The 2024 Olympic Games officially opened Friday in Paris, but a group of former Barons got the jump on the festivities with their own brand of Summer Games — Over-the-Line.
In fact, the bunch of Bonita Vista High School alumni took this year’s 71st OTL world championship tournament by storm.
Hosted by the Old Mission Bay Athletic Club (OMBAC), the 10-division, double-elimination event took place July 13-14 and July 20-21 on Fiesta Island, Mission Bay Park.
The team “Biggie Ballz,” comprised of BVHS alums Kasey Regala (Class of 2023), Blake Flippen (Class of 2015) and his brother Paul Flippen (class of 2009), successfully defended their title from last season’s Camitt Division by defeating Baron alum Gabriel Marmolejo’s (BV Class of 2022) team in the Glove Division final.
Troy Cruz (BVHS Class of 2012) was a key player for the Men’s Open Championship team Valley Farms. He is considered by many aficionados of the sport as the unofficial “OTL Ambassador” who has mentored the Biggie Ballz team and many other Barons who participated in this year’s and in past tournaments.
Divisions included Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Men’s Cammitt, Men’s Century, Men’s Canardly, Men’s Cadaver, Women’s Ca,muff, Men’s Camummy and Women’s Caneasy.
Biggie Ballz placed runner-up in the 2023 Men’s Open Division while Valley Farms was third.
The OTL event has long had South County ties. Legendary soccer coach Ron Pietila co-authored (with John Raue and Phil Ligon) the first book on the event — “OTL: the Sport and the Spectacle,” published n 1978.
Both Flippen siblings and Cruz all played baseball at BVHS. Cruz, as a senior at UC San Diego, made a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II national championship.
Blake Flippen, along with his twin brother Parker, won a CIF title with the Barons in 2014.
Paul Flippen helped lead Bonita Vista to the 2009 CIF playoffs.
The Paris Summer Olympic Games end Aug. 11.
Photos by Rodney Regala
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