Page 6 November 21, 2013 TORRANCE TRIBUNE By Adam Serrao The West High Warriors are at it again, and, this year, they are looking surprisingly similar to the way they looked last year. In the 2012 season, the Warriors started strongly, winning their first five games. Similarly this season, the Warriors also won five games in a row before “After their first round playoff victory, the Warriors will now host fourth-seeded Palmdale this Friday night.” falling victim to a rough patch directly in the middle of the year. Losses to Mira Costa and Palos Verdes bumped West slightly off track, while last year it was Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Redondo serving up the only losses of the season for the Warriors. Both seasons being almost exactly analogous is not such a bad thing for head coach Greg Holt and his team, though. After making it through their rough stretch last year, the Warriors went on to win their last three games of the season and eventually made it to the championship game of the playoffs where they were unfortunately defeated. This year, West has won three out of its last four games of the season and by beating the Canyon Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs last Friday night by a final score of 35-27, Holt and company hope to maintain the parallels to last year until they are finally able to avenge their loss in the CIF championship game. The Warriors got off to a fast start in the first half of last Friday night’s first round game, putting up seven points in the fourth quarter and another 14 in the second to take a 21-13 lead going into the break. West’s rushing defense held Canyon at bay all night, allowing only six total yards. That means that the Cowboys did all of their damage through the air, including three touchdowns from Cade Aspay, the last of which brought the game to its closest margin since the start of the game at 35-27. Starting quarterback for the Warriors Zach Heeger enjoyed having his favorite receiver back from an ankle injury and hit him as Craig Knaus hauled in a 60-yard touchdown off of a flea-flicker to bring the score to 35-20 in the Warriors’ favor. After Aspay brought the game to within one score, the Cowboys had the ball in the waning seconds of the game looking to score again. Curtis Guelff was the hero on defense, however, and recovered a fumble (in addition to having an interception on the night) to halt Canyon’s final drive of the game and secure the eight-point victory for the Warriors. After their first round playoff victory, the Warriors will now host fourth-seeded Palmdale this Friday night. Coach Holt and his team will need two more victories if they wish to get back to that championship game and take a shot at avenging last year’s heartbreaking loss. North High The North High Saxons got the short end of the stick without even knowing it when they finished the year off in second place in the Pioneer League standings and drew the Bishop Diego Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs. Bishop Diego is a perennially strong school when it comes to football, making it to the CIF playoffs almost every year and shocking fans when they don’t make it as far as the championship game or at least the semifinals. This year, Bishop Diego was especially motivated in the first round of the playoffs. In last year’s CIF playoff semifinal game, it was North High that knocked Bishop San Diego out of competition with a 28-14 loss. After almost a year of letting that loss sink in, the Saxons had their hands full, to say the least. Witnessing Greatness By Adam Serrao Many of the great players in the game of baseball have long since retired. After fantastic careers, the appropriate amount of time has been given to appreciate and respect the body of work that those players have amassed and contributed to the game so that fans could recognize just how great they actually were. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron -- the list could go on and on, but these are just a few of the players who have wowed fans and onlookers of baseball over the years. Well, now it has become very easy to add another name to that list. With his second Cy Young Award in three years, Clayton Kershaw has cemented his name among the greats and created a legacy as not only one of the greatest pitchers of our time, but perhaps of all time. Because of his immense talent, that happens to be on display every five days or so out of the baseball season in sunny California, it is important to appreciate his work and not take the skill that is displayed before us for granted before it becomes too late. Kershaw still has a long career ahead of him, but with the way things are going now and with his talent level only increasing, the greatness that Kershaw exhibits may not ever be able to be witnessed again. With 16 wins on the year, a 1.83 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP (combined walks and hits per inning pitched), Clayton Kershaw has become the first Dodger player since the great Sandy Koufax to receive the Cy Young Award on more than one occasion in his career. The voting wasn’t even close. Kershaw received 29 of the 30 first place votes this year after finishing in second place last year and winning the award for the first time in 2011. A pitcher who is obviously dominating the Major Leagues in every way, Kershaw has led the National League in ERA and WHIP the last three years running and is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down at all. The last pitcher to lead the league in ERA for three consecutive seasons was Greg Maddux from 1993-1995. Other than Kershaw and Maddux, Lefty Grove (1929-31) is the only other pitcher in Major League history to have done it. Kershaw is in elite company indeed. His 1.83 ERA was the lowest mark by any Major League starter since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA with the Red Sox in the 2000 season. “The guys I’ve seen,” expressed Kershaw’s manager, Don Mattingly, “it’s hard to say anybody’s better than that guy.” Mattingly’s right. At the ripe young age of 25, Kershaw not only led the league in strikeouts and WHIP this past season, but also ranked among the top three in wins, innings pitched, complete games, shutouts, pickoffs and opponents’ batting average. If that’s not a complete pitcher, then one doesn’t exist. Harry’s & McCoy’s Moving Moves Free Estimates Time starts at your door Free use of boxes & wardrobes Short notice moves Home-Office-Apartments Local and Long Distance Licensed & Insured – CAL-T-160-989 Family Owned & Operated for 66 Years 310.329.3493 “Moving handled with patience and kindness!” “I’m a little biased,” said Dodgers’ catcher A.J. Ellis. “But I think I have the best seat, catching the best pitcher in baseball.” If any other pitcher is better, then they certainly have been in hiding over the past three years as Kershaw has been establishing his dominance. Not only his numbers, but also his age, skill level and presence on the mound are enough to explain that Kershaw is the best pitcher in the world right now. Kershaw winning another Cy Young isn’t surprising. Chances are he’s going to do it again next year as well as the Dodgers only continue to beef up his supporting pitchers and the lineup that gives the young hurler runs with which to work. The only surprising thing was that the vote wasn’t unanimous. St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher Adam Wainwright finished second in the voting to Kershaw and came away with one first place vote. The Cardinals did beat the Dodgers in this year’s Championship Series, so Dodger fans can most likely let that one vote slide. “Whether you expect to win or you don’t, just to hear your name called--it does something to you,” Kershaw explained. “I’m not big on individual stats or awards or anything like that, because ultimately I think we play this game to win the World Series. No ifs, ands or buts about that. That’s the goal.” It’s a goal that Kershaw certainly came close to achieving this year, and maybe even expected to win, given his dynamic team. If he doesn’t want the awards, though, he better get used to it. Something in the air says that there are many more to come in his not-so-distant future. Such a young and dynamic pitcher doesn’t come around often--that much is obvious. For that reason and that reason alone, the Dodgers should be focusing all of their attention on extending Kershaw’s contract, which expires in 2014. The way things are going for the young southpaw, he should expect to be made a very wealthy man at the hands of Stan Kasten, Magic Johnson and the rest of the Dodger ownership group if he wishes to remain in Los Angeles for the remainder of his career. The Dodgers will undoubtedly be willing to shell out the money and the amount of years necessary to make him a Dodger for life. That being the case, fans here in L.A. can rest easily knowing that they have the world’s best pitcher taking the mound 30 times a year right here in their very own backyard. If you’re a fan of baseball and you’re a fan of pitching, don’t let the opportunity go by to witness one of the very best who has ever done it as he works magic right in front of your very eyes. Clayton Kershaw is a rare talent that should not be missed, should not be taken for granted and will one day go down in Major League Baseball history. • Up and Adam Warriors Fight Past Round 1 See Sports, page 7 South High Lady Spartans defend the net and qualify for CIF Semi Finals. Photo by Shelley Kemp.
Torrance 11_21_13
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