Former Mission Prep quarterback Dylan Morrow, now a baseball player at San Jose State, looks downfield during a game in 2008. — Tribune file photo by David Middlecamp ©
For those of you who may have missed it, Mission Prep is moving from the CIF-Central Section to the Southern Section as an independent in all sports next year. Check out the full story here. Perhaps most noteworthy in the immediately foreseeable future is that the Royals have scheduled Nipomo (in addition to Santa Maria) for the upcoming football season, as a sort of trial-run for how they might fare in the Los Padres League.
How do you local football fans envision that game playing out, and in general, what are your thoughts on Mission Prep’s viability in the Southern Section, particularly in football (which was the only hang-up to the Royals joining the LPL, as outlined in the story)?
Elsewhere, in early-spring news, the Southern Section released its first rankings for baseball and softball on Monday. The only San Luis Obispo County team to be slotted in either poll was North County Christian baseball, which checked in at No. 7 in Division 7. (For a complete breakdown of county baseball, check out our preview here.) Arroyo Grande remained in the ‘others receiving votes’ category in Division 2 boys volleyball.
Perhaps the most dominant team in any sport this season will be the San Luis Obispo girls track and field program. The Tigers, the two-time defending Division 3 champions, got off to an eye-popping start by routing a quality Atascadero team featuring Sacramento State-bound thrower Markita Hinton, 83-53, in a PAC 7 dual Thursday. Junior Abrianna Torres, arguably one of the county’s best athletes in any setting, won three events for San Luis Obispo, claiming the 100-meter hurdles (in 16.53 seconds), the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches) and the long jump (17 feet).
County products making moves in college basketball
• We recently caught up with former Paso Robles star and current UNLV point guard Derrick Jasper. Jasper is reportedly near to returning to the floor for the Rebels from a somewhat recent knee injury.
• Former Atascadero star and current UC Davis shooting guard Haylee Donaghe was named the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.
• This past weekend, Arroyo Grande senior point guard Michael Escobedo signed to play for MidAmerica Nazarene in Kansas, a perennial contender in the NAIA ranks. Speaking of Escobedo, please continue to offer your thoughts on recent all-league selections and pending all-county picks by commenting on the post below this one.
• Former Templeton standout Seth Koenig, a sophomore forward at Cuesta College, finished his breakout season with a career-high 40 points in the Cougars’ season-ending 82-80 loss to Citrus in the Southern California Regional finals on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 Koenig averaged 15.5 points per game this year for Cuesta, which went 26-6.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Chino // Mar 9, 2010 at 8:53 am
This is good news for Santa Maria. That means we will get at least one win next season. Right on man.
2 Anon E. Muss // Mar 9, 2010 at 10:21 am
I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Chino. Mission Prep might not be that great, but the Royals are certainly better than King City or Gonzales, the only two teams Santa Maria beat last year.
3 Nomorebyes // Mar 9, 2010 at 11:00 am
It’s about time Mission Prep quit hiding in the Central Section with that all inclusive, we only had four teams that played in the playoffs. Now we will see what you are really made of. Great to see St Joseph coming to the Pac 7. Now we will have some real teams that play real opponents. Not like Mission Prep who always play the usual Fresno Christian, Bakersfield Baptist, Madera opouts. Play some real teams and come play with the Big Boys, get off that porch called the Central Section Mission Prep. Bring it on! Can’t wait to start seeing Nipomo start talking smack about how good they are. Oh, bye the way, don’t forget to schedule Arroyo Grande, after all, they always win CIF in football every year! HaHa!!!
4 CenCal Fan // Mar 9, 2010 at 3:42 pm
obviously Nomorebyes… you haven’t looked at their schedules in recent years.
mission has taken on some of the best competition in the state, they gone more to the south in recent years compared to the central valley. Football the teams they played were in their LEAGUE and all the other teams were the best in their division from the southern section.
as for basketball, they have been more than willing to play anyone and everyone, it just so happens that the Fresno Christians, CVCs etc are the best in the valley AND in their division. But they take on some of the best teams in the north and south… who else would purposely schedule Crenshaw, Taft, etc in this area?
Larson didn’t even have the nerve to do so when he had the best team in the area (they ended up losing to a bunch of “little rich white boys” that year btw)
I think mission could remain competitive in the LPL if they became a member, however, the reality of it is that their kids just simply arent big enough and there arent many to choose from like most the other schools around here. But i give them credit for the move and willing to step up their level of competition. They could have just as well stayed in the central section racking up banners without batting an eye.
5 Nomorebyes // Mar 9, 2010 at 11:43 pm
What banners? St Joesph just put a good spanking on them. Welcome back to the coast and back to reality.
6 uhhhhh // Mar 10, 2010 at 1:02 am
paso did lose to mission that year, but sorry the little rich white boys werent the reason why, it was cus of the 6′8 and 6′4 puerto ricans, if they werent on the team mission loses by 30 easy cus the rest of their team was garbo. and im no paso fan so dont try and pull that card.
7 Chino // Mar 10, 2010 at 9:09 am
So you guys agree with me…
Anon E, Muss “Mission Prep might not be that great”
Nomorebyes “It’s about time Mission Prep quit hiding in the Central Section”
CenCal Fan “the reality of it is that their kids just simply arent big enough”
uhhhhh “sorry the little rich white boys “
8 Anon E. Muss // Mar 11, 2010 at 9:40 am
I did say Mission Prep isn’t that great in football. I was also saying that Santa Maria would need to improve a lot to be “not that great.”
9 nohopeprey // Mar 12, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Well, well, little Mission Prep is coming of age. Finally leaving that God Forsaken Valley league to play with the big boys. One things for sure, you won’t be able to get a bye in the Southern Section. Good Luck!
10 .. // Mar 14, 2010 at 11:58 am
mission prep schedules almost no one in the central section during the regular season in any sport. they are playing southern teams. most of the teams finish with around .500 years so yes its good there going to southern section cuz they win almost every game against central secion opponents. All 4 winter sports teams made it to the finals. that meansthey need to make a change and the new a.d. did what brady lock couldnt, get them out of central section. Mission is waiting for the LPL to accept them. They continue to schedule LPL teams and they continue to beat LPL teams in various sports
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