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JULY 31, 2020
HIGH SCHOOLS, RECREATION & SIGN-UPS
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Heritage names new varsity water polo coach by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer
The Heritage girls’ water polo team didn’t have to look far to find its next varsity water polo coach — she was already a part of the program. Shannon Yancey, the Patriots threeyear junior varsity head coach, will rise to the varsity position, replacing the six-year head coach Jeff Lapum, who recently resigned. “We are very excited about her connection with the girls, her connection to the program, and we are also excited to maintain the consistency to the strong tradition that we have built,” said Athletic Director Nate Smith. Yancey, a 16-year Liberty Union High School District physical education teacher currently at Heritage, figures to make the team’s coaching transition as fluid as possible. She’s currently a teacher at the school; she’s been a fixture on the varsity team’s bench for years; her daughter, Makeila, is a squad member; and the Yancey family lives in the same neighborhood with at least four current team members. “(Jeff Lapum) called me over to his house and sat me down two separate times and said, ‘Shannon, you just need to go for the varsity position,’” Yancey said. “’You
Heritage’s water polo coach Shannon Yancey, seen here with her former junior varsity squad, will move up to the head varsity position this season.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Yancey
are the one to do it, you know the most, you know these girls, you know our program.’ It just seemed to be that natural fit.” Yancey will inherit a perennial powerhouse squad, which, under Lapum, posted a winning record in all six league seasons by winning the program’s first league title in 2016; its first North Coast Section crown in 2018; and finished its league slate a combined 32-1, over the last four years. Luckily for the Patriots, Yancey is no stranger to sustained success, herself.
During an eight-year stint on the USA wrestling team in the 1990s, she garnered one world championship, four national championships and four world silver medals. She also coached wrestling internationally for several years and won a live tour of hit TV series ‘American Gladiators.’ However, years later, fate, family and a coincidence have switched her focus toward the acclaimed water sport. Yancey says district officials long urged her to enter the high school coaching ranks.
Water polo eventually won out when several of Yancey’s youth-water-polo-playing neighbors began persuading the family to have Yancey’s two soccer-loving daughters play polo. Soccer and water polo had traditionally overlapped — preventing inclusion in the water sport — until Yancey’s oldest daughter reached high school, when by chance, Heritage’s junior varsity water polo coaching see Yancey page 15
COVID-19 pandemic shakes up cheerleading
Multi-sport star Akili Calhoun, seen here in a discus competition, has announced that he will be graduating early in order to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley, where he will continue to play football.
Press file photo
Liberty multi-sport star to graduate early Liberty multi-sport star Akili Calhoun has announced that he will be graduating early, in order to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley, where he will play football. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound product, was named to the all-Bay Valley Athletic League first offensive and defensive teams in 2019, as well as the all-league second offensive team in 2018. He tallied 41 tackles, seven sacks and caused one fumble in 15 games, spanned over
two stellar seasons on the varsity squad, according to Maxpreps.com. The move was hastened by the high school football season being pushed back, due to COVID-19-related concerns. The local football season ordinarily wraps up by midDecember. “I love Liberty, it has taught me a lot about not only ball, but life as well,” Calhoun said in a statement. “I love Brentwood, and I always will.”
T
Photo courtesy of Liberty High School
he COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the high school sports landscape, including cheerleading. Liberty High School has announced it’s seeking cheerleaders for the 2020-2021 school year, but the first step in the process is jumping online to fill out a series of questions, including: why prospective members want to be on the team; potential contributions to the squad; and what positive qualities make applicants a good fit for the unit? “Due to COVID-19 and distance learning, our tryout and season will look a little different,” said team officials in a statement. Prospective applicants can visit https://bit.ly/thepressnet_CHEER to fill out the questionnaire. More details on the tryout process are due to be released soon.
