Friday night lights have flickered out for all but one South Coast high school football team: the Bishop Diego High Cardinals. They successfully launched their quest for the CIF Mid-Valley Division championship by blanking Mary Star of the Sea 36-0 in their playoff opener last Friday night at La Playa Stadium. Bishop will hit the road to face Temple City in the quarterfinals this Friday night, November 23.
John Zant gives the complete rundown of the upcoming college basketball season in Santa Barbara, featuring the UCSB Gauchos, Westmont Warriors, and SBCC Vaqueros.
John Sisterson doubled his pleasure when he took up the reins of the men’s soccer team at Santa Barbara City College this fall. The 54-year-old Englishman was already coaching the Vaquero women. “I love the game,” he said. “I love what I’m doing. Why coach one when I can coach two?”
The magic number for Aaron Sharp and J.T. Service was 2:22:00-the time that would put them on the road to the Olympics. Sharp achieved it last December, finishing 10th at the California International Marathon in Sacramento in 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 24 seconds. Service broke the barrier in June, clocking 2:21:29 to place eighth at the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota.
It may seem over-the-top to call a high school football matchup “The Big Game” in capitalized words, but that’s been the tradition for three generations of San Marcos and Santa Barbara High players. The Royals and Dons will clash in the 48th Big Game on Friday, October 26, at San Marcos. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m., two hours earlier than usual, so that the security detail will be available later for the start of the Halloween weekend in Isla Vista.
Ryan Spilborghs is as American as apple pie and as unique as guava gelato.
“I might be the only Belgian-Guatemalan human being, besides my sister,” Spilborghs said, when asked whether any other Major League ballplayer had similar blood lines.
“We do not remember days,” wrote the Italian novelist Cesare Pavese. “We remember moments.”
Phil Womble’s screeching voice echoed through the corridor in the bowels of Angel Stadium.
The first month of the football season is a tough time for women’s soccer to come out of the shadows, even though the game is better than ever, better than it was eight years ago when Brandi Chastain displayed her abs.
There were lots of shiny things on the opening night of high school football: the lights at Valley Stadium, the brass band instruments, the golden helmets of the Dos Pueblos Chargers, and the foil-wrapped tri-tip sandwiches, a meal that never fails to satisfy.
