There was a point in the season when longtime Santa Barbara High water polo coach Mark Walsh didn’t feel his boys team had what it took to win a CIF-SS championship.
Walsh talked about the Dons’ roller-coaster journey to last Saturday’s CIF-SS Division 3 title during Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, where the team was honored for winning the area’s first CIF title of the fall season. The Dons beat Montebello-Schurr 9-7.
Walsh said during the regular season there were internal issues on the team and players kept making the same mistakes in games.
“This was a challenging season for us,” he admitted. “We had a lot of ups and downs throughout the year.
“An example to us coaches is it’s not always easy and it’s not always laid out perfectly for you, and you have to work at it.”
The Dons had plenty of talent, “but we hadn’t really gotten the mental part down yet,” Walsh added. “There were times when I’d say: ’Maybe this isn’t going to be our year.’”
That all changed once the postseason started. The Dons beat rival Dos Pueblos for the fourth time to win the Channel League Tournament; routed Rio Mesa in the first round of the CIF playoffs; rallied in the second half to beat Edison in the second round; scored in the last three seconds of the second overtime to beat No. 2 seed Los Osos in the quarterfinals; held on to beat Northwood by a goal in the semifinals and fought back to beat a relentless Schurr team by two goals for the championship.
“We were down one going into the fourth (of the final) and the guys — just like they did in every quarter (in the playoffs)— came together and said, ‘We got this, we can do this. Let’s stay together and keep doing this.’”
The Dons did it, which, in the end, makes the title all the more gratifying for Walsh.
“It wasn’t one of those easy seasons where everything was super easy and it was kind of made for the championship,” he said. “They definitely had to work for it and earn it. Our culture had to change, and (the players) were able to make those sacrifices for each other.
“…They stopped doing all that extra stuff and it made all the difference in the world. If we would have played like we played earlier, we would not have won. So I’m really proud of you guys for making the changes and pulling it off.”
Two other high school teams in the CIF title hunt were in attendance on Monday: Santa Barbara football and Dos Pueblos cross country.
Santa Barbara High Football
Coach J.T. Stone and his 10-2 Golden Tornado have advanced to the Division 8 semifinals. They play at 11-1 Palmdale on Friday night.
It’s the second straight long road trip for Santa Barbara. Last week, it played at Palm Desert and pulled out a 42-32 quarterfinal victory.
“I know everybody’s talking about (losing) the coin-flip (for home site),” Stone said. “If we do win, we will host the CIF championship game here in town.
“So that is our goal. We want to put the city on our back and we want to bring this championship home. For us and our team, where we’re at now, we are super motivated and we are ready to go.”
Stone introduced quarterback Deacon Hill and defensive end Joshua Rosales, who played huge roles in the team’s win at Palmdale.
Stone on Hill: “He is a master of his craft. I’m very proud of the kid putting in the work as far as being the guy and watching film and understanding you can’t just go out there and play a sport. Deacon really spends the time to understand how the game operates and that is why he is so successful. I appreciate that because he has to deal with me. Last week, he did everything I asked him to do, so I was very proud of his efficiency and I would like him to keep playing that way.”
On Rosales: “I honestly and truly believe we don’t get as far as the semis without Josh and the way he’s playing on the defensive line. Everything is controlled there. Between him and Noach (Wood) putting in the work, Joshua has just been it. Teams forget about him and he’s just having a phenomenal season. I’m very appreciative for the work he’s put in. He has been a force to be reckoned with.”
Dos Pueblos Cross Country
Coach Nash Jimenez brought members of his CIF Finals-bound girls team: Phoebe Wolfe Lyons, Ellie Gleason and Ella Kenly.
Wolfe Lyons is the No. 1 runner, Gleason has moved up from No. 7 to No. 5 and Kenly has improved from No. 3 to No. 2.
“The girls have been really advancing,” said Jimenez. “We came into the season with just pure freshmen and all of a sudden we jelled. We have only one upperclassmen, Stella Ye, and she’s doing a fabulous job.
“We’re doing good and, hopefully, next week we get the top seven boys and girls to advance to Clovis (for the state championships).”
Providence Boys Basketball
Coach Steve Stokes brought junior team captains Zak Lopez and Jordan Short.
“We’re very fortunate to have both these guys as captains. I know they may be two of our better players, but captains always aren’t your best players. They’re the guys that are the best leaders both on and off the court. Zak and Jordan happen to be those people.”
— 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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