The Channel League Award Winners

Fall Sports Standouts are Recognized

Credit: Lily Chubb

The high school fall sports season is in the rearview mirror and many of the competitors were honored with post-season awards and All-Channel League selections to commemorate their accomplishments.

The Channel League currently consists of Santa Barbara County schools Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara as well as Ventura County Schools Buena, Ventura, Rio Mesa, Pacifica, Oxnard, and Channel Islands (football only).

Football

Santa Barbara High shared the Channel League title with Pacifica and Rio Mesa as all three teams finished with 7-1 records in League play.

Quarterback Abel Renteria was named Channel League Offensive Player of the Year. Renteria eclipsed 2,200 yards passing and tossed 21 touchdown passes in eleven games. He also rushed for more than 500 yards and nine touchdowns.

The primary recipient of Renteria’s passes was Kai Mault who received Channel League Wide Receiver of the Year recognition after falling just short of 1,000 yards receiving and hauling in eleven touchdown passes.

Santa Barbara High also had four All-Channel League First Team selections, including A.J. Gomez, Nathan Barrios, Damian Stehno and Andrew Tobin. The Second-Team selections from Santa Barbara High were Winston Bartley, Malachi Johnston, Julian Castro, Jacob Nevarez and Roark Norton. Honorable Mentions were Adrian Chavez, Noah Ortega-Napoles, Murphy Cisneros, and Benicio Garcia Holland.

Lastly, J.T. Stone and his staff at Santa Barbara High were named Varsity Coaching Staff of the Year.

San Marcos High was also well represented on the All-Channel League teams. Running back Andrew McCullough, offensive lineman Ebrahim Alfar-Diaz and linebacker Owen Lauderdale were First Team selections.

Josh Engel, Johnny Frohling, Patrick Kelley and Carlos Gomez were Honorable Mentions from San Marcos.

Dos Pueblos High had one First Team selection in punter Gregory Tripathi. Three Chargers made the Second Team, including David Buso, Cairo Rios and Nicolas Bitar. The Honorable Mentions from Dos Pueblos were Ryan Marsh, Daniel Johnston, Brody Fredrickson and Juan Carlos Torres.

Girls’ Volleyball

Santa Barbara High won the Channel League championship outright with a 13-1 overall record and head coach Kristin Hempy garnered Coach of the Year honors.

The Santa Barbara County First Team All-Channel League recipients include the Santa Barbara High trio of Shae Delaney, Gracie Meinzer and Nicole Schuetz.

San Marcos High was represented by Eloise McGibbon and Elena Thomas on the First Team and Chloe Hoffman was named to the First Team from Dos Pueblos.

Riley Green and Josie Gamberdella of San Marcos were on the All-Channel League Second Team along with Tessa de Albergaria and Emmy Werner of Santa Barbara and Makeila Cervantes of Dos Pueblos.

Honorable mentions include Malia Alzina and Whitney Meister of Santa Barbara High, Lily Blakenhorn and Devyn Brunet of San Marcos as well as Malia Brofferio and Halle Rillie of Dos Pueblos.

Boys’ Water Polo

After an unbeaten run through Channel League play Santa Barbara coach Mark Walsh was named Coach of the Year. Santa Barbara senior Jerrard Burford shared Player of the Year honors with Buena’s Nico Furneaux.

The First Team All-Channel League players from Santa Barbara High were Jaxon Buford and Landin Romo. Ryder Green and John Shafer of Santa Barbara were on the second team.

San Marcos finished in second place in the Channel League with an 8-2 record and two Royals made the first team in Nic Prentice and Mathew Demboski. In addition, Charles Franzen, Jordan Lind and Luke Burns were named Second Team All-Channel League.

Dos Pueblos had one player on the first team, Brody Luke, and one player on the second team, Jaden Moore.

Shane Davis and Mateo Obando were the only Honorable Mentions from Santa Barbara County.

Girls Tennis

San Marcos High girls’ tennis was undefeated in Channel League play and Natasha Gill was named Player of the Year after a stellar four-year career.

The Royals garnered five First Team All-Channel League selections, including Mina Yazadzhiev, Kate Selby, Sydney Posch, Charlotte Manion and Jolie Mardiat.

Four players from Santa Barbara High were also named to the first team including Nicole Buist, Caitlyn Buist, Ashley Birch and Charlotte Ryan.

Dos Pueblos had two First Team selections, including Channel League individual Champion Ellie Triplett, and Mel Mayo.

Santa Barbara High coach Danny Echt was named Co-Coach of the Year along with Buena’s Robert Jacobson.

Cross Country

On the boys side, Andreas Dybdahl of Santa Barbara High and Eamon Gordon of Dos Pueblos were the only Santa Barbara County athletes on the First Team. Dybdahl had the fastest time in Channel League this year at 14:53.05.

The Second Team featured Dos Pueblos High’s Luciani Koroshec and Tyler Jamieson, As well as Cainan Birchim, Bode Adrulaitis, and Oliver Levine of Santa Barbara High.

Honorable mentions were, Nicholas Tassos and Bryan Edgarof Santa Barbara High as well as Dominic Corral and Orlando Ye of Dos Pueblos.

For the girls, Phoebe Wolfe Lyons and Ellie Gleason are representing Dos Pueblos on the First Team. Santa Barbara High’s Anne Knecht was also on the First Team.

Three San Marcos runners were named All-Channel League Second Team, including Kiala Haas, Shaina King and Bailey Bingham. Sophie Saleh of Dos Pueblos was also on the Second Team.

Santa Barbara County honorable mentions were Samara Shalhoub and Melinda Vela of San Marcos as well as Eloise Shea of Dos Pueblos.

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