New Roads, which doesn’t have a campus baseball field and plays in CIF Division 7, has advanced the furthest of any Westside school in the playoffs this season.
On a day when Santa Monica High was eliminated by El Segundo, New Roads defeated Thacher High of Ojai, 5-2, following up on an earlier playoff victory over Pioneer Baptist of Norwalk.
New Roads then defeated Highland Hall of Northridge, 13-7 in the third round Friday at West Los Angeles College and was granted another game there yesterday against Eastside Christian of Fullerton. The result was unavailable at press time.
Although its enrollment is small, 275, New Roads has been successful in a variety of sports.
“Our coaches are teachers first,’’ said athletic director Nick Davidson. “They’re doing an outstanding job.’’
Sean Brookes coaches the baseball team. The Jaguars went 6-2 in the Harbor League before making their playoff run. Following a 6-5 loss to Rolling Hills Prep on April 19 they have won 12 of 13 games.
The New Roads campus on Olympic Boulevard has no athletic facilities, so all practice sessions and games take place off-campus.
The basketball teams played most of their home games at Crossroads School on Saturday mornings. The girls practiced in Westchester and the boys held 6 a.m. workouts at the Santa Monica Boys and Girls Clubs
The girls, coached by T.J. Knox, had an 18-7 record that included three playoff victories.
“At a small school, a player with height often is asked to play out of position,’’ said Davidson. “Someone who would be a guard at a larger school might be a center here. But our teams have done well.’’
New Roads added golf and tennis for the just-concluded spring season.Prior to the baseball game Friday former UCLA and NBA basketball star Lucious Allen was the featured speaker at a campus celebration of the athletic season.
