BASEBALL

After three years under former coach Lance Fisher, the RHS baseball program is coming under new management with Greg Zanolli filling the coaching position. Zanolli is no stranger to coaching

high school baseball, as he was a part of the coaching staff at Oakmont that not only swept RHS in 2017, but also went on to win the CVC title.

While the varsity team had a less than desirable season last year, Zanolli feels that the group of returning seniors will use last year’s disappointment to lead this year’s team.

“Last year was last year and this is a different group of boys. I think the returning players from last year’s can use how they finished as motivation for this year,” Zanolli said. “Hopefully we can use that experience to mentor the younger guys to understand what it takes to win games at the varsity level.”

Because of his success at Oakmont last season, Zanolli is eager to return to the postseason.

“I have high expectations for this season, and I think we have the right group to make a push,” Zanolli said.

SWIM

Paul Stewart will take the reigns of the RHS varsity girls swim team this spring, making the sport his third varsity sport coached at RHS alongside girls soccer and water polo.
Stewart feels that his experience in water polo and his availability at school will allow him to succeed early on.

“I have always thought that swim and polo should go together under an aquatics umbrella, and because they are so closely related, I think they will be also similar in the way you coach them,” Stewart said. “I also think that because I am on campus the girls can come chat with me at any time and communicate with me, which will definitely help team chemistry and be a better team.”

One of the biggest reasons that Stewart decided to take the position of head coach is his already close relationship with the girls and a fear that they would be left without a coach their senior years.

“A lot of the girls who swim are the same girls who play polo, so I have come to know them,” Stewart said. “I didn’t want them, especially the seniors, to be left with a completely new guy, so I just wanted to step up for them and make sure their senior experience was an enjoyable one,” Stewart said.

VOLLEYBALL

After winning the section championship a year ago under head coach Marco Salcedo, the varsity boys volleyball team will once again turn to a new head coach, Cole Williams.

This transition from one coaching style to another should be relatively seamless, however, as Williams played for Salcedo during his high school career, and feels he learned a lot from his former coach.

“I learned a lot from Coach Salcedo, and I hope that the stuff I picked up can be relayed to the team,” Williams said. “On top of that, I am able to give them the collegiate-level training and conditioning that I received while they are still in high school.”

While this is Williams’ first coaching job, he doesn’t feel that his inexperience will be a hindrance on the team.

“I do not believe that the fact that this is my first coaching job will negatively impact the team,” Williams said. “We have such a talented and experience group that it makes my job a little bit easier.”

Williams said that he has his expectations high, as he feels confident that the team will make another deep playoff run if their work ethic stays persistent.

TRACK

With almost 30 years experience as both a track and cross country coach, RHS spanish teach Curtis Hobbs becomes the newest member of the track coaching staff. While this is his first year as a head coach, Hobbs has served as an assistant for the pole vault and high jump athletes for various years up until 2014.

While many people view track as an individualistic sport, Hobbs views it as a team sport and he feels that this philosophy will be beneficial to the team.

“I come from a place where track is a true team sport. While athletes may win individual awards, to win a competition, you may have to be willing to do some events that might not be in your comfort zone,” Hobbs said. “If no one is in an event, you are guaranteed to get 0 points. I hope to bring the idea of the team to the sport.”

Hobbs also feels that his experience allows him to bring a set of drills to the team that will work specifically on technique and form.

“A lot of times athletes don’t want to do drills that work on form and technique,” Hobbs said. “My goal is to make everybody faster and better.”