-8 overall and 11-1 in league. Key players: Marcel Jackson, 6-8, junior, center. Sophomores: Tyler Wiliams, 6-1, guard and Derek McDougall, 6-4 forward. Scouting report: Newell’s roster is overflowing with 19 players, but all but two will get their first taste of varsity play this season. Jackson at 6-8 has already turned in a double-double, 18 points and 17 rebounds and will be one of the leagues most dominate inside players. Williams, who played well on varsity as a freshman, gives the team a legitimate outside offensive threat, who can handle the ball and help free Jackson up inside. The key for SC will be how rapidly and well the inexperienced players adapt to varsity competition. Coaches Outlook: We won’t have the talent we’ve had in the past. But we have kids who can play the game and have been receptive to learning. It’s going to be an adjustment for all concerned.

Sentinel. December 21. At the Gilroy Tournament, SC defeated Live Oak of Morgan Hill 68-67 to win the consolation final in dramatic fashion as Marcel Jackson hit the game tying jumper as the clock expired and he drew the foul. The senior then knocked down the free throw to cap off his season high twenty-sixth point, on his seventeenth birthday, in style. SC 3-6, led most of the way, before Live Oak took a four point lead with ten seconds left. With three seconds left Tyler Williams was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He knocked down two of the three free throws. The last one he missed, but the wall was knocked out of bounds by Live Oak. Eli in-bounded to Jackson, who drained the eight footer at the buzzer. Williams scored 15 points and Derek McDougall added 10.

Sentinel. December 23. Sophomore’s Free Throw leads To 56-55 Win Over Palo Alto. For a team that hadn’t trailed by more than seven points all season, the Cards were in new territory, down by 15 in the third quarter. But the Cards discovered something about themselves, about their ability to handle adversity. Sophomore forward Murphy Stewart nailed a free throw with five seconds left to complete a three point play allowing SC to beat Palo Alto 56-55. Freshman Josh Rhodes made 10 of 11 shots from the floor, mostly on put backs, scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. With center Marcel Jackson sidelined with a wrist injury, Rhodes at 6-6 was forced to play the low post. In fact SC was also without starting point guard Eli Wilson. The lineup switch allowed Stewart to start. Though he played much of the first half, he sat on the bench much of the second half. But with 11 seconds left after Palo Alto went ahead, Coach Newell brought Stewart into the game. Newell said he put Stewart in as a secondary option on a special inbounds play. But reserve point guard George Czechowski got the pass, moved the ball up court and found the defense over committed to the outside. He quickly fired the ball to Stewart, who drive down the empty lane to lay the ball in to tie the score and was fouled. Stewart said he’d never scored the tying or winning points before in his life, but it was too soon to celebrate. Palo Alto called time out to ice him. “I thought I’d be nervous,” Stewart said, “But I wasn’t. I told myself, you can’t miss this, then I asked God for help. And I made it.”
Said Newell, “What was impressive to me was his composure and confidence to make that last foul shot.” During the second quarter, SC had eight turnovers in a stretch of 10 possessions. Besides getting chewed out by Newell at halftime, SC changed its offense to create room in the middle. Despite falling behind 31-16, SC finally made a run late in the third quarter, with Rhodes scoring six straight points and Marshall nailing a 30 foot buzzed-beater to close the gap to 41-38 at the end of three quarters. Palo Alto rebuilt its lead to 50-42 with 3:49 left, before Rhodes keyed a 11-2 run with eight points. The big play was a three-pointer from the corner from Tyler Williams, who had 16 points for the game, with 2:10 left the cut the deficit to 50-49. Moments later, Rhodes hit two free throws with 1:31 left to give SC its first lead since the first quarter at 51-50.

Sentinel. December. SC 60, Jefferson 56. SC. 6-8, rebounded nicely from a loss to Alvarez, rode the strong inside play of George Urban’s 17 points and the outside shooting of Tyler Williams, who netted 21 points.

January 7. Cardinal Boys Storm Back To Take SCCAL Hoop Opener From SLV 58-57. They have developed a intense rivalry in recent years, but both team have been struggling heading into this game. The Cards came away with some much needed confidence. Derek McDougall made three consecutive clutch jumpers to complete SC’s comeback from a 11 point deficit in the fourth quarter and survived SLV’s sequence of last second shots. SC 7-8 overall took its only lead of the game on McDougall’s 17 foot jumper at the 1:30 mark. SC then nearly gave it away, committing three turnovers in the final stretch.
“This was a big win for us. I’m proud of the way we competed in a difficult environment,” said Newell. Last season the two teams shared the SCCAL title after SLV lost their two round-robin games to the Cards, but turned around and defeated SC in double overtime in the SCCAL championship tournament.
McDougall had 16 points and Williams 15. SC trailed 54-43 early in the fourth quarter. SC stole the momentum with a 9-0 run, with a three pointer from Williams. Eli Wilson, George Urban and Marcel Jackson had field goals in the rally. “We had confidence the whole game. One guy can’t win a game. We knew we could win as a team,” McDougall said. SLV led 37-34 at halftime and extended it to 46-36 in the third. SC kept from being blown out by pounding it in low to Jackson, who SLV had trouble handling in the post. The 6-8 center had ten first half points. Urban provided another threat on the block, while McDougall and Williams hit jumpers.

January 11. Monte Vista 58, SC 48. Monte Vista survived a 24 point third quarter output by the Cards to up their league record to 3-8. Monte Vista outscored SC 23-11 in the fourth quarter. Monte Vista opened the game on a 10-0 run and led most of the first three quarters. SC rallied on the strength of four 3-point field goals by Tyler William’s in the fourth quarter. SC drops to 4-7 in league and 10-15 overall.

January 16. SC 64, Aptos 50. SC rode the superlative play of center Marcel Jackson as the 6-8 junior scored a game high 25 points to lead the Cards to an important SCCAL victory. Late in the second half, SC hit ten straight shots en rout to shooting 66 percent in the second half. Tyler Williams scored 14 points, while Derek McDougall added 11 and George Czechowski chipped in eight points. SC improved to 2-2 in league and 8-10 overall.

January 24. Harbor 55-63

Soquel 35-59

Jan. 31. League’s Top Rebounder Dismissed From Team. Junior center Marcel Jackson who is the SCCAL top rebounded at 12 per game and sixth in scoring 12.6 points a game has been dismissed from the basketball team for what Coach Newell called, “unacceptable behavior” after the loss to Harbor on the twenty-fourth. Jackson attended the loss to Soquel. Afterward, he expressed remorse about the incident and said, “It was all a misunderstanding.”
Sophomore forward Tyler Williams, said the situation has disrupted the team’s play. He said players had split opinions on whether Jackson should be allowed to return. “Everybody feels differently. Some think it is best for the team and some miss him a lot.” Asked if it was up to him, Williams said, “I’m glad I’m not making the position to make that decision.”

February 4. Big Half Brings Cardinals A Victory. SC prevailed 57-55 largely due to an ability to impose its style of play on the game and stamp it firmly with the kind of basketball SC likes to play; defensively tough and offensively efficient. Watsonville maintains its third place standing in the league with a 4-4 record and SC is now a half a game out of third at 4-5 and 10-13 overall.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Cards were reeling from an 18-5 run by the Wildcats that turned a SC 16 point halftime lead into a 39-39 tie. The Cats scored again to give them their last lead at 41-39. SC came back with its own particular style of vengeance, one that is efficient and effective. SC hit four straight shots, topped by Eli Wilson’s layup and then after a miss, Derek McDougall nailed a 12 foot jumper to put SC up 50-43 with 4:48 left to play. Watsonville came back with their own brand of basketball, a frantic style that emphasizes the team’s quickness and shooting ability. Watsonville came back and closed the score to 53-50. SC was hitting its free throws, Wilson hit three of four and McDougall hit two of two free throws to offset a Wildcat three pointer. SC hit 15 of 19 free throws for the game.
According to Coach Newell, Wilson a junior point guard was instrumental in helping the Cards keep their collective heads during the tense moments of the game. During the fourth quarter, “Eli gathered the four other players and got them to refocus. He proved us with the leadership that we needed,” “We had to win this game because we have been on and off. Sometimes we play good and sometimes we don’t. We played our best half of basketball in the first half. Eli provided us the leadership that we needed,” Newell said.

February 14. Ball Bounces Just Right For Cardinals. Derek McDougall’s three pointer toyed with the rim. It rolled up the front and glided to the top of the backboard. It came back down, danced around again and … Dropped. McDougall’s shot doubled SC’s lead with 1:43 to play. SC then kept its poise in the final 90 seconds, but McDougall’s triple was the knockout blow in their 59-49 win over host Harbor in each teams SCCAL finale. “ I thought it would swish,” said McDougall, who led all scorers with 22 points. “I jumped up and down with my hands up and said, ’get in there’ It was a sweet feeling.”
As was the mood in the SC locker room. SC 5-7 in league and 11-15 overall, next week heads to the SCCAL tournament riding a quality win over Harbor 6-6, which had won six of their last seven games.
McDougall scored SC’s first 12 points of the game, before his teammates found their touch. Although he made other key baskets in the final period, none were bigger then the tray that put SC ahead 54-48 and all but sealed the win. What the contest lacked in aesthetic value, marred by turnovers, loose ball scrambles and fouls was made up for in intensity. The two teams traditionally engage in hard fought battles and this game was no different. SC, which was beaten by Monte Vista in their previous game, needed a confidence boost, according to coach Newell.
“We met the challenge and I think we grew up tonight,” said Coach Newell of his youth laden team. “We had a playoff level of competitiveness.” Newell starts three underclassmen, McDougall and Williams are sophomores and Josh Rhodes is a freshman. Tied after three quarters, Williams hit two three-pointers that swayed the momentum to the Cards. Williams, Eli Wilson and Colvin Marshall would later hit clutch free throws, shooting amid a loud Harbor fan section. Newell reserved special recognition for junior Niya Levi, who logged a season high in minutes and had a solid defensive effort and five points. George Urban added ten points. SC outscored Harbor 22-12 in the pivotal fourth quarter.

February 18. Cards Keep Season Alive. Santa Cruz Boys Beat Watsonville 68-60, In League Tourney. In a game marked by streaks, the Cards got the last one and hung on to beat Watsonville in the first round of the SCCAL tournament. SC took command of the game with five minutes left in the third quarter and the score tied 39-39. SC scored eight unanswered points, featuring a layup and a follow shot by Tyler Williams, who led all scorers with 17 points. Watsonville came back with five points of its own, but Williams hit two more shots and guard Colvin Marshall got a fast break basket to put SC up 54-46.
Watsonville would get no closer the rest of the way. At the start of the second quarter, Watsonville trailed 21-17 and was quickly outscored 10-1. Then ended the quarter scoring nine straight points. Their 12-2 run left the game tied 33-33 at halftime. “We had a couple of starters in foul trouble,” said Coach Newell of Watsonville’s run. “We didn’t get good defensive play from our reserves, that got Watsonville back in. In the second half we didn’t have turnovers, we made shots, we got transition baskets and Williams hot hand to win.”

February 20. Santa Cruz Boys Pull Off Upset. SC used a combination of heart, intensity and timely outside shooting to upset number one SLV 54-52 in the semifinals of the SCCAL playoffs. SC the number four seed will play Soquel to see who will share the SCCAL title with SLV. With SC leading 48-47 with 1:31 left to play, the leagues leading scorer drove to the basket and scored an was fouled, which he made to put SLV ahead 5048.
SC, which had been having success from the outside against the taller Cougars zone defense, brought the ball down and swung it around. Point guard Eli Wilson dished off to junior Colvin Marshall, who buried a three pointer, handing SC a 51-50 lead with 1:09 to play. “I was nervous when I took the shot, but when I let it go it felt perfect,” said Marshall, whose main job was to try and stop SLV’s top scorer. “I loved every second of it,” said Marshall. “We told our perimeter players that one of them was going to have to make a three and Colvin buried it,” said an exuberant Coach Newell.
SLV hurried down court and the top scorer attempted a three point shot that bounced high off the rim and into Derek McDougall’s hands and he was fouled. The sophomore forward coolly hit both free throws for a 53-50 lead with a minute remaining. SLV missed a shot and Wilson corralled the rebound and was fouled. After he sank one of two free throws, SLV scored on a lay-up with two seconds to play, but SC celebrated at half court as time ran out.
The win was a bit of redemption for SC, now 13-15 on the season. Last season SLV shocked the heavily favored Cards to win the league championship playoff in a double overtime thriller. This season SLV’s lone league loss was at the hands of SC on opening night. SLV is now 14-11 and 11-1 in league.
SC started the game red hot, streaking out to a 10-4 lead on the strength of its outside shooting. Everything went right for the Cards as Newell substituted for all five of his starters in the first quarter with no drop off. George Czechowski came off the bench and scored five points in the opening quarter as SC led 17-10.
George Urban, SC’s lone starting senior and elder statesman, said the victory came more from the head than the heart. “We weren’t intimidated and we knew what we had to do,” said Urban, who scored 12 points to go with seven rebounds. He was also proud of his young teammates, SC starts two sophomores and one junior. “This win proves that they are men. We set the challenge and they exceeded expectations,” Urban said. Newell prepared his team to be aggressive during the game, saying, “I told them that SLV would probably play not to lose, we play to win. They are league champions and we beat them two out of three this year,” Newell said with a smile. McDougall led the Cards with 15 points and Czchowski added eight. Noce, the SLV scorer finished with 18 points, but Marshall made life difficult, applying pressure all night long.

February 21. Knights Long Drought Ends With Victory Over Cards. Soquel won a share of their first ever SCCA:L title defeating SC 56-42 in the league playoff finals. Soquel came into the season regarded as a team with as much talent as any in the league. SC came into the season regarded as a team featuring Coach Pete Newell and little talent. SC didn’t reach the finals for the seventh straight season without a hand full of unique, but highly effective players. It made for three and a half periods of tense gamesmanship. SC played superbly for the three quarters, taking a 32-31 lead into the final eight minutes. But from that moment Soquel exploded for a 15-3 run that proved to be decisive.
Regardless, Newell, whose team is 13-16 overall, came into the tournament as the fourth seed, was pleased with his squad. “They played as well as they could for as long as they could, then they just hit the wall. With eight minutes to play we were up by one, that’s how far this team has come. We’ll take that and build on it for next year,” Newell said.
Missing next year will be one of those unique SC players, whose talent is more or less overlooked. Big George Urban, a bearded, 6-2, 260 pound center, looks more like an Amish farmer than a basketball player. But he grabbed seven rebounds, scored nine points, including a three pointer and set an impenetrable pick in the back court that allowed a SC guard to spring loose. Urban best exemplifies some SC odds and ends, complimented by fluid skill like players like Tyler Williams, Colvin Marshall and Derek McDougall, that blend together to form an unselfish, cohesive unit. Blending all the elements together for Soquel was Stu Walters, who earned praise from Newell,. The talk of the gym was for Walters coaching in the 54-42 win over SLV, which had won the league regular season title to share the SCCAL title.

February 23. Though SC had losing records, 13-16 overall and 5-7 in league, Coach Pete Newell successfully petitioned the Cardinals into the playoffs. SC will play at eleventh seeded Mitty in the Division III tournament. “Going into our last league game against Harbor, I was convinced we would not be in the tournament. But after winning that game and getting into the league tournament championship game, I reconsidered and felt like it was a reward for the kids,” Newell said. Though Mitty, 10-16 overall and last in their tough league, is regarded as the strongest team in this Division.

Sentinel. March 24. SENTINEL ALL COUNTY team had Derek McDougall at 6-4, as the Sophomore of the Year and a second team selection along with another sophomore Tyler Williams at 6-1.

No Cards were included on the ALL SCCAL first team this year. Derek McDougall was selected for the second team. George Urban and Tyler Williams for the third team and Eli Wilson was honorable mention.

JV BOYS BASKETBALL
Yearbook. The team had the leadership of returning sophomores Eli Karon and Antonio Pozos. Top freshmen Kris Vitug, Eric Gelwicks, Murphy Stewart and Brandon Kluzniak among others contributed their talent, heart and willingness to play to help their team through the tough season. Rest of roster: Logan Wells, Jaime Quartararo, Gabe Craft, Matt Telega, Jeremy Rafferty, Alden Orgain, Kamau Norman-Terrance and Dejuan Williams. Coach Charles Burks.

FROSH BASKETBALL
Yearbook. It was a rough season, but the players learned a lot under the leadership of former SC player Jermaine Hunter.
Roster: Mitch Smith, Ryan Jordan, Kyle Reagan, Dashiell Dunkell, Sam Cherry, Ben Baker, Brandon Keith, Khalib Day, Josh Chirinos, John Budnick, Dee Harris, Tommy Blake and Fabian Sosa.

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL
Practice games: Pioneer tournament: Piedmont Hills 45-35, Opponent won, Westmont 47-45 for the championship. Gilroy 68-36.
League: Soquel 51-31, loss; Aptos 46-28, 52-45; Watsonville 52-25, won; MVC loss, 48-37; Harbor two wins: SLV two wins. Santa Cruz and Monte Vista Christian tied for the regular season championship with 10-2 records. League playoffs: Soquel 49-33, finals Monte Vista 49-39 for the SCCAL championship.
CCS Division III playoffs. SC seeded second received first round bye. In second round defeated Gunn 58-50. SC lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual state champions Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco and a member of the tough Catholic league. Overall record 21-6.

Yearbook. The season started off well for new coach Pat Jones and a large number of retuning players. The team is an experience one led by seniors Jami Ross, the only player with four years of varsity experience, Kali Campbell, Cori Tom, Elena Russell-Nava and Amelia Mitcalf. As of mid season the team had lost only one game in league. Rest of team: Marisa Boyce, Hope Anderson, Cristal Santos, Adrienne Cramer, Paige Nutt, Danielle Willis, Diana Willis and Anna Heyman. Head coach Pat Jones and assistant Barnes.

Sentinel preseason write up. Coach: Pat Jones, first season. Last year: 26-3 overall and 12-0 in league. Key players: Seniors: guard, Kali Campbell and forward Cori Tom. Junior, guard Danielle Willis. Scouting report: SC has won three straight SCCAL titles, but this will be their third coach in four years. Not to worry, Jone’s wife Monique Jones was the JV coach last year and Pat is a former Newell assistant, who spent last year coaching Hollister high. SC is loaded with talent and experience. Barring injuries, should compete for the league title. Coach’s Outlook: Its nice to inherit a talented group with this experience. Besides that, they are great kids. My philosophy with this team is basically ’if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ Taking over was not a difficult transition, the kids are familiar with me and there is not a whole lot of changes. We’ll still play the same aggressive defensive style.

Sentinel. December 5. SC 45, Piedmont Hills 35. At the Pioneer Tournament, SC outscored Piedmont Hills 18-4 in the fourth quarter to advance to the championship game. Marissa Boyce, a sophomore center, scored 12 points an had ten rebounds. Cori Tom has 16 points and eight rebounds and hit back to back three pointers in the third quarter. Boyce also scored three straight buckets from the post in the fourth period during the SC stretch run.

December 6. SC 47, Westmont 45. It was an overtime thriller for the Championship of the Pioneer Tournament, SC won behind the heroic efforts of Danielle Willis, Marissa Boyce and Cori Tom. Willis single handedly took over the game in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime. Willis hit a three pointer, made a foul shot, then stole the ball and sank a lay up to spur SC to a 39-39 tie. SC then went up by four in overtime and finished for the win. Tom was named MVP of the Tourney and Boyce also made the All Tourney squad. Willis had 13 points, Boyce had ten points and eight rebounds and Tom had four points and nine rebounds.

December 10. SC 68, Gilroy 36. Jami Ross coming off an illness, scored ten points and grabbed three rebounds in only five minutes of action to lead the Cards. Highlights for SC, with a 6-0 record, came from Hope Anderson 13 rebounds, Cristal Santos nine points and three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Marissa Boyce was 4 for 4 from the field and had five rebounds. Every Card player scored.

January 10. SC 51, Soquel 31. Cori Tom scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and hit 3- three point buckets to lead SC to a record of 2-0 in league and 12-3 overall. Jami Ross had 11 points and had ten rebounds.

January 13. The TOP 10 teams selected by the Sentinel and the Salinas Californian covering the Monterey Bay Area, which includes the SCCAL, MBL and Mission Trail leagues. SC is rated second with a 12-3 record.

January 16. Cards Carry On. Santa Cruz Sets Up Key Game With MVC. In recent years, Santa Cruz and Monte Vista have battled annually for the league crown. Aptos has a four game winning streak going and for a half Aptos looked ready to cast awry the Cards plan of the league title. For a half anyway. SC took apart Aptos in the third quarter to break open a tight game, winning easily 46-28. SC improves to 4-0 in league and 14-3 overall. SC’s next game is with 4-0 Monte Vista.
Leading 18-16 at halftime, SC stormed out of the locker room and blasted Aptos 18-3 as the Cards press forced 12 turnovers. Aptos had 33 turnovers for the game. On offense, when SC wasn’t scoring on breakaway lay-ups, center Marisa Boyce was all over the place. She scored six of her game high 18 points, grabbed four of her eight rebounds and blocked two of her four shots. Boyce, who had been in a slump, is capable of taking over a game. Earlier in the year, she was named to the All Tournament team at the Pioneer Tournament. But Coach Pat Jones had a talk with the 6-3 center and she responded.
Campbell, who tallied 11 points was aware of her squads slow start and it was her frenetic defensive play at the point that got the Cards going. “We just haven’t been playing good lately. We let their press get to us and we just needed to be patient. We haven’t been coming out with a lot of intensity and that’s got to change. We can’t come out like we have been, we need to show the league what we are all about,” Campbell said.

February 4. Card Girls Get Tough. SC hammered Watsonville on the boards to take a 64-46 victory. SC was especially tough on the offensive end as SC out rebounded Watsonville 52-25. SC had 25 of those on the offensive end. Hope Anderson led SC with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Cori Tom had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Jami Ross scored ten points and hauled down 11 rebounds, while Danielle Willis had nine points, ten rebounds, four assists and three steals. SC improves to 7-2 and 17-5 overall.

February 10. SC 52, Aptos 45. Aptos gave SC all it could handle, but the size disadvantage proved too much down the stretch. SC, 8-2, 18-5, led by just one point, 26-25 at halftime. But a third quarter run provided a bit of cushion. SC was 11 of 12 from the free throw line for the game, 9 for 10 in the second half. Hope Anderson had 11 points and ten rebounds. Cori Tom added 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jami Ross scored eight points and had nine rebounds.

February 11. Cardinal Girls Exact Revenge On MVC. This game could clinch the league title for MVC, its first ever in basketball, with a win or SC could force a tie and eventually share the crown. SC was out for revenge for the loss to Monte Vista on January 20, that snapped the Cards 35 game league winning streak. It was also senior night for the Cards and the current group of seniors, who have never lost a home league game. The Cards home win streak is still intact, 30 games after a 48-37 whipping of Monte Vista to pull into a tie with a record of 9-2 in league and 19-5 overall.
The game was a slugfest more than an artistic display of basketball and the edge was decidedly in favor of SC. SC won the rebounding 40-21 and was able to control the paint on offense as well. Senior center Jami Ross was one of the keys for the powerful inside game. “’This game was big! Big with capital letters,” Ross exclaimed. “Now we have a chance at the title. We were determined to win and we knew it was going to be hard, because it was senior night and we’ve never lost at our gym.”
One of the most important for SC was the defensive play of Danielle Willis, who had missed five league games due to illness. Willis held the Mustangs leading scorer Amy Walter to 14 points. But even better, Walter didn’t take her first shot in the fourth quarter until their was 1:21 left to play. “Having Danielle back was just an extra factor for us, because she is such a big help,” said coach Jones. The game turned during a fourth quarter that saw MVC score five points, but didn’t score until 1:53 remained. By that time, SC had reeled off nine unanswered points to put the game away.
SC hit its free throws, 15 for 19. It was the SC defensive effort that decided the outcome. MVC shot just 25 per cent from the floor, 11 for 43. Trailing 29-25 with 3:40 to play in the third quarter, Monte Vista had an opportunity to tie the game. SC’s Cori Tom was whistled for a technical, but MVC made only one of the two free throws, then committed a turnover, one of its 16. SC was able to pull away due to the play of Ross with eight points and ten rebounds and Hope Anderson, who scored six points and had 11 rebounds. But even when this duo didn’t score, they were active enough not only on offense, but on defense to draw the attention of the Mustangs. That opened the outside game for guards Kali Campbell 14 points, Elena Russell-Nava eight points and Willis with eight points.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of February 17 was senior point guard Kali Campbell, who had two of her biggest scoring games of the season last week. .She had 14 points against Monte Vista and a career high 18 against Harbor. But more important was her leadership in helping SC rally to a share of the SCCAL regular season title after a stretch of two losses in four games dropped SC into second place. Campbell, a third year starter, began her high school career as a center and then moved to power forward. She offers SC a strong presence at the point and the Cards are taking advantage by allowing her to take on smaller defenders. “We really rely on Jami Ross and Cori Tom to do the scoring. But if that’s not working I’ll maybe drive a couple of times to get things going,” Kali said. I feel confident giving her the freedom to lead. And that means calling plays that she sees can work,” Coach Pat Jones said.

February 20. Cards Romp Into Finals. The last time SC and Soquel met, the Cards had a let down. But in the SCCAL semifinals SC never let up. SC won 49-33 to go into the finals against Monte Vista. The loss to Soquel during the regular season forced the Cards to share the regular season title with Monte Vista, both with 10-2 records.
Prior to this season, the Cards had not lost in a league game in more than two years. Coach Pat Jones said, “His team is out to show that it is still the class of the league. I think the girls feel like they have something to prove. This is a big game for us. It establishes the bragging rights.” SC behind a swarming defense that knocked Soquel’s offense out of sync, SC gained the upper hand about midway through the second quarter and the Knights couldn’t muster a serious challenge. Cori Tom had ten of her game high 13 points in the first half. She made a buzzer beater at the end of the first quarter and made a three pointer to start the second quarter for a 15-10 lead and sort of a long night for Soquel.
Soquel’s best inside player was sealed off by SC defenders and denied her usual collection of put backs. Soquel’s point guard and standout shooter, had defenders flying her way when she caught the ball. Kali Campbell and Danielle Willis sparked a defensive effort that generated transition baskets. On one occasion, Willis blocked a shot and sent an outlet to Campbell, who finished with a lay up. That play epitomized the game, as everything went SC’s way. SC had a great level of intensity from the outset, which never subsided. Tom added ten rebounds and Jami Ross was a force in the post with eight points and 13 rebounds. Leading 34-22 after three quarters, SC staged a 9-0 run to erase any doubt, highlighted by three pointers from Campbell and Tom. Campbell had 12 points and Danielle Willis 10.
“The last time against Soquel we had a slow start, referring to the loss. We keyed in on coming out hard today. We were able to spread the ball and execute our game plan,” said coach Pat Jones. Soquel under former SC coach John Wilson, weren’t expected to contend this season with only one senior, but had a six game league winning streak to make their league record 6-6. In their last 11 games they were 8-3.

February 21. SC Girls Win Fourth Straight SCCAL Tourney. First Year Coach Continues Cardinal Tradition. Different driver, same results. Pat Jones, the third SC coach in the last four years, turned loose senior Kali Campbell and an overpowering inside game that led SC to a 49-39 victory over Monte Vista Christian at Cabrillo College.
“This championship win feels better than the others,” said Campbell, who scored 12 points and was marvelous when Monte Vista applied heavy pressure late in the game. “I was really nervous when things got tight at the end.” If she was, she didn’t show it. With SC clinging to a 41-39 lead with 1:31 left in the game, Campbell dribbled through heavy traffic and drained a three point shot from the top of the key, that turned away Monte Vista’s late comeback bid. “That shot was huge. It gave us some breathing room,” coach Jones said. SC’s game plan was based more on suffocation.
SC 20-5, overcrowded the key with inside forces like Jami Ross, Hope Anderson and Cori Tom, who combined for 40 rebounds and 30 points. SC blanked the Monte Vista’s top scorer, who somehow managed to muster 13 points. When we’re successful, its because we get the inside game going. We told Danielle Willis that her only job was to stop Walter. She did a great job,” Coach Jones said. Willis, went beyond the call of duty by scoring seven points, shadowing Walter until fouling out with 3:18 remaining.
The Monte Vista coach said, “You have to give credit to SC, they played a great defensive game from the start. SC held Monte Vista’s top scorer to two points in the first half, but she came back to score 11 in the second half, that was still below her average. SC’s defensive pressure helped build a 13-8 first quarter lead, that was expanded to 21-10, when Campbell launched a pair of accurate three point bombs midway through the second period. MVC cut the Card lead to 23-17 at halftime. A 6-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter cut the Card advantage to 35-34. Willis answered by drawing a foul and sinking both free throws and Ross added an offensive rebound put back to extended the lead to 39-34 with 3:19 to play. Tom, who finished with 13 rebounds and eight points added a late basket and Ross chipped in with four points in the final minute. It was Willis’ flawless ball handling, amid a swarm of Mustangs in the waning moments, that ultimately sealed the win.
“We struggled a little this year. We lost two games, including one to Monte Vista. It felt great to come back and beat them here,” Willis said. Hope Anderson had 12 rebounds and eight points. Diana Willis played great defense to go with four assists. “We’re still very confident about the CCS playoffs. SC is a great team. We’re not going to see anyone much better,” said Amy Walter the MVC leader.

February 23. Santa Cruz Girls Grab number two seed. SC earned the number two seed in the 21 team CCS Division III tournament and avoided their playoff nemesis St. Ignatius until the finals. For the past two seasons SC has been eliminated by St. Ignatius in the second round. SC 22-5, winners of the past four SCCAL titles, receives a first round bye, before playing the winner of James Lick and Gunn, neither of which finished higher then third in their leagues.

February 27.Cardinals Survive. SC Girls Advances With Narrow Win Over Gunn. As they left the locker room, the pervading feeling among the Cards was more relief than triumph. Cori Tom scored ten of her team high 15 points in the fourth quarter and SC squeaked out a 58-50 win over Gunn in a second round game. SC, 21-5, battled poor shooting and ball handling until the end, but did just enough to advance to the quarter finals against number seven seeded Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco.
After going up 51-45 on a pair of Jami Ross free throws with 2:12 left, SC failed to put it away and Gunn pulled to with 53-50 in the final minute. I’m not very happy. For a team that wants to accomplish so much in the playoffs, they don’t understand what it means to play hard every night. Every team has its season on the line and will fight to stay alive.” Coach Jones said. SC made three turnovers in the final two minutes. But SC forced a jump ball and Tom made a three pointer with 11 seconds to play for a 56-50 lead. Kali Campbell made a steal and lay-up at the buzzer for the final 58-50.
What was encouraging was the Cards ability to fight off a horrible start and find their poise in the second half. SC trailed 17-9 after one quarter, but forced a 26-26 halftime tie. Hope Anderson had eight points and ten rebounds the first half. Campbell, Tom, Ross and Danielle Willis stepped up their focus and made big shots. Campbell’s three pointer midway through the third, put SC up 34-28. “I don’t think we came out with enough intensity or focus. Sometimes we’re not ready for late game situations. It was really a mental breakdown on our part,” Campbell said.
Gunn set the tone in the early going by converting baskets in transition. The only thing that kept SC in the game was its edge in offensive rebounding. Anderson scored the Cards first two field goals on put backs. SC had trouble finding the range, even on easy looks close to the basket. SC shot 23 of 63 and Gunn 17 of 37 on field goals.

SC lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual state champions Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco and a member of the tough Catholic league.

Sentinel ALL COUNTY team
Player Of The Year: Pick Three, SC’s Cori Tom and Kali Campbell, plus Soquel’s Allsha Spin were chosen PLAYERS OF THE YEAR. Three senior SC players are on the first team: 5-9, forward, Cori Tom; 5-10, center, Jamie Ross and 5-5, guard, Kali Campbell. On the second team was 5-8, junior, guard, Danielle Willis.
No one team, no one player dominated the league. The SCCAL was a team game this season. Picking a most valuable player from each team is a challenge. Compelling MVP arguments can be made for alt least five players and three of them are Cardinals. This year the first team has eight players and should be larger. It was an unusual year for the league, Monte Vista and SC shared the league regular season title, SC won its fourth straight league tournament and Soquel won four straight CCS games.
The All County player of the year should reflect the season. Therefore, Tom, Campbell and Sipin are our combined pick. Tom is an easy choice. SC entered the season stocked with talent an coming off two straight undefeated overall titles. Along with Ross and Campbell, the Cards also had great players in Hope Anderson and Danielle Willis, one of the best defensive players in the league.
It was Tom who provided the senior leadership that helped SC take a share of the regular season title. She scored and rebounded, averaging 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. Her early season leadership and toughness guided SC through a stretch of uncertainty.
Campbell did not put up gaudy numbers. But in the last half of the league season and in the league tournament, she made one huge play after another. With 1;31 left in the title game of the league tournament and SC clinging to a two point lead, Campbell dribbled through pressure, then drained a three pointer from the top of the key. It was typical of her tournament play. Campbell averaged 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and 2.5 steals for the league season.
Basically Campbell did it all. In short, Tom was the SC first half of the year MVP and Campbell the second half.
Jami Ross, who played four years of varsity, had scoring and rebounding averages near the top of the league, nine points and 10.3 rebounds and never got her due as an athlete. Most talk regarded her size, her ability to take over the middle. But Ross is a fine, intelligent athlete, who worked deftly underneath and knows the art of the outlet pass.
John Wilson the Soquel coach and former SC coach and athlete was Co-Coach of the Year. Wilson kept his team together, when most would have gone to pieces. The Knights’ section playoff run getting into the finals provided a jolt of positive adrenaline to the entire league.

(Do not have the result of the quarterfinal game against Sacred Heart Cathedral)

GIRLS JV BASKETBALL JV CHAMPIONSHIP Overall record 23-1
Yearbook. The team had a young talented group led by standouts Lesley Sudduth, Jennifer Cardoza, Tenays Fihe, Nicole Woodie, Monica Grova and Amanda Moreland. Rest of the roster: Ruth Klotz-Chamberlain, Megan Kennedy, Amani Wingfield, Rachel Willis, Sarah Bell, Jynelle Crutch, Lesley Sudduth, Rita Case and Rachael Thompson, Coach Monique Jones.

Trident of April 3. Queens Or The Hoop. The girls JV team had a great season, with a near perfect record of 23-1. The conquered rivals SLV and Aptos to claim the SCCAL JV Championship. The team was young, with only 4 sophomores, but very good. The level of talent demonstrated in this team bodes well for SC’s varsity program in the future.
Mid season injuries reduced the teams size, but even without several key players (including Amani Wingfield, Jynelle Crutch and Rachel Willis), the team continued to dominate teams across the county.
The team was lead in scoring by center Monica Grova, guard Tenaya Fine, and wings Amanda Moreland, and Jennifer Cardoza. Nicole Woodie and Ruth Klotz-Chamberlin were both major forces underneath and often stepped up with a nice shot to get the team rolling. Point guards Rita Case, Lesly Sudduth and Rachael Thompson, were fierce and quick on both offense and defense, often out running or out-maneuvering other highly skilled point guards when a game was close. Sara Bell’s excellent outside shot proved to be a major threat in games and great defense as well as passing and ball handling by Megan Kennedy also contributed to the team’s wins.
One of the most exciting games of the year was against Aptos. The game went into overtime with a no time left free throw by Monica Grova. SC won in overtime by 7 points and it was a great game!
Overall it was a pretty good experience for all the girls and the coach “Unique” Monique Jones. The team bonded well and many players are looking forward to playing again next year. Hopefully Santa Cruz High will continue to dominate the league in Girls Basketball

WRESTLING
Team scoring for the SCCAL meet was Watsonville 146, SLV 79.5, Aptos 73, Harbor 68.5, SC 66 and Soquel 56.

Yearbook. The team was one of the most dominate in the schools recent past. With seniors like Boris Quintanilla, Matt Windt and Ryan Deane leading the young team, they were really something to watch. Junior Luke Pomerantz is set to take control next year and the crop of freshmen and sophomores are poised to have another good year. Rest of roster: Carl Lund, Manny Kester, Matt Burdick, Axel Magallanes, Chris Newey, Josh Earnest and Nick Lezin. Coaches Ruben and Pete.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of January 6 was junior wrestler Luke Pomerantz, who won his weight division in the 16 team at the Crusador Cup at Riordon High in San Francisco last week. For Pomerantz, the tournament victory at 105 pounds was unexpected and unpredicted. It was the first of his career and the championship was won in sudden death against an opponent that had beaten him twice this season. His two previous varsity seasons have been ordinary and his 7-4 record is good, but not spectacular.
But Pmeantz’s success in SF was no accident. Over the past two years, he wrestled at 103 pounds, the smallest weight class, while weighing last than 90 pounds. He has finally began growing into the class and has a natural weight of about 105. Now bigger, his biggest strides have been in technique, largely because of the Cards new coaches, Pete Gustafusson and Ruben Cabigas.
“Pete opens the wrestling room at 6:30 a.m. three days a week and Luke is always there. He’s very dedicated this year. He’s become a student of the sport. He used to get down on himself at matches, now gets meaner and tougher,” said Cabigas.

Sentinel. February 15. At the SCCAL finals: Alex Magellanes at the 125 weight division lost in the finals by pin. In a exciting 135 pound division final, Boris Quintanilla lost 1-0. Karl Lund in the 275 division lost be pin. Team scoring was Watsonville 146, SLV 79.5, Aptos 73, Harbor 68.5, SC 66 and Soquel 56.

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER
Watsonville tournament: Salinas 3-2, Watsonville 0-4 (only games listed)
League: Watsonville 2-0, Monte Vista 3-0, Harbor 2-0, SLV 2-0 (only games listed)
SC was undefeated in the first half of league play. The biggest win was over perennial power Watsonville, who was league favorite this year.

Yearbook. Last years team won the league championship for the first time in ten years. SC was ranked number I in the CCS Division II playoffs. A core of seven returning players, including the league defensive player of the year, Saul Cartejena and SCCAL coach of the year Sergio Sierra, led this years team to a undefeated first half of league play. The biggest win was over perennial power Watsonville, who was league favorite this year.

Roster: Garrett Boetzer, Sam Crick, Nick Fleming, Ben Ow, Robin Brown, Ryan Baker,
Miguel Salinas, Henry Garcia, Kevin Cortese, Gizzy Schragg, Jesus Reyes, David Cooper, Julio, Jesus Jimenez, Victor Nieto, Roland Guerro, Saul Cartejena, Oscar Monroy and Marcus Reumann. Coach Sergio Sierra.

Sentinel. November 26. Cardinals Rebound To Beat Salinas 3-2 after a sloppy first half. Salinas took a 1-0 lead at the half, forcing SC coach Sergio Sierra into a few choice words for his team. The Cards responded with three second half goals. “We weren’t playing as a team. The chances we had were created by individual efforts. There was no chemistry,” said Coach Sergio Sierra. Oscar Monroy, Saul Cartajena and David Cooper scored for SC. Salinas made it interesting, toward the end of the second half, with a goal in the thirty-eighth minute off a corner kick. The next five minutes produced a few scary moments as the Cowboys threatened to tie the game on a number of occasions.

Sentinel. January 8. Cards Blank Cats. SC Boys Take SCCAL Lead. Almost every season Watsonville’s roster is in chaos right about now and every year SC tries to make the Wildcats pay. Watsonville had only four starters for the grudge match with SC. The players were either in Mexico, Alaska or sick. This time of the year, Watsonville hopes to hang in, then finish strong for their usual ran at the CCS title.
SC isn’t much for sympathy. SC played superbly on offense and defense, wearing down Watsonville and winning 2-0 on goals scored by the scoring machine Oscar Monroy. “I told the guys ‘today is a must,‘” said Sierra, whose team is now 5-3-1 overall and 3-0 in league. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on over there.” What went on Wednesday night was a clinic by the somewhat unheralded Monroy, a center forward, who has now scored seven goals in his last three games. The smallest player on the field, Monroy attracts the ball the way cleats attract mud. He handled the corner kicks, he fed the wings in the midfield area, he was a total pain in the Wildcats neck around the goal. In the thirty-fifth minute, he was presented an opportunity and didn’t squander it. A crowd of players attempted to gain control of the ball 17 yards in front of the Watsonville goal, when suddenly the ball popped loose to the left of the box. Monroy happened to be in the area. He didn’t have a good angle on the goalie, so he kicked a ground ball all the way across the goal mouth. The ball rolled into the far post and caromed into the net.
From there, the Cards leaned on their veteran defensive back line and wore down Watsonville. Late in the second half, defender Dave Cooper repeatedly secured the ball and face wide open space on the left side of the Watsonville defense. Cooper was able to bring the ball up 15 or 25 yards before meeting a defender. Or he was fed by fellow defenders Nick Fleming and Saul Cartajena, then brought the ball up. It was just a matter of time before Cooper really broke free and he did. He barely missed scoring a goal himself around the sixtieth minute, but a little while later fed Monroy a gorgeous, uncontested 30 yard pass from the right sideline that Monroy dribbled for a few yards before getting it past a charging goalie, who deflected the shot, but didn’t get enough of it to prevent a goal.
At that point the Wildcats were cooked. The SC defense held fast and Monroy kept the ball circulating. He may have been overshadowed by other players around the league last season, including his own teammate Wes Bare, but Sierra knows what he has. He’s a little guy and teams have not paid too much attention to him, but he’s a dangerous guy who knows the game,” Sierra said.
So the unusual SC-Watsonville odyssey begins again. Last season. SC beat Watsonville twice in winning the SCCAL title. But SC was stopped short of the CCS Division II finals, while Watsonville went on to play Bellarmine in the CCS Division I finals. This season, Watsonville beat SC 4-0 at the Watsonville tournament. Watsonville coach Hedgpeth, said “they were beating us to the ball all night. They really hustled. His players did not have the type of game that Monroy, Cooper and goalie Julio Romero had for the Cards.

January 13. The TOP 10 teams selected by the Sentinel and the Salinas Californian covering the Monterey Bay Area, which includes the SCCAL, MBL and Mission Trail leagues. SC is rated third with a 5-3-1 record.

January 15. Cardinals Boot Mustangs, 3-0. SC continued its excellent play to stay atop the SCCAL standings. SC got a superb game from defender David Cooper, who had a hand in all three goals. The only score in the first half came when Cooper fired a shot and Oscar Monroy beat the goalie to the ball. The half ended 1-0. In the second period, Cooper assisted on a goal by Marcus Reuman at the twenty-sixth minute. Two minutes later SC put the game away when Cooper assisted on a goal by Roland Guererro. SC is now 4-0 in league.

February 5. SC 2, Harbor 0. SC broke a 0-0 halftime tie with a pair of second half goals that sent Harbor to a road loss. “We played a real intense game and the field was probably as good as I have seen this year,” said Harbor coach John Dunn. (no info on SC)

February 11. SC 2, SLV 0. Ian Schragg beat three defenders and the goalkeeper to score a fourth minute goal that put SC ahead. Joey Perez served a long pass to Schragg, who took on the defense only for the ball to get stuck in the mud. The defenders overran the play, allowing Schragg space enough to get by them. The game was the first of three in consecutive days for SC 8-1-1 in league and 10-4-2 overall, who remains tied with Watsonville in first place. Miguel Salinas closed the scoring with an assists from Saul Cartajena, late in the match to finish off SLV.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of January 13 was junior striker Oscar Monroy, who is the hottest scorer in SCCAL soccer. In three SCCAL matches, all victories, Monroy scored seven of the Cards nine goals. After scoring twice against Soquel and three times against Aptos, Monroy scored both the goals in SC’s biggest victory a 2-0 victory over Watsonville. Monroy, who learned the game of soccer at a soccer academy in his native El Salvador, has started since his freshman year and has become the focus of the SC attack. “He’s smart, agile and disciplined. I don’t put much pressure on him as a coach, Oscar jus does it on his own,” said coach Sergio Sierra. Monroy is the first to arrive at practice, usually a half hour early and the last one to leave, regardless of the conditions. And it shows in his play. He’s always played intelligently, but now he’s far more disciplined than he’s ever been.

The ALL SCCAL awards selected by the league coaches. OUTSTANDING FORWARD, junior, Oscar Monroy. OUTSTANDING DEFENDER, senior, Saul Cartajena. Both of whom were selected for the ALL LEAGUE first team along with senior, goalie, Julio Romero. Honorable mentions were Ryan Baker, David Cooper, Nick Fleming, Henry Garcia and Ben Ow.
Monroy, the Outstanding Defender, scored 13 goals in eight league matches, including two hat tricks. The El Salvador native is extremely quick and can shoot with velocity with either foot. His explosive moves and experience make him a threat to score at any time.
Saul Cartajena, the Outstanding Defender, was an unanimous choice for the honor, which he earned for the second season in a row. Cartajena, a native of El Salvador, reads the game and anticipates play better than anyone in the county. His leadership with inexperienced teammates in the back, kept SC as the SCCAL’s best defensive team.

JV BOYS SOCCER
Yearbook. JV’s got off to a good start in the preseason as their core of sophomores led an outstanding freshman class to a good record entering the regular season.

Roster: Richard Alvarez, Louis Arreola, Eduardo Bibriesca, Roberto Calderon, Tony Delia, Saul Gonzales, Johnny Guerrero, Mike Kotecki, Will Lewis, Matt McCloskey, Tristan Membrez, Adrian Mendoza, Javier Morales, Oscar Nieto, Issac Noble, Reese Ornellas, Marco Rivera, Roel Ruiz, Robert Szilagyi, Travis Talbott and Ricky Torres.
Head coach Gary Masamori and assistant Dan Gannon.

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER
Practice games: Live Oak 0-2, 3-0; Cupertino 2-0,
League: Monte Vista 5-0, 7-0; champion Harbor 3-2 to take third place in league.
CCS Division III Santa Catalina 4-1, semifinals Harbor ?
Overall 14-5 after the Santa Catalina game.

Yearbook. Although the team had a slow and muddy start to the season, they found their groove and battled for the league championship. They made the CCS playoffs. The team is led by eight retuning starters, including seniors, co-captains Shannon Griggs and Anne Rentz, plus Cara Shumate and Francine Lynch. Rest of the team: Marie McCann, Maya Russell-Nava, Abby Schindler, Gabriela Chirinos, Callie Griggs, Hillary Brooks, Kaja Shonick Megan Eastman, Alison Marshall, Jessica Helman, Lea Oliver, Liana Wayne, Liz Atwood, Julia Cato and Callie Griggs. Coaches Baby and Blanca Sierra

Sentinel. December 4. SC 2, Cupertino 0. SC got solid play top to bottom and goals from Cara Shumate and Shannon Griggs. In the first half, Shumate put one home in the twenty-fifth minute on a nice unassisted play, nine minutes into the second half. Callie Griggs sent a nice cross to her sister Shannon, who blasted it home for a 2-0 advantage.

December 10. SC 3, Live Oak 0. SC earned a measure of revenge, turning the tables on Live Oak after the Acorns shut them out a few weeks ago 2-0 in the Watsonville Tournament. “But today we put everything together. Last game, they completely out hustled us, but today we beat them in every aspect of the game,” said Coach Jose Sierra. Shannon Griggs scored two goals and added an assist for SC, who finished the none league schedule 4-2. Griggs and her fellow forward Cara Shumate have 11 of the teams 18 goals. Griggs scored at the 19 minute mark on a pass from Shumate to open the scoring. Griggs made it 2-0, 11 minutes later and assisted Marie McCann in the second half. Freshman goalie Maya Russell-Nava recorded her second shut out of the season.

Sentinel preseason write up. December 16. Coach: Jose Sierra. Last year; 12-6 overall and made CCS Division III quarterfinals. League 8-4 for second place. Scouting report: Perhaps the most talented group of freshman in Santa Cruz county history is coming in and the Cards are benefiting with four freshman in the starting lineup. On of the most skilled players in the league is senior Shannon Griggs, who scored 19 goals last year and was named as one of the SCCAL’s two Outstanding Forwards. Cara Shumate, a returning all league first team selection, joins Griggs on the front line and already they have combined for 15 goals. Perhaps the most important addition is freshman goalkeeper Maya Russell-Nava, who was the SCCAL’s Outstanding Defender, Francine Lynch at sweeper and returning all league first teamer Marie McCann in midfield to help.

January 13. The TOP 10 teams selected by the Sentinel and the Salinas Californian covering the Monterey Bay Area, which includes the SCCAL, MBL and Mission Trail leagues. SC is rated third with a 7-3 record.

January 14. Santa Cruz Girls Roll To Muddy Win. SC peppered Monte Vista with 12 early shots, but they yielded nothing. In the twenty-sixth minute, Callie Griggs fed a through ball to Cara Shumate, who put it past the keeper for a 1-0 lead en-route to a 5-0 SC win. In the second half SC 4-1 in league and 8-3 overall continued to get an outstanding performance from Callie Griggs. She notched her second and third assists as she gave passes to Shannon Griggs and Marie McCann that led to goals.

February 6. SC 7, Monte Vista 0. Gusty first half winds and a large mud puddle were able to momentarily slow down the SC attack, but that’s all. SC, 7-3 in league, exploded for five second half goals, to go with a pair of first half scores. “The footing was better in the second half, but the wind in the first half made it tough,” said Coach Jose Sierra. Cara Shumate and Julia Cato scored for SC in the first half despite working through a large mud puddle in front of the goal. In the second half Marie McCann tallied twice, while Shannon Griggs, Callie Griggs and Abbey Schindler added one goal each.

February 27. Collision Course: Card, Pirates To Meet In Semifinals. SC defeated Santa Catalina 4-1 in a quarterfinal CCS Division III match at the Morgan Hill Soccer Complex. Not only did SC advance to the CCS semifinals for the first time in school history, the Cards 14-5 will play Harbor. SC which recently ended Harbor’s 43 match SCCAL unbeaten streak, finished third to Harbor’s first place. “This game is important to us. We feel we’ve been underestimated the whole time. We’ll finally get a chance to change that,” said Shannon Griggs.
SC was the best team in the SCCAL over the final stage of the league season, but coach Jose Sierra hopes the two week layoff before this game would not have an effect. He was wrong, Santa Catalina, 13-2, scored five minutes into the match. SC clearly was the dominate team and Griggs said, “I knew even from the beginning that we had this match.” Marie McCann tied the score in the sixteenth minute with a left footed strike from the end line. Griggs put the Cards ahead for good with a left footed shot that the goalkeeper misjudged and allowed to bounce over her head in the thirty-ninth minute. Griggs followed with two headers for goals in the second half.
Despite the easy victory, Sierra had cause for concern. Senior forward Cara Shumate is out for the season with a leg injury and two starting defenders will be out of action for the remainder of the playoffs, Kaya Shonick and Liz Atwood as they are out of the area. Still, SC’s confidence is high. “If we play our game, we’re unbeatable,” said midfielder Callie Griggs.
Francine Lynch, Co-Outstanding Defender was a key player, when the Cards won the match of the year in a 3-2 victory over Harbor, that ended the Pirates league unbeaten streak at 43 games. Lynch provided the defensive play and leadership to make it happen and was a major reason for the four match winning streak at the end of the league season that got SC into the CCS playoffs.

Sentinel. March 25. For perhaps the first time, since the girls league started. the players named to the girls first team all league are all solid experienced players. In the past that hasn’t been the case. The origin stems from the improvement in girl’s club soccer. In 1992 an under 11 age group select team was started. It’s risen the level of play in the high schools. Six of the players on the all league team played in this group. Last year SC midfielder Marie McCann and another first stringer played as freshman. In this years freshman class SC’s goalkeeper, freshman Maya Russell-Nava has enormous potential and a Harbor freshman was named outstanding forward.

The ALL SCCAL awards selected by the league coaches. CO-OUTSTANDING DEFENDER was senior Francine Lynch. First team ALL SCCAL were senior, forward Shannon Griggs, and two sophomore, middles Callie Griggs and Marie McCann. Honorable mention were Maya Russell-Nava, Abbey Schindler, Kaya Shonick and Cara Shumate.

GIRLS JV SOCCER Picture but no names.
Yearbook. The team is off to a dynamite start. The scoring of freshman Dawn Fassio and sophomore Sarah Dalbesio helped the team beat Watsonville, Soquel and Monte Vista.
Coaches Baby and Blanca Sierra.

BASEBALL SCCAL CHAMPIONSHIP
League: Harbor 6-5, 8-3; Aptos 8-2, SLV 5-4, 4-2; Monte Vista loss, 15-2; Watsonville 5-1. League record 12-6 for first place.
CCS Divisiion II playoffs: Fremont 6-2, Sacred Heart Cathedral 1-9 in the semifinals.
Overall record 20-9.

Yearbook. Leadership came in many forms and from many people according to coach Bob Kittle. For example, Tiny Myers was the teams spiritual leader and was a major part of driving the Cards to victory. With returning seniors John Howell, Nick Doan, Adam Karon, Sean Morris and Eric Noller the Cards had a strong base to begin with. Star pitcher Chris George said, “The team had extra special baseball skills,” With early season wins over every opponent faced, including a big win over Harbor, the team looked to have a first place finish and a fun season. Rest of the roster: Tyler Stock, Derek McDougall, Erik Phelps, Marcos Olivas, Jason Goergeanas, Gerardo Rosas, Apollo Terry, Django Wittington, Jeff Cook, Matt Windt and Nigel Miller. Head coach Bob Kittle and assistant Mike DiTano.

Sentinel. March 27. Cards Win Again. Nick Doan threw another four shutout innings against Watsonville, making 10 innings for the week, as he and Erick Phelps combined to no-hit Watsonville 10-0, in a game shortened to five innings, because of the ten run mercy rule. SC and Watsonville played four innings on Monday and two on Wednesday, before being washed out by rain. Doan threw each of these six innings, without giving up a run. But he could not put any in the record book until Thursday. He struck out one and walked one over four innings to pick up the win. Nigel Miller was the offensive hero for SC, which is now 3-0 in SCCAL play for the first time since 1988. Miller went 3 for 4 with two triples and five RBI’s. His two out bases loaded triple in the second inning opened the floodgates. SC is now 6-1 overall.

March 21. SC 6, Harbor 5. John Howell drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning to give SC 1-0 in league and 4-1 overall a come from behind win. Trailing 5-3 entering the last of the seventh inning, Apollo Terry smashed a two run double that tied the game and eventually scored on Howell’s free pass. “The kids were tight and nervous, but they came alive in the last inning,” said coach Kittle. The score was tied going into the seventh inning, when Harbor scored twice to go ahead.

Sentinel. April 2. Cardinals Close Gap With Win Over Aptos. Django Brudnick, who had pitched only three innings all season, got the starting nod and allowed only three hits in five shutout inning to lead SC to a 8-2 victory over Aptos at Harvey West Park last night. The result moves SC 12-5 overall, 6-3 in league to within a half-game of Monte Vista 6-2. Designated hitter Matt Windt went three of three and drove in two runs to support Brudnick, who started because the Cards need an extra pitcher with four games this week.

April 23. SC 5, SLV 4. Derek McDougall tossed three innings of strong relief and the Cards squeezed in a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to help SC to a SCCAL win. McDougall, who improved to 4-0 this year, allowed only one hit in three innings. Jeff Cook went 2 for 3 for SC, 7-4 in league, while Adam Karon and Matt Windt had triples.

April 28. Cards Thrash MVC. 15-2 Victory Puts SC One Game Out. SC blasted its way out of a hitting slump and back into the SCCAL title hunt with a 15-2 win over first place Monte Vista in a night game at Harvey West Park. The game was called after the top of the fifth inning, because of the mercy rule. The game was over for all practical reasons after the second inning, an inning where SC sent 17 hitters to the plate and scored 14 runs. SC was trailing 1-0 going into the second. Designated hitter Matt Windt started the carnage with a solid hit up the middle.
The next four batters bunted their way on. Monte Vista seemed caught off guard by the tactic and simply did not make the plays needed. Jeff Cook finally stroked a single to left driving in two and starting the hit parade capped off by Apollo Terry’s bases loaded triple that made the score 8-1. “We needed the spark. The triple helped me out. I’ve been slumping,” said Terry. Django Brudnick hit a two run double that made the score 13-1. “The bunts that started the inning were by design.
Coach Kittle thought his team, in second place and 1 1/2 games back going into the game needed something to spark them. “We weren’t hitting. It’s not my style to bunt, but sometimes you do something different.” Pitcher Derek McDougall, a transfer from Monte Vista, threw the whole five innings. He gave a run in the first and fifth innings. “All my pitches were working. My fastball was popping, my curve was good and even my change-up was good.. Getting the run support helps a pitcher. I wasn’t going to let them come back. It‘s the greatest feeling in the world to beat your old school,” said McDougall. Monte Vista is still in first place at 9-3 followed by SC 8-4. “We don’t look at the standings. We got caught up looking at the standings earlier. Our goal is to keep playing,” Kittle said.

May 1. Doan Pitches Santa Cruz Into First Place. This one did not get away. Pitcher Nick Doan spun a complete game victory to push SC to a 5-1 win over Watsonville. The victory on day after a disappointing loss, puts SC, 10-5 in a first place tie with MVC, 9-4. Doan’s three hit masterpiece gave SC its first 10 win league record since the 1992-93 season. Watsonville hit a homer in the first inning for their only run, but managed only two singles the rest of the way. SC, 16-7 overall, grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a double by John Howell. Nigel Miller added a double and drove in two runs and Chris George was two for four.

May 5. Cardinals Cash In. SC Stays In First With Clutch Win. No matter what level of baseball, a truism exists that good pitching wins games. A big inning helps too. SC had both in taking a 4-2 win over SLV. The game had the feel of a playoff game with both teams playing good defense and getting good pitching into the fifth inning. Chris George had a no-hitter going and the SLV pitcher was throwing a three hitter. Then things fell apart for the SLV pitcher. SLV walked two of the first three batters, then Django Brudnick drove in a run with a single. Another walk loaded the bases, then Jeff Cook was hit by a pitch to force in the second run. Nigel Miller stroked a single up the middle to score two more runs. SC did not score again. SLV homered in the sixth inning. In the seventh, George walked the first batter, got a strike out and then walked the next batter. A single scored a run. George then settled down and struck out the next two hitters. “Chris pitched well. it’s the second good pitching performance in a game when we need it,” Coach Kittle said. “I wasn’t thinking about a no-hitter,” said George, who allowed only two hits, while striking out nine. “I was thinking about the win. I was getting my first pitch over. That allowed me to play with the other pitches. The defense was good all day and we got some good offense. That makes a pitcher relax.” “We’ve got two games left. Everyone else has a lot. We’re looking forward to the game with Harbor,” said Kittle.

May 5. The Sentinel and Salinas Californian top ten baseball teams in the Monterey Bay area placed the 16-7 Cards as the fourth best team in the area.

Sentinel stats as of May 5. Individual hitters by place, name, at bats, runs, RBI’s and average.
PLA NAME AB R RBI AV
6 George 70 28 17 .400
8 Windt 47 14 6 .383
11 Karon 70 24 11 .357
12 Cook 65 20 8 .354
15 Miller 77 17 21 .338
18 Terry 65 19 16 .308
20 Howell 46 8 12 .283

The top player with doubles was McGehee of Soquel with 9, (in 2009 he is playing in the major leagues) Miller has 7, Doan 6 and Terry 5. Triples was Karon with 2, which is at the top, along with Windt 2 and Terry one. Home runs: Howell with 2. Stolen bases: Tops 14. Karon 11, Doan 7, Miller 5, Cook 4.
Team batting
PLA NAME AB R RBI AV
3 SC 617 142 112 .310

Individual pitching by place, name, won/loss, innings pitched, hits, earned runs, walks, strike outs and earned runs per game.
PLA NAME W/L IP H ER W SO ERA
1 George 3-3 37 25 13 18 40 2.44
5 Doan 3-3 33 23 15 14 22 3.15
6 McDougall 5-0 37 34 17 19 17 3.25

Team pitching
PLA NAME W/L IP H ER W SO ERA
1 SC ? 137 137 60 78 113 2.85

Saves: Georganas 2 and Brudnick 1.

May 7. Cards Clinch Berth. SC Win Moves Team Into CCS. Nick Doan didn’t make history, he made it easier to live with. The senior wiped away three consecutive losing SCCAL baseball seasons with a complete game win over Harbor, that pushed SC into the CCS playoffs for the first time since 1993. ”We’re loving it,” said Doan, who allowed four hits and only one earned run to lower his season ERA to 2.78. “It feels good because nobody on this team has ever made it to CCS in any sport.” SC 12-5 in league to MVC’s 10-5 used Doan’s pitching and a four run sixth inning to secure one of the two automatic CCS playoff berths. Doan was aided by consecutive outstanding defensive plays by second baseman Chris George and first baseman Adam Karon in the bottom of the seventh inning, to improve his season record to 4-3. “Doan clutched up for us. We weren’t looking past Harbor. They are well coached and not the kind of team that is going to go away,” said Coach Kittle. Nick Lovejoy, (son of Sentinel photograph Bill Lovejoy, former sports editor of the Trident) allowed three earned runs, but was hurt by three critical errors behind him.
Harbor Coach Mark Hodge’s, (former SC baseball coach and player, who transferred to Harbor and has his team in third place) said. “Its still possible for us to make CCS.”
SC took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Karon and Jeff Cook scored behind a Harbor error and a RBI single by George. Harbor scored in the sixth to make it 4-3. SC responded with its most important inning of the season, a four run, sixth inning outburst that washed away three seasons of frustration which included a 6-12 season last year.
“This CCS berth means everything to us,” said senior shortstop Nigel Miller, who smashed a RBI double in the rally. “Nobody was really talking about what this game meant, but I know it was in the back of everyone’s head.” Doan allowed the best hitting team in the SCCAL with a batting average of .321 giving up only two singles and a triple.

Nick Doan pitched a four hitter to lead the Cardinals to a 6-2 victory over Fremont in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs. Doan a right-hander, struck-out eight and walked two to enable the Cards to win its first playoff game in five years.

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of May 26 was senior captain of the SC baseball team Nick Doan, who pitched a four hitter to lead the Cardinals to a 6-2 victory over Fremont in the first round of the CCS Division II playoffs. Doan a right-hander, struck-out eight and walked two to enable the Cards to win its first playoff game in five years. “The first game is the most important to win,” said coach Kittle.
Doan finished the regular season as the teams top pitcher going 4-4 with a 2.77 ERA. But pitching was only one of the four positions Doan played, including second base, third base and center field. “Nick wants to do whatever is best for the team. He’s will to do whatever it takes, bunt, steal. He’s an example of what we ask of all our kids.” Coach Kittle said. Apolla Terry was an honorable mention.

May 27. Crunch Time In Playoffs. Santa Cruz baseball coach Bob Kittle is optimistic entering a game against what promises to be the toughest opponent this year. In the CCS Division II semifinals, SC squares off against Sacred Heart Cathedral 16-9 of the tough West Catholic league at the San Jose Municipal Stadium. “We are super confident and still peaking. After today’s practice, I haven’t felt better about a game this season,” said coach Kittle. Both teams have speed, strong defense and play fundamental baseball on offense. Nick Doan, who opened CCS with a complete game four hitter in a 6-2 win over Fremont, will take the mound for the Cards. Doan led the Cards pitching staff this year with a 4-4 record and 2.77 ERA. The Cards carry a 20-8 record into this game, their first since the early 70’s, but Kittle said the season wouldn’t feel complete without a CCS title. “We won’t be satisfied if we don’t win it all. It is a huge game, they are all huge. I believe we are the best team remaining,” said Kittle.

The Cards lost to Sacred Heart Cathedral 9-1 in the CCS semifinals. “We were right there,” said Card first baseman Adam Karon, whose team stranded 10 base runners in the frustrating season ending loss. “Wasn’t it a great year?” What was surely the final organized at bat of Karon’s life resulted in a quiet pop-up to shortstop that stranded runners on second and third. He has no regrets. “Doctors told me I wasn’t going to be able to play, because of my knee problems that have already needed six knee operations and after the season will need a seventh. The joy of competition helps push the pain away. I’m lucky compared to a lot of kids,” said Karon, who hit .338 and led the team with 12 stolen bases as the Cards leadoff man this season. “I mean I got to play. He was later moved the top hitters spot as the third place hitter. Last year Karon hit .454 and led the league in hits. Doctors say Karon will eventually need knee replacements. “Sometimes I hobbled around feeling like I was 75. And sometimes I felt like I could hardly run to first base. But wasn’t it a great baseball season?” said Karon.

A Wild and Crazy Ride This wasn’t a campaign for the feint of heart.
This 1998 season was dedicated to those who love baseball and good pennant races. And it came with extra help from two exciting players and a coach on a mission. Santa Cruz shortstop Nigel Miller and San Lorenzo Valley catcher Augie Rose, the Sentinel All-County Co-Players of the Year, gave this thrilling season an extra boost.
And Santa Cruz coach Bob Kittle, who steered his Cardinals (12-6) to their first outright league title since 1983, is the Sentinel Coach of the Year. For Miller and Rose this season was about improvement. For Kittle it was about staying with a well-designed plan. “I’m not a screamer or yeller,” said Kittle. “I presented the kids with a plan and they stuck with it and believed in it.” The result was a season that snapped Soquel High’s six-year championship streak and boosted the Cardinals (20-8) into the Central Coast Section semifinals–a 9-1 season-ending loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral.

The Sentinel ALL COUNTY selection committee named Nigel Miller CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR and Bob Kittle COACH OF THE YEAR. Three Cardinals were selected on the first team and three on the second team. On the first team were Adam Karon, senior, first basemen who hit .338. Nigel Miller, senior, shortstop, .348. Nick Doan, senior, DH. .500. Second team were senior, catcher, .347. Chris George, junior, second baseman and pitcher, .388. Matt Windt, senior, outfielder, .364.

First-team All-County Baseball Players From Santa Cruz
Miller, a senior who is being recruited by UC Riverside, hit the weights and took part in a summer baseball program that featured nearly 50 games. “My glove got better simply from playing a lot of baseball,” he said. “And I gained 12 pounds and got a lot stronger.” Miller responded by batting .348 and driving in 26 runs–third most in the entire county. He led the SCCAL with three triples and tied for the league lead with nine doubles. “He was as hard a working kid as you could have,” said Kittle, whose team was just 6-12 in league in 1997.
Adam Karon, SC First Base Karon, a senior who underwent his seventh knee operation shortly after the Cardinals CCS semi final loss, was among the league’s top leadoff batters despite a degenerative disease that will prohibit him from playing baseball in college. Karon finished with a .338 batting average, was third in the county in runs scores (27) and second in stolen bases (12). “It’s amazing what he’s done,” Santa Cruz coach Bob Kittle said. “He couldn’t even run last January and he ends up being our lead-off guy.”
Nick Doan, SC Utility Doan’s contributions to the Cardinals SCCAL title run can’t be measured with traditional baseball statistics–he led the county in inspirational play. Doan, a pitcher and infielder and outfielder and team leader (and you get the idea) was third in the SCCAL in ERA (2.77) and allowed just 30 hits in 43 innings of work. “He played everywhere and helped everywhere,” coach Kittle said. “We handed him the ball in the big games and he came up for us.”

JV BASEBALL
Yearbook. This year there were more athletes playing two or more sports than ever before. Some exceptional examples of this are Tyler “Shooter” Williams and Brett “Squeaks” Lindgren. Coach Kittle credits these students with helping to guide the young team to a success season.

Roster: Joseph Allegri, Ian Bowers, David Poth, Zack Fusari, John Budnick, Sean Croghan, Catalin Malady, Patrick Boken, Daniel Garcia, Ben Baker, Christopher Morris, Dustin Roth, Brett Lindgren and Dee Harris. Head Coach Jesse “Bubba” Trumbull.

FRESHMAN BASEBALL
Yearbook. This year was the first in many years for SC to have a freshman team. Due to the devotion of John Budnick and Zack Fusari, the team was able to pull off a great season full of learning and fun experiences.

Roster: James Auble, Jake Cummings, Andrew Aackerman, Jamie Quartararo, Eric Paris, Evan Cathey, Justin Kerrick, Andrew Richards, Carlos Valdez and Eli Karon. Coach Tyler Williams.

GIRLS SOFTBALL
Yearbook. Eight players returned this season and made the team a strong competitor in the league. Coach Pete Newell returned to coach the softball team after leaving the game some years ago. He made the year fun and exciting. Four year varsity players Kara Hallam and Katie Hintz and tri-sport player Cori Tom led the way. Rest of the roster: Crystal Geiger, Paige Nutt, Anna Hayman, Alysia Piffero, April Nisperos, Emily Caviglia, Laura Arthur, Angie Woodard, Tracy Baldwin, Erin Hichman, Katrina Lynn and Lily Mandel.

1998 Sentinel SCCAL softball review. Coaches: Pete Newell and Lou Caviglia
(first year). Record last year: 4-23, 2-10. Top returners: Kara Hallam C, Katie Hintz shortstop, Erin Hichman OF and Emily Caviglia 1B. Outlook: Top to bottom, the Cards roster may have as much varsity experience as any team in the league. Newell returns to the diamond more than 20 years after seeing SC softball through its infancy, is encouraged. So is Caviglia, whose daughter Emily is one of the six returning starters. After a slow early season, the Card bats are starting to awaken. The addition of Cori Tom, who played JV several years back, is bound to help. Defensively the Cards are strong. The major question mark will be the arms of junior April Nisperos and freshman Laura Arthur.

Longtime Santa Cruz High Coach Vic Miguel Passes the Torch
Walking away from a 20-year spring routine that provided equal parts challenge and fulfillment is no easy order for the heart or the mind. But Vic Miguel assures the post-softball withdrawal is easing with each passing day. “Its that time of the year when I felt like I should be preparing for a tournament tonight,” Miguel said on a recent Friday. “But it was great today; I was able to attend my daughter’s swim meet and got out to my son’s Little League practice.” Miguel seems at peace with the decision he made last fall–to walk away from coaching the Cardinal
Softball team in order to spend more time watching his daughter Lucretia, a Santa Cruz sophomore, and his son Michael, 10, in their athletic pursuits. I’m teaching driver’s training for the first time,” said Miguel, “and boy can that be a tough one.”
Miguel took over the Santa Cruz varsity softball squad in 1977 after several years coaching the Cardinal junior varsity. Twenty years and a record eight Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League titles later, Miguel and Santa Cruz softball are a hard association to break. Things were good right from the start, as the Cardinals went 9-1 in the inaugural SCCAL season, won the Division IV region and moved onto what was then, more or less a Central Coast Section final four.
Santa Cruz didn’t fair as well against the over-the-hill competition. But in a 15-5 semifinal loss to Carlmont at San Jose’s PAL Stadium, Miguel’s legend as a stubborn competitor was born. After getting ejected from the stadium for arguing balls and strikes in the first inning, Miguel scaled the hill above the stadium and stood on the side of Interstate 280 to watch the rest of the game.
Many former players say Miguel wasn’t the easiest coach to play for in his early years. He was stern, demanded discipline and wasn’t one to forge friendships with his players. But those who have stayed in contact with Miguel over the years are testament enough to how much that has changed. “He was a coach that really demanded discipline,” said Kim Bianconi, who played for Miguel from 1979-83. “He wasn’t a coach you appreciated at the time, but later on you realized the work ethic he instilled in you. I think he’s loosened up too. I think he started to enjoy it more over the years.”
Ask Miguel about special players through the years and the names fall from his lips in a stream of enthusiasm. He says every season was special in its own unique way. His fondest recent memory came in 1996, when the Cardinals rode the powerful right arm of Jennifer Cummings to a first-ever tournament victory on the other side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. “It was the Del Mar Tournament and it was such a great thrill,” said Miguel. “We just kept going and going and somehow it worked out for us. The teams over here have really come a long way since we first started out.”
Despite a disappointing 1997 season–in which the Cardinals finished a 4-22 and Cummings went from a 23-3 mark her junior year to 0-10, Cummings landed a full-ride scholarship to Division I Wisconsin. The freshman is on a homecoming tour this week with stops all over the Bay Area. The Badgers took on Santa Clara in a doubleheader Monday and Cummings was on the mound. Miguel made sure to find his seat early. “Jennifer called me up last week to see if I was coming,” said Miguel. “I told her I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Cummings said she had heard Miguel was a bit rough around the edges heading into high school. “I had heard the rumors in junior high,” she said. “I was kind of worried.” Now she says she values their relationship more than anything.

JV GIRLS SOFTBALL No write up
Roster: Karen Martisius, Marji Sines, Melissa Cote, Sara Dalbesio, Rebecca Phelps, Dawn Fassio, Ashley Arnott, Alicia Perez, Natalie James, Allison Machado, Lesley Sudduth, Celia Morr, Rita Chase and Alma Salinas. Head Coach Kim Cave and assistant Brenna Williams.

TRACK BOYS and TRACK GIRLS are combined in the Yearbook.
The teams were pretty young, but what they lacked in experience they made up with enthusiasm. Leaders for girls were captain Josie Sproule, Amy Reidt, Rebecca Abraham and Megan Eastman, along with SCCAL shot put champion Cori Tom, the girls were poised to dominate.

For the boys, junior Sam Crick was prepared to take all the hurdle races. Encouraged by early league victories over Monte Vista and Watsonville, the team looked strong heading into the SCCAL meets.

Roster is a mix of boys and girls; Daniel Greybill, Jan Jerrastch, Matt Harris, Sam Crick,
Jami Ross, Kelly McCormick, Kamau Norman-Terrance, Sophia DeMalvinsky, Sam Cherry, Aaron Longinotti, Mike Cincola, Will Lewis, Megan Eastman, May Reidt, Kevin Cortese, Torrey Smith, Daniel Cortez, Eric Gelwicks, Todd Hedgepeth, Chris Newey, Gaby Chirinos, Adrian Lozoya, Josie Sproule, Tenaya Fihe, Cori Tom, Lauren Jacks, Melinda Szilagyi, Louisa Ferrer, Rebecca Abraham, Joel Hill, Jenny Greenburg and Lea Oliver
Coaches: Raku, Josh, Andrea and Andre.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Yearbook. The final deadline for getting information in the yearbook was the end of February and this was much too early for information on the season. The team was led by seniors Dan Terry, Colin Radich and Tyler Thatcher. Rest of the roster: Nico Macias, Kevin Kirkpatrick, Nick Bassano and Jeff Horn.

Sentinel. May 5. Cards Pull Off Playoff Victory. In the first round of the SCCAL Tournament, SC advanced to the second round with a decisive win over Aptos 15-7, 15-5, 15-13. Harbor won the regular season round robin title, but if another team wins the tournament, Harbor will have to share the title. SC had terrific play from setter Dan Terry and hitter Michael Lightfoot. Terry had six kills and 14 blocks. Lightfoot added two aces and seven kills. In the second game, Lightfoot had a string of eight consecutive points. The real test is facing Harbor in the next round.

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING
SCCAL boys meet Harbor 374, Soquel 306, Aptos 175, SC 101, Monte Vista 87 and Watsonville 57

At the girls SCCAL meet Aptos 434, Soquel 327, Harbor 150, SC 123, Monte Vista 93 and Watsonville 43.

Trident on April 3. The swim team practices twice a day, five days a week with very high intensity. For all swimmers, who show up to all the practices, will swim twenty miles a week. Why show up for practice? Coach Larry Willis has offered an all expense paid trip to Disneyland for all who are on time and show up for every practice. The varsity teams fastest people in the tank are Adrienne Cramer and Petar Samac on the 50 and 100 freestyle. On backstroke, Emilie Powell, Laura Beach, Lloyd Mueller and Jesse Cordero for the 100 breaststroke. Petar and Molly Devine take the 100 fly and Ashley Adams and Matt Foster in the 200 fly. Congratulations to the top swimmers and lets get ready to take the league title back to SC.

Sentinel. April 3. In the girls diving competition, Laura Beach posted a 251.95 to win the diving competition against Monte Vista.
For the boys against Monte Vista, Alex Jones played second with a 149.95 score.

Sentinel. April 30. In preview for the SCCAL meet. Two time defending SCCAL champion diver Laura Beach will be going for her third title.

May 3. At the boys meet Harbor 374, Soquel 306, Aptos 175, SC 101, Monte Vista 87 and Watsonville 57. (no mention of SC swimmers)

In the girls meet Aptos 434, Soquel 327, Harbor 150, SC 123, Monte Vista 93 and Watsonville 43. . (no mention of SC swimmers)

May 5, Sentinel Athlete of the Week honorable mention was diver Laura Beach.

Sentinel May 8. At the CCS championship meet Laura Beach placed sixteenth out of 53 divers. Beach the four time SCCAL champion scored 342 points on 11 dives. Alex Jones and Julia Jones put forth a strong effort for the Cards

BOYS TENNIS
Yearbook. The team had a great year. The team was pulled together by the coach, which led to many victories. Number one player was senior Gabe Coren, second was senior Sam Martisius and three man freshman Travis Talbot. The season was interrupted early with practices and matches washed out by the inescapable El Nino. There was extremely good talent on the team. “We always dominated our matches,” said junior Mike Croghan referring to the skill of the team. Rest of the roster: Ben Ow, Daniel Worthington, Justin Reyes, Russell Palmiter and Josh Wittman.

Sentinel. April 17. Monterey 6, SC 1. At number one singles, Gabe Coren had the lone victory for SC.

SC 7, SLV 0. SC improved to 7-1 in league, by thrashing the Cougars in straight sets. Number one Gabe Coren won 6-1, 6-4. Number two Sam Marisius won 6-2, 6-3.

April 23. SC 5, Harbor 2. The Cards swept the singles matches to clinch second place outright in the SCCAL with a 7-2 record. Gabe Coren won again 6-2, 6-1.

April 28. SC 5, Soquel 2. SC ended the season at 8-2 for second place. Gabe Coren won again 6-0, 6-0. SC’s biggest win came from Travis Talbott, who rallied from a 1-5 first game deficit to win 7-6, (7-2), 6-3 victory.

May 1. Coren Wins Third Straight Title. Santa Cruz Senior Is SCCAL Tennis Champion Again. Three time champion has a nice ring to it. Coren dominated his Harbor opponent 6-1, 6-2 to become the first boy in SCCAL history to win three straight singles titles. Coren pointed out that he had lost in the semifinals 7-6 in a tie breaker in his freshman year. Coren used a strong baseline game, rarely charging the net. That was by design.
Dennis Mullen, who coached tennis at SC for more than 25 years before retiring three years ago, came out to watch Coren, whom he coached as a freshman, said he thought Coren could have played anyway he wanted and won, he’s that talented. Coren appreciated having his former coach there to watch. “I respect him a lot. He did a lot for our program and for tennis in Santa Cruz.” The CCS tournament is next. Last year Coren lost in the second round, but likes his chances this year.
The current SC coach Rick Balassone thinks Coren will do well in CCS. “He’s number four in the Nor Cal rankings. That speaks for itself,” he said. The top youth tennis players play year round and for many high school tennis is a sacrifice, because the competition is less. “But Gabe loves it. He made a lot of friends on the team. It’s been a treat for me, because SC will get a player like Gabe only once in 10 or 20 years. We started our matches 1-0, because we knew Gabe would win. That’s why we came in second in league.”

Sentinel Athlete of the Week of May 5 was senior tennis player Gabe Coren, who became the first in SCCAL history to win three tennis titles. He is undefeated this season and was seeded fifth in the CCS tournament, even though he is ranked number four in the USTA Nor Cal 18s. He has been active in open and junior tournaments during the school season as well to keep himself sharp.
Santa Cruz county players have traditional faired poorly in CCS tournaments, but Coren is more confident this year because there are no surprises. He has played all the top players and is familiar with their games. Coren will play for Boise State, one of the NCAA’s top twenty schools in recent years. One or the attractions there is the chance to become reunited with his former hitting coach Morgan Shepherd, who is a Boise State assistant.

May 27. Coren Reaches CCS Tennis Semis. Coren became the first player in SCCAL history to reach the CCS semifinals. “It really is great for the our league, said tournament director Dennis Mullen, the SC coach from 1970-95. This is the best we’ve ever done.” No Santa Cruz County player has ever won a CCS singles title, though SC’s Eric Fieberling reached the finals in 1976, when SC was in the MBL. Fieberling then lost to his future UC Berkeley teammate. Coren the number five seed, even though he is ranked number four in the USTA Nor Cal 18s, made history with a 6-0, 6-0 win in his first match and a 6-3, 6-0 win in his second match. Coren’s next match will be against the number two seed, who helped his school win the CCS Large schools title. Both players will be moving on to universities. Coren to Boise State and the other to Fresno State.

GOLF
Yearbook. With a team of one senior and the remainder of freshmen and sophomores, the Cards set a standard for the SCCAL, with an early season upset of league powerhouse Harbor, which stunned the league. Senior Ryan Deane said, “The future looks to be bright, with so many young athletes, we are sure to shock more people in the very near future.” Roster of underclassmen; Marcos Reumann, Brandon Keith, Kevin Giles, Isaac Weintraub and Kyle Reagan.

Sentinel. March 21. SC 211, Harbor 212. Sophomore Isaac Weintraub shot a two-over par 37 to lead SC to an upset victory at DeLaveaga. The score was the lowest on the course for SC in years and it came from a top five made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores. Freshman Brandon Keith shot a 40 and freshman Kyle Regan had a 42 for the Cards, who are 2-2.

Sentinel. April 30. The SC duo of Isaac Weintraub and Brandon Keith teamed for a 71 at Pasatiempo Golf Course to take the two man best ball honors for SCCAL golfers.

Sentinel. May 13. SC Golfer Third In CCS. SC sophomore Isaac Weintraub tied for third in the CCS Tournament and qualified for the Northern California finals. Weintraub shot a three-over par 75 at Rancho Canada, putting him one stroke out of first place. The top three teams and the four individuals not on those teams advance to the NorCals. Weintraub turned a one-under 35 on the front nine and birdied number 11 to take the lead at two-under. But Weintraub double-bogeyed number 12 to fall back. After he bogeyed number 17, the pressure was on Weintraub to par number 18 to make the NorCal cut. He got it with help from a 30 foot up hill lag putt that set up a tap-in for par. Out of five SCCAL golfers competing Weintraub was the only one to advance. RLS and Palma were the top two teams in the tournament.

Sentinel. Isaac Weintraub was a Sentinel Athlete of the Week, honorable mention for the weeks of March 24 and May 26.

Sentinel. May 8. The Baby Boomers. Underclassmen Mount An Attack On Golf Courses. There are an large handful of young hotshots taking the SCCAL boys golf scene by storm this season. Rather than paying dues and receiving their inevitable rites of passage, the kids are kicking upper classmen’s butts and issuing no apologies. Several coaches commented about the talent among the freshmen and sophomores classes is unbelievable. These kids can really play. “There’s no question that the number of young kids coming in ready to compete at the varsity level is as high as it’s ever been.”
At the CCS qualifier at Pajaro Valley course last week four of the six top finishers were freshmen and sophomores. One of them was SC’s Isaac Weintraub, who fired a 4-over-par 76s. The next day at the annual best-ball twosome, it was Weintraub and teammate Brandon Keith, a freshman, dusted the field with an even par 71. Of the 14 players picked for the first and second team ALL SCCAL, six were underclassmen. Weintraub, a sweet swinging lefty, didn’t pick up a club until three years ago. Once he did though, there was no stopping him. After a month or two, he was breaking 90.
Last year as a Card freshman, he quickly took over the number one position. This past week, Weintraub carded a career best at DeLaveaga, the course where he works and plays often with a one-under 71. Some around the area think he has the best swing of any golfer in the league. Weintraub was selected by the league coaches to the first team ALL SCCAL. Brandon Keith and Kyle Regan were named honorable mention.

SURFING
Sentinel. February 15. Local Prep Surfers Charge Stormy Sea.
Saturdays storm ridden SCCSL championships capped a trying second season for the resuscitated surf league. But unlike the El Nino driven storm that washed out the Capitola contest two weeks ago, this one could not prevent the show from going on. Originally scheduled for Steamer Lane, it was pushed down the coast to Cowells Beach, because of the extreme conditions wrought by a strong westerly ground swell, 15 to 20 knot winds and steady sheets of rain. In between dangerous distractions, some of the best young surfers in Santa Cruz County were making the most of conditions that turned out to be pretty darn surfable. “It was fun out there,” said SC’s Joey Hutson, the leagues overall champion in the boys short board and one of the top local up and comers. Hutson was one of the many who used the inside sand bar next to the wharf to tuck into more than a few nicely formed right handed barrels. The current was pushing so strong to the east that several contestants had no choice but to shoot the pilings. SC’s Jody Tucker topped the girls completion. Santa Cruz finished in first place followed by Soquel. Both squads will head south to the California State Championships in Oceanside on February 26 as the only Northern California representatives in the coastal school division. Among the 16 teams entered, SC is seeded fifth and Soquel ninth. The teams will consist of 12 boy short boarders, three girls short boarders, three long boarders and three body boarders. SLV, Monte Vista Christian, Mt. Madonna and The Ark will also go to Oceanside to compete in a division of schools five miles or more inland. Although high school surfing isn’t sanctioned by the CIF, its garnered great support as a club sport in Southern California. Local coaches, and many young surfers, hope in time the Santa Cruz league will be looked upon in the same light.

INDIVIDUAL

junior striker Oscar Monroy, who is the hottest scorer in SCCAL soccer. In three SCCAL matches, all victories, Monroy scored seven of the Cards nine goals. After scoring twice against Soquel and three times against Aptos, Monroy scored both the goals in SC’s biggest victory a 2-0 victory over Watsonville. Monroy, who learned the game of soccer at a soccer academy in his native El Salvador, has started since his freshman year and has become the focus of the SC attack. “He’s smart, agile and disciplined. I don’t put much pressure on him as a coach, Oscar jus does it on his own,” said coach Sergio Sierra. Monroy is the first to arrive at practice, usually a half hour early and the last one to leave, regardless of the conditions. And it shows in his play. He’s always played intelligently, but now he’s far more disciplined than he’s ever been.

Coren Reaches CCS Tennis Semis. Coren became the first player in SCCAL history to reach the CCS semifinals. “It really is great for the our league, said tournament director Dennis Mullen, the SC coach from 1970-95. This is the best we’ve ever done.” No Santa Cruz County player has ever won a CCS singles title, though SC’s Eric Fieberling reached the finals in 1976, when SC was in the MBL. Fieberling then lost to his future UC Berkeley teammate. Coren the number five seed, even though he is ranked number four in the USTA Nor Cal 18s, made history with a 6-0, 6-0 win in his first match and a 6-3, 6-0 win in his second match. Coren’s next match will be against the number two seed, who helped his score win the CCS Large schools title. Both players will be moving on to universities. Coren to Boise State and the other to Fresno State.