Giantoni Canale, a 2010 graduate of San Ysidro High School, has been named the Cougars’ new football coach. He replaces Keith Aguon, who had a 13-44 record in six years, including 1-9 last season.
Canale, who is on campus as a long-term sub, is also the head flag football coach, the head track and field coach and an assistant soccer coach.
The flag football team was 12-8 last season.
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“I feel like a kid again,” Canale said. “I’m young, and I can still do all these things. The girls had already started spring practice when the boys football job opened. When I got the boys job, I didn’t want to abandon the girls. So we’ll kind of have one football staff.
“I know that’s unique, but I want the best for the girls as well as the boys.
“San Ysidro is a prideful town, and I’m part of the community.
“When I applied for the job, I told the administration I had a plan to get the community involved.”
Feeling it’s important to win the kicking game, Canale will coach special teams.
Offensively, he said the Cougars will run the ball, hoping to control the clock and limit turnovers. Defensively, he wants the Cougars to be an aggressive, blitzing team.
“We have good facilities at San Ysidro,” Canale said. “We have a good administration, good kids. There is no reason we can’t be successful.”
San Ysidro is the 13th school to start the 2024 season with a new football coach. In addition, Torrey Pines and Valley Center elevated interim coaches to the head position.
In an online statement, Aguon said: “It was truly an honor and privilege to be your head coach for six seasons. We didn’t win enough but we made some school history I will always be proud of. It’s time to go take care of my family, truly.”
Eastlake names new boys basketball coach
Ryan Gardocki, a teacher in the Sweetwater District, has been named boys basketball coach at Eastlake High School.
He replaces Marlon King, who had a 123-132 record in nine seasons as the Titans’ head coach.
Gardocki, 32, is the nephew of Manny Silva, who coached basketball at Marion Catholic, Monte Vista and Valhalla. Gardocki graduated from Point Loma High School and San Diego State.
Most recently, he served as the head freshman coach at La Costa Canyon.
“I had the privilege of working under Dave Cassaw at La Costa Canyon,” Gardocki said. “It was a great experience and learned a lot. Eastlake was looking for a young coach, a coach who would be on campus, a coach who could motivate players.
“All I’ve wanted to do since high school was teach and coach. I have a great family resource in Manny Silva and I will work with him as much as possible.”
All-Star games set
The Softball All-Star Game is scheduled for June 11 at San Diego State. That’s a change from the original June 6 date at UC San Diego.
The Baseball All-Star Game is set for June 26 in Petco Park. It will take place following a Nationals-Padres game.
Heart screening
The Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation is holding a free cardiac screening from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on June 23 in the Miramar College gymnasium.
The screening is for student-athletes ages 12-25. It checks for heart abnormalities that put one in 300 at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
Screening takes less than an hour and features a cardiac risk assessment and a simple EKG as well as a hands-on demonstration of how to use hands-only CPR and an AED cardiac emergency.
The Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation has screened more than 40,000 people since 2000. To register, go to EPSaveALife.org/register.
Final rankings
The CIF San Diego Section got no love in the MaxPreps final state baseball and softball rankings. Torrey Pines, at No. 26, was the highest-ranked baseball team, followed by Rancho Bernardo (27), Cathedral Catholic (34), Point Loma (42), St. Augustine (44) and Granite Hills (48). Torrey Pines, Granite Hills, Rancho Bernardo and Cathedral Catholic all lost in the first round of the Southern California Regionals. Orange Lutheran was No. 1 in the state.
• Poway was San Diego’s top-ranked softball team at No. 16. The Titans were followed by Mater Dei Catholic (17), Del Norte (19), Otay Ranch (30), Imperial (40), Cathedral Catholic (48) and Oceanside (50). Mountain View St. Francis was No. 1.
• MaxPreps put Torrey Pines at No. 4 in the state in its final boys lacrosse rankings. Bishop’s is No. 9 and La Costa Canyon No. 10. San Francisco St. Ignatius is No. 1 with San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s No. 2 and Kentfield Marin Catholic No. 3.
• Torrey Pines is the highest-ranked team in the MaxPreps final girls lacrosse rankings, checking in at No. 6. Danville San Ramon Valley is No. 1.
• Torrey Pines is ranked No. 3 in the state in boys volleyball by MaxPreps. Los Angeles Loyola is No. 1 with Manhattan Beach Mira Costa No. 2.
• Scripps Ranch was the highest-ranked team at No. 10 in beach volleyball. Mira Costa is No. 1, followed by San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Redondo Union and Huntington Beach.
DiTomaso dies
Joe DiTomaso, the coach who led St. Augustine to its first San Diego Section football championship, passed away last week.
In 1970, the Saints — who were Eastern League champions — beat Grossmont 13-8 in what was then known as San Diego Stadium for the 2A championship.
St. Augustine, which had four shutouts that season and outscored its opponents 282-80, played its home games in Aztec Bowl — now the site of Viejas Arena on the San Diego State campus.
A 1954 graduate of St. Augustine, DiTomaso coached six years at Saints and seven at Santana, posting a career 66-54-4 record.
