Latest news with #Highlanders
NZ Herald
10 hours ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Super Rugby Pacific: All Blacks jersey surely beckons for Timoci Tavatavanawai, despite Highlanders' failures
THREE KEY FACTS Barring the world as we know it changing, the Chiefs will host the final of Super Rugby Pasifika in three weeks' time in Hamilton. Any doubts about the men from the Tron were surely dispelled as they dealt with a gutsy Highlanders side,
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Granada Hills finally breaks through to beat Carson for City Section softball title
Addison Moorman could finally breathe. The senior pitcher couldn't hold her emotions back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she embraced her teammates on Cal State Northridge's softball diamond. A year ago, she struck out 19 batters — only to fall short 1-0 in14 innings. Two years previous, Granada Hills was one run away from City Section glory. Advertisement On Saturday in Northridge, so close to home, the City Section Open Division title, the program's first since 1981, was Moorman's — and the Highlanders — to celebrate in an 11-2 drubbing of archrival Carson. Moorman put the team on her back, striking out 11 while giving up just four hits and two earned runs across her complete-game performance. 'It feels so good to go out on top, especially against [Carson],' said Moorman, who signed with Lehigh in November. 'To finally beat them, overcome that hurdle and then leave as a champion, feels really great.' Carson held a 1-0 lead early in the game when Atiana Rodriguez and Letu'u Simi combined for back-to-back doubles in the second inning, but from the bottom of the second onward, it was all Granada Hills at the plate. The Highlanders capitalized off of two Colts errors in the second inning. Second baseman Lainey Brown and right fielder Elysse Diaz singled home runs, while Giselle Merida tripled to bring home another. Advertisement 'I've been waiting,' said Diaz who went two for four with two RBIs and a double. 'It was just boiling and boiling and then here, [the offense] just exploded.' By the time Moorman returned to the circle for her third inning of work, Granada Hills had scored seven runs on six hits against Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja — who shut the Highlanders down in 2024 — building a cushion for its star pitcher to go out and do what she'd done all season: dominate. ''Every time a pitcher always feels that burden of carrying the team, and [Moorman] dealt with it well,' said Granada Hills coach Ivan Garcia. 'Her character is greater than her talent, the way she handles her teammates, the way she leads by example. I mean, you wouldn't know that she's a star pitcher, the way she puts bases away, the way she cleans up.' Moorman made just one big mistake on Saturday — leaving a pitch over the plate to Colts center fielder Rylee Gardner, who desposited the ball over the center-field wall for a solo home run (her eighth of the year) in the sixth inning. Advertisement Otherwise, Moorman kept Carson off balance all game. She set down 13 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings, striking out her 11th batter of the game as the penultimate at-bat of her high school career. For Moorman, winning a CIF title just 10 minutes away from Granada Hills High, was a moment worth savoring, she said. For Garcia — who said he was happy to see his team goofing off and having fun at a pregame lunch, loosening up before the biggest game of his coaching career — he is looking forward to the 1981 title no longer lurking around his shoulders. 'Third time's the charm,' he said. Earlier in the day in Northridge, Taft won its first City Section title in the softball program's history with an 8-3 victory over Marquez in the Division II final. Legacy made no doubt of its City Section Division I title triumph later Saturday afternoon, shutting out Port of Los Angeles 5-0. Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Granada Hills finally breaks through to beat Carson for City Section softball title
Addison Moorman could finally breathe. The senior pitcher couldn't hold her emotions back. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she embraced her teammates on Cal State Northridge's softball diamond. A year ago, she struck out 19 batters — only to fall short 1-0 in f14 innings. Two years previous, Granada Hills was one run away from City Section glory. On Saturday in Northridge, so close to home, the City Section Open Division title, the program's first since 1981, was Moorman's — and the Highlanders — to celebrate in an 11-2 drubbing of archrival Carson. Moorman put the team on her back, striking out 11 while giving up just four hits and two earned runs across her complete-game performance. 'It feels so good to go out on top, especially against [Carson],' said Moorman, who signed with Lehigh in November. 'To finally beat them, overcome that hurdle and then leave as a champion, feels really great.' Carson held a 1-0 lead early in the game when Atiana Rodriguez and Letu'u Simi combined for back-to-back doubles in the second inning, but from the bottom of the second onward, it was all Granada Hills at the plate. The Highlanders capitalized off of two Colts errors in the second inning. Second baseman Lainey Brown and right fielder Elysse Diaz singled home runs, while Giselle Merida tripled to bring home another. 'I've been waiting,' said Diaz who went two for four with two RBIs and a double. 'It was just boiling and boiling and then here, [the offense] just exploded.' By the time Moorman returned to the circle for her third inning of work, Granada Hills had scored seven runs on six hits against Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja — who shut the Highlanders down in 2024 — building a cushion for its star pitcher to go out and do what she'd done all season: dominate. ''Every time a pitcher always feels that burden of carrying the team, and [Moorman] dealt with it well,' said Granada Hills coach Ivan Garcia. 'Her character is greater than her talent, the way she handles her teammates, the way she leads by example. I mean, you wouldn't know that she's a star pitcher, the way she puts bases away, the way she cleans up.' Moorman made just one big mistake on Saturday — leaving a pitch over the plate to Colts center fielder Rylee Gardner, who desposited the ball over the center-field wall for a solo home run (her eighth of the year) in the sixth inning. Otherwise, Moorman kept Carson off balance all game. She set down 13 consecutive batters between the second and sixth innings, striking out her 11th batter of the game as the penultimate at-bat of her high school career. For Moorman, winning a CIF title just 10 minutes away from Granada Hills High, was a moment worth savoring, she said. For Garcia — who said he was happy to see his team goofing off and having fun at a pregame lunch, loosening up before the biggest game of his coaching career — he is looking forward to the 1981 title of the past no longer lurking around his shoulders. 'Third time's the charm,' he said. Earlier in the day in Northridge, Taft won its first City Section title in the softball program's history with an 8-3 victory over Marquez in the Division II final. Legacy made no doubt of its City Section Division I title triumph later Saturday afternoon, shutting out Port of Los Angeles 5-0.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Unwanted utensil for Highlanders
It was a night of lasts. Last game. Last place. And last match for Sam Gilbert in the Highlanders colours. He is off to Irish club Connacht at the end of the NPC season. The Highlanders are off to assess where the season went wrong. The 41-24 defeat to the Chiefs in Dunedin last night has left them stranded in last place. The season could have been a lot different had they been able to reverse a few of those seven games they lost by seven or fewer points. Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i nabbed a hat-trick in a standout performance for the visitors, who set up the win with a stunning opening quarter. Highlanders loosehead Ethan de Groot coughed up an early turnover and the Chiefs probed away for four or five minutes until eventually, they found a way around the defence. It was brilliant too. Etene Nanai-Seturo gathered in a chip kick and linked up with centre Daniel Rona, who set off for the line, but passed back inside to Samipeni Finau to score. The competition front-runners were back lining up another conversion a few brief minutes later. Vaa'i barged over and then grabbed a double when he pounced on a mistake and ran in from 45. It was 19-0 in under quarter of an hour. Thoughts turned to the Chiefs' 85-7 romp against Moana Pasifika last weekend. Thoughts also turned to how quickly the end of the season could come for the Highlanders. Sixty-five minutes and counting. But the Highlanders rallied and were rewarded. The went close when Jonah Lowe made some yards down the right, and Veveni Lasaqa put in a grubber. Damian McKenzie scooped it up, but was caught by Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in the in-goal. The Highlanders kept the Chiefs pinned in their 22, and de Groot crashed over from a tap kick 5m out. There was no stopping the big Southlander. Chiefs tighthead Reuben O'Neill picked up a yellow card moments later for an untidy cleanout on Jack Taylor. He made contact with the head. The Highlanders exploited the advantage. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, Tanielu Tele'a and Taniela Filimone combined beautifully down the left. That created some space on the right and Tavatavanawai powered over to close the gap to five points at halftime. But just a comeback glimmered, the home side was caught napping early in the second spell. Hooker Bradley Slater rumbled free from a maul and passed to halfback Xavier Roe, who had a clear run to the line. The Chiefs threatened to score twice more, but the Highlanders added the next points through the boot of Cameron Millar. But replacement back Manasa Mataele stretched the lead again with a try out on the left. The Chiefs had wriggled their way into the red zone and floated the ball wide to the unmarked finisher. Gilbert scored a try to create some late drama. But Vaa'i collected the ball from a short drop-out gone wrong to nab a hat-trick right on fulltime. And the Chiefs left with what they came for — five points and with pole position intact ahead of the playoffs. The win came at a cost, though. Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea was injured midway through the first half and transported from the field. Super Rugby Pacific The scores Chiefs 41 (Tupou Vaa'i 3, Samipeni Finau, Xavier Roe, Manasa Mataele tries; Damian McKenzie 4 con, pen) Highlanders 24 (Ethan de Groot, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Sam Gilbert tries; Cameron Millar 2 con, pen, Gilbert con) Halftime: 19-14.
1News
a day ago
- Sport
- 1News
Vaa'i hat trick clinches top spot for Chiefs
A hat trick to Tupou Vaa'i has seen the Chiefs score a 41-24 win over the Highlanders and clinch top spot in the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs. Needing a bonus point to make sure of home ground advantage through to the final, Vaa'i's third try as time expired sealed the deal after a hard-fought end to the Highlanders' season. A serious-looking injury to All Black hopeful Quinn Tupaea was a major turning point in the first half. The midfielder was stretchered off the field after 20 minutes, which, along with a yellow card to prop Reuben O'Neill 12 minutes later, shifted the momentum of the game completely to the home side before halftime. Before then, the Chiefs had simply picked up where they left off last weekend in their massive win over Moana Pasifika. Samipeni Finau and Vaa'i (two) scored off some slick work by their backs and a massive hit on Cam Millar that jolted the ball free for Vaa'i to gallop half the length of the field to score. However, after Tupaea's injury, the Highlanders knuckled down and were able to control territory. It eventually led to a try from a quick tap to Ethan de Groot, who had a very strong game across the park. ADVERTISEMENT Right on halftime the Highlanders' other co-captain Timoci Tavatanawai muscled his way over after some great lead up work by Taniela Filimone, Tanielu Tele'a and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens. Even though Xavier Roe scored straight after the break for the Chiefs, the Highlanders didn't wilt like they did when the two sides met in round 10. Manasa Mataele's 59th minute try to give the Chiefs some decent breathing room was totally against the run of play, but even then, the Highlanders kept fighting and were rewarded with a try to Sam Gilbert. Vaa'i completed his hat trick in fortuitous fashion on fulltime by nabbing a short goal line restart - however the bonus point was more of a nice to have as even if they didn't get it, the Crusaders would've needed to have beaten the Brumbies by over 100 points to overtake the Chiefs. The Highlanders finish their season with only three wins and 11 losses, the defeat consigning them to last place no matter what happens in the rest of the weekend. The Chiefs will now watch on tomorrow's games with interest, with the Waratahs, Blues and Moana Pasifika all in a three way battle to face them in the first round of the play-offs next weekend.
