The Braves notched their first triumph of the season Thursday with an 11-3 nod over the Santa Maria Saints in Los Padres League water polo action at Lompoc High School.

It was a remarkable turnaround from last Saturday when the Saints stopped the Braves 6-5 in the Santa Maria Tournament.

Lompoc led 2-1 after one quarter and, in the second quarter, Braves/ goalie Kolten White/s stuff of the Saints/ Antonio McNeil/s four-meter penalty shot gave the Braves further momentum.

&#8221That/s his fourth of the year,B said Lompoc coach Kevin Hicks. &#8221Usually a goalie can get one or two of those in a season. He/s got four.B

The Braves rode the wave to a 5-1 margin at halftime and then gave the ball to Sam Holt.

Holt, the latest in a long line of Holts to star in the LHS pool, poured in three of his team-high five goals in the third quarter to lift the home team to a 9-2 spread and take command.

&#8221We/ve had the ability to put them away, and today we did it,B said Hicks. &#8221We don/t have to say, >We should have or would have/ 7 we did.B

The Braves converted three of seven man-advantage situations.

Sophomore Brad Deegan netted three goals, while Kyle Ericksen, Chris Munkres and Jan Gaboury had one each.

On defense, White blocked nine shots and Beau Mabery tallied a team-high four steals.

&#8221What Lompoc did very well was dropping into set,B said Santa Maria coach Adrian Salazar. &#8221They/d drop back into the hole and our guys would keep throwing it in there and they/d steal it. They played a smarter game than we did.B

Salazar complimented his two-meter defender Jared Zimmer, but gave the Braves credit for working around him.

&#8221Lompoc beat us on man-ups, on counters and outside shots,B he said.

Salazar also pointed to Lompoc/s shallow pool. Santa Maria went 0-for-5 in man-up situations despite their 75 percent success rate for the season.

&#8221It/s difficult to shoot when you have to almost be on your knees,B said Salazar. &#8221Our guys are used to using their eggbeater kick to get the momentum to power their shot. In the shallow end, you can just use your upper body. My guys had no power.B

McNeil led the Saints with two goals, while Zimmer added one.

Lompoc is now 1-2 in league, 1-18 overall. Santa Maria is 0-3, 3-9.

The Braves host Nipomo on Tuesday and meet the Saints again in Santa Maria on Nov. 1

Lompoc won the junior varsity game in sudden death, 7-6, when Chazz Kavanagh netted the decider.

Cabrillo 10, San Marcos 8 (non-league)

At Cabrillo, the Conquistadores built up a 9-5 lead before the Royals picked up three late goals.

&#8221I don/t think we did anything special,B said Cabrillo coach Joel Jory. &#8221But it/s homecoming weekend and this game ranked about fourth or fifth on the guys/ depth chart.B

Joey Gullicksen led Cabrillo with five goals and five steals, while Ethan Hadley netted two goals. Daniel McNutt, Byron Mikowicz and Alex Reyna scored one goal each.

Nick Darling snatched six steals and Mikovicz five. Goalies Sam Ouimet (six) and Chris Rosson (four) combined for 10 saves.

With an 11-9 overall record and 3-0 in league, the Conquistadores host Santa Ynez Tuesday in a match with league championship implications.

LPL tennis

Cabrillo 13, Santa Maria 5

At Cabrillo High, the league-leading Conquistadores were without ace Ellen Monkemeier (sick), but still won handily.

The Conqs are now 8-1 in LPL and 8-3 overall with a trip to co-leader St. Joseph scheduled for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

&#8221I won/t say it/s for all the marbles, but it/s for a lot of them,B said Cabrillo coach Dan Troup.

Against the Saints, Lisa Schutz won 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 for the second time this week, and Summer Miller also swept 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.

Ashley Brady took two sets in singles, Madalyn Doudna/Elysha McLain and Lauren Vance/Heidi Havlicek two each in doubles and Leslie Morgan/Lindsey Johnson one.

The Saints/ toughest weapon was the No. 1 doubles team of Maty Martinez/Victoria Regalado who swept through the Conqs for the second time this season.

The gritty pair battled past Doudna/McLain 7-6 (9-7) and Havlicek/Vance 7-6 (7-2) in tiebreakers and defeated Morgan/Johnson narrowly 6-4.

&#8221They took six sets from us this year,B said Troup. &#8221My hat is off to them.B

St. Joseph 16, Lompoc 2

At Lompoc High, the St. Joseph Knights easily remained in a tie with Cabrillo for the league lead.

Sophia Eszes and Ane McPike both swept in singles as did Lauren Freitas/Courtney Jaeckels and Donalee Jones/Kacie Guggia in doubles.

Lompoc/s only victories came from Courtney Stumpo with a 6-2 nod over Lindsey Jones and Amanda Chastain/Kayla Cunningham by 6-4 over Carrie Marks/Francesca Sanchez.

In two tight doubles sets, the Knights won both with Jones/Guggia nipping Jani Carmona/Crystal Hernandez 7-5 and Whitney Brooks/Katie McPike edging Sami Razon/Maiyer Vang 7-6 (7-3).

&#8221We tried to battle a little bit in doubles,B said Lompoc coach Loretta Jensen. &#8221I saw a lot of improvement there on staying patient and working the points. Maiyer Vang has been very aggressive at the net.B

Lompoc is now 1-8 in LPL and 2-11 overall. The Braves visit Nipomo on Tuesday.

LPL volleyball

Pioneer Valley 3, Cabrillo 0

At Pioneer Valley High, Nikki Doyle led the Panthers to victory over the Conqs again, this time 25-16, 25-20, 25-12.

&#8221They feed her and she hits,B said Cabrillo coach Sue Slavens.

For Cabrillo, Jessica Shekell led in kills with six. Jessica Kennedy added four and Kara Avillanoza three. Defensively, Kennedy made 25 digs, Brisha Ogan 24, Shekell 21, and Emily Bonenfant 20.

Cabrillo coach Sue Slavens complimented reserve Brionna Ruff who registered two blocks and two kills in the close second game.

Now 3-5, the Conquistadores travel to Santa Maria on Tuesday.

Santa Ynez 3, Lompoc 0

At Santa Ynez High, the Pirates prevailed in the first two games, but had to fight for their lives in the third before winning 25-17, 25-10, 26-24.

&#8221What rallied us was four serving aces by Sabrina Chill,B said Lompoc coach Don Savella. &#8221It gave us momentum.B

The Braves came from behind to tie at 22, 23 and 24 before the Pirates put up the final two points.

&#8221In the first game, we played well,B said Savella. &#8221They just outplayed us. In the third game, we slowed our commitment to get the job done.B

Chill and Robin Kaminsky-Rosauer led Lompoc with three kills each, and Laura Schelvis contributed six assists.

The Braves are still winless at 0-8, but Savella insisted he saw good signs.

&#8221We/re going to surprise people before the season is over,B the coach said. His team hosts St. Joseph on Tuesday.

LPL frosh football

Cabrillo 24, Santa Maria 0

At Santa Maria High, the Conqs rang up their sixth straight victory without defeat.

Ricardo Hernandez started the affair by returning the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, his second of the season.

Later in the quarter, Matt Stoerrle booted a 35-yard field goal and then fullback Zach Holmes ran for a six-yard TD. Sean Allen followed up with a two-point PAT to make the score 17-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, it was Hernandez again, this time playing tailback and scoring from seven yards out. Stoerrle kicked the PAT.

&#8221We have played a better game before, but it was a shutout,B said coach Bob Radford.

The veteran applauded Brandon Whittaker for a resounding tackle on a punt return, and defensive end Noah Moore and defensive lineman Austin Silva for all-around excellence.

The Conqs host Morro Bay next Thursday.

Lompoc 41, Santa Ynez 26

At Huyck Stadium, the Braves racked up their sixth straight victory without a loss as Bobbie Collins broke loose for four touchdowns.

The Braves built up a 41-13 lead before clearing the bench.

Collins scored on runs of 40, 50, and 60 yards in the first half as Lompoc took a 20-6 lead at intermission.

After that, the Pirates scored on a 65-yard pass play from Casey Eubanks to Justin Puccinelli, but Rick Aguilar/s Braves retaliated with three unanswered TDs.

Favi Vargas started it with an 85-yard kickoff return, then Collins notched his fourth TD on a two-yard plunge, and Anthony Sykeo broke another long run from 50 yards. Daniel Hernandez accounted for five PAT kicks.

Santa Ynez/s last two TDs were pass plays from Eubanks to Jon Bridgeman and to Puccinelli.

&#8221Our whole offensive line did a good job,B said Aguilar. &#8221So did Cody Berryman, our cornerback.B

The Braves host Pioneer Valley on Thursday.

Sports writer John McReynolds can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 106, or jmcreynolds@lompocrecord.com

October 14, 2005