By Joe Snyder
North Torrance High’s boys’ volleyball team had two players land on the all-CIF Southern Section Division III team, named recently.
Players include senior outside hitter Charles Nakamura and junior libero Cole Aratani.
Both were big factors in keying the Saxons to the CIF-Southern Section Division III semifinals where they were swept by top-seed and eventual champion Tesoro High in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Both already made the Daily Breeze all-South Bay team as their head coach, Chris Kwon, was named Coach of the Year.
North had its best season in 15 years by winning the Pioneer League with an unbeaten 8-0 record and finished 28-9 overall.
Division III Player of the Year was Tesoro junior outside hitter Max Draper, while its head coach Pat Eaton was Coach of the Year.
In baseball, Torrance’s Mateo Rickman made it to the CIF-Southern Section Division II team. Rickman, a four-year varsity starter for the Tartars, led Torrance to a second-place finish behind champion and unbeaten Manhattan Beach Mira Costa. The Tartars made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Fountain Valley.
In Division IV, Peter Broughton of South Torrance, a three-year senior starting pitcher, landed on the team. The Spartans advanced to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Pomona Ganesha.
Torrance Bishop Montgomery’s Pierson Howe made the all-Southern Section Division V squad. The Knights made the quarterfinals. Coach of the Year was Elsinore head mentor Don Nicholson, who was a former player at West Torrance and Redondo High Schools. Nicholson graduated from West in 1993. He guided Elsinore to the Division V crown. Player of the Year from Elsinore was sophomore pitcher-shortstop Andrew Jimenez.
In Division IX, Environmental Charter, which has three campuses including one in Gardena, had two players make all-CIF in freshman infielder Christian Salazar and sophomore infielder Alexandro Herrera. Environmental Charter, which has its two other campuses in Inglewood and Lawndale, made the Division IX semifinals, falling to eventual champion Menifee Nuview Bridge.
In softball, three local players made all-CIF, including sophomore catcher-infielder Maddie Schepp (Torrance) in Division II, senior catcher-infielder Isabella Cacslian (South Torrance) in Division III and senior pitcher Macey Kim (Bishop Montgomery) in Division V.
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Gardena junior and senior baseball teams fall in high scoring games
The Gardena Junior and Senior Dodger Dream Teams each lost their summer league games last week at Jackie Robinson Field on the grounds of Gonzales Park in Compton.
On July 16, Gardena’s seniors fell to host Gonzales Park 8-6. Last Thursday, its junior squad also lost to Gonzales Park 13-11.
In the senior game, Gardena fell behind 8-3 but rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning, behind a two-run triple by Jesse Aguazo and a run-scoring double from Anthony Macias.
Gonzales Park was led by Lennox Minor, who will be a freshman at Serra High next month. Minor, a shortstop, had two hits and scored a run.
“He’s a prospect,” Gardena head coach Tom Anderson, also head mentor with Gardena High’s baseball team, said. “He’s a very talented player.”
Despite the loss, Gardena’s junior team was led by three Gardena High players. Matt Valencia, who will be a sophomore, had an RBI (run batted in) single, as did incoming freshman Jeremiah Edwards. Junior Max Garcia had a two-run double.
Gardena’s seniors were to play on Friday but the game was canceled due to a medical emergency with a coach from Rancho Dominguez.
Gardena’s senior and junior teams play Compton this week at Robinson Field. The seniors played on Wednesday and the juniors will play today at 5 p.m.
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Some area prep teams looking strong after influx of transfers
After a seven-game losing streak was snapped when the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the host San Francisco Giants in their final two games on July 12 and 13, the Dodgers were hoping that the All-Star Break would help them in a rigid three-game home series against the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers last weekend.
Five Dodgers played in the All-Star Game that ended up interesting in Atlanta. The National League took a 6-0 lead through six innings before the American League rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh and two in the ninth to tie the game at six.
The game remained tied that forced, not extra innings, but a home run swing off. That was when the National League outhomered the Americans 4-3 to pull off the 7-6 win.
Unfortunately, things continued the down swing with the shorthanded Dodgers, which had 15 players, including 11 pitchers, on the injured list. They were swept by the Brewers by scored of 2-0 last Friday, 8-7 on Saturday and 6-5 on Sunday and their lead over the second-place San Diego Padres in the National League Western Division fell to 3 ½ games. The Brewers currently have a 10-game winning streak as they overtook the Chicago Cubs by one-half game in the National League Central Division. The Dodgers (58-42) are hoping to get back on the winning column as they hosted the Minnesota Twins, which came off losing two of three games to the lowly Colorado Rockies (24-73) last weekend last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Friday, they travel to Fenway Park for three games against the Boston Red Sox, before three games in Cincinnati and three more at Tampa Bay then return home for three games against the St. Louis Cardinals from Aug. 4-6. The Dodgers play their cross-L.A. Region rival Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim from Aug. 11-13. The Angels already swept the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in May. The Angels (49-50) are coming off winning two of three from the host Philadelphia Phillies, who are leading the National League Eastern Division.
Gardena, North Torrance, and Serra High’s football teams concluded their summer passing and fundamental leagues and tournaments. They are currently resting in the dead period before beginning practice on Monday.
All three teams will begin the season on Aug. 22 as the Panthers host Crespi High from Encino, the Saxons are at home against Summit Academy from Fullerton and the Cavaliers will show down against last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division V and CIF-State Division IIAA champion Palos Verdes at El Camino College. All games start at 7 p.m.
The three should continue to be contenders in their league. Serra returns numerous prospects and should, as in the previous few seasons, contend with Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and a few other squads in the Mission League. North lost the brother quarterback-wide receiver duo of Boogie and Kingston Anetema, who transferred cross town to Bishop Montgomery but has several experienced seniors that will keep the Saxons in high hopes for their fourth consecutive Pioneer League crown. Gardena has a new head coach in Terrance Sullivan and lost several key players from last year’s 7-4 squad but has a good display of experienced seniors that should keep the Panthers in the thick of the brutal Marine League race.
Looking ahead at the South Bay League races, Narbonne will not make the CIF-Los Angeles City Section playoffs due to numerous recruiting violations last season, but do have a few good players to keep the Gauchos Marine League contenders. Carson, Wilmington Banning and San Pedro should be neck-to-neck but don’t count out Gardena. The Mission is always balanced as Serra will be in a close race, again, with Sierra Canyon but look out for the likes of always tough La Puente Bishop Amat, Los Angeles Loyola, West Hills Chaminade and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. North will be faced with a close battle with Redondo, which returns starting quarterback Cole Leinart and senior tight end-defensive end Bo Ausmus, along with a few key transfers, and Torrance.
Bishop Montgomery appears to run away with the Camino Real League championship due to receiving 16 transfers, many strong Major Division I college prospects. The Knights, in fact, begin their season at national power Mater Dei in Santa Ana on Aug. 29.
