Thursday, March 14, 2024
With our late arrival last night and needing time to unwind and unpack from our flight from Maui, we did not get to bed until 1:00 a.m. this morning.
No rest for the weary. The alarm was set for 5:30 a.m. to resume our grand-parenting duties in transporting Mary and Jacob to school in the mornings.
One of us was more weary than the other
Mary had the decency to cover me with her unicorn dolls in an attempt to keep me warm.
Nice girl that Mary.
Today I had to also pick up Jacob after school in order to get him to his middle school soccer game.
Of course, a healthy and nutritious
pre-game meal was a MUST!
Jacob's Las Colinas Middle School Mustangs (0-1) soccer game was scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. in Ojai against the Nordhoff Junior High School Rangers.
WOW, a Mater from the Cars movie sighting!
Ojai has always had an artsy, eclectic feeling to it.
The sight of the game
Due to declining enrollment, this school site was closed this school year but their athletic facilities and music building remain in use.
The seventh and eighth graders that would have gone to Matilija Middle School have been relocated to the Nordhoff H.S. campus where the now 7th-12th grade campus has been divided into Nordhoff Junior and Senior High Schools.
A spirit guarding the Matilija campus?
As I said, all of Matilija's athletic
venues are still in play
The never ending circle of the
Ojai Unified School District
Back before the district built a new campus for Nordhoff H.S. in 1966, the Matilija Middle School site housed old high school campus.
Opened in 1910, it was originally called Nordhoff Union High School, hence the tiles.
The city of Ojai was actually known as the city of Nordhoff up until 1917 after local writer Charles Nordhoff. He had written a book in 1872 extolling the health benefits of living in what is now known as the Ojai Valley. Apparently, his book was a big hit overseas to the point that many late 19th-century and early 20th-century Europeans migrated here based solely on his book's positive vibes.
All was going along smoothly in Nordhoff until World War I broke out. It was then that some local citizens, led by Edward Libbey, felt that Nordhoff sounded way too German. In 1917, at their insistence, the city's name was changed to Ojai, derived from the local Chumash Indian word 'Awha'y meaning Moon.
Only the Junior and Senior High Schools and the city cemetery still retain the Nordhoff name.
Ojai has a wonderful downtown park that holds concerts under the stars and has also hosted the famed Ojai Tennis Tournament since 1896. The park is named after Edward Libbey who is called "Ojai's Greatest Benefactor" on the park's website.
Thus, these colorful tiles on the small cement stands of the old N.H.S. stadium. In 1971, Robert Richards, Rob Elliott and I scouted the Canyon vs. Nordhoff J.V. football game at this same stadium on a bright, sunny Saturday afternoon.
The new campus' stadium, complete with lights, was still not ready to host games at that time now over 50 years ago.
The Las Colinas and Nordhoff Girls
Soccer teams were at it when wew arrived
The strong Lady Mustangs improved to 2-0 on the season with their second straight 8-0 win.
Ojai is a beautiful setting for a game
Jacob, #51, hits the pitch
Time to warm-up
One-on-one trying to score
You have to pass the ball if
you want to be a team player
Did I mention that this was
a really nice setting?
We were surprised that he got
to start as a midfielder
Las Colinas on the attack
As in basketball, there is a lot
of running in this sport
Make a move, Jacob
I enjoy the way that the Mustangs coach continually rotates players in and out of the line-up. At this level, players who exit the pitch may return during the game.
Jacob about to re-enter the game
Sub in, Sir
"I'm Open!"
At the Halftime break it was Mustangs 2 - Rangers 0.
Laurie and I, on the left, sat for the
Second Half while Michael took over the
the photography duties
Matilija's old school gym
Jacob about to defend
Here comes that pesky ball again
Still marking his man while
away from the ball
Michael got into the artsy Ojai
vibe with this one
#4 is one big Ranger!
MUSTANGS WIN!
Las Colinas is now 1-1 on the season after their 4-0 win over the Nordhoff Rangers.
GREAT JOB, MUSTANGS!
American football news . . .
Week #8 in Spain's Serie A
is ready to start on Saturday
Week #5 in Spain's Serie B
is also set for a Saturday Kickoff
And Growing . . .
This is an interesting poster of the State of Mexico's Junior Football clubs about to start competing in the Spring 2024 season.
The country of Mexico is made up of 31 states and one Federal District, a.k.a., Mexico City. The State of Mexico surrounds Mexico City and is the most populous of the nation's states with 17,102,000 souls.
The City of Mexico's Junior American football program will have a whopping 44 clubs vying for the crown during the next few months.
As I said, "And Growing . . ."
I need a nap.
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