living | Sports
Taking It to the Limit High School Basketball, Soccer, and Water Polo Teams Head to CIF
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by John Zant
PAUL WELLMAN
n a week’s time, high school teams will enter the survival phase of winter sports — the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section play-offs in basketball, soccer, and girls’ water polo. Their names will be stacked on the left side of the bracket sheets, and a diminishing number of blank lines will spread across each sheet in columns until, at the far right, one line remains, to be filled in by the name of the champion. Santa Barbara High’s basketball teams have a chance of making it through all the rounds to that coveted final spot — the girls ranked No. on the Division -AA poll and the boys No. in Division A. There are 12 divisions in the basketball play-offs, each of them consisting of schools that are presumably competitive with one another. Teams playing in the same league can be assigned to different divisions. Santa Barbara will finish behind Ventura in the Channel League girls’ basketball standings, but the Dons won’t have to face the Cougars in the play-offs because Ventura is highly ranked in Division A. Despite their superior status, the Cougars were on their guard when they came to play in Santa Barbara’s J.R. Richards Gymnasium last week. Just five points had separated the teams in Ventura earlier in the season. “It’s been a stressful weekend,” Cougars coach Ann Larson said.“We have to play hard.” That they did, crushing the Dons on the backboards and taking away a 64-47 victory. The most spectacular player on the floor was Santa Barbara sophomore Amber Melgoza, who SHOOT THE MOON: Santa Barbara High School’s girls’ basketball took on the Ventura Cougars in early February. Despite their best efforts, the poured in 29 points. She is listed as a power forward Dons lost the game 64-47. Pictured: SBHS sophomore Amber Melgoza (#4) tried for a point, covered by Ventura’s Marki Meyer (#32). Melgoza made 29 points of the Dons’ final score. because, at 5 9 , she is the tallest starter on the team. Quickness and agility, rather than power, enable her men’s soccer team takes to the pitch next fall. Coach Tim some of their finest student-athletes — the student part is to score in the paint, and she can also shoot from the perimVom Steeg announced the signings of 11 new players, important in this case — can accept college scholarship offers eter like her favorite player, Golden State Warriors guard including nine from U.S. Soccer Development Academy proby signing national letters of intent. Stephen Curry. grams affiliated with Major League Soccer clubs. Four played A pair of Dos Pueblos High senior girls will attend Pac- Melgoza was exhausted after battling Ventura at both for the L.A. Galaxy Academy — midfielders Adonis Amaya, Conference schools. Stamatia Scarvelis, winner of two ends of the floor.“They’re a lot bigger than we are,” she said. Axel Mendez, and Ryo Fujii; and defender Jeff Quezada. state titles and the national junior championship in the shot At one point, the Cougars had a 50-25 lead. The Dons, led by The Gauchos, who are losing top scorers Achille Camput, signed with UCLA, and state cross-country runner-up Melgoza and Jocelin Petatan, forced several turnovers and pion and Goffin Boyoko to graduation, signed three Addi Zerrenner is going to Arizona. put together a 12-0 run, but they ran out of gas in the fourth UCSB signed a pair of San Marcos athletes, Dasha forwards — Dalton Pando and Alex Liua of the San Jose quarter. Depew for women’s swimming and Shane Hauschild for Earthquakes Academy, and Denis Kalamar of the Seattle “We’re fortunate to have a long bench,” Larson said. Marki Sounders Academy. Vom Steeg is also high on the attackMeyer led the balanced Ventura scoring with 14 points. Meyer men’s water polo. Hannah Harrah, the goalkeeper on the is a special player. The 5 11 senior has Type diabetes, and she San Marcos girls’ soccer team, is going to Loyola Marymount, ing ability of Ludwig Ahl, a midfielder from Stockholm, Sweden. and boys midfielder Robbie Landeros to Seattle University. comes to games equipped with an insulin pump and a wireJoe Salcedo, a 6 6 , 270-pound lineman who helped less monitor. “She is a very mature young woman,” Larson END OF A LONG, HARD RIDE: Barney Berglund, Bishop Diego’s football team go 33-6 in the last three seasons, said. an activist in the Santa Barbara bicycling community and allis heading to San Diego State. Cardinals tight end and lineSanta Barbara coach Andrew Butcher said the Dons let the game get away in a sloppily played first half. “We’ll start around good guy, lost a yearlong battle with cancer last week. backer Nolan Tooley signed with UC Davis. Santa Barbara High is sending two more girls to NCAA to correct our mistakes,” he said,“or we won’t, and it will be a He will be missed. Before the disease sapped his strength, Division water polo programs — Betsy Hendrix to UCSB short season.” Berglund was known as one of the strongest local men on and Anna Brummett to Indiana. On the boys’ side, Santa Barbara has run away with the two wheels. His love of the sport led him to volunteer as chair Two SBCC football players signed to play at four-year Channel League title. The Dons could finish 12-0 in the of the area organizing committee when the first Amgen Tour of California came through Santa Barbara in 2006. schools — cornerback Tavonte Jackson going to Idaho league, giving them a boost of momentum for the play-offs. State and linebacker Jackson Weed to Glenville State, Berglund mustered support for the return of the ATOC last Other basketball teams with high hopes entering the posta Division school in West Virginia. Vaquero soccer star year, but after he was diagnosed with retroperitoneal sarseason are Bishop Diego’s boys and girls, both ranked in Brandie Harris, a Dos Pueblos grad who set a school Division AA. In Division boys’ soccer, Santa Barbara has coma, a rare form of cancer, he brought in co-chairs to make clinched the league championship, and Dos Pueblos is hold- record with 30 goals last year, signed with Cal State San Bersure the details would be taken care of. Berglund’s legacy ing second place. San Marcos, Santa Barbara, and Dos Pueb- nardino along with teammate Heather Rivera. The SBCC will include another round of professional cycling on May los all are ranked in the Division girls’ water polo top 10. men’s soccer team is sending a quartet of players, led by Brit15, when Stage of the 2014 Amgen Tour finishes in Santa ish standout Adam Colton, to Hawai‘i-Hilo. Barbara. COLLEGE BOUND: The first Wednesday of February has For more sports, including a weekly highlight schedule, SOCCER HAUL: Look for lots of fresh faces when UCSB’s become a ceremonious day at many high schools. It’s the day see independent.com/sports. february 13, 2014
THE INDEPENDENt
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