League play is here for all of the fall sports and the increased stakes were a common theme at Monday’s SBART press luncheon.
Blake Saunders of Santa Barbara High girls’ volleyball and Gabe Villa of Bishop Diego football garnered Athlete of the Week honors after leading their teams with spectacular individual performances.
In an action-packed Channel League matchup against Ventura, Saunders racked up 17 kills and 18 digs. Over the weekend at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions she added seven kills in a loss to Clovis East and 12 kills in a victory over Dos Pueblos. The Dons finished tenth overall.
Villa continued his standout senior season with another extraordinary display of versatility in a 43-18 non-league victory over Alemany. He finished with 27 carries for 183 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also added two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown reception. Bishop Diego is 5-0 on the season and will open Channel League play on Friday against Camarillo at La Playa Stadium.
Carpinteria Girls Tennis
The Carpinteria Girls’ tennis team is 9-1 overall and 4-0 in the Citrus Coast League led by senior standout Charlotte Cooney, who is a three-time Citrus Coast League MVP in doubles. Cooney has yet to lose a set this season. Her doubles partner this year is her younger sister Kate.
Cross Country Enters League Play
Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara will test themselves against the rest of the Channel League at the Lake Casitas Meet on Saturday in Ojai.
The Cluster meet will have a huge impact on the Channel League pecking order and postseason opportunities so all of the student athletes competing will be looking to put their best performance on display.
“All eight teams in the league will be there. It’s 50-percent of the league standings so it really is where we get started and where things really start to count and come down to who is going to make it into the postseason and who isn’t,” said Santa Barbara High coach Olivia Perdices. “If you want to see some great athletes and great racing Saturday morning up in Ojai is a really great place to catch some.”
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