Love Match Between Simi Valley and Royal

The cross-town rivalry between Simi Valley and Royal high schools is intense in all sports, but Jane Forrester and her daughter April have made it a family affair.

Jane is coach of the Royal girls’ tennis team. April plays doubles for Simi Valley.

The situation makes for interesting conversation, especially Tuesday, when the teams play a Marmonte League match.

“We like to tease each other about who’s going to beat who,” April said.

Last season, Jane did most of the teasing when Royal defeated Simi Valley twice.

April got revenge earlier this season when Simi Valley beat Royal. There was a slight problem though--Jane was out of town and missed that match.

April is looking forward to the chance of defeating Royal with her mom present.

“It’s our turn this year,” she said.

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Heart and soul: La Reina High won its girls’ volleyball match last Tuesday against Carpinteria, but something was missing.

Longtime scorekeeper Linda Petrick suffered a heart attack Oct. 20 and has been hospitalized since.

The team signed the game ball for Petrick, who has continued to keep score for La Reina volleyball and softball despite the graduation of the youngest of her daughters, Erin, several years ago.

Don Hyatt, who coaches La Reina volleyball and softball, said Petrick’s dedication was never more evident.

“Her first concern was, ‘Oh, God, I’m not going to be there for the next game,’ ” Hyatt said.

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All dressed up: The back of the team bus is almost like the Bermuda Triangle.

Coaches never know what’s happening there, unless they get hit with a spitball.

But last week, there was actually something productive going in the back--Thousand Oaks High standout Jenn Detmer was getting ready for her first volleyball action in eight matches due to mononucleosis.

Earlier in the day, Detmer told Coach Robert Haar she was ready to play that night against Royal. He didn’t take her seriously.

“I didn’t even see her and didn’t pay much attention to what she was wearing when she got off the bus,” Haar said.

Detmer was wearing warm-ups and underneath that, her uniform. She played in the front row only and had five kills as the Lancers lost to Royal.

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Counter attack: When she’s not at school, volleyball practice or a match, Royal High’s Carrie Swartz is behind the counter of a Simi Valley coffee house her parents bought three months ago.

She has no problems making Milky Way Mochas or Mocha Monkeys, as long as she doesn’t have to foam the milk.

Last month she suffered second-degree burns on her right hand when the milk boiled over.

She just said, “Dad . . . can you come here?”

The next day, Swartz played in the Royal tournament and was named to the all-tournament team. A few days later, she had 13 kills and 14 digs during a sweep of Thousand Oaks.