By Mike Cohen
Centaur baseball and football players gained valuable experience this summer in preparation for the upcoming school year, taking their teams into vacation league playoffs. Boys and girls volleyball, track and water polo teams also got a head start for their approaching seasons with solid performances in summer events.
“The Culver City High School athletic program had many fine graduating seniors. The future stands bright as there is a great deal of talent in the lower grades,” said school athletic director Jerry Chabola.
The defending Ocean League champion varsity football team, coached by Centaur alumnus Jamal Wright, returns eight starters on defense this fall, but only three on offense – all on the line. The Centaurs (5-0 in league, 9-1 overall) lost in the first round of CIF Playoffs last year to Dominguez High School.
Quarterback Marquel Carter was named Ocean League MVP and selected as the Culver City High School Athlete of the Year. Record-setting triple jumper Olympia Jewett also earned Athlete of the Year honors in a ceremony held this past spring.
Receiver/running back Edwin Tillman earned Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year.
The Culver City High baseball team, mentored by Culver City High School graduate Rick Prieto, reached the second round of CIF playoffs this past spring after taking the Ocean League crown with an 8-2 mark. The squad was voted team of the year at Culver City High. Incoming senior Garrett Gemgnani was selected Ocean League co-MVP.
Prieto was named Culver High’s boys team coach of the year.
The girls tennis team, led by head Coach Phil Rothenberg, will try to improve this fall on its solid third-place finish last season in the Ocean League, dropping its first round CIF playoff match. Rothenberg picked up honors as Centaur co-ed team Coach of the Year. Varsity player Kelly Jew earned the scholar-athlete award.
Celebrating his 30th year as a head coach at Culver City High, Nestor Dordoni will run the boys water polo team this fall and girls squad this winter. Led by Howie Stanger (first-team All-League) and Alex Myers (second-team All-League), the boys finished third in league and advanced to the CIF Playoffs. Alejandra Galvan led the girls squad.
Last year’s CIF qualifying cross country and girls volleyball teams open play this fall. Tom Fritzius and Lew Winters coach the runners. Former Centaur Jessica Parel mentors the volleyball team, which last year advanced to the third round of postseason play.
Jack Nakanishi retires as head coach of the girls basketball team after leading the squad to the second round of the CIF tournament. Outstanding players were Savannah Erskine and Alexandria Lewis. Nakanishi coached for 11 years and was the superintendent of the Culver City Parks and Recreation Division.
Andrew Gomez, Michael Castillo and Nikko Sanchez were All-Ocean League picks for the boys soccer team, coached by Dave Sanchez.
Centaur alumnus Scott Mair will again coach the girls soccer team, which took second last season in the Ocean League and was voted as the Culver City High School girls Team of the Year. Mair was named girls team coach of the year at Culver High.
Soccer standout Shandell Martinez was voted Ocean League Defensive Player of the Year.
Alexandria Croft, Lydia Chodosh and Liliana Valverde were selected first-team All-League.
Former UCLA player for the late John Wooden, Jonathan Chapman, returns to lead the Centaur boys basketball team with assistance from former Dorsey High School Head Coach Dave Gordon and Centaur alumnus Adam Eskridge. The team will be paced by returning senior Aamahd Walker, who had a breakout season last year as a scorer, rebounder and defensive star.
“The coaches continue to do an excellent job of motivating and directing our young athletes to succeed both on and off the field of play,” said Chabola.
