15May 25, 2012

Iliad SportS

The Poway boy’s lacrosse team’s CIF season ended May 18 with a defeat by the Westview Wolverines, and a season record of 11 regular season wins and 8 losses.

Seated fifth in the CIF lineup, the Titans advanced easily to the quarterfinals after beating the twelfth seed Mira Mesa with a score of 11 to 5. Their run ended with defeat against the fourth seed Wolverines with a final score of 8-4.

The Titans wasted little time in establishing their lead against Mira Mesa in the first round match up.

While the entire team showed incredible heart and hustle to defeat the Marauders, Jake O’ Donnell led the offense with four goals, while Wayatt Miller controlled the midfield by winning 70 percent of the face offs. “We came out and put them away early,” said senior Shane Sheehan. “Austin Farrell is the studliest man alive,” added Sheehan.

However, the momentum from the Mira Mesa game could only carry the Titans so far into the match against Wesview.

After losing twice to Westview in the regular season, the Titans put up a valiant fight, with Ryan Sharpe scoring two goals

and Jack O’ Donnell with four assists. Yet, the Titans still fell just short of advancing toward the CIF title. “Westview’s early lead is what kept us from coming back in the second half and winning,” head coach Sean O’Donnell said.

To say that the Titan lacrosse team has faced adversity this year is an understatement.

“We knew going in to this year with only five seniors that we were going to need to rely heavily on the junior and sophomore classes,” O’ Donnell said.

“This team was young and inexperienced at the varsity level but have kept fighting all season,” assistant coach Zack Burke said.

With the Titans’ impressive record, there is little doubt that the team grew stronger and more cohesive with each game. This culminated in the Rancho Bernardo season game, which remains the most exciting of the season so far.

“We really picked our season up after the RB triple overtime game,” said senior and captain, Austin Farrell. “It was great for each individual player and led us to think that any team was within our grasp.”

Not only was this win on Rancho Bernardo’s senior night, but it ended a vicious 23 win streak for the Broncos, thus giving the Titans a lead in CIF standings.

After an undefeated season, Poway Girls’ Lacrosse fell, 11-6, to La Costa Canyon in the CIF championship game on May 20.

Towards the end of the first half, Poway led the game 4-3. The game looked promising until LCC went on a five goal streak that the Titans were never able to recover from.

However, the score did not necessarily reflect the game accurately. Despite the loss, Poway obtained possession of the ball for most of the game. Poway won more draw controls and outshot LCC 21-15.

Coach Sarah Spillet was extremely pleased with this season’s outcome, though they did not win the championship. “We played really well, but we just

couldn’t finish. The goalie was saving everything,” Spillet said.

Junior captain Vickie Porter kept the Titans in the game by contributing four goals and one assist while sisters Amanda and Kate Shoemaker made significant defensive contributions.

Poway’s surprising loss was mainly due to LCC’s star goalie, Paige Soenksen. “We had a lot of free position opportunities, but LCC’s goalie was able to save a lot of them,” senior captain Jessica Jackson said.

Though Poway did not win the CIF finals, they are still proud to have won the Palomar League and to have made it so far in playoffs.

“It was a really fun season. We progressed so much from the beginning to the end, and I feel like we really proved ourselves and our potential,” midfielder Kate Shoemaker said.

Sophomore Becca Hellemn is expected to make a significant impact on the girls’ varsity lacrosse team next season. Hellemn was one of three players to be pulled up to varsity from JV for CIF.

As a midfielder, she was a strong leader this year. “Becca has great stick skills and is fearless when she receives the ball,” coach Sarah Spillet said. Due to her aggressive attitude towards the game, next year the girls’ lacrosse team will look to Becca to continue her leadership and contributions on the field in order to win a CIF championship.

The Titan varsity softball team, seeded third in the Palomar league, secured their spot in the winner’s bracket yet again after a clutch 4-1 victory in the CIF quarterfinals against the second-seeded Mira Mesa Marauders on May 19.

After coming out on top and scoring the first run of the game early on, the Titans were put under pressure in the fifth inning when the bases were loaded with two outs. Fortunately, senior starting second baseman Lindsay Pelchat made a crucial play on a difficult blooper to end the inning and maintain the lead for the Titans.

In the sixth inning, Mira Mesa had the bases loaded with one out and managed an RBI run off of starting freshman pitcher Kourtney Shaw, who had been shutting their batters out all game. Freshman pitcher Bri Parkes came into relieve Shaw, and the Titans managed to retire the next two batters; the score 1-1.

“I was somewhat nervous on the bench before I went in, but I had time to mentally prepare myself to pitch against such a good hitting team in a close game. Once I was in the game, all the nerves went away, and I knew what I needed to do for the team. I never thought that as a freshman, I would get the opportunity to pitch so much in key games,” Parkes said.

After another stalemate inning, the game went into extra innings. Senior Kristen “Skooch” Shiotani began a Titan rally with a leadoff single. After a sacrifice bunt,

followed by another base hit, the Titans had runners at first and third.

Senior Kathryn Duran came up to bat and hit a single, which in turn scored a run and put Poway in the lead 2-1. Senior Li’ana Martinez followed with a two-out, two-run base hit that secured the Titan lead.

“When I stepped up to the plate with two outs, I knew I had to stay focused on hitting the ball in the gap and scoring more runs. It felt amazing to secure our lead after my

clutch hit. I was glad I could help my team make it to the next round in a big way,” Martinez said.

Mira Mesa would not let the Titans go without a fight. They loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, and Parkes retired the inning with a strike out and solidified the Titan victory.

The team’s spot in the semi-final game for the second year in a row was an unprecedented triumph, many did not believe they would see this much success after losing a lot of starting key players last year. Being n the Palomar League, with bigger competition than other leagues, is rumored to be the secret to their success.

“[The Palomar League] prepares you for this. We played ten stressful games; every game went down to the last two innings. We’re used to being out there at the end of the game with the game on the line. The playoff games aren’t that much different. You don’t have to have the nine best players, you just have to have the best team every day. We’ve been playing really well,” head coach Jim Bennett said.

Going into yesterday’s game against Carlsbad, the team was optimistic about their chances. With a record of 13-11, the door could swing either way, but their last couple games provide a bright outlook for the rest of CIF play.

“We just have to go in and play the way we have been, even though we were losing one-runs game in league, we still played well. It just comes down to who gets the big hit or who makes the big play, because all the teams are so even,” Bennett said.

Player prospect: Becca Hellemn

MAURA DUGGANStaff Writer

Freshman Nanami Kadota has shown strong promise for the PHS tennis varsity team next season.

Kadota considers his strong points his ability to concentrate on the ball, and work hard at everything he does. “I love tennis. I work hard in practice and I think it shows on the court,” Kadota said.

JV coach Phillis Datillo believes Kadota shows great

potential. “He has played both singles and doubles. He has great speed on the court and can adjust his game to win,” Datillo said.

“By watching and analyzing talent, tennis technique and skill, I have hope. You need a good work ethic and a good attitude. It gives me a lot of confidence that as long as he keeps working on his game, he will be a very good player for Poway High School,” tennis coach Glenn Stephan said.

Kadota plans to continue playing tennis throughout his high school career, and into college as well.

Player prospect: Nanami Kadota SANOMA JEANStaff Writer

CASSANDRA VICKAssociate Editor

With only five senior players leaving the Poway High boys’ lacrosse team next year, the team is looking forward to a successful year with experienced players who can work well together. Head coach Scott O’Donnell has high hopes for junior and mid-fielder Ryan Sharpe in particular.

“He’s an overall good athlete with good work ethic and a strong drive to succeed,” O’Donnell said of Sharpe.

Sharpe is a double-sport athlete and plays football for Poway in addition to lacrosse. He has been playing lacrosse for four years now and has a genuine passion for the sport.

“I love lacrosse because it’s the fastest game on two feet. It’s like a combination of a lot of sports in one,” Sharpe said.

Sharpe was one of the juniors who qualified for the All League Championship this year and looks forward to contributing his skills to the 2013 boys’ lacrosse team.

MAURA DUGGANStaff Writer

Player prospect: Tasha Ward

CASSANDRA VICKAssociate Editor

Freshman Tasha Ward is one of two freshmen that was pulled up to the varsity level for CIF by head coach Jim Bennett.

Ward has played softball for ten years as a catcher and outfeilder, primarily centerfield.

“I was very excited for the opportunity to play with the older girls that I always loved watching when I was younger, and also with the younger girls that I hadn’t played with in a while. I was also nervous becuase the level of intensity we up a significant amount in the change from JV to varsity,” Ward said.

Ward has the potential and drive to be a good asset to Poway’s already unusually young team. Even though she still has a lot of time to decide, Ward is considering playing in college.

First time for everythingGirls’ LAX suffers first season loss in championship

Varsity softball goes on with unprecedented successTitans secure second year spot in CIF semi-finals after beating Mira Mesa Marauders 4-1

Player prospect: Ryan Sharpe

SKYLAR SLOTTERAssociate Editor

Boys’ LAX take a beating in CIF quarterfinalsVarsity Titans defeated by Wolverines and finish season with successful 11-8 record

MADISON CHAPMANBusiness Manager

Batter Up: Senior Kathryn Duran hit in the go-ahead run in Poway’s game on May 18 against Mira Mesa. The win secured the team a spot in the semi -finals for the second year in a row. ~ Courtesy of Brenda Johnson

Fatal Bite: The Titan varsity boys’ lacrosse team lost to the Westview Wolverines on May 18 in the quarterfinal round of CIFs. They ended their season with a record of 11-8. ~ Courtesy of MIke Farrell

The last racket left swingingJunior Greg Garcia only tennis player to advance to semi-finals

Boys’ tennis fought on with junior Gregory Garcia entering the semi-finals of CIF as Poway’s last remaining competitor on Wednesday.

Tyler Hansen, also a junior, made it to the final 16 of CIF, playing his final match of the season on Wednesday.

Hansen endured many injuries this season, and was on the verge of not competing due to a lower back injury.

He competed anyways, playing against Derrick Klein of Westview.

The first set began fiercely. Both players hit hard, putting all of their strength into their forehands. However, this would prove to be Hansen’s weakness.

“I was probably too aggressive,” remarked Hansen. “He

hits it like 100 mph.”Hansen lost the first set, 1-6, losing the last four games in

a row. “I played alright,” Hansen remarked.The second set was something of a repeat of the first,

with Hansen sprinting around the court, attempting to return Klein’s forehands. Hansen lost this set 1-6 as well.

Reflecting on his season, Hansen had a lot to say. “It was tough because I was injured a lot but towards the end of the season I was able to rack up a lot of wins. Next season, I’ve got to stay healthy and practice.” Reigning as Poway’s number two singles player, Hansen was an invaluable member of the team.

With a final record of three wins and eight losses, the team has definitely seen better years.

Garcia competed in CIF semi-finals on Thursday, and if he won he will play today in the CIF finals.

WILL SMITHERSNews Editor