The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table celebrated the top performer from last week’s Big Game and welcomed fall sports teams at the midpoint of their seasons to Harry’s Plaza Cafe for the SBART Press Luncheon on Monday.
Santa Barbara High’s Griffin Arnold was awarded the Gary Blades Memorial Big Game MVP Award to headline the luncheon, and football, flag football, volleyball, water polo and cross country teams provided season updates.
Griffin Arnold Honored for Big Game Performance
In a matchup full of history, the Dons had a sophomore step up and show out in his first-ever appearance in a Big Game.
Quarterback Griffin Arnold completed 11-of-16 pass attempts for 233 yards and five touchdowns en route to the 60-0 win, the biggest scoring output in the 65-year history of the rivalry battle.
“What I really appreciate about Griff is his hunger to kind of learn and get better,” Santa Barbara High head coach Nate Mendoza said. “Griff is always trying to look at mistakes that he makes… I appreciate his accountability; he’s always taking ownership.
“Even when it’s not his fault, if you’re a good quarterback, then you kind of wear it on the chin for your running backs and your linemen and all that stuff.”
As a result of his standout performance, Arnold was named the Gary Blades Memorial Big Game MVP. The award was presented by Chris Rabe, a longtime friend of Gary Blades.
“Gary was the best man at my wedding, a true friend, and I miss him every day,” Rabe said. “To have his name continue in the community and in the sports which he so loved, really is an honor for me and for Gary.
“It’s hard to find a bigger crowd for a sporting event in Santa Barbara during the year, and this game fit that bill. The San Marcos side was full, the Santa Barbara side was full. The bands were going, lots of cheerleaders. It was a good atmosphere.”
Arnold was in the middle of a strong all-around effort for the Dons, who came out of the gates firing and never looked back en route to the 60-0 victory in front of around 3,200 fans, according to Mendoza.
“We usually always play for ourselves,” Mendoza said. “This was the one game I asked them to really play for the alumni and everybody else. It was a hard-fought game on our behalf. The boys executed extremely well, came out firing on all cylinders, and I was really proud of their effort.”
Fall Sports Head Into Second Half
The Channel League girls volleyball and flag football teams closed out the first half of their league schedules last week and are set to turn the page to the second half this week.
The local trio of Channel League squads has enjoyed strong league campaigns in both sports, with a pair of local undefeated teams sitting atop each of the standings.
In girls volleyball, San Marcos boasts an impressive 13-2 overall record and a 7-0 mark against league opponents thanks to an experienced squad with difference makers up and down the roster.
Meanwhile, Santa Barbara High currently sits in third place in the league with a 5-2 record and Dos Pueblos is in sixth place at 2-5. The top four seeds earn automatic berths into the CIF-SS playoffs.
“We’ve had so much growth this season, and it’s unfortunate that that growth does not translate to wins,” Chargers head coach Megan O’Carroll said. “I’m really, really proud of the grit and the consistency that the girls are exhibiting on a daily basis, even when it’s not translating to wins.”
As for flag football, Dos Pueblos has cemented itself as one of the best teams in the state of California. The Chargers have begun the season with a 16-1 record, including a perfect 7-0 in the Channel League.
San Marcos is not too far behind at 15-3 and 6-1 in league action, good for second place. In the one matchup between the Royals and Chargers, Dos Pueblos pulled out a 15-14 win that came down to the final play of the game.
Santa Barbara High rounds out the local girls flag football teams at 5-9 overall and 1-6 in the Channel League, which puts the Dons in seventh place.
Student-Athletes in Attendance
San Marcos Water Polo: Jacob Magid, Jack Kramer
San Marcos Girls Volleyball: Avery Leck, Alina Stapf, Kelsey Helton
San Marcos Football: Logan Patterson, Liam Milligan
Carpinteria High Football: Richie Renteria, Caleb Kelly
Dos Pueblos Flag Football: Sterling Streatfeild, Hanna Kaminsky
Dos Pueblos Football: Eder Soriano, Drew Schultz
Santa Barbara High Girls Volleyball: Grace Costner, Jacqueline Durling
Santa Barbara High Football: Griffin Arnold, James King, James Faletti
Santa Barbara High Flag Football: Alyssa Ortiz, Alexandra Arnold
San Marcos Flag Football: Victoria Aldana, Harlyn Griffin, Janelle Capuno
San Marcos Cross Country: Autumn Richardson, Sophie Hernandez, Audric Halberg, Cesar Gutierrez
Dos Pueblos Girls Volleyball: Sammy Anderson, Eleni Becker
Dos Pueblos Boys Water Polo: Ben Fuhrer
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