Words once used to describe only male athletes–“aggressive, intense, competitive”–are used by Foothill High School Girlsí Softball Coach Matt Sweeney to describe his 2006 team. Led by senior co-captains Nicole Romero, Courtney Jones and Brittany Throne, the team owns first place going into the last two weeks of regular season league play.
Coach Sweeney described his team in the same manner he would his football players, always aggressive, always putting the pressure on the other team. Through aggressive base running, the Lady Falcons consistently force opponents into defensive mistakes. Liberal use of plays, such as the suicide squeeze, provides the team with the runs they need to support the pitching of reigning East Bay Player of the Year Valerie Arioto.
Although only a junior, Arioto has already verbally committed to UC Berkeley for the 2007-08 academic year. This season she is 14-2 with a ridiculously low .160 earned run average, and no, the decimal is not in the wrong place. Arioto has allowed only three earned runs in 108 innings while also leading the team in batting with an average well-over .400.
Sweeney believes the competitive spirit of his team has been built over the several years that the girls have played against one another and then together in and around Pleasanton. Many of the girls have been playing together on school teams and on various league teams, including traveling and All Star, for several years. Tiffany Throne has been Arioto’s personal catcher since the two played together on a team in their early teens.
If the team continues to play at the same high level of intensity, the pitching of Arioto and the smart, clutch-hitting of the entire lineup, Sweeney has to like his teamís chances against anyone through the end of the regular season and into the NCS tournament.
Foothill Softball Schedule
May 16 – Livermore High School. Game is at Livermore at 4 p.m.May 17 – Granada High School. Game is at Foothill at 3:45 p.m.
May 18 – Amador Valley High School. Game is at Amador at 4 p.m.
May 23-27 – NCS Championships. Game dates and times to be announced.
Attack, Attack, Attack
Amador Girls’ Lacrosse moves forward all the time
Second-year Head Coach Karen Church has a one-track mind: attack, always attack.
With a team stacked with shooters, opponents are finding it difficult to slow down the offense of Amador Valley’s 2006 Girls’ Lacrosse team. One national ratings organization, LaxPower Lacrosse, has the 12-4 Lady Dons ranked sixth in its most recent computer power rankings of California teams, just ahead of East Bay rivals San Ramon Valley, Miramonte and Cal High.
With an experienced team with players that have grown together through the Pleasanton Lacrosse Girls’ program, the Dons have 10 seniors who returned from last season’s 2005 league championship team. The attacking style of play the coach preaches is a perfect match for the personalities of the players. Church said he has a team of young women with an unyielding drive to succeed at everything they do, not just in lacrosse but also academically and in life.
Amador Girls’ Lacrosse
May 12 – Foothill. Game is at Amador at 5:30 p.m.May 16-20 – NCS Finals. Game dates and times to be announced.
