Pardon Our Take

Welcome back, Mustangs, to Pardon Our Take. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The powerhouse that was once Mira Costa Girls Volleyball suddenly finds itself at a loss for words. The head coach is out, and no one knows exactly why. Maybe it has something to do with the program not capturing a title in about twenty years, even with All American talent cycling through the roster every season. People are beginning to ask the tough questions. How much further can Costa’s most storied program slide, and how did a team that once dominated California volleyball become a perennial runner up instead? Will the girls shock everyone or will this become another James Franklin era where the coach changes but the outcomes never do?
On a more jolly note, Boys Baseball. As we enter the holiday season, Costa’s most consistent tradition returns, the annual Christmas Tree fundraiser. Because if there’s one thing this program knows how to do, it’s selling trees. Winning? Debatable. Hitting? Questionable. But selling overpriced pines in the senior parking lot? Elite. Truly the World Series champs of fundraising. They may not hit bombs, but they will convince your grandma to buy an 8 foot Douglas Fir.
The most exciting news, Cross Country has shocked Costa by becoming Division 1 CIF SS Champions. For a brief moment, they were Costa’s pride and joy (no one actually heard they won). But after attending Nationals, Costa learned very quickly that Oregon hills are built differently. Let’s just say the team went from CIF Champs to irrelevant in about 15 minutes. But let’s be honest. How can you be irrelevant if you weren’t even relevant to start with? Still, huge props. Winning CIF is legendary. Losing at Nationals? Even more legendary. Because now the team can do what Costa athletes do best, never actually able to bring it home.
That being said, here are the top five gifts every Costa athlete actually wants:
1. A school parking spot within walking distance of the school.
2. A student section that actually stays the entire game.
3. A practice playlist that isn’t controlled by that one guy.
4. A teacher who actually excuses you for early release.
5. A CIF championship.
That’s your Costa sports rundown for this month. Tune in next time for more hot takes and as always, please Pardon Our Take.