SBART Luncheon: Sam Crawford Named Bishop Diego’s Phil Womble Award Winner

Bishop Diego handed out its Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award and spring sports teams provided an update near the midway point of the season at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon.

Football standout Sam Crawford earned the Phil Womble Award to headline a luncheon full of baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis and swim reports. The coaches’ reports were sponsored by Carp Physio.

Sam Crawford Wins Phil Womble Award

Crawford has played a key role in the Bishop Diego football program throughout his high school career, and was rewarded as the school’s Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award recipient.

As it states on the SBART website, “This award acknowledges student-athletes who value and incorporate into their daily lives, the following qualities: accountability, respect of teammates, opponents, and officials, honesty, positive attitude, reliability, loyalty, sportsmanship, others above self, and team above personal interest.”

The junior has contributed as a defensive back and a wide receiver for the Cardinals and was named to the First-Team All-Marmonte League Defense last season.

Crawford made an impact on the program and coaching staff during his sophomore year, as he remained involved in the day-to-day activities despite rehabbing from an injury.

“[Crawford] was always there every day… he was a guy that was coaching up guys that were older than him and some of the guys that were his age,” Bishop Diego athletic director John Muller said.

“After a play, he’s encouraging his teammates and he’s also the guy that’ll pick up the guy on the other team that they just knocked down.”

He also gets it done in the classroom, boasting an impressive 4.5 GPA while also participating in Mock Trial and the Art for Good Club.

“He’s one of those guys that you want to have (on your team),” Muller said. “He’s a highly respected guy on campus.

“We believe we’re a good football team, we’d be a great football team if we had 11 Sam Crawfords.”

Crawford is the seventh of eight Phil Womble Ethics in Sports award winners for this school year, joining Dos Pueblos’ Anastasia Brunner, Cate’s Josh Butler, Laguna Blanca’s Carter Plowman, Providence’s Amber Petraitis Regan, Carpinteria’s Charlotte Cooney and San Marcos’ Bethany King.

“I want to thank my parents for showing up, my coaches, coach Crawford, coach Veal, coach Muller,” Crawford said. “I want to thank teachers, faculty and students for pushing me to be the best person I can be.”

The award is sponsored by Dave Pintard of the Pintard Group.

Channel League Standings Update

The spring sports season is the busiest of the year, and the 2025 season features plenty of intriguing league races as teams enter the home stretch of the school year.

Perhaps no race is tighter than the Channel League boys volleyball race as San Marcos, Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara High currently sit in a three-way tie for first place. All three teams are 6-1 overall and 1-1 against their crosstown foes.

The Royals and Chargers are set to face off on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. inside Sovine Gym in Goleta in a matchup that will likely go a long way in determining a league champion at season’s end.

The Channel League baseball standings likely won’t be worked out until the final week of the regular season, as just two games separate the first and fifth-place teams.

Santa Barbara High is tied for second at 5-2-1 while Dos Pueblos sits in fourth place at 5-3. San Marcos is on the outside looking in with a record of 3-5, which is good for sixth place.

Staying on the diamond, Dos Pueblos is the lone local team positioned in a playoff spot at 6-1 and in fourth place. The Chargers have a chance to move up those standings with a two-game set against undefeated Rio Mesa this week.

On the tennis court, the Santa Barbara High boys team currently boasts an impressive undefeated record after a 10-8 win over San Marcos last week. The Royals are in second place with a record of 7-1.