Round Table showcases wild week in sports

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

The battle for a spot in the CIF playoffs between the Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos High School Football teams this Friday was one of many topics of discussion at yesterday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table, where more than 20 local coaches reported on the past week’s achievements and the week to come.
For Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara, who both sport a 2-2 record in the Channel League and will be vying for the final spot in the playoffs, Friday will determine who will and who won’t have the chance to step on the field at least one more time in 2007.


“We’ll have our hands full on Friday night,” said Don’s Head Coach Will Gonzales. “There’s a lot on the line and we look forward to it.”
The Dons will look to quarterback John Uribe, who leads the league in passing with 1,703 yards, and receivers Bryson Lloyd, 483 yards, Roberto Nelson, 443 yards and Mychal Prieto, 337 yards.
Dos Pueblos will likely rely heavily on quarterback Gary Braun, who is fifth on the League’s passing list with 531 yards and receiver Derek Martinez has 288 yards.
While it may not have the fanfare of the Big Game between San Marcos and Santa Barbara or the Battle of Goleta between Dos Pueblos and San Marcos, what may be at stake, according to Charger’s Head Coach Jeff Uyesaka, is a whole lot of pride.
“It’s going to be a great, old fashioned football game,” said Charger’s Head Coach Jeff Uyesaka. “The losers done. The winner goes on. It’s the pride of the city.”
But football isn’t the only high stakes game this weekend.
Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos girl’s volleyball teams will each play first round CIF playoff matches this Thursday, while San Marcos will play their first game tonight against Canyon High School at 7 p.m.
Bishop Diego also earned a playoff spot and will play at La Puente tonight, while defending Division 4-A champions Laguna Blanca will begin the defense of the their championship this Thursday at home against either Crossroads or Vistamar.
Jason Donnelly, Laguna Blanca girl’s volleyball coach, said his team, which went 6-0 in the Condor League, will take it one game at a time as they have done all year.
“Right now we’re 0-0 getting ready for the playoffs,” he said.
Local cross country programs will also be in full swing this weekend, with several teams and individuals set to compete at the CIF preliminary meet at the hilly Mt. San Antonio College course.
Also announced at yesterday’s Round Table was the Special Olympic Athlete of the Month, which went to Debra Day, a cyclist who has earned three gold, three silver and three bronze medals at competitions throughout 2007.
Day has been involved with Special Olympics for more than 10 years and has participated in tennis, basketball, cycling, soccer, swimming, floor hockey, track and filed, softball and powerlifting.
The Santa Barbara News-Press female athlete of the week was Santa Barbara High tennis star Rachel Decker-Sadowski. Brian Shoemaker, who plays on the Dos Pueblos boy’s water polo team, was named the News-Press male athlete of the week.
The UC Santa Barbara men’s and women’s cross country teams will travel to the University of Oregon this weekend for the NCAA Regional Championship meet, which will determine who goes on to the NCAA Championship meet at Indiana State University on Nov. 19.
Megan Lewis, who won the Big West Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27 and helped lead the Gauchos to a team title, will look to do the same in Eugene. Lewis was also the Big West champion in the 10,000 meter run during the 2007 track season and finished 14th in that event at the NCAA Track Championships.
Other college events this weekend will include the final game of the season for the Santa Barbara City College Football Team.
Coach Graig Moropoulos said his team isn’t the biggest, fastest and strongest, but “our guys play harder, they play meaner and they play with a lot more energy than [other] guys.”
The Vaqueros, who have a 4-5 record, hope to level it off at 5-5 this on Saturday when they play at Los Angeles Harbor.