Pirates sink in semis

Santa Ynez's boys controlled the ball most of the second half Tuesday.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, that did not translate to a win against No. 1.

Top-ranked Santa Ana Valley Saddleback edged host Santa Ynez 1-0 in the semi-finals of the CIF Southern Section Division IV Playoffs on a goal in the 68th minute. The Pirates saw a fine season end. They went 9-3-0 in the Los Padres League and won the league championship.

Saddleback scored when, “Their guy made a rainbow shot from about 30 yards out in the 28th minute of the second half,” said Santa Ynez coach Alex Uribe.

“The first half was pretty even,” in terms of ball control.

“We actually dominated a lot of the second half with the ball,” said Uribe. “Their guy just happened to be left alone about 30 yards out that one time, and he made the shot.”

Santa Ynez got to the semi-finals by rallying to beat Santa Ana Century 1-0 Friday. In fact, “I think (almost) every game in our division has been decided by one goal,” Uribe said.

LPL runner-up Santa Maria beat Burbank Burroughs 3-1 in the first round, then lost to defending champion La Habra 3-2.

Though neither team had many scoring chances Tuesday, Uribe said, the Pirates did have their chances in the second half.

“We had two shots from close in on the goal,” said Uribe. “We just couldn't make them.”

Uribe said, “That goal we allowed was only the second one scored on us in the playoffs,” and against Santa Ynez goal keeper Alex Palacios in the post-season.

Palacios made only two saves Tuesday.

“It was pretty much a midfield struggle most of the way,” said Uribe. “They controlled the midfield most of the first half, but we took that back in the second.

”I thought our whole team played well, really, from the starters down to the guys on the bench.”

The Pirates' defensive unit in front of Palacios that had been so strong includes sweeper Juan Sanchez; stopper Arturo Guzman; right side defender Miguel Angel; and left side defender Ryan Williams.

Guzman is the only senior of the four. Sanchez is a junior. Angel is a sophomore, and Williams is a freshman.

Uribe said, “I lose four starters (to graduation), but we get seven starters back. That's pretty sweet.”

Uribe noted what he said was the strength of the Los Padres League. “You know, Santa Maria was in the semi-finals last year (before losing), Lompoc has made a good run before, Santa Maria beat us for the title in 2005.

“I'm proud of the way the whole team played during the season, really,” said Uribe. “You know, a lot of the schools we played in the playoffs have twice our enrollment.

“We expected to be (in the semi-finals), but not many others expected us to be here.”

Track and field

Santa Maria City Meet

St. Joseph's boys and girls squads rolled to team titles at Righetti, which hosted the meet.

The Knights boys varsity has won the championship for the last several years. St. Joseph's girls took the crown back after Righetti won it last year. This marked the fourth time (Pioneer Valley is a fourth-year program) the four Santa Maria Valley schools were in the meet.

St. Joseph's girls racked up 149 points Tuesday. Righetti scored 50, Pioneer Valley had 32 and Santa Maria scored 10 on an uncharacteristically warm and relatively calm weather day to usher in the Santa Maria Valley prep track and field season.

St. Joseph's boys piled up 107 points. Righetti was runner-up with 69 points, with Pioneer Valley a point behind. Santa Maria scored four points.

Sophomore Teresa Loya is a St. Joseph sophomore. She is also the defending CIF Southern Section Division IV girls shot put champion. Loya won the event Tuesday with a 36-8 1/2 despite a wrenched back.

“I hurt it during the discus,” she said. “I bent a little during a throw, then I felt something twist.”

She won the event at 104-8. Loya was in obvious discomfort during the shot put, but she edged teammate Mariah Vail on her last throw.

Vail finished second at 36-6 1/2. “That's my PR,” said Vail. “This is a very good day for me.”

Loya said, “I was hoping to throw 40 feet today, but then I gut hurt. I didn't know if was even going to compete (in the shot put) after that, so I guess I'm happy enough with 36-8 1/2.” Loya's best is the 39-11 she threw at the sectional Masters Meet last spring when she qualified for the state meet.

St. Joseph sophomore Nicole Kolbo was a triple girls winner. She won the 100 (12.94) and 200 meter (27.49) races. She also won the long jump at 16-7 1/2.

“I thought the long jump went very well,” Kolbo said after she won the 100. “My best is 17-2, so I'm very happy with a 16-7 1/2 the first meet.”

“I really like the weather today. Last year it was foggy and soooo cold.”

Righetti junior sprint standout Ehi Robinson won the boys 100 in 11.1 and the 200 in 22.96.

“The 200 is my strongest race,” he said. In the 100, “I'm really working on my start,” he said. “That's my weak point.”

Robinson's personal best in the 200 is 22.5. He thought a 22.96 on opening day this year was “pretty decent.”

Not only did Robinson win two open events, he anchored Righetti's 400 and 1,600 relay squads to victory with strong legs.

Rebeccah Herrera ran two strong middle distance races. The Pioneer Valley senior won the 1,600 in 5:33.52 and followed that up by winning the 800 in 2:28.78.

“I went to the CIF preliminaries in the 1,600 last year, so that was my strongest event then,” she said.

“Which of the two is my strongest event just trades off. I liked the weather today. The wind wasn't bad.” The wind is usually awful on track and field opening day in the Santa Maria Valley, particularly on the backstretch.

Righetti's Shane Soden won the open boys 400 in 54.00. He also won the pole vault at 11-6 and ran the first leg for the Warriors' 1,600 relay team.

St. Joseph coach Greg Sarkisian said, “Our boys and girls teams worked very hard for two weeks to prepare for this. I thought they all came out and competed very well - at every team level.”

The Knights won the boys (80 points) and girls (160) junior varsity meets. Righetti's boys (46 points) and Pioneer Valley's girls (24) finished second.

Varsity girls open event winners included St. Joseph's Nicole Adam in the 110 hurdles; Angelina Nichols of Righetti in the 400; and St. Joseph's Jenn Lane (high jump); Rachel Jackson (300 hurdles); Lauren Grossi (pole vault); Quetta Peinado (3,200) and Alia Vosburg (triple jump).

Righetti's quartet of Sensika Niyathapala, Nichols, Kristin Reinwald and Megan Vyenielo teamed to win the 400 relay. Pioneer Valley's foursome of Stephanie Anderson, Lauren Barnum, Angelica Gonzalez and Herrera won the 1,600 relay.

Varsity boys open event winners included Righetti's Byron Carpenter in the 1,600; Bobby Harper of St. Joseph in the shot put; Righetti's C.J. De Comarmond in the 110 high hurdles; St. Joseph's Jeff Blake in the high jump; Steven Youngblood of Pioneer Valley in the 800; St. Joseph's Sam Schur in the long jump; Pioneer Valley's Tyler Vogt (discus) and Andy Piņon (300 hurdles), Topher Norling of Righetti (3,200) and Scott Cathcart of St. Joseph (triple jump).

Eric Aros, Brandon Escobedo and Matt Meza teamed with Robinson in Righetti's victorious 400 relay race. Soden, Trevor Nissen, Meza and Robinson formed Righetti's winning 1,600 relay squad.

Boys volleyball

St. Joseph 3, Pioneer Valley 2

The Knights edged the Panthers 26-24, 25-23, 14-25, 24-26, 15-12 on opening night at St. Joseph's Hofschulte Gym.

The Knights shook off Pioneer Valley's Jordan Jones' match-high 12 kills. Chase Miller and Alex Alcantar had nine kills each for the Panthers.

Joe Matasci (six) and Pat Cruden (five) were St. Joseph's kill leaders. Setter Sean Gibilisco bolstered the Knights with 25 assists. Matasci added five blocks.

Pioneer Valley setter Eric Silva racked up 31 assists.

Santa Ynez 3, Nipomo 0

The Pirates celebrated the return of coach Chip Fenenga with a three game sweep at home against the Titans, 25-18, 25-9, 25-12.

“It sure is nice to be back,” Fenenga said after a bout with cancer kept him off the sidelines last season.

Fenenga praised the play of two sophomores, Andrew Wolinsky and Marco Cromack.

“Andrew had seven kills, three aces and passed the ball flawlessly,” he explained. “And Marco had 11 straight serves in the second game. He also had seven digs and anchored our defensive effort.”

Junior Jon Bridgeman, who comes in at 6-feet, 8-inches, led the Pirates with nine kills.

“There were lots of nerves and mental mistakes and Nipomo played well at the beginning,” Fenenga said, before Cromack's run of serves turned the match in the Pirates' favor.

Santa Ynez will visit Paso Robles on Thursday.

Swimming

Righetti boys 116, Santa Ynez 57

Righetti girls 102, Santa Ynez 60

Josh Grall and Eric Tucker both won two open events as the Warriors' boys won going away at Paul Nelson Pool in a season opener.

Grall won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:19.57 and the 100 butterfly in 1:01.5. He swam the third leg for Righetti's victorious 200 medley relay team.

Tucker took the 200 (2:02.31) and 500 (5:35.86) freestyles. Grall and Tucker each swam legs for Righetti's winning 200 freestyle relay squad.

No details on the girls meet were available.

Boys golf

Santa Ynez 414, Paso Robles 429

The Pirates used Tyler Shean's 79 to top the Bearcats in both team's season-opener played at Hunter Ranch.

Santa Ynez' Johnny Henno shot an 80, followed by Parker Colvin's 84, A.J. Woronovich's 84 and Mike Swetech's 87.

Paso Robles' John-Eric Cook took medalist honors with a 75.

Santa Ynez next faces San Marcos on Thursday.

Women's Tennis

Cuesta 8, Hancock 1

The Hancock doubles team of Ashley Brady and Kacie Guggia continued their fine play, earning the lone win in a Western State Conference tennis match against Cuesta (5-0, 2-0 WSC).

In number two doubles, Brady and Guggia defeated Ali White and Alexandra Wollenman, 8-4 in a pro set matchup. Elysha McLain and partner Maty Martinez gave the Cuesta number one team of Ali Efremsky and Lynsey Loveman a tough time before falling 8-5.

Cuesta took all six singles matches in straight sets.

The Bulldogs fell to (0-3, 0-1 WSC). They will play at Santa Monica on Thursday, while the Cougars host defending conference champions Ventura.

February 27, 2008