During better times, Cypress and La Mirada played a CIF baseball semifinal classic

Cypress players swarm the field to celebrate last year’s victory in the semifinals of the CIF Division 1 playoffs. (File photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)

Let’s turn the clock back about a year ago to much happier days …

We arrived at Cypress High School about an hour before the CIF Division 1 baseball semifinal between Cypress and La Mirada on Tuesday, May 14.

Already, the stands were packed and fans were lined up down the third base line to see which team would advance to the CIF Division 1 championship game. We had gotten to follow the Centurions in their run to the semifinals and knew how much this game meant to them and the tight-knit Cypress community.

We covered a lot of games that season, but this one was one of the best that year or any other. There was intensity, drama, clutch plays, outstanding pitching and suspense until the final pitch.

Making it even more special, we were able to work with long-time friend Jim McCormack, who was taking pictures for OC Sports Zone. Jim was a highly-regarded long-time writer and sports editor with the Long Beach Press Telegram before retiring. This reporter hadn’t had the joy of working with Jim until then. Jim may be retired, but when OC Sports Zone started up in July 2018, he graciously volunteered to take some pictures for us and all of us have been blessed ever since.

We will always remember this well played game, played by two CIF powerhouses who were looking for a coveted trip to the finals. Cypress High’s designated hitter Peter Werth delivered his second double of the game, this time a memorable walk-off double to left center to drive in pinch-runner Christian Thompson in the bottom of the ninth inning lifting Cypress to a 1-0 victory.

Senior pitcher Cameron Repetti, who came on in relief of starter Brett Wozniak in the fifth inning, got the victory with a superb scoreless stint.

Players from both teams played their hearts out.

“From the losingest team ever in terms of wins and losses in my tenure to now the winningest team in my tenure, and their perseverance and all that,” said Cypress Coach John Weber. “I’ve been talking about this throughout the playoffs and to watch our kids evolve and going from afraid to lose to not sure if we’re going to win, to we’re going to win, don’t panic, don’t worry about it and that evolution as a coach is why you do it.”

We will always remember the intensity of this game, the tremendous support by the hometown Cypress fans, the post-game interviews and that celebration after the game, which put the Centurions in position to claim their third CIF title later in the week at Dodger Stadium.

Cypress fans were undoubtedly enjoying the victory after the game. We had to figure out a way to get the story out as soon a posible.

With a CIF regional volleyball playoff game in Woodbridge later that night, we found a makeshift press quarters, a table outside the Cypress gym, to write up the story and file the story remotely on our laptop so we could catch some of the volleyball match too. Jim filed his photos and then we were able to head to Irvine to cover the volleyball match which was already in progress.

We remember thinking how challenging this was, but at the same time, how exciting and rewarding and how blessed we were to have this opportunity. If you’re in this business, you certainly aren’t in it for the money. But the satisfaction you get is off the charts.

We miss those days and can’t wait to do it again one day!

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com