For those scanning this year’s Mesa League boys lacrosse standings, the scores are not misprints.
Bonita Vista did indeed defeat visiting Otay Ranch, 13-1, on April 3. The Barons also defeated longtime league power Eastlake, 7-6, in an overtime match on April 5.
It’s true: the Barons are back in the thick of the championship race.
Following Wednesday’s 8-5 win over visiting Hilltop, the Barons were in sole possession of first place in the league standings with an undefeated 4-0 league record.
Bonita Vista opened the week with an 18-3 victory against visiting Montgomery.
“Our goals are the same each year — to win league and make the CIF playoffs,” BVHS head coach San Cardenas said.
Both goals could be achieved this season.
Cardenas admitted “it’s been a while” since his team defeated Eastlake in a varsity match.
“I know we haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here; it might have been something like 10 years that we hadn’t beaten them, but I can’t say exactly how long it’s been,” Cardenas offered.
While Bonita Vista and Chula Vista were the resident powers when the sport came online in the Metro Conference after the turn of the millennium, Eastlake and Otay Ranch have dominated the league for most of the past decade.
The Barons have made significant improvement during the last few years under Cardenas’ leadership. The first-round wins over the Titans and Mustangs have certainly done wonders for team morale and confidence heading into the second round of league play.
“We hope we can continue this,” Cardenas said.
Success this season has come from an experienced returning core of players along with impact newcomers.
Top returners include senior midfielder Simon Tang and senior defenders Santiago de Armas and Malachi Winfield.
Top newcomers include freshman attackman Kevin Tang and freshman midfielder Timmy Tucker.
“We’ve got some freshmen who have stepped up,” Cardenas. “We have more depth throughout the lineup.”
Simon Tang led the Barons with four goals in the win over Eastlake, including the overtime winner, while Billy Ray Esparza scored twice. Esparza also led the defensive effort with eight ground balls. Michael Lopez and Winfield each had five ground balls.
Esparza scored five goals in the win over Otay Ranch.
BV goalie Henry Wong made six saves against the Titans and four against the Mustangs.
The leaders in Monday’s game included Jacob Peters, Esparza and Frank Rodriguez each with four goals.
Montgomery’s Airik Ranjo was credited with two goals while Joel Ruiz was credited with one goal in the loss.
The Aztecs have moved to the Mesa League after winning last year’s South Bay League championship. Montgomery dropped to 0-2 in league play, 4-5 overall, following Monday’s setback.
Hilltop defeated the Aztecs, 9-8, on April 5.
While Bonita Vista may be flying high at the moment, a league championship is still not guaranteed, Cardenas cautioned.
“We still have to beat Eastlake (again),” he said.
Stat attack
Evan Farrage (three goals) and McKinley Egland-Young (three assists) led Eastlake with three points in the loss to Bonita Vista. Paris Delgado, Braden Mayer and Arturo Otero each scored single goals for the Titans, who led 3-2 at halftime.
The Barons took 25 shots on goal.
Eastlake topped visiting Hilltop, 14-2, on April 3 to face off league play. The Titans won the game behind six points each from Delgado (five goals, one assist), Egland-Young (three goals, three assists) and Jaxen Trinidad (three goals, three assists). Farrage, Derrick Speed and Michael Carino each scored single goals in support of goalkeeper Nathan McPeak (14 saves on 15 shots).
Eastlake (2-1 in league, 4-6 overall) returned to the win column following Monday’ 5-4 win in triple overtime at Otay Ranch (0-2 in league, 3-9 overall).
Girl power
Eastlake defeated visiting Castle Park, 25-0, in a Metro Conference girls lacrosse game on Monday. Alexa Renwick led the Lady Barons by scoring six goals while Meaghanh Cabuco and Nikki Stuart each scored four goals.
Seven players overall scored for Bonita Vista. Kylie Olson and Megan Petersen shared the shutout.
The Lady Barons improved to 5-3 in league play, 6-3 overall.
Castle Park fell to 0-8 in league play, 1-9 overall.
Otay Ranch (8-0 in league play, 9-3 overall) remained on top of the league standings after edging host Eastlake, 9-8, on Monday. Cori Montero and Kika Funk each scored three goals in the loss for the Lady Titans (6-2 in league play, 9-2 overall)
Metro Confernce
Boys Lacrosse Standings
(Through Wednesday)
Mesa League
Bonita Vista 4-0, 10-3
Eastlake 2-1, 4-7
Hilltop 1-2, 8-5
Otay Ranch 1-2, 4-9
Montgomery 0-3, 4-6
South Bay League
Olympian 3-0, 4-8
Chula Vista 2-1, 4-9
Mar Vista 1-2, 2-10
Southwest 0-3, 0-7
Source: www.laxpower.com
Olympian Eagles boys lacrosse team flying high in new league nest
The Olympian High School boys lacrosse team is expanding its horizons this season as the newest member of the Metro Conference’s South Bay League. The Eagles could end spreading their wings to take flight to a history-making league championship.
“We would like to win the South Bay League, get a league banner and get a playoff berth,” explained Olympian head coach Keith Quigley, whose team had been a member of the Mesa League since its inception in 2013. “We have a very tight group of players that has brought about some solid team chemistry.”
The Eagles are off to 3-0 start in league play after defeating host Southwest, 17-0, on April 5, and blanking host Mar Vista, 10-0, on Monday and defeating visiting Chula Vista, 11-2, on Wednesday.
Top returners include junior attackmen Jose Morales, Andrew Benitez and Nathan Santini, junior midfielders Shivon Gater and Austin Slike and senior defenders Brennen Vicente, Seth Velasco and Steven Boudreaux.
Quigley lists the team’s impact newcomers as junior midfielder T.J. Flores, freshman defender Diego Lawson and senior goalkeeper J.D. Tibia.
Slike led the charge in the team’s league opening win with six points (five goals, one assist) while Morales, Gater and junior George Swarez-Solis each scored two goals.
Gater and Slike led the team defensively with eight and seven ground balls, respectively.
Marcos Morales and senior Abraham Estrella split time in the net to share the shutout.
Slike, Benitez and Gater each scored two goals in Monday’s win. Jose Morales (one goal, two assists) and Slike (two goals, one assist) led the Eagles offensively in the game with three points.
Slike led the defense with 12 ground balls while Tibia and Estrella once again shared the shutout win.
Quigley said his team hopes to post a winning season. The three league wins have raised Olympian’s overall record to 4-8.
“We have a solid core of returning players at all positions,” Quigley said. “With this core group we are working hard for a league banner and playoff berth. We feel pretty solid at both the offensive and defensive positions.”
