Ghost Ship victim honored by SSF, EC softball

A former softball player at South City, Gregory was honored Saturday at the rivalry game between South City and El Camino. Her name was attached to a new softball rivalry trophy, the Michela Gregory Trophy, that will be awarded to the winner of the regular-season finale between the two schools each year.

“She was just the best teammate anyone could ask for,” said Emily Cotla, currently in her sophomore season at College of San Mateo, who played with Gregory from 2012-14. “She wasn’t selfish. She just gave her all on the field. … She just never gave up and was just positive. She was just the best teammate anyone could ask for.”

El Camino head coach Manny Cotla proposed the idea of the trophy at the start of the season. Cotla previously coached at South City while his daughter Emily Cotla played there. During that time, he coached Gregory.

“Manny talked to me at our meeting for our league and he just kind of said football has ‘The Bell’ (trophy), and baseball has ‘The Glove’ (trophy),” South City head coach Nick Cerecedes said. “Softball doesn’t have anything. So he said, let’s do the Michela Gregory Trophy and the teams will play for it every year.”

While El Camino generally plays its home games at the Terrabay Recreation Center softball diamond, Saturday’s game was moved to San Bruno Park to accommodate a larger crowd. Both Gregory and Vega’s parents were on hand, and a pregame ceremony was held to dedicate the new award.

“Tears from everybody,” Manny Cotla said. “They were just thrilled we were doing something. … And I said, ‘your daughter name won’t be forgotten. We will play for her trophy every year now.’”

Gregory’s No. 32 was outlined in the middle of the diamond, El Camino freshman Taylor Hardley sang the national anthem and an honorary first-pitch was thrown out by Gregory’s brother and Vega’s father simultaneously. Manny Cotla said there were more people in attendance than usual.

“I was surprised,” Manny Cotla said. “Both sides of the benches were pretty full. Pretty good showing from both South City and El Camino. … It was really nice.”

The venue was fitting in that Gregory used to play at the San Bruno Park softball diamond as a member of the San Bruno Storm travel softball team. It was with the Storm Manny Cotla, who coached for the club, first met Gregory.

When the Ghost Ship fire struck in 2016, many of Gregory’s friends, including Emily Cotla, were aware Gregory attended parties there because of her updates on social media prior to the tragedy. When news broke of the fire at the warehouse party, the Cotlas — like most all in the circle of friends and family of Gregory and Vega — first heard the two were missing before having their deaths confirmed one day later, according to Manny Costla.

“It was a shock to hear that that someone close to us … was missing,” Emily Cotla said. “It was kind of scary.”

“When we heard there were victims, we were all praying that she wasn’t there anymore,” Manny Cotla said. “But she was still there. And it hit us hard because we had known her for so long.”

With the teams unifying during the ceremony prior to Saturday’s game, getting lost in the shuffle was the competitive aspect of the game to follow. It was indeed a key game for South City. The Lady Warriors scored a 6-4 comeback victory. Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, South City sophomore Lafu Malepeai produced a bases-loaded three-run double to give the Warriors the lead.

Not only did the Warriors earn the first annual Michela Gregory Trophy, with it they clinched the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division title outright.

“The whole game was just for a young lady,” Cerecedes said. “That’s what [Saturday] was all about. It wasn’t, ‘hey we clinched it.’ … It was kind of an emotional day for both sides. It was as good game.”

Gregory is remembered as a talent who played both outfield and pitcher at South City. During her last full year with the team in 2013, she batted .327 and ranked second on the team with both a .468 on-base percentage and six stolen bases.

“Even though it was a rivalry game, I can’t explain it, it was kind of a sad and happy moment,” Cerecedes said. “It’s sad that a young lady passed away in a tragedy, but in a happy way we’re remembering her in a game that she loved.”