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1999
Most of the information is from the yearbook or Trident. Not much information available.

1999
FOOTBALL Practice games: Stevenson 13-28, Carmel 31-28, Lincoln 20-28, Pacific Grove 14-34. Practice record 1-3. League: Watsonville 6-32, SLV 0-38, Harbor 26-7, Aptos 6-55, Monte Vista 13-27, Soquel 12-67. League record 1-5 for sixth place. Season record 2-8.

Yearbook. This years senior captains are Gerrard Rosas, Tiny Myers, Josh Earnest and Bernabe David.

In the second game of the season, the Cards were down 6-21 at halftime and came back to winning 31-28. In the second half the Cards scored 25 points while holding Carmel to one touchdown. Running backs Augustine Perez and Aaron Longinotti made some incredible runs.

Top receiver is Morgan Pena, who always seems to end up with the ball no matter, what the circumstances. If the ball is within five yards of Morgan, he is going to catch it.

Roster: Ricky Salgado, Morgan Pena, Ryan Welter, Ben Vogel, Joe Polochak, Mike Croghan, Sonny Ramirez, Nate Davis, Josh Jones, Sterling Marizette, Thomas Langjahr, Chris Kelly, Alden Orgain, Chase Mason, Gerrard Rosas, Josh Long, Karl Lund, John Crissara, John Chiv, Tiny Myers, Manny Kester, Aaron Longinotti, Keith Quilici, Eric Paris, Reynaldo Olivas, Kristian Vega, Josh Earnest, Chris Newey, Bernabe David and Augustine Perez.
Head coach Bob Parker and assistants Bob Kittle and Brad Hillierd.

Sentinel All County team: none

JV FOOTBALL beat Carmel 40-0.
Yearbook. Daniel Garcia and Tony Rivas made some incredible runs.
Roster; Sam Cherry, Ben Baker, Daniel Ramirez, Andrew Wilson, Lamar Lee, Mitch Smith, John Budnick, Nick McKay, Daniel Garcia, Sean Croghan, Jessie Santiago, Joe Brown, Luis Godoy, Jace Allen, Tony Rivas, Mike Cortez, Khalib Day, Adam Arro and Brett Lindgren.
Head Coach Jesse (Bubba) Trumbull and assistants Rafael Rodriguez and Chris Croghan.

Trident, October 30. The team is 1-4 at this point.

FRESHMAN FOOTBALL Season record 5-4-1.
Yearbook. One of the best SC freshmen teams that has a ton of potential. Dangerous Santos Garcia can run right over a defender when he gets the ball.

Roster: Shane Relph, Jared Hunter, Ryan Graham, Luke Wetmore, Jason Garcia, Rueban Miller, Michael Bargetto, Steven Marchisio, Jamison Hamilton, Santos Garcia, Adam Welsh, Robbie Swenson, John Martisius, Trevor Williams, Jim Anderson, Chris Kiback, John Roberts, Chris Rees, Andrew Freitas, Kyle Hartz, John Daly, Anthony Shemaria, John Fraser, Kevin Bob, Alfredo Rodriguez, Justin Barten, Jesse Valdez, Keith Steven, Rodrigo Morales, Matt Scribner, Steve Pinther, Jorge Oliva and Peter Suski.
Coaches Todd Pinther, Edan Reinero and Greg Speed.

Trident, October 30. Frosh Football Stronger Than Ever. The frosh has won three and lost two after winning their first three games. Freshman coach Eden Reinero, has shown enthusiasm for his team and players. He is focusing on the fundamentals and involving everyone. The teams strengths are good attendance and consistent hard work. “But our heads were in the clouds after winning three games and the two losses have brought us back to reality. We are a new generation of Cardinals and we’ve gonna bring pride back in the program.”

CROSS COUNTRY BOYS
Yearbook. It was the first time in a while we had a full team running in every meet. Consistently placing in the top five were Torrey Pines, Daniel Graybill and Aaron Mohmed all qualified for CCS.

Roster: Jim Owen, Matt Harris, Cliff Sullivan, Cris Bartlow, Andy Wilconson, Daniel Graybill, Torrey Smith, Aaron Mohamed, Tom Hall, Kaja Connor Murphy and Liam Murphy.
Coach Claire Choate.

CROSS COUNTRY GIRLS
Yearbook The team was recognized by SCHS as having the highest grade point average of all the schools Fall sports teams. Priya Cambell qualified for CCS.

Roster: Isis Sien, Priya Cambell, Kaja Shonick, Gabrianna Marks, Julia Ando and Lori Zentler.

GIRLS TENNIS took third place in league.
Yearbook. The came up a little short against champion Aptos, but had an upset win over the second place team.

Junior star Kendyll Whiting has played number one singles for all three years. She took first place at the league finals and advances to the CCS individual tournament. Sophomore Maggie Bollinger, was the number two singles player. Junior Audrey Waller was number three. Senior Emily Caviglia and junior Marie McCann played number one doubles. The number two and three doubles team pairs were rotated between Jillian Swenson, Sara Dalbesio, Rachel Knutson and Karen Martisius. Rest of roster: Audrey Waller, Kendra Kirkpatrick, Alysia Piffero, Simone Leask, Cassidy Devine, Joanna Kimball, Eleanor Haber and Carmen Powell. Coach Rick Ballassore,

Trident, October 30. Girls Tennis Swinging Away. After a five and five year last season, the girls are back and better this season. Even though their current record does not show the improvement, “They are definitely the best team I’ve had in my three years here,” said coach Rick Balassone. “ The biggest strength of this years team is the fact that the players are all good friends, according to coach Balassone. The team has also benefited from the help of Dennis Mullen, “the guru of the team,” says Balassone.

SC got an at-large entrance to the CCS playoffs, but lost to York School of Monterey 5-2. WC

BOYS WATER POLO
Trident. Second in league and advanced to the semifinals at CCS. It is the first time SC has gone that far in CCS and the first time beating Harbor in regular season play. At the end of the season, the team wound up losing to only three top teams: Menlo, Soquel and Hollister. The season was a huge success.
SC won own tournament and the Watsonville tournament.
Season record 22-5

Yearbook. It was one of the best season ever for Cardinal water polo. It is the third time the team has made the CCS. The team is led by Croation foreign exchange student Petar Samac, along with three other seniors Lloyd Mueller, Casey White and Royce Perez. The team sprinter was freshman Pat Jacobsen, who won all but one sprint this season. In addition to the above players Cory Atkins, Matt Foster and Matt Cohen helped SC beat their rival Harbor three times in a row this season. In league, SC’s winning streak was only broken by Soquel.

SC won their own tournament as well as the Watsonville tournament. Junior goalie Marlin Henton performed phenomenally throughout the whole season, blocking most of the shots fired at him.

Rest of squad: Peter Whitney, Sean O’Grady, Matt Foster, Marlin Henton, Baltazar Barrios, Corey Atkins, Antonio Vokorapa, Anthony Tashnick, Jesse Cordero, Todd Hedgpeth, Kevin Atkins, Brian Heit, Matt George, Kent Cramer, Sam Whitman, Joshua Clerisse, Tim Daily and Charlie Mueller. Coaches JJ, Chuck Reed and Terry Tisman

Trident, October 30. Boys H20 Polo Remains Strong. The team is incredible strong this year. They are undefeated in league this year, dominating over the competition. Practices include morning lap swimming and then afternoon water polo practice. This has increased their stamina and helps them overpower the opponent. With the unbeatable combination of aggressive offense and strong defense, the goalie has scored from the goal, the team has been untouchable.
Like the girls team, the boys will have to duke it out with Soquel for the title of undefeated in the league. Both girls and boys teams have gone from being underdogs, to being one of the favorites in just one year,” boys coach Terry Tisman said. “We’ve improved a great deal and I hope to see us improve even more. “League playoffs are coming and we’ll soon find out who is really the best in the league.”

GIRLS WATER POLO
Trident. SC was second in league, twelfth seed at CCS and 17-11 for the season.

Yearbook. Seven starters line up on the wall and the starting whistle blows. For the next hour, the SC girls fight together trying to overcome the opposing team. Coaches Larry Willis, Diana Scott and Amber Strong believe, “that games are won with defense.” Hole defender Adrienne Cramer led the defense and goalies Emilie Powell and Michelle Overbeck tallied an incredible amount of saves as SC’s last line of defense.
On offense, co-captain and hole set Diana Willis controls the ball while drivers Rachel Willis and co-captain Hillary Brooks make it happen. “Garbage Girl” Iris Burnett teams up with “The Queen of Inside Water” Michelle Zimmerman to rule the water around the cage. Rest of squad: Kelly McCormick, Katy Overbeck, Jamie Langley, Jenny Greenburg, Emilie Powell, Jamie Langley and Jenny Greenburg. Coach Larry Willis

Trident, October 30. SC Girls Water Polo Shows No Mercy. Water polo is a game of intensity. There are seven players, one goalie and six in the tank. Only the goalie may use two hands on the ball. Players are either treading water or sprinting for the entire game. A game consists of seven or eight minute quarters. A team has a maximum of 35 seconds to control the ball or score. Ninety percent of the game is played under water, where the referee can’t see. There are many things going on under water as yanking, scratching, pushing and unzipping of suits. Coach Larry Willis describes the game as, “Heart pounding, legs burning, ribs aching, lips swollen, water polo.”

Trident. At the Clovis West Invitational Tournament in the first game of the season, before the first quarter was up, the girls knew that they had the makings of a winning team. SC’s offensive plays caught their opponent Madera off guard, resulting in multiple goals for SC as they won 11-3. The team shows promise. They have an artillery of new offensive plays that none of the other schools in the league have seen before. Coach WillIs feels that it is SC’s defense that is their winning asset. “This isn’t about offense, it’s about defense!” is often heard in the pre-game inspirational speeches. The Cards are undefeated in league so far, but will battle Soquel for the title. One thing that makes the Cards strong as a team is that they are all respectful and friendly toward one another, which most other teams don’t have.

JV GIRLS WATER POLO won the Valley Christian Tournament.
Yearbook. Irene Whitney and Autumn Dolan led the team to many victories. Roster: Evamarie Bittleston, Molly Laughlin, Erica Terence, Lauren Sugihara, Natalie James, Colleen Laurent, Irene Whitney, Amber McQugh, Diana Abrams, Paitra Sharp, Jessica Wishard, Katie Stewart, Rachel Budnick, Dheni Arciniega, Kristy Howe, Amy Lezin, Amy Clerisse, Marlena Huggins, Autumn Dolan, Sarah Frampton, Marina Hauze, Lacy Piper and Nicole Safranek. Coaches Diana Scott and Amber Strong.

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING.
Yearbook. Both teams did well this year. Every morning and afternoon you could find them in the pool, swimming as fast as they could trying to improve their times. The huge coaching staff on the deck was motivating and many of the swimmers improved their best times in the first meet. Captains Molly Devine, Royce Perez and Diana Willis helped add a little fun and encouragement to the workouts.

Tops swimmers were Pat Jacobsen, Sean O’Grady, Bill Bouett, Petar Samac and Jackie Calhoun, blew other teams out of the water with their fast swimming.

Team members: Peter Whitney, Amy Orlando, Jesse Cordero, Evamarie Bittleston, Diana Abrams, Emilie Powell, Alex Jones, Matt Cohen, Josh Clerisse, Petar Samac, Balta Barios, Brian Heit, Irene Whitney, Colleen Laurent, Molly Devine, Diana Willis, Katy Overbeck, Charlie Mueller, Todd Hedgepath, Andres Alvarez, Royce Perez, Michelle Overbeck, Amber McQue, Nicole Hanks, Jamie Langley, Laurel Tanza, Amy Lezin, Lauren Sugihara, Bill Boulet, Sarah Avary, Rachel Willis, Erica Terrence, Jessica Wishard, Minique Gibbons, Lauren Furman, Kristy Howe, Rachael Budnick Marlena Huggins, Patricia Pini, Julie Caulonque, Paitra Sharp, Carla Fergison, Anna Nitz, Gabriana Marks, Jessica Cavo, Marina Hauze, Lacey Piper,. Jenny Nelson, Stephanie Paureau, Cara Eadie, Iris Burnett, Amy Clerisse, Chelsey Herman, Xinning Zhang, Ya’ala Szomoru, Arlene Alvarez, Angelina Quitasol.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
League: Monte Vista 3-1, Soquel 3-1, SLV won. In the CCS Division III first round, lost to Notre Dame Belmont. League record 7-7 and 23-12 Overall.

Yearbook. Co-Captains Anna Heyman and Kelly Howell stepped up as team leaders as the team was young, with only four returning players. Setters Tracy Baldwin and Maya Russell-Nava continually set up their team mates for dynamite kills.

The team was involved in two, five game, four hour matches with Monte Vista and Soquel. Although they fell short in both games, they showed what they were made of. Coach Kim Cave felt that, “they were the best games the girls played all year. They really played as a team and put their whole hearts into it.” The same theme went for the JV team, who also put in a spectacular season. Rest of roster: Sarah Bell, Abbie Schindler, Monica Grova, Irene Sherwood, Chana Orescan, Calli Griggs, Lorelle Font, Emily Read and Tenaya Fihe. Head coach Kim Cave and assistant Cori Tom.

Trident, October 30. Girls Volleyball Back. SC is 2-6 to date. Coach Care believes that as the Cards improve their play, they will become more and more motivated. “Execution fuels emotion,” she says. Seniors on the team are Irene Sherwood, Tracy Baldwin, Lorelle Font, and captains Kelly Howell and Anna Heyman. Juniors are Callie Griggs and Chana Orescan. There are five sophomores: Monica Grova, Maya Russell-Nava, Tenaya Fife, Sarah Bell and outside hitter Abbie Schindler. And freshman Emily Reed.

Trident Dec. 17. The league season ended with a win over SLV on Senior night. Senior Chana Orescan had eight kills and two aces; Amie Mejia and Callie Griggs each had two aces and two kills. SC ended the season with a 7-7 record in league and 23-12 Overall. SC got a favorable seed in the CCS playoffs with a five seed in Division III. The Cards lost to twelve seed Notre Dame of Belmont, who was 19-13 and took a tough loss to end their season.

JV GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Yearbook. Roster; Noelle Huskey, Ceia Font, Flora Coren, Jill Himlan, Emily Martin, Rachel Cummings, Amie Mejia, Mia Azzaro, Rita Case, Katherine Hanson and Sophia de Malvinsky.
Coaches Alison and Ashley,

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL SCCAL CHAMPIONS. Semifinals of CCS Division III.
Practice games: (no write ups) Soquel Tournament: Pioneer 67-43. Sentinel, practice record 16-0. League: SLV 58-39, won; Harbor 81-50, 53-41; Watsonville 71-40, won; Aptos 69-66, 68-34; Soquel 60-50, 51-40. League record 12-0 for championship.
SCCAL Championship tournament: Aptos 69-58 in overtime and Harbor 48-45 in finals for League Championship.
CCS Division III playoffs: first round, Saratoga 70-62; quarterfinals, Capuchino 54-38 and semifinals, Riordon 33-44, who won the CCS title last year and repeated this year.
Was 32-0 going into the last game loss in the CCS semifinals to the CCS champion Riordon.
Season record 32-1 for the most wins ever for a SC team.

League standings from Sentinel by school, league record and overall record.
SCH LE OV
SC 12-0 32-1
Soquel 8-4 12-14
Harbor 7-5 14-15
Watsonville 7-5 14-16
Aptos 5-7 14-15
SLV 3-9 8-18
MVC 0-12 4-19

Trident, February. Roster: Josh Rhodes, DeJuan Williams, Marcel Jackson, Derek McDougall, Ryan Graham, Gabe Craft, Murphy Stewart, Kamal Norman-Terrance, Scott Walls, George Czechowski, Kris Vitug, Mike McCormick, Kyle Reagan, Ian Swift, Jared Hunter, Trevor Williams, Emanuel Townsend and Josh Chirnos.

Trident, February. SC has many offensive threats. Senior veterans Derek McDougall for three years and Tyler Williams for four years. A trio of point guards, Emanuel Townsend, Kris Vitug and George Czechowski, a pair of big men who play above the rum, Josh Rhodes, Marcel Jackson and Murphy Stewart and finally standouts Ryan Graham, Kamal Norman-Torrance and Ian Swift. The team has big time offensive players, but the team prides themselves on having one of the toughest defenses around. Using their different defensive set-ups SC is able to take opposing team out of their offenses and take control of the game. If you have been to a game, you know the kind of momentum and intensity that SC picks up from their defensive stops and turnovers.

Yearbook. Arguably the best team in the schools history. The team was full of talent, speed and athleticism and through hours of hard work and intense work ethic that Coach Newell requires of his players, the team definitely prevailed. The team wrapped up the preseason 16-0, winning all four tournaments they entered, including the power packed Jefferson Tournament in South San Francisco as well as their own Dad’s Club Tournament.

An intimidating starting five with the consistency of senior Eli Wilson at point guard, the sharp shooting of standout juniors Derek McDougall and Tyler Williams, the post up power of senior Marcel Jackson and freshman sensation Josh Rhodes is backed up with a strong and consistent depth as well. Athletic Nate Davis and Murphy Stewart work at the post game. Stand out defensemen Niya Levi and Colvin Marshal add immense quickness to the line up and play making George Czechowski, Gabe Craft and Kris Vitug add a up tempo style of play. Nick Pao, Logan Wells, Mike McDonald, Dejuan Williams and Kumau Norman-Terrance showed great improvement throughout the year.

Sentinel preseason write up on December 8. Coach: Pete Newell, twenty-fifth season. Last year: 5-7 in league and 13-17 overall. Key players: Seniors: Eli Wilson 6-1, guard; Marcel Jackson 6-9, center; Colvin Marshall 6-2, forward and Niya Levi 5-9 guard. Juniors: Tyler Williams 6-2 guard; Derek McDougall 6-5, forward and George Czechowski 5-10, guard. Sophomore Murphy Stewart 6-6 forward. Freshman Josh Rhodes 6-6, forward.
Scouting report: Newell put together a hodge-podge crew last year and guided them to the league tournament title game. This year the Cards feature superior size, strength, quickness and experience. Williams has logged plenty of varsity minutes and still is only a junior. McDougall came in with 20 more pounds of muscle. Rhodes is highly skilled and a freshman. It should be a highly entertaining team.
Coach’s Outlook: “We’re talented, deep and explosive. Early on we will need to take better care of the ball and to rebound. A lot depends on how hard these kids want to compete.

Sentinel. Jan. 9. Cards Cruise In Opener. During the short commute to SLV, coach Newell let Marcel Jackson know what he and the Cards were up against. “Coach told me it’s a tough place to play. Because the gym is small and it’s always loud. So he told me to get over it now,” Marcel said. And sure enough, at tip-off, the SLV crowd was deafening. The Cards remedy? A sterling defensive display that held SLV scoreless for the last six minutes of the game and enough offensive punch to pull away. By the final buzzer, silence was abounded, except for the small gathering of Cardinal fans.
SC posted a 58-39 win in a gym that leads the SCCAL in hostility. SC’s defense harassed the Cougars for the better part of the second half. SC 1-0 in league and 17-0 overall beat SLV on the road for the second successive season. Last year, SC accounted for the Cougars only two losses and then knocked them out of the SCCAL tournament. SLV led 14-11 after the first quarter. But SC settled down, used its muscle inside and clamped down on SLV’s two top scorers.
Josh Rhodes made a transition jumper for a 19-16 lead and the Cards never trailed thereafter. Jackson was fouled as he dunked an inbound pass and made the free throw to put SC up 26-18 and carry momentum into halftime. SC closed out the game with a 10-0 run, predicated by its defense, which forced a five second inbounds violation. The SLV coach, “They have good size and quickness. They wore us down.”

Sentinel. Jan. 13. CARD BOYS UP TO 18-0. SC Handles Cross-Town Rival Harbor. SC won its eighteenth consecutive game 81-50 over Harbor at Fehliman Gym. The Cardinals are on a pace to stake claim of having one of the all-time elite teams in the county. Last season the teams won on the road against each other and sneaked into the CCS playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first round.
SC 2-0 in league, had an 10-0 run in the third quarter to extend their lead to 51-27. It was 36-25 at halftime. Josh Rhodes, a 6-6 freshman forward, scored 12 points in a wild first quarter in which the Cards took a 20-10 lead. Rhodes, 6-9 center Marcel Jackson and forward Murphy Stewart dominated inside and prevented Harbor from sustaining a run.
In the second half, it was vintage SC. The Cards used their pressure defense to generate transition opportunities, of which they converted a high percentage. Tyler Williams made all four of his three-pointers in the second half. Rhodes finished with 23 points. Jackson and Williams had 14 apiece.
SC got another boost from reserve forward Nate Davis, seeing his first action of the season after a long recovery from an injury during football season. In limited minutes the 6-5 Davis did not score, but provided another intimidating front line presence that could help SC as the season progresses.
Harbor Coach Mike Gruber was impressed. He said he doesn’t anticipate a SC loss until deep in the postseason. “I don’t see them getting beat until NorCals, if then, referring to the tournament that follows CCS.” If the SC streak continues, it is Gruber’s 1992-93 team whose legacy is at stake. The team featuring Stanford center Tim Young, that went 31-0 before losing in the CCS finals and the first round of NorCals. He thought that the Cards may have a little more depth, but it would be an interesting matchup.

Jan. 17. Cards Handle Cats. Santa Cruz put on a suffocating defensive spectacle on its way to a 71-40 rout. SC won its nineteenth consecutive game, moving to 4-0 in league. As the first quarter buzzer sounded a Watsonville player heaved a 75 foot throw that swished through the net to get the Wildcats to within three points 19-16.
In the second quarter SC went on a 20-6 run and all but squash any notion of a mammoth upset. Watsonville provided an enticing matchup, because of its rugged, unselfish style of play, They had a respectable showing against SC in a 69-60 loss in the Dads Club tournament. In the second quarter, Derek McDougall scored three straight baskets, Josh Rhodes had two and Murphy Stewart had a put back as the Cards regained command behind a 12-0 run. SC led 39-22 at halftime.
SC’s scrappy, tenacious defense held the Cats potent shooting guard to seven points. In the post, the 6-6 freshman Rhodes, 6-6 Stewart, 6-9 Marcel Jackson and 6-5 Nate Davis blocked several shots and ripped away a majority of the rebounds. The Cards defensive and rebounding prowess led to countless transition opportunities and the Cards adroitly converted a high percentage. “As always, everything we do starts with out defense.
It was a fine team effort all around,” said coach Newell. SC got an early lift from forward Colvin Marshall, who started for the ailing McDougall. Marshall scored seven points in the first quarter and was relentless on the perimeter defensively. Marshall finished with 13 points. “Colvin had a breakthrough game for us,” Newell said. Rhodes had a game high 19 points and 17 rebounds. McDougall scored 12 points.

Jan. 20. Card Boys Edge Aptos. Derek McDougall wasn’t afraid to take the game winning shot and the Aptos coach was willing to let him have it. So when McDougall found himself wide open from the right wing, he didn’t hesitate. It was pure release, perfect follow through and it crashed through the net and a night of frustration and misfortune for the Cards had dissolved into a foray of resilience and courage. A night of baseline-to-baseline madness seemed to be scripted to end like this. The final sentence: SC 69, Aptos 66.
“As soon as I let go I knew it was in, I wasn’t thinking about the shot until after the game. I was thinking, ’Oh my God, I’ve got to play defense,” McDougall said. And the Cards did that, all right. With 15 seconds left all Aptos got out of their three possessions was a desperation heave as time expired. Aptos was called for an offensive foul and turned it over on a questionable out of bounds call.
SC is 5-0 in league and 21-0 overall. Never had SC appeared as vulnerable. Aptos pressed after every basket, a staple of SC’s attacking defense and forced the Card ball handlers into split second decisions. Aptos pushed for baskets after turnovers and fed off their own energy.
At one point late in the second quarter, SC had turnovers on six straight possessions. Aptos took advantage for a 13-3 run and a 39-36 halftime lead. Aptos also had ten three-pointers. SC was able to get easy baskets when it broke the press. Rhodes had two dunks and Jackson had one. Rhodes scored a game high 23 points.

Jan. 23. CARDS DEAL ACES. Santa Cruz Boys Stay Unbeaten. Amid the wealth of gifted performers for SC lies an invaluable nucleus that serves as a nexus to its success, role players. Against Soquel in a 62-50 win, before an enormous audience at Fehliman Gym that wasn’t built to handle, the starters rose to the occasion. The guys that linger in their shadows helped finish the job. In sweeping the first half of the league schedule, SC is 6-0 an in this game only two players were in double figures, freshman forward Josh Rhodes had 17 points and sophomore forward Murphy Stewart had 10.
“We haven’t won nor will we continue to win with just five players,” Newell said. There were plenty of instances to support Newell’s thesis: At the first quarter buzzer, junior guard George Czechowski hit a three pointer from about 40 feet out to give SC a 15-9 lead. Midway through the second quarter, senior guard Colvin Marshall hit consecutive threes to stretch a five point lead to 26-15. Stewart out quicked and out hustled others for rebounds. He scored eight points in a pivotal third quarter run that forged a 46-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter. What’s more, the Cards blue collar workers don’t seem to mind waiting for their chance.
Marshall has been a big contributor in several games and said, “I know my team has confidence in me that when I go in there I’m going to keep the level up. I’ve had a lot of confidence lately.” Rhodes and center Marcel Jackson had 13 rebounds apiece. Their presence inside produced enough big plays to stave off a respectable Soquel effort. SC closed out the first half with a 12-2 run to take a 32-17 lead that ultimately was insurmountable. Its hard enough to compete against SC’s unyielding defense, but even more difficult overcoming the size deficit. Soquel was undefeated in league until this game and is now 5-1. Eli Wilson, Derek McDougall and Tyler Williams each hit a pair of free throws as the Cards made 8 of 10 down the stretch to seal it.
Newell was equally impressed with his team’s locker room mentality as he was with their play. When he heard the players chanting “6-0”, he knew they had the proper perspective. A 69-66 win over Aptos on Tuesday was evidence enough that SC can’t expect an easy road to the league title. “Again, our goal from day one is to win league, As with the Aptos game, they gave their best effort and we won,” Newell said.

Jan. 23. Unexpected Force On A Team Full Of Them. Meet Murphy Stewart, the best player you’ve probably never heard of unless you’re a die-hard SC fan. And it seems everyone is a Cardinal fan these days, as the estimated 1,500 fans packed Fehliman Gym last night to watch SC improve to a 22-0 overall record and 6-0 in league. Stewart, a 6-6 sophomore swing man, came off the bench to score 10 points, eight in the third quarter and pull down four rebounds. While most people came to see Josh Rhodes and Marcel Jackson, Murphy was the one who made a lasting impression. A Soquel player, “He had a great game. He was clutch. He can start on a lot of teams. I think he was the difference n the game.” Stewarts first basket came in the second quarter on a put back of a Rhodes jumper. Stewart was fouled on the play, too. Stewarts field goal sparked a 14-3 run to end the first half and push the lead to 32-17. Senior guard Colvin Marshal hit back-to-back three pointers during the spree.
Stewart entered the game for Jackson, who picked up his second foul late in the first quarter. But he proved to be more than a back up center. “Nobody knows anything about him,” said Jackson, who finished with five points and 13 rebounds in limited action. “They just think he’s a big, skinny guy that goes in when Marcel gets in foul trouble, but it isn’t like that.” That was obvious at the opening of the third quarter, when Stewart scored the Cards first six points on a baseline drive, a tip in and a short jumper. Stewart single handedly pushed the lead to 38-22. Later, he hit a jumper while standing on the three point line. At times, both players are on the court at one time, with Stewart shifting to forward.
Even after Jackson picked up his fourth foul in the fourth quarter, he stayed in the game with Stewart and didn’t lose his intensity either. Playing day-in and day-out against the likes of Rhodes and Jackson has helped turn Stewart into what he was against Soquel and what his teammates see every day in practice. Coach Newell, “He can’t help but improve going against Josh and Marcel every day. To date, Murphy has been the most improved player.” All three players competed in the West Valley basketball club over the summer. Later when SC went on defense, Stewart had a monster block on a shot and followed with a fist-pump and war-cry to fire up the fans. “He’s an extremely quick jumper. Sometimes he gets to the ball when he doesn’t even have the best position. He’s like a cat. Murphy is in the embryonic stage. He’s finding out how good he is and how much better he has the potential to be,” Newell said. Soquel has a pretty good idea.

Feb. 3. Santa Cruz Boys Pull Away From Scrappy Harbor. Win number 24 for SC didn’t come without adversity. The Cards pulled through at just the right time. Derek McDougall and Tyler Williams hit back to back three-pointers early in the fourth quarter giving SC a 10 point lead. It proved to be enough as SC pounded out a 52-41 win over Harbor. “It seemed like we didn’t have much team energy. We didn’t have that intensity we usually have. You could tell on the court we just didn’t have it tonight,” said senior guard Colvin Marshall. SC lead only 27-26 at halftime. In the third quarter, Harbor was whistled for a technical and Marshall hit both foul shots for his being fouled while shooting and Williams converted a pair off the technical to open a 39-34 lead. Then SC hit consecutive three pointers to go ahead by ten points.
A wild third quarter rendered both teams in serious foul trouble. Harbor had not scored for more than five minutes during a span in which all SC got were six points from forward Murphy Stewart. Rhodes picked up his fourth foul at 5:13 of the third quarter and didn’t return until the middle of the fourth quarter. An encouraging sign for SC was their ability to make a decisive run with Rhodes on the bench. Stewart and center Marcel Jackson also picked up their fourth fouls in the final quarter. Jackson had a foul before the game started. He was issued a technical foul for dunking in warm ups. McDougall hit a long jumper and Jackson had a put back to finish an SC 10-0 run for a 51-37 advantage. McDougall finished with a game high 16 points. Rhodes scored nine and Jackson eight.

Feb. 10. No Scare For SC Boys This Time. On memorable Seniors Night, an undefeated record and a better performance against an Aptos team the nearly pulled a colossal upset three weeks ago. All were accomplished. SC buried Aptos 68-34, before a capacity crowd. This one was over relatively quickly. SC extended a 28-13 halftime lead to 49-15 midway through the third quarter. SC was out to achieve a team goal of holding Aptos to fewer than 39 points, which it did. They held Aptos without a field goal for a six minute span in the third quarter and held them to fewer then ten points in three quarters. “We were better prepared for them defensively. They have a good offense. I respect their shooting ability,” Newell said. Aptos was unable to get open shots off their high screens, because the SC defenders smothered the perimeter. Their few available shots were off the mark. SC made Aptos pay for empty possessions, by quickly getting into transition lanes for layups.
Newell started seniors Colvin Marshall, Nate Davis and Nick Pao. They are usually reserves, but there was little drop off. Behind the rebounding from Jackson and sterling defense by Eli Wilson, SC led 10-4, before regular starters, Rhodes, McDougall and Williams checked in. Marshall, a dependable guard, hit two three pointers in the second quarter and finished with a team high 12 points. Wilson made four first quarter steals and had ten points, eight on free throws. Stewart had nine of his 11 points in the first half. Rhodes had ten points including an electrifying dunk in the second quarter and pulled down 11 rebounds. Every senior scored. Pao made a three pointer that bounced around the rim and dropped. It was that kind of night. Aptos was forced into several turnovers and rarely got off a shot that wasn’t altered by a SC defender.

Feb. 11. Card Boys Reach For Milestone. No SCCAL team has gone undefeated in the regular season since Harbor went 31-0 in 1992-93, before losing in the CCS final. While rim-jolting dunks and double pump layups make for a fun evening news replay real, Coach Newell knows the true highlights are made on the Fehliman gym practice floor. Sure, the Cards boast the leagues most efficient offense at 65.8 points per game, but Newell prefers to take pride in floor burns and torn jerseys. Each day in practice, the reserves go against the starters at full speed. Player are lauded for going after a loose ball like a goal line fumble and a lung to tip a pass is as goof as a three pointer. “The reason we’ve had a successful season is predicated on our defense,” Newell said. The result, SC has by far allowed the fewest points per game at 46.9. Even that number is a bit misleading, in the second half of the SCCAL season, no team has scored more than 41 points. Soquel’s defense ranks second at 57.
Newell said the toughest defense his team has faced is, well, his own. He marvels at his reserves, giving the starters all they can handle. “They probably defend us better than most teams because of their effort and tenacity.” Rhodes is third in the league in scoring with an 14.7 per game average and second in rebound with a 11.8 average. Jackson is the top rebound with 13.3 a game

Feb. 12. CARDS KEEP IT UP. SC Boys Get Through League Unbeaten. Cards Keep 12-0 SCCAL record and a rare 28-0 regular season mark with a 51-40 win over Soquel. When the final buzzer sounded amid a rim-hanging dunk from freshman Josh Rhodes, SC players ran off the court with a win that expounded a familiar refrain: They fended off the opponent’s best blow and prevailed in the end. SC overcame a deafening Soquel homecoming crowd and fended off a stubborn Soquel team, which has clinched at least a tie for second place. “I’ve never been on a winning team before. This is unbelievable,” said senior Colvin Marshall. Given SC’s personnel, its unscathed league run doesn’t come as a shock. But when your name is circled on every teams schedule, it isn’t easy to make it through without an off night. The Cards found a way. “You want to win games, but you never know your going to go undefeated all the way through,” said senior center Marcel Jackson, who had a game high 14 points. “But we made it. It was a whole team effort the whole way.” SC got two 3-pointers from Tyler Williams and six points from Derek McDougall in posting a 23-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Point guard Eli Wilson also had a 3-pointer and engineered the fast break in the open court.
Soquel slowed the tempo to a crawl and continued chipping away at the deficit. They got the score down to 45-40 with 2:37 left. SC’s match-up zone defense forced Soquel to use more time than it wanted to find an open shot. Forward Murphy Stewart scored down low, Jackson finished off an offensive rebound with a two handed dunk and Rhodes dunk finish off the scoring.

Feb. 19. Aptos Takes SC To Edge. For the capacity crowd at Cabrillo College, the game will simply go down as one of the greatest SCCAL tournament games ever played. Junior guard Tyler Williams had two of his five three pointers in overtime to lead SC into the title game with a 69-58 win over Aptos. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story, as Aptos 5-7 in league displayed a savvy that nearly catapulted the Mariners to a colossal upset. “We never lost confidence,“ said Williams, who scored a team high 17 points. “We’ve been in tough games before. They played a great game.” (Aptos was upset with what the thought were missed fouls calls by the referees on SC near the end of the game)
With 14.4 seconds left in regulation McDougall made two foul shots on an intentional foul call to put SC ahead 54-51. SC lost the ball on the inbounds play. Aptos swished a three pointer as the buzzer sounded to tie the score and put the game into overtime. Aptos’ momentum didn’t last long, when Williams hit his two consecutive three pointers and Colvin Marshall made five of six foul shots for insurance. “It was my man that scored the tying three pointer, so I took it upon myself to step up,” said Williams. Aptos withstood a 11-0 SC run to start the fourth quarter in which SC turned a 43-38 deficit into a 49-43 lead. Marcel Jackson score ten of his 11 points in the run that seemed to give SC enough distance to pull it out. Aptos’ risky game plan, a trapping defense against a team that loves the fast break allowed SC several easy baskets, but also forced turnovers that resulted in transition opportunities. Aptos went out to a 29-25 halftime lead. Aptos was in trouble when the Cards were able to break the press and were able to get the ball to the post men Rhodes, who scored 14 points and McDougll had 14.

SCCAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. SC 30-0. Harbor Boys Give Santa Cruz Fight For The Title. Card Boys Go To CCS Unbeaten. It took 30 consecutive victories for the Cards to let loose and celebrate. They weren’t about to let their guards down until the job was done. Eli Wilson hit a driving lay-up with 20 seconds left that proved to be the game winner as SC overcame a courageous Harbor team 48-45. SC won all 14 league games, 12 in the regular season and two in the playoffs. But the last two were tough as it took an over time 69-58 win against Aptos in the semifinals and the final went down to the wire.
“This is great. It’s indescribable, Our goal was to win league. We want to take it to the next level,” said forward Derek McDougall. As they have done 29 other nights, the Cards found a way to make plays when it mattered most. Wilson’s bandage on his chin was one of several wounds incurred in this physical struggle. He had to leave the game with a bloody chin in the second quarter. Harbor’s counterpart had to have his nose checked during a timeout. Harbor’s Eric Barbic (son of former SC three sport athlete George) hit a pair of free throws and a three pointer mid way through the fourth quarter to put Harbor ahead 41-39 and the lead changed hands four times down the stretch.
McDougall scored on a driving layup and Harbor answered with a basket to hold the lead 45-44 for the final time in the game. Wilson hit two free throws. Harbor missed the front end of a one-and-one, leading to Wilson’s driving lay-up. Wilson went left around a screen and had a half step on his defender. He drove into the lane and scored over outstretched hands. Trailing 48-45, Harbor had one more chance to tie the score.
SC defense stifled the perimeter and forced a tough shot that missed. After a crisp first quarter in which Harbor took a 15-12 lead, SC switched to a zone defense that yielded just one field goal in the second quarter. Josh Rhodes made a tip in that put SC ahead 31-21 early in the third quarter for the games largest lead. Harbor countered with a 9-0 run and suddenly a lackluster tournament final transformed into a classic as the score closed down to one point. A 31-30 SC lead.
Rhodes and center Marcel Jackson were largely responsible for pushing SC to a 25-17 lead at intermission. Rhodes a 6-6 freshman, scored a game high 15 points. Jackson a 6-9 senior center had 12 points.

Feb. 22. SANTA CRUZ BOYS TOP SEED IN CCS. SC Girls Seeded Fourth In Division III.
The boys get a first round bye and then play the winner of a Pioneer vs. Saratoga game. The Cards could end up playing fourth seeded Palo Alto, who they have beaten twice this season in a third round game.

Feb. 26. SC Boys Get Past Saratoga. Marcel Jackson finished the game with a two handed dunk. His powerful play for four quarters lifted SC to a 70-62 win over Saratoga in its first game of the CCS Division III playoffs. Jackson had a season high 27 points and 14 rebounds in this quarterfinal game. Jackson scored 13 of the Cards first 14 points, provided a calming presence from the outset.
“They were trying to keep McDougall and Williams guarded,” Jackson said. “All they said on defense was “where’s their shooters, where’s their shooters. If they didn‘t want to guard me, fine I‘ll just take it to the basket.” Jackson scored three of his first half basket on put backs against the shorter defenders. What Saratoga lacked in size, they had talented perimeter players, who made eight threes.
Saratoga closed up the score to 67-62 with 13 seconds to play. An intentional foul was called on Saratoga and Williams made three free throws to end the scoring. Colvin Marshall hit a three pointer and Jackson made a free throw for a 60-46 lead for SC’s biggest lead of the night. Saratoga scored 41 points in the second half, matching the average per game SC yielded in SCCAL play in the latter half of the season. Josh Rhodes score all his 12 points in the second half. He was saddled for most of the half with two fouls, one of which was a technical for hanging on the rim. Rhodes made three straight baskets to start the third quarter and open up a 31-21 lead. Williams, who scored 12 points, made consecutive threes and McDougall hit a jumper for a 23-14 lead late in the second quarter.
With the game on the line, the Cards were poised an unfazed by the playoff pressure. “We played with a lot of confidence. What we need is more sustained intensity. Marcel played a wonderful game. He was our offense for much of the first half,” said Newell.

Feb. 28. CARDS SEMI-TOUGH. SC Boys Reach Semifinals Unbeaten 32-0. Two big plays put SC in control. A heart-to-heart pre-game meeting had the Cards prepared for crunch time. Tyler Williams hit a three pointer, Eli Wilson had a three point play and the SC defense held Capuchino scoreless for the last five minutes on the way to a 54-38 win in the quarterfinal game at Cabrillo. The Cards next game will be in the semifinals against Riordon of San Francisco, who beat Palo Alto 51-48.
Colvin Marshall, who hit four free throws in the final two minutes said, “It doesn’t matter who we play as long as we continue to play our game.” The win cements SC’s place in county history as the dominate team of the 90’s, surpassing Harbors 31-0 start of the 1991-92 season. The team had a long talk about playoff intensity, Marshall said and it paid off. “We really wanted to pick it up for this game. We’ve been letting the record get to us. The talk lifted our spirits.”
The eighth seeded Capuchino, 20-7 used a deliberate offense, a aggressive pressing defense and sound guard play to stay close most of the way. But SC dominated the final quarter in a manner that reflected their number one seed. Williams made the last of his four three pointers with 3:43 left to play to put SC up 45-38. After both teams made two empty trips, Wilson slipped free along the baseline, took a pass from McDougall and made a lay up while being fouled. His foul shot made it 48-38 with 1:42 left. “I think Eli’s drive was more of a big play, Williams said. “It gave us a lift. We all picked up adrenaline and energy.” At that point Capuchino struggled to find open shots and never did make a field goal after 5:10 left in the fourth quarter.
Capuchino’s top scorer was hounded by Wilson and Niya Levi all over the court and he lost some spring in his step and jump shot. Every SC starter scored in the first quarter in which SC took a 22-16 lead with Williams scoring eight of his team high 14 points during the quarter. SC withstood most of the second quarter without Jackson and Rhodes who were on the bench with two fouls. Rhodes had 12 points for the game. SC led 29-22 at halftime.

March 3. Boys Expect Physical Game. “It’s like we’re going to war, said Coach Newell, SC faces number five seeded Riordon 17-12, the CCS defending CCS champion from the powerful West Catholic league. The Crusaders fancy a rugged physical style, for which Newell and the Cards say they are prepared. “Every possession will have greater value because both teams will be defending each pass, each screen, each shot and every rebound,” Newell said.
Which sounds like a perfect game for the Cards, who have prided themselves on a suffocating defense and incessant hustle. But they haven’t faced a team from the WCAL, considered the toughest league in CCS. Newell said he was confident SC will be prepared because it has played several quality opponents, including two wins over Palo Alto, which Riordon defeated 51-48 in their CCS game.
SC will be making its fourth CCS semifinal appearance in the 1990’s. A win would send them to the title game for the first time since 1988. SC has relied on a dominant post game in each of its two CCS wins. Marcel Jackson, who scored 27 points and had 14 rebounds against Saratoga said he is ready for the challenge. “This will probably be the most physical game we’ve played the whole season,” said Jackson.
Versatile 6-6 freshman forward Josh Rhodes scored 12 points in each of the CCS games. Tyler Williams has been scoring and Eli Wilson and the Card back court has been playing tough perimeter defense. “It’s good to be 32-0, but you can’t dwell on the last game. You’ve got to get ready for the next one,” Jackson said.

March 4. Gritty Riordon Puts End To Great Season. For about 60 minutes after the final buzzer, coach Pete Newell urged his players to forget the previous 32. One of the greatest basketball seasons in Santa Cruz County history came to an abrupt halt as Riordon defeated the Cards 44-33. The Cards had a crash encounter with disappointment and frustration. These emotions were fresh, painful and unfamiliar. They contradicted what had grown into routine esteem and pride that came with 32 consecutive victories. Newell’s word of comfort transcended basketball and developed into a soliloquy of life’s lessons.
The message was simple: for each of the minutes in which they played poorly in this game, there was a win. A tangible reward for hard work and dedication. “We’ve had a wonderful season that has produced many life time memories for all involved. Tonight we got beat by a better team,” Newell said. Newell’s point had an immediate effect. When the locker room doors finally opened, the Cards emerged upbeat and secure. The tears gave way to reflective smiles and they shared hugs.
Most of the team will again have a chance in the postseason. The loss was especially tough on the teams seniors: Colvin Marshall, Marcel Jackson, Eli Wilson, Nate Davis and Nick Pao. “I’ve just got to look at the big picture and be proud to know that I was part of this team,” Marshall said. SC’s winning streak is thought to be the longest in county history.
SC had an average margin of victory over the season of 18 points. Newell said, his lasting memory will be the teams unflappable resolve. “Despite the recognition and adulation that came from their social groups, when they came to practice or to play in the game they were focused.” The Cards had discovered ways to win by any means. This time, the means fought back. A defense that allowed an average of 45 points a game was upstaged by a Riordon team whose gritty demeanor was sculpted in the ultra tough West Catholic Athletic League.
SC was outscored 17-6 in the last quarter and was never able to get in any offensive flow. Passes were tipped, shots blocked, rebounds stolen away in a fierce manner no team had come close to duplicating. SC made 13 field goals and committed 24 turnovers. They were unable to secure crucial rebounds in the fourth quarter, which allowed Riordon to preserve the win.
Eli Wilson hit a three pointer with 10 seconds left in the third quarter to give SC a 27-25 lead, its only lead of the night. It didn’t last as Riordon scored with four second left in the quarter. In most cases SC would overtake a fatigued opponent at this point, but Riordon made a 10-1 run, which in this game of deliberate tempo, proved an insurmountable deficit.
SC players appeared worn down and somewhat rattled. Tyler Williams made a three point play to close it to 37-31 with 2:30 left, but Riordon milked the clock and converted pressure free throws. “Coach told us in the last four minutes, whoever had the biggest will was going to win. And they just showed it right there,” said Marshall. The games choppy, rigid flow clearly favored Riordon, which slowed SC’s transition attack.
A 6-3 Riordon player neutralized 6-9 Jackson and 6-6 Rhodes. Marshall hit a three pointer and a long jumper and Jackson two straight baskets to stop mild Riordon spurts and tie the game 22-22 midway through the third quarter. Riordon had a little more energy in reserve over the last eight minutes. Jackson led SC with ten points and eight rebounds. Rhodes had five points on 2 for 10 shooting and had 13 rebounds. Marshall had five points.

From the Trident. Student Athlete of the Issue
There are many big factors this year when the Cardinals went undefeated in the regular basketball season, but the biggest of them may have been six-foot, nine inch senior Marcel Jackson. The unstoppable center was big in more ways than height. Jackson knows he can’t be stopped and so do his teammates. That is why they respect him and rely on him to carry the team.
He said about himself, “You can’t stop me, you can only hope to contain me.” It didn’t come easy to be the leader of the team. It meant for him to change his whole attitude. Some people last year described Marcel as a fat, overweight big buy who had no coordination whatsoever and a bad attitude.
Coach Newell even kicked him off the basketball team last year and Marcel knew that in order to play for Santa Cruz again he would have to change his whole attitude. So Marcel changed; he lifted weights, lost weight and got stronger and quicker. Over the summer he played on a West Valley Tournament team. The team traveled to places like Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It have Jackson an opportunity to play against Division I players and get noticed by scouts.
He kept playing ball and was determined to prove all the haters out there wrong. Instead of hearing all negative things now about him, you hear positive things. Things like, “Man that kid is unstoppable,” or I can’t believe how much he’s improved”! I hear these things before every game and while it’s going on, The Cardinals are the talk of the town and that’s something to be proud of.
Marcel started playing basketball when he was six years old. His grandma gave him a basketball on his sixth birthday and till this day he has it in his garage. He practices more than fifteen hours a week and plays ball during the weekends also. He says that his brother Tim has been the most supportive. “He tells me to keep playing and don’t let haters tell me I can’t play.” He can play and he’s proven that. He plans on attending a State college and plans to expand his career there in basketball.

Added summary from Sentinel article of January 24, LARGER THAN LIFE. Santa Cruz High Center Marcel Jackson Got Second Chance and He’s Trying To Make the Best of it. Missing the latter half of last season hurt Jackson, but it also affected Coach Newell, not because he lost the leagues top rebounded. He lost one of his favorite pupils. Newell knows Jackson like few others do. In the 1987-88 season, Jackson was ball boy for the team when his uncle Darryl Ratliff played for SC. Newell watched Jackson grow from a school-age kid to a young adult. The coach is well aware of the pain Jackson has endured of losing his mother to cancer, when he was five and not being in contact with his father. He was raised by his grandparents Syble and Ernest Ratliff.
“I was very disappointed in what happened,” Newell said. “It was difficult, because I love him. Its like a parent adopting a tough-love child.” His second chance has been earned, because that was the deal. No bad attitude, work hard. If Jackson can’t be found on campus, he probably is in Fehliman gym shooting free throws, running and working on post moves. Newell says, “Jackson physically has all the tools. He is the fastest sprinter on the team and one of its best athletes. They both agree it’s his mental game the needs consistent monitoring. Jackson, ”I’d say I play hard 98 percent of the time. The other 2 percent, I’m either tired or frustrated. But I don’t let other people see that.” He’s not fooling Newell, who says Jackson’s emotions are as visible as the perspiration on his uniform. “His body language is apparent to anyone looking. You can see when he is energized and when he isn’t. You can tell when he’s focused, when he is not.”
Sometimes, if he has played a sub-par first half, Jackson volunteers to sit out part of the third quarter to collect his thoughts. That alone, Newell said, is a sign of how far he has come. “His maturity level from where he is now and where he started is immeasurable.” Newell says Jackson has the ability to play at the Division I college level, if he maintains a passion for improvement. (Marcel did play Division I basketball at Long Beach State as the starting center and graduated with a degree)

SCCAL ALL LEAGUE selected by the league coaches: Josh Rhodes was the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. He was second in rebounding with 388 rebounds, average 11.8 and high of 17. He was also second in scoring with 460 points, average of 13.9 and high of 26.
Coach Pete Newell was COACH OF THE YEAR.
The ALL LEAGUE first team, included two Cards, Derek McDougall and Tyler Williams. On the second team was Marcel Jackson, who was the top rebounder in the league with 426 rebounds, for a 13.3 average per game and a high for a game 19.

JV BOYS BASKETBALL
Trident Roster: Maurice Stewart, Sam Heft-Neal, Jajal Benes-Trapp, Jim Anderson, Josh Smith, Tim Pearson, Willie Palmer, Nick Tanza, Ruben Miller, Alex Paige. Coach Charles Burks

Trident, February. With a mix of freshmen and sophomores, they are not afraid to play any team. “I think one of the biggest things for us is that we all get along and work well together in practice and during games. There are no selfish plays or selfish players. Our attitudes mostly show in how we play defense. That’s how we win games,” said Stewart.
They have won by margins of ten or more, but when they lose it’s a lot closer. “After the losses we really had good practices and we didn’t let it get us down. Now that we are in league, we are stepping up our level of intensity and we are more focused,” said Stewart.
There are fewer players on the team this year as more sophomores are on the varsity team. But the players are going to make a difference on the varsity in the future.
Sophomores, Josh Smith, Willie Palmer and Jim Anderson along with freshman Maurice Stewart, Kajal Benes-Trap and Sam Heft-Neal all help make the JV’s a strong team.

FROSH BASKETBALL
Yearbook. The team started the season 6-0 and in January are 13-5. In league play the record is 3-1. Roster; Chris Futch, Jimmy Garcia, Matt Volkman, Liam Murphy, Conner Murphy, ASal Dibias, Sam Cherry, Scott McCormick, Ben Baker, Jim Owen, Jesse Santiago, Daniel Vaggiloi, Tommy Blake, Dee Harris, Fabian Sosa and Brandon Kluzniak.
Co-Coaches Marcos Olivas and George Urban.

Trident, February. “Our team has really jelled. The games we did lose were pretty close,” said George Murphy. Along with Murphy, the team gets strong and constant play from point guard Chris Futch and their three point shooter, Jimmy Garcia. With this good outside game, the team also has a good post game. Everyone is getting better all the time and its making our team better as a whole.” comments Murphy. The high point of the season was beating Aptos to take third place at the SLV tournament.

Sentinel November 29. They Got With The Program. A Pair Of Defensive Linemen Initiate Frosh To SC Basketball. Want to unlock the secrets of the SC basketball program. There are exhibit’s A through D. Varsity coach is Pete Newell in his twenty-fifth season, seven straight league tournament championship game appearances and nine league titles.
Exhibit B is junior varsity coach Charles Burks 13 years of coaching or helping, family man, upstanding citizen. In all, a strong undercurrent of program continuity.
Two new freshman coaches are exhibits C and D. George Urban 6-2, 260 pound 19 year old, who played offensive and defensive tackle on the 1997 football team. Marcus Olivas is 5-10, 280 pounds, 19 years old who also was a lineman for SC in 1997. And these two, you ask, are freshman basketball coaches? The gatekeepers of a quarter century of success? The first program stop for 14 year olds. For openers, Newell isn’t about to turn his unformed prospects over to just any defensive linemen. Spend an hour or two hanging around a SC practice and you get beyond the 260 pound surface. For openers, Urban and Olivas are not dummies. Olivas earned the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholarship last year. His GPA was 3.7 and currently is taking a full load at Cabrillo.
Urban’s GPA was 3.3 and scored so high on test, he is currently taking a full load at UCSC.
Both played for Newell last year. They know the program. They knew their roles. Pass the ball. When they set a pick, there is no passing go. So when the program needed a freshman coach, the Big Guys were on the list. They huddled and talked, then said to each other, “if you do it, I’ll do it.” It’s more work then they thought it would be, about three and a half hours six days a week, for which they will split $800 for the season.
It is more like public service then a pay check. Olivas said, “look at this coaching note book.” Plays, notes, instructions, meeting schedules, practice schedules. Then there are things learned by coaching teens, things that can not be picked up by taking notes in a classroom. They coach kids, some of whom have never attended public school, there are two sets of twins and there are the attention spans of 14 year olds.
Another factor in the freshman equation is Rudy Escalante another SC grad who has helped out for years in football, basketball and baseball in which he played at SC. He attended Cabrillo and San Jose State and is a SC police officer. Escalante takes the team on Mondays by himself, when the other two have classes. He brings experience of an intangible nature. “The two new coaches are learning to maintain the team’s attention to keep up interest. Being constant with discipline is important and these two have the temperament. They have a certain aura about them.” But it isn’t all learning, instruction and deep thoughts.
All three coaches and the kids have a good time. For Newell it all adds up to foundation. “First, they’re real good people,” he said. “One of the keys of sustaining a successful program is continuity. With the help of guys like Marcos and George, by the time kids reach varsity level they know what is expected.
For parents, it serves as a reminder that, sometimes, people aren’t in it for the money. A community of sorts is forming. At daily basketball meeting attended by players from all three teams, coaches, Newell, Burks and Escalante a plan emerges. Today a inbounds play has been diagrammed and explained. Players are asked if they understand and they respond, “yes”. In this way, by two defensive linemen, the foundation for a basketball program is passed on to a new class.

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL SCCAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FOURTH TIME IN ROW
Practice games: Mitty tournament fourth place. Pioneer tournament won the championship for the second year in a row. Practice record 9-4
League: SLV 38-31, Harbor 59-31, Watsonville 67-37, Aptos 69-66, (only games available) League round-robin record 10-2 championship. SCCAL playoff final, Soquel 43-35 for sole possession of the Title. CCS Division II playoffs: Burlingame 34-29, played number one seed Leland next (but no information) With out the Leland game the overall record was 23-6 according to the Sentinel.

Trident, February. Roster: Marisa Boyce, Rita Case, Tenaya Fihe, Jill Hilman, Laurn Tashima, Tameka Blue, Jessica Elb, Monica Grova, Megan Kennedy, Sasha Kochen, Nicole Woodie and Ruth Klotz-Chamberlin.

Trident. The team is having another great season this year. After a strong finish last year, this team is keeping up with tradition. This group ended the preseason 9-4. “Everyone knows we have to practice hard to win. Once the games starts everyone is just trying to pump up their teammates and get excited,” Tameka Blue said.
Defense is the key to winning games, but SC has too many offensive threats putting points on the board. Along with Blue, there is junior threats Nicole Woodie and Monica Grova and senior post player Marisa Boyce. The way the team handles pressure is what holds SC above the rest of the teams. “Just because we finished strong in other years, doesn’t count this year, we have to go out every game and prove ourselves. Our games are exciting and everyone should come out and watch us,? Blue said.

Yearbook. With five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and a freshman, the expectation for the team was a little lower than normal, but the girls showed that was wrong. In the Mitty Tournament a major central coast tournament that brings the best teams together for great competition, SC pulled away in fourth place. SC won the championship of the Pioneer Tournament for the second year in a row. They did it by beating league favorite Soquel by a narrow margin and then beat them again later in the season.
Coach Pat Jones says his girls “Have big targets on their chests…when a team wins their league four years in a row, every team is going to play their best game against us.” Four year varsity seniors and this years co-captains Hope Anderson and Danielle Willis are the teams top scorers. Towering over all the other players is Marisa Boyce, another top scorer. Freshman Tamika Blue can dribble through any trap, to drive and dish to her teammates. SC girls are known for their speed and endurance, along with their relentless defense.
Rest of the roster: Michelle Zimmerman, Monica Grova, Ruth Klotz-Chamberlin, Nicole Woodie, Tenaya Fihe, Adrienne Cramer, Jenny Cardoza, Diana Willis and Amanda Moreland. Head coach Pat Jones and assistant Danny Paz.

From the Trident. Trident, February 26. SC is attempting to add to their four consecutive years winning the league championship. Despite two recent consecutive losses to Aptos and Soquel, the team is still on top with a 10-2 league record and 19-6 overall. Jones has coached girls basketball at SC since 1997. Before that he was the boys varsity assistant from 94 until 97. Basketball is something I really enjoy teaching kids.’ Relationships you form along the way are most memorable,” said Jones. He focuses not only on the strictly athletic aspect of the game, but also on the teaching of teamwork and responsibility. “You can have all the athletic ability in the world, yet you can only go so far on talent alone,” Jones said. The game is not neglected. The team focuses on good defense as well as offense. “Execution is important on both ends,” said Jones.
Danielle Willis, one of the teams star players agrees, “Good defense, good passing, but most importantly defense” are most important on the floor, according to Willis. Senior Hope Anderson is the teams leading rebounded. Junior Marisa Boyce has improved in her starting role as center. Seniors Diana Willis and Adrienne Cramer both stepped up in their leadership and defense, according to Jones.
Most of the players on the team are seniors, which means new players will have to take over next year. In addition to Boyce stepping up her play, freshman point guard Tameka Blue was a starter this year. Next year will definitely be different, but we think of it rather as a reloading, not a rebuilding,” said Jones.

Sentinel. Jan. 9. In the league opener, SC played pressure defense, forcing numerous SLV turnovers and dominated their forwards to earn second chance points in a tough 38-31 win. Hope Anderson led the Cards with ten points and Marisa Boyce netted nine.

Jan. 13. SC 59, Harbor 31. Danielle Willis scored 16 points and the Cards routed Harbor behind the solid defensive effort that didn’t allow a Harbor player to score more than five points. SC 2-0 and 11-3 overall

Jan. 23. Santa Cruz Girls Press Way To Win. Cards Now 6-0 In League as they defeated Soquel 53-42. SC led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter. Soquel went ahead 13-10, but the SC pressure defense kicked in and consistently denied Soquel a clear opportunity to inbound the ball. SC regained the lead and ended the half ahead 21-18. In the third quarter, Soquel’s in bounding woes continued. Soquel was held to only five shots in the third quarter as SC out scored them 17-4. Soquel scored 20 points in the third quarter, but it wasn’t enough.

SCCAL BASKETBALL Tournament Finals. SC 43, Soquel 35. SC Girls Continue Title Ways. Hope Anderson has played basketball at SC for four years. And what does she have to show for it? After the top seeded Cards defeated second seeded Soquel at Cabrillo College, 43-35, Anderson has helped SC earn four, count ‘em, four SCCAL Championship banners. The fourth one didn’t come easy.
A fast paced, hard fought game showed why the top seeds were in the Championship game. Soquel shot out to a 12-0 lead. SC managed to find the basket twice to be down 15-4 at the end of the first period. Tenaya Fihe’s three point basket early in the second quarter, helped her team settle down and begin to execute. Marisa Boyce blocked a couple of shots that SC converted at the other end. Point guard Tameka Blue got the ball to her post players, Boyce and Anderson, which helped close the gap. SC trailed at the half 17-15.
Soquel only scored two points in the second quarter, the same amount it scored in the third quarter in their previous game in which Soquel won. Anderson tied the game 17-17 with a basket to begin the third quarter. The lead alternated, until Blue found success driving the lane and making lay-ups. SC ended the quarter with a 26-22 lead, outscoring the Knights 11-5. Coach Patrick Jones credited his team for not getting down after scoring just four points in the first quarter.
Earlier in the year at the Mitty Tournament, SC was down 16-4 after the first quarter against Sacred Heart Prep and came back to win. “I told the girls we’ve seen worse and come back. Patience and poise were our words for the week and tonight when we got down, we went back to the game plan,” said Coach Jones.
Anderson had her own explanation for the first quarter. “We came out too excited. We needed to settle down,” Anderson said. Blue led SC with 16 points, Anderson had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Boyce had 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. “We didn’t want to go home losers. We knew we wanted to step it up,” Blue said.
Last year SC was seeded number two in the Division III CCS, but lost in the quarterfinals against eventual state champions Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco and a member of the tough Catholic league. Soquel was seeded sixteenth out of 19 teams in Division II and won three games to advance to the finals, but lost to Westmont.

Feb. 28. In CCS Division II play number four seeded SC defeated number 12 seeded Burlingame 34-29. With the clock winding down Danielle Willis executed the biggest play of the evening by stealing a Burlingame inbound pass and did not attempt to score. Instead, she eluded foul attempts by Burlingame, which ran valuable time off the clock. An exuberant SC team celebrated the victory and the five seniors finally broke their “quarterfinal” jinx. “Every year I’ve played we’ve lost this round,” said senior Hope Anderson. “For me this is surreal.” Tameka Blue led the Cards with three 3-point shots. (total of number of points cut off) Willis had nine points and Marissa Boyce continued her solid defensive play with seven blocked shots. “I saw a pass coming and I got it,” said Willis a senior. “This is probably the sweetest win I’ve ever had.”
SC moves to 23-6 and Coach Jones was happy to pull out the win. “We couldn’t produce offense in the second half and almost gave it away. I thought Danielle showed great poise on the steal by not going for the layup.” In the past SC has played at the Division III level, but Jones moved his team up to Division II this year. (they could have played at Division III level) The next game is against number one seeded Leland, whose only two losses were to number one in the state Mitty.

From the Trident Student Athlete of the Issue
It’s rare enough that a freshman makes a varsity team but one who starts every gave like Santa Cruz basketball point guard Tameka Blue is the stuff of dreams. In the case of Tameka, it’s the coach’s dreams. She started playing basketball in second grade. “None of my friends ever wanted to play but I did because I always saw the guys having fun every time they played,” said Blue. “None of the boys would tell me that I couldn’t play with them. I don’t think they really cared since I was always hanging around the boys a lot.” Playing with the boys got her to play a more physical game since boys are always playing rough.
Blue explains, “I played with almost every guy on the freshman team, a lot of the J.V. and Josh Rhodes on varsity, Guys are more competitive. They’re rougher and more aggressive. I got that part of my game playing with boys. I even play with them in the off season.
”She’s not selfish on the court at all, “I would rather pass the ball,” she explains, “and get an assist than shoot the ball.” She plays with great intensity, always concentrating and playing hard. On offense she makes great passes that makes you sit and wonder how she did it. Her defense is great. She’s always moving around and getting on her man and just distracting her, waiting for the team to make a bad pass so she can come up with the steal. It’s great watching her play.
On both sides of the game she’s always going to do something to put the Cards ahead. It’s either a three pointer, a layup, a pass, or a shot. She didn’t get good all of a sudden. It took hard work and determination. It meant staying after practice every day for at least twenty minutes and playing every year for summer teams. She played summer league to improve her skills.
Other high school coaches wanted her to play for their school, including Mitty, which has a very good program with sports. She turned them down saying, ”I would rather play for a local place where I grew up because if you’re really good you’ll get recruited anyway.” “My brother told me to stay with one sport. You’ll get better at it.” This decision caused her to give up soccer, since its season is at the same time. She thanks her team for coming back from two losses in a row and for getting past their quarter final losing streak. “I just want to thank all the people that have accepted me and gave me a chance and didn’t think I was just a freshman.”

(no information about ALL SCCAL)

GIRLS JV BASKETBALL
Yearbook/Trident. Roster: Jada Milhouse, Flaura Coren, Jill Himlan, Anika Dunkell, Lizzie Matteucci, Irene Bittleston, Megan Nutt, Carmen Stryker, Bracely Williams, Rachel Cummings, Marissa Grellmann, Irene Whitney, Emily Martin, Cici Smith, Leslie Sudduth, Mia Azzaro, Diana Long, Rita Case and Jenny Arsinyega. Coach Monique Jones.

Trident, February. Girls JV basketball is one of the most underrated basketball teams at SC. The girls have posted an outstanding preseason record with only one loss and they have won all three tournaments that they’ve played in. This is not a cocky team though. “If we play like we know we can play, we can win. We know that we have to improve all the time and we’re not cocky,” says sophomore Rachel Cummings.
Coach Monique Jones, has a lot to do with Rachel’s and the rest of the girls attitudes. She focuses on team goals and not individual goals. “She always wants us to get better as a team. No matter how good we did the game before, we still try to improve. Their full court press defense allows the team to take over games, by creating steals that turn into lay-ups. SC has posted wins in double digits numerous times and beaten teams by scores as high as 50 points. Certainly SC shouldn’t under rate such a talented group of girls.

WRESTLING
Yearbook. With a great coaching staff and athletes with good natural instincts and natural ability, plus heart, all the wrestlers made huge gains throughout the season. Seniors Karl Lund, Chris Newey, Manny Kester, Josh Earnest and team captain Luke Pomerantz led the team to many wins. Rest of roster: Alex Magallanes, Alex Winterly, Cliff Sullivan, Nick Lezin, Billy Joe Butler, Eli Karon, Matt Coon, Steve Pinther, Carlos Valdes and Andres Alvarez-Vasquez.
Coaches Pete Gustafson and Brian Criswell.

Trident, February 26. The high point of the season was at the Lonestar Tournament at Live Oak were four wrestlers placed high and the low point was losing to SLV.
The Cards were in control until the last two matches. The turning point was when the 171 pound SC freshman was disqualified.
The Cards stayed focused and beat Soquel 36-33 in their next match.
Four year varsity wrestler Luke Pomerantz often shares his knowledge with the rest of the team. Luke trained very hard in the off season is seeing his hard work pay off. Fellow wrestler Cliff Sullivan has enjoyed Luke’s presence on the team, “Luke is definitely the leader, As the captain, he takes his responsibility seriously.”
“Moving up to varsity from Junior High was a big step. I met wrestlers much stronger than me and mentally solid, but I maintained and competed well at varsity tournaments, “said Santos Garcia.

In years past many wrestler have put their health in serious danger try to cut a lot of weight in a short period of time. As of January 2, wrestlers weigh in and from that day on they can not wrestle at a lower weight class. There is also a two pound rule, which allows a wrestler to weigh up to two pounds over their listed weight.

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER
Scores: North Salinas 9-1, Watsonville 3-1, Aptos loss.
Team did not make it to CCS as it usually does.

Trident, February. The team is young this year. It is led by seniors Nick Fleming and Marcus Rueman and juniors Eric Gelwicks and Travis Talbott. The team is looking to improve on last years third place finish. Coach Sergio Sierra is in his tenth year of coaching the team.
On December 13 SC defeated North Salinas 9-1. Two major blows to the team came in a loss to Watsonville 3-1 and during the game, the loss of one of the teams best players Gelwicks for the season with a torn ACL ligament. Coach Sierra gave his team the whole winter break off in order to be at full strength for the beginning of the rest of the season.

Yearbook. This season was filled with ups and downs. Unfortunately the downs kept us from our normal trip to the CCS playoffs. Our record was not an accurate representation of the strength and depth our team. For all seniors, especially Robin Brown, Henry Garcia, Ben Ow, Oscar Monroy and Ryan Baker, the last home game was one to remember. Aptos was the loss that kept us from CCS, but when we came on the field in our last game against Aptos, we showed them that they didn’t deserve it and they will go on knowing who the better team was. This season marked the end to a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.

Rest of roster: Antonio V, Tony Delia, Nick Fleming, Sam Crick, Erik Gelwicks, Marcus Ruman, Travis Talbott, Matt McClosky, Roland Guerrero, Will Lewis, Richie Alvarez, Eduardo

Sentinel. Feb. 28. Three Cards were selected for the SCCAL ALL LEAGUE first team. All three are defenders with two seniors: Henry Garcia and Ben Ow and junior Nick Fleming.

JV BOYS SOCCER
Yearbook. The loss of one of the top players to the varsity squad left the team unbalanced. The first five games were lost by close scores. The skill level of the players was very high, but they always seemed to run into the worst luck. The team talked about bringing a box of Lucky Charms to the games to increase their luck. The second half of the season, the boys did much better, providing fierce competition to all teams they played.

Roster: Elliot Krueger, Michael Kotecki, Peter Carroll, Frederico Landeros, Jake Shaw, Jordan Smart, Isaac Noble, Ernie Boffy-Ramirez, Blaze Hamel, Tommy Hall, Will Crick, Andre Beauregard, Saul Gonzales, Chris Krueger, Demetrio Gonzales, Andrew Ow and Kent Cramer.

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER
League games: Watsonville 2-1, SLV 3-2, Harbor 1-5, 0-4; Aptos 1-0 in two overtimes. League record 8-3-1 for second place. As the league second place team, SC qualified for the CCS playoffs. In the first round, Santa Catalina 6-0, quarterfinals, Castilleja 2-0 and semifinals Capuchino 0-2. Overall record 12-5-3

Trident, February. This years team is very experienced. Led by coach Jose Sierra, the Cards are looking to upset Harbor for the league title. There are five returning all league performers: Seniors Callie Griggs and Marie McCann could easily make up the most potent scoring duo in the league. The other three are junior goalie Maya Russell-Nava, sophomore forward Leigha Bare and junior mid fielder Julie Cato.
SC opened the league season with a 2-1 victory over Watsonville. SC began the new year with a 3-2-1 record and was ranked by the Sentinel and Salinas Californian as number four. On January 4, SC beat Aptos in double overtime 1-0. Callie Griggs was the hero, scoring on a corner kick from Marie McCann.

Yearbook. The team was one of the youngest girls soccer teams put together. With five freshmen and six sophomores, the team is one of the strongest and most skilled in the league. The young team was led by junior captains Marie McCann and Callie Griggs, who along with Liana Wayne and Julia Cato dominated the offensive play.
The defense was anchored by the Shonick sisters Kaja a senior and Claire a freshman. Lea Oliver and Carolyn Hatcher were right behind them to back them up and were big factors in the defensive play of the team.
However, the team was not complete without the feared sophomore goal keeper, Maya Russell-Nava, who is confident, “that in a couple of years, we will dominate the league.” Rest of roster: Emily Read, Priya Campbell, Amanda Wardan, Leigha Bare, Erin Bregman, Emily Shwertly and Jessica Hilman. Coach Jose Sierra.

Sentinel. Freshman Leigh Bare delivered the game winning goal in a 3-2 victory over SLV. The win gives SC sole possession of second place 8-3-1with one game remaining. Bare took a pass from Marie McCann 35 yards out and 12 minute into the second half. She juked past a pair of Cougar defenders, but was met by three more. She managed to keep her dribble and then fired a goal on the opposite side of the net.
“I don’t get very exited, but I was jumping up when she scored that goal,” said coach Jose Sierra. It culminated a 3-0 run by SC after SLV jumped to an early 2-0 lead. Bare also assisted a McCann goal in the first half. SC tied the game, with a mass of bodies in front of the goal, a scorer who couldn’t be identified, sneaked the ball past the keeper.

Sentinel. Feb. 17. Cardinals Cruise to 6-0 win. The conditions were perfect for SC, a big field at Carmel Valley to allow its skillful players to play their game. Center halfback Callie Griggs and forward Marie McCann, whose styles are sometimes stifled by smaller fields and poor field conditions were at their best this game. McCann scored two goals and Griggs orchestrated the attack to lead the Cards to a 6-0 victory over Santa Catalina in the first round of the CCS Division III playoffs on a large smooth field.
SC went right at Santa Catalina 13-6-1, the number seven seed, from the opening whistle. Only 13 minutes into the match, McCann had her first goal, off an assist from freshman Sara Frampton. Julia Cato’s solo effort, gave the Cards a 2-0 lead just before half time. But the Cards really played their best soccer in the second half. McCann fired a bullet from more than 30 yards into the upper corner and Frampton took advantage of a goalkeeper mistake to knock in the mishandled ball for a 4-0 lead.
Freshman Leigha Bare, playing with a broken toe, performed admirable before being replace at 65 minutes. Her substitute Erin Bregman, one of six freshmen on the team had an immediate effect. Bregman hadn’t even been in the match for a minute, before knocking in her first goal of the season. Griggs, the teams leading scorer with 12 goals in league play scored the sixth point soon after.

SC 11-4-2, the tenth and final seed, next plays number two seed Castilleja 13-5 in the quarterfinals at West Valley College. “We wish we could play on a field like this all the time. This really displayed the skills of Griggs and McCann and the nice touch they have on the ball,” Coach Jose Sierra.

Feb. 21. SC Girls Win Second Time In Tourney. One has a broken toe, another a broken foot. Together they kicked Castilleja out of the playoffs. Leigha Bare, Emily Read and the other four members of the freshman class have transformed SC into a championship caliber side.
In recent weeks, the Card girls soccer team has reached a level of play that didn’t seem possible even a month ago, when they won only once and were crushed by Harbor. But that seemed a different SC than the one that beat Castlleja 2-0 in a rainy CCS Division III quarter final at West Valley.
This version is headed toward a semifinal against number three seed Capuchino 14-2-4 a 1-0 winner over Carmel. It also drew SC closer to a championship showdown against Harbor. A third minute goal by Marie McCann and one in the thirtieth by Read stood up for the tenth seeded SC 12-4-2, which withstood a lackluster second half to hold off second seeded Castilleja, the 1996 Division III finalist.
A year ago, SC lost to Harbor in the semifinals 3-1 and since lost to Harbor 5-1 and 4-0. In light of their recent performance, one would imagine a rematch would be closer. Over their last three matches, SC has been unstoppable. SC has outscored their opponents 12-1.
The basis of the SC offense is the unspoken communication between McCann at the wing and center midfielder Callie Griggs. Both juniors, they have been teammates and friends since they were little. Griggs is super at reading the flow of the play and knows when McCann, one of the fastest players on the field, is poised to make a run. But the team needed more and the freshmen have the answer.
“We started jelling the last two weeks of the season. It’s because of our young players. They’re getting the chance to play and are trying to make the most of it, so they can stay in longer,” Coach Sierra. Bare playing with a heavily taped broken big toe on her left foot, created the first goal by winning the ball and sending it up the left wing to sophomore Liana Wayne, who sent a pass diagonally across the box. The ball escaped the goalkeeper and reached McCann, who struck a first touch shot into an open net..
SC made it 2-0 behind Read, playing her first match in weeks, because of a cracked bone in her left foot. She returned to practice Thursday, but Sierra was determined to play her. “I’d rather have her at 70 percent then not at all,“ Sierra said. His confidence was rewarded, when Read scored with a shot from her injured foot.
Sophomore Julia Cato intercepted a free kick and sent a crossing pass that the goalkeeper again misplayed, allowing the ball to reach Read. Play was inconsistent in the second half. Bare helped preserve the victory with her ability to hold the ball and force the Castilleja defense to stay back with forays into the box.
All in all, the freshmen made a difference. “The first part of the season, there was a lot of pressure on us to keep up with the rest of the team,” Read said, “We’ve come a long way.” But not too far. “Hey, Em, a teammate yelled over to Read, who was ready to leave the field and get out of the rain. “Don’t forget the ball bag.”

Feb. 26. SC Girls Just Miss Early Shots in semifinal loss to Capuchino 2-0. Liana Wayne shot wide left and Marie McCann hit the crossbar. The girls didn’t realize it, but those shots in the early minutes would be the Cards best chances in the match that swung quickly to Capuchino and never swung back. With a chance at advancing to their first CCS final, SC fell one round short, losing to a bigger, stronger, faster team 2-0 in the CCS Division III semifinal at PAL stadium.
At one time, there seemed a strong chance for an all SCCAL final between SC and first place Harbor. SC was no match for the third seeded Mustangs 15-2-4 of San Bruno, champions of the Peninsula Athletic League’s Ocean Division. In fact Capuchino appeared to be the strongest of the semifinalist.
The down fall for the Cards was their own defense against two corner kicks that ended up with goals. In each case, Coach Jose Sierra said a better goal side defense could have prevented those two scores. But hindsight couldn’t be helped. Capuchino went on to dominate the second half, finishing the match with a 16-8 shot advantage. “We got out nice, distributing the ball. But Capuchino seemed to get stronger as the game went on,” Sierra said.
SC has a lot to look forward too.. There are only two seniors on the team, defender Kaja Shonick and midfielder Priya Campbell. And, if a good freshman goalkeeper comes up as rumored, current standout, Maya Russell-Nave can become a field player, which she prefers. “SC had gone from the first round to the semifinals two years in a row. Next year, we’re going to make it to the finals,” Russell-Nava said.

Trident, February 26. Girls Soccer Advances. SC ended the season 8-3-1 for second place in league and qualified them for the CCS playoffs. They had a rough start with their inexperienced playing together as a team. With only three seniors four juniors and with the rest of the team sophomores and freshmen, “We had a lot of skill and talented people, but sometimes we didn’t quite put it together,” said junior Jessica Hellman. SC had an excellent offense led by Callie Griggs, Marie McCann, Julia Cato and Leigha Bare scoring most of the goals. Griggs ended league play with 12 goals to lead the team in scoring.

Sentinel. Feb. 28. ALL SCCAL first team members were Center halfback Callie Grigg, who was one of the best passers in the league and was the catalysts for an SC team that reached the CCS Division III semifinals. Coach Jose Sierra said her play was what made the team go. She also scored 12 goals in league play to led the team. Forward Leigha Bare was one of three freshman who made the first team. (there were more SC players, but these were the only ones available on the back of a basketball clipping)

GIRLS JV SOCCER SC ended league play 6-4-2 for the best JV record since anyone can remember.
Yearbook. In the past the girls game has been in the shadows of the boys, but this season proved that girls can play competitively and still have a lot of fun. Coming out this season to play with players they have never played with before was a huge challenge, but they handled it well and rose above it. After almost defeating Harbor in one of their first games, the teams hopes were to be one of the best teams in the league. They worked hard everyday rain or shine. Getting new uniforms for the season added some spice and encouraged them to be the best.

Roster: Nicole Perez, Dominique DeLuca, Loucy Escobar, Alicia Perez, Alex Ruiz, Ana Andradi, Marina Hauze, Louisa Ferrer, Adriana Flores, Maya Goodman, Nina Peeples, Chelsea Plemmons, Celia Moore, Stephanie Flores, Erin Takahashi, Tracy Frazier and Holly Van Zant.
Caoch David Rath.

Trident, February 26. SC ended league play 6-4-2 for the best JV record since anyone can remember. The team had a totally different roster from last year. There were ten new players with five of them on the starting roster. “We played more as a team this year,” said forward Celia Morr. New coach David Rath added his special skills to their fresh start. The defense was strong with Nicole Perez at sweeper, Erin Takahashi at right wing, Adriana Flores at left wing, Tracy Frazier at stopper and Alicia Perez as goalie.

BASEBALL
Yearbook. Santa Cruz baseball is all about dedication, pride and hard work. Throughout the off season, players donated time into building “Dodge Field of Dreams.” The field is now done and ready to play ball!! As the Cardinals are coming back off a SCCAL championship season, this years team is looking to do some damage around the league with returning seniors: Gerrardo Rosas, Ryan Myers, Erik Phelps and the main man Django Whittington. Watch out for Derek McDougall throwing heat and Chris Kelly hitting shots. Coach Bob Kittle put in a lot of hard work and effort to build a tradition for SC baseball. The Cards will give it 110% to win league and travel far throughout CCS.

Rest of roster: Andrew Ackerman, Justin Kerrick, Joseph Allegri, Morgan Pena, Niya Levi, Brett Lindgren, Daniel Garcia, Rob Sanders, Evan Cathey, Neil Kunkle, Eric Paris, Travis Talbott and Eli Karon. Head coach Bob Kittle and assistants Mike DeTano and Mario Escobar.

May 21. No Cardinals were on the ALL SCCAL first team. On the second team were pitcher Derek McDougall, infielder Chris Kelly and DH Django Brudnick.

JV and FRESHMAN BASEBALL
Yearbook. Roster for both teams (as the picture combines both teams together); Lamar Lee, Kyle Hartz, Travis Bearden, Peter Carroll, Jared Hunter, Steve Marchisio, Luke Wetmore, Ian Bowers, Ben Baker, Santos Garcia, Sean Croghan, Robbie Swenson, Neil Walton, Liam Murphy, Dustin Roth, Brandon Slack, John Budnick, Chris Morris, John Roberts, Mike Berry, Joe Heard, Connor Murphy, Steve Pinther, Kent Cramer, Matt Hawkins, Sam Whitman and Tim Spencer. JV head coach Brian Walton. Freshman head coach Jesse Trumbull and assistant Bytheal Ratliff,

GIRLS SOFTBALL
Yearbook: The team works well together on and off the field. The line up by name and position: Senior captain Anna Heyman, LF; Alysia Fiffero, SS; Emily Caviglia, 1B; April Nisperos, P/3B; Laura Arthur and Megan Christopoher play solid defense. Returning juniors: Paige Nutt, 2B; Katrina Lynn, C and new comers Sara Delbesio, OF; Karen Martisius, OF; Rachel Ellis, C; Leigha Bare, 2B/CF and Adrienne Cramer, Of ; play great defense and add power to the lineup, according to head coach Lou Caviglia, who was assisted by Pete Newell and Brenna Williams.

Sentinel. April 24. Soquel 8, SC 0. SC fell to 0-7 in league and 2-14 overall. Rachel Ellis, Megan Christopher and Emily Caviglia all went 2 for 3.

JV GIRLS SOFTBALL
Yearbook. The team is constructed of many new talents and five returning girls from last year. With the efforts of hard working sophomore captains Allyson Machado and Ashley Arnott the team fused together to make a great softball team. Lineup by name and position: Lauren Robinson, RF; Nicole Perez, C/1B; Merissa Grellmann, P; Sara Keck, 1B/P; Natalie James, 3B/LF; Emily Martin, SS; Mia Azzaro, 3B; Molly Laughlin, RF; Cassidy Devine, LF; Jenna Mann, P; Alicia Perez, CF; Alana Escobar, C; Rita Case, 3B; Rachel Pena, SS/CF; Allyson Machado, 2B and Ahley Arnott 1B. Head coach Kim Cave and assistants Mann and Keck.

TRACK BOYS and GIRLS COMBINED
Yearbook. The team is on its way back to the top. During the past few years, the team has carried only about 25 students. This year there are approximately 50 members led by Jenny Greenberg, Kelly McCormick, Aaron Longinotti and Matt Whaite. The team philosophy is to focus on personal times and distances and not on victories alone. If we have fun out here, which we do, WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS. How can one not, when one is always striving to improve.

For the past five years we have never able to competed at home. Next year will be different.

Roster combined: James Owen, Torrey Smith, Chris Barlow, Iris Travis, Audrey Waller, Mike Cincola, Kiko Montilla, Sal DiBiasi, Lilly Travis, Kelly McCormick, Sam Crick, Will Lewis, Kyle Davenport, Ryan Phinn, Ricky Selgato, Cliff Sullivan, Kendra Kirkpatrick, Alden Orgain, Megan Baker, Will Crick, Jenny Greenberg, Bernabe David, Thew Whait, Daniel Grabyll, Chris Newey, Adey Anthony, Rachel Rauf, Katherina Schwartz, Melinda Szilagyi, Felicia Chavez and Isaac Noble. Coaches Tami Wallace and Josh Johnson

Trident, April 2. New coach Tami Wallace is a teacher on campus and her coach style has made this years team a lot more dedicated than the past. “The coach is good because she is hard, but not too hard and knows what she wants from our team,” junior Porsha Wallace said. Coach Wallace has been able to get new equipment for the team and new warm-up jackets. She also hopes to have some meets at school.
In the first league meet was a loss to Aptos.. But there were some winning individuals. Aaron Longinotti won the 100 meter in 11.7. Sam Crick won the 100 and 300 meter hurdles. The 1,600 relay team tied with Aptos in a time of 3:47.
Girls against Aptos: Megan Baker won the 100 meters and ran on the winning 1,600 relay team.

SWIMMING
Trident, April 2. Swim Team looking for League Victory. Most of the coaching staff is back for the second year. “We have a diversified and qualified staff,” stated head coach Larry Willis. “it’s a little overstaffed, so that we have a little continuity. Senior Royce Perez, the varsity team captain, likes having a number of coaches available to help. ”It’s nice having different personalities, not having the same face everyday.”
Junior varsity swimmer, Christie Howe noted that the swimmers are “…a lot better this year, because we’re more like a team. We have new blood.” With the all this new attitude, the goals set by the coaches for the team are fairly high.
Coach Willis plans for the boys to win league and the girls to come in third. “Our coaches push us just enough,” said Perez. Despite the challengers posed, “the swimmers are giving their best, We, the coaches, as a team, have made it harder and more consistent than last year. Seniors Molly Devine and Diana Willis are co-captains for the girls varsity team said, “The coaches are very enthusiastic and fun.”

Sentinel. April 24. Monte Vista boys diving team defeated SC and it was vice versa for the varsity girls. Alex Jones took second place with 159.05 points and Mathew Coon took fourth place with 103.15 points for SC. In the girls, Card Megan Baker won with 188.60 points. (the rest of the article was cut off)
In the swim portion of the meet: SC boys 85, Monte Vista 80. Girls: SC 144, Monte Vista 30. SC had three double winners. Sean O’Grady, 200 free in 2:18.65 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:11. Patrick Jacobson, 100 breaststroke 1.06 and 100 free in 49.67 Peter Samac, 100 fly in 1:03.03 and the 50 free in 23.81. Josh Clerisse won the 500 free in 6:22.84.
The SC girls improved to 4-0 in league and also had three double winners. Jackie Calhoun, 200 free in 2:01.13 and the 500 in 5:28.68. Arlene Alvarez, 200 individual medley in 2:33.97 and 100 fly in 1:11. Rachel Willis, 50 free in 27.77 and 100 free in 1:00.80.

Sentinel pre-SCCAL swim finals. There will be a battle in the 100 yard freestyle between favorite Sean O’Grady of SC with a best time of 50.2 and Weiss of Harbor at 50.9. The girls 200 yard freestyle is expected to be one of the more exciting races with three challengers. One is freshman Jacki Calhoun of SC , they are all within one second of one another at 1:57.

May 16. Jones Win SCCAL Diving Title. For the boys, SC’s Alex Jones won with a score of 339.60 Last year Jones did the wrong dive at CCS and finished in last place. “I’m a lot better than last year, but people at CCS are really good and have been diving for years.” “It’s grown over the years. A lot more people are really excited to dive,” said SC diving coach Ron Holmberg.

ALL SCCAL Pat Jacobson and Sean O’Grady, league champions in their races.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Yearbook. Backed by the strong play of middle blocker Michael Lightfoot, SC has a balanced attack of first year setters Kevin Kirkpatrick and Eli Wilson and solid hitters Jeff Horn and Nico Macias. Coach Brain McGinnely feels the team could be one of the top teams competing for the league title.

In a two preseason games against Watsonville and Soquel, the team had good outings. They killed Watsonville in three games. Then pushed league favorite Soquel to five games, 15-13, 15-10, 14-16, 14-16, 15-8. In both games SC had strong play from Michael Lightfoot, Eli Wilson and Kevin Kirkpatrick.

Rest of the squad: Shane Ralph, Scott Walls, Dash Dunkell, Nick Bassano, Ryan Craig, Andrew Freitas and Robin Moor.

BOYS TENNIS
Yearbook. Seniors Mike Croghan, Jeff Garon, Carlos Perez and Justin Reyes have been teaching the underclassmen the fundamentals of the game such as serves, backhand and forehand shots.

The playing ladder for singles play is number one, Mike Croghan; two, Jeff Garon; three, Elliot Hogg; four, Justin Reyes. For doubles, the number one pair, Mitch Smith and Josh Whittman; two, Daniel Worthington and Brandon Smith; three, Carlos Perez and Adam Burg or Serge Glushenko. Coach Rich Ballasore. (this is the complete team)

Harbor defeated SC 7-0. (no mention of SC. Harbor is 10-2 in league.)

Mt. Madonna won the match in three games, but not without a fight from the Cards. After taking the first two games 15-10 and 15-7, the Hawks took a commanding 10-0 lead in the third game. SC then shut down Mt. Madonna and took a 14-12 lead, but the hawks scored the next four points to win the match.
Eli Wilson had 29 assists, eight kills and five blocks. Nico Macias had nine kills and Scott Walls finished with nine blocks. SC is now 2-7.

GOLF
Yearbook. The team is young and talented, with returning league champion and number one player Isaac Weintraub and the only senior on the team Tyler Stock back. The team has had some close and exciting matches and its consistent hard work at practice has been paying off. Team members work well together and are very competitive, which keeps the team strong. The team practices and plays matches at two courses, DeLaveaga and Pasatiempo Golf Courses.

Rest of squad: Marcus Reumann, Erik Hutchinson. Matt Telega and Kyle Reagan. Coaches Pete Pappas and Dennis Mullen.

ALL SCCAL Isaac Weintraub

INDIVIDUALS

It’s rare enough that a freshman makes a varsity team but one who starts every gave like Santa Cruz basketball point guard Tameka Blue is the stuff of dreams. In the case of Tameka, it’s the coach’s dreams. She started playing basketball in second grade. “None of my friends ever wanted to play but I did because I always saw the guys having fun every time they played,” said Blue. “None of the boys would tell me that I couldn’t play with them. I don’t think they really cared since I was always hanging around the boys a lot.” Playing with the boys got her to play a more physical game since boys are always playing rough. Blue explains, “I played with almost every guy on the freshman team, a lot of the J.V. and Josh Rhodes on varsity, Guys are more competitive. They’re rougher and more aggressive. I got that part of my game playing with boys. I even play with them in the off season. ”She’s not selfish on the court at all, “I would rather pass the ball,” she explains, “and get an assist than shoot the ball.” She plays with great intensity, always concentrating and playing hard. On offense she makes great passes that makes you sit and wonder how she did it. Her defense is great. She’s always moving around and getting on her man and just distracting her, waiting for the team to make a bad pass so she can come up with the steal. It’s great watching her play. In both sides of the game she’s always going to do something to put the Cards ahead. It’s either a three pointer, a layup, a pass, or a shot. She didn’t get good all of a sudden. It took hard work and determination. It meant staying after practice every day for at least twenty minutes and playing every year for summer teams. She played summer league to improve her skills. Other high school coaches wanted her to play for their school, including Mitty, which has a very good program with sports. She turned them down saying, ”I would rather play for a local place where I grew up because if you’re really good you’ll get recruited anyway.” “My brother told me to stay with one sport. You’ll get better at it.” This decision caused her to give up soccer, since its season is at the same time. She thanks her team for coming back from two losses in a row and for getting past their quarter final losing streak. “I just want to thank all the people that have accepted me and gave me a chance and didn’t think I was just a freshman.”