The Times revisits the top stories from the past year; 10 for
2010
MORGAN HILL
In these parts, 2010 will be remembered as the year Morgan Hill could not stay out of the spotlight.
Not to steal any of Cinco de Mayo’s thunder, the city gained nationwide exposure through a multitude of sports-related news. There was the Morgan Hill Marathon + Half, the Midget Raiders playing for a Pop Warner national title, a local wrestler winning “the toughest tournament in the USA,” a crop of soccer players who will be playing for Division I NCAA programs in the coming years, a top-four finisher at the Pinto World Series — and the PGA Tour came to town.
In no particular order, these sports stories are the ones the Times remembers most.
Frys.com Open
The magic of Rocco Mediate’s thrilling victory at CordeValle Golf Club coupled with entertaining performances by PGA Tour stars old and new (and John Daly’s wardrobe) helped make the tour’s first visit to Silicon Valley a smash hit.
For one week in October, the golfing world turned its attention via live TV to San Martin where Mediate led wire to wire for his first victory in almost a decade.
The 47-year-old held off Alex Prugh and Bo Van Pelt in the final round, chipping in from 116 yards away on the par-4 17th for his fourth eagle of the tournament.
Frys.com Open officials have announced they will hold the event at CordeValle for the next couple of years before moving to John Fry’s The Institute Golf Course.
Midget Raiders go to Florida
Coach Steve Sorce’s Midget Raiders became the first Morgan Hill team to play for a Pop Warner national title in 38 years.
Led by a powerful ground attack and a stingy defense that totaled 10 shutouts, Morgan Hill ran away to a Peninsula League championship in November, then won the Pacific Northwest Region title to advance to the Division II “Super Bowl” played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Disney World in Florida.
The Raiders became the small-town sweetheart of the tournament, placing third with a 24-8 victory over Wailuki, Hawaii, and a tough 20-6 semifinal loss to Northeast, Md., of the greater Baltimore area.
Armstrong wins CCS
Stephanie Armstrong cleared 5 feet, 7 inches to win the Central Coast Section high jump final in May, becoming Live Oak’s first individual CCS champion in almost four decades.
It was a crowning achievement for Armstrong, who now competes for Cal State Long Beach.
Rios sets SV prep record in half mile
Competing amid one of the nation’s fastest group at 800 meters in the CIF State Championships in June, UCLA-bound Sobrato senior Alan Rios missed the cut for the final heat — crossing sixth in prelims in one minute, 53.57 seconds — but clocked the fastest half mile time in South Valley prep history.
MH soccer on the rise
A culmination of Division I-college talent in Morgan Hill appears underway this girls soccer season, but it began to take shape at the end of last winter.
After delivering one of the most entertaining scoreless ties you’ll see early in the season, Live Oak and Sobrato won their respective league titles in exciting fashion and made deep runs in the CCS playoffs.
On the boys side, the Acorns (2-13-3 two years ago) won their first division crown in three years and ended the season on a 20-game unbeaten streak; they lost in penalty kicks to Santa Cruz in the CCS quarterfinals.
The Sobrato boys had a solid end-of-season run only to finish a win away from making sectionals.
MH Pinto makes top four in state
Manager Vince LaGatta’s team of 8-year-olds needed to win one qualifying tournament to reach the Pinto World Series, but they definitely belonged.
The Morgan Hill team placed in the top four at the all-California Series with gritty wins over Vacaville and tournament host San Jose PAL.
Steven Fernandez vs. Ryan Brewer
They were like Rocky and Apollo, but they wrestled. And they weren’t friends.
For three months, seniors Steven Fernandez of Live Oak and Ryan Brewer of Sobrato danced around and toward each other with hopes of winning the 154-pound Blossom Valley Athletic League title and qualifying for state. Both were talented enough to do it.
They barely missed each other at BVALs — Fernandez won the top prize there — but went head to head at CCS Championships in an epic elimination match that Fernandez won 10-8. Fernandez prevailed in his next match to make state.
Best. El Toro Bowl. Ever.
After losing to Sobrato for the first time in football in 2009, the empire struck back.
Led by Dominic Bejarano, who rushed for two touchdowns and intercepted a pass in the final seconds, Live Oak overcame an early deficit to win 21-14 in the closest meeting yet between the Morgan Hill rivals. Sobrato junior Obi Mbonu rushed for 83 yards and a score but could not lift the Bulldogs.
The game only got bigger as the season went on; Live Oak earned just enough points to make the playoffs. Sobrato was one win short.
Morgan Hill Marathon
A year’s worth of planning paid off for South Valley Endurance and the South Valley Running Club. Together, they helped organize the city’s largest and most grandiose running event, the Morgan Hill Marathon + Half. It was accompanied by an art-and-wine festival, a health exposition and a state-of-the-art timing system.
The event sold out more than a month in advance and received rave reviews.
Locsin wins at Reno
Isaiah Locsin of Live Oak ended Morgan Hill’s year in sports on a high note, winning the 103-pound title at the Dec. 17 Reno Tournament of Champions, “the toughest tournament in the USA.”
A state title hopeful, Locsin (12-0) became the first freshman named Outstanding Wrestler of the event.
How good can Locsin get? The city has that and more to look forward to.
OTHER NOTABLE STORYLINES FROM 2010
-
LOHS girls volleyball wins first league title since 2001.
-
SHS upsets Leland in football.
-
LOHS wrestling ends 39-year championship drought; welcomes former Gilroy coaches to program.
-
SHS boys basketball wins league, goes far in CCS.
-
Morgan Hill Thrill continues to dominate club baseball.
-
SHS beats LOHS in boys water polo.
-
LOHS field hockey reaches section quarterfinals.
-
SHS baseball eliminated in first round of playoffs.
