The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon made its return to Harry’s Plaza Cafe on Monday.
Local high school football, flag football, girls volleyball and boys water polo teams provided updates on their seasons with one to two weeks under their belts.
Along with it being the first luncheon of the 2026-27 school year, it also marked the beginning of Gabe Grandcolas’ two-year term as the SBART president.
The SBART Press Luncheon is sponsored by Fidelity National Title Group, Investec Real Estate, Knight Real Estate Group and Carp Physio.
Football Season Kicks Off
The opening week of the high school tackle football season has come and gone, and only one local team came away from its Week 0 matchup with a victory.
The Bishop Diego Cardinals went on the road and knocked off Paso Robles by a score of 37-24 behind a strong offensive performance led by junior running back Samuel Boeddeker, who was named the SBART Athlete of the Week.
Santa Barbara High fell in the final seconds to Camarillo, Dos Pueblos dropped a battle with Santa Ynez and San Marcos suffered a loss at the hands of Dana Hills.
“We were discouraged at the loss because you always want to compete to win, but we’re very encouraged with how we played and the things we put on film,” Dos Pueblos football head coach AJ Pateras said.
“For this time of the year, if you kind of look back in the last few years, you can really see the growth of our program and really the growth of our athletes on the field.”
Meanwhile, the girls flag football season has been up and running for two weeks now, and local squads are already off to hot starts.
The Santa Barbara High Dons boast a 4-0 record and have outscored their opponents 135-36 along the way. The Dons, who feature several key seniors throughout their starting lineup, will be on the road against Rio Mesa and Santa Paula this week.
“It’s been a lot of fun to start the year. We’re off to a great start,” Santa Barbara High flag football head coach Travis Mañach said. “We have a road-heavy start to the season, which is good for our mental toughness, to get out there and be together and be focused.”
Dos Pueblos’ flag football squad currently sits at 4-2, including four games at the highly competitive L.A. Chargers Invitational. San Marcos is 5-2 early in the year and has won three consecutive games coming into this week.
Girls Volleyball Rivalry Matchups Ahead
The majority of local high school girls volleyball teams are coming off the annual Cardinal Classic on Saturday, when Bishop Diego hosted 26 squads inside UCSB’s Thunderdome.
The tournament host Cardinals will now jump right into their first Tri-Valley League contest of the season on Tuesday, and it comes against crosstown rival Laguna Blanca at 5:30 p.m. inside the Brick House.
Later in the week, Santa Barbara High will head out to Goleta for a crosstown rivalry showdown against Dos Pueblos. First serve is set for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. inside Sovine Gym.
However, the Dons and Chargers’ matchup will not be a league match, as the new league format has placed Santa Barbara High in the Channel League and Dos Pueblos in the Pacific View League. The Dons, who are 4-3, feature a team full of seasoned veterans at the varsity level.
“It really is nice to have returners come back who have that leadership, have that expertise. They know me, I know them,” Santa Barbara High volleyball head coach Kristin Hempy said.
Student-Athletes in Attendance
Santa Barbara High Football: Fin Congdon, Zeb Sage
Santa Barbara High Flag Football: Laila Hernandez, Aurelia Agredano, Lena Fackler
Santa Barbara High Girls Volleyball: Blake Saunders, Paylin Marcillac
San Marcos Girls Volleyball: Cate Lorenz, Maddi Pallad, Josslyn Hall
Santa Barbara High Boys Water Polo: Mason Walsh
Dos Pueblos Flag Football: Annika Kisner, Vivi Hanning-Yu
Dos Pueblos Boys Water Polo: Ty Abel, Tyler Racine
Dos Pueblos Football: Patrick Sullivan, Soren Smedley
Bishop Diego Girls Volleyball: Abbie Hubbs, Brighton Montag
Bishop Diego Football: Samuel Boeddeker, Donovan Tupa’i
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