Arroyo Grande's epic four-game win over rival San Luis Obispo in boys volleyball on Tuesday had a very vintage feel to it.
A few of the players were sporting shaggy hairdos I remember donning in my K-Mart portriats as a toddler in the early 1980s, but most of the retro atmosphere had to do with the surroundings.
The game was played in the old gym. Yellow lights. Peeling paint. Four rows of stands. Rafters.
It just felt like it was played out in one of those grainy 1970s movies — like as if I was Dirty Harry, but instead of shooting criminals, I was taking notes. I still did the squinty-eyed Clint Eastwood sneer in case anyone was watching.
There were ideas floating around about why the match was moved to the smaller arena. The official match notes handed out with the program said it was to honor Earth Day. The new gym is apparently an energy hog.
Tigers coach Jon Hastings said his team just felt more comfortable there. It wasn't the first time this season San Luis Obispo had hosted a game in the old gym. It was the second.
After the game, Hastings spoke of benefit of crowding the fans closer to the court and closer to the action. It was louder and more inviting. He said he might explore moving the team there full time.
But the Eagles couldn't help but to feel a little put off by the move at first. (So was I, but only because I had to walk the extra 50 yards from the parking lot).
It seemed the Arroyo Grande team and I are the only ones who didn't get the memo because I walk out of the completely dark and empty new gym and see the Eagles, looking pretty ticked. I asked Trevor Salas where the game was being played and I just got mumbles and grumbles. It was in the old gym.
Hastings said it wasn't a psychological ploy to take Arroyo Grande off it's game. But even if it wasn't, it almost worked.
The Tigers had some kind of magic going in that stuffy old place. The Eagles started out strong, but by the second and third games, they looked flustered. They were clearly the more dynamic team, but their mojo was somehow being smothered by this invisible force.
Or maybe all those 70s vibes I was getting just had me unconsciously conjuring Star Wars. I don't know.
I guess the real reason for this blog is for me to say that if you weren't at the game, you missed one of the all-time greats. If you were there, you know what I mean.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A classic throwback
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73 comments:
I heard about the fantastic game and wish i could have been there. Knowing Jon Hastings the old gym was a definite ploy to amp up the energy level.
ya but still after that sorry trick he couldn't get the W. That is just how good AGVB is
Yup their good enough to win seven league championships in a row. Oh wait. That was SLO
If it was a ploy to amp up the energy level... it looked like it was working in the eagles favor. The AG students and fans seemed much more energized and louder then SLO fans
stop living in the past AGVB league title 2008
I heard the tigers don't even have a senior on the team. Looks like '08 will just be a gap in the SLO dynasty.
The sad, sorry, bush-league thing is that the SLO AD and administration must have been in on the switch to the old gym. AG fans were "in the dark"--something abouth "Earth Day, saving energy, etc. when it was really a ploy to psyche out AG.
Maybe SLO should change the name from "Tigers" to "TreeHuggers".
Well, it didn't work. AG swept the season series 2-0, and held a 5-1 season edge in games. Is it true that SLO was down to Nipomo (NIPOMO?) 0-2 before eking out a win?
If you're gonna employ "gamesmanship" in a sorry attempt to manufacture a win, at least have the cajones to admit to it. Don't blame it on old mother earth.
As far as next year, AG has plenty of juniors coming back, including Weiss who ended the game with two freaking heat seekers. Seventeen players on the undefeated JV team which swept SLO won't hurt either.
As Salas said, there is a new powerhouse in PAC 7 boys volleyball, and it is AG.
As far as the girls go...well, we all know the answer to that.
and do not forget about BLUE ZOO owns Slo's pet house
your always good as your last game... SLO... and tell your fans to actually go to a game
AG may have a few juniors coming back but their two best players are leaving. And no your not as good as your last game your as good as your next one.
no your last... that means AG PWNS Slo get over it
Being this year's powerhouse is not exactly something to brag about; slo county volleyball is at its worst in years. Yeah AG beat a weak SLO team with two returning lettermen but they will not stand up to anyone that knows how to play real ball like a Santa Barbara High team. To actual volleyball players, even the almighty Salas looks like garbage.
And how did changing the game from one gym to another "psyche out" the eagles? AG had more fans and it was a smaller, more competitive atmosphere, should have played to their advantage. the fans were packed in closer to the court and closer to the action than they would have been if the match was in the bigger gym.
If the game was as close as it was and SLO isn't losing anyone next year, there's no way AG can continue the streak. Especially when no one can replace a player like Mike Glass. Enjoy the glory while it lasts Eagle Nation.
The sad thing is it's not like AG rose above the competition. Both programs dropped off in quality after last season and SLO just lost more guys. Neither of these teams would stand a chance against their counterparts from the '07 season. Salas is no Wrage, Demalleville is no Abram, and there will not be any more Tringhams and Schnackenbergs for a long time. It might as well just be AG and SLO in the Pac 7 because everyone else is just jv caliber.
I'm looking forward to the rematch next year.
very true. but you cannot only say AG cannot compete agasint teams like Santa Barbara. I mean SLO died a game earlier last season. I am just looking forward to the basketball games next year already
yeah there's no way slo can compete with sb-esque teams either. ag is better this year, and they proved it. the good news is next year the channel league is moving up to division 1.
AG is not a better team this year then they were last year. Last year they had Wrage and Tringham both exceptional players one of whom is on a D1 roster. No one has replaced them. Also if the San Luis team from last year played the AG team this year AG would be crushed in 3.
hands down
I agree that Wrage was a great player. Tringham was decent, never really used his height like he should have, lots of dinks for a big man who should be swinging it.
Volleyball on the central coast is not as well-established as it is in SB, but it is growing in popularity. Lot's of these guys would be outstanding track athletes and baseball players, but they are choosing volleyball. They play on the beach on weekends, and the caliber of play will continue to go up.
AG a powerhouse in volleyball. Woop de doo.
They sure aren't in football.
Why would you bring up football? I just might bring in SLO's water polo program vs AG then.
Water Polo. Whoop de doo.
Another big powerhouse sport for AG.
Ag is probably tops at chess and cookie making too.
slos a joke
Pluck them scrawny birds.
Pluck Eagles with compliments from North of the Grade.
I'm with you SLO boy, them birds sorry.............
If we talk small sports, apparently AG hasn't beaten SLO since 1984 in tennis. I would think they might get lucky, just once.
Apparently a lot of north county neanderthals think fotball is the only real "sport."
Atascadero doesn't even have a volleyball team, and I hear their water polo team wears water wings.
You Bronco Nagurski throwbacks wouldn't last 15 seconds in the pool...water polo is one of the toughest sports out there...expand your horizons...
Now your a waterball powerhouse????
It must be a sad, desperate situation to not be any good at football.
The sports world DOES revolve around football.
Get into the 21st Century.
Let's have a poll to see what sport AG will claim next?
Well, let's see, AG water polo and volleyball combined are something like 24-0 against Pac-7 competition this year...throw in the girls, and it's maybe 48-0 with the girls water polo being CIF champs...
Not sure where you're from, but even in a rebuilding year AG beat Righetti in football, a team which embarrassed the Hounds on their home field..
You're right on one point though--the sports WORLD does revolve around "futbol" (soccer).
yeah and just you wait a couple years. this years freshmen and the incoming freshmen for next year for AG are going to be amazing in 2 years.
yes, this year will be a downer for AG football along with the last 2 but in 2 or 3 years AG will be back on top.
and as for track, they are still dominant. their throws program is not going downhill at all. this year they have 3 kids in the top 25 in the shot put for state and 2 of them are over 160 in discus. not to mention sugishita is 6th in the discus for state. i have heard that the next years freshmen are going to be huge. good luck to wannabe programs like nipomo and paso who have one or 2 good throwers every 5 years and think they are amazing. AG is going to be back on top in at least 3 years.
How did this become another Football conversation?
because slo was crying and had to pick one sport they were better then ag
New blog please.
So AG is better then Atascadero because the Arroyo football team beat Righetti.
Sure.
Next time I drive to south county I'll bring the Pac-7 football trophy with me and return it to the mighty Arroyo Grande Eagles football program.
who's the idiot that said the sports world revolves around football? football is one of the least played sports worldwide, soccer is obviously the most, and basketball and baseball are probly the next closest things. nobody cares about football anywehre else, get over yourselves and realize that most people dont care about you football players or how tough you "think" you are and quit jerkin yourselves to feel good.
Wow...this is funny. San Luis is so arrogant. You cannot handle the fact that AG has a great volleyball team...typical. What does volleyball have to do with football? So AG football is in a down year as most teams will have at some time or another, but talking crap always comes back to bite ya. Be careful SLO fans...AG will be back!!! Not to mention all of the other teams that will be knocking on your door...
New blog, new poll, more attention to the blog and the polls...
How about some BeisBoll?
We have some hitters on the central coast...Mullen and Howell from SLO, Reyes from Nipomo...where are they going next year? Will they be drafted?
Mullen must have been one helluva JV player last year...
Mix it up Scroggs..Humm babe!
humm babe, is this a jack greer sighting
5:00 PM.
Please move to 'anywhere else'
I'll pay for your one way ticket out of our Country.
My mom just read the blog and said I should state the following:
"Arroyo Grande High School has the finest, best and most powerful sports teams in the PAC-7 as well as the Central Coast"
I was in great error in critisizing the AG sports program. Please accept my appology.
P.S. I'm not from SLO High
we still have to wait another 2 weeks i think for another scroggins sighting on his own blog
I heard Scroggs is leaving the area.
Sounds legit because he doesn't post up any new subjects. I don't think he reads this blog.
6:57 AM
grow up, stay in school, try to get educated
Never grow up, stay free, don't let the establishment tell you what to do
...just wondering but what does the last post have to do with anything? maybe im missing something here.
Ask Scroggs if you can find him? Anyone seen him lately?
Well, getting back to the original blog subject--volleyball.
AG beat Nipomo last night, 3-1, and wrapped up the undisputed league title...so...that is two years running as league champs (shared it last year with SLO)...they have a setter (Hitchen) and two big hitters (Weiss and Petker) coming back next year, as well as several guys who saw lots of playing time this year, and several good players who couldn't get a sniff because the team is so deep...
Add the 19 guys on the (undefeated)JV roster, and...let's just say, AG will be a contender for the league title next year...
I know it ain't football, and I know it ain't SB volleyball, but it is significant...
By the way...congratulations to Atascadero (football powerhouse)on their Pac 7 diving championship yesterday...that's cool...way to go...
Scroggs...big track meets coming up this week...Blog it, Scrogg It...
Congrats to AG for the win. Ya they do have some big guys coming back. But San Luis has their entire roster. not a player is graduating. DeMaulvile and Kennedy will only be that much more dominate as seniors, as well as returning Gealy and their setter. It'll be a strong team next year.
Going back to a funner topic...Mission Prep. Gosh those guys really are ignorant bigots aren't they? I mainly am writing this because I love to hear them whine more, but if they want to ignore it that is fine, their bigotry will come out in some other futile attmept to prove how awesome they are.
League finals for track was today and i saw some great competition. Ag took 2-4 in the shot and qualified 3 guys for CIF. Discus wasnt that great and i saw some bad sportsmanship from another team. im not going to say which team but they were hoping, while kenny sugishita was cheering for them most of the time during both events, that he would scratch all his throws so he could have a chance at winning. it was very pathetic of the student. Every time we see this team at track meets its the same story and its sad. maybe coaches should start teaching good sportsmanship to their players.
11:35 I respect your opinon. You back up your comments with specifics. I think it will be close between AG and SLO next year...
So who was the bad sport at the Pac-7 league finals?
Who was # 1 in the shot?
it was paso robles if u really want to know and korben went number 1 in the shot and discus. him and the nipomo team are a very respectable team annd him dewitt and brown are very good athletes.
Paso cheers for all of the of the throwers and competiters it just would have been great for mike to work as hard as he does and win. Our coaches preach good sportsmanship and thats what we pride ourselves in when you knock someone down help them back up.someone might have menchioned that he could but we did not want to see the other throwers fail they are the pride of this county
SO THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK
you need to calm down there cowboy because thats what i heard from our throwers and saw with my own eyes. he might have been a little angry about him being 3rd again and ill give him that but it was still very rude to say that in front of our team. a lot of our throwers were angered by this. and paso does not cheer for the other teams. mike is the only one that does and the nipomo and AG teams do also. the rest of the paso throwers think they are all that because the draper, nagengast, and torres from last year were pretty good. The only decent throwers they have this year are mike and the younger nagengast who could turn out to do very well for himself next year. i can really see him over 160 and 50 next year.
Cowboy? Come on 11:43, you just showed how much class you have. None. If your going to call a kid from Paso cowboy, then why don't you call a black kid another name and see what happens.
paso's a joke!
i just called him cowboy and you call me a racist. that had nothing to do with racism. you are an idiot for thinking it like that. i didnt call a kid from paso cowboy i called the guy who posted before me cowboy. what, if i call someone a cowboy its racist? I didnt know thats how you paso guys do things.
Paso is looked at as an Aggie town. It would make sense for 12:36 to feel like he did. If you really think Paso's a joke then you are crazy. Paso is more repectable than any other school around here. They produce higher quality kids than SLO or Atown (from experience).
can u prove that?
Paso has a much higher enrollment then other schools in the County. I would hope they could come up with one or two good athletes. They should dominate all sports but don't. Paso has quantity. Other SLO county schools have quality.
AG is also an aggie town. they have a farm at the school. im not trying to offend him. i wasnt the one who said paso is a joke either. they do have good teams but they are to cocky about it. a lot of our players tell me that they can be nice guys but they have an attitude like they think they are better. and if you look at history of arroyo grande track and football, they are much more dominant. AG won track league titles for something like 14 years in a row.
SCOREBOARD Pac 7 volleyball league titles...ag 3 SLO 7..And agvb didn't go undefeated...They lost to Pioneer Valley just for the record. Get your facts straight son.
AGVB JV*
PAC 7 has only been around for 2 years so its AG=2, SLO=1. get your facts straight. it was PAC 5 before.
10:12 PM
Sounds like you you Clinton math.
6:59 AM
what does that even mean?
It's French.
It's French.
6:40 pm...get YOUR facts straight, son...
AG CRUSHED Pioneer home and away this year, and went undefeated in league...
This is from today's Tribune.
"Since the end of the season, Tenhaeff has grown an inch and put on 35 pounds"
35 pounds in 5 months?????
Keeps your kids away from Atascadero Football. No one gains 35 pounds in 3 months unless.....
And they claim this is with the coaches support.
Baseball, basketball, track volleyball sports hold your head high for being in a clean sport.
congrads Tenhaeff... for being on steroids!
20% body weight increase in just 5 months. How many other ATAS boys are getting unusual weight gains?
Atasca-steroid
A question for 5:43pm: What bigotry exactly are you talking about?
And about the ignorant part: If ignorant means 100% of the graduating class gets into a 4 year college, then bring it on.
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