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Ojai Valley News photo by Ken Brown
One of the best defensive players in Nordhoff High School football history was 2011 graduate Keegan Shirck (No. 31). Shirck was an undersized linebacker but what he lacked in size, he more than made up for with tenacity and nose for the football.
Nash takes over Nordhoff girls' basketball
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Scott Nash was recently named head coach of the Nordhoff High girls’ basketball program after the retirement of former head coach Ted Cotti.
Mike Miller, Ojai Valley News sports editor
A lifelong love and passion for the game of basketball has resulted in Scott Nash getting his dream job. Nash recently accepted the head coaching job for girls’ basketball at Nordhoff High School, a position he is thrilled to take on.
Celebrating Ojai's seniors
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Jasmine Ramirez was one of the most promising distance runners to come out of Nordhoff High School in recent years. Ramirez was looking to rewrite the NHS record books before COVID-19 halted the spring track and field season. Local track and field fans have not heard the last of Ramirez, as she will compete for Ventura College next season.
Casitas rowing team to offer free camps to local youth
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Members of the Lake Casitas rowing team take to the water in a recent training session. The team is now offering free summer camps for area youth.
Mike Miller, Ojai Valley News sports editor
As sports slowly begin the process of reopening, the Casitas rowing team recently announced they will be offering all summer campus free of charge for local youth. The free camps were made possible by a grant from the LA84 Foundation in Los Angeles.
Coaching legend Henney on Nordhoff High football: 'I Remember...'
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The 1992 Nordhoff Rangers celebrate their league championship.
This is the eighth in a series of reflections during this COVID-19 shutdown on some of the people and stories that have graced the pages of the Ojai Valley News. Tony Henney played football for the Rangers and then became a coaching legend, leading the Rangers to their first-ever CIF title.
LEGENDARY COACH AND FORMER NORDHOFF RANGER TONY HENNEY:
'I remember the chants and the plays. I remember that, all of sudden, wearing a Nordhoff football shirt in town or at school was cool. I remember that if you wrote in a yearbook to 'keep the tradition alive,' you were now talking about winning. I remember seeing the kids looking through the fence and then watching them become Rangers.
I remember that every groomsman in my wedding was a Nordhoff Ranger, I remember ... '
Tony Henney, Special to the Ojai Valley News
I remember Nordhoff High School football in the 1980s like it was yesterday. When I was 7 years old, I got to be a ball boy, but there were lots of losses. In fact, Nordhoff football lost more games than any other team in Ventura County during that decade. However, there was a glimmer of hope in 1986. NHS had won six games and just beat a very good Agoura team. But, because of a paperwork mistake, the Rangers forfeited all of their wins and finished 1-9 to further extend their losing tradition.
Celebrating Ojai's seniors
Photo by Holly Roberts
Villanova Prep senior Kadin Mouderres was a standout soccer, tennis and water polo player for the Wildcats. Mouderres was the co-captain of this year’s tennis team, although soccer was his favorite sport while at VPS.
Strong coaching tradition propels Ranger football
Ojai Valley News photo by Ken Brown
Cliff Farrar is joined by his family before a game in 2007. Farrar won 150 games as the head coach for the Nordhoff Rangers.
This is the seventh in a series of reflections during this COVID-19 shutdown on some of the people and stories that have graced the pages of the Ojai Valley News.
Mike Miller, Ojai Valley News sports editor
When Lenny Roberts hired me in the summer of 2006 to cover the upcoming Nordhoff High School football season for the Ojai Valley News, he gave me a few bits of advice (the best was to keep my day job) and one phone number. That phone number belonged to head football coach Cliff Farrar.
Sundowners golf league braved the heat on Tuesday
The Sundowner golf league braved warmer than normal temperatures this past Tuesday at Soule Park Golf Course. The warm weather seemed to help players find their game as scores were noticeably better than week one.
The team of Good Pick It Up were able to hang on to the top spot in the league standings despite a relatively lackluster 55 points. They were led by Anthony Bonsignori, who birdied his final hole on his way to a gross 38 for 20 points. Team captain Charlie Casey scored a solid 18 points behind his gross score of 40. Anthony's father, Pete Bonsignori, backed up his 23-point week one output and contributed the final score with 17 points. The father-son duo figure to give Good Pick It Up a good chance at success this season.
Senior swimmers leave mark on Villanova program despite shortened season
Ojai Valley News photo by Holly Roberts
Villanova senior Nick Maulhardt, shown here on the soccer pitch, was one of three seniors on this year’s swim team who had their season cut short.
Mike Miller, Ojai Valley News sports editor
When Villanova Prep coach Tim Settem talked about the three seniors in his swim program, he mentioned that all three had terrific attitudes and even better work ethic. This year’s seniors included Nick Maulhardt, Isabella Angulo and Dana Gramckow.
Sundowners kick off 30th season
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Erik Wilde was one of the first players to tee off during the opening day of the 2020 Sundowner season. The popular league was delayed due to COVID-19, but it is now officially underway.
James Casey, Ojai Valley New contributor
The Sundowner Golf League finally started its 30th season of play after a four-week delay due to the COVID-19 virus. Players made sure to adhere to social distancing guidelines and local regulations governing safe golf practices. Despite a slightly different feel than past years, players were all smiles as they began their golf season.
Rodarte resigns, Heath to head NHS softball
Ojai Valley News photo by Ken Brown
Don Rodarte huddles with members of his 2019 CIF championship team. Rodarte recently resigned as head softball coach after 15 years at the helm.
Mike Miller, Ojai Valley News sports editor
After leading the Nordhoff High School softball program for the last 15 years, Don Rodarte recently resigned. The school has hired Emily Heath to take over the program, announced athletic director Rene Nakao-Mauch.
They come from away, to Ojai
Ojai Valley News photo by Ken Brown
Some of the world’s best bicycle racers in the world zipped through the Ojai Valley back in 2008 as part of the Tour of California. Ojai has hosted athletes from all corners of the globe in recent years.
This is the sixth in a series of reflections during this COVID-19 shutdown on some of the people and stories that have graced the pages of the Ojai Valley News.
Ted Cotti, Ojai Valley News correspondent
About a month before we were all told to stay home, I was fortunate enough to attend the musical opera Come from Away, which relates the true story of 6,700 passengers from 38 commercial airplanes stranded by the 9/11 attacks in the small town (population 10,000) of Gander, Newfoundland.
Ojai’s Hardwood All-Stars, Part Two
Photo by Ted Cotti
Mark Sebek of UC San Diego (left) faces his brother Tim Sebek, who played for Azusa Pacific University, back in 1998. The Sebek brothers were two of the best players to ever play on the hardwood in the history of Ojai basketball.
This is the fifth in a series of reflections during this COVID-19 shutdown on some of the people who have graced the pages of the Ojai Valley News.
Ted Cotti, Ojai Valley News contributor
Last week we took a walk down memory lane to recollect the best female basketball players to find their way into the Ojai Valley News during the past three decades. This week, we revisit the boys who graced OVN sports pages since 1989.
Honoring Ojai's senior student-athletes
Ojai Valley News photo by Holly Roberts
The Ojai Valley News would like to honor our senior student-athletes who had their athletic careers cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This week we feature Villanova Prep’s Christian Roe who was a three sport star for the Wildcats. Roe participated in water polo, soccer and baseball.
Two Thacher freshmen earn All-CIF honors
Photos by Carin Yates
This winter, the Thacher girls’ soccer team went 10-4-1 and 5-2-1 in Frontier League play to clinch a post season berth. The team’s success was driven in part by the play of two freshmen, Hattie Hatton (No. 15) and Jordan Yates (No. 9).
Ojai's Hardwood All-Stars, Part One
Ojai Valley News photo by Greg Cooper
Nordhoff High School Hall of Famer Erin Barker (left) is regarded as one of the best basketball players ever to play in the Ojai Valley.
This is the fourth in a series of reflections during this COVID-19 shutdown on some of the stories and people that have graced the pages of the Ojai Valley News.
Ted Cotti, Ojai Valley News contributor
While most local sports fans assert this is a “football town,” Ojai has certainly produced its fair share of outstanding basketball players. And unlike football and most of the other sports, almost every high school in the Ojai Valley fields a basketball team. Indeed, one of the best things about covering basketball for the Ojai Valley News has been the opportunity to watch local teams face off against one another, when the student bodies who crowd into the gyms are almost as excited as the athletes about the opportunity to claim bragging rights for the year.