SPRING SPORTS FEVER HITS
• Spring playoff brackets are about to be filled as the end of the baseball and softball seasons are in sight.
The competition gets tough as some teams look to finish the regular season undefeated and want to go on winning streaks going into the playoffs.
There are still many games left to play with playoffs, championship games and summer All-Stars on the calendar
The spring middle school sports season begins this week with softball, girls’ flag football and boys’ volleyball on the schedule.
Check out the next edition of Panorama for more good stuff happening on the Hill.
Yellow Ball Go Boom . . .
The 8U Berry Blasters are set for a strong playoff run in girls’ fast-pitch softball action.
Minors Set For Playoff Action
Majors
Camp
Baseball Sliding Into Playoffs .
Rolling Hills Marlins and Guardians battle in Intermediate Division action
Spring Sports
Win The Close Ones . . . The PV Dodgers celebrate a close win over the first-place Phillies in Major Division action.
The Undefeated . . . The Lunada Bay Intermediate Padres have yet to take a loss this season.
Sea Kings And Panthers Hold Dual Meet
Toughest Track Event
. . .
Track & Field
• Palos Verdes and Peninsula High schools held their annual dual track and field meet at Peninsula High last week.
In team competition, the Palos Verdes varsity boys’ and girls’ teams each defeated the Panthers, while Peninsula boys’ and girls’ frosh/soph teams outduled the Sea Kings.
Respect The Stripes . . . Palos
Panthers Are Quick . . . Peninsula’s Ivanka Samarasinghe edges past Palos Verdes’ Fiore Middleton down the stretch of the girls’ 200 meter sprint at Peninsula High Wednesday.
Palos
Verdes high senior Adam Andres won the boys’ 300 meter hurdles.
The Longest Run . . . The Sea Kings’ Aiden Koch takes the lead at the beginning of the 3200 meter run before crusing to a victory against Peninsula.
Verdes high junior Camren Hughes won the boys’ 200 meter sprint.
Playoff Brackets Wait To Be Filled
Capture The Momentum . . . The Dolphins look to swim above the busy 10U Division for a victories playoff run.
Softball
• A perfect season is in sight for the top fast-pitch softball teams going into the playoffs.
The 8U Dolphins are currently 5-0-5 and the 10U Pv Peacocks are 6-0-0 with only a few regular season games left on the schedule. Both the Kraken and Bulldogs have gone through the season without a loss, but have picked up a couple ties.
The playoffs begin May 3 with the finals scheduled for May 10.
Fast Field, Alert Defense . . .
Back Up For Good Team Defense . . . The Cotton Candy Crushers go a an 8-7 win over the Disco Dinos in 10U Division competition at
This Will Take A Second . . . The 12U Bulldogs got a 9-3 win over the Dirt Divas before spring break.
Cornerstone School.
The 12U Division Kraken battle visiting El Segundo #3 at Cornerstone School.
Stomach Ache Turns Into Night At Torrance Hospital
• Side ache leads to surgery and 24-hour stay at Torrance Memorial hospital.
By James Lew Surgery
It was just an ordinary Wednesday night, watching the Clippers, eating my mom’s chili for dinner, studying, then going to bed around midnight. I wake up at 2 am with the most excruciating stomach ache I have ever experienced. Feeling light headed and nauseous, I could barely walk to the kitchen, naively, thinking tums would help.
I headed straight to Exer Urgent
Care the next morning, as soon as they opened, and the doctor sent me straight to Torrance Memorial ER, suspecting appendicitis, inflammation of the appendix.
I often read about athletes needing appendectomies, but just never thought I would go through it. According to the clevelandclinic.org, “Appendix removal has been the standard treatment for appendicitis for over 100 years. In the United States, surgeons do about 300,000 appendectomies each year.”
My ER physician Dr. Liu ran multiple blood tests that showed inflammation because my white blood cell count and CRP (reactive protein test) numbers were both elevated. Once the CT scan con-
firmed an enlarged appendix, the nurse started me on two rounds of antibiotics in preparation for surgery.
I hardly had time to process what was happening, and although appendectomies are common, I knew there are always risks with surgery.
The next thing I knew, I’m meeting my surgeon, Dr Mariano, and the anesthesiologist, Dr Vaysburd, while my parents were giving their consent for the operation. Then I’m saying goodbye to them as I’m wheeled into the operating room. I was just hoping that wouldn’t be the last time I saw my parents as I was staring into the bright lights of the operating room.
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Camps Take Center Stage During Spring Break .
Breakers coach Michael Salceda Gonzalez and former NBA star Ricky Davis instruct and have fun playing basketball during the PV Breakers spring camp at the Peninsula High gym.
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Release The Kraken . . . The PV Kraken played host to El Segundo #3 in 12U Division play at Cornerstone School.
Every Win Counts With Playoffs On Deck
Little League
• There are only a few weekends of regular season games left before league playoffs and post-season action begins.
The Lunada Bay Intermediate Padres is the only team without a loss on the Peninsula with a 9-0-1 record.
The Rolling Hills Intermediate Pirates have scored a Peninsula High 125 runs so far this season. While the Palos Verdes Phillies (39) and Rolling Hills Yankees (35) in the Major Divisions have allowed the fewest runs scored.
While a lot of runs have been scored this season, very few have been scored via reported home runs.
. The first place Rolling Hills Marlins battled the Dodgers to a 12-12 tie in Intermediate Division action.
Marlins Add A Tie . .
Bananas Hit When Ripe . . . The Bananas battle the Peaches in Rookie Division action at Lunada Bay Little League.
Major Division Action At Valmonte . . . The Orioles and Padres battle before a new season begins with division playoffs and a chance for a trophy.
More Action At The Five Sided Figure . . . PV Little League’s home plate gets a lot of fast action with a brick backstop and short outfield.
The Thrashers Are Coming . . . Bulldozers and layers of woodchips are getting the Peninsula ready for a long spring and hot summer.
Rangers Keeping Pace . . . The Rangers’ David Hu slides safely at home plate to help lead the Ranges to a 8-6 win over the White Sox at Lunada Bay Little League.
PENINSULA LITTLE LEAGUES
Palos Verdes Little League
Pirates Playing Like Royalty . . .
The Palos Verdes Intermediate Pirates lead the Peninsula in total runs scored and are looking strong as a King of the Hill favorite.
Orioles Set To Fly . . . The Rolling Hills Orioles are ready to end the regular season with a winning streak before the Major Division playoffs.
Marlins Slide To The Top . . . Base runner Jameson Taylor slides safely into third base to help lead the first-place Marlins to a 3-0 win over the Guardians in Intermediate action at Rolling Hills Little League.
I thought the anesthesia would make me drowsy and take time, but once they put the mask over my nose, I remember waking up in the recovery room with my parents by my side. I stayed overnight at Torrance Memorial, in the Pediatric Ward, and I was likely the oldest patient there since I only heard the sound of babies crying down the halls. All the nurses, from the ER to the recovery room, were
extremely patient, attentive and kind during my entire hospital stay. I even had a restaurant style menu to select my Valentine’s Day meals.
My doctors were all exceptional, explaining the surgery in great detail, keeping my parents posted before and after the operation, even giving me color photos of the surgery … and my appendix. I felt fortunate to have access to such excellent healthcare.
As a teenager, going through emergency surgery was definitely the scariest moment of my life. Suddenly you are forced to confront your mortality in that brief moment before the anesthesia takes control. It really does give you a new perspective on what is really important in life, and not take your family, friends, and good health for granted.
