TORRANCE TRIBUNE September 12, 2013 Page 5 Up and Adam Keeping Perspective Warriors Rally to Week One Victory By Adam Serrao much heralded for his time spent with the San By Adam Serrao Torrance High What is it that we know of the Los Angeles Francisco Giants before he had Tommy John The West High Warriors opened the season The Torrance Tartars opened their season Dodgers from the past? Since 1988, the team surgery. With the Dodgers, Wilson looks as as they have the previous three years, with an up against a very tough Banning team last has rarely been good enough to be considered a if he hasn’t lost a step thus far. With an ERA opening day contest against the Culver City week that tends to make a run at the state possible postseason contender. When they have right around 1.50 as of press time, he looks Centaurs. A game that is quickly becoming championship year after year. Though the been that good, expectations have quickly been as if he can be a back end of the bullpen guy somewhat of a tradition to start the two Tartars eventually took a 48-34 loss at Banning, quelled with the reality that the team and its that will perfectly help set up Kenley Jansen schools’ football seasons, the Centaurs initially they used the game as a good barometer to players would soon or later let their fans down for the close. Young, on the other hand, is a began their campaign with the Warriors by gauge their skill level for this upcoming in typical Dodger fashion with yet another less- quality veteran infelder who will give the beating them in back-to-back years. Last season. David Aros used this frst game as than-stellar string of performances that always Dodgers even more depth from off of the bench. year, under head coach Greg Holt, that all a coming out party of sorts, running all over seem to ultimately fnd the “boys in blue” sad Clearly, if Mattingly is allowed to tinker with changed. The Warriors fnally got the win the Banning defense for 114 yards and two and lonely as they watch postseason festivities his team in the fashion that he is, it means from their couches at home. This year seems to good things for the club overall. Primarily, the be a different kind of year. Despite their recent club has been so successful as a whole that “There’s never any telling what could happen in heated rivalry games like this September slump, there is a certain amount of the manager can afford to be creative with his one is stacking up to be, but if the Warriors can build on their momentum from magic, if you will, surrounding the Dodgers lineups. The only concern for Mattingly and the Culver City game, they should be looking at a successful season this year.” at their home that Hall of Fame broadcaster his team right now is staying healthy. While Vin Scully has endearingly termed the, “Magic crossing his fngers and hoping for the best on Castle.” Though the regular season is still in that front, Mattingly can attempt to fnd the they had been looking for by taking it to touchdowns on just three carries. He also its fnal stages and the Dodgers had dropped next best player on his team who may have the Centaurs and going on to have a very added an interception on defense to keep the a few games in a row for the frst time in a gone unseen thus far. “You’re always trying successful year that eventually found them Tartars close as they went into the half down long time, the expectations that always seem to get better,” Mattingly said. If you can do in the CIF championship game against Palos by just two points after giving up 21 second to be placed on the Dodgers seem warranted so while continuing to win games, well, why Verdes. This year, the Warriors are looking quarter points to Banning. Sloppy play on this year, as the club remains to have one of not? Already considered to be favorites to get for consistency and so far seem to be fnding offense, including poorly hiked balls, kept its most successful seasons in recent memory. to the World Series out of the National League, it. With a 36-16 victory last Friday night at the Tartars out of the game and Banning in From one of the most disappointing seasons Mattingly is now doing everything he can to Culver City in the season opener, the Warriors it all night long. Eventually, a 13-point fourth ever last year to one of the best teams in the unfold every possible advantage for him and not only tied up their all-time series with the quarter gave Banning the lead for good as MLB this year, these Dodgers seem to have his club before playoff time is here. Centaurs, but also took a frst step in the the defense kept the Tartars scoreless in the right mix of talent and chemistry that can For the Dodgers and their fans, the only right direction towards another successful the fourth and Torrance eventually took the actually win them a World Series for the frst drama remaining until the end of the season lies championship run this season. 14-point loss. time in 25 years. in if Matt Kemp can fnally get healthy (which It certainly didn’t look easy to start the frst Next week, the Tartars will look to get With a more than healthy lead in the National doesn’t seem probable at this point), if the rest half for the Warriors, but then again, having back on track, as they will be tested again League West standings, it has become clear of the squad can remain healthy, and who will a full offseason away from football before against their cross-town rivals the West High that Dodger manager Don Mattingly is clearly eventually attain the fnal spots on the team opening the year up on the road in Culver Warriors. While the Warriors are coming off devising a plan. With already a frm grasp in order to fll out the 25-man playoff roster. City was never expected to be an easy task of a victory against Culver City, the Tartars in hand of who the best players on his team Mattingly’s objective right now is to fnd the for West. The Warriors fell behind early when will still be searching for their frst victory are, Mattingly has resorted to tinkering with best 25 players who can help the team win a Culver City quarterback Stanley Norman got of the season. With a challenging schedule the roster as of late. Playing people like Nick World Series. If Michael Young and Edinson the scoring started in the game with a 50-yard ahead, head coach Rock Hollis will have to Punto, Jerry Hairston, Jr., and even starting Volquez happen to be a part of that team, then touchdown pass to put West down by seven. get things rolling soon if his team wishes the newly acquired Edinson Volquez at pitcher, so be it. Mattingly and the Dodgers aren’t only West wasn’t able to muster much in the to make any noise in the Pioneer League Mattingly is trying to fgure out if he can fnd trying to make the playoffs--they’re trying to frst half, but kept things close when it scored this season. another sparkplug somewhere, as he found in become one of the special teams that can play early in the second quarter to pull to within South High Yasiel Puig, to better help the team once it late into October and capture the attention of eight points at 15-7. It was then, though, that The South High Spartans opened their reaches the postseason. “You’re just looking the baseball-watching nation. In order to do the Warriors began to build momentum. “We season up at home and looked very shaky, to for guys who can help you,” Mattingly said. that, a certain amount of preparation must take got going,” Holt said of his team. “When say the least, as they took on the Carpinteria Two such players that the team recently attained place. If the Dodgers lose a game or two here we get our tempo going and we don’t make Warriors last Friday night in the opener. The who will most certainly help the Dodgers in or there towards the end of the season, fans mistakes and we make positive plays, I think Spartans kept the game relatively close in the their quest of another championship ring are should not panic. An equal amount of rest we can be pretty tough to stop.” Brett Ojiyi frst quarter, but gave up two touchdowns Brian Wilson and Michael Young. Wilson is See Sports, page 10 may have been the main instigator for West’s to start the game to dig themselves a deep offensive explosion that was to come. He led hole early against Carpinteria. Going into the the rushing attack behind starting quarterback half down by just seven points at 21-14, the Zach Heeger as the Warriors suddenly hit their Spartans still had a chance to come away with stride and put together 29 straight points to a steal in the frst game of the season, but the take control of the game. team, under coach Chris Hyduke, came out Ojiyi wound up running for 200 yards of the locker room cold to start the second and four touchdowns on the night on only half. Surrendering 21 third quarter points to 28 carries, most of which came after the the Warriors, South lost control of the game midway point in the second quarter. After quickly. Able to only put up six points in the Warriors either punted or turned the ball the fourth, the Spartans eventually found over in each of their frst four possessions of themselves looking a 42-20 loss dead in the the game, Ojiyi’s touchdown runs of three, face. Coach Hyduke and the Spartans will six, four and 12 yards respectively sparked look to get back on track this week as they the offense toward what became its stability. travel to Rosemead before a tough matchup “We couldn’t put our heads down,” Ojiyi with Mira Costa. said. “We had to stay in it and be patient.” North High That’s exactly what he and Heeger did, as The North High Saxons are looking the new starting quarterback threw for 129 anything but sharp to start off the season yards on a 17-29 night to fll in nicely for this year. After a 49-12 loss two weeks ago last year’s starter, Joey Notch. Sloppy play in the opener, the Saxons went on to drop may have accounted for most of West’s early their second game in as many tries to Palos struggles as the team fnished the night with Verdes Peninsula by a fnal score of 51-0. 12 penalties for 86 yards, which certainly Without much to report on the North High proved to be a setback for the club. Once the side of things, the offense gave up four offense got rolling, however, the team’s true turnovers on the night, a 96-yard kickoff potential delivered when it meant the most. return for a touchdown on the opening play The Warriors will now continue to try to of the game, and failed to get past the 50 keep things rolling when they take on their yard line once in the frst half. Head coach cross-town rivals, the Torrance Tartars, this Todd Croce changed quarterbacks in the Friday. There’s never any telling what could second half and sent Mique Juarez to wide happen in heated rivalry games like this one receiver in order to put Chris Kuaea behind is stacking up to be, but if the Warriors can center. The Saxons still failed to score in the build on their momentum from the Culver game. North will look for its frst victory of City game, they should be looking at a the season when it takes on Leuzinger this successful season this year. Friday night at North High. ·
Torrance 09.12.13.pdf
To see the actual publication please follow the link above