June 4, 2015 Page 5 Clark Leaves Samo for Lawndale By Joe Snyder Photos by Joe Snyder Over the decades, Travis Clark enjoyed success as a football player and coach at Santa Monica High. After some successful seasons with the Vikings, it was time for Travis Clark to move on, as he is now the head coach at Lawndale High. Currently, Clark is preparing his players for the upcoming season with a series of spring practices, passing leagues and tournament games and other football fundamental competitions. Clark was named the Cardinals’ head mentor in early March, replacing Rick Mathieson, who was dismissed by the Lawndale administration shortly after guiding the Cardinals to a second place finish, behind champion El Segundo, in the Ocean League. For the first time since the Lawndale High Part I era of the 1970s (the high school was closed from 1981-98, with Lawndale Part II not fielding varsity sports until the start of the 2002-03 school year), the Cardinals advanced to the CIFSouthern Section playoffs being eliminated in the first round of the Western Division by eventual champion Palos Verdes in a hardfought 35-28 loss in mid November at Mira Costa High. The Sea Kings went on to top host Ventura 32-24 for the championship in early December. Clark, who graduated from Santa Monica High in 1986, spent the past six seasons (2009-14) head coaching at his alma mater. He guided the Vikings to Ocean League titles in the 2011 and 2012 seasons with Santa Monica advancing to the Western Division semifinals in the first of those two league championship seasons. The Vikings finished 11-2 overall in 2011. Prior to head coaching at Santa Monica, Clark was defensive coordinator at Inglewood High in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and was defensive coordinator with the Vikings from 2005-08. While playing at Santa Monica, Clark was an all-CIF Southern Section free safety. He went on to play at Utah State University, where he was an all-Big West free safety. He graduated from Utah State in 1991 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and he plans to use that as head coach with the Cardinals. “I like unity and discipline,” Clark said. “I want the players to respect me. They also want me to discipline them. I’m excited about them. It’s motivating.” Clark brought two of his Santa Monica assistants with him in secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator Sean Weston and running back coach Andre Gaines. Last season, the Cardinals, under Mathieson, defeated the Clark-coached Vikings 20-19, Lawndale’s first ever victory over a long time powerhouse high school that opened in 1891, and Clark is optimistic about returning to his former playing and coaching grounds at Santa Monica City College to face his former team on Oct. 16. Santa Monica ended up finishing third behind the champion Eagles and the runner-up Cardinals last fall. Lawndale will be definite contender for a possible league and maybe even a Southern Section Western title. If the Cardinals can win CIF, they also have potential at a spot in the California State Bowl Series with the return of two premiere players in quarterback Chris Murray (the 2014 Ocean Offensive Player of the Year and all-Western Division) and wide receiver-defensive back Jaelin Walker. Both are highly regarded Major NCAA Division I college prospects. Also back is all-around athlete Bryant Perkinson, a first-team all-leaguer who was recently a CIF-Southern Section Division II triple jump finalist in track and field. He also has 10.84 100-meter speed. Lawndale begins its season on Sept. 4 at home against South Torrance, a school that the Cardinals were in the Pioneer League with the previous several years before moving into the Ocean League at the start of this school year. Belles Advance Three to Stat e St. Mary’s Academy’s girls’ track and field team from Inglewood advanced two athletes and its 4x100-meter relay teams to the California State Championships after high enough finishes in last Friday’s CIFSouthern Section Masters Championships at Cerritos College. The Belles’ 400 relay team of Anaiah Brown, Aliyah Hale, Briana Shufford and Keshawna Myles finished fourth at 46.93 seconds. Hale, who won the CIF-Southern Section Division IV title in the 300 hurdles on May 23, advanced to state after a sixth place finish clocking 43.72. Kyra Anderson also made the state meet in the 100 hurdles after placing sixth in 14.3. The state championships kick off with the prelims beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and the finals start at 4 p.m. with the field events and 6 p.m. with the running events Saturday at Buchanan High’s Memorial Stadium in Clovis. Animo Falls on Cata lina Island Animo Leadership High’s baseball team from Inglewood traveled to Catalina Island to take on Avalon but came home with its season over with a 7-6 CIF-Southern Section Division VII quarterfinal loss last Friday. The Aztec-Eagles, who won the San Joaquin League, ended their season at 16-6. In the second round on May 26 at the Urban Youth Baseball Academy in Compton, Animo defeated Immanuel Christian from Riverside 7-3. Keying the Aztec-Eagles was Elliano Gutierrez who had two hits and drove in a run. Cesar Rocha had two doubles and Erick Lopez tripled and scored a run. • Animo Leadership pitcher Emiliano Gutierrez throws to an Einstein Academy batter during last Thursday’s CIF-Southern Section Division VII playoff opener. The Aztec-Eagles shut out the Rockets 10-0. St. Mary’s Academy anchor runner Keshawna Myles dashes toward the finish line in the 4x100-meter relay at Friday’s CIF-Southern Section Masters Track and Field Championships. The Belles advanced to Friday and Saturday’s California State Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis after a fourth place finish timing 46.93 seconds.
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