High School Playbook

11/20/09 - Dennis Lehnen covers all 4 Friday Night CCS Playoff games including a shocker at the Sports Complex in the Open Division PLUS highlights of tonight's gridiron action!

Week 9 High School Playbook Blitz with Dennis Lehnen at 11 PM (11-6-09). Three unbeaten teams in league play go down in defeat... Find out which ones lost which team remained the only team in the area still unbeaten....

chieftans honorhed

The City Council and Mayor Dennis Donohue of Salinas bowed their head to the Palma High baseball,  honoring them as winners of their first ever CCS Championship. The ceremony took place at City Hall on Tuesday June 2, 2009. 

In addition KSBW Sports Anchor Dennis Lehnen spoke with Palma Head Coach Phil Giammanco on his thoughts of the team's success.

more about chieftans

Palma Chieftans

Palma 40, Salinas 39

Palma 65, North Salinas 40

Baseball: Gliroy 8, Palma 2

Palma wins Div 3 Baseball Championship

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Baseball Champs, at last!

Gilroy knocks Palma out of first in TCAL

3's in a Row: Palma wins third straight TCAL title

Narrow Victory: Chieftans over Cowboys

John Prader is a senior at Salinas High School, but he is doing something very few seniors get to do this weekend. He is going to Fresno, CA to partake in the CIF State Track & Field Championships. The pole vault has become Prader's specialty this season as he posted a season best of 16'0, which ranks him 6th in the state. Last Friday Prader claimed a Central Coast Section title in his event by soaring 15'10.

On Saturday at 5 Salinas city schools had multiple athletes competing at the CCS Track and Field Semi-Finals. About a dozen of these talented tracksters will be competing on Friday at the CCS Finals, with aspirations of qualifiying for the state meet. The athletes qualifying on from Palma are Paul Marcroft (shot put), Tyre Johnson (3200), Alex Bassi (Pole Vault) and the 4x100 relay team. Caity Michaels of Notre Dame qualified in the long jump, and Michael Skinner of Alvarez advanced in the 300 hurdles. In the triple jump were Maria Suarez and Oscar Pearson of Alisal and Amy Woo from North High. Other Vikings moving on include Brionna Sullen in the shot put, and the girls 4x100 relay team. 2 boys from Salinas High made it to the next round with David Perez earning a spot in the 800 and John Prader qualifying in the Pole Vault and 110 high hurdles. Several of these athletes are expecting their season to go past Friday and make it to the CIF State Championships in Fresno on June 5th and 6th.

5 years ago was the last time the North High softball squad saw a CCS playoff game, that is before Wednesday night. Seeded at No. 4 in Division 1, the Vikings took on Homstead (No. 13 seed) of San Jose. The first three innnings were scoreless on both sides, but Bina Abbott's solo homer on the first pitch of the 4th inning rallied the Viking bats. After 5 innings the game was called due to the mercy rule. North Salinas pulled away with a 11-0 victory. Next up the lady Vikes challenge cross town and league Salinas High (No. 12 seed). The two teams play Saturday May 23 at 10:30am at the Salinas Sports Complex.

The senior male athletes were honored for their contribution to Viking athletics with a nice BBQ dinner and tasty desserts. Unlike most nights though, food was not their primary thought. These guys were concerned about their final game, a volleyball match against the coaches! With all the testosterone in the gym there was plenty of smack talking on both sides of the court. Even though the class of 2009 may be one of the most athletic classes graduating North High, the coaches stuck it to them, winning all of the games throughout the night. Despite the score, the boys had a lot of fun.

HOOPS AHEAD: The annual high school All-star basketball game is set for Friday April 3rd at the Boys & Girls Club. Girls' game will start at 6pm followed by the Boys' game. If you show up, there's a good chance you'll get on TV. That could lead to a reality show which could lead to untold wealth, so get to the All-star games - Friday, the 3rd of April .

EAGLE TENNIS: Interesting number and a sign of the times - Alvarez High had more boys go out for it's tennis team than went out for it's baseball team.

USUAL SUSPECTS: Palma and Salinas both with contending teams in the Tri-County league. Palma has a great hitter in Phillip Creecy and great pitchers in Matt Lozano and Tucker Minor. The Cowboys of Salinas High have won ten of their first 12 games under coach Art Hunsdorfer.

THE CLASS IN THE CRUZ AREA: One of the top ballplayers in Santa Cruz County is Soquel's Ben Passafuime. The Soquel team with one of the area's best records at last check and they also got to play in Hawaii. Passafuime is also the quarterback for the Knights football team, so many years from now he'll have plenty to brag to the kids about.

NCAA LOCALS: Former North Salinas High basketball stars Wyatt Maker and Donnell Harris both played on NCAA championship teams. Wyatt Maker was member of the the 1985 Villanova team that upset Patrick Ewing and Georgetown in the final. Donnell Harris was a key member of the Arizona team that won the National title in1997.

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Dennis Lehnen Subject: Seasons Change: Dennis' Blog Date: March 25, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone This week, The Dean reflects on the switch from the gym to the diamond. Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Dennis Lehnen's Blog: News from the Central Coast Date: March 10, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Sports News from the local area from the Dean Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Winter's End: Dennis' Blog Date: March 02, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Peruse the Dean's thoughts as we gear up for Spring. Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Rainy day Ramble: Dennis' Blog Date: February 17, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Come read the Dean's scribbles on the wall. Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: February Findings: Dennis' Blog Date: February 05, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone The Dean's thoughts on the local basketball scene. 1 Comments | Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Elliot and others: Dennis' Blog Date: January 28, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Read about Cheerleading being a contact sport and the local guy at the SuperBowl Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Tales of the Hardwood: Dennis' Blog Date: January 21, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone The Dean's ramblings on local hoops Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Andy goes Pro: Dennis' blog Date: January 12, 2009 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Dennis writes about SLV and OSU star Andy Levitre Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: The Sanchez Family: Dennis' Blog Date: December 30, 2008 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone The family that plays together stays together in Pajaro Valley. Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry Dennis Lehnen Subject: Heart of a Viking: Dennis' Blog Date: December 22, 2008 Visible To: Public - Everyone Who can comment: Public - Everyone Dennis talks to North Salinas Viking Mike Ramos Comment on this View Entire Blog Entry 1 2 3 Last

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