Oceanside Pirates
Photo by Steven Silva
Our 8th Annual MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard brought us to Oceanside, Calif.: the home of the
Oceanside Pirates, a 12-time section champion and 8-time CIF San Diego Champion. Oceanside secured their section and CIF championship with a win over Poway High School.
Oceanside, ranked No. 69 among 16,000 teams nationwide according to the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings, was also one of only 50 schools to receive the prestigious honor from MaxPreps and the Army National.
On Friday, Jan. 11, the MaxPreps Tour of Champions arrived on campus and was greeted by assistant coach Campbell in the gym. Then, California Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Paul Pham and Sergeant First Class Ronnie Romo arrived on the scene and set up their display table. Assistant Principal Mr. Camacho handled all administrative items to ensure a successful tour stop.
The pep rally took place at 11:30 a.m. during the students' lunch break. At the bell, approximately 750 students, parents, coaches, administration and community members poured into the gymnasium excited about this wonderful presentation.
As coach John Carroll entered the gym, he began giving direction to everyone there, making sure the program was tight. Then, Paul Rudy from local television station KUSI arrived prepared to honor senior QB
Israel Paopao as the San Diego County Player of the Year. This presentation was coupled with the Tour of Champions Presentation of the MaxPreps and the Army National Guard national ranking trophy.
By 11:35am, the rally was underway. Mr. Camacho began the ceremony and expressed how proud he was of the players, the fans, faculty and the entire student body. Afterwards, he introduced MaxPreps representative Josh Canales, who congratulated Oceanside on their successful season and talked about the significance of the award and the great work MaxPreps has done to emphasize and promote high school athletics.
He then explained the partnership between MaxPreps and the Army National Guard. Those in attendance applauded the Oceanside football team for their commitment to excellence and sportsmanship.
Next, California Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Ronnie Romo presented the Army National Guard national ranking trophy, a symbol of excellence, dedication and commitment to our nation. Sergeant First Class Romo connected with the crowd, as his son attends Oceanside High. He developed the topics of hard work and teamwork on and off the field relating them to being in the military. Then he invited forward the starting seniors from the team along with coach Carroll. He thanked Sergeant First Class Romo and then handed the trophy to his players who raised it above their heads to the thunderous applause from the crowd.
Coach Carroll accepted the award graciously and expressed his complete gratitude to the California Army National Guard and MaxPreps for recognizing them. He then handed off the microphone to Asst. Principal Camacho who thanked not only the football team and coaches, but also the Oceanside Board Members, boosters, and Oceanside High's support staff.
Congratulations Oceanside Pirates on winning their 8th CIF title and 12th section title.
