VOLLEYBALL/FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2001: COACH KNOWS BEST S.C. CHRISTIAN TEAM WILL VALUE EVERY POINT.Byline: Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer It's a tired coach's adage, the idea that every point counts, that the course of one play could make the difference between first and second place. The Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Christian girls' volleyball team will never scoff again. The Cardinals and Hillcrest hill·crest n. The summit line of a hill. Christian of Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. each went 11-1 in Westside League play last year and tied on the number of total games won in the season. Then it went to total points scored, and remarkably, the teams tied 169-169. The Cardinals lost a coin flip, received the league's second seed and lost in the first round of playoffs. This year, they don't intend to leave anything to chance. The Cardinals return all but one player from last season's team and shouldn't have to count on tiebreakers to win the league this time. A pair of senior outside hitters, Krista McAhren and Veronica Gottardi, junior middle blocker Stacey Leonard and junior setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. Ashli McCaslin provide a solid core for the experienced Cardinals. ``Most of these girls have played together for three years, so that's a huge benefit,'' coach Darcy Brown said. ``Most of them have played together since seventh grade, so they really work together well and they have great attitude and spirit.'' McAhren returns as the co-MVP of the Westside League and the team's top server and all-around player. On the other side, Gottardi may be the Cardinals' most improved player In some sports, a Most Improved Player award is given to players who have improved the most over the year.
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Brown. ``She really got better over the summer, and she just seems a lot more confident,'' Brown said. ``She's very quick on the court, she just flies all over the place.'' Leonard stands just 5-foot-7 but has a 21-inch vertical leap, Brown said, which makes her a steady middle hitter for the Cardinals, who will once again be pushed by Hillcrest Christian for the league title. ``You can't help but think about (a league title) when you've got all these players coming back,'' Brown said. ``But after what happened last year, you just never know.'' --Football milestone: The fall definitely will be a milestone period for the Santa Clarita Christian eight-man football Eight-man football is a type of American football, generally played by small high schools. Rules and formations vary greatly among states and even among different organizations, but the one constant is eight players from each team on the field at one time, as opposed to eleven-man team, at least off the field. The first group of freshmen who joined the program three years ago are now seniors, and the Cardinals have a league affiliation for the first time. Santa Clarita Christian joins the Heritage League, along with Faith Baptist, First Lutheran, Grace Brethren, L.A. Lutheran, Pilgrim and Windward wind·ward adj. 1. Of or moving toward the quarter from which the wind blows. 2. Of or on the side exposed to the wind or to prevailing winds. adv. In a direction from which the wind blows; against the wind. , but the Cardinals return just four starters. Junior quarterback Caleb Sulham and tight end/linebacker James Grayem, running back/cornerback Josh Masopust and linebacker/offensive lineman Scott Haney, all seniors, will lead the Cardinals, who will have 22 players on their roster. Sulham inherited inherited received by inheritance. inherited achondroplastic dwarfism see achondroplastic dwarfism. inherited combined immunodeficiency see combined immune deficiency syndrome (disease). the quarterback job at the start of last season, when the Cardinals' expected starter transferred in the summer. This year, the Cardinals lack depth at receiver, but coach Dave Beddoe said he will utilize Grayem, his 6-foot-2 tight end. The receiving corps is led by Stephen Mercier and Dennis Dodd. ``We've never been able to throw the ball with great success, but Caleb has really improved a lot,'' Beddoe said. ``He went through some of those fast-twitch drills in the summer and he's really able to throw well, if we can get some receivers for him.'' The Cardinals will be tested in their league, although they are somewhat familiar with their opponents. In its first year, Santa Clarita Christian played a junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. schedule and faced several of the league's teams. ``It's going to be tough, but I think we're moving in the right direction,'' Beddoe said. ``We know we can play with those teams, so it's just a matter of how our kids perform.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Veronica Gottardi returns for Santa Clarita Christian, which lost one player from last season. (2) Krista McAhren is part of a core of experienced players for the Cardinals. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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