A wild week of high school football, including the first ever tie in the “Big Game” between Santa Barbara and San Marcos football highlighted a jam packed Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon on Monday at Harry’s Cafe.
Santa Barbara High football’s Carter Debusk and Cate volleyball’s Oyin Opawumi were honored as SBART Athletes of the Week after leading their team’s with phenomenal performances.
With Santa Barbara High facing immense adversity, including an injury to starting quarterback Laird Finkel, Debusk stepped up to the challenge. He finished with six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
“He has just been having a heck of a season. As a junior he played on the scout team a lot and didn’t find time on the field as much. I just have a lot of good feelings about juniors that can stick it out on a varsity team because it’s really hard to not play that much, stick around, have a great attitude and show up all offseason,” Mendoza said. “He made two amazing touchdown catches. He’s had multiple games like that this year and we are really lucky to have him as we move forward.”
As a boarding school the Cathe girls’ volleyball team has only played five matches thus far but are rounding into the home stretch of its season. Opawumi led the Rams to a crucial Tri-Valley league victory with 22 kills and five aces in a victory over Foothill Tech and followed that up with 29 kills in a win over Villanova Prep.
“She has carried us offensively her freshman year and last year as well,” said Cate coach Jordon Dyer. “She is doing a great job. Keep following her throughout the season and she will have more stat lines like that.”
Phil Womble Award
Dos Pueblos soccer and softball standout Anastasia Brunner was honored as the school’s Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award recipient at Monday’s press luncheon.
Brunner has been a stalwart in her first two seasons on the softball field, as she was an All-League honorable mention in her freshman year and earned a spot on the All-League First Team last season
“It is certainly a well-deserved award for her,” Dos Pueblos softball coach Mike Gerken said. “She’s one of those kids that when she comes into your program you know you’ve got another good four years.
“She is an example, she is a model for what our kids need to aspire to. When they think about being excellent, they have a shining star in Anastasia that they can look to every day.”
Brunner’s excellence extends to the classroom and the community. She holds a 4.23 GPA and has accumulated 300 community service hours teaching swim lessons in the summer and volunteering at her church summer school.
Brunner is the first of eight Phil Womble Ethics in Sports award winners for this school year. The award is sponsored by Dave Pintard of the Pintard Group and bestowed upon an outstanding junior at each local high school.
The Phil Womble Award acknowledges student-athletes who value and incorporate into their daily lives the following qualities: accountability, respect of teammates, opponents, and officials, honesty, positive attitude, reliability, loyalty, sportsmanship, others above self, and team above personal interest.”
SBCC Football Earns First Win
The Vaqueros jumped out to a 17-0 lead and held on late for a 24-19 victory over Orange Coast College on Saturday. SBCC head coach Craig Moropoulos brough standouts Donovan Harris and Bishop Diego alum Michael Hayes.
“These two young men, I love them,” Moropoulos said. “I love their dedication, their selflessness, and the way they play and carry themselves. They are both outstanding students and that’s what it’s all about.”
SBCC (1-2) will travel to College of the Canyons for its National-Northern Conference opener on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions
The Santa Barbara High girls’ volleyball team will be hosting the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions at J.R. Richards Gymnasium and the Thunderhut on the campus of San Marcos High beginning on Friday.
The Dons will open with Yorba Linda on Friday at 2:15. San Marcos will match up withthe winner of Corona Del Mar and Oak Park at 4 pm in its first game of the tournament at 2:15. Bishop Diego will take on the winner of Los Gatos and Hart at 5:45 p.m. in its opener and Dos Pueblos will play against Marin Academy on Friday at 10:45am.