Oceanside High School Foundation/Alumni Association

Pirates News and Achievements

OHS Band and Color Guard Score High Marks in Competion
By Tom Adams '71

Our Pirate Band and Color Guard recently placed first for percussion and band, and second for Color Guard in Division 4A of the 12th annual Battle of the Bands.  The Marching Band competition was held at Moorpark High School, which is just north of Los Angeles.  The winning season places our Marching Band in the top ten of the region's 4A bands.  Congratulations to our Marching Band, Color Guard, and their directors.

Pirates tie section record, win 4th straight CIF Division II Title
By Tom Adams '71

In the big-time surroundings of Qualcomm Stadium, our Pirates dominated the game in a match-up of 10-1 teams.  Mission Hills is playing it its first title game in only its 4th year of existence, something that has to make them very proud of their organization and their players.  Unfortunately, they ran into a juggernaut, which is Pirate Football, playing in their 11th out of the last 15 section title games, and winners of the last 5 out of 6.  "When you get to the championship game, certainly experience plays in," Coach Carroll said.  "There is much to be said for the comfort of experience.  But this is an exciting time for Mission Hills.  This is their first time in the stadium.  There is only one first time, and it is special."
The Pirates beat Mission Hills 26-7, and in doing so tied a San Diego Section record 4th straight championship, a feat previously performed by Class 1A Holtville (small schools) from 1989-1992.  Oceanside is the only large school to earn this distinction.  The win also gives the Pirates a chance to earn a bowl game in the California State Bowl games next weekend.
"We just ran into a buzz-saw out there," Mission Hills Coach Chris Hauser said.  "They are everything people said they were.  They are outstanding.  I sure hope they get a chance to play in a state bowl.  I think they would make San Diego proud.  It has been a long, emotional ride, and maybe all we've been through finally caught up with us," Hauser said, referring to linebacker Scott Eveland, who was injured in week 3 of the season, and remains hospitalized.
"We believe in high expectations.  It didn't  matter that we were a new school.  We built a foundation on hard work and commitment to the program.  Sometimes it has been overwhelming.  Sometimes it has been difficult.  Sometimes it has been the most joyful thing I can think of."
Coach Carroll put things in perspective for Oceanside.  "This is great, incredible, unbelievable, a great accomplishment for our school.  This never gets old.  Every championship is special. Right now, we are riding high."

Our Pirates are the State CIF Division II Champions
By Tom Adams '71

On an afternoon when the offense was struggling, and quarterback Jordan Wynn was in a self-proclaimed "funk", our defense picked up the slack and provided the missing spark.  Down 7-0 at halftime, senior Tyrone Lockett ran back a 73-yard interception return, and J. J. Whitaker followed with another interception as Oceanside rallied to beat Novato 28-14 in the CIF Division II State Championship bowl game at the Home Depot Center in Carson.
Novato (13-1), the North Coast Section IIA Champion, saw its winning streak of 25 games snapped.  Oceanside (12-1), the San Diego Section II Champion, ran its winning streak to 12 games.  For the 12th time this season, the Pirates held their opponent to less than 100 yards rushing, as Novato ran for 96 yards.  The defense held Novato to only 104 yards total offense in the second half.
"The defense was the reason we won this game," said Wynn, who finished the game 13 for 26 for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns.  "We put them in so many tough sots with turnovers, but they did what they do best.  I don't know what the heck was wrong early, but I found the groove late."
Coach Carroll knew what was wrong.  "We underestimated Novato.  We didn't respect them.  But that's a scrappy bunch over there.  They certainly woke us up."  Novato's Coach Travis Brackett agreed with Coach Carroll.  "We played as well as we could play in the first half," Brackett said.  "But football is a game of momentum.  We had it in the first half, and they took it in the second.  That interception by Lockett was a momentum turner, such a great play, such a great read."
After years of San Diego Section Football getting no respect from the Northern part of the state, Oceanside was hoping to read about a big blowout victory.  The Pirates wanted to make a statement for the San Diego Section.  And while the statement wasn't as bold as they wanted, they will gladly take the win.
"Winning was huge success," said J. J. Whitaker.  "It was big for Oceanside and for San Diego."
Sand Coach Carroll, "It was important for us to win--not just for Oceanside, but to represent San Diego County.  We're the first San Diego team to play in the bowl, and I hope there are more in the future...I think we represented our section well."

Betcha Didn't Know That
Historical Trivia about Oceanside High School

• Oceanside High School is the 10th oldest high school in the state and and is the 6th oldest high school to still be operating in the same location since it's inception.

• Oceanside High School is the 3rd oldest high school in San Diego County, behind Russ High School, now known ad San Diego High School and National School, which later became National City High School and is now known as Sweetwater Union High School.

• 1974 Oceanside High School grad, Willie Banks was the world record holder in the triple-jump from 1985-1995 and participated in the U. S. Olympics in 1980, 1984, and 1988.

• In the Warner Bros. Show "Veronica Mar", which aired on Tuesday evenings in 2005 and 2006, all the exterior shots of the fictional "Neptune High School", was in reality our own, beautiful Oceanside High School Campus!  Now that the main characters have moved on to college, it is not known how many more episodes in the new season will show off our campus on national TV.

• In 1909, our school yearbook was called "The Nautilus."  In 1912, it was changed to "The Green and White" and in 1933, it was again changed, this time to "The Pirateer", and it remains as such to this day.

Questions with:  Dean Capralis, School Librarion

1.  Where were you born and raised?

     I was born and raised in San Diego.  I went to elementary through high in Del Cerro, a community near San Diego State University.

2.  What is your educational background?

     I received a Bachelor of Science in Botany from San Diego State University, a Master of Arts in Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Masters of Arts in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.  I have  teaching credentials in biological science, physical science, mathematics, and library science.

3.  Tell us about your family.

     My brother is also a high school librarian for the Hemet school district.  I suppose being a librarian runs in my family.

4.  What kind of hobbies or activities do you like to do for rest and recreation?

     I have many activities I like but the top four have to be hiking, backpacking, surfing, and playing guitar.  I have backpacked throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Rocky Mountains in Canada, and the Olympic Mountains in Washington.  I started surfing when I was twelve and hope to still be surfing when I am eighty.  I play guitar with a group of friends in San Diego.  Mostly we play acoustic 60s folk rock and bluegrass.  I also like gardening and growing unusual plants.  I have a cycad collection at my home.  Cycads are primitive cone bearing plants that often look like a palm.  Cycads are rare being more widespread during the time of the dinosaurs.

5.  Do you like to travel, and if so, where have you been and what is your most favorite trip?

     I do like to travel.  I have been backpacking and camping from the Canadian Rockies to the jungles of Costa Rica and Ecuador.  I recently traveled to the Galapagos Island and stayed in a biological research station with scientists and students studying the ecology of the island.

     I have two most favorite trips.  One was going to the Amazon jungle with indigenous guides in a motorized dugout canoe.  From the last civilized town in Eastern Ecuador name Coca we traveled for two days down river in the canoe, camping along the way.  Our destination was the Cuyabeno Reserve, a primary rainforest reserve with an incredible variety of wildlife including anacondas, caiman, ocelots, river dolphins, river otters, piranha and more than 515 species of birds.  We spent 6 days in the reserve camping, hiking, and paddling dugout canoes down small rivers and creeks.  After we got out of the jungle, I spend the remainder of the summer traveling in Ecuador from the coast through the Andes, a great trip!

     My other favorite trip was completely different.  My girlfriend and I traveled to Spain, France, Monaco and Italy and instead of camping we stayed in very comfortable bed and breakfast inns.  We visited Roman ruins, art museums, gothic era cathedrals and towns, and a beautiful natural landmark in France called the Tarn Gorge with great wildlife and nature observing.  We also went to a Gypsy jazz guitar festival south of Paris on an island in the Seine River on the edge of the Fountainebleau Forest.  Although this was a much less adventurous trip than the Amazon one, I greatly enjoyed the variety of places and the cultural history we experienced and observed.

6.  What brought you or attracted you to Oceanside High School?

     What immediately attracted me to Oceanside High School was its location, being a lifelong surfer made Oceanside High irresistible.  I now live in Oceanside just half a mile from the school in a beautiful older neighborhood with ocean views.

7.  What is your favorite thing about OHS?

     The students and staff of Oceanside High School are what I enjoy most.  I appreciate the cultural and ethnic diversity we have in our students and staff.  For the most part the students get along and do not have the racial or ethnic boundaries seen in other high schools.

8  What is your vision or goal for the Library and OHS?

     My goal for the Oceanside High School Library is to teach our students to ask the appropriate questions, enjoy challenges in research, and be able to effectively solve problems.  In collaboration with teachers, my goal is to teach students how to use the library, appreciate literature, and become information literate.  My vision for the library in working with students is to encourage them to read well, write well, and compute well in gathering, organizing and constructing meaning from a large body of knowledge.  Library skills are useful throughout one's lifetime, whether doing research for a school paper, a new career, a new car, or simply reading for pleasure being able to use a library well is golden.  The Oceanside High School Library staff supports students to recognize their own individual strengths and to take responsibility for their lifelong learning and development.

     In addition, my vision for the library includes working with community members and alumni to preserve the rich Oceanside High traditions and history.  We have an archive room with most yearbooks from 1909 to the present along with other OHS memorabilia as well as first edition books.  Also, we were generously presented with historical portfolios put together by the Oceanside High School Foundation/Alumni Association.  The portfolios  are now located in the archive room.  I invite and encourage any interested community members or alumni to visit the library and enjoy the rich history preserved within.

9.  If you had 3 wishes to use any way that you wanted, what would you wish for and why?

     First, I wish that support for all libraries (and especially school libraries) would increase statewide, currently California ranks last in the nation for number of school librarians to number of students (California has one school librarian for every 5,965 students).  The national average is one school librarian for every 889 students.

     Second, I wish for more state funds to buy books to support student learning and reading.  California compares poorly to the national average of 22 books per student in school libraries.  California school libraries average 17 books per student (OHS library is below the state average).  California can do better than this.

     Third, I wish for state funding for online databases.  Online databases are essential tools for doing research in today's world of computer based information.  California is the only state in the nation to not provide funds for school library online databases.

Thank you,

Dean Capralis
Library Media Teacher
Oceanside High School