EL SEGUNDO HERALD May 4, 2017 Page 5 Eagles Eyeing Playoffs By Gregg McMullin We’re in the final couple weeks of the regular season before the CIF Southern Section playoffs begin for El Segundo High School sports. The baseball team has been on a tear, the volleyball team is poised to get a share of the league crown, the softball team suffered a critical loss but has its sights set on a playoff berth, and the lacrosse team will share the Ocean League title. With the school year racing to the finish line with six weeks remaining, it means teams are wrapping up their seasons. The baseball team has all but punched their proverbial playoff ticket to the postseason tournament. The Eagles, who are 20-6 overall, are primed to win the program’s 34th league title. The Eagles set themselves up by sweeping Lawndale 5-2 and 8-3. It means the Eagles have kept pace with Santa Monica and both teams are 5-1 in Ocean League play entering this week. Nico Celestial led the Eagles in the first game by going three for three with a double and two RBIs. He also was stellar at third base, making obviously tough defensive plays look pedestrian. Sean Emery continued his hot hitting, going two for two with a triple and scoring once. Jake Palmer’s average plummeted to .618 when the UC Irvine recruit went one for three. Palmer has the sixth highest batting average in the state, but has the most at-bats by among the leaders. Jimmy Galicia started for the Eagles and held the upstart Cardinals to one run on seven hits over six innings before giving way to Justin Ostler. Galicia won his fifth game of the year and lowered his ERA to 1.18. Ostler picked up his second save of the season. In the second game, the Eagles overcame harsh wind conditions to win 8-3 on the road. Spencer Long went the distance and improved to DEADLINES OBITUARIES: Monday at noon. CALENDAR ITEMS: Monday at noon. PEOPLE ITEMS: Monday at noon. CLASSIFIEDS: Tuesday at noon. LEGAL NOTICES: Wednesday at 11:00 am. REAL ESTATE ADS: Monday at noon. AD CANCELLATIONS: Prior Thursday. LATE CANCELLATIONS WILL BE CHARGED 50% OF AD 7-2 on the year. The senior gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits and struck out nine. Leading 3-0 in the third inning, the Eagles came up with five runs to give Long the run support he needed. Kobe Estrada feasted on Cardinal pitching, going three for three with a double while scoring twice. Spencer Palmer’s two-run double helped ignite the five-run rally in the third inning. The Eagles played Ocean View in a consolation game of the Redondo Tournament and won 3-1. In one of the quickest played games this season, the Eagles Got all the runs they would ultimately need in the second inning. Sean Emery, who led the team by going three for three, led the inning off with a double. Kobe Estrada then unloaded for his third home run of the season to make it 2-1 after Ocean View had scored a run in the first inning. Today, the Eagles honor their 11 seniors before hosting Hawthorne. Next week, the Ocean league title should be up for grabs as the Eagles travel to take on Santa Monica on Tuesday and host the Vikings next Thursday in the regular season finale. Kemer Brett Golf Tournament The main fundraiser for the American Legion Baseball program is set for Friday, May 12 at Chester L. Washington golf course. The shotgun start is set for 12:30 p.m. with check-in starting at 11 a.m. It has become a day that former players, alumni and friends and family enjoy together on the links. Afterwards, the players and their guests rally for an after hacking party at the Old Town Patio for an event that has become as fun as the golfing during the day. For more information on how you can take part, please contact tournament director Craig Cousins at 310-413-1090. Rams Wait until Round Two to Make Moves By Adam Serrao To make a long story short, the Los Angeles Rams traded away a ton of picks last season in order to jump to the top of the 2016 draft and select Jared Goff with the number one overall pick. Fast-forward one year later and you’ll find many Rams fans who will tell you that Goff certainly did not look like a franchise quarterback in his first year with the team. Whether he eventually pans out or turns into a bust won’t change the fact that Los Angeles gave away its first round draft pick this year to acquire the quarterback. For that reason, the Rams had to wait all the way until the 44th overall pick of this year’s draft to begin their search for impact players to help their team. Will the players that the Rams selected make a big enough impact to actually help out an otherwise struggling franchise? After waiting an entire day for 32 picks of the first round to go by last Thursday night on the opening night of this year’s NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams finally got their chance to make a pick on Friday. With the 44th choice in the second round, the Rams selected their first collegiate player of the offseason after they traded down with the Buffalo Bills in order to acquire tight end Gerald Everett. Everett, a player out of South Alabama, was productive in college in accumulating 90 catches for 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns. To use their first pick of the draft on a tight end, though, was a rather strange choice for Los Angeles, to say the least. The Rams acquired tight end Tyler Higbee in the fourth round of the draft last season and as a rookie, Higbee found playing time in all 16 games of the season. Earlier in the offseason, both new head coach Sean McVay and Rams General Manager Les Snead have been vocal about their plan to use Higbee more heavily in the upcoming football year. The acquisition of Everett will certainly give Goff another weapon on offense--which is never a bad thing--but with an entire list of positions on the team that need improving, adding another tight end may leave some fans scratching their heads. McVay was formerly the offensive coordinator in Washington and led a tight end unit that received more yards out of the position than any other team in the entire NFL. “I have a feeling Gerald’s one of Sean’s favorite players in the draft,” Snead remarked with a smile. McVay’s hope is undoubtedly that Everett will turn into his new Jordan Reed, with Higbee most likely filling in on blocking downs. With speed, athleticism and ball skills all on display with Everett, the hope is that Goff will have another talented playmaker to assist with his transition into the NFL. “I think I bring the complete package of a tight end,” Everett explained when asked what he has to offer the Rams. “Definitely a vertical threat. I’m able to create that mismatch at any point in time in the game.” To assist even further with Goff’s transition, the Rams selected wide receiver Cooper Kupp with their 69th pick in the third round. Kupp may be a relatively unknown name, but the receiver out of Eastern Washington set 15 FCS records in college. “I bring versatility,” Kupp said. “I’m a guy who’s going to know the offense in and out and who’s going to be ready to go day one.” His 6-2, 204-pound frame will give Goff a rather big, reliable target that has soft hands and can catch most any ball thrown in his direction. The Rams have obviously struggled in the wide receiver department ever since Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt left the “Greatest Show on Turf.” While Kupp may never turn into a receiver that resembles either Bruce or Holt, he will certainly provide another pass-catching weapon for Goff--which the quarterback obviously needs. If Los Angeles isn’t going to score points, they need to be able to keep other teams from getting into their own end zone. John Johnson was selected with the 89th overall pick in the third round with that goal in mind. Johnson, a safety out of Boston College, knows how to cover, has good instincts and has shown the ability to be able to intercept the ball. Johnson is athletic enough to make an impact on the field, but needs to gain physicality should he wish to have a long and successful career in Los Angeles. The Rams already have two safeties on the roster who get all of the playing time in Maurice Alexander and Lamarcus Joiner, but both players will be unrestricted free agents in the offseason. While Johnson doesn’t figure to start at any point this year, the rookie will have to make a name for himself--most likely on special teams--if he wishes to stick with the club in future years. With their first three picks in this year’s NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams certainly did their part to address some of the roster’s most glaring needs. With that in mind, it quickly becomes obvious that the roster of the Rams has plenty of glaring needs that will be almost impossible to resolve by the beginning of this regular season. If Los Angeles Justin Mostert threw a complete game, giving up one run on four hits. Our Best Deal Ever! Free Installation! Call Today, Save 30%! 1-855-900-9024 for more information See Rams, page 6 See Eagles, page 6
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