Dos Pueblos football coach Doug Caines all season has reminded his team to “embrace the chase.”
Unlike that past few seasons, he knew his Chargers weren’t going to be a front-runner. But if they stuck to an embrace-the-chase mentality, good things could happen.
And they have.
After going 0-5 in non-league games, Dos Pueblos is 3-1 in Channel League and playing for a share of the title on Friday night against crosstown rival and 4-0 Santa Barbara High at Scott O’Leary Stadium.
“That’s just a testament to the hard work these guys have put in,” Caines said at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe. “I tell them every day, wins and losses don’t define us, it’s how we prepare and how we deal with the outcome, and they’ve proven they are worth of the opportunity.”
Santa Barbara coach J.T. Stone knows his Dons are going to get a full-out effort from the Chargers.
“We expect DP to come out with a bang, and they’re going to commit everything to fight for (the win). So are we,” said Stone. “We expect a very big game and, again, this one’s for the community and we encourage everybody to come out and watch a very good quality football game.”
Here is a recap of what the coaches said about the athletes they brought to the luncheon.
Dos Pueblos Football
Caines on lineman Emiliano Carbajal, who’s come back from an elbow injury: “He’s kind of come back into the fold these last two games and really just solidified our offensive and defensive fronts. It’s just been awesome to watch. It’s just a testament to his character.”
On running back/defensive back Conner Lee: “Most people may not know this, but he had to undergo double shoulder surgery on his labrum on each side. He had to get his left side done, wait three months and get the right side done and pray he’d be ready to play football. Over the last two weeks, he’s just been amazing.”
On running back Udy Loza: “He’s just been lighting it up for us. We’ve started to click at the right time and a lot of that comes down to players like Udy. … He’s special, he’s electric.”
Added Caines: “These three seniors are really a part of what makes us special and what I think is the kind of secret sauce at Dos Pueblos in terms of playing football.”
Santa Barbara High Football
Coach Stone on junior running back/kicker Ty Montgomery: “Ty has been playing extremely well. At the beginning of the season, I asked him to do a lot, and he does not come off the field. He was instrumental in our win at Lompoc. … He’s just been a big, big contributor to our football team this year.”
On sophomore tackle Johnny Perez: “He does everything we ask him to do with no complaints. He rarely talks and if he does, it’s to ask questions about his position. He’s just a blessing to have (now) and to have another two years.”
San Marcos Football
Coach Justin Fowle on senior defensive lineman Alejandro Martinez: “Ive just enjoyed watching him grow and improve on a consistent basis through all four years. He’s just stuck with it, and you can tell he loves the sport and loves his teammates. He’s earned a chance to get out there on the field the last few weeks.”
On senior Ewan Best. “He just has so much passion, so much enthusiasm for the game. He’s had a tough go in terms of injuries. In a lot of situations, kids that get injured they just kind of disappear and they don’t come around the program. But Ewan is there every day, day in and day out.”
On senior Roberto Granados: “Roberto has overcome a lot of adversity, some may be self inflicted. He left the school and he came back and he made some hard choices to put himself in a better position to have a better future. He’s going to be a Marine when he graduates high school.”
Bishop Diego Football
Volleyball coach Dillan Bennett, speaking for football coach Tom Crawford, on Luke Knightley: “Luke been an impact player at our outside linebacker position this year and also starts at one of the receiver spots. Last season, he suffered a season-ending leg injury at the very start of the Moorpark game. So, being able to be a part of the (17-14) victory on Friday had to be especially sweet for him. Luke works extremely hard all offseason to be ready for the year and he is one of our leaders on and off the field. Luke is an ASB junior class representative as well as a fine student.”
On Lucas Dutcher: “Lucas is in his second year starting at safety and is a quiet consistent force on the field. On Friday, he was a part of the game-saving play with 20 seconds to go as he was part of the tackle that caused a fumble at our own 2-yard line and then had the wherewithal to get up from that tackle, sprint and dive on the loose ball in the end zone, sealing the victory. Lucas is another excellent student and role model on our campus.”
SBCC Football
Coach Craig Moropoulos on Santa Barbara High alum Colton Takis switching from tight end to right tackle: “That’s not easy for a guy who’s been catching balls to do. But he said, ‘Coach, whatever you need, whatever the team needs.’ He’s going to get recruited by someone because he’s first class, he’s athletic and he’s a great kid.”
On wide receiver and DP alum Cyrus Wallace: “He’s not about the bling, he’s not about the earrings and the chains and the fanciness, this is all about playing football, and I absolutely love that. He’s a first-class young man.”
Laguna Blanca 8-Man Football
Coach Shane Lopez on freshman Kent Dunn: “He played quarterback for us and he was very composed. He’s played linebacker for us when our linebackers went down, and I just couldn’t be more proud of his toughness.”
On freshman Michael Wong replacing the starting outside linebacker: “Michael stepped up on defense and it was just a great thing. The way he came up showed so much courage going against a really good team.”
Added Lopes on the two freshmen: “As a teacher and coach, it’s like the best moment you can have, just seeing that growth. You never know when it’s going to happen but when it does, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Bishop Diego Girls Volleyball
Coach Dillan Bennett on freshman Siena Urzua, who has helped the team advance to the CIF-SS Division 8 quarterfinals: “There’s a lot of wows when you talk about Siena. The first wow is, ‘Oh, my gosh she’s a freshman … Wow, she’s on the varsity team … Wow, she’s a starter.’ What people don’t know is, ‘Wow, she’s a very ,very solid soccer player and her commitments to club soccer are amazing.’ She fits us in when she can. She played in half of our matches and we won 80 percent of those and made the playoffs. Between her and her sister (Alina), they’re driving our culture bus right now.”
Carpinteria Girls Soccer
Assistant coach Lucy Carleton on Erika Estrada: “ I coached both her older sisters they’re both playing right now in college and she is also planning on following in their footsteps and in playing in college. “She’s an outstanding midfielder; she really is our key playmaker as far as set pieces.”
On Yaritza Santes: “She was so hobbled with pain last year but she would try over and over again to play. She has that passion for the game and she really tried her best. Hopefully, this year it will be completely behind her, and we’ll look forward to a good season.”
Dos Pueblos Cross Country
Coach Nash Jimenez on Peter Speier: “He’s our number three runner and he could be our number two, he goes back and forth. He’s a very good student and very good leader.”
On Maddie Choi: “She’s our number three runner and also could be number two.”
On Estelle Ye: “She was like a number seven runner last year, now she’s our number two runner. She has to warm up 10 minutes before all the other girls there. Once we figured that out, she’s really made the team a lot stronger.”
Logan Beckstrand: “Logan is an upcoming runner. He was fighting for the six spot last year and now he’s our number four runner. He’s really improving our ability to stay together and get ready.”
— Noozhawk Sports Editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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