The Valley News • www.myvalleynews.com • March 28, 2014
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Sports
TVHS parents, players meet new head football coach Experienced Arizona coach brings fresh approach Paul Bandong Staff Writer Almost 200 parents and players filled the staff Lounge at Temecula Valley High School (TVHS) Thursday night as Principal Alan Williams introduced Rick Mey, the new head coach of the football program. Mey, 45, has almost twenty years of experience at the high school and college levels coaching football and teaching strength training. He has been a head coach for thirteen years. He has a reputation for turning around struggling programs. Mey took the Copper Canyon (Glendale, AZ) program from one league win in the previous five years to seven wins in two years. TVHS has four league wins in the last four years. Mey was the assistant head coach at his alma mater, Cactus High in Glendale, where the team went 34-5, earned two regional titles and went to the state championships twice. He started the football program at O’Connor (Phoenix), with three winning seasons in the school’s first five years. Mey’s first head coaching opportunity was at Deer Valley in Glendale at the age of 28. Despite a student body of 2400 students,
only 19 players suited up for the football team. The school had not had a winning season in ten years. In just two years, Mey led them to their first winning season. Over 100 kids were part of the football program that year. Mey received the City of Phoenix Outstanding Teacher Award in 2005. His 2007 and 2012 teams also received the Arizona Interscholastic Association Sportsmanship Award as selected by coaches and referees. “Football is the biggest classroom on campus,” says Mey. “Athletics is life’s laboratory.” Mey’s coaching philosophy is built on four tenets: love/passion, discipline, character, and work ethic. He places a heavy emphasis on educational and behavioral accountability as well as on life lessons. “He was one of over a hundred applicants,” said principal Williams. “We looked to see what kind of a person he was first and then the X’s and O’s. We found a family man with high character, integrity and transparency. He is moving here to make it a home and he is joining our football program to make it a family.” “We were looking for an oncampus coach with communication
Lakeside exits in CIF State Regional semifinals Eagles down Lancers, 73-58
Paul Bandong photo TVHS announced its new head football coach, Rick Mey, who is moving here from Arizona with his wife, Tina, son Bryce and two daughters, Lauren and Melissa (not pictured).
skills, who understands how to work with kids, has good knowledge of the game, and has had prior success,” said Athletic Director Bill Moyer. “Rick is a hard worker with a real commitment to kids.” Mey will be moving here with
his wife of 19 years, Tina, their two daughters and a son. Lauren will be a senior and plays softball. Marissa will be a sophomore and is a threesport athlete (volleyball, soccer, softball). Bryce will be entering sixth grade and is a football player.
Mey’s appointment is pending an April 1 approval by the TVUSD board. He will be teaching history at TVHS. “He’s bringing some fresh new ideas here and we’re excited about the future of TVHS football!” exclaimed one parent.
Seniors Wells and Drechsler head list of soccer all-leaguers 24 named to boys all-southwestern league Paul Bandong Staff Writer Two seniors were named 2014 Southwestern League MVPs: Julian Wells from Chaparral for offense and Cole Drechsler from Great Oak for defense. Chaparral (17-6-5) took the League Championship with a 7-1-1 record. Great Oak (10-6-1) was second with an 8-2-0 record. The Wolfpack held their league opponents to three goals. Great Oak made it to the first round of CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs; Chaparral won three on the way to the Semifinals round. Twenty-four players were named All-Southwestern League, including one sophomore.
David Canales photo Senior Kianna Williams scored 24 points in her final game for the Lancers as they finish the season with a record of 25-8.
Paul Bandong Staff Writer Lakeside Lady Lancers’ historic run came to an end Tuesday night with a 73-58 loss to the Santa Margarita Eagles in the semifinals of the CIF State Regional Playoffs. The Lady Lancers had won the Sunbelt League Championship with a 10-0 record. They were the #2-seed in CIF Southern Section Division 3AA and rolled through their quadrant of the bracket with a bye, a 69-43 win over Wilson and a 58-53 win over Tustin. In the Final Four round, they beat Corona del Mar 57-37 to advance to the CIF-SS title game. They ended up runner-up in the title game to Santa Barbara after a 67-43 loss. This was further than any Lakeside girls team had ever been before. Lakeside qualified for the 2014 CIF State Division III Girls Basketball Championships. They beat Hoover 68-46 and came from behind an eight-point halftime deficit to win 64-56 over South Pasadena. The win sent them into the Regional semifinals, three wins away from a State Championship. Santa Margarita got off to a fast 8-0 start led by their lone senior,
Zaire Williams, who ended the night with 19 points. Lakeside trailed 14-7 at the end of the first period, 32-23 at the half. Lakeside’s press got them to within three, 34-31, in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Lady Lancers were within four, 42-38, with 2:40 left, but ended up trailing 49-40 at the end of the period. Santa Margarita made 11-of-17 free throws down the stretch to ensure the win. Tori Anderson scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half to lead the Eagles in scoring. Post players Taylor Donohue and Sheldon Cornell each had eleven. Kianna Williams led Lakeside with 24 points, 15 in the second half. Maia Crawley, Megan Wood, and Victoria Sosa each had eight points; Marissa Williams had seven. Tavian Lasley added another three to her season total of 42. Lakeside finished the season 25-8. They lose only two seniors – Kianna Williams and Wood – and look to return strong next year. “We have a lot of young players who are benefitting from this playoff experience,” said coach Anthony Williams, “They’re getting better every time we play.”
West Coast Lightning season opens Paul Bandong Staff Writer The West Coast Lightning – our local semi-pro women’s tackle football team – opens their ninegame regular season on April 5th. This is their third season of existence. Last year the Lightning had seven members named to the All-American Team that played before the National Championship game. All home games will be played at Linfield Christian High School,
31950 Pauba Road, Temecula. Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. April 5 @ Arizona Assassins April 12 San Diego Surge April 19 @ Central Cal War Angels April 26 @ San Diego Surge May 10 Central Cal War Angels May 17 Las Vegas Showgirls May 24* Arizona Assassins May 31 @ Las Vegas Showgirls June 7 Utah Falcons *The May 24th game against the Arizona Assassins will be played at Wheelock Stadium at Riverside City College.
FIRST TEAM: John Baron, 12, Chaparral Jesus Trejo, 11, Chaparral Wyatt Marquette, 12, Chaparral Steven Beaudry, 11, Chaparral Josh Constant, 12, Great Oak Yezzan Naber, 12, Great Oak Brandon Blum, 12, Great Oak Jack Richins, 11, Great Oak Cullen Boyd, 12, Vista Murrieta Andrew Gomez, 12, Vista Murrieta Jeyson Hirwa, 12, Temecula Valley Jacob Croom, 12, Murrieta Valley
David Canales photo
Offensive MVP Julian Wells
SECOND TEAM: Andrew Quiroz, 10, Chaparral Benjamin Portillo, 11, Chaparral Rene Aguayo, 12, Chaparral Angelo Basso, 11, Chaparral Andrew Soltysiak, 12, Great Oak Chris Le, 12, Great Oak
Joe DiCarlo, 11, Great Oak Aaron Ruth, 12, Vista Murrieta Joey Renteria, 12, Vista Murrieta Ryan Hizon, 12, Temecula Valley Genero Trejo, 12, Murrieta Valley Zach Wilson, 12, Murrieta Mesa
Juniors Gibson and Magnin head list of soccer all-leaguers 24 named to girls All-Southwestern League Paul Bandong Staff Writer Two juniors were named 2014 Southwestern League MVPs: Maegan Gibson from Chaparral for offense and Sydney Magnin from Temecula Valley for defense. Gibson accounted for 29 of her team’s 151 points, scoring 12 goals and dishing out five assists. In addition to being named Defensive MVP, Sydney Magnin had ten goals and nine assists for her Temecula Valley team. Chaparral (15-4-2) took the League Championship with an 8-11 record. Temecula Valley (20-4-3) was second with a 6-2-2 record. Both teams made it to the second round of CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs. Twenty-four players were named All-Southwestern League, including three freshmen and one sophomore. FIRST TEAM: Makalyla Presgrave, 11, Chaparral Jordan Sanders, 11, Chaparral Madori Spiker, 12, Chaparral Kristina Alvarado, 11, Chaparral Lindsay Kutcher, 12, Temecula Valley Nicole Robertson, 12, Temecula Valley Christine Maurer, 9, Temecula Valley Josie Guinn, 9, Vista Murrieta Perry Guinn, 12, Vista Murrieta Ashley Johnson, 9, Vista Murrieta Danielle Clark, 10, Murrieta Mesa Miranda Shulz, 12, Great Oak
Offensive MVP Maegan Gibson
SECOND TEAM: Tiffany Jackson, 11, Temecula Valley Carolyn Jagoda, 11, Temecula Valley Peyton Nocciolo, 12, Temecula Valley Analisa Murillo, 11, Temecula Valley Mallory DeAvila, 12, Great Oak
David Canales photo
Kristiana Peraza, 12, Murrieta Mesa Brittany Caserma, 11, Vista Murrieta Gabby Constante, 12, Vista Murrieta Kayleigh Frederick, 11, Chaparral Gabriel Manno, 10, Chaparral Bianca McFarland, 11, Chaparral Stephanie Martinez, 12, Chaparral