His Coaching Message Was a Testament to Inspiration

Going into last weekend’s 7-on-7 passing tournament at South Torrance High, Village Christian football Coach Mike Plaisance talked about the Crusaders’ chances against their scheduled opponents. The story of David and Goliath quickly came to mind.

He dubbed his team the underdog against the likes of Hart, South Torrance and Roosevelt and then made sure his team was aware of the biblical story.

“We passed out the slingshots and stones and it almost worked,” Plaisance cracked.

Village Christian, with a student enrollment of 505 and facing teams from schools more than four times its size, defeated South Torrance and Roosevelt, but lost to Hart, the eventual champion, 19-12.

In championship-bracket play, Village Christian defeated Fremont, lost to Burbank and Highland and finished eighth in the 30-team tournament.

“We did a super job considering the teams we were up against,” he said.

Lost and found: Turns out Matt Ellis, the JetHawks’ general manager, was right when he assured that whoever stole the outfit for K.B., the team’s purple hawk mascot, wouldn’t have much to do with it.

Can’t walk around town in it, after all.

So last Friday, the Sheriff’s Department got a tip and found K.B.’s costume in a vacant field. K.B. was back on the field at the Hangar that night.

Quotebook

Former Pepperdine volleyball standout Bob Ctvrtlik, now captain of the U.S. Olympic men’s team, on how the squad prepared mentally for the matches:

“The women’s team has a psychologist. We just have a guy who can get guys to talk to each other.”

Honors

JetHawk outfielder Scott Smith was named California League hitter of the week for July 14-20. Smith batted .484 with nine runs batted.

Smith, who was promoted to the JetHawks from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at the all-star break, has continued his torrid hitting lately. Through Wednesday, Smith had hit safely in 15 of 16 games.

Things to Do

The American Legion Area 6 baseball playoffs continue at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium with games today at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

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Contributing: Jeff Fletcher, Mike Hiserman, Paige A. Leech.