Sahuaro High School - Viva Yearbook (Tucson, AZ)

Page 69 text:

I fem- N, , A' L , ' ','L ' ': L ' C sg., Chris Werstler trys out his new joe Estes prepares to bat. Jim Olander practices position. bunting. we . v - .. X ft VARSITY BASEBALL Top Row: Tina Wainwright, Roxanne Baker, Chris Werstler, Ray Sierka, Lew Kent, Mike Slawson, Bill Jones, Paul Rupp, Coach Hal Eustice, Donna Sierka. Middle row: joe Estes, john Bitrick, Sam Khalifa, ,lim Olander, Skip Peete, Brian French, Steve Rodriguez. Bottom row: Steve Skinner, Tony Bathey, Derek Crowe, john Cotter, Neil Lauteret, Ron Stucky, AWESU E BATME VARSITY BASEBALL 65

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Cougars try for State The 1981 Sahuaro Cougar Varsity Baseball team should be a quality product said Coach Hal Eustice about his new team. , A l . ..e!i'Z'ffm:vwi.m' 'ight '. The biggest variable in this M yE!aI'S squad WHS pitCl'1i1'1g. Out Skip Peete was a second year starter, in the batting cage. of the seven pitching candidates, only two had Varsity level experience. joe Estes, a Junior lefthander, headed the list of Brian French, Chris Werstler, Jim Olander, Ron Stucky, Ray Sierka and Steve Skinner. Should the pitching mature by mid-season, the club could be as good as any squad Sahuaro has had in recent years. Returning outfielders Skip Peete, Jim Olander and john Bitrick, plus shortstop Sam Khalifa and catcher Lew Kent, provided an excellent nucleous of defensive abilities and hitting potential. One main goal this year for the players was to return to the State finals. All photos by Roxanne Bake 64 SPORTS if . W . 5.54 I L, 'af' is Q... . f. , . N t H ke Sam Khalifa shows his better side. Len Kent fires to third base.

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Cougars win again with experience To have an excellent season and make the playoffs is one of our goals, stated Coach Virg Stan early in the season. And the Sahuaro Varsity football team seemed capable of just that. Twenty-five lettermen, eleven of them starters, returned from last year's squad. A strong corps of receivers and running backs, led by Skip Peete and Scott McMurrey, helped offset an inexperienced interior offensive line. The defensive line was also young but more seasoned linebackers, defensive backs and ends helped make up for it. However, don't get the idea that the team didn't work hard. During the season, the squad practiced thirteen to fifteen hours each week. Every facet of the offense, defense, and kicking game was stressed. In addition, each opponents' strengths and weaknesses were examined. This was crucial as the Cougars were competing in the new Northern Division of the AAA-South. League games included a surprisingly tough Salpointe team and CDO, Amphi, and Sabino in the last three weeks of the season. Sahuaro also went up against Sunnyside in their toughest non- league game. 66 SPORTS