I'm sorry for the mix up.
In the last issue of the Coast Report, I made a graphic box that said additional fall previews will be available in this link. [Also, click on this link to see the fall preview for men and women's cross country, football, women's volleyball and men's water polo]
Someone e-mailed to me at coastreportsports@gmail.com that additional fall previews were not up.
I got two words: my bad.
I hope it's not too late - since the fall season has not started yet.
The fall previews for men and women's soccer, men's basketball and women's water polo is on the blog below.
Once again, I'm sorry for the delay.
By Farren BenjaminWith less than half the team returning next season, the women’s soccer team is looking to improve on its 9-6-7 (7-4-5 in the OEC) run last year.
The team returns majority of the defenders from last season led by Lara Tishler, Cindy Rodriguez, and Julia Borkenhagen.
After ending last season undefeated in its final 6 games (2-0-4), the lady Pirates are looking to make it far into the playoffs this upcoming season.
[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]
After missing last year’s playoffs by only a point, the men’s soccer team prepares for the fall by recruiting local players—head coach Laird Hayes’ philosophy.“I’m not going outside Coast Community College district area. We should have a good crop of players from Newport and Estancia—both of whom made it into the second round of CIF last year,” Hayes said. “I feel community colleges should concentrate on developing local players.”
The Pirates will be led by last year’s All-Orange Empire Conference midfielder Toshi Fujimura, goalkeeper Brian Rippeto, Adrian Buonanoce, Darren Drysdale and Colin Heim along with the freshmen recruits. Hayes added he expects last year’s redshirt player Derek Woody to play significantly.
“We should be more competitive this coming year than last year,” Hayes said. “All these guys looked real good in the offseason conditioning program that we have.”
[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]
[2008-2009 OCC men's basketball team - Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]The OCC men’s basketball team roster spot for the upcoming fall season is up for grabs, according to head coach Steve Spencer.
“I don’t guarantee anybody anything. I don’t guarantee somebody who’s on the team last year that they’re going to be on the team,” he said. “The guys are working hard right now. If they worked as hard as during the season, we’d won few more games.”
After finishing last season with a 10-21 record, 3-9 in OEC, Spencer said he is looking for players that “play their ass off, play together and hopefully try to play a little smart.”
“I think I did a crappy job coaching and the players did a crappy job playing,” Spencer said. “There’s enough fault to go around everybody. (Players) should be able to play hard—I shouldn’t have to coach effort.”
“I don’t guarantee anybody anything. I don’t guarantee somebody who’s on the team last year that they’re going to be on the team,” he said. “The guys are working hard right now. If they worked as hard as during the season, we’d won few more games.”
After finishing last season with a 10-21 record, 3-9 in OEC, Spencer said he is looking for players that “play their ass off, play together and hopefully try to play a little smart.”
“I think I did a crappy job coaching and the players did a crappy job playing,” Spencer said. “There’s enough fault to go around everybody. (Players) should be able to play hard—I shouldn’t have to coach effort.”
The women’s water polo team looks to improve on last season by depending on its sophomore returners – including last season’s first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference player Amanda Simons.“Individual sports can be freshmen dominated to have success but a sport like water polo you need that team cohesion so you need returning players to understand the system and values of the program,” head coach Anthony Iacopetti said.
He added the women’s water polo had the school’s highest team GPA last year with a 3.26.
“All of our returners from last year are working very hard. I think there are seven returning sophomores and they’ve participated in swim season,” Iacopetti said. “They have been doing the work in the offseason to get better so we’re really looking for them to lead us and advance the culture of the program."
[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]
