SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Roller Hockey

San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference

West Hills hockey team keeps rolling along

By Phillip Brents

Posted Jan. 31, 2005

It takes a lot to keep a high school club roller hockey team going in the absence of official support from a high school athletics program but Ed and Kristina Tackett have kept the uniforms washed, the appropriate paper work filed and the pucks rolling for three years now with the West Hills Wolves in the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference.

Ed serves as the team’s head coach while Kristina is the team manager. The Tacketts hope they can file the necessary paper work in time for the team to join the CIF/Metro Conference next season. In the meantime, players representing West Hills High School compete in the club circuit.

This season, the CIF/Metro Conference is comprised of 18 teams as more and more club teams have received permission from their respective school districts to compete in CIF play. The San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference, which predates official CIF play, includes 10 teams this season.

West Hills’ 1-5-1 record placed it eighth out of those 10 teams as the regular season schedule rolls to a close. The top six teams advance to this year’s playoff tournament that gets underway on Feb. 21. The championship game is scheduled March 2.

West Hills is fielding a young squad this season and while the team will likely not match last season’s fourth place finish in the playoffs, players still take the court each week with as much enthusiasm as thoughts turn what might happen next season with a year of experience beneath their skates.

Derrick Tackett has played on the team since he was a sophomore. He currently leads the team in scoring with nine goals and six assists as a senior. He scored both of the team’s goals in its 6-2 loss to Calvin Christian Jan. 26 at Skate San Diego in National City, site of the team’s home games this season.

"I’m just happy we still have kids who are interested and have a coach who keeps coming back," Derrick said.

West Hills lost three key players from last season’s record-setting squad – Anthony Simon, Steve Baxter and goaltender Thomas Blattler, who now is serving as an assistant coach. Baxter was the team’s top scorer last season.

Goals this season, according to returning players, were to concentrate on defense and establish a system to their on-court play.

"We’re still working on it," Derrick Tackett said with a good-natured smile. "We have a lot of young players."

Ed Tackett said the team’s young prospects include sophomores Anthony Girard, Andrew Delgadillo, Heather Tackett and freshman Josh Shute. The West Hills coach said the team also will be looking for leadership next season from Luke Herrington.

Matt Bickel, one of the team's current crop of seniors, did not play in the Jan. 26 game against Calvin Christian.

West Hills finished 8-4-0 last season to win the Southeastern League championship and then defeated fifth-seeded Vista (now in the CIF league) by an 8-7 score in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs to reach the semifinals. West Hills’ season ended there with a loss against top-seeded Poway.

Last season’s success still generates talk among team members and the coaching staff. "It was a great season," Ed Tackett said. "We were late bloomers. We dropped our first four games and won the rest."

There could be even more memorable moments in store for the team next season.

Notepad

Through seven games, the Temecula Valley Golden Bears led the San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference with an undefeated 7-0-0 record and +49 goal differential. Next in line were Torrey Pines, Mt. Carmel, defending champion Escondido and San Pasqual, all with 5-2-0 records, Calvin Christian at 4-3-0 and St. Augustine at 2-4-1. Trailing West Hills were Carlsbad and Patrick Henry, both with 0-7-0 records.