SANTEE — At one time, East County was a hotbed for high school roller hockey.

Teams representing Valhalla and Monte Vista, in fact, played in San Diego County High School Roller Hockey Conference’s inaugural championship game in 1996.

With three consecutive championship titles (1997-99), Monte Vista was the conference’s first dynasty.

But waning popularity and economics have caused the closure of area rinks over the years and reduced the playing field to one team at present: the West Hills High School Wolf Pack.

DEL MAR — The Sockers, version 3.0, defeated the Detroit Waza, 10-7, in front of a sizable gathering of raucous fans on March 10 to claim their third consecutive Professional Arena Soccer League championship and, in the process, extend their undefeated streak over the last two seasons to 36 consecutive games (the second-longest in professional sports history).

The Sockers were 23-0 this season, 18-0 in PASL play.

LAKESIDE — When the Lakeside Rodeo takes place April 20-22 at the Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, the most notable change from past years will be one nobody wished to have. The reliance on past activities indicates the success of those throughout the rodeo’s recent history.

Growney Brothers has been the rodeo’s stock contractor since the Lakeside Rodeo affiliated with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1999.

CARMEL VALLEY — The anticipated matchup between the top-rated softball teams in the CIF San Diego Section came to reality when No. 2 West Hills and No. 1 Torrey Pines high schools captured Saturday morning semifinal contests in the 13th annual Falcon Fiesta, the county’s most important tournament prior to the start of league play.

The Wolf Pack held off Ramona, 2-1, while the tournament host Falcons needed extra innings to outlast Mira Mesa, 4-1 in eight innings via the international tiebreaker.

Christian (13-18-1; 2-10/6th, Eastern League)
CIF: Lost first round (Div. IV)
Head coach: Mike Mitchell 369-225-2 over 22 years.
Key players: Stephen Johnston (P, Sr.), Michael Kaufman (P, Sr.), Kyle Harris (Sr. OF)
Comments: The Patriots are off to 4-1 start, but pitching depth is a problem.

El Cajon Valley (1-25; 0-12/5th, GVL)
CIF: Did not qualify
Head coach: Travis Udvarhelyi (1st season)
Key players: Abraham Garcia (Inf.), Roger Mejia (Inf.).

La Mesa’s Gary Crossland, 64, has kept himself in shape most of his life. Through running, and playing tennis, racquetball, paddleball and other sports, he has maintained an enviable physique for someone half his age.

However, when the wear and tear of those activities finally began causing chronic pain and other problems, he knew he had to switch to something with less stress on his body.

That’s when he discovered pickleball. It’s basically a combination of tennis, ping-pong and squash, but played at a badminton pace.

LAKESIDE — Consecutive rides during the April 22 performance of the Lakeside Rodeo changed the Bull Riding lead, which held at 89 points after Welsey Silcox rode Water Canal for that score.

Silcox earned $2,459.55 for his first-place score in the event along with $326.66 of day money which was split between the three bull riders who had qualified rides that performance.

One of those bull riders was Corey Maier, who rode immediately prior to Silcox and scored 88 points on Evil Eye.

Former El Capitan and SDSU quarterback, Ryan Lindley, was picked in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals during last weekend’s annual NFL draft.

Meanwhile, Tommie Draheim, also of the Vaqueros and Aztecs, reached a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers.

The school’s all-time leading passer, Lindley heard his named called with the 15th pick (185th overall) of the sixth round.

SAN DIEGO — In fitting Lakeside terms it was the last rodeo for Steve Vickery, but he would have liked to have gone out a different way, riding high in the saddle instead of watching others celebrate the glory.

Having been a high school baseball skipper for over 34 years, the El Capitan High mentor has won four CIF-San Diego Section crowns and has led his charges to their fourth straight finals appearance, the last three against the bully boys of Cathedral Catholic in the Division III category.

Certainly the movie “The Hunger Games” has inspired a new interest in archery for the teen and young adult crowd. Just try to get into an archery class on some days.

“I sold two bows to a 13-year old and a 14-year old after having watched the movie.” said Bruce Marshall, owner, of the Bow N Arrow Shop, in Lakeside.

But archery is also a very serious sport, hobby, and real “hunger” game for some- — people who eat what they hunt.