These Sardines Are More Like Piranha
Plug in the can opener and break out the King Oscar Sardines.
The Norwegian club team is playing in the Cal Lutheran tournament Friday and Saturday in Thousand Oaks.
According to Coach Dave Swan, the Sardines should enjoy a feeding frenzy.
“I am guessing we will win by a lot,” said Swan, who once coached at Division II Northland, Wis. “I would be very shocked if we lost.”
The Sardines, from Bergen, Norway, a city of 250,000, are normally called Ulriken, the name of the highest mountain in Bergen. But this trip was sponsored by King Oscar, a local cannery.
The team is 13-0 in its club league, beating opponents by an average score of 101-68, and is taking a midseason break to spend two weeks in Southern California.
“We are very good for the California economy,” Swan said. “On average, our players are spending $700 to $800 on clothes. They go crazy at these outlet malls.”
Point guard Calix Black, at 18 the youngest of the Sardines, will be scouted by several Division I schools, Swan said. Most of the players are in their mid-20s and the oldest is forward Per Fedje, 31, who has been with the club for 16 years.
“This trip is a very nice thing for our team,” Swan said. “It’s a reward for the hard work our players have put in.”
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After putting on pounds during the off-season, Justin Muth of Cal Lutheran is putting up points.
Muth, a 6-foot-8 junior, scored a career-high 30 points in a 79-78 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran on Tuesday, making the winning basket with 0.4 seconds to play.
“Last year he could take a shower without getting wet,” Coach Rich Rider said. “He had a real productive summer with the weights and now mother nature is starting to kick in. He is starting to mature and gain weight.”
Muth, up to 190 pounds, is throwing some of it around. He made nine of 12 shots against Wisconsin Lutheran, mostly in the lane, and had 11 rebounds.
Muth is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds in helping Cal Lutheran to a 6-3 start.
“He has a good shooting touch inside 10 feet,” Rider said. “He’s become more of a presence on defense too. He’s becoming a good player.”
