The Santa Barbara City College football team will play its first game Saturday on the new turf at La Playa Stadium.
The big day is almost here for the Santa Barbara City College football team.
On Saturday, the team will play its first game after a nearly 22-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s also the team’s first game on the new turf at the college’s La Playa Stadium.
The turf was replaced during a $1.7 million renovation project.
After the long wait, the Vaqueros are ready for the action. They’ll play West Los Angeles at 1 p.m. Saturday at the hillside stadium on Cabrillo Boulevard.
The game will air live at 12:45 p.m. on KZSB, AM1290, the News-Press radio station, and AM1290KZSB.com.
“It’s been a long time,” Head Coach Craig Moropolous said in a news release. “Seems longer than two years. It’s unprecedented for me, really.
“You coach 35 straight years, and then you have nothing, which is really kind of hard to get through. But you just do it,” he continued. “We were fortunate to have spring practice, which was really good. But the biggest thing is, we’re happy to actually set up to play a game finally.
“The guys are excited and energized,” the coach said.
Home games will continue with City College taking on Orange Coast at 6 p;.m. Sept. 18. Other home games are the Vaqueros against Los Angeles Pierce at 1 p.m. Oct. 16, against Antelope Valley at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 and against Santa Monica at 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in the regular season finale.
CITY COLLEGE ENDS TAFT’S STREAK
Taft’s winning streak in men’s soccer is over. Done.
The reason: Santa Barbara City College.
The Vaqueros tied with Taft 1-1 Wednesday in the City College team’s first home game on the newly renovated field.
“It was great to be back playing on the new turf field under the lights after nearly two years,” Head Coach John Sisterson said in a news release. “We opened brightly and a great corner by Paolo Carrillo-Weisenberger found Juan Zarate connecting to send in a powerful header into the back of the net to make it 1-0 in the second minute.”
The Vaqueros will play another home game at 7 tonight against Citrus.
HIGH SCHOOL GAME ON AM 1290
You can hear high school football action regularly on KZSB, AM1290, the News-Press radio station, and AM1290KZSB.com.
Tonight, the Bishop Garcia Diego High School Cardinals will play Redondo Union High School Seahawks. Air time is 6:45 p.m.email: dmason@newspress.com
