Offense key for Lady Jags in big win, but untimely errors lead to tough loss

Jasmine Contreras smashes a home run against Westview.

A powerful offense has been the hallmark of the Valley Center varsity softball team so far this season, and the Lady Jaguars took advantage of their big bats in taking a big win over Holtville last week. But Wednesday’s home loss against Westview has the Lady Jags focusing on defense and fundamentals heading into the Jaguar Classic Tournament this week.
The Lady Jaguars hosted Holtville on March 18 and exploded for seven runs in the first inning en route to a dominating 12–2 victory.
After the big first inning, Valley Center added another run in the fourth before Holtville pushed two runs across in the top of the fifth. But the Lady Jaguars put the seal on the win with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
Leadoff hitter Jasmine Contreras came up big with a home run and a double, with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Stephanie Koishor smashed a two-run home run in the game. Alex Scoles added a double and a single, with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Emma Sloman had two hits, two RBIs and two runs, Andrea Torres had a hit, two RBIs and two runs, Raelyn Rodriguez had a hit, an RBI and a run, Ashley Nuñez had a hit, a run and a stolen base, Anna Luna scored a run and Mindy Faber stole a base.
Anna Luna rips this pitch for a hit.

Sloman pitched an excellent game to get the win, giving up two runs on four hits, with two walks and six strikeouts, in five innings of work.
The Lady Jaguars couldn’t get in rhythm offensively at home on Wednesday against Westview, and a number of errors doomed them to a 9–2 loss.
Valley Center committed five errors in the game, and they came at the most inopportune times. The Lady Jags had three errors in the third inning and the Lady Wolverines scored four runs, then Valley Center made two errors in the fifth, allowing Westview to bring four more runs across to put the game out of reach.
The Lady Jaguars had another good start on offense, as Contreras blasted a solo home run to lead off the first inning. But they couldn’t bring another run in until the fourth, when Rodriguez drove in Luna from second base with an RBI single to right field.
Contreras led the offense with a home run, an RBI and a run, while Rodriguez had a hit and an RBI, Luna had a hit and a run, Koishor had two hits and Scoles had a hit.
Jill Johnson took the loss, pitching five innings and allowing nine runs on seven hits, with seven walks and two strikeouts.
The Lady Jaguars are 7–3 so far this season, with the Jaguar Classic Tournament beginning this week. Valley Center will play at La Jolla on Wednesday at 4 p.m. before returning home to host Kearney on Friday at 4 p.m. The Lady Jags also play a non-league game at San Pasqual on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Another win has Lady Jaguars off to hot start in lacrosse

Valley Center’s varsity girls lacrosse team is off to an electrifying start this season, as the Lady Jaguars have won ten of their first 12 games, including a pair of hard-fought wins this week.
The Lady Jags hosted Del Norte on Friday night, and after falling behind early in the game, came back to take a 13–7 win.
Del Norte scored three quick goals to take an early lead, but Valley Center got the offense on track and pulled to within one, 5–4, at halftime.
In the second half, the Lady Jaguars applied consistent pressure and locked down the defense to outscore Del Norte 9–2 after halftime to put the cap on the thrilling win.
Cassidy Nowak led the offense with five goals, while Haley Stone added three goals and three interceptions. On defense, Morgan Marcon made six key blocks, while Kelly Hagadorn frustrated the Del Norte attackers on chance after chance in the Valley Center zone. In goal, Danielle Moran made 13 saves to spur the comeback and earn the victory.
“It was a fantastic game,” head coach Ally Faulkner said after the game. “The girls adjusted their game to come back and take the win.”
The Lady Jags played at Poway on Saturday, and after a rough first half, suffered a 17–5 loss.
The Lady Titans racked up 15 goals in the first half, putting Valley Center in a grim situation at halftime. But the Lady Jaguars never gave up and played solid defense in the second half, limiting Poway to only two goals while scoring four of their own.
Melina Heredia led the way with two goals, while Tylee Landavazo, Kelly Bergquist and Kelly Hagadorn each added one. Hayley Helms led the defense with three blocks, while Hagadorn caused a pair of turnovers.
Valley Center hosted Ramona on Monday in an up-and-down kind of game, with the Lady Jaguars taking an early lead, the Lady Bulldogs coming back, but Valley Center squashing any comeback attempts late in the game for a 12–8 victory.
The Lady Jags concentrated on controlling the ball and playing a patient game on offense, and the strategy helped them take a 6–3 lead at halftime.
Ramona came back early in the second half with three goals, but Valley Center kept the lead with two goals for an 8–6 advantage midway through the second half. From that point on, the Lady Jaguars added four more goals and held Ramona to just two more to seal the win.
Marcon led the offense with four goals, while Landavazo had two goals and an assist, Becca Vizcara had two goals, Kelsey Gaylor had a goal and two assists, Bergquist had a goal and an assist and Stone had a goal.
Now 10–2 overall, the Lady Jags play again on Wednesday at Del Norte.

Lady Jags fall to San Marcos in softball

Valley Center’s thrilling run to open the varsity softball season suffered a setback this week, as the Lady Jaguars traveled to San Marcos on Wednesday and suffered a 9–0 loss.
The Lady Knights did most of their damage in the first inning, scoring six runs right out of the gate to put the pressure on Valley Center. The Lady Jaguars struggled on offense throughout the game, finally breaking up the no-hitter with a double by Ana Luna in the fifth inning.
San Marcos, meanwhile, pushed three more runs across in the bottom of the fourth to seal the win in a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule.
Luna also took the loss, pitching four innings and allowing eight earned runs on ten hits, with five walks and a strikeout.
With the loss, the Lady Jaguars are now 6–2 overall and play again on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at home against Westview.

Lady Jaguars fall in first round of CIF girls basketball playoffs

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team exceeded many of the preseason predictions for the 2010-11 season, posting an outstanding overall record, earning a share of the Valley League title and taking the No. 7 seed and a home game in the CIF Division III playoffs.
But the season came to an end last Tuesday, as the Lady Jaguars couldn’t get the offense going when they needed it in a 53–43 loss to Santana in the first round of the playoffs.
The Lady Jags battled back from an early deficit to pull within one, 12–11, at the end of the first quarter. Valley Center tied the game at 17 on a fast-break basket by Victoria Navarro with 3:30 left in the first half, but Santana responded with a 12-point run to close out the second quarter and the Lady Jags trailed 29–17 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars bounced back in a big way in the third quarter, as they scored 21 points in the period to tie the score at 38 heading into the fourth quarter. Sidney Reilly led the charge with seven points in the period, while Vinessa Perryman and Miriam Zabinsky added five points each to propel the Lady Jags back into the game.
But the Lady Sultans opened the final quarter with a six-point run and held Valley Center off down the stretch by converting their free throw opportunities to hang on for the ten-point win.
Reilly finished with 15 points in the game, while Zabinsky scored 11, Perryman had nine, Lauren Gilster had four and Navarro and Andie Wagner each had two.
Valley Center finishes the season with a 15–13 overall record.

Lady Jaguars' soccer season comes to an end

Valley Center’s varsity girls soccer team boasted solid play from a team full of underclassmen this season, and the Lady Jaguars took advantage of their youth and skill to dominate their opening round game in the CIF Division IV playoffs this season.
The Lady Jags cranked up the offense and never let up on defense to cruise to a 7–0 win over Mountain Empire on Wednesday in the first round of the post-season.
The Heredia sisters combined for eight points in the game, as Melina scored four goals and had an assist, while Vanessa scored a goal and had two assists.
Midfielder Hannah Sanders added a goal and two assists, while Julia Stone scored a goal and both Kelly Hagadorn and Leina Villamez had an assist.
In goal, Taylor Yates made two saves to preserve the shutout.
But the Lady Jaguars couldn’t find the offense they needed in the quarterfinals, as they suffered a 2–1 loss to Francis Parker on Saturday.
Melina Heredia scored another goal on an assist from Sanders, while Yates made six saves in a valiant effort in goal to finish out the season.
Valley Center ends the year with a 11–7–2 overall record.

Seven VC water polo players earn All-League honors

Seven Lady Jaguars from the Valley League champion varsity girls water polo team earned honors from the league this week.
Senior Carina Favela was named the Valley League player of the year for 2010–11 and was also honored with a selection to the All-Valley League first team.
Also earning first team honors were Maddy Daugherty, Dani Lettice and Melissa Persichetti, while second team honors went to Nicole Marler, Nikki Paredes and Makayla Markey.
“I am so proud of the girls for accomplishing their goals of earning an undefeated league championship and advancing past the first round in the playoffs,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “This was a great season and I want to thank the parents, faculty, staff, administration, and fans for supporting the girls this season!”

Another big win earns share of Valley League basketball title for Lady Jags

The Valley Center varsity girls basketball team finished off the regular season with an impressive win, earned a share of the Valley League championship and advanced to the CIF playoffs this week.
The Lady Jaguars polished off Orange Glen in the season finale, earning them the league co-championship with Del Norte and the No. 7 seed in CIF Division III, which gave them a home game against Santana at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the first round of the post-season.
To get to the playoffs, the Lady Jags have been on a roll since mid-January, winning five of their last six games and eight of their last ten.
Finishing off the season at Orange Glen on Friday night, the Lady Jaguars dominated the first half and cruised down the stretch to take a 69–47 victory.
Lauren Gilster showed up in a big way for Valley Center, scoring the first 11 points of the game and leading the Lady Jaguars to a 13–9 lead after the first quarter.
Miriam Zabinsky took over for the Lady Jags in the second quarter, scoring 11 of Valley Center’s 28 points in the period, which extended the lead to 25 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars pushed the lead out even further in the third quarter, even with the bench getting plenty of playing time, to put the Lady Patriots down by 28 heading into the fourth quarter.
Orange Glen played outstanding offense down the stretch, racking up 22 points in the final period, but the Lady Jags were solid inside and from the free throw line to hold on for the 22-point win.
Zabinsky’s 19 points led all scorers in the game, while Gilster added 18, Andie Wagner had 16, Sidney Reilly had seven, Vinessa Perryman had four, Kelli Imgrund had three and Darin Gilmore had two.
Valley Center finished the season with a 15–12 overall record and a 6–2 league mark. The Lady Jaguars will have played at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Santana in the CIF playoffs. The winner of that game will play again on Saturday against the winner of the game between Mt. Miguel and No. 2 La Jolla.
Be sure to check out the Valley Roadrunner’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter for all the latest sports updates throughout the week.

Lady Jaguars win soccer season finale, host first round CIF playoff game

Valley Center’s varsity girls soccer team polished off an outstanding season with another win, making it four wins in the last six games for the Lady Jaguars, and earned a home game in the first round of the CIF playoffs this week.
With the win in the season finale, the Lady Jags earned the No. 6 seed in the CIF Division IV bracket, which means they will host No. 11 Mountain Empire (8–6–3, 4–3–2) on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.
The final game of the regular season was a home game against Orange Glen on Thursday, and a combination of consistent offense and solid defense led the Lady Jaguars to a 2–0 win.
Hannah Sanders scored in the first half on an assist from Michelle Nido to put the Lady Jags in front, then Amanda Nealis scored in the second half to put the game away. In goal, Taylor Yates made two key saves to get the shutout and the victory.
Valley Center posted a 10–6–2 overall record and a 4–3–1 league mark this season. The Lady Jaguars play at home against Santana on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the CIF playoffs. The winner of that game will advance to play at No. 3 Francis Parker on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Season ends in quarterfinals for Lady Jags water polo team

The 2011 season came to an end this week for the Valley Center varsity girls water polo team after the Lady Jaguars advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs before suffering a loss.
The Lady Jags beat Santa Fe Christian in the opening round of the Division III playoffs on Thursday, but couldn’t get past No. 3-ranked Cathedral Catholic in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Valley Center played well against Santa Fe Christian, taking an early lead and holding on late in the game for a 9–4 win.
After having beaten the Lady Eagles by only one goal earlier in the season, the Lady Jags knew the rematch would be a tough game.
The Lady Jaguars to put away three goals in the first, while allowing two for the Lady Eagles. Both teams scored one in the second, giving Valley Center a 4–3 advantage at half.
The Lady Jags were able to score three in the third, while only allowing only one, to lead 7–4 going into the fourth. In the final period, Valley Center was able to put away two more goals allowing none to take the win.
“The girls did a good job of battling for four quarters,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “Carina Favela had two solid shots at two meters right away, causing Santa Fe Christian to double team her for the remainder of the game. This opened up some opportunities for other players to score from the perimeter. Maddy Daugherty was able to put away three in the third and one in the fourth on penalty shots and from the outside. Nikki Paredes had two solid shots from a six-on-five situation and Makayla Markey had a solid goal from a cross-cage pass. This game was close all the way into the fourth quarter and the girls held their composure and pulled off the win.”
Maddy Daugherty had four goals, four steals, and earned one exclusion. Carina Favela had a solid game with two goals, two assists, two steals, two blocks, earned two exclusions, and earned two penalty shots. Nikki Paredes had two goals, and one steal. Makayla Markey had one goal, three assists, three steals, and earned one penalty shot. Nicole Marler had two assists, and one steal. Danielle Moran played great in the first half with five goal saves and one steal. Melissa Persichetti played great in the second half with eight goal saves and one steal.
This win advanced the Lady Jags to the quarterfinals against Cathedral Catholic on Saturday, and the No. 3 team in the playoffs proved they belonged there with a 14–2 win over Valley Center.
The Lady Jaguars didn’t score until the fourth quarter when the game was all but decided. Meanwhile, Cathedral Catholic racked up five goals in the first, four in the second, three in the third and two more for good measure in the fourth.
For Valley Center, Daugherty and Morrison each scored a goal, while Favela had an assist and Persichetti made eight saves in goal.
The Lady Jaguars finish the season with a 19–10 record.

Lady Jaguars clinch Valley League water polo title with undefeated season

With a pair of wins this week, the Valley Center varsity girls water polo team posted an undefeated season in the Valley League and clinched the league championship.
The Lady Jaguars earned the No. 6 seed in the CIF Division III playoffs, which means they will play against Santa Fe Christian at Westview High School on Thursday at 4 p.m.
To clinch the league title, the Lady Jags defeated Canyon Crest last Tuesday, then finished off the undefeated league season with a big win over Del Norte on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Lady Jags played a steady, consistent game to take a 9–4 win over Canyon Crest.
The Lady Jaguars had a slower start in this game against the Lady Ravens than they did in the first meeting, but still managed to take a 3–1 lead after the first quarter. Canyon Crest was able to score two in the second, allowing two for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center a 5–3 advantage at half.
The Lady Jaguars were only able to score one in the third, but held Canyon Crest scoreless to lead 6–3 entering the fourth. The Lady Jags were able to score two goals while only allowing one to hang on for the win.
“This was a tough game for the girls against an improved Canyon Crest team,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “We missed some opportunities and were playing with some sick girls but they battled through to earn a league title.”
Maddy Daugherty had a big game with five goals, six steals, and one exclusion. Carina Favela had two goals, two steals. Makayla Markey was playing sick, but still had one goal and two steals. Nicole Marler had five steals, one assist, and one block. Nikki Paredes playing sick had three steals. Sarah Mitchell had one assist. Dani Lettice had one assist. Danielle Moran played the first quarter in goal with three goal saves and two assists. Melissa Persichetti had five goal saves and two assists.
Valley Center took on its final opponent of the regular season on Thursday, and after taking a big early lead, the Lady Jaguars went on to beat Del Norte, 13–5, to seal the undefeated league season.
The Lady Jags had an outstanding start, taking a 6–1 lead in the first quarter. Del Norte came back in the second to score two, while allowing only one for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center a 7–3 lead at half.
The Lady Jags picked it up a notch in the third, scoring three goals and allowing none, to lead 11–3 going into the fourth. Del Norte scored two goals in the fourth, but the Lady Jags put away three to cap the comfortable win.
“Going undefeated in league was a goal for the girls and it was great to see them set the goal, work hard and achieve it,” Kline said. “They played solid team defense in coming up with sixteen steals and were able to turn many of those into goals. Finishing off strong like this will give the girls momentum heading into the playoffs.”
Favela had a great game with six goals, one assist, six steals, and earned one exclusion. Daugherty had three goals, two assists, two steals, earned two exclusions, and converted on two penalty shots. Lettice had two goals, one steal, earned two exclusions, and earned one penalty shot. Marler had one goal, one steal, and a huge block. Paredes had one goal, one assist, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Mitchell had one steal and earned one penalty shot. Markey had one steal, earned one exclusion, and earned one penalty shot. Macy Morrison had one assist. Maggie McGlynn had one steal. Kaylee Hudson had one steal. Persichetti had eight goal saves and four assists.

Lady Jags overcome slow start to win one of two in basketball

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team had a pair of slow starts in two games this week, but the Lady Jaguars managed to overcome one deficit to pull out a victory heading into the season’s final game.
The Lady Jags could only muster seven points in the first quarter of their game against Del Norte at home last Tuesday, and couldn’t find their stride on offense down the stretch in a 37–33 loss.
Despite the low-scoring opening period, the Lady Jaguars played solid defense and trailed by only three after the first quarter. They closed the gap to one point with a good second quarter, scoring ten points to trail 18–17 at halftime.
Sidney Reilly came through with seven points in the third quarter to lead Valley Center back out in front, 28–22, heading into the fourth.
But Del Norte clamped down on defense, holding the Lady Jags to just five points, while racking up 15 points of their own, to take away the win.
Reilly played an outstanding game to lead all scorers with 19 points, while Miriam Zabinsky added eight, Andie Wagner had four and both Vinessa Perryman and Lauren Gilster had one.
But the Lady Jaguars recovered for Friday’s game at San Dieguito, and a great defensive effort led to a 42–33 win.
Once again, the Lady Jags scored only seven in the opening period, but this time the defense held the Lady Mustangs to just four points in the first quarter. San Dieguito pulled back within two points at halftime, but Valley Center dominated the second half with 17 points in the third quarter and 12 more in the fourth to seal the win.
Zabinsky led the way with 14 points, while Wagner had ten, Gilster had seven, Reilly had five, and Victoria Navarro, Darin Gilmore and Perryman each had two.
The Lady Jaguars are now 14–12 overall and 5–2 in league play, with the final game of the regular season coming up on Friday at Orange Glen at 7 p.m.
And as a correction to our girls basketball article from last week, the Lady Jaguars honored four seniors before the game against Canyon Crest Academy: Navarro, Kelli Imgrund, Sophie Hernandez and Amy-Jo Lange. We apologize for the error.

(photos by Ray Flores)

Gilster, Zabinsky lead Lady Jaguars to another big win

After a rough stretch of four consecutive losses in early January, Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team has been on fire lately with wins in five of the last six games, including another win against Canyon Crest on Friday for a third straight victory.
The Lady Jaguars put the pressure on early in the game and held strong to the end for a 51–37 win for the home fans on Friday night.
The Lady Jags honored seniors Victoria Navarro and Kelli Imgrund before the game, then got right down to business in taking an early lead against the Lady Ravens.
Valley Center pulled ahead by six in the opening minutes of the game, but Canyon Crest came back with solid outside shooting to pull within two, 16–14, at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Jaguars responded in the second quarter by feeding the ball down low to Lauren Gilster, who racked up eight points in the quarter to put Valley Center back in front 28–22 at halftime.
The Lady Jags kept the defensive pressure on in the third quarter, holding the Lady Ravens to just five points in the period. Meanwhile, Miriam Zabinsky drained four shots from the floor, including a three-pointer, to put up nine points in the quarter and lead Valley Center to a 41–27 lead through three quarters.
Down the stretch, the Lady Jaguars simply kept pace with Canyon Crest and made sure the backups got some playing time in cruising to the 14-point win.
Gilster led all scorers with 20 points, while Zabinsky wasn’t far behind with 19 points, Navarro and Sidney Reilly each scored five and Vinessa Perryman added two in the win.
The Lady Jaguars are now 13–11 overall and 4–1 in league, with the next game coming on Friday night at San Dieguito at 5:30 p.m.

Flurry of early goals lifts Lady Jags to win over first place Canyon Crest

Valley Center’s varsity girls soccer team picked up another crucial Valley League win this week, as the Lady Jaguars defeated first-place Canyon Crest on Thursday for their third win in a row.
The Lady Jags took care of the scoring early and held on with outstanding defense down the stretch to take a 3–1 win.
Julia Stone got the scoring started with an unassisted goal, then Melina Heredia scored on an assist from Michelle Nido before Hannah Sanders finished off the offensive barrage with a goal on an assist from Vanessa Heredia. Canyon Crest also scored in the first half, but the Lady Jaguars didn’t allow the Lady Ravens any space in the second half, as neither team scored after halftime and Valley Center held on for the win.
In goal, Kaley Prudham made five saves to earn the victory.
“This was a huge win for us,” said head coach Eric Osterberg. “Now, we just have to prepare to finish our league season and get ready for the division four playoffs.”
The Lady Jaguars are now 9–5–1 overall and 3–2 in league with only two games left on the schedule. Next up is a home game against San Dieguito on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Lady Jaguars win two of four in water polo

The Valley Center varsity girls water polo team had a busy week with a league match against San Dieguito last Tuesday and three games to close out the San Diego Open Tournament this weekend.
The Lady Jaguars played well, earning two wins in the four games, including an outstanding 15–0 shutout against San Dieguito.
In that game, the Lady Jags took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back, smothering the counterattack and rolling to the big win.
Maddy Daugherty had three goals, one assist, and three steals. Nikki Paredes had three goals. Makayla Markey had three goals. Dani Lettice had two goals, one assist, five steals, and three blocks. Carina Favela had one goal, three assists, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Nicole Marler had one goal, two assists, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Macy Morrison had one goal, and one steal. Kaylee Hudson had one goal, one assist, and one steal. Melissa Persichetti had 12 goal saves, four steals, and one assist.
Valley Center finished off the San Diego Open Tournament this weekend with one win in three games.
On Friday, the Lady Jaguars faced Granite Hills, and after falling behind early, suffered an 11–1 loss.
Granite Hills had a solid start, taking a 5–0 lead at half. The Lady Jags were able to put away one goal in the third, while allowing two, to trail 7–1 entering the fourth. Granite Hills scored four more while allowing none to put the game away.
“We were a little out of sync and could not generate any offense against a solid Granite Hills team,” said head coach Kyle Kline. “The girls played hard but could not match Granite who went on to take third in the tournament.”
Lettice had Valley Center’s only goal, while Paredes had five steals and Persichetti had a good game with nine saves and five steals.
The first game Saturday was against La Costa Canyon (LCC) and once again the Lady Jaguars couldn’t overcome an early deficit and lost, 12–8.
LCC came out strong in the first quarter to take a 3–2 lead. The Lady Jags had a slow second quarter and were unable to score, while allowing three more for LCC, to trail 6–2 at half.
The Lady Jags gained some momentum in the third by scoring five goals and allowing three to trail 9–7 going into the fourth. But LCC was able to put away three more goals while the Lady Jags could only earn one.
“This was a tough game and we had some defensive breakdowns with two starters fouling out,” Kline said.
Daugherty had a good game with five goals, one assist, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Favela had two goals, one assist. Elsie Emanuel had one goal. Persichetti had seven goal saves and one assist.
The final game of the tournament was against Scripps Ranch, in a rematch of an earlier tournament game that Valley Center lost by two goals. This time, the Lady Jaguars came out fired up, took an early lead and got a clutch goal late to take a 7–6 win.
The Lady Jags took a 2–1 lead in the first, then picked it up in the second by scoring three goals while allowing one to lead 5–2 at half.
Scripps Ranch was able to score two in the third while allowing one for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center a 6–4 advantage heading into the fourth.
Scripps Ranch scored two goals in the fourth, but the Lady Jags were able to put one away to take the one-goal win.
“This was good for the girls to finish off with a hard earned win,” Kline said. “They did an awesome job at this tournament, earning three big wins against Santa Fe Christian, University City, and Scripps Ranch. They played some of their best polo yet, which will give them a huge boost heading into the end of league play and the playoffs.”
Daugherty had two goals, two assists, and one steal. Markey had two goals, one assist, and four steals. Favela had one goals, one assist, and one steal. Lettice had one goal, one assist, and one steal. Paredes had one goal, one assist, and one steal. Marler had three steals. Persichetti had 12 goal saves.
The Lady Jaguars play their final match of the regular season on Thursday at Del Norte at 3:45 p.m.

Strong defense helps Lady Jags win two straight in basketball

Lauren Gilster (21) goes up for the opening tip-off against Canyon Crest. (photos by Ray Flores)

A suffocating defense an a balanced offense were the keys to a pair of Valley League wins for the Valley Center varsity girls basketball team this week.
The Lady Jaguars held their two opponents to a total of 52 points for the week, while racking up an average of 52 points on offense over those same two contests.
The first win came last Tuesday at home against San Dieguito Academy, as the Lady Jags clamped down on defense right out of the gate in taking a 51–29 win.
The Lady Mustangs couldn’t bury a basket to save their lives, especially in the first half, as Valley Center held them to just nine points in the two opening periods. The Lady Jaguars, meanwhile, patiently moved the ball around and scored eight in the first quarter and 12 more in the second to hold an 11-point lead at the break.
San Dieguito finally started hitting some shots in the third quarter and came up with 13 points in the period, but the Lady Jags scored 12 in the quarter and still held a ten-point advantage heading into the final period. In the fourth quarter, Valley Center outscored San Dieguito 19–7 to end any hopes of a comeback.
Miriam Zabinsky led all scorers with 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Sidney Reilly added 11 points and ten rebounds, Lauren Gilster had seven points and 12 rebounds, Vinessa Perryman had seven points, Andie Wagner had four points and seven rebounds, Sophie Hernandez had two points and Kelli Imgrund had one point.
The Lady Jaguars went on to host league rival Orange Glen on Friday, and this time turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to take a 53–23 victory.
In both of the first two quarters, the Lady Jags outscored the Lady Patriots 16–8, giving Valley Center a 16-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Lady Jaguars completely snuffed out any offense Orange Glen attempted to muster, holding the Lady Patriots to just seven points in the half. Meanwhile, the Lady Jags scored 13 in the third quarter and eight more in the fourth to put the game away.
Zabinsky once again scored 19 points to top the scoring, while Reilly added 11 points, Wagner had seven, Victoria Navarro had five, Gilster had four, Tyler Carr and Perryman each had three and Darin Gilmore had one.
Valley Center is now 12–11 overall and 3–1 in league. The next game is a home game against Canyon Crest on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Lady Jaguars on a roll with four more wins in water polo

Melissa Persichetti (1) goes after this shot against Orange Glen. (photos by Ray Flores)

The Valley Center varsity girls water polo team is on a hot streak, having won its last seven games and 11 of the past 13.
The Lady Jaguars kept that momentum going with four wins this week, two in league play and a pair to start play in the San Diego Open Tournament.
The Lady Jags finished off the first round league play last Tuesday with an 11–7 win over Del Norte at home.
The Lady Jags had a slow start shooting in the shallow end, giving Del Norte a 3–1 lead after the first. The Lady Jags were able to gain a little momentum in the second shooting deep putting away five goals allowing one for a 6–4 lead at half. Del Norte was able to come back in the third and score three goals allowing two for the Lady Jags giving Valley Center an 8–7 advantage going into the fourth. The Lady Jags were able to put away three goals allowing none to take the big win.
“This was a tough game and the girls had a slow start,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “This was not our best performance, but we’re happy to get the win.”
Maddy Daugherty had four goals, two assists, eight steals, and earned one exclusion. Carina Favela had three goals, one assist, one steal, and earned two exclusions. Dani Lettice had two goals, one assist, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Nikki Paredes had two goals, one steal, and earned one exclusion. Makayla Markey had one goal, three assists, one steal, and earned one exclusion. Melissa Persichetti had 12 goal saves and two steals.
Valley Center then took on Orange Glen at Adams Park on Thursday, and after a good first half, held on for a 17–2 win.
The Lady Jags had a slow start taking a 2–0 lead in the first. Valley Center was able to pick up the pace in the second putting away seven goals allowing one for a 9–1 lead at half. The Lady Jags put away five more in the third allowing one for a 14–2 lead going into the fourth. Valley Center scored three more, while allowing none, to seal the win.
“The girls missed some early opportunities, but settled in and put together a solid second and third quarter,” Kline said.
Favela had five goals, one assist, and three steals. Paredes had four goals, one assist, and two steals. Markey had three goals, one assist, six steals, and earned two exclusions. Daugherty had two goals, three assists, four steals, earned one exclusion, and one penalty shot. Maggie McGlynn had two goals, and one steal. Sarah Mitchell had one goal, and one steal. Persichetti had ten goal saves, three steals, and one assist.
On Monday, the Lady Jaguars started play in the San Diego Open Tournament with two games.
The first game was against Santa Fe Christian, and Valley Center came back from a late deficit to take a narrow 6–5 win.
Both teams traded two goals each in the first quarter. Both teams scored one each in the second for a 3–3 tie at half.
Santa Fe Christian was able to put away two goals in the third keeping the Lady Jags scoreless to lead 5–3 heading into the fourth. The Lady Jags were able to regroup and put away three unanswered goals in the fourth to get the win.
“This was a tough game, as we had to make some defensive adjustments right away,” Kline said. “We couldn’t get any rhythm on offense, but the girls came up with some goals when it counted. We were happy to come away with the win.”
Favela had two goals, two assists, three steals. Daugherty had one goal. Lettice had one goal, one assist, and two steals. Nicole Marler had one goal, two steals. Markey had one goal, and earned one penalty shot. Persichetti had eight goal saves.
The second game was against University City, and after a big first quarter, Valley Center cruised to a 15–5 win.
The Lady Jaguars knew it would be a tough game, as UC had just earned a one-goal victory in overtime against Santa Fe Christian. The team got focused and came out swinging in the first quarter, taking a solid 8–1 lead.
The Lady Jags flattened out offensively in the second, earning only one goal while allowing one to lead 9–2 at half.
UC was able to put away three goals in the third, allowing two for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center an 11–5 lead going into the fourth. The Lady Jags finished off the fourth quarter well, putting away four unanswered goals to win by ten.
“This was a huge game and a huge win for the girls,” said Kline. “Both teams are division three teams, so this will certainly help in our ranking for playoffs. The girls really pulled it together after not playing well in the first game and played their best water polo yet in the first quarter.”
The win puts Valley Center in the top 16 for the tournament out of 38 teams.
Favela had her best game yet with five goals, one assist and one steal. Lettice had her best game with four goals, one assist, one steal. Markey had one of her best with three goals, three assists, two steals, and earned one penalty shot. Daugherty playing sick had two goals, two assists, and one steal. Paredes with one of her best had one goal, and six assists. Persichetti played well with eight goal saves.
The next game for Valley Center is on Friday, when the Lady Jaguars continue play in the San Diego Open with a game against Granite Hills.

Big first quarter leads to big water polo win for Lady Jaguars

The Valley Center varsity girls water polo team played an outstanding game on offense and defense to come up with a big league win this week.
The Lady Jaguars took on Canyon Crest Academy on Thursday at Adams Park and after building a huge lead early on, put the game away for a 14–5 win.
The Lady Jags came out pumped for this game after defeating the Lady Ravens by only one goal in the last meeting.
The Lady Jags took a solid 7–0 lead in the first quarter. Valley Center was able to back that up with three more goals in the second, while keeping Canyon Crest scoreless to lead 10–0 at half.
Canyon Crest was able to put away three goals in the third while allowing two for the Lady Jaguars. But both teams were able to score two in the fourth, giving the Lady Jags the big win.
“The girls had an excellent first quarter that really set the tone for the game,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “We were able to convert on some counterattacks and some cross cage shots which were created from playing solid defense. Carina and Maddy had huge games as well as Nikki, and it was good to get some other girls scoring and having eight players involved in assists.”
Maddy Daugherty had five goals, four assists, seven steals, and earned one exclusion. Carina Favela had five goals, two assists. Nikki Paredes played well with two goals, two assists, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Makayla Markey had one goal, one assist, one steal, and earned one exclusion. Macy Morrison had one goal, one steal, and earned one exclusion. Dani Lettice had two assists, a huge block, and earned one exclusion. Nicole Marler had one assist, and two steals. Sarah Mitchell had three steals. Melissa Persichetti played well in the goal with seven goal saves.
Next up for the Lady Jags is a game against Orange Glen at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday at Adams Park.

Lady Jags split two basketball games

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team put together another solid win to start league play this week, but came up just three points short of making it two in a row.
The Lady Jaguars played an outstanding game from start to finish in a 47–34 win over Canyon Crest Academy last Tuesday.
The Lady Jags doubled up the Lady Ravens with 16 points in the first quarter, but Canyon Crest narrowed the margin by two points in the second quarter to leave Valley Center with a six-point lead at halftime.
But that was as close as the Lady Ravens would get, as the Lady Jaguars held them to just seven points in each of the final two periods, while racking up 21 points of their own in the half to put the win away.
Lauren Gilster led all scorers with 16 points, while Miriam Zabinsky wasn’t far behind with 15 points, Sidney Reilly scored five, Andie Wagner had four, Victoria Navarro had three, and Vinessa Perryman and Darin Gilmore each had two.
Valley Center played again on Friday at Del Norte, but after a slow start, the Lady Jags just missed out on a big comeback in a 43–40 loss.
The Lady Jaguars could only muster four points in the first quarter, while Del Norte didn’t fare much better with eight points in the opening period. Valley Center narrowed the gap by one with nine points in the second quarter, but the Lady Nighthawks still held a three-point lead at the break.
Del Norte came out of the locker room on fire, scoring 13 in the third quarter, while holding the Lady Jaguars to just seven, to push the lead up to nine heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Jaguar offense came to life with 20 points, but Del Norte tacked on 14 to take the close win.
Zabinsky racked up 15 points to lead the way for Valley Center, while Gilster added nine, Reilly had seven, Kelly Imgrund had five and Perryman had four.
The Lady Jaguars are now 10–11 overall and 1–1 in league. They play again on Friday at home against Orange Glen at 5:30 p.m.

VC Girls Softball League visits Palomar College for skills clinic

The Valley Center Girls Softball League (VCGSL) recently teamed up with the Palomar College Lady Comets for an exciting clinic.
On Jan. 8, over 50 girls from the VCGSL traveled to Palomar College for a one-day clinic with the Lady Comets. The girls, ranging from age 4–14, participated in a true college-level softball practice focusing on their skills in batting, pitching, catching, fielding, base running, team spirit and even dancing.
Despite the chilly weather, VCGSL heated up the field with their talent and heart. The awestruck girls broke off into groups and had one-on-one and group instruction given by their big sisters. Everyone walked away with a smile on their face and pumped to make the 2011 season a smash!
VCGSL expresses gratitude to the Palomar College Comets for a memorable day and plenty of new goals to achieve.

Water polo league play opens with two wins for Lady Jaguars

The Valley Center varsity girls water polo team kicked off league play this week with a pair of dominating wins on the road.
The Lady Jaguars’ week started last Tuesday with a solid 13–1 win over Orange Glen. The Lady Jags had a great start taking a 7–0 lead in the first quarter. After slowing things down a bit, the Lady Jags put away three goals in the second to lead 10–0 at the half.
The Lady Patriots were able to put away one goal in the third, while allowing zero for the Lady Jags. But Valley Center was able to hold the Lady Patriots scoreless in the fourth, while putting away four goals to take the big win.
“This was a good start for the girls,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “We were able to work on defense and counterattacks.”
Captain Dani Lettice had three goals, one assist, and two steals. Fellow captain Carina Favela had three goals, one assist, five steals, and earned two exclusions. Maddy Daugherty had three goals, one steal. Makayla Markey had three goals, one assist. Nikki Paredes had one goal, two assists, two steals, and earned two exclusions. Macy Morrison had one assist and five steals. Captain and Goalie Melissa Persichetti had seven goal saves, three steals, and two assists.
The Lady Jaguars took on San Dieguito Academy Thursday at Adams Park, and after taking an early lead, went on to take a big 17–3 win.
The Lady Jags had another great start, taking a 7–1 lead in the first quarter. Valley Center held San Dieguito scoreless in the second, while putting away five more of their own, to lead 12–1 at the half. The Lady Jags slowed things down a bit, putting away five goals in the second half and allowing two more for San Dieguito to cruise the win.
“The girls played well and showed discipline against a young San Dieguito team,” Kline said. “We worked on some different plays on offense and defense with the emphasis on defense.”
Favela had three goals, two assists, one steal, and earned one exclusion. Daugherty had three goals, two assists, and two steals. Elsie Emanuel had three goals. Lettice had two goals, one assist, and two steals. Sarah Mitchell had a good game with two goals, four steals, and earned one exclusion. Nicole Marler had one goal and five steals. Kaylee Hudson had one goal, one assist, and two steals. Markey had one goal, one assist, and three steals. Maggie McGlynn had one goal. Persichetti had six goal saves, four assists, and one steal.
Valley Center is now 9–7 overall and 2–0 to start league play. On Thursday, the Lady Jags face Canyon Crest at Adams Park at 3:45 p.m. in what should be a good game after the Lady Jaguars were able to come away with a one-goal win in the teams’ first match-up this season.