WWW.THEPRESS.NET – YOUR HOMETOWN SOURCE FOR EAST CONTRA COSTA November 13, 2009
Heritage nets key volleyball victory by Dave Roberts Staff Writer
You just knew the girls volleyball season finale last week between Liberty and Heritage would go down to the wire. Each team came into the game with a 10-4 record. Liberty had won its first encounter in three games and Heritage took its second match in four games. The Nov. 5 showdown, in a nearly full Liberty gym, featured a deafening playoff atmosphere as the crosstown rivals fought for second place in the Bay Valley Athletic League (undefeated Deer Valley had sewn up first). And sure enough, the well-played, hardfought contest – a “battle royale,” as Heritage Coach Janet Hannigan called it – went a full five games, the Patriots edging out the Lions 15-13 in the final game. Liberty took the first game 25-20; Heritage prevailed in the next two 25-19 and 25-22, and the fourth game went into extra points before Liberty prevailed 28-26. The key to victory for Heritage was finding ways to work around Liberty’s Corinne Costa, who at 6-foot-4 dominates the court on offense (she notched 31 kills) and on defense (five blocks). “Today we were able to do some things a little differently,” said Hannigan. “We had to adjust to match Corinne – she’s such a huge threat – we were able to do that. We made a couple of adjustments that really helped us out today. You’re trying to hit around a wall,
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Meg Lyons and Maddi Hancock of Heritage leap to block a shot by Liberty’s Nicole Kelly. Heritage won 3-2, winning the rubber match between the crosstown rivals last week. basically. So when she’s not there, wherever she’s not, we are trying to put the ball (and) adjusting who is playing middle when she’s in the front row and trying to score a lot of points when she’s not in the game. She’s a very physical factor.” Just how much of a factor Costa represents was demonstrated in the first game, in which her kills and blocks helped put the Lions up 12-3. But when she came out of the game for a rest, Heritage climbed back to
within four points, down 15-19. Then Costa returned to the game, leading to kill, kill, kill. Before you knew it the game was over and Liberty was victorious. If Costa were superhuman and able to play every minute of every game, the outcome of the match would likely have been different. Liberty Coach Linda Ghilarducci was gracious in defeat: “Everybody played their heart out. It was a great match. Nothing to be ashamed of. That’s the way it goes. It’s
been great. We can’t ask for better. It’s great volleyball. The house is packed. This is great volleyball.” While Liberty, naturally, is a Costaoriented team, Heritage takes a more democratic approach. Hannigan praised her whole team but singled out four players for helping make the victory possible: Chelsey Hancock, a sophomore running the team see Volleyball page 23A
Patriots’ experience overwhelms Falcons by Kenny Lee Correspondent
It was Senior Night at Heritage High Friday night, and Patriots Stadium was the scene of senior dominance as the Heritage football team routed the Freedom Falcons 32-6. The Patriots field more than twice as many 2010 graduates as Freedom’s 11 seniors, and the difference in experience was abundantly evident throughout the contest. The offensive star for Heritage was running back Kruger Story Jr., who gained 213 rushing yards and scored four times. The offensive line, led by seniors Jesus Ochoa, Seth Magalei and Carrington Reyes, opened gaping holes throughout the contest en route to 344 total yards of offense, 280 on the ground. The first Patriot possession seemed nearly uncontested, as the team drove 80 yards in four plays and slightly more than a minute. Quarterback Brent Eikanas completed a pass to wide receiver Devin Hardy for 16 yards to start the march, followed by three straight runs by Story Jr., the last of which went for 45 yards to paydirt. Freedom’s defense stiffened on the Pa-
triots’ next possession, forcing a three-andout, but Freedom’s offense also couldn’t get a first down. A short punt put the ball on the Freedom 40 yard line. Eikanas hit Davonte Lewis for 16 yards and connected again for a 22-yard TD. The Falcon highlight came on the ensuing kickoff. Running back D’Amora Cooper took the kick at his 21 and bolted directly down the middle of the field virtually untouched for a 79-yard touchdown. Suddenly Freedom had life in a 13-6 ballgame in the first quarter. Heritage started its next drive from its own 22, and worked the ball downfield for Story Jr.’s second TD of the night, this one from six yards out, giving the Patriots a 19-6 lead with 7:18 to go in the second quarter. Determined not to fold under pressure, Freedom took its next possession at its 20. Cooper took a pitch to the right side and sprinted 69 yards to the Patriot 11. But the Falcons’ next three plays resulted in a loss of 16 yards. A field goal attempt was blocked, and Lewis returned the ball to the Falcons 18 – a play that seemed to sap the life from the Freedom sideline. Five plays later, Story Jr. scored from one yard out to
Heritage’s Kruger Story Jr. has plenty of company as he gallops downfield.
Photo by Kyndl Buzas
give the Patriots a 25-6 lead. After stirring halftime performances by the cheerleaders of both schools, Falcon wide receiver Kenneth Walker took the second half kickoff 60 yards to the Patriot 39, and the Freedom bench suddenly came to life. It was short-lived, however, as the team fumbled the ball after three plays. Story Jr. recovered for Heritage at the Freedom 24, but the Patriots stalled and were forced to punt.
Freedom then started to move the ball with authority, thanks to the tough running of Cooper and quarterback Stephen Rodriguez. The Falcons eventually got to first-and-goal at the Heritage five. But the birds couldn’t punch it in. On fourth-andgoal at the one, Cooper lined up in shotgun “wildcat” formation, but a bad snap forced him to retreat to recover the ball, forcing a see Patriots page 23A