A week in sports: March 15-20

Football

Senior Keirr Stewart looks to block a punt against James Logan. (Image via Robbie Camarillo)

The Encinal Jets lost their league opener 24-6 to James Logan High School last Friday. Playing at Estuary Park, Encinal's new temporary home field, the Jets held tough, trailing 12-6 at halftime. However, Logan's Jeremiah Patterson returned a kickoff after the half for one of his three touchdowns.

The Colts were the first to score, but standout Keirr Stewart ran in a 2nd quarter touchdown to tie the game at 6-6. Stewart also lost a fumble in the second half.

"We had a good start to the first quarter and we picked up a lot in the 2nd quarter," said senior left tackle Siave Pedro. "Overall, we did decent but there is room for improvement."

The Jets seemed to run out of steam and players as the game progressed. Starting running back Augstine Tautalatasi was injured before halftime and did not return while two more Jet linemen left the game due to injuries. The Jets entered the game with only 25 players, many of which were freshmen and sophomores. By comparison, the Logan sideline held more than 50 players.

"Despite all the injuries, we played hard," said Encinal senior Tyler Reyes. "There were points where we got tired, but that just means we have to work harder in practice. We played as a team but we got to stay composed when the game gets tough."

One player who took advantage of extended playing time was freshmen Kenneth Lorenzo. Lorenzo played both receiver and defensive back, breaking a number of Logan pass attempts.

"It felt very amazing playing on varsity for the first time," said Lorenzo. "The energy felt different compared to JV and Youth. Also, it felt good playing on the field again since COVID-19 started. My teammates and coaches also help bring good energy on the field."

"Our team is young...but we will pick it up," said Pedro. "It's been a year since we've dealt with this grind."

Encinal (0-1) travels to Bishop O'Dowd (0-1) this Friday.

Baseball

Junior Alex De La O steals one of nine bases against San Lorenzo (Image via C.Penalver)

The Jets went 2-0 this week, defeating San Lorenzo by scores of 18-4 and 25-8. Junior Tate Johnson and junior Alex De La O ignited Encinal's explosive bats. Johnson went 3-for-3 with a double in game two while De La O stole a combined 9 bases in two games.

"It felt good," said Johnson. "I was only able to pitch last year so finally being able to get an at bat was a nice change."

"It felt amazing and honestly I didn’t even realize what I'd done," said De La O of his 9 steals. "It’s crazy to think that I did that. It just shows all the hard work I’ve put in through this quarantine has been paying off."

Encinal (2-1) faces Mt. Eden on March 24 and 26.

Softball

Junior Madeline Leung slides into home to score one of eight Encinal runs. (Image via Ashley Gamulo)

The Lady Jets won their first game of the season March 17, beating Hayward 8-2 at Washington park. Junior Stella Cashin led the charge, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

"It was awesome," said Cashin about playing with her teammates for the first time in over a year. "You don’t get that kind of adrenaline from anything else."

Junior Bella Morales went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

Encinal (1-0) visits Piedmont on March 24.

Track and Field

Sophomore Tessa Vasquez keeps pace in the 800 meters. (Image via Kristy Le)

Encinal competed in a tri-meet on March 17 at Castro Valley High. Alameda and Castro Valley were also in attendance. Although team scores weren't tallied, a number of Jets performed well.

Senior Cole Cleminshaw placed second in the high jump. Sophomore Tessa Vasquez finished second in the 800 meters and third in the 1600 meters. Junior Aaron Hutcherson finished first in the 200 meters and the 400 meters.

"I think the meet went really good for me," said Hutcherson. "I never thought that I would have to dust my own teammates but that's what had to happen."

Hutcherson's 4x400 relay team came in second behind the other Encinal men's relay team of Marcus Worthy, Derek Deng, Davis Odour, and Brian Odour.

The Jets next tri-meet is on March 24 against Tennyson and Mt Eden.

Tennis

The Lady Jets went 2-0 this week, defeating Mt. Eden twice, 4-0 on March 15 and 5-1 on March 20.

The doubles team of Carolyn Nguyen and Megan Ngai battled to win their match in 3 sets.

"The season is going pretty well," said freshman Sofia Layzer. "I can't believe I got #1 singles. During games I've played against upperclassmen which is hard but also a good challenge."

Encinal (4-1) squares off against San Leandro on March 30.