Scholastic Notes

Far West region

California

SCRIPPS RANCH IN RAREFIED TERRITORY

It may take some time, but right now, San Diego Scripps Ranch is not exactly enjoying its 50-game win streak, which was earned with a 4-0 win over Escondido San Pasqual in its season opener.

Why? Scripps Ranch has been stuck on 49 ever since the end of the 2003 season.

"The kids played fantastic," Scripps coach Jane Morrill tells The San Diego Union-Tribune. "It's nice to get this monkey off our backs."

The streak, at the time of the win, was the 17th-longest in National Federation history. The state record is 86 by San Diego Serra (Calif.), which, if matched, would tie for forth all-time.

TORREY PINES STROKES PAST SERRA

It took much longer than an hour's play to determine who would be in the proverbial catbird seat in San Diego Section, Division II of the California Interscholastic Feceration.

After a San Diego Torrey Pines (Calif.) and San Diego Serra (Calif.) played a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time, A.J. O'Rourke settled matters in a penalty-stroke shootout that ended 3-2 in favor of Torrey Pines.

"We lost to Serra last year, so beating them in strokes and holding them to a tie in regulation is a big achievement," Falcons coach Kari DiGiulio tells The San Diego Union Tribune.

"I thought my kids played great," Serra coach Laurie Berger told The Union-Tribube. "The last time we faced Torrey, I thought they kind of outplayed us. It was just a scrimmage, but it felt like we weren't quite with them."

That feeling continued when Torrey Pines' Rachel Lary scored just after the interval, but Serra got a goal from Ashley Reid in the 46th to draw level.

VISTA: MOVIN' ON UP -- LITERALLY

Vista (Calif.) is joining a tough division with the likes of Escondido San Pasqual and Fallbrook, but has plenty of ammunition to make the jump to meet its competition.

Much of it comes from senior middie Sasha Larsen, who, at 5-foot-10, might have gotten lost on the way to basketball or volleyball practice.

Larsen, however, is not on the field simply as an obstacle with a big wingspan placed to stifle the opposition. She is a corner striker with good skills.

"She has long legs and doesn't always appear to be as fast as she is," said head coach Gail Petty to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "She can see things happen before they happen. She's fast with and without the ball."

Already being recruited by schools around the country, Larsen could be the size of the recruiting class, given the stature of many of the better senior players around the country.

"It's nice because you know other people are going to be talking about how tall you are," she tells The Union-Tribune. "They either don't think I'm that fast, or they're going to be intimidated because they think I'm too good. It's good either way."

Far West region

Colorado

KENT DENVER MAKES DRIVE FOR FIVE

Ever since the state of Colorado had a field hockey postseason championship, only one team has won more than once.

Needless to say, Englewood Kent Denver (Colo.) knows a thing or two about completing the task at hand. This was the case in a 2-0 shutout of Denver Colorado Academy (Colo.), which had upset Greenwood Village Cherry Creek (Colo.) in the state semifinal.

But Kent Denver, winners of 33 of 34 matches coming in, didn't allow CA a chance to come close.

"Last year, we had a bond on our team that we thought could never be repeated," junior sniper Lauren Miller tells The Rocky Mountain News. "This year, it didn't have that right off the bat, but by the end of the season we became sisters. It's a great atmosphere when we play, and we really came through and played as one tonight."

HOYER AN IMPORTANT FIGURE

Stephanie Hoyer had been a tremendous player over her career at Greenwood Village Cherry Creek (Colo.).

In 2004, she was able to garner more than her share of attention. She was the first Colorado high-school player ever selected to USFHA "A" Camp, from which youth and senior national teams are selected.

But upon her selection, her thoughts were with teammates who she felt were just as good.

"That's the kind of person she is," Asif Hossain, a Futures coach in the Western Region, told The Rocky Mountain News. "She is a very caring individual, but she is also very determined and disciplined and will do whatever is necessary to reach her goals."

That includes both scoring and assisting; she had 15 goals and nine assists as Cherry Creek made the state finals in 2003, only to lose on a deflection against Englewood Kent Denver (Colo.).

For last year's notes, click here.