NorCal Issue 108, November 2015

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8 locker room: Star Wars!

Enough with super heroes in capes. It’s time for Jedi in robes!

The trailers are here but the movie won’t be here soon enough.

The Fence: 37 Tryouts, sign-ups, fund-raisers and more!

42 Advertiser’s index 4

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join our team PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Evans, III Marketing/Events Ryan Arter Editorial Intern Mike Young Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com Central Valley, World Events: Anthony Grigsby • Area Director anthony.grigsby@worldeventssports.com Darin Wissner • JustAGameEvents@gmail.com Reader Resources/Administration Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution/Delivery Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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Read Me. Recycle Me. 6

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Got Send your nominations to: Next? Editor@SportStarsOnline.com or tweet us using #SSOTW

Antioch - Football - Junior When it comes to Najee Harris, we feel like we could make him our SportStar of the Week every issue — at least during football season. The Alabama-commit has been an absolute force for a Panthers team which is undefeated through its first eight games. Harris was just recently named the National Player of the Week by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after rushing for 360 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-37 win over Liberty-Brentwood on Oct. 23. He also contributed six 2-point conversion runs in the game to account for 48 of his team’s 55 points. On the season, Harris has rushed for 1,844 yards and 22 TDs. He’s scored 198 points, which ranks him second in the state according to all stats submitted to MaxPreps.com. Chaffey-Ontario running back Mikey Dean (33 TDs) has 204 points on the season.

honorable mention Brook Starn: The Monte Vista-Danville distance runner continued her strong senior year by winning the Division I-II race at the prestigious Mt. SAC Invitational. Finishing the 3-mile course in 16 minutes, 55 seconds — 25 seconds ahead of second.

Avery Spector: The St. FrancisSacramento senior and No. 1 singles player led the Troubadours to a share of the Delta League title with a 12-2 dual match record, and reached the league singles final for the second consecutive season.

Drake Stallworth: Folsom’s junior DB assisted a hard-fought 28-14 victory over Rocklin with two interceptions, including a pick-six that opened the scoring. Stallworth has 5 INTs in 8 games and has 4 total TDs at DB and WR. Like us on Facebook

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Top 5 Galaxy-related musings as star wars Episode VII nears

It’s November. The World Series is on us like Jawas on a stray droid. The NFL is swinging like the Cantina band. You know, except for the 49ers. The Warriors’ defense of their NBA title looms like a fully armed and operational battle station. The college football playoff picture is murkier than a Dagobah swimming pool. But. Look. We don’t really care about ANY of that. Why, you ask? It starts with a Star, ends with a VII, and has a Wars in the middle. The Force, they say, is awakening. Like.

Soon. Here are our Top 5 new hopes for the returning Jedi after the Empire’s last strike.

1. John Williams 4 ever — Williams’ work is officially the Jerry Jones of movie soundtracks. Like Jones’ face, it has spanned millennia, but it never seems to get old.

2. The Big Three, back together again — If there is any justice in the universe, after this one Luke, Leia and Han will be more highly decorated than LeBron, Wade and Bosh. By our count, it would be not one, not two, not three, but four great movies — with a shot at maybe two more.

3. Threepio and Artoo — They are the Bogut and Draymond of the franchise, quietly doing the dirty work while the superstars hog the glory. We miss those guys. That’s right. We just compared Draymond Green to R2-D2. Deal with it.

4. Something something evil emperor something something New York Yankees — You know what we mean.

5. Chewy — Ever notice how you never see Madison Bumgarner and Chewbacca in the same place? Just sayin’.

— Bill “These Aren’t The Jokes You’re Looking For” Kolb

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Rapid Fire Elizabeth Cameron Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills Volleyball

Kobie Beltram Antioch Football

#

hashtag

A look at our favorite social media posts of the past several weeks. Got any good posts you’d like to nominate? email editor@sportstarsonline.com

Sue Phillips Archbishop Mitty Girls Hoops Coach, @coachsphillips, Oct. 24 “Players: know your set of strengths.

Gravitate towards what you do well when the wheels get wobbly. #Smart ThinkingSmart Playing”

Dan Dibley @dandibley, Oct. 23 “My son Quest reporting that @ MoneyLynch (Marshawn Lynch) on his bike rolling around at Oakland Tech v.

Skyline tonight.

Can’t love him enough. #Oakland #Seahawks”

Bonnie Henrickson @coachbonnieUCSB, Oct. 20 on the hiring of the St. Mary’sBerkeley girls hoops coach “Out of a talented pool of candidates ... I am proud to announce that Coach Nate Fripp will join our UCSB BB Family!”

if you had a time machine, to when would you go The 80s for the music, clothes

1,000 years into the future

favorite 'required-reading' book 'Into the Wild' 'The Outsiders'

by Jack Krakuer

by S.E. Hinton most difficult sports skill to learn Mental toughness

where they now?

As the Bay Area continues to marvel at the things Najee Harris is doing for Antioch Football, we’d thought we’d check in with the last blue chip recruit running back to come out of the East Bay — 2014 Freedom graduate, Joe Mixon. Mixon’s first year at Oklahoma was a non-starter after an off-field incident earned him a year’s suspension. However, he got his act together and had made an immediate impact for the No. 9-ranked Sooners. In an Oct. 24 win over Texas Tech, he rushed for 154 yards and two TDs. He has 626 yards of total offense and seven TDs through seven games.

Trust with teammates

more likely: warriors repeat or kings make playoffs Warriors repeat

Warriors repeat

favorite thing to eat during thanksgiving dinner Mashed potatoes with LOTS of gravy

Grandma's vanilla wafer banana pudding

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Trending What’s hot in the world of stuff that’s hot Maroon 5 is reportedly in discussions to perform at the Super Bowl 50 halftime after the NFL was unable to secure a good band.

Greg Hardy, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys and has a history of domestic violence, got in a shoving match with a coach on the sideline. C’mon, he has no place in the NFL. The best part of campaign season is who can compare the most things to the Nazis.

Wait, sorry. Worst part.

Worst. Dang autocorrect.

Dirk Nowitzki wondered on Twitter who would be faster, him or Peyton Manning. Plans are to run for 100 meters or 10 minutes, whichever comes first.

The movie Jem and the Holograms bombed at the office, leading many Americans to say ‘duuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

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Mascot Makeovers N ow that Calaveras-San Andreas plus three other California high schools will have to switch from Redskins as their nickname, it’s only obvious to assume that more schools with Indian-themed nicknames may choose to switch as well.

Calaveras is not the only CIF SacJoaquin Section school that falls under a mandate that was signed into law on Oct. 11 by Governor Jerry Brown.

Gustine also will have to change along with Tulare and Chowchilla (which are both in the CIF Central Section).

Tulare is probably the one school where the tradition of the Redskins name runs deepest. As it says immediately on the front page of the school’s web site: “As Redskins, we are a part of a long and proud tradition dating back to 1890.”

Tulare also is where 1948 and 1952 Olympic decathlon gold medal winner Bob Mathias attended. People forget Mathias was only 17 years old when he won gold in 1948 in London and then returned to Tulare where he actually played – and starred – on the school’s 1948 football team.

To abide by the new ban, all four schools could conceivably retain some of their Indian-themed images on uniforms and buildings by just switching from Redskins to Warriors.

That’s one of the most popular nicknames in California and many schools with it also use Indian logos.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, however, to see more legislation in the future that may go further in banning the use of Indian nicknames and imagery. The smart move, therefore, may be to simply change all of these nicknames.

Some examples of schools from around the state that have dropped Indian-style nicknames (usually due to a local school board edict) include Lowell-San Francisco (from Indians to Cardinals), Birmingham-Van Nuys (from Braves to Patriots), Gardena (from Mohicans to Panthers), Encina Prep-Sacramento (from Apaches to Bulldogs), AlemanyMission Hills (from Indians to Warriors), Tamalpais-Mill Valley (from Indians to Red-Tailed Hawks), Vallejo (from Apaches to RedHawks), Colusa (from Redskins to Red Hawks), Salesian-Richmond (from Chieftains to Pride) and Fremont-Sunnyvale (from Indians to Firebirds).

John Swett High of Crockett also dropped the Indians nickname last February, but students there reportedly have not yet chosen a new mascot.

Those are all fine nicknames, and it’s a little surprising

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Devan Quesada of John Swett-Crockett why Red Hawks has been such a popular alternative, but they are not original and don’t seem to have a connection to the community from which the schools represent.

Because of those reasons, perhaps my favorite among all California high schools is the Vintage Crushers of Napa.

There are no other Crushers in the state and it fits the Napa Valley wine region perfectly.

On the other side of originality is the many new schools in the state that have stuck with the old stand-bys such as Eagles, Mustangs, Warriors, Cougars, Panthers, Titans and Patriots. Eagles is by far the most popular in the state (more than 60) and Titans was very popular among schools that opened shortly after the movie “Remember the Titans” came out.

At Calaveras, meanwhile, new possibilities are being mentioned, including 49ers (refers to Gold Rush history and Subscribe to s360 at SportStarsOnline.com

being on Highway 49), Gold (strong singular name), Giants (refers to Giant Sequoias of Calaveras County) and Cavalry (unique and just sounds good).

Does this mean that NorCal schools like Marysville (Indians), Napa (Indians), Sequoia-Redwood City (Cherokees), Justin-Siena-Napa (Braves), Ripon (Indians) Palma-Salinas (Chieftains) and Armijo-Fairfield (Indians) should change?

Maybe not, but it’s hard to stop the momentum when someone of Indian heritage in any community makes a request for the change to be made. And when a change does come, it can be fun for students, coaches and others.

But please, no more Eagles. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

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California football top 25 Through Saturday, Oct. 24) 1. (1) — De La Salle-Concord 7-1 Barring anything completely insane, Spartans will win another CIF North Coast Section Div. I title and play the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Div. champion in the CIF Open Div. State Bowl.

2. (2) — Centennial-Corona 8-0 Home games against Corona and Norco is all that stands between Centennial and a perfect regular season. After that would be a likely top seed for the CIFSS Pac-5 playoffs.

3. (3) — St. John Bosco-Bellflower 8-0 Some respected media members in SoCal say the Braves are even better than they were two years ago when they beat DLS in Open Div. State Bowl game.

4. (4) — Folsom 8-0 After win against Rocklin, Bulldogs stretched state-leading win streak to 24 games, state-leading regular season win streak to 39.

5. (5) — Serra-Gardena 7-1 Wins over Narbonne-Harbor City, Bishop Amat-La Puente and Loyola-L.A. have the Cavaliers looking like one of SoCal’s best.

6. (6) — Mater Dei-Santa Ana 7-1 After losing 42-21 to St. John Bosco in a game they trailed 42-0, Monarchs bounced back to dominate Servite-Anaheim 42-10.

7. (7) — Bishop Amat-La Puente 7-2 Lancers’ losses are to No. 5 Serra and No. 6 Mater Dei in threepoint games that could have easily gone the other way.

8. (8) — Mission Viejo 9-0 Brock Johnson passed for 321 yards to lead the Diablos over previously unbeaten San Juan Hills 48-20. They are in line for No. 2 seed in CIF SoCal bowl game pecking order.

9. (9) — Elk Grove 8-0 If the Thundering Herd end up 10-0 for regular season, they project to be No. 2 seed behind Folsom in SJS Division I bracket.

10. (10) — Clayton Valley-Concord 7-1 That first-game one-point loss to Folsom has gained in significance each week as other teams have lost while the Ugly Eagles and Bulldogs have continued to win.

11. (11) — Mission Hills-San Marcos 7-0 If Mission Hills is still unbeaten following the CIF San Diego Open Div. final, it could be a matchup of unbeatens vs. Mission Viejo in the CIF SoCal Div. I AA bowl game.

12. (13) ▲ Oaks Christian-Westlake Village 8-0 The Lions gained a spot after their impressive 48-22 win over St. Bonaventure-Ventura. They have a chance for top-four seed in CIFSS Pac-5 Div. playoffs 13. (12) ▼ Helix-La Mesa 6-1 Head coach Troy Starr said last week he’s stepping down at the end of the season and missed last week’s game to be with his wife, Tana, who has been hospitalized.

14. (14) — Long Beach Poly-Long Beach 6-2 The Jackrabbits’ only losses were road defeats against at No. 1 De La Salle (without star QB, Malik Henry) and national-power Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas.

15. (15) — Narbonne-Harbor City 6-2 The Gauchos remained right behind Poly once again in this week’s rankings following their 58-7 romp past Carson. Cedric Byrd got the night rolling by returning the opening kickoff for a 75-yard TD.

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Foothill’s Ruben Mercado Photo by Phillip Walton

16. (16) — Foothill-Pleasanton 9-0 A solid No. 3 in the East Bay for many weeks behind De La Salle and Clayton Valley. Falcons could be one of two teams (Antioch) to enter NCS Div. I playoffs at 10-0.

17. (18) ▲ Loyola-Los Angeles 7-1 Loyola still doesn’t have its playoff bid for the CIFSS Pac-5 Division secure because a pair of season-ending losses could leave them in fourth place in league.

18. (19) ▲ Lutheran-Orange 5-3 After this week, the Lancers will have played De La Salle, Centennial, St. John Bosco and Mater Dei. For most of the season, that was Nos. 1-4 in the state.

19. (17) ▼ Westlake-Westlake Village 7-1 Both Loyola and Orange Lutheran moved ahead of the Warriors this week due to their own wins over quality opponents.

20. (20) — Camarillo 8-0 Senior QB Jake Constantine connected on 19 of 26 passes for 357 yards and four TDs in 49-17 win over Newbury Park.

21. (22) ▲ Tesoro-Las Flores 7-2 Arizona-bound QB Devon Modster and Titans got back to winning ways with a 68-7 triumph over Dana Hills-Dana Point.

22. (23) ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 8-1 Heading into matchup w/No. 4 Folsom, Trojans have beaten Del Oro, Granite Bay, Rocklin. Lost only to Reed of Sparks, Nevada.

23. (NR) ▲ Bellarmine-San Jose 6-1 The previously-ranked Bells are back after a 28-26 win over previous No. 24 St. Francis-Mountain View.

24. (NR) ▲ Vista Murrieta-Murrieta 7-1 One of three new teams, Broncos have won four straight since lone loss, 29-14 against No. 18 Orange Lutheran.

25. (NR) ▲ La Habra 7-1 QB Eric Barriere passed for an Orange County-record seven TDs in the first half of a 62-13 romp past Fullerton. La Habra’s only loss so far is to No. 8 Mission Viejo.

Dropped Out: Previous No. 21 San Juan Hills-San Juan Capistrano, No. 24 St. Francis-Mountain View and No. 25 ServiteAnaheim.

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getGamefirst We’ve been doing lots of running and weightlifting to get ready for basketball, but I’m just a freshman and I need to dribble and shoot better. Wouldn’t it be better if I spent my time working on skills instead of running wind sprints and doing bench presses?

R.D., Redding

F

irst, one reason coaches do offseason conditioning is that they can’t run offseason practices. CIF rules allow athletes to condition outside of their season, but they don’t allow them to do skill work — rightfully worrying that a lot of coaches would simply start practicing year-round. (Of course, there are more than a few teams, in more than a few sports, that do practice year-round, but that’s a different topic …)

So given the choice between relying on teenagers to motivate themselves, most coaches opt for conditioning several times a week. That generally consists of running and weight work. There’s nothing wrong with that, and barring repetitive stress injuries, running and weights are something everyone should do anyway.

But realistically, especially for younger athletes, skill work is much more important. Basketball is a difficult game, and very few freshmen have mastered such basics as being able to dribble and make lay-ups with both hands. Playing intense pickup games develops ball-handling, court vision and defense. Sprinting? Well, it develops sprinting, which is good, but doesn’t score a lot of points. (Don’t get me started on distance running. All that jogging seven miles on Saturday prepares you for is jogging seven miles next Saturday — it has zero to do with basketball conditioning.)

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On top of that, 16-year-olds do not require weeks of conditioning to get in top shape. Teenage bodies are flexible and adaptable and take about three days to kick into high gear — so high school coaches mimicking college and professional programs doesn’t make that much sense. Even a 19-year-old needs more stretching, conditioning and preparation than a 15- or 16-year-old, and that’s even more true of a 25-year-old.

So for you, as a freshman, your main concern should be skill work. Maybe as a senior, when you’ve finished growing, the weight work will have greater value. Maybe as a senior, you won’t be quite as flexible or quick to get in shape, but younger athletes need to learn how to play the game, whatever it is, first.

Basketball, like all team sports, is a combination of individual skills and high-speed cooperation,. Neither are improved by spending afternoons running until you want to throw up and pushing iron while listening to music the offensive linemen like. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt.com

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TURKEY, TOYS Cali Bowl set for its 8th annual youth football event with accompanying toy drive Thanksgiving weekend and football have been an American tradition for decades and the 8th Annual California Bowl brings that tradition alive for youth football players in Placer Valley.

With teams expected from Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Ohio and of course, California, these young players are taking full advantage of the long weekend to play some serious football in the top youth football tournament on the West Coast.

A2K Sports and Entertainment and Placer Valley Tourism are teaming up again to bring this exciting event back this Nov. 2729 at Woodcreek High School in Roseville, where youth football players from 5 to 15-years-old will be channeling their favorite NFL stars in hopes of bringing home the 6-foot trophy.

Win or lose, Cali Bowl makes it fun for everyone with play-byplay announcers and live streaming of the games.

“The players, the parents, the coaches and spectators really love the play by play announcing as it adds a real element of

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excitement to the games,” said Tournament Director B rent Gray.

“What makes our event different from other events is that we are the only youth event in the country that live streams their games on the internet,” Gray added. “We contract with Live Play Sports in SoCal, and when I tell you it’s ESPN quality you need to believe me.”

Even though football is the main attraction, A2K Sports and Entertainment takes it a step further with its commitment to community service. “We realize that for some kids the holidays are not as cheerful, so A2K Sports would love to help in that area by having a Toys for Tots drive,” explained Gray. “We would love for the local community to come by and donate a gift to a youth or family in need; it can make all the difference at this time of year.”

It’s not too late to register your team for this amazing event.

You can find all the details on Cali Bowl and the Toys for Tots drive atcalibowl.com. Let’s get ready for some football!

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TOYS & TOURNAMENTS

Remember the Titan Holiday Classic The steady dribble of the ball hitting the hardwood, the swishing of the net and the roar of the crowd set the scene for the 7th Annual Titan Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament taking place at Antelope High on Dec 10-12. This tournament does much more than promise great basketball, it delivers with eight highly competitive programs participating.

Antelope, Bella Vista-Fair Oaks, Davis, Kennedy-Sacramento and Woodcreek are the local high school teams that have secured a spot. Out of the Bay Area, the impressive and always competitive teams from College Park-Pleasant Hill and St. Mary’s-Berkeley will bring their A games. Last but certainly not least is Tenison Woods University High School from Australia, which will travel more than 8,000 miles to compete in this popular and well-respected tournament.

Antelope coach Rob Richards says Tenison Woods competes every other year as they have to fundraise to cover their expenses. The Titan players and coaches host the team and it really has become a wonderful experience for everyone involved. “The quality of basketball is truly top-notch and we also have Access Local TV broadcaster Will James covering the Friday games, which makes it very exciting for the players and parents,” added Richards.

Not only is the Titan Holiday Classic one of the best high school basketball tournaments in NorCal but it also provides a chance to see future NCAA stars in action. Kai Tease and Jordan Brown will add an element of excitement. Tease, a point guard from Antelope High, just signed with Howard University and Brown, a 6-foot-9 sophomore for Woodcreek, is ranked in the top 3 nationally for 2018 prospects.

The action all takes place at Antelope High, located at 7801 Titan Drive in Antelope. ✪ —All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

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Moreau Catholic MAriners Follow their star A CLOSER LOOK Campus Location: Hayward League: Mission Valley Section/DIVISION: North Coast, Div. IV Section titles: 0 Record (through OCT. 24): 7-1, 3-1 MVAL 2015 Results: WINS — St. Mary’sBerkeley (33-14), Mt. Eden-Hayward (51-0), Piedmont (55-9), Skyline-Oakland (59-8), Mission San Jose-Fremont (65-0), Kennedy-Fremont (34-0), Newark Memorial (62-0). LOSS — American-Fremont (27-20)

Moreau Catholic football coach Andrew Cotter gushes when he’s asked to describe junior two-way star Jullen Ison, right.

“He’s the heart and soul of our team,” the nine-year coach of the Mariners said. “I wish everyone could meet this young man. He just loves football. He loves practice. He loves every aspect of the game.”

And he’s causing nightmares among opposing defenses.

Through Oct. 24, Ison’s 1,731 rushing yards ranked ninth in the state and fourth best in NorCal according to stats reported to MaxPreps.com. He’s averaged 11.2 yards per carry, rushed for 25 touchdowns, and will enter the Mariners’ Oct. 30 showdown against Washington-Fremont with a streak of four straight games with at least 200 yards rushing.

“He’s the engine that doesn’t stop for us,” Cotter said.

That engine is part of a well-oiled machine. After going just 6-6 overall in 2014 — a season which ended with a 40-point North Coast Section Division IV playoff loss to St. Mary’sBerkeley — the Mariners have steamrolled through just about every opponent this season. When Moreau Catholic opened 2015 with a 33-14 win over that same St. Mary’s program, a tone was set.

The Mariners have outscored opponents 379-51 over their first eight games. They’ve won four games by shutout and scored 50 or more in five of their seven wins.

“This group went 10-0 as a JV team,” Cotter said. “Getting to this point has been a goal. They still have more they want to accomplish.”

Story by Chace Bryson • Photos by Phillip Walton and Berry Evans III

A CLOSER LOOK Campus Location: Walnut Creek League: Tri-County-Stone Division Section/Division: North Coast, Div. V Section titles: 0 Record (through Oct. 24): 7-1, 4-0 TCAL 2015 Results: WINS — Mt. DiabloConcord (49-0), Middletown (49-22), Salesian-Richmond (47-30), Richmond (59-6), John Swett-Crockett (37-36 OT), Kennedy-Richmond (54-6), Valley Christian-Dublin (42-13). LOSS — Cloverdale (28-24).

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James Hodgins had waited until the eighth game, but he finally had to draw the comparison.

In the wake of his Berean Christian team’s key 42-13 league road win over Valley Christian-Dublin, Hodgins told the Eagles they reminded him of a team he once played on. A team that won the Super Bowl.

“I told them that the last time I felt this way about a team was in 1999, when I was on the St. Louis Rams and we won the Super Bowl,” said Hodgins, who was a rookie fullback that season and went on to a nineyear NFL career with three teams. “The year before, (the Rams) were just 4-12 and that (1999) year just felt special all season. We started the season like 6-0 and then had some losses along the way and the losses

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Ison certainly isn’t doing it alone. For one, he’s benefitted from an experienced and unsung offensive line featuring Brian Robinson, Jonathan Gilyana, Nick Hess, Michael Hernandez and Ryan Alquillera.

“I think they take a lot of pride in not being noticed,” Cotter said with a laugh. “They want to be this unknown group that gets in the trenches and gets after people.”

Senior quarterback Ryan Regner has more than 1,100 yards passing with 12 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He’s also rushed for 400 yards and seven scores. His top target in the passing game, senior Gustavo Borrayo, has 17 catches for 482 yards and seven touchdowns.

Then there’s the defense. Linebackers Richard Hampton, Andrew Doula and Johnny Den Bleyker lead a unit that consistently swarms to the football.

Moreau’s lone blemish was a 27-20 Mission Valley Athletic League loss to American-Fremont on Oct. 2. The Mariners still have a shot at a league title if they can beat Washington, which defeated American 33-29 on Oct. 16. “Consistency will be the key for us,” Cotter said. “We have a pretty darn good football team. Now it’s just a matter of work ethic and focus.”

The 2015 season has brought a shift to small school football in the East Bay and we’re taking a look at four programs leading the turnover

berean christian getting that super feeling only made us stronger.

“That’s how I feel about this team.”

After a close loss to Cloverdale in its season-opener, Berean Christan has reeled off seven wins in a row and controls its own destiny as it tries to win its first league championship since 2001. That title came in the Bay Football League. This year’s championship would be team’s first as a member of the Tri-County Athletic League.

The win over Valley Christian clinched the program’s first winning season since 2011. The seven wins are already one more than the team accrued in 2014.

“They get better every week,” said Hodgins, who is now in his third year leading the program.

“Even games when we win but don’t play as well as we’d like, the next week they come back and just get better. The feel of the whole team has that championship year feel to it. These guys are recognizing that they have a special thing going on.”

Leading the way for Berean Christian are seniors Isaiah Hodgins (James’ son, pictured), Joey Esco, Jack Chillemi, Hayden Breilien, Scott Lewis, Michael Fulton and Josh Smith, along with

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junior quarterback Chandler Davis.

Isaiah Hodgins has been an electric playmaker on both sides of the ball, hauling in 12 touchdown passes through the first eight games while also leading the team in interceptions with four. He currently has offers from Oregon State, Washington and San Jose State. “When your best players are your hardest workers, you’re going to have something special,” James Hodgins said of his son. “He has that drive to be great, and has that competitive drive to want his teammates to come alongside him and have a great season.”

Esco is over 1,000 yards rushing, which is also a credit to a vastly improved offensive line coached by new line coach Dave Asiasi. Davis had to sit out the first half of the season after transferring from Granada-Livermore, but has been extremely effective since taking over.

“Our guys have just committed to improving,” Hodgins said. “They’re just starting to pull away from other teams. If they stay with that approach, they’re going to have a great chance to be successful.”

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john swett ready for prime time Despite a strong program history and a uniquely picturesque home field, anonymity has always been hard to avoid for John Swett.

That certainly holds true for 2015, a season in which the team doesn’t even have a mascot. The school district is electing a new one in November after choosing to no longer be known as the Indians last February. Second-year varsity coach Bob Quesada led his team to nine victories and a Tri County Athletic League-Stone Division championship a season ago, but his team’s 7-1 start to this season has come with little fanfare.

Perhaps that will change come November when John Swett has a chance to be a top seed in the North Coast Section Division V playoffs. Swett was a No. 6 seed a year ago and was upset 14-6 by No. 11 St. Patrick/St. Vincent-Vallejo.

The disappointment of that loss still lingers throughout the 32-man roster.

“I’ve used that as fuel all year,” Quesada said. “That early loss in the playoffs. That’s been our focus when things aren’t going right. I remind them of that feeling after that game. ... It seems to wake them up a bit.”

For the most part, the wake up calls have been few and far between this season. Quesada’s group is one missed two-point conversion from an 8-0 start. Swett has outscored opponents 23389 and it’s only loss was a 37-36 overtime thriller on the road against Berean Christian.

“We’re just fortunate to have some Division-I type players on this team,” Quesada said. “So

many of them have played together since they were freshmen.”

Leading the way are four seniors, one of which is Quesada’s son. Devan Quesada is a two-way threat at both wide receiver and free safety; Matt Thompkins, right, is a returning all-league quarterback; Dytanya Benton is a game-breaker at tailback, and Joe Ilaoa was named the TCAL-Stone Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2014.

Ilaoa actually leads an offensive line that returned every starter from last season’s nine-win team “That helps out a lot,” Bob Quesada said. “It’s obviously a huge advantage to have that experience up front.”

Benton has certainly made the most of it. The senior running back recently went for more than 300 yards rushing in the overtime loss to Berean Christian.

Swett will be clear favorites in its final two regular-season games against Albany and KennedyRichmond. However, the team willl need either De Anza-RIchmond or Albany to upset Berean Christian if it plans to repeat as Stone Division champions.

In the meantime, Bob Quesada will continue to prepare his team for the playoff run they didn’t have a year ago.

“It’s going to be strange next year when we graduate all these guys,” the coach said. “I keep telling my staff that we’re going to have to start coaching again.”

valley chri all together now A CLOSER LOOK Campus Location: Dublin League: Tri-County-Stone Division Section/Division: North Coast, Div. V Section titles: 1 (1986) Record (through Oct. 24): 6-2, 3-2 TCAL 2015 Results: WINS — Ferndale (35-14), Vacaville Christian (47-31), St. Patrick/St. Vincent-Valllejo (57-12), Richmond (75-0), Albany (49-0), Kennedy-Richmond (41-0). LOSSES — John Swett-Crocket (23-13), Berean Christian-Walnut Creek (42-13).

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Prior to the 2014 season, Justin Lowell left a Northgate-Walnut Creek program he’d helped revitalize to take the reins at a Valley Christian school which catered to close to 1,300 less kids.

After just a little more than a season and a half with the Vikings, Lowell explaining his team’s 6-1 start to 2015 didn’t take a lot of breaking down.

“Right now, we’re staying healthy,” Lowell said matter-of-factly one day before his team’s Oct. 24 Tri-County Athletic LeagueStone Division showdown with Berean Christian.

With a roster of just 24, every set of shoulder pads counts for Valley Christian. And through the first six games of 2015, the Vikings were impressive in showing what they could do with a full squad. Valley Christian opened the year 6-0 with three shutouts and wins over four playoff teams from a year ago.

The team didn’t suffer its first loss until Oct. 16 when John Swett topped them 23-13 — in a game where Valley Christian was missing leading rusher Kyle Hanks. The running back returned against Berean Christian, but the Vikings fell again.

Despite the two-game skid, they still entered the final weekend of October with a chance to close the regular season with eight wins for the first time since 2012.

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A CLOSER LOOK Campus Location: Crockett League: Tri-County-Stone Division Section/Division: North Coast, Div. V Section titles: 0 Record (through Oct. 24): 7-1, 3-1 TCAL 2015 Results: WINS — Oakland Tech (20-6), Emery-Emeryville (47-0), Fremont-Oakland (37-0), De Anza-El Sobrante (17-6), Salesian-Richmond (21-20), Valley Christian-Dublin (2313), Richmond (32-7). LOSS — Berean Christian-Walnut Creek (37-36 OT)

istian “We have a really good senior class with guys who have shown a lot of leadership,” Lowell said. “They are guys who have been here for four years and have completely bought into what we’re trying to do.”

That senior core includes Hanks, Chris Jackson at quarterback, Blake Phillips at fullback and linebacker, Donato Catrina on offensive and defensive line, Matt Calcagno at tight end and linebacker and Jairus Woodson, left, the son of NFL Hall-of-Famer Rod Woodson and a talented receiver and free safety.

Other than Jackson, each of those guys play on both sides of the ball.

“They really don’t get off the field,” Lowell admitted about his two-way senior stars.

Woodson is the team’s biggest playmaker, catching 11 touchdown passes over the team’s first five games and also adding an interception return for a score.

“Teams often choose to double-cover him and it really helps open things up for (Hanks) and some others,” Lowell said.

Though it stands to gain a higher seed in this postseason’s field — Valley Christian was just a 12 seed in the 2014 North Coast Section Division V tournament and fell to No. 5 seed Stellar Prep-Hayward in the first round — Lowell has a simple plan for making the playoff run a little longer this year.

“Every good team in this division seems to have at least one good offensive weapon,” Lowell said. “The key for us will be making the big play on defense.”

And staying healthy. ✪

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Lamar Jackson, left, and his half-brother Jamarri are Sac-Joaquin football stars.

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Half-brothers Lamar & Jamarri Jackson have strengthened their bond while each have dazzled for different schools

T

he family that plays together, stays together.

Despite never living together, Lamar and Jamarri Jackson have always strengthened their family ties through sports, especially football. And that bond has never been stronger than it is this year for two of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s most versatile athletes on the gridiron.

“We were close growing up, but we weren’t ‘brothers close,’” Jamarri said. “Football has brought us closer.

“We got closer this past summer because we were working out together and preparing for this season. Now, we are true brothers.”

Lamar and Jamarri, half-brothers who share the same father, have also shared a passion and talent for football that has turned heads since they first put on pads. As both opponents and teammates in junior football in Sacramento, the Jacksons laid the groundwork to become high school stars who are now turning the head of college recruiters nationwide.

Lamar, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound two-way star, is one of the nation’s top recruits at defensive back. With Jamarri, left, and Lamar the size and athleticism that has in their younger days. some comparing him to hybrid star Shaq Thompson — the 2012 Grant-Sacramento graduate who was the Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick this past April — Lamar has Division I programs looking at him to fill holes at cornerback, safety, and even considering him as a linebacker. With his list of possible college landing spots narrowed to 10, he is expected to announce his selection during the Under Armour All-America game in Florida in January.

“To be 6-foot-3 and be able to move like that is crazy, and he can lock you up,” Jamarri said of what earned his big brother serious interest from most of the top national college programs. “I think that, for sure, he can go play (in Division I) as a true freshman.”

The action in Division I is an adjustment for every player making the leap from high school to college football, but Lamar’s transition may include more on-field activity than he has seen much of his last two seasons at Franklin-Elk Grove.

“Sometimes I feel bad for him because he wants to help his team and no one really throws his way,” Franklin head coach Mike Johnson said. “He is a playmaker, but sometimes he does not get the opportunity to make plays.”

In order to get his most athletic player more involved in the action, Johnson has utilized him at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Beginning Oct. 30, he’ll be

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THE JACKSON FILES ›› LAMAR JACKSON, Franklin-Elk Grove, Athlete (DB/QB/WR) 2013 – 1,428 yards passing, 17 TD, 10 INT; 595 yards rushing, 5 TD 2014 – 221 yards passing, 3 TD, 1 INT; 577 yards rushing, 9 TD; 64 yards rec, 1 TD; 2 INT, 1 pick-6 2015 (through 5 games) – 29-yard TD pass; 57 yards rushing; 1 pass defensed; invited to Under Armour All-American Game in Florida in January, where he is expected to announce his college commitment ›› JAMARRI JACKSON, Christian Brothers-Sacramento, Junior, Athlete (DB/RB/WR/KR) 2014 – 1,055 rushing yards, 19 TD; 179 yards receiving, 1 TD; 7 INT, 1 pick-6; 1 KO ret TD; 22 total TDs 2015 (through 7 games) – 613 rush yards, 14 TD; 178 rec yards, 3 TD; 2 INT, 1 pick-6; 1 Punt ret TD; 19 total TDs; 1,064 all-purpose yards

taking more snaps at quarterback following an injury to starter Jacob Lopez.

“He is a guy we can put anywhere because he is that athletic and talented,” Johnson said. “We could put him on our offensive line this year and he might actually be one of our biggest guys.”

Size is the biggest differentiator between Lamar and Jamarri, and may be the lone factor that has kept the offers from flowing in for the little brother. Just a junior, Jamarri established himself as a force on both sides of the ball for Christian Brothers-Sacramento. In 2014, he eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing on offense, had seven interceptions on defense, and scored 22 total touchdowns in a variety of ways.

In the 2015 season opener, Jamarri picked up right where he left off with four scores by way of a reception, rush, pick-six and a punt return — and that was the first four times he touched the ball in the first half of the game. One of the Falcons’ captains, he dazzles at running back, wide receiver, defensive back and as a return specialist.

“Game in and game out he is consistent in all phases of the game,” Christian Brothers head coach Dan Carmazzi said. “He may not be as big as some guys, but he makes up for it with intangibles.

“We are kind of spoiled with him on our team because he does well in all aspects of the game and can help us out in any position or situation he is put in.”

Despite the versatility and play-making ability, the recruiters are not lining up for Jamarri like they have for Lamar. But Lamar is quick to play the role of big brother and keep things in perspective for Jamarri while preaching patience.

“I tell him all the time to just keep ballin’,” Lamar said. “All you need is to get that first offer, and then the others will come.”

The brothers have always been supportive of one another, but they admit that the competition as kids did get fierce. As frequent house guests at their paternal grandmother’s home in Elk Grove, the pair battled it out in all endeavors, but mostly in sports. Pick-up hoops in the yard were a family favorite, but the greatest competition came on the football field as they grew up.

Through it all, the competition usually yielded to Lamar and Jamarri just being kids and enjoying the time they got to spend together at grandma’s house.

“We competed, but we were mostly into having fun and being goofy kids,” Jamarri said. “It’s weird now because I never would have thought that we would be playing football at this level 22

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with him getting offers from everybody.”

The brothers may have inherited their football genes from their father, Lamar Jackson Sr., who was an athlete in his own right at Valley High in Sacramento. But the strong family bonds have been formed with the help of their mothers and home support systems.

Lamar’s mother, Catherine Horton, played a big role in her son’s recruitment by teaming up with Coach Johnson to get Lamar academically eligible. After missing out on football as a freshman due to grades, Lamar has turned his academic portfolio around to the tune of a better than 3.0 GPA that impressed colleges almost as much as his size and speed.

Jamarri was pushed academically by his mother and stepfather, Jasmine Thurman and Searcy Andrews, who enrolled him at Christian Brothers after they were impressed with the school’s curriculum in addition to the athletic programs.

While those choices never allowed the brothers to play together in high school — they played one year together as Junior Pee Wees on the Sacramento Raiders — they stayed in close contact and built their family relationship with the game.

“Even though they have different mothers, they always seemed to share an unbreakable bond that I couldn’t drive a wedge through,” said their father.

Dad tries to rotate Friday nights to attend both boys’ games equally, and often has his parents attend games opposite those on his schedule to provide additional family support in the stands and after the game.

Both Lamar and Jamarri understand and appreciate their genetic similarities —primarily their athleticism and versatility — while also embracing their differences. In addition to their physical differences in size, their personalities are unique. Lamar is the more stoic and reserved of the two and Jamarri is the enthusiastic one that wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Both will continue to make their own marks on the local high school football landscape before heading their separate ways to test their abilities at the next level. Regardless of how close or far away they end up in college and beyond, their father believes that the brothers’ special bond will not be broken.

“I always taught them to give 100 percent on the football field, but when it comes to (being a) brother, you give 110 percent,” Jackson Sr. said. “We believe in family first because football won’t last forever, but family will.” ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

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Spartans Surging Rout of SoCal power has De La Salle looking championship-ready

Records are through Oct. 24 1. (1)

— De La Salle-Concord

7-1

2. (2)

— Folsom

8-0

3. (3)

— Clayton Valley Charter-Concord

7-1

4. (4)

— Elk Grove

8-0

5. (5)

— Foothill-Pleasanton

9-0

6. (8)

▲

7. (7)

— Grant-Sacramento

8. (6)

▼

9. (9)

— Antioch

Bellarmine-San Jose St. Francis-Mountain View

6-1 7-1 6-1 8-0

10. (10) — Archbishop Riordan-S.F.

6-1

11. (11) — Pittsburg

7-1

12. (12) — Central Catholic-Modesto

8-0

13. (18) ▲

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

8-1

14. (14) — Valley Christian-San Jose

6-1

15. (15) — Serra-San Mateo

4-3

16. (13) ▼

6-2

Monte Vista-Danville

17. (17) — Napa

8-0

18. (19) ▲ Miramonte-Orinda

8-0

19. (20) ▲ Oakdale

8-0

20. (NR) ▲ Campolindo-Moraga 7-1 DROPPED OUT: No. 16 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 14 BIGGEST MOVER: Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills finally gets a well-deserved bump as it hops five spots to No. 13 as the Trojans prepare to face No. 2 Folsom for the Sierra Foothill League championship on Oct. 30. The Trojans’ only loss of 2015 was a 54-42 defeat at ReedSparks (Nev.), a team which was still unbeaten at 9-0 through Oct. 24.

5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): Analy-Sebastopol (8-0), Antelope (8-0), Marin Catholic-Kentfield (7-1), Palma-Salinas (6-1) and Sacramento (7-1).

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That collective sigh heard across Northern California on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 17, came from every football coach getting a first glimpse at the final score from Long Beach Poly’s visit to De La Salle-Concord.

The Oct. 16 game between the two storied programs was a decidedly one-sided affair as the state’s No. 1 team demolished the then-No. 9 Jackrabbits 52-6. Many considered Poly to be the last true threat on De La Salle’s regular season schedule. The Spartans now seem to have a well-paved inside track to defend their California Interscholastic Federation Open Division State Bowl title on Dec. 19 at Sacramento State.

Despite a few sloppy turnovers on fumbles in the first half, De La Salle looked extremely impressive in the victory — especially in the second half when they outscored Phillip Walton Poly 30-0 and kept the extremelySpartans linemen Boss Tagaloa (75) and Devin Asiasi close in on Long Beach athletic Jackrabbits offense in Poly quarterback Nolan McDonald. neutral. It’s clear that the Spartans defense has come a long way since it struggled in a season-opening loss to Trinity-Euless (Texas) in late August.

“We weren’t physical and we weren’t disciplined (in Texas),” Justin Alumbaugh said following the win over Long Beach Poly. “Beside that kick return tonight, we’ve given up three points in the last four games now against some pretty dang good teams. ... I’m really really happy with how far our defense has come along.”

De La Salle followed up the Poly win with a 41-3 rout over Del Oro-Loomis and took a 7-1 overall record in to the final two weeks of the regular season.

“We were a really good team (against Poly), but we can still be better,” Alumbaugh said. “We’re going to have to improve. They will.

If they keep working how they’ve been working in practice the last five, six weeks, I think we can be pretty dang good.” ✪

SJS STRETCH RUNS Several Sac-Joaquin Section football leagues have experienced a gridiron version of golf’s Moving Day in recent weeks with contenders gaining the inside track on titles with the end of the regular season fast approaching.

On October 16, Inderkum knocked off its toughest Tri-County Conference foe to lay claim to the program’s eighth TCC crown in nine years and extend its TCC winning streak to 19 games. The Tigers defeated the Falcons 48-21 to improve to 8-0 overall and continue on its course for a tenth consecutive 10win season. Senior RB/LB Derrick Henderson rushed for 126 yards and three TDs, and added 12 tackles in the victory. The tackles added to his school career record total and included a caused fumble that Inderkum turned into points.

The hotly-contested Capital Valley Conference witnessed a close game worthy of the hype it received. Antelope needed a trick play with three minutes remaining to outduel Del Campo

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27-20 and remain unbeaten at 8-0 overall with a 5-0 mark in the CVC. Quarterback Montel Aaron, who threw for 265 yards and accounted for a pair of touchdowns, delivered a backward pass to receiver Davaeon Johnson, who then threw a strike to Ryan McCombs for the deciding score. The Titans edged Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove 42-41 in OT the previous week, and now sit in the driver’s seat for the league title.

In the foothills, the Pioneer Valley League title was at stake when Placer travelled to Grass Valley to take on defending SJS Division IV champ Bear River. The Hillmen kept their 2015 record unblemished with a hard-fought 26-14 road victory.

Owen Scott scored on a pair of TD runs, and the senior now has seven rushing scores along with seven receiving TDs. Placer’s dual-threat weapon is extremely balanced with 491 yards rushing and 527 yards receiving in eight games. ✪ — Chace Bryson & Jim McCue

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Hollister Hills celebrates four decades of providing adventures off the beaten path

I

f you ride an ATV or dirt bike, or would like to ride one someday, think about the sport today with its state-of-the-art riding gear and various types of offhighway vehicles to operate on innovative trail and track designs. Today, riding an off-highway vehicle (OHV) is a common and well-established form of recreation. It’s a great way to break away from computer games and join the motorized world of fun to explore the outdoors with your family.

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) operation has come a long way in the last 40 years. As technology provided for the mass production of OHVs, the popularity of dirt bikes and four-wheel drive vehicles grew exponentially. With the growing popularity of this form of recreation, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division was established in 1971 to provide public lands for OHV recreation and to manage the sport in order to protect natural and cultural resources so future generations could enjoy California’s spectacular landscape.

Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) in San Benito County opened in 1975 as the first State Park dedicated to off-highway vehicle recreation.

With the opening of Hollister Hills SVRA, a new era began of managed off-highway vehicle recreation in California and subsequently throughout the nation.

On October 10, Hollister Hills celebrated its 40-year anniversary as a State Park with a grand celebration. The day was filled with special activities and guest speakers for park visitors to learn, discover and appreciate the beauty and history of Hollister Hills. Among the speakers at the Commemoration Ceremony was the Off-Highway

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Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division Deputy Director Chris Conlin. Assembly Member Luis Alejo and State Senator Anthony Canella presented a California Legislature Assembly Resolution that commended Hollister Hills SVRA for providing outstanding recreational opportunities and visitor services for the past 40 years.

The new Octagon Discovery Center premiered at the event with exhibits showcasing the park’s history as well as the abundant natural and cultural resources. Park staff offered hands-on Junior Ranger programs and a guided interpretive walk in the Nature Area. Other interactive programs featured the ATV safety simulator for participants to learn active riding skills and remote control Jeeps for young operators to practice their skills driving on an obstacle course while following trail etiquette.

Other popular activities were free poker runs using off-highway vehicles in the Upper and Lower Ranches with a plethora of prizes donated by the Hollister Hills Off-Road Association, vendors and other organizations. Another highlight was the demonstration fly-in of a CALSTAR helicopter.

The success of the event was truly the result of team effort with volunteers, clubs, associations, the community and park visitors all working together to make Hollister Hills SVRA a fantastic resource to fuel family fun and be enjoyable for all park visitors.

The Hollister Hills staff invites you to join them in 10 years to celebrate their 50th anniversary! Hollister Hills SVRA is located at 7800 Cienaga Road in Hollister. ✪ —Richard Munoz and Donna McGuire for Cal State Parks

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Story by David Kiefer Photos by Norbert von der Groeben

ST

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COLD

STONE As one of the most dynamic middle hitters in the country, Ronika Stone is pointing Valley Christian back toward CCS, state titles

H

ere it comes.

With Ronika Stone on the court, it was only a matter of time before Valley Christian High School would break out the ‘slide.’

This time, St. Ignatius-San Francisco is on the other end, trying to hang on in this West Catholic Athletic League girls volleyball match.

Stone, a middle blocker, cuts to her right and Tori Dilfer releases a perfect set just inside the antenna. Stone circles behind her setter, leaps off her left foot, rises high, and pounds the ball into the floor, directly in the heart of the Wildcats’ defense.

The Warriors engulf Stone on the court and the bench erupts. This, after all, is Stone at her best — one of the nation’s most lethal hitters performing a move in which all the skills and athletic ability that make her so great coalesce into one unstoppable motion.

Stone is a 6-foot-3 middle blocker on a team two years removed from a CIF Division III State championship. The Warriors, seeking another state title, were No. 25 on the MaxPreps.com Top 25 computer rankings (through Oct. 24). Valley (23-7 overall) was 4-1 in the WCAL, a league so tough that two of its teams, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose and Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco, are defending state champs.

Ronika, the daughter of 12-year NFL right guard Ron Stone, is regarded as one of the top recruits in the country. Bound for the University of Oregon, where she will be reunited with her sister Ronna, a freshman on the Ducks’ track and field team, Ronika is averaging 5.5 kills and 3.9 digs per set, hitting at a .366 percentage, and has 41 solo blocks.

Her ability seems effortless. She is strong and lean and powerful and fast. She can jump — she won the 2015 WCAL high-jump title Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

and set a school record of 5-5 in her first season of track and field — and she is incredibly athletic. In 2014, the last of her two high school seasons of basketball, Stone had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a Central Coast Section Division III championship victory over Soquel.

“She’s a special player, obviously,” said Valley Christian first-year coach Ron Whitmill, who has worked with her on a personal level through the Vision Volleyball Club. “I knew what she can do on the volleyball court, but just the type of person she is in the gym on a daily basis, that was a surprise to me. I was impressed with the kind of leader she is. She’s not just really good, she actually asks

a lot of her teammates.”

Stone is goofy. There is no more appropriate way to describe her.

She has a sense of humor that disarms even the strangest of strangers, and a smile that simply invites others to share the same carefree demeanor.

When Maddie Dilfer, a current Notre Dame sophomore setter, was leading that Valley Christian state title team, Stone and their Warrior teammates had to remind Dilfer to loosen up and not take the game so seriously. This year, Stone, now in that role herself, understands Dilfer’s mentality better than ever.

“Our team personality is probably the craziest we’ve ever had,” Stone said. “We used to have dance parties before every match.”

But the danger now, as Stone sees it, is preventing that craziness from affecting their play. It’s her role to take the team down a notch and “to stay in character,” on the floor. Stone can still be goofy — just watch her excitement on the floor and fun interactions with teammates — but she’s also the first to take a teammate to task if that player is not focused.

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“It helps to have good genes, but it still has to come within the kid.

The parent can’t do it for them. It has to come from within.”

— Ron Stone, Ronika’s father It’s part of her maturation that has accompanied her rise in talent.

In an athletic family, competition was a given. The Stones would break into contests of jumprope, pushups, situps, or handstands.

“Maybe it was the competitions we had that were imprinted in her,” Ron Stone said.

“Our attitude was, it may be hard, but you can always do more.

“It helps to have good genes, but it still has to come within the kid. The parent can’t do it for them. It has to come from within.”

The Stones, including sophomore brother R.J., a burgeoning Valley Christian football standout, have never been afraid of working hard. In the weight room, Ronika prefers to lift by herself because it bothers her if she sees others cheating on their sets. Even when told to perform squats without weights during the season, Stone can’t help but lifting with weights anyway.

As a supreme offensive player, especially playing middle, Stone could be substituted in the back row as many of her peers are. But she has refused, working hard on her backrow defense and her passing.

“Middles don’t really have to pass,” Ronika said. “But I felt like being put in those situations is better for me in the long run.”

That decision required a deep commitment. There was no halfway. She has to be good if she’s going to take those spots on the floor.

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“Otherwise, I’ll be a huge target,” she said.

“I have to get better or our team is going to lose.”

As you may be able to tell, Stone is not your typical middle, a position akin to a center in basketball where height, but not necessarily mobility, is vital. The middle is not often the first hitting option.

But Stone developed a unique style early on that has added to her arsenal. She jumps off one foot. It began in basketball while shooting layups. It shifted to volleyball when her first coach at Vision, Mitty coach Bret Almazan-Cezar, taught ‘the slide’ on her first day.

“It came naturally,” Stone said.

Add her outstanding serving, her ability to control the net on the block with her side-to-side quickness, and there is little Stone can’t do on the court. For instance, in the sweep over St. Ignatius, Stone had 16 kills, nine digs, 2.5 blocks and an ace.

The U.S. Youth National team has seen the gifts she brings as Stone starred in the middle for the team during the FIVB Under-18 World Championship in Peru during the summer, winning a silver medal. She was among only two Californians on the roster, and the only one from Northern California.

She played outside hitter during Valley Christian’s state championship season, and even played right-side hitter for Vision. At Oregon? Who knows.

“Wherever I play is fine, as long as I’m playing,” she said.

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“Our offense is built around her, but rather than expecting her to do everything, if we’re going to be good, everyone else has to step up.”

— Coach Ron Whitmill

This season, Valley Christian is talented — Tori Dilfer, a junior, has committed to TCU, and senior hitter Ashlyn Fleming will play at Pacific — but the Warriors are attempting to find ways to beat teams like Mitty and SHC without the depth or pure firepower of two years ago.

However, the Warriors, despite two narrow losses to Mitty in matches stretched to maximum sets, haven’t given up hope of getting the best of the Monarchs in the WCAL tournament before contending for Central Coast Section, NorCal and state titles.

“From a coaching standpoint you get excited about all the different things you can do with a player like her,” Whitmill said. “Our offense is built around her, but rather than expecting her to do everything, if we’re going to be good, everyone else has to step up and get better and support her the best we can.”

Not only does Stone have the ability to outjump many blocks, but her quickness prevents blocks from setting up. Because she jumps off one foot, she can rise faster than the defense. And when she slips into the slide, the defense can rarely keep up.

The results are points like the series of kills Stone inflicted on St. Ignatius. From the backrow, the middle, and even on the lethal slide, Stone could not be stopped.

The Wildcats are not alone.

Some of the best teams in the country have had the same problem when facing Stone on the slide.

Even when they know it’s coming. ✪

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Proceeding With

Caution

health watch: dr. nirav k. pandya

Repairing ACL tears in young athletes has to account for the athlete’s physical growth potential

With the rapid increase in single-sport specialization among children, orthopaedic providers have seen a tremendous rise in the number of adult-type injuries in our young athletes, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Children as young as 6 years of age with these injuries have presented to my clinic with increasing frequency.

Unlike adult patients for whom the decision to undergo ACL reconstruction is relatively straightforward, the fact that many of our patients are still growing adds an additional level of complexity to the decision to undergo surgery for a torn ACL because there is a potential risk of growth disturbance.

When surgeons drill tunnels in the thigh (femur) and shin (tibia) bones to place a new ACL, these tunnels may cross the areas of bone where growth occurs (the growth “plates”). Up to 1.5 cm per year of longitudinal growth can occur from these areas in a young patient.

If an ACL surgery is performed which does not take into account that a patient may still be growing, discrepancies in leg length and/or angle (i.e. knock-knee) can develop. As a result, the decision to undergo ACL surgery in a patient who is growing should take into account the amount of growth remaining. This should be done in multiple ways since a patient’s chronologic age many times does not correlate with their physiologic age (i.e. some 13-year old boys have reached their maximum height by age 12, whereas others keep growing until age 17).

Surgeons who treat pediatric patients with ACL injuries utilize a variety of techniques to gauge the amount of growth remaining in patients, including x-ray’s, MRI’s, assessment of parental height, charting growth patterns and recent growth spurts, and assessing for the signs of puberty. This is important not only for the physician planning a surgical reconstruction but more importantly for the parents and young athlete so that they understand the potential growth implications of their surgery.

Due to this risk of growth disturbance, many ACL surgeries were delayed until growth was done. They were treated with activity restrictions and specialized braces until they were nearly adults. Unfortunately, multiple studies have shown delaying ACL surgery in young patients can lead to an increased risk of meniscus tears and articular cartilage damage since day-to-day activity without an ACL can subject the knee to repeated instability and damage.

As a result, differing techniques are now utilized during ACL reconstruction so growth can be preserved and surgery is not delayed.

These techniques including changing the position of where tunnels are drilled relative to the areas of growth in the bone, the size of the tunnels drilled, the type of ACL graft which is placed in the tunnels and the type of devices used to fix the ACL graft. These changes have allowed physicians to effectively treat the growing number of young athletes who present with these injuries.

This not only helps gets our athletes back to their sport, but more importantly can prevent degenerative changes in the long run. ✪ Dr. Nirav K. Pandya is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in pediatric sports injuries at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland and the University of California San Francisco.

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time to

Recover powered by trucks: anthony trucks

Have you ever wondered how long you need to give yourself in between workouts? We all have.

I always wondered when it would be OK to train a muscle group without damaging or overworking it, so I did a lot of research and found one unique fact of which I was unaware.

I found the typical recovery time between training periods is 48 hours to allow the muscle to adequately heal. What I didn’t realize is that it’s different for women. Women can, in fact, train within 24 hours, which was interesting to hear.

Men have more testosterone and therefore move wore weight, which leads to an increase in the muscular degradation, as well as the depletion of the nervous system. So due to men having more testosterone and more strength, we beat our bodies up a little more than women do when they are strength training.

On the other hand, in their own relative manner, women can do a great deal of work without degrading the muscles and nervous system to the same extent as a man. This allows for a faster recovery speed and ability to do more work more often.

So when it comes to deciding how long you want to wait in between workouts, you can determine the time based on either your gender, or how intensely you train the muscle group. Guys, just go easier on the muscle and you’ll be able to train more often. I for one enjoy a really hard workout and taking 48 hours to rest. The choice is yours. ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

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training time: tim rudd

Fueling Up Six strategies to proper nutrition for the high-performing athlete Do you know what types of things athletes have to do to improve their health, body composition and performance? As a Precision Nutrition Master Level 2 coach I have the most up to date, scientificly based researched and practical nutrition strategies at my fingertips.

Everything I teach my athletes is based on the 3S criteria, developed by Precision Nutrition.

1. Simple: Are the rules easy to follow?

2. Science-based: Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?

3. Successful: Have the rules produced success in athletes similar to yours?

A system based on those three things is absolutely critical.

To help you out, here are the exact strategies I’ve used with my athletes for years: 1. EAT EVERY FEW (3-4) HOURS: Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every few hours — some of them can be smaller snacks. But every few hours athletes should be getting a dose of

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good food that follows the other rules below.

2. INCLUDE PROTEIN-DENSE FOODS IN EACH MEAL AND SNACK: The most protein-dense and highquality proteins come from animal foods (chicken, beef, fish, dairy etc.) Females should get one palm size and males two palm sizes.

3. INCLUDE VEGETABLES IN EACH MEAL OR SNACK: One of the best and easiest things athletes can do to improve their health and performance is to include veggies in each meal or snack. Get at least one fist size in, but the more the better.

4. EAT MOSTLY UNPROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES: This includes things like rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. These should come from whole food sources that contain no more than three ingredients if packaged — and they should control their portions, limiting them to one cupped-palm size for females and two-cupped palm sizes for males with each meal.

5. INCLUDE A GOOD BALANCE OF HEALTHY FAT IN YOUR DIET. There are three types of fat:

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›› Monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives and olive oil. ›› Polyunsaturated fat should come from flaxseed oil, fish oil and mixed nuts. ›› Saturated fat come from animal proteins, butter and coconut oil.

Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health, performance and body composition.

6. Make sure to get half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. Our bodies are made up of 60 percent water, and water is absolutely essential for a variety of physiological functions.

Your health, performance and body composition will suffer if you don’t drink enough water.

The six strategies above alone will have athletes eating better — and performing better — than 85-90 percent of their competition. ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

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get mental: erika carlson

MasteringMotivation There are different types of motivation; finding the right blend makes a difference

What drives your motivation? Are you super competitive and always find a way to be the best on the field? Or are you a technique master who builds confidence through mastering your skills? Each type of motivation is a valuable source, but which type of motivation serves your athletic goals best?

Let’s break it down.

THE COMPETITOR

THE TASK MASTER

This athlete pushes herself and the team to be their best. She will not accept a mediocre performance and will get frustrated when she or others don’t do their part. Teammates may both admire and repel this athlete for their competitiveness.

The primary goal of the competitor is to be better than everyone else. In younger years, this may come easy and the athlete may feel compelled to stay on top. On the down side, frustration and negativity often follows this athlete. The athlete’s tolerance for “failure” (from themselves or teammates) is very low. Therefore, when the going gets tough, the competitor may not be reliable and emotions will kill their game performance.

Additionally, high levels of frustration may shorten the career of the athlete.

A young, super competitor is much more likely to burn out because they don’t have the foundation of skills (lack of task-mastering) to support the ultra competitiveness.

This athlete is really driven to perfect their skills. Task masters spend a considerable amount of time practicing and getting reps at their neighborhood park, in the backyard or in their bedroom. They are often great teachers and help their teammates break down and perfect their skills as well. The primary goal of the task-master is to feel confident about his or her abilities, so they know their skills will hold up under pressure. Is there a downside to being a task-master? Yes, but only when sport skills are equal. Once this happens, then competiveness matters more. The more competitively driven athlete will push harder to be better than the pure task-master,who would be perfectly OK not being the best.

I ask you again: which type of motivation serves your goals best? Both! A competitive task-master will have the most sustainable motivation. If you study the top 5 percent of athletes, you are very likely to see both types of motivation at work. How does this apply to you? If you recognize you’re a competitor, organize your week to spend more time on skill development. As you raise your skill level, your competitiveness will become a stronger asset. If you’re primarily a task-master, raise the bar for yourself. Set more challenging goals, push yourself harder to build your competitiveness. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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Fast Food home Food

nutrition: jill daniels

Many athletes and their families find that eating well during a busy week can be a challenging task. However, with a few ideas and a little prep time, you can easily fuel your body so that you are energized and motivated for all of your training, competitions and other activities.

If you need a snack that will sustain you for over two hours, eat foods from at least three different food groups, making sure that one of those foods is a good source of protein. Examples: granola and fresh berries in Greek yogurt; tuna with whole grain crackers and grapes.

Producing fast food from home isn’t as hard as you’d think. It’s easy to prepare 5-minute meals if your kitchen is well-stocked. Here’s five you could try, on the fly. ›› Turkey and cheese sandwich ›› Peanut butter and sliced apple in a whole wheat tortilla ›› Oatmeal with nuts, dried apples and milk ›› Chicken, cheese and bean quesadilla ›› Canned beans and leftover chicken added to canned soup Additional Tips: Schedule time to do food prep. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re able to whip up a meal in minutes.

Make a casserole or other main dish and store it in single-serving portions. Put them in the freezer for a later date. ✪

SNACKS THAT SATISFY Keep these ready-to-eat foods on hand for a quick snack: Mozzarella cheese sticks Cottage cheese Fresh fruits and vegetables Yogurt and Greek yogurt Tuna Milk Hard-boiled eggs Graham crackers Natural peanut butter or other nut butters Nuts and dried fruits Granola bars (<10 grams sugar) Hot and cold cereals Crackers (>3 grams fiber)

❒❒ Absorber, The.........................................................................47 ❒❒ All Out Sports League............................................................22 ❒❒ All Sports Training Center.......................................................40 ❒❒ Army National Guard Recruiter...............................................3 ❒❒ Bay Area Volleyball Club........................................................23 ❒❒ Bay Area Youth Sports Camps.................................................35 ❒❒ Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada..................................2 ❒❒ Blankenship Baseball.............................................................40 ❒❒ California Bowl Presented By A2k Sports...............................19 ❒❒ California Football Academy..................................................40 ❒❒ California Spirit Elite..............................................................21 ❒❒ Championship Athletic Fundraising........................................30 ❒❒ Club Sport..............................................................................48 ❒❒ Concord American Little League............................................40 ❒❒ Concord American Little League Girls Softball.......................37 ❒❒ Diablo Futbol Club................................................................25 ❒❒ Diablo Trophies & Awards......................................................40 ❒❒ Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union........................................32 ❒❒ East Bay Badminton Assn.......................................................38

Maximize your performance by seeking out personalized advice from Nutrition Coach Jill Daniels, MS, RD, CSSD, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. www.JillDanielsRD.com

❒❒ East Bay Bulldogs Basketball..................................................38 ❒❒ Excellence In Sport Performance............................................36 ❒❒ Halo Headband.....................................................................42 ❒❒ Jumbo Sunflower Seeds..........................................................19 ❒❒ Kepler’s Golf Repair...............................................................33 ❒❒ Kneed-A- Brace......................................................................32 ❒❒ Modesto Magic......................................................................38 ❒❒ Mother Lode Rugby...............................................................37 ❒❒ Muir Orthopaedic Specialists.................................................35 ❒❒ National Scouting Report.......................................................37 ❒❒ Next Level College Advisors...................................................42 ❒❒ Oakland Police Department Recruiting..................................13 ❒❒ Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division...................26 ❒❒ Placer Valley Tourism Board.............................................14, 15 ❒❒ Renaissance Club Sport..........................................................12 ❒❒ Rugby Nor Cal.......................................................................37 ❒❒ San Ramon Slammers Baseball..............................................38 ❒❒ Sports Stars Magazine............................................................32 ❒❒ Stevens Creek Toyota..............................................................31 ❒❒ Sutter Urgent Care...................................................................5 ❒❒ Tpc / The Pitching Center.......................................................19 ❒❒ U C Davis Health System.......................................................43 ❒❒ U C S F Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.........................39 ❒❒ United States Youth Volleyball League....................................41 ❒❒ Visitredding.Com.............................................................44, 45

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R

edding has home run venues for your upcoming tournaments, close enough to arrive for a weekend getaway, and far enough to completely change the scenery and competition.

Baseball and softball tournaments are played at Big League Dreams park, which features replica versions of famous Major League Baseball venues such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Many of the soccer and lacrosse tournaments are played at the four-field, all-weather Redding Soccer Park complex. And when it comes to swimming, Redding Aquatic Center hosts all your 50-meter needs.

Coming up, Big League Dreams will be hosting a series of youth baseball and fastpitch tournaments by National Softball Association, Hardball North and USSSA. Which replica field will you be on, Wrigley, Fenway, or maybe Yankee Stadium? You can also keep an eye out for sand volleyball, bocce ball and kickball tournaments at this complex.

The Redding Soccer Park will be home to soccer’s S*M*A*S*H Cup, Oct. 24-25. This event has a mission to bring breast health awareness to all who attend, furthering the “Think Pink” movement in the community while bringing in about 60 competitive teams. The park is a safe, gated facility with indoor restrooms, concessions and a play structure for the little ones. You can also register on the website for the Hunter Troy Clegg Memorial Soccer Tournament in September. Keep a lookout for upcoming dates for lacrosse tournaments too, or find the latest lacrosse information visit

reddinglacrosse.com.

Surrounded by mountains, miles of hiking and biking trails, a river running through town, nine State Park designations and five National Park designations nearby, the excellent tournament destination of Redding is the place to compete. Cradled by Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen, Redding averages 300+ sunny days per year, the sunniest city in California. Have time between games for some other recreation? Time Magazine called Redding the Unofficial Capital of Kayaking for its “weird obsession” with all things paddling. With temperate weather, nearby lakes and that gorgeous river in the middle of town, it would be “weird” to not get out and enjoy it all.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is one of the few full lakes in California and a great place to kayak, sail or just float on your back. Redding is also home to the famous Sundial Bridge, world-class fishing and 200 miles of hiking and biking trails. Head out on a day-trip to see the bubbling

Big League Dreams 20155 Viking Way 530-223-1177 November 7-8: Youth Fastpitch: NSA Fastpitch November 21-22: Youth Baseball: Hardball North December 5: BLD Flag Football

mud pots and boiling lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park, or get refreshed by the waterfall at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. This 129-foot gusher is considered one of the most beautiful in the state.

Also, be sure to find out what fun events are happening — like the upcoming Give Me Wings Century bicycle ride (one of the most challenging in the state) and the Salmon Festival (Forbes ranks Redding as the only West Coast city among the Top 10 fishing destinations in North America).

To keep up to speed on events, tournaments, things to do or to learn more about Redding, call 530-225-4105 or email Chad@VisitRedding.com. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by Visit Redding

Redding Soccer Park www.ReddingSoccerPark.com Lacrosse: www.ReddingLacrosse.com February: Lacrosse Opening weekend Redding Boys Jamboree U13-High School.

March 2016: High School Baseball and Softball: Dates TBD redding.bigleaguedreams.com

Shasta Magic Basketball www.ShastaMagic.com Tournaments (4th-12th graders) March 19-20, 2016: Shasta Magic Elevation Tip-Off April 23-24, 2016: 12th Annual Battle for the North State

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