Marlon Gardinera is starting his second year as head coach for Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) football, and he is shaking things up with what some might call an unconventional approach.

Not historically known as a powerhouse football team, SRHS has struggled in the past to attract and retain top football talent, often losing promising players to private schools. What SRHS and the surrounding community do have plenty of, however, are bright students with the capacity to excel in the classroom. Gardinera, or Coach Marlon – as he is known in Scripps Ranch – recognizes that this aptitude, combined with the real-world skills that can be learned through playing football, provides a recipe for achieving success on and off the field.

“Football is a unique activity that gives you so many life lessons,” Gardinera said. “I use football to teach young men the right way to do things: discipline, focus, effort. We’re relentless in pursuit of them learning those things; and it works out that if you learn those things, you’ll probably play football pretty well.”

Having played competitive team sports in high school and college, himself, followed by a successful professional career in corporate management for the last 23 years, plus eight years of coaching Scripps Ranch Little League and Pop Warner Football, Gardinera knows a thing or two about success both on and off the field.

“My job here is to take the excellence and academics that we all expect from Scripps Ranch High School and bring that out on to the football field,” Gardinera said. “The obligation and responsibility is to help these young men grow in to good men.”

According to SRHS freshman football coach Robert Hasson, “Marlon uses the term ‘student-athlete’ and stresses that the ‘student’ comes first. He has instituted study hall, tutoring and mentoring programs. He has raised the bar.”

Gardinera established a 2.5 minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement for students to play on his teams, which is one half point higher than the school district requirement of 2.0. On the whole, however, the team’s collective GPA far exceeds the minimum. In the 2017-2018 school year, according to Gardinera, the team’s average increased from 2.97 to 3.24.

Parents have expressed their support and enthusiasm for the changes Gardinera has implemented. Adria Shaw has two sons at SRHS; one who is an incoming freshman and another who will be entering his junior year as a varsity football player.

“They’re having more fun playing football,” Shaw said. “It’s also hard work, but I think they’re learning how to balance school and the demands of football much better than I’ve seen in the past.”

Kevin Merrigan – father of Riley Merrigan, who is entering his second year on the team – has lived in Scripps Ranch for 22 years and reflected on the SRHS football program, historically.

“Before Coach Marlon, I don’t think they had a football program. They had a team, but they didn’t have a program,” he said. “What makes a successful athletic team in high school is a program. [Coach Marlon] is making it so that they are doing things together, working out in the summertime, collaborating together, studying together. It’s a very well-organized ‘team’ feeling. He is 100 percent headed in the right direction on turning this program around for the kids.”

Referencing the study hall and “big brother” mentoring programs that Gardinera implemented, Diane Merrigan – Riley’s mother – observed that the student athletes “help each other and lift each other up,” she said. “I think that’s helped build the team [on the field], as well.”

While a focus on academics under Gardinera is evident, the physical preparation necessary to realize success on the field also remains a priority.

“Coach Marlon is trying to get these kids in to the weight room and conditioning before football starts, and to eat properly. They have regimens and classes where they talk about the importance of nutrition and sleep,” Kevin Merrigan said. “He’s teaching the value of both physical and emotional health.”

Hasson said that they are working diligently to change the culture, but recognizes that it is going to take time. It will also require a collective effort, according to Riley Merrigan.

“We’re trying to go in the right direction and get better every single time we step on the field,” he said. “I think we can achieve that if everyone puts in hard work and is dedicated to it.”

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team closed out its part of the 2018 World Series with a 13-2 victory over the All-Star team from South Moravia Little League in Brno, Czech Republic, representing Europe-Africa on Thursday, Aug. 2 at Max Baer Park in Livermore, Calif., in game 18 of the Series tournament.

Thursday’s game was played as a friendly contest as both teams had been knocked out of contention of the World Series championship contention earlier in the week.

Scripps Ranch, representing the entire western United States, ended the 2018 post season with an incredible 18-2 record.

The Scripps Ranch players are now out of the tournament, but have the chance to stay for the weekend in Livermore to witness the final games in the Little League Intermediate Division World Series, with semifinals on Saturday and the championship on Sunday being televised on ESPN.  

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team suffered a tough World Series loss on Tuesday, July 31, as it was defeated 2-7 at the hands of the Livermore Little League All-Stars, the host team from District 57.

Scripps Ranch, representing the entire western United States, lost only its second game of the entire 2018 post season. The Scripps Ranch All Stars, U.S. Western Region Champions, are now 17-2 in post season play. The 17-game winning streak came to an end against the Southeast team on July 30. Perhaps the strain of so many games in so few days, plus the travel, finally took a toll on the young baseball heroes from Scripps Ranch.  

The Scripps Ranch players will receive a rare day off Wednesday, Aug. 1, before having the opportunity to participate in an international game as it plays one more contest in the Little League Intermediate Division World Series at noon on Thursday, Aug. 2, against Europe-Africa at Max Baer Park in Livermore, Calif., in game 18 of the Series tournament.

Irene Lancia knew that her son, Steven, was destined to play baseball since he was a toddler. She remembers watching him squat and leap frog around the house, half-joking with her father that he would one day play baseball competitively as a catcher.

In the years that followed, Steven would take on the role of preschool-aged spectator and supporter at his big brother’s baseball games, then little leaguer who regularly played on all-star teams, and finally on to the Falcon’s freshman baseball team – where he was called up to varsity for six games – at Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS). His years of effort, combined with athletic genes and innate talent, have now earned him a coveted spot as catcher for the U.S. World Boys Baseball San Diego team, which traveled to Sydney, Australia, on July 26.

According to the U.S. World Boys Baseball website, the international games began as a “Goodwill Friendship Game” with Japan in 1977. These games continued until 1981. Then, “In 1982, the first International Tournament was held in Osaka, Japan. San Diego has participated in all of these tournaments and has hosted the tournament four times,” according to the website.

Coach Mark Wilson, who is also the pitching coach at Cal State San Marcos, is heading in to his 19th year as coach of U.S. World Boys Baseball San Diego. He and his coaching staff, which includes three baseball coaches from San Diego-area high schools, have been working together for the last 18 years. While their combined experience has served the boys well in further developing their athletic talents, the coaching staff is also focused on helping to build character for their young players.

“We believe that nobody is any better than the other guy,” Wilson said. “That’s important. It’s more about the experience of going to a foreign country and playing all of the national teams.”

Other countries that have historically competed in the World Baseball tournament have included Japan, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, China, Canada, Argentina, Korea, Australia, Puerto Rico, Peru and Italy. Wilson explained that Japan has historically been the team to beat, noting that it has racked up 21 wins out of the last 35 years the tournament has been played. U.S. teams have taken home six wins, with San Diego earning four of those titles.

This is no small feat, according to Wilson, considering that Japan’s national team plays and practices together year-round, while California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) regulations prohibit high school athletes from simultaneously participating "on an outside team, in the same sport, during the student's high school season of sport," according to the CIF Southern Section Blue Book.

Steven Lancia, who cites Buster Posey – catcher for the San Francisco Giants – as his favorite professional player, said he is excited to travel to another country to play baseball. As the only player from Scripps Ranch who will participate in the tournament, he has quickly built friendships over the course of summer practices with the other 17 boys who made the team.

“I’m excited about the experience with all my friends on the team,” he said. “I’m looking forward to just getting to know each other and the other teams.”

The two-week overseas experience will include one week of taking in Australian sights and culture, followed by the week-long baseball tournament, during which time all visiting players will homestay, in pairs, with host families from Australia.

“This is going to be something that they’re never going to forget,” Wilson said.

While character development and worldly exposure are highlights of the World Boys Baseball experience, athleticism and competitiveness are certainly not in short supply. According to Wilson, almost all participating countries have had boys from their teams ultimately be drafted to U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. From the San Diego team, alone, 23 players who have been coached by Wilson in past U.S. World Boys Baseball tournaments have continued on to the MLB. Notable among them are Adrian Gonzalez, Eric Karros, Brian Giles, Eric Chavez and Tony Clark. Additionally, Wilson pointed out that in last year’s MLB World Series, two of the pitchers were former players on Japan’s World Boys Baseball national team.

Irene Lancia said that her son aspires to continue playing baseball competitively, and currently has his eye on Division I schools, with USC and Stanford at the top of his list. She noted that he is also an excellent student, having completed his freshman year at SRHS with a 3.8 grade point average.

“I’m very proud of him,” she said. “He works hard at school and he works hard at baseball. Whatever he puts his mind to, he works very hard and he takes pride in what he does.”

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team, representing the western United States, lost its first game of the entire 2018 post season by a 1-5 score to the Southeast All-Stars from West Boynton Beach, Fla., on Monday, July 30. The Scripps Ranch All Stars, U.S. Western Region Champions, are now 17-1.  

Fortunately, the 2018 Intermediate World Series tournament is not over for the local heroes. Scripps Ranch will take on the host team from District 57, the Livermore Little League All-Stars, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31 at Max Baer Park in Livermore, Calif., in game 12 of the Intermediate Little League World Series.

Winning this tournament is no easy feat, of course, as teams play one game nearly every day of the Series. Scripps Ranch can climb its way back with victories on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and the championship game on Sunday. Teams will take a break on Friday. ESPN will televise the two semi-final games on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team, U.S. Western Region Champions, defeated the Central U.S. All-Star team from Ankeny, Iowa, with a 7-0 shutout today at Max Baer Park in Livermore, Calif., in the first round of the Intermediate Little League World Series. Scripps Ranch (West) advances to take on the Southeast All-Stars from West Boyton Beach, Fla., at 3 p.m., Monday, July 30

The Scripps Ranch Little League (SRLL) Intermediate Division All-Star team, U.S. Western Region Champions, is representing the entire Western United States and will play the All-Star team from Ankeny Little League in Ankeny, Iowa, representing the Central United States at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 29 at Max Baer Park in Livermore, Calif., in the first round of the Intermediate Little League World Series.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team earned the right to be in the Little League World Series by capturing a 13-6 victory over Hawaii on Thursday, July 26 in Nogales, Ariz., thereby becoming the Intermediate West champions.  

This team is undefeated in 2018 post-season play, and incredible accomplishment. It has gone 17-0 and won the District 32, Section 6 in Southern California. No team in District 32 has ever advanced to a World Series. It will represent the Western United States in the World Series tournament against All-Star teams from the Central, Southwestern, Southeastern and Eastern regions of the United States and Puerto Rico, the host team from Livermore Little League (the District 57 Host) and international challengers from Europe-Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Australia and Canada.

Scripps Ranch played some amazing baseball over the last six weeks to win the District, Section, State and Regional tournaments. Strong pitching and incredible hitting have carried the team throughout the journey. These players and coaches will put their lives on hold as they compete in their first World Series game on July 29. Parents of these players and their families, along with their coaches have been there the whole way to support the team.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team captured the Western Region Championship with an impressive 13-6 victory over Hawaii on Thursday, July 26 in Nogales, Ariz. Now, these champions from Scripps Ranch, representing the Western United States, have earned the right to play in the Intermediate Little League World Series.

Scripps Ranch faces its next challenger, an All-Star team from Ankeny Little League in Iowa, representing the Central United States. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 29 in Livermore, Calif.

Scripps Ranch has become the Intermediate Western Region Champions. No team in District 32 has ever advanced to a World Series. But this is not the biggest or most impressive aspect of their accomplishments nor the team’s upcoming challenges. Scripps Ranch is now thrust upon the international stage. The team will represent the Western United States in this World Series tournament not only against teams from the Central, Southwestern, Southeastern and Eastern regions of the United States and Puerto Rico, but also against challengers from Europe-Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Australia and Canada, as well as the host team from Livermore Little League (the District 57 Host). Games in the tournament are scheduled to be played from July 29 through Aug. 5. Three final games on Aug. 4 and 5 are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team keeps rolling in impressive fashion as it defeated Alaska, 17-0, in four innings during semifinal play of the Intermediate Western Regional Tournament in Nogales, Ariz., on Wednesday night, July 24.

The victory for Scripps Ranch, representing Southern California, puts the team into the championship game of the Intermediate West Regional Championship scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday night, July 26 in Nogales. The Scripps Ranch All-Stars will play a team representing Hawaii.

The game against Alaska was postponed Wednesday night due to lightning, but the delay didn’t throw off the players from Scripps Ranch. Starting pitcher Reece Keahey’s no-hitter had to be the biggest highlight, definitely ensuring victory.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team sports a spotless 16-0 record in this year’s post season play. A victory in the July 26 West Regional championship game will get the team into the Intermediate Little League World Series.

While Scripps Ranch has an incredible record going into the championship, the team from Hawaii should not be taken lightly. It has put up some big numbers in several victories, and won a close game July 25 with a 6-5 victory over Northern California to get into the big game. The team from Central East Maui Little League in Wailuku, Hawaii, also posted two shutouts in Western Regional pool play.

The Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team, representing Southern California, defeated Washington 12-2 in five innings Tuesday night, July 24, during the first round of single elimination play of the Western Regional Tournament in Nogales, Ariz.

The Scripps Ranch All-Stars will play a team representing Alaska on Wednesday, July 25, in a contest starting at 8 p.m.

The Scripps Ranch team went 4-0 in Regional pool play as it entered the single elimination round of the tournament.

The temperatures are blazing but the Scripps Ranch Little League Intermediate Division All-Star team is even hotter. The Scripps Ranch All-Star team is in Nogales, Ariz., playing in the Western Regional Tournament over the last four days. The players have gone 4-0 and defeated Northern California (9-4), Washington (17-6), Arizona (18-8) and Oregon (17-2). They were the only team in the tournament to go 4-0 in pool play, which means they should be assigned the no. 1 seed for the single elimination round of the tournament.

The single elimination round begins Tuesday, July 24. This part of the tournament will determine which team represents the West in the Intermediate Little League World Series held in Livermore, Calif.

Local resident Nancy Lavell is petite, but she appears to be chiseled from granite. Her incredible physique came from years of athletics and her passion for exercise. Today, she and her daughter, Cheryl Franklin, own and teach classes at CKO Kickboxing San Diego-Miramar. Their fitness is a testament to the high-cardio exercise routine provided by kickboxing classes.

“I have always worked out my entire life. I’ve always done something,” Lavell said. “Even when my kids were small I was actually preparing to go into body building competitions.”

While she liked the female body building look, she didn’t necessarily want to bulk up her thighs and she hesitated at posing in competitions wearing what she termed “three Band-Aids.”

Six years ago, Lavell took a free trial class at CKO Kickboxing and she was hooked. She got her daughter involved, and said her son takes classes when he’s in town.

She began teaching classes and the previous owners eventually approached her about purchasing the franchise. Now, Lavell and her daughter have owned CKO Miramar for about six months, and those taking classes can rest assured that the owners are not only firm believers in kickboxing as an exercise, but prime examples of what happens when one sticks with the program.

CKO offers classes every day and each class lasts one hour. Beginners are given loaner gloves, but gloves are also available for purchase. Each newcomer is given a session of orientation. Then, the punching and kicking begins.

“It’s heavy bags. The bags are about 125-pounds each,” Lavell explained. “None of this is for self-defense; you are not hitting any person. You are just hitting a bag. There is a different combination of kicks and punches that we do throughout the routine … You can burn up to 1,200 calories in an hour doing this.”

CKO also incorporates strength training and offers personal training sessions. Classes for children are available and a low impact class is in the works. Each participant can go at their own pace, Lavell said.

CKO Miramar is at 7094 Miramar Road. Customers come from around surrounding businesses and the Del Mar-Encinitas area, but many are Scripps Ranch residents and a growing number are teenagers from Scripps Ranch High School, Lavell explained.

“You get a full-body workout, you can burn calories and you can also build muscle,” Lavell said. “For me, it’s high energy. It’s fun.”