FALL SPORTS PREVIEW 2014
FOOTBALL Pg. 11 The Del Norte football team is small in both numbers and size in 2014, but that doesn’t mean it will back down from anybody. Pictured: Quarterback Steven Maready
Page 2 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
CONTENTS FOOTBALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 VOLLEYBALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 TENNIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BOYS SOCCER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 GIRLS SOCCER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 CROSS COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 CHEERLEADING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 GIRLS GOLF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 MARCHING BAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
All stories by Michael Zogg / Triplicate sports editor
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Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 3
FOOTBALL
SMALL WARRIORS PACK A PUNCH The Del Norte football team has exploded out of the gates in the 2014 season. The Warriors are off to a 2-0 start with a strong 33-18 victory at home over Piner to open the season and a 63-34 road win to open conference play in McKinleyville. Although head coach Ray Rook says the strength of this team is still its defense, it’s the Del Norte offense that has been grabbing attention early in the year. The Warriors have scored 96 points already this season. Last year, Del Norte didn’t eclipse the 90-point barrier until Oct. 4 in the sixth game of the season against Arcata. The 63 points scored against McKinleyville this year is the highest point total for Del Norte since at least 2003, according to maxpreps.com. The Warriors have been a runfirst offense since Rook took over the team four years ago, and that has not changed. Del Norte has run the ball on roughly 72 percent of its offensive plays this season. Del Norte has found plenty of success on the ground this season, rushing 79 times for 418 yards and seven touchdowns through the first two games. The main difference for this year’s offense is that they have developed a potent air attack to complement the run game. Senior quarterback Steven Maready has thrown 30 passes this season, completing 16 of them for 324 yards and six touchdowns. “We have some good receivers, and it is nice seeing them make a catch,” said senior running back and linebacker Napooi Shorty. “It gets us going, seeing us get the ball way down there.” The Warriors have already seen several big plays through the air this
SCHEDULE AUG. 30th HOME Del Norte vs Piner W 33-18 SEPT. 5th AWAY Del Norte at Mac W 63-34 SEPT. 12th AWAY Del Norte at Yreka SEPT. 19th HOME Del Norte vs. St. Bernard’s SEPT. 26th AWAY Del Norte at Fortuna OCT. 3rd HOMECOMING Del Norte vs. Arcata OCT. 10th HOME Del Norte vs. Mac OCT. 24th AWAY Del Norte at Eureka OCT. 31st HOME Del Norte vs. Fortuna NOV. 7th AWAY Del Norte at Arcata
season. Del Norte’s first score of the season came off of a throw over the middle to junior Austin Healy, who made a couple defenders miss as he went 86 yards for the touchdown. Healy has been the top receiver in both games so far, combining for 177 yards receiving and two touchdown catches. He also proved to be a weapon on special teams, returning a kickoff 95 yards for another touchdown against McKinleyville. Junior receiver Landon McAlexander also stepped up for the Warriors, hauling in two touchdown catches in the season opener. No offense is complete, however, without an offensive line. The line was Del Norte’s biggest question mark heading into the season, with
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Junior wide receiver Austin Healy has already made a pair of touchdown receptions through the first two games of the regular season to help Del Norte off to a 2-0 start to the season. a lot of youth and new players starting on the line. The line has looked good at times but has also made a few mistakes that led to broken plays. “We are small, and we don’t have that many replacements, so people are going both ways and getting tired,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Colton Davis. “You have to work together, and you have to help each other. We are going against some big guys, and we have got to hold them. Sometimes you need someone to help you. We are all here for each other.”
Truthfully, Del Norte is a little on the small side at most positions this season, but through the first two games the Warriors have been able to overcome that. “We are a tough team,” Davis said. “We have gone against some big guys so far. I have gone against guys that are about 300 pounds. We are just a tough little team.” Del Norte’s size deficiency is compounded by the fact that due to injuries and personnel, many of the starters on the team play both offense and defense. “You are going constantly,” Da-
vis said, describing the grind of starting on offense and defense. “You are always hitting somebody, getting on the ground, getting back up and constantly running around. You have to be in shape to go do it.” Getting into good shape has been a focus of the team this year, but the Warriors can’t afford to spend all of their practice time doing wind sprints, so they are trying to turn up the intensity of the repetitions, rather than the volume. “When we come out to practice and we do conditioning, we have to make sure we are going hard
Page 4 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
FOOTBALL “It was pretty panicky (on the sideline),” Davis said. “You are seeing stuff and thinking that everything is falling apart. You just have to stay calm and do what you do.” Del Norte will continue to condition, drill, watch tape and go over schemes and contingencies throughout the season, but perhaps the most important work the team will do is fortify the bonds between the players. “Our first goal would probably be to come together as a family, as a small unit,” Shorty said. “We just want to come together, push each other and have each other’s backs on the field.” After two games and two wins, the team is already well on its way. “One thing I have learned through the first two games is that I can trust all of my teammates,” Shorty said.
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Del Norte has an athletic and experienced signal caller in senior captain Steven Maready.
because on Friday we will be doing the same thing,” Shorty said. In addition to the team’s physical toughness, Rook has been impressed by the team’s mental toughness as well. “These guys really respond to the moment,” Rook said in an interview before the season began. That was before the Warriors, finding themselves down 7-0 in the season opener against Piner, rallied to tie the game on the very next play from scrimmage en route to 20 unanswered points and the win. Del Norte again found itself trailing early against McKinleyville, this time 14-0 in the first quarter. The Warriors responded again by hanging 35 straight points on the Panthers. Davis admitted that the Warriors felt uneasy after falling behind in both games, but they continued to have faith in the game plan and each other.
Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 5
VOLLEYBALL
RETOOLING FOR TITLE DEFENSE The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although the Del Norte volleyball team looks significantly different from what it did a season ago when it won a share of the Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 title for the first time since 2009, the Warriors have the same lofty expectations. “Our biggest goal is to win league,” said senior setter Kayla Costello. Gone is last year’s league-unanimous MVP, the 5-foot, 11-inch outside hitter Kaitlyn Clemann, who is now starting as a freshman for the Santa Barbara volleyball team. Gone is 6-foot white star middle blocker Ashton Smedley, who is playing for Mt. Hood Community College this year. Gone are four graduated seniors and two underclassmen who have moved away since the end of last season. “We lost our big girls who could put the ball down when we needed them to,” said Costello, the Warriors’ only returning White Star winner from last season. “We lost a lot of players that could do a lot of good on the floor.” Still, the Warriors are confident that this year’s team has the potential to perform as well as their predecessors. Costello is the team’s top returning player, but Sarah Levi, Grace Bruschi, Regin Loftin and Kate Eninger also return to the varsity team with significant experience gained last season. Out of the five players who are returning, however, two are trying to adapt to new positions and roles this year. Bruschi has taken over the libero position that was left vacant by a graduating senior, and head coach Debbie Lorenzi likes what she sees out of her new lead defender.
SCHEDULE AUG. 30th AWAY Yreka Tournament W 33-18 SEPT. 4th AWAY Del Norte at Illinois Valley SEPT. 8th HOME Del Norte vs. Brookings SEPT. 10th HOME Del Norte vs. Gold Beach SEPT. 13th AWAY Hidden Valley Tournament SEPT. 15th AWAY Del Norte at Brookings SEPT. 19th-20th HOME Anderson Tournament SEPT. 24th AWAY Del Norte at Gold Beach SEPT. 30th HOME Del Norte vs. St. Bernards OCT. 2nd HOME Del Norte vs. Fortuna OCT. 4th AWAY Del Norte JV at Hidden Valley OCT. 7th HOME Del Norte vs. Arcata OCT. 9th AWAY Del Norte at McKinleyville OCT. 16th HOME Del Norte vs. Eureka OCT. 18th AWAY Marshfield Tournament OCT. 21st AWAY Del Norte at Fortuna OCT. 23rd AWAY Del Norte at Arcata OCT. 28th HOME Del Norte vs. McKinleyville Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Grace Bruschi serves during the Warriors’ home opening win against Brookings.
NOV. 4th AWAY Del Norte at Eureka
Page 6 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
VOLLEYBALL “She is a good talker and a good communicator out there,” Lorenzi said. “She is getting a lot of balls that aren’t hers, and that is what she is supposed to do. She is supposed to take care of that back line. If the front row doesn’t do their job, she has to go take care of them. That is her job, and she loves it.” Loftin is also learning the ropes at a new position after moving from the right-side hitter position to the left side. For the predominantly lefthanded Loftin, placing on the left side of the court can be tricky, but she has stepped up to the challenge. “She is doing a good job,” Lorenzi said. “She can keep any set on. She is being a good team player and taking a spot that is difficult for a lefty to play.” Levi, who played middle blocker last year, started the season in a new position as an outside hitter but
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Assistant coach Pablo Lorenzi listens as the team discusses strategy during a break from game play. early struggles in the middle caused Lorenzi to rethink Levi’s spot in the lineup, returning her to the middle where she played last season. “We put Sarah back in the middle, and she is very effective,” Lo-
renzi said. Having Levi back in the middle has also proven beneficial to Levi’s understudy, freshman Clair Smith. “Clair has a good model, and she is watching that in practice,” Lo-
renzi said. “As a freshman, I think Sarah is just a wonderful senior for Clair. She’s very encouraging and really showing (Smith) the ropes of playing middle.” Smith, who came on strong on
Tuesday in Del Norte’s victory over Brookings, is one of two freshmen who were selected for the varsity squad this year; setter Payton Healy is the other. Like most freshmen, Healy has some learning to do in order to play at the varsity level, Lorenzi said, but she is off to a strong start to her high school career. “She has to be involved and focused. She can’t just go on her natural skill, which is what she has always done in the past,” Lorenzi said. “She has to get above that. She has to do better than that. At this stage of the game, though, she is doing a good job as a freshman setter.” As of Sept. 9, the Warriors had a 5-1 overall record after going 3-1 with a third-place finish at the Yreka Tournament before sweeping both Illinois Valley and Brookings in three sets.
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Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 7
GIRLS TENNIS
TOP PLAYERS RETURN TO COURT The girls tennis team heads into the 2014 season in an unusual position. The Warriors return five of their top seven players, including their No. 1, 2 and 3 players from a season ago. Del Norte looks to be much more experienced on the court this season, but it loses a ton of experience on the sidelines as longtime head coach Jane Rumiano steps aside to open up more time for traveling.
Samuel Escobar, who said he played some tennis recreationally in graduate school in the ’80s, is stepping in to replace Rumiano. He is the first to admit that he cannot replace the technical knowledge that Rumiano provided. “The problem is, when you learn the sport and nobody has taught you how to play, you just do whatever you need to do to get the ball over,� Escobar said. During the preseason, the girls tennis team went about business as usual, with Rumiano running practices and taking the lead in instructing the team. “We have been fortunate that she has been here for the first two
weeks,� Escobar said. Although Rumiano will not be able to coach much throughout the remainder of the season, she has left a little bit of help behind for Escobar. “Jane has arranged for several local players from the tennis association to come out here and challenge these girls, especially Jordan (Babich) and Debbie (Yang),� Escobar said. In the meantime, Escobar has been trying to soak up as much information as possible from Rumiano. Escobar said he has also been watching YouTube videos and reading books to brush up on his strategy and try to learn proper
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Jordan Babich returns as the Warriors’ top tennis player for the second year.
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Page 8 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
GIRLS TENNIS form. “He is coming along with tennis,� said Babich, Del Norte’s No. 1. “He is catching on to the little things, and he is getting tips from Jane about drills and things. He still has a lot about tennis that he needs to pick up on, though.� Babich and Yang, the top two players last year, both spent a lot of time playing with the boys tennis team last year, helping to provide them with instruction. Their teaching skills are again being put to use with the girls team this fall. “Because Escobar isn’t quite up to date with his tennis knowledge, we have been trying to help run the drills and answer questions for the younger players,� Babich said. While Escobar’s tennis knowlege is limited, Del Norte’s boys
and girls track coach does have some positive things to offer the team. “He has a lot of intense workouts. We are going to be in way better shape than we were last year because we have been conditioning and working out,� Babich said. “We have specific warm-ups that we do every day now, and he gives us ab workouts. We also has a strength routine that rotates between working out arms and legs.� Babich said the tennis team did little if any conditioning and weight training last year, and she expects the extra work to pay off this year. “Last year when I was playing I would get super tired halfway through the match and then just have to struggle though the rest of it,� Babich said. “Hopefully this
year I will have better conditioning and a lot more strength to keep it going throughout all the sets in a match.� The team currently has 20 girls on the roster, including about five freshmen, Escobar said. Babich and Yang are joined by returning varsity players Alexis Wright, who played No. 3 last year and Raili Makela, who was No. 4. Olivia Jeffcoat will also likely be in the mix for a top-five varsity spot as the team’s top returning junior varsity player. Escobar said after Jeffcoat there are several players battling for the sixth and final varsity spot. “I think we are going to have a strong top six because there are five of us returning from last year,� Babich said. “We will have more experience.�
SCHEDULE ™™SEPT. 6th AWAY 10AM Del Norte at St. Bernards
™™OCT. 4th AWAY 10AM Del Norte at McKinleyville
™™SEPT. 9th HOME 3PM Del Norte vs. McKinleyville
™™OCT 7th AWAY 3PM Del Norte at Eureka
™™SEPT. 13th HOME 10AM Del Norte vs. Eureka
™™OCT. 11th AWAY 10AM Del Norte at Arcata
™™SEPT. 16th HOME 2:30PM Del Norte vs. Arcata
™™OCT 14th HOME 3PM Del Norte vs. NC Prep
™™SEPT. 20th HOME 10AM Del Norte vs. NC Prep
™™OCT. 18th AWAY 10AM Del Norte at Fortuna
™™SEPT. 23rd HOME 3PM Del Norte vs. Fortuna
™™OCT. 25th AWAY 9AM HDN Singles at Fortuna
™™SEPT. 30th HOME 3PM Del Norte vs. St. Bernards
™™OCT. 31st AWAY 9AM HDN Doubles at Fortuna
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Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 9
BOYS SOCCER
UNIFIED TEAM READY TO ROLL SCHEDULE SEPT. 17th HOME Del Norte vs. McKinleyville SEPT. 20th AWAY Del Norte at Eureka SEPT. 23rd AWAY Del Norte at Eagle Point SEPT. 24th HOME Del Norte vs. St. Bernard’s
Del Norte Triplicate / Michael Zogg
Junior Nathan Wells and senior Omar Leal fight for the ball during a passing drill.
SEPT. 27th HOME Del Norte vs. South Fork OCT. 1st HOME Del Norte vs. Fortuna OCT. 4th AWAY Del Norte at Arcata OCT. 8th HOME Del Norte vs. Ferndale OCT. 11th AWAY Del Norte at McKinleyville OCT. 15th HOME Del Norte vs. Eureka OCT. 18th AWAY Del Norte at St. Bernard OCT. 22nd AWAY Del Norte at South Fork OCT. 25th AWAY Del Norte at Fortuna OCT. 29th HOME Del Norte vs. Arcata NOV. 15th NCS Playoffs
terms of conditioning, and I see a lot of good team spirit and commitment on the part of the players. We have a unified
Things will look a little bit different this year for the Del Norte boys soccer team. The Warriors lose goal-scoring specialists Jesus Herrera and Juan Alcarado to graduation from a dangerous offensive attack a season ago along with several other key contributors, including goalkeeper Niano Santos. Heading into the new season, head coach David Sanyaolu was concerned that the team would be shorthanded this year due to graduation, but when practice started the team actually had more players than Sanyaolu could keep. “My fear after last year was that we lost some of our very individually talented players from last year, but when I came to the first day of practice I was impressed,” Sanyaolu said. “We had a lot of players come and try out, and the players that we have left are all willing to learn.” This year’s squad seems to be hungry to prove that it can replicate and maybe even improve on last season. “The players we lost were good, but everyone has just kept working hard and trying,” said senior midfielder and forward Geovany Ramirez. “Just because they left doesn’t mean that we are not good.” Rather than try to replace last year’s senior players, Del Norte is trying to remake its approach to the game. “We are emphasizing more of a team effort instead of individual display,” Sanyaolu said. “I tell them, ‘It is a game of 11 players, so let’s play as a team instead of you wanting to run with the ball and do too much.’ Our philosophy is to keep it simple. It is a game that involves passing the ball and moving.” Based on what the Warriors have shown through the first few weeks of practice, Sanyaolu is optimistic about this year’s team. “We started very well this season in
Page 10 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
BOYS SOCCER house this year more than any other year, and I hope that will translate on the field,” Sanyaolu said. “The players exert themselves during practice, they do what they are told, they learn, and over the course of the two weeks that we have been practicing I have seen a lot of improvement. Hopefully we will see that when we play the real games.” While the Warriors lost a lot of offense from last year’s team, the defense remains largely intact from a year ago. The defense struggled at times last season, but the team is confident that with more experience the defense can be a strength this year. “We talk better this year,” Sanyaolu said. “We have some defenders back from last year,
and we are still getting better.” The biggest hole that the Warriors are looking to fill in the defense is keeper. Del Norte has had several players working in the goal throughout the preseason and after the final cuts were made for the roster, it looks as though senior Alberto Barraza will start the season in goal. Denior Omar Leal has seen some work in goal this preseason as well and will likely be Del Norte’s backup keeper. When he is not in goal, however, Leal will spend time playing in the field for the Warriors. Offensively, the Warriors are still hoping that they can find the back of the net this season, but they will try to accomplish that through improved ball control and patience rather than the spectacular runs toward goal
that the team became accustomed to in 2013. “Offensively, we may not be as sharp as in previous years because we had some good individual players that have gone, but the kids that I have up front are willing to play as a team,” Sanyaolu said. “That is what we are emphasizing.” Del Norte’s improved ball movement may already be taking hold with the new players. “When we all play together in practice, I have seen that everyone is pretty good at passing, so I think that will be a strength this year.” The boys team will have a late start this season because the first two opponents for the boys and girls soccer programs — Illinois Valley and Ferndale — didn’t have boys teams.
Del Norte Triplicate / Michael Zogg
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Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 11
GIRLS SOCCER
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Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Senior Sabrina Gonzalez will try to guide a fresh group of faces on the soccer field this year.
™™SEPT. 23rd AWAY Del Norte at Eagle Point ™™SEPT. 24th HOME Del Norte vs. St. Bernard’s
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Not even the players and coaches know quite what to expect from the Del Norte girls soccer team this season. With 10 seniors graduating from last year’s team, the only certainty for the Warriors this season is that there will be plenty of change. Seniors Sabrina Gonzalez, Silvia Cajita and Karina Moseley, along with junior Maddie Critz, are the team’s only returning players. “We are looking at a team that is rebuilding,� said head coach Clar Byers. “We had a lot of graduating seniors last year, so we are back to a young group. They are coming along though. Their conditioning has been pretty impressive, and we are just building our skills at this point and trying to learn to play with each other so that we can be effectively competitive.� Currently, the girls team has 12 players on the roster, which presents a whole new set of challenges for the team this year. “With 11 girls on the field that leaves one to rotate in,� Byers said. “They really have to be highly conditioned to be able to run the 70 minutes required without a substitution. They are going to be winded before the game is out.� To deal with the extra running, the girls have been doing a lot of conditioning throughout the preseason, and it is already starting to pay off. “We have been conditioning a lot,� Critz said. “At the beginning of the year we could barely run a mile, and now we are doing a lot more.� Although the girls know they have some difficult challenges facing them this season, they have already gotten off to an impressive start, earning a 1-0 win while playing with just 9 players against Illinois Valley’s 11 in the season opener. Even if that were the only game the Warriors win this year, though, the girls say it can still be a successful year. “It is more about the memories and the relationships that we make with the team, so it doesn’t really matter if we win or lose,� Cajita said. “We just all want to get along and have a good time.�
Page 12 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
CROSS COUNTRY
DN FIELDS TWO FULL TEAMS Assistant coach George Hartman has been helping out the Del Norte cross country teams for over a decade, but this is the first time he can remember that both the boys and the girls teams begin the season with enough runners for a full team. A cross country team consists of seven runners with the fastest five runners’ places being added up for the team score. As of Sept. 8, there are eight girls and 11 boys signed up and attending practice. “Pretty much all of the other teams in the league have a lot more runners than we do,” said sophomore Garrett Galea. “It will be a challenge competing with the other teams, but I think that we have the guys to do it.” Galea was the second Warrior finisher at the Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 Championships last season behind classmate Parker Thompson. Thompson took 20th place overall and Galea was 21st, finishing 12 seconds behind in 2013. They are joined by fellow sophomore Graeson Cameron, junior Nick Jacob and seniors Glenn Duncan and Blaine Sutton, who all return from last year’s squad. The boys team has also added three freshmen and a sophomore to the team this year, and Hartman said they have all been working hard. “They want to be here,” Hartman said. “That is the main thing for cross country.” Perhaps the biggest addition to the boys cross country team will be junior Jesus Lara.
SCHEDULE SEPT. 24th AWAY at Eureka 4PM OCT. 1st AWAY at Fortuna 4PM OCT. 8th AWAY at South Fork 4PM OCT. 15th AWAY at Arcata 4PM OCT. 22nd HOME 4PM OCT. 29th AWAY at McKinleyville 3PM NOV. 8th AWAY HDN CHAMPIONSHIPS at Eureka 11AM NOV. 22nd Meet of Champions NOV. 8th CIF Champs
Lara played football the past two years, but ran middle and long distances in track. “He is fantastic,” Galea said. “He is number one on the team, as expected.” With a strong returning nucleus and some promising imported talent, the boys team is optimistic heading into the year. “We will be competitive,” Hartman said. “Arcata is the team that you have to take out in this league, and the boys might actually be able to be up there with them.” The girls team’s top runner will also likely be a new addition to the team. Junior Karlie
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Garrett Galea, Parker Thompson and Graeson Cameron were three of the top junior varsity runners in the league most of last year as freshmen. This season they hope to be running varsity. Scott, who has been one of the top female distance runners in track, decided to pick up a new sport as well. “George convinced me to finally come out and run with them, and I thought it would be fun,” Scott said. Scott will be joined by seniors Samantha
Henkell and Sara French, junior Samantha Ballard and sophomore Samantha French as well as three freshmen who will also vie for spots. “We have a lot of people that haven’t run before, so we are trying to introduce them to what running more than a mile is like,” Scott said.
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the crowd into the game — you have no other purpose. That 2 minutes and 30 seconds at halftime, that is your time to do what you want to do.’� Young said the team will learn about five or six different halftime routines throughout the course of the year. Each routine will be learned by the squad during the course of a week. “They will pick up choreography in a day, do stunts in a day, put it all together, clean it up and put it on the field,� Young said. “It is a lot.� It is also completely homegrown, as the students generally take on the task of choreographing the performance. “Most of the time the kids do their own choreography,� Young said. “Once in a while I will do some, but that is not what I enjoy. I am more about cleaning it up. I like to have them own it. If they put it together and choreograph it, there is a lot more ownership of it.� Young said there is also a possibility of the squad taking one or more of those routines on the road to a cheerleading competition this year. “We have gone to competitions in the past, and we are thinking about doing it this year. It just depends on timing,� he said. “Most of the competitions happen during basketball season so it just depends on what our game schedule is. The rule of thumb is that we don’t miss games to go to a competiThe right person for the right reason.
The right person for the right reason.
Who says cheerleading isn’t a sport? Like many high school teams, the Del Norte cheer squad has already been practicing for nearly a month after two weeks of grueling 3½-hour summer practices before the start of the school year. The cheerleaders also attended camp at Oregon State back in July. “That is the kickoff to our year,â€? Young said. “It is an intense four days that starts classes at 8 a.m. and goes until about 8:30 p.m. with a couple breaks in there. They learn quite a few new sideline chants, learn some stunts and work on their technique. We get them to really bond as a team before we come home.â€? Head coach Joey Young had some difficult decisions to make last spring, as 80 kids tried out to make the cheerleading squad. That is now down to 33 kids (32 girls and 1 boy) on the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading squads. “It has been a great season so far. We had a great turnout at tryouts in April, which gives you the team we have,â€? Young said. “The program has been building steadily in the three years that I have been back.â€? As always, the cheerleaders’ main focus on game day is to pump up the crowd and get them excited about the Warriors. “We are here to support the teams, have fun doing it, entertain the crowd and to stand out a little bit,â€? Young said. “I tell the teams, ‘During the game, your job is to get
Page 14 — Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014
GIRLS GOLF
FITZHUGH SWINGS FOR THE TOP Between the first and second meets of the season, the Del Norte girls golf team has doubled in size. Last year, the team consisted of Siera Fitzhugh and Gina Dana, both juniors this year. Those two girls were the only Warriors to compete when the season started in Benbow on Sept. 5, but the team has added two more golfers to the mix in senior Jordan Babich and sophomore Juliana Cole. “It will be nice to actually have some scores,” said head coach Alison Eckart. Fitzhugh, Del Norte’s White Star winner from last season, will almost certainly be the Warriors’ top golfer again this season. Last year, Fitzhugh finished in fifth place in the Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 individual standings. She went on to finish sixth individually at the North Coast Section division II tournament in McKinleyville. “Siera has been playing with her family, probably since she could swing a golf club.,” Eckart said. “She is really hoping to be at the top of the league.” Fitzhugh finished third individually at the first league meet of the season in Benbow. There appear to be at least two golfers that will challenge Fitzhugh at the top of the leaderboard at league meets this season, including Eureka’s Ashley Harris and St. Bernard’s Alison Sudol, who finished 12 and 13 strokes ahead of Fitzhugh, respectively, at the first meet. Eckart believes that Fitzhugh can be right in the thick of the race if she continues to play her game and work to improve. “She is a powerhouse hitter,” Eckart said. “She has good long drives that are accurate right now. The thing that needs to improve is her mental game, and she gets stronger every day.” Dana is the Warriors other returning golfer. Although this is just her second year playing the sport, Eckart has already seen a lot of improvement from the junior. “She has really improved her swing and concentrated on the different aspects of her game,” Eckart said. “Her goal is to put all of the different aspects together: to put the put-
SCHEDULE SEPT. 5th AWAY at Benbow 3rd Place SEPT. 11TH HOME 12PM Sept 15th AWAY at Big Foot Golf Course 12 PM Sept 22nd AWAY at Redwood Country Club OCT. 2nd AWAY at Eureka Municipal Golf Course OCT. 9th AWAY at Baywood Golf Course OCT. 16th AWAY at Beau Pre Golf Course
ting and the chipping with the drives. I think she is really on her way.” Eckart said Dana’s goal to start the season was to shoot in the 130s, which she accomplished with a score of 137. Although Eckart is pleased that Dana is picking up where she left off last year, Eckart said she believes Dana could drop as many as 20 strokes from her score by the end of the year. Cole is entering this year in a similar situation as what Dana was in last year, without much experience. Eckart is excited to have her on the team, however. “Her sister played for me about six or seven years ago, and she has shown interest in joining the team, so that will be cool,” Eckart said. Babich joins the girls golf team after spending the previous three fall seasons as the No. 1 girls tennis player. Babich is back at No. 1 on the tennis court again this season, but Eckart said she has expressed interest in competing with the team when her tennis schedule will allow. “She is going to find time in her off-time to practice and then possibly come to a couple tournaments with us and see how it goes,” Eckart said. The Warriors have been using the first couple weeks of practice to get back in the swing of things. “In practice we have been trying to calm
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
Del Norte junior Siera Fitzhugh is one of the top returning golfers in the league this year. down swings, I think has been the main thing,” Eckart said. “I want to thank Kirk Burrows, who has helped out with us. He has been very helpful. He has come to practice and shown us
how to correct one little thing at a time.” The Warriors will be at the Del Norte Golf Course on Thursday for their only home meet of the year.
Del Norte Triplicate — 2014 Fall Sports Preview –– Thursday, September 11, 2014 — Page 15
MARCHING BAND
Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson
The Del Norte High School Marching Band is back in 2014 under the direction of music teacher Dan Sedgwick. The 65-member band will present a rock ’n’ roll show consisting of “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars, “Dream On” by Aerosmith and “Hammerhead” by Offspring. “This year’s show features a full rhythm section — or rock band — while the marching band performs these three selections. It is a loud and very fun show with both current and classic rock music,” Sedgwick said. The band will compete at the Pride of the Northwest competition in Grants Pass later this year.
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