Warriors lose in close battle at home, 20-19
Carpinteria was riding a 2-0-win streak going into Friday night’s matchup with Calvary Chapel – the first time the Warriors have started out with two straight wins in ten years – but the team’s win streak came to a heartbreaking end with the Warriors falling short by just one point, 20-19.
In the first quarter, Calvary Chapel snuffed out a potential scoring opportunity with an interception, and both teams were tied 0-0 heading into the second.
In the second quarter, running back Isaya Gonzalez got the scoring started with an explosive 46-yard run down the right sideline for a touchdown to give Carpinteria a 7-0 lead. Calvary Chapel evened the score 7-7 with a touchdown before the half.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle, with a missed extra point being the difference in the end and Calvary Chapel holding on for the 20-19 win. Carpinteria’s kicker Raul Reyes – who was spot on for two other field goals in the game – had a final chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but the kick went wide.
For the third week in a row, Carpinteria’s stingy defense forced turnovers and kept the Warriors in the game, with junior Sawyer Kelly claiming a big interception along with four solo tackles. The Warriors’ offense was led by Trumble with 68 yards rushing and 115 yards passing.
“Carpinteria played a tough, hard-fought game, and we’re very proud of the fight the players showed for four quarters,” said head coach Mario Robinson. “The players understand we need to learn from this game and continue to work hard and get ready for next week.”
Carpinteria is now 2-1 heading into another home game this Friday night against Grace of Simi Valley. Grace is 2-2 this season, and the Lancers have won back-to-back games heading into this week, most recently shutting out Verbum Dei 41-0 on Sept. 8.
Carpinteria tennis remains unbeaten
Carpinteria girls tennis kept the early season momentum going with two more wins this week, extending the Warriors’ overall season record to 5-0 and kicking off the Citrus Coast League season at 2-0.
At Ojai, the Warriors dominated with strong singles performances from Silke Leonard and Izzy Scott, while sophomore Charlotte Cooney continued her stellar season in doubles, matching up with new partner Keyla Manriquez and coming up once again with a 3-0 sweep.
“The best thing is that she is able to teach and help the partners she has been playing with which will hopefully make everyone stronger down the road,” said Carpinteria coach Charles Bryant.
The doubles duos of Natalie Martinez with Sara Fakinos and Sasha Porinsh with Clover Martinez both finished 2-1, helping the Warriors finish with the final victory, 13-5.
Carpinteria then faced what may have been its toughest challenge of the season on the road against two-time defending Citrus Coast League Champion Malibu.
The Warriors’ tough doubles play kept them in the battle, winning seven out of nine sets and ultimately giving Carpinteria the edge over Malibu, 11-7.
This time Cooney teamed up with early season partner Allison Banks, and despite dropping their first loss ever as a duo, they were able to come out on top, 2-1.
“If there is a positive, the pressure of continually winning each match is off and now they can play a bit more relaxed and focused,” Bryant said.
Carpinteria is now 5-0 overall and 2-0 in league play heading into a busy week next week with three matches on the schedule.
Warriors water polo is back in rhythm
Carpinteria boys water polo is hitting its rhythm after a week with a comeback win over Buena and a strong 3-1 showing at a weekend tournament in Malibu.
At Buena, the Warriors fell behind in the first half and headed into the third quarter down, 3-7.
In the third, Carpinteria’s defense locked down and senior Asher Smith and junior Aiden Alcaraz turned on the pressure on offense, bringing the Warriors back with a pair of goals each to even the score at 7-7.
Smith then gave the Warriors their first lead of the game with a penalty shot to bring the score to 8-7.
Carpinteria goalkeeper Sebastian Campuzano-Reed was a force in the net, stopping ten shots and scoring a full-court goal of his own on the way to a 11-8 comeback win for the Warriors.
“It was nice to see our team’s patience and confidence in the midst of being down and throughout the comeback that we mounted,” said Carpinteria coach Karl Fredrickson. “The team-first defense and unselfish offense that was showcased today are big parts of what it means to be Warriors and are a testament to our work ethic and commitment in and out of the pool. It’s full-team-effort games like this that make me most proud of our Carpinteria student-athletes.”
The Warriors took the momentum of the win into a weekend tournament at Malibu, finishing with three wins in four games and taking fifth place overall.
On day one, Carpinteria beat Malibu’s B-team in a dominant 19-2 performance, before losing a nail-biter 9-8 to Agoura. The second day, Carpinteria was back in winning form, taking back-to-back wins over Royal (16-3) and Malibu (10-2).
The tournament also featured breakout performances by the younger members of the Warriors squad. Sophomore Sky Korling was all over the pool, with three goals, three assists and 11 steals, while sophomore Jake Ehlers punched in 12 goals and four assists.
“I’m always looking for leadership and potential in our program and to see it come naturally from two of our younger athletes is both inspirational and exciting,” Fredrickson said.
The Warriors will host Foothill Tech for their home opener this week.
Carpinteria golf team hits the links
The Warriors girls golf team couldn’t pull the overall victory at its two most recent matches against Nordhoff and Santa Barbara, but Carpinteria’s young roster continues to shoot low scores and improve behind coach Craig Cook.
In Ojai against Nordhoff, sophomore Jamaica Cook led the team with a low score of 48, followed by junior Emily Arismendi with a score of 65 and freshman Sophia Garay with a 66. Nordhoff took the overall match with a team score of 270, while Carpinteria shot a combined 315.
Against Santa Barbara, Cook was the low medalist of the day, leading all players with a score of 41, including two birdies. Santa Barbara took the overall match win.