While being a sports editor does have perks like attending a
variety of sporting events and being able to meet and interview
professional athletes, it also brings pressure, and requires
keeping a tight schedule and providing as comprehensive of coverage
as possible.
While being a sports editor does have perks like attending a variety of sporting events and being able to meet and interview professional athletes, it also brings pressure, and requires keeping a tight schedule and providing as comprehensive of coverage as possible.
It’s not all fun and games running from game to game taking notes and gathering quotes, but it is very rewarding to know that I did as much as I could to include the best information and as many stories as possible.
Last week for example I attended four high school sporting events and witnessed some amazing athletic prowess displayed by the field hockey, volleyball, water polo and football teams at Live Oak and Sobrato.
The Sobrato field hockey team won their first league game of the season against University High School in double overtime. Being only the second high school field hockey game I’ve ever attended I was impressed with the stamina and intensity the girls carried throughout the game and into overtime. I was also impressed with the focus the team had, under pressure, during the second overtime to secure the win.
Props to senior goalie Casey Post who made blocked numerous shots on goal, and props to junior Lindsey vanKeulen and senior Megan Rotter who made the game winning goals for the Bulldogs.
On same day, after the unexpectedly long field hockey game, I rushed over to Live Oak in hopes of catching the second half of the boys water polo game, but to my dismay the visiting San Benito Haybalers were already on their way out.
Luckily girls coach Kevin Paulsen and boys coach Mack Haines were still around to give me details of the game.
The girls won 13-9 and the boys won 17-8 over the ‘Balers.
Props go to Sam Cretcher, specifically, who lead the Acorns with nine goals, but also to the whole team, which stepped up and secured the win with team defense.
Last Tuesday the Sobrato volleyball team defeated Piedmont Hills in three games 25-20, 25-19, 25-15, to win their first league of the season.
Cheyenne Hambey and Kelsey Westall put up 21 blocks together at the middle hitter position, providing a spark for the Bulldogs’ offense. With five kills a piece Hambey, Westall and Laura Billows provided a balanced offensive attack, and the team took advantage of Piedmont Hills’ mistakes.
Basically, Sobrato let them hit more balls out of bounds.
On Thursday Sobrato improved their league record to 2-0 with a win over Santa Teresa in four games 25-20, 5-25, 25-17, and 25-20.
The Bulldogs are still wondering what really happened in the second game, but co-head coach Kevin Miller credits the strong serves from Santa Teresa, and mental breakdowns from the Bulldogs.
“The girls got caught in a a bad service rotation,” Miller said. “And then it got in their heads and they couldn’t seem to get started.”
But the Bulldogs came out rabid for victory in the third game, and showed character after such a terrible game two loss.
Sophomore Kelly Kreulen started third game at middle blocker and the rest of the team rallied around her.
Through helping and directing Kreulen throughout the game, the rest of the players on the court gave her confidence, and simultaneously built their own.
The communication between the players became fluid and the team began reading and playing as a unit.
I also attended the Live Oak girls volleyball game against the Leland Chargers on Wednesday.
In a quick three game defeat, the Acorns’ lone freshman Gabriella Cinkova was one of the only bright spots in an otherwise dismal home opener.
Cinkova made crucial blocks and had a few kills to keep the Acorns alive in all three games.
It’s always inspiring to see freshman and sophomores excel on the varsity level because not only are they facing older, stronger, and more seasoned players, but when they do well they exceed our expectations.
It might be a hectic and busy job being sports editor, but it’s games like these, with the ups, downs, twists and turns that make it all the worthwhile.
