2015 San Clemente High School Spring Sports Preview

By Steve Breazeale

The 2015 prep sports spring season is on the horizon. In our annual preview, we get you caught up on all the San Clemente High School spring sports programs as they head into the new year.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @SouthOCsports for in-game updates, stories, scores, news and more for all of the Triton teams.

Baseball

Last Season: The Tritons placed third in league and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Kolby Allard, Will Tribucher, Lucas Herbert and Trevor Beard.

Circle ‘em: National High School Invit. (3/25-28) and Trabuco Hills (4/15, 4/17).

Outlook:

The San Clemente baseball team will enter the 2015 season with the proverbial target on their back. The Tritons return eight starters from last year, are led by arguably the top pitching prospect in the area and enter the season ranked among the state, and nation’s, best teams.

Kolby Allard, a 6-foot-2-inch left-handed hurler, will be the team’s ace. Allard is poised to build on a tremendous junior season that saw him win a gold medal with the USA 18-U national team and MVP honors at the “Perfect Game” all-star showcase event in Aug.

But Allard is only one player on a deep and talented team.

Senior catcher Lucas Herbert, who was also on the USA 18U team, third baseman Trevor Beard and No. 2 pitcher Will Tribucher round out a group of athletes who can hit and play solid defense in the field.

Head coach Dave Gellatly said pitching will be a strength this season, with Tribucher, Chris Puckett, Andre Pellante, Dylan Riddle and Tanner Lawson all ready to go behind Allard.

“Pitching is not going to be our issue. That’s a huge positive for us. If we get an injury in the pitching department, we still have guys to replace them,” Gellatly said.

Boys Golf

Last Season: The Tritons finished second in the Sea View League and placed 11th at the CIF South Coast Team Divisional Championships.

Players to Watch: Sammy Schwartz, Austin Briggs, Shane Barreira and Sean Rawlings.

Circle ‘em: Estancia Tournament (4/20) and Tesoro (4/23, 4/28).

Outlook:

Two weeks before the start of their season, eight of the San Clemente High School boys golf team players were dueling it out for a coveted spot in the six-player starting rotation. In fact, all eight of the players’ scoring averages were within two strokes of one another, which has made for competitive practices.

Leading the way for the Tritons is University of Hawaii, Manoa-bound senior Sammy Schwartz, the team’s top player four years running.  Rounding out the top group is returning seniors Austin Briggs and Sean Rawlings and a strong crop of sophomores, like Shane Barreira.

“At this point in the season (the competition) is definitely the tightest it’s been in my four years,” Schwartz said. “When we’re competing against one another we definitely play better. It brings out the best in all of us … That added competition definitely helps.”

Boys Tennis

Last Season: San Clemente won the South Coast League championship.

Players to Watch: Michael Bott, Jay Yeam and Billy Whitaker

Circle ‘em: Ojai Invitational (4/22-24) and Dana Hills (4/14).

Outlook:

The San Clemente High School boys tennis team’s singles rotation will be tough to beat this year, with three veteran players returning to fill out the top-three.

Senior Billy Whitaker, who has spent the previous three years as a doubles player, Jay Yeam and Michael Bott will highlight the singles lineup.

The question mark for the Tritons heading into the new season will be filling out the doubles rotation, according to head coach John Stephens. With Whitaker moving to singles there are few experienced doubles players on the Tritons roster, which has made filling those spots the main priority this offseason.

“I don’t want to just be singles dominant. I want our doubles to improve so that will be the key for us winning league, if our doubles can improve. It’s kind of fun to see if that can happen,” Stephens said.

Boys Swimming

Last season: San Clemente finished second in the South Coast League.

Swimmers to Watch: Josh Swart, Aiden Pastel and Chase Hamming.

Circle ‘em: Dana Hills (3/24) and Capistrano Valley (4/21).

Outlook:

If there is one person who can speak firsthand to the talent on this year’s San Clemente boys swim team, it is newly hired first-year head coach Thomas Dollar. Dollar, a 2008 San Clemente High School graduate, has been working with the San Clemente Junior Lifeguards, where many of his current swimmers are enrolled, for the past eight years.

Dollar also witnessed last year’s 4×100 relay team shatter his old school record in the event by several seconds. Three out of the four swimmers on last year’s relay team return to make up a strong senior class.

“They took (my record) off the wall,” Dollar said with a laugh. “It’s impressive. It’s just a great group … They’re primed and ready to do some great things this season, I can already tell with these guys.”

Josh Swart, Aiden Pastel and Chase Hamming were all members on last year’s historic relay team and return this year to round out the top of the Tritons rotation. Brandon Foo and Dylan Goode also return.

Girls Swimming

Last Season: N/A

Swimmers to Watch: Maddie Gamette, Megan Rowe, Kaylee Anderson and Kinsley Anderson.

Circle ‘em: Capo Relays (3/12-14) and Dana Hills (3/24)

Outlook:

First-year head coach Lindsay Warkentin believes that this version of the San Clemente girls swim team will be a unique one. Warkentin said most of the Tritons varsity roster is comprised of club swimmers who have chosen to swim for their high school, rather than focus on their club’s efforts.

“Overall, the team is very deep,” Warkentin said. “Around 80 percent are choosing to swim with high school, which is out of the ordinary.”

Maddie Gamette, Megan Rowe, Kaleigh Anderson and Kinsley Anderson are among the club swimmers on the Tritons squad. Warkentin said most of them will focus on the sprint and freestyle events, but have the flexibility to swim in the specialty strokes, like the butterfly.

The Tritons will get a good look at where they stand amongst the county’s best when they hit the pool deck for the Capo Relays on March 12.

Softball

Last season: The Tritons went 13-9 overall, placed third in the South Coast League and advanced to the first round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Lauren Kane, Jordyne Prussak, Lauren Gonzales and Kelsey Horton.

Circle ‘em: Dana Hills (3/26) and San Juan Hills (4/23, 5/11).

Outlook:

The San Clemente softball team runs through infield practice drills with precision and, after an error is made, in relative silence. Head coach Bill Malcolm has seen his veteran team take on a self-policing role over the offseason and, when something is not up to par, the team takes in upon themselves to correct it.

If a ground ball is bobbled or thrown away, quick glances amongst players are exchanged, gloves are put down and they do pushups.

“We have an older team and we kind of have that expectation where, if we’re not doing well, we have to get out of it … so we avoid making the mistakes we’ve made in the past,” Lauren Kane, a senior pitcher, said.

The Tritons lost only one senior to graduation and return power hitter Gonzales (.500 batting average, eight home runs in 2014), Horton (.493, five home runs) and a strong pitching duo in Kane (9-6, 4.13 ERA) and Prussak (4-3, 2.46 ERA).

Boys Lacrosse

Last Season: San Clemente won the South Coast League and advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Jack Renard, Caleb Bozarth, Max Lepley and Austin Boyer.

Circle ‘em: Corona del Mar (3/14), Foothill (3/19) and Tesoro (5/1).

Outlook:

Although the San Clemente boys lacrosse team took a big hit to graduation, first-year head coach Brad Reppert believes the 2015 Tritons return with solid depth and are cultivating enough young talent to power them to yet another strong season.

The Tritons lost several impact players on attack, but returning is leading goal scorer Jack Renard, who scored 58 goals in 2014. Renard will be joined up top by returners Nick Lemus, an Air Force commit, and sophomore Matt Keany.

The Tritons defense held opponents to 6.7 goals against last year, including playoffs, and a solid core of that defensive unit returns this season. The defense will be anchored by juniors Max Lepley and Caleb Bozarth and sophomore goalie Austin Boyer, who started as a freshman.

“Defensively I think we’re really starting to figure out our slides. We’re working on communicating and we’re starting to get that down,” Reppert said. “On both sides of the ball, I’m very happy. I think we’re going to give teams fits.”

The Tritons will hit the ground running this season with early high-profile games scheduled against Corona del Mar and Foothill.

Girls Lacrosse

Last Season: The Tritons finished fourth in league and advanced to the first round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Katelyn Miner, Emily Twilegar, Ariana Petrikas and Stephanie Alpizar.

Circle ‘em: Trabuco Hills (3/24) and Capistrano Valley (4/3)

Outlook:

Over the past two seasons, San Clemente girls lacrosse head coach Josh Cain has seen the Tritons become more and more competitive. The Tritons may not have had a flashy overall record (the team went 6-10), but they played in several close games and lost three matches by one goal.

Last season the team made the playoffs for the first time in four years and look to continue that trend with 12 seniors returning to the roster.

Eight starters from last year’s group return, including offensive minded Katelyn Miner, the team’s leading scorer three years running, and Emily Twilegar.

The Tritons defense kept them in games last season and a veteran backline made up of four seniors returns. All-league defender Shelby Thompson, Julie Goggins, Makenna Scarpone and Jordan Reagan will be tasked with keeping the South Coast League’s top attack players at bay this year.

Girls Track & Field

Last Season: The Tritons finished fifth in the South Coast League.

Athletes to Watch: Kelsey Carroll, Katie Carroll, Madison Chronister and Anna Gillis.

Circle ‘em: Triton Invitational (3/21) and Tesoro (4/30).

Outlook:

A move to the Sea View League bodes well for the San Clemente girls track and field team, who won the league title for two straight years the last time they were in it.

The Tritons’ distance runners will be a strength for this year. San Clemente is coming off a strong cross country season and nearly all of the varsity runners will be a part of the track and field distance team, according to head coach Dave Proodian.

Senior Kelsey Carroll is the reigning Orange County cross country champion and will headline a distance team that includes her sister, Katie Carroll.

In the throws, veterans Madison Chronister, a senior, and Anna Gillis, a junior, return. Chronister, a shot put specialist, and Gillis, a standout in the discus throw, both qualified for CIF-SS competition last season. Proodian envisions the duo contending week in and week out for meet wins in their respective events.

Boys Track & Field

Last Season: San Clemente placed third in the South Coast League.

Athletes to Watch: Connor Dunne, Josh Vollebregt and Bennett Seacrest.

Circle ‘em: Triton Invitational (3/21) and Tesoro (4/30).

Outlook:

Depth in the distance race events will be key for the San Clemente boys track and field team this season, according to head coach Dan Johnson.

Last season, San Clemente was powered by three standout athletes who, as a trio of two throwers and one jumper, were able to finish third at CIF. With all three of those athletes gone, the Tritons are now looking to other areas, like their distance team, for points.

Johnson envisions Connor Dunne, Josh Vollebregt and Carlos DeJesus to be among the top Tritons distance runners this season.

The Tritons are relatively thin at sprints, but Johnson believes senior Jessie Morrison can contend.

Johnson said Bennett Seacrest is eyeing an impressive mark of 6-4 in the high jump, which should put him in line with contending for a league title and a spot in CIF.

Boys Volleyball

Last Season: The Tritons won the South Coast League title and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Brandon Hopper, Matt August, Dominic Brousardand and Paul Castellana.

Circle ‘em: Best of the West Tourn. (3/13-14) and Dana Hills (4/2).

Outlook:

In his 15-year tenure as the San Clemente boys volleyball head coach, Ken Goldstone cannot remember a team that can match the size of his current squad. The Tritons have two players that stand at 6-feet-8-inches tall, three players at 6 foot 7 inches and two players at 6 foot 3 inches. The abundance of height has allowed Goldstone to tweak schemes and experiment with certain lineups in the early going.

Goldstone said the team has exceptional height, but they will need to be sharp in the passing department if they are to activate their big players at the net and take advantage of it.

The middle blocking unit will be led by UC Irvine commit Matt August, Dominic Brousard and rising sophomore Kyler Presho-Hartung. UC Santa Barbara commit Brandon Hopper, who has been converted to outside hitter, and opposite-outside hitter Aaron Strange return.