Sports

Sobrato High boys water polo coach Ronni Gautschi doesn’t care what club team her players compete for—she only cares that they’re playing for someone. Gautschi, who coaches the Manta club program, makes no bones about it: If you don’t play year-round, it’s going to be tough cracking the Bulldogs starting lineup.

Jonathan Singleton had just busted off a 75-yard run before being tackled from behind and fumbling the ball in the process. What looked to be a sure-fire touchdown instead resulted in a turnover, and several of the Live Oak players could only bend over at the waist with looks of despair.

Last year was a season to forget for Gavilan College. Amid violations and an 0-10 record, stability is what the program needed. John Lango stepped in, back in charge of a team he led from 2000 to 2010. If Lango is going to bring back wins for the Rams, he'll need big seasons from two local players in particular.  

A lot of high school coaches for various sports will often preface a season by saying, “We’re young.” Never mind the fact that said team could very well possess plenty of seniors who saw action the previous season. But when Sobrato High coach Tony Holmes describes his team as young, he’s simply stating it as a matter of fact.

Live Oak High coach Mike Gemo said he’ll start around five sophomores this season, speaking to the makeup of this year’s team.

The Gilroy Rodeo is back, and judging by the attendance on the first day, there may be more rodeos to come. The nearly 6,000-seat arena on Dunlap Road was almost full, no rider suffered any serious injuries, and other than a few minor bumps in the road, the day went off without a hitch.

The Live Oak High football team has made the Central Coast Section playoffs for five consecutive years. Last season, the Acorns went 5-2 in the ultra-competitive Blossom Valley League’s Mount Hamilton Division and defeated Sacred Heart Cathedral—a team out of the vaunted West Catholic League—in the playoffs.

The Sobrato High football team wrapped up its summer session last Friday, and coach Tony Holmes felt most of the goals he had set for the program during this crucial period were met.

Raised on a commercial cattle ranch, Peter Coe Verbica learned the meaning of hard work at an early age.

In the 7 to 8-year-old age group, baseball coaches/managers stress the importance of the fundamentals. Winning is secondary; having fun is paramount. But when both happens, it makes for a great celebration. So it is for the Morgan Hill Pony Baseball Pinto team, which captured the Central Section championship with an 11-10 win over South San Francisco at Britton Middle School on June 25.