There’s an old advertising slogan: “Blondes have more fun.”
Anthony Califano is having so much fun coaching his Dos Pueblos wrestling team that he dyed his hair blonde.
“I’ll do anything to motivate my team,” he said at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.
His wrestlers went blonde before their Channel League dual meet showdown with Ventura a couple of weeks ago. The Chargers then went out and beat the Cougars for the first time since 2006
“All the kids did it for the Ventura match. The coach agreed to do it if they beat Ventura, so I won the bet, if you want to look at it that way,” he said.
Gama Perez sparked the victory. Wrestling in the first bout of the night, he rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the final period and won in overtime.
The 120-pound Perez and 195-pound Patrick Konkol both started when they were sophomores.
“Patrick was in my PE class as a freshman and said, ‘Hey, coach, I’m going to wrestle next year.’ I said OK. It’s a really hard sport. Are you sure? He said, ‘Yes. I’m sure.’”
Konkol worked his way into the starting lineup and last weekend won his first tournament championship. He recorded three pins to capture a title at the San Marcos Invitational and was voted the outstanding upper weight wrestler.
The Chargers are looking forward to the next couple of weeks. They’ll host the Channel League championships and then, for the first time, the CIF Duals.
“Team-wise, I’d say the team theme is making history,” Califano said. “We have a good team. What an opportunity to win a title in our own gym. That’s our push now, to be CIF champions and win a title in our own gym.”
BOYS SOCCER
Carpinteria: The Warriors have scored 20 goals and allowed just three since the start of the new year.
“We’ve taken an aggressive stance against opponents,” said coach Leo Quintero.
The bulk of the scoring has come from the trio of Diego Contreras, Francisco Arroyo and Juan Pablo Alvarez. They’ve combined for 15 goals.
Defensively, goalkeeper Lalo Delgado has been dominant between the posts.
San Marcos: Royals coach Rob Lauderdale said he was so concerned about other players when they played Dos Pueblos that he didn’t know much about Jessie Jimenez.
“I didn’t know about him before,” he said. “He scored three goals on us, so I really know him now.”
The Royals are on a three-game losing streak, but Lauderdale said the team’s spirits are good.
“We have practice at 6:30 in the morning, and I expected the boys to come out slow. It was probably our most high tempo workout we’ve had this year,” he said.
Lauderdale introduced two underclassmen who have made an impact on the squad, sophomore Camilo Gonzagui and junior Andy Mandrell.
“I expect a lot from these guys for the rest of the season and next season,” he said.
Bishop Diego: Athletic director Dan Peeters raved about the team’s performance in an overtime loss against Cate. The Cardinals rallied from a 2-0 deficit and tied the match at 3-3.
“I could not believe the effort of our boys. It was one of the most gritty efforts I’ve seen on the field from our boys,” he said.
Jacob Brosnan and Dylan Pierz are two standout players for the Cardinals.
Dos Pueblos: The Chargers went through the first round of Channel League play undefeated, outscoring their four opponents 11-0.
Jessie Jimenez, Drew Richard and Tim Heiduk have led DP.
On Jimenez: “He’s a do-whatever-we-need kind of guy,” coach Matt York said. “He adapts to the style of the game and finds his niche.”
Richard found his niche as a centerback. “The team took off this year once he solidified the back line,” said York. “The backline has been awesome for us. He is the vocal leader, emotional leader, the heart and soul of the back line.
Senior Tim Heiduk is like a coach on the field for the Chargers. “He has a great head on his shoulders,” said York
The coach said the theme of the season is “belief.”
GIRLS SOCCER
San Marcos: Coach Macie Berlin said that despite a three-game losing streak, her players are continuing to play with tenacity
Senior goalkeeper Emily Stevens and sophomore striker Chloe Hamer exemplify the team’s desire and passion.
Santa Barbara: Assistant coach Mark Hyatt introduced junior Bailey Wolf and sophomore Alea Hyatt key players on the squad. Wolf controls the midfield while Hyatt is a goal scorer. She leads the team with seven goals and four assists.
Carpinteria: The Warriors are on a six-game winning streak thanks to the play of freshman Jenny Alaniz, junior Jessica Meza and senior Lesly Zapata. Alaniz has 10 goals in league play and Zapata has eight goals. Meza was the key to the team’s turnaround, said assistant coach Lucy Carleton, speaking for head coach Charles Bryant. Her play in a win over Fillmore sparked the turnaround.
GIRLS WATER POLO
Santa Barbara: Coach Mark Walsh said he’s been pleased with the results freshmen Georgia Ransone and Grace Raisin have produced. Ransone plays central defense and Raisin is in the center position at the offensive end.
“These two freshmen are doing a great job and I’m really excited about it.”
The Dons play Dos Pueblos on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
San Marcos: The Royals face a tough week, playing Laguna Beach, the No. 1 team in the country, on Friday and CIF Division 1 fourth-ranked Corona del Mar on Saturday. Both games are at Corona del Mar.
Coach Chuckie Roth introduced two workhorse players, Brittany Prentice and Kate Coski. He said Prentice’s powerful play in the center is a big reason Paige Hauschild gets open shots.
On Coski, Roth said she is a powerful athlete who gets up and down the pool and plays aggressive defense. He said she and other players recently helped with some construction work at his house and Coski was the only one who could push a full wheelbarrow of concrete.
“The other girls look at her and say, ’I’m not doing that.’ She’s a tough kid,” he said.
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