Digital Weekly Issue 40, Feb. 11, 2016

february 11, 2016 Digital weekly 40

Carondelet-Concord - Soccer - Junior Ospeck scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Monte Vista-Danville on Feb. 9. The goals were her team-leading 13th and 14th of the season and the victory clinched the East Bay Athletic League title for a Cougars team which has avoided defeat through its first 20 games of the season. Carondelet improved to 15-0-5 with the win, snapping a string of three straight draws. Ospeck has grown into the team’s top offensive weapon once Michigan-bound Brooke Cilley was sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing her ACL in a match on Dec. 28.

In addition to her 14 goals, Ospeck has is the team leader in assists with 11. Carondelet will be seeking its fourth North Coast Section championship and first since 2011 when the NCS playoffs open on Feb. 17.

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Woodcreek High to host its 16th annual Swim Invitational in mid-March The high school swim season is just getting underway and the Woodcreek Aquatics Club and Placer Valley Tourism know how to kick it off right — by hosting the first big swim invitational of the year, of course.

The 16th Annual Woodcreek High School Swim Invitational will take place at the Roseville Aquatics Complex on March 19-20. There are nearly 25 high school swim teams coming from all over Northern California, including the Bay Area and as far south as Fresno.

Last year the event had close to 1,000 swimmers competing in individual and relay events. This year they are expecting at least that many, if not more. Each swimmer can enter up to two individual events and two relay events per day, whereas teams are allowed to enter a maximum of two relays per event.

On Friday, March 19 the swimmers will hit the pool at 11 a.m. for warmups and the meet will start at 1 p.m. The swimmers will return for more races on Saturday where they will warm-up at 8:30 a.m. and the first races will begin at 10 a.m.

“We have tons of quality swimmers that are on the year-round swim teams and really fast rec league swimmers, so we should place very well,” said TJ Kay, the Woodcreek Aquatics President in regards to Woodcreek High swimmers, Admission is $3 and a two-day program will be sold for $4 at the pool entrance each day. The Roseville Aquatics Complex is located adjacent to Woodcreek High at 3051 Woodcreek Blvd. We hope to see you there! ✪

Mud will be flying and the trails around Folsom Lake in Granite Bay will be packed with high school mountain bikers on March 19-20, as more than a thousand student athletes will be competing in their second official race of the season — the Granite Bay Grinder.

Placer Valley Tourism is thrilled to be teaming with NorCal High School Cycling League again to bring this incredible race back to Placer Valley.

Vanessa Hauswald, Executive Director for the league, explained they have been racing out at Granite Bay for about 12 years now and love it because the terrain is perfect for all skill levels, while also providing a great venue for spectators.

“The Granite Bay course has a few technical sections that make it really fun, but not too challenging or dangerous,” Hauswald said. “And the flowing, rolling profile of the trail is really perfect as there is enough space for riders to safely pass one another, and yet there is some tight singletrack that keeps it fun. An added bonus is the course is gorgeous ... if you have enough energy to lift your head up and take in the scenery when you are racing.”

There will be 11 categories of competition which include freshman girls, sophomore girls, JV girls, varsity girls, freshmen boys (Division I and II), sophomore boys (Div. I and II), JV boys (Div. I and II) and varsity boys. Medals are awarded five-deep in each category and team trophies are given to the top three Div. I and Div. II teams.

Teams from as far south as Fresno and as far north as Arcata will be attending. The race days start around 6:30 a.m. when the teams arrive to set up their tents and staging area, then the course opens at 7 a.m. for a morning pre-ride and the girls teams kick off the racing at 9 a.m.

Mark your calendars, come on down to Folsom Lake at Granite Bay and see what these student athletes are capable of — you are sure to be impressed! Admission is free for spectators and refreshments are available on-site at the race. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

Eliminated from league title contention, a still dangerous Heritage turns its focus toward a new goal

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pproximately 16 hours had passed since the Heritage High boys basketball team had suffered a nail-biting 70-69 home loss to Bay Valley Athletic League nemesis Freedom-Oakley, and coach Pat Cruickshank was contemplating what his message will be to start the day’s practice.

“I know that they’re really disappointed after last night,” Cruickshank said. “It was tough getting them out of the locker room. They wanted to drop their heads and be down about the whole thing. ... But this season still has hope. That’s got to be my message.”

The loss to Freedom eliminated the Patriots from any path to the program’s first BVAL title since 2010. However, it was still just the team’s fifth loss of the season.

With three games still to play in the BVAL, Heritage was still looking at a potential regular season record of 21-5. Reaching that mark means it would also have avenged one of its losses from earlier in the season, a 71-65 defeat at Pittsburg in midJanuary. And that ought to make the Patriots a fairly attractive team to the North Coast Section seeding committee when it draws up and seeds the Division I bracket on Feb. 21.

Heritage is no stranger to the NCS playoffs, but the postseason has also been a major source of frustration as well.

Despite eight consecutive trips to the NCS tournament (six in Div. I and two in Div. II), the Patriots have never surpassed the quarterfinals.

“That’s one of the things we talked about on the first week of practice (this season),” Cruickshank said. “Getting through that one (quarterfinal) game that we seem to get locked into. Three of the last four have been at De La Salle, and the other one was against Deer Valley when they had Marcus Lee. “How are we going to get through that? That’s been one of our goals. It’s going to take a complete team effort, but I really do believe we have the potential to do it.”

The potential is unquestionably there.

First off, the Patriots can put the ball in the hoop. One of the top scoring teams in the section, Heritage averaged 75.1 points through its first 23 games. During that stretch, the team’s lowest scoring output was the 65 points it scored in the loss to Pittsburg.

“We’re still working on some things defensively, but we can fill up the basket pretty good,” Cruickshank said. “We can put six, eight, 10 on a team in a hurry, and that’s been great.”

Leading the way is guard Marcus Wallace. One of eight seniors on the roster, Wallace leads the team in scoring, averaging approximately 17-18 points per game, according to Cruickshank. He’s complemented by junior guard Anthony Dennis, who also averages in double figures. Senior guard Jason Aguliera provides a strong outside shooting presence and 6-foot-4 senior post Kobi Ford can be a threat in the paint.

Records are through Feb. 6 1. (2) ▲ Modesto Christian 23-1 2. (1) ▼ De La Salle-Concord 20-2 3. (3) — Sacramento 22-1 4. (4) — Folsom 22-2 5. (5) — St. Francis-Mountain View 18-2 6. (6) — Moreau Catholic-Hayward 18-4 7. (7) — Sheldon-Sacramento 17-4 8. (8) — Weston Ranch-Stockton 19-4 9. (9) — Salesian-Richmond 20-4 10. (13) ▲ Serra-San Mateo 16-4 11. (10) ▼ Jesuit-Carmichael 19-4 12. (11) ▼ Monte Vista-Danville 17-5 13. (14) ▲ Capital Christian-Sacramento 15-9 14. (15) ▲ Oakland Tech 22-1 15. (12) ▼ Manteca 18-5 16. (17) ▲ Palma-Salinas 19-2 17. (18) ▲ Half Moon Bay 22-1 18. (19) ▲ Dougherty Valley-San Ramon 21-2 19. (20) ▲ Newark Memorial 15-7 20. (NR) ▲ Dublin 19-3 DROPPED OUT: No. 16 Granite Bay BIGGEST MOVER: SportStars Preseason No. 1 Modesto Christian has finally returned to the top spot following De La Salle’s loss to CentennialCorona at the Nike Extravaganza in Orange County. As for the team with the biggest climb, that was Serra-San Mateo moving from No. 13 to 10. With a little less than a month left in the season, the Padres appear to be the secondbest team in the West Catholic Athletic League behind No. 5 St. Francis-Mountain View. Dublin returns to the rankings at No. 20.

Junior guard Tyriq Mack can come off the bench to provide a scoring spark or some of the team’s best lock-down defense.

But perhaps just as important as the groups’ offensive capabilities, is its cohesiveness.

“There’s a really strong chemistry to this group,” Cruickshank said. “That’s just something you can’t practice or coach up. When I began to see that we had that, I knew we had something we could build off of.”

Which brings us back to the present, and a team facing one of its few rough patches all season. If the chemistry is as strong as the coach believes, the Patriots should find a way to re-energize for a postseason that is still full of promise — especially if they can break through into the semifinal round of the NCS tournament. Doing so would assure the program its first ever berth into the CIF state playoffs.

And from there, it could become real interesting.

De La Salle will be heavy favorites to win the NCS Div. I title, but afterward would almost assuredly be drawn into the to CIF Open Division state tournament.

There’s an outside chance that if Monte Vista-Danville upset De La Salle in the section championship, both could end up in the CIF Open field. Central Coast Section-power Serra-San Mateo — which handed Heritage its first loss of the season, 82-71 on Dec. 29 — was an Open team a season ago and remains a strong candidate to return this season.

All of which means, should Heritage gain a berth into the CIF Div. I field, it could find itself in a similar position to what San Ramon Valley-Danville faced a year ago. The Wolves finished the 2014-15 season 21-5 and in third place in the East Bay Athletic League.

Tyriq Mack With many of NorCal’s Div. I heavyweights in the Open Division, San Ramon Valley took advantage and won four straight to claim the state title.

Cruickshank isn’t quite ready to play the San Ramon Card just yet with his team.

“Don’t think that conversation isn’t in the back of my mind,” the coach said with a chuckle. “I got it in my pocket if I need it.” ✪ — Story by Chace Bryson | Photos by Phillip Walton

As the North Coast Section league races near completion and wrap up by Feb. 20, here are five teams who won’t win league titles but should be considered real threats to be playing into March.

1. Heritage-Brentwood (3rd place, Bay Valley Athletic League) — Not many 20win teams finish in third place, which tells you a little something about the BVAL. This team can score too.

2. Dublin (2nd place, Diablo Foothill Athletic League) — The Gaels have a go-to star in Timmy Falls, but the rest of the team doesn’t sit back and wait for him to take over. One of just two teams to defeat DFAL-leading Dougherty Valley through Feb. 9.

3. St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda (4th place, Tri-County Athletic League-Rock) — The TCAL Rock Division is always a grinder, and none of the teams slated to finished ahead of the Pilots will be in the Div. V bracket. Also, Don Lippi-coached teams simply don’t go quietly. Ever.

4. Foothill-Pleasanton (3rd place, East Bay Athletic League) — The last team to finish third in the EBAL (San Ramon Valley-Danville) went on to win the CIF Div. I state final. This gritty bunch has key wins over Pittsburg, Castro Valley and Monte Vista-Danville.

5. Piedmont (2nd place, West Alameda County League-Shoreline) — The Highlanders could still win the league crown, but trailed Mt. Eden-Hayward by one game with three games left to play. They will remain very dangerous in the Div. IV playoffs because they can shoot the 3-pointer (39 percent as a team with 170 made as of Feb. 9). ✪

Not So Fast Oak Ridge among a handful of teams looking to disrupt presumed two-team race for NorCal Open Division title

Records are through Feb. 6 1. (1) — St. Mary’s-Stockton 21-0 2. (2) — Miramonte-Orinda 22-0 3. (3) — Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 16-3 4. (4) — Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 23-1 5. (5) — Salesian-Richmond 19-5 6. (6) — Pinewood-Los Altos Hills 16-3 7. (7) — Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 18-5 8. (9) ▲ Carondelet-Concord 15-6 9. (10) ▲ Vanden-Fairfield 16-8 10. (11) ▲ Sacramento 17-7 11. (12) ▲ McClatchy-Sacramento 19-5 12. (13) ▲ Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. 13-7 13. (14) ▲ Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa 20-4 14. (8) ▼ Antelope 22-1 15. (15) — Castro Valley 22-2 16. (16) — St. Francis-Sacramento 20-4 17. (17) — Brookside Christian-Stockton 17-8 18. (18) — Menlo-Atherton-Atherton 20-2 19. (19) — Lincoln-Stockton 16-5 20. (NR) ▲ Inderkum-Sacramento 18-6 DROPPED OUT: No. 20 Valley Christian-San Jose BIGGEST MOVER: Just three of the 20 programs lost during the first week of February, so movement was minimal. The biggest drop of the week belonged to Antelope, which fell from from No. 8 to 14 after being upset by Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove. Inderkum, a member of our preseason NorCal Top 20, finally returns by taking over the No. 20 spot vacated by Valley Christian-San Jose.

While everyone looks forward with excited anticipation for the clash of NorCal girls basketball titans — St. Mary’s-Stockton and Miramonte-Orinda — in the CIF Northern Regional Open Division Final, there are still some potential roadblocks for the St. Mary’s Rams.

Despite the No. 1 ranking in the state and the nation, St. Mary’s will have to maneuver past some traditional powerhouses to reach the NorCal and CIF State Championship games.

One such road block is the Oak Ridge Trojans, who entered the second week of February with a 23-1 record overall and a perfect 10-0 mark in Sierra Foothill League play. Head coach Steve White, in his 22nd season at the helm of the Trojans, has another solid team with its eyes set on the program’s fourth SacJoaquin Section title. Oak Ridge is deep and young, and has faced nearly every challenge this season with the discipline and teamwork that White has long professed.

Forward Sierra Rasmussen is one of just five seniors on a roster that gets plenty of production from underclassmen. Sophomores Hailey McCoy, Kassidy DeLapp, and Brittany Belanger play key roles in Oak Ridge’s steady scheme, as have juniors Cameron Kirtlan and Maria Dutton. The Trojans are more likely to have double-digit players score, rather than a handful of players scoring in double-digits.

Oak Ridge is a strong team that will likely need an extraordinary team effort to topple the top-ranked Rams if given the opportunity, but St. Mary’s can be certain that Oak Ridge’s entire roster would be giving everything it can.

Even if Oak Ridge advances to the SJS Division I final and falls to St. Mary’s, the silver lining is that the Trojans would have the chance to do what last year’s SJS Div. I runner-up, McClatchy-Sacramento did- — compete for a Division I NorCal and State championship while the Rams battle in the Open Division.

OPEN DIVISION SNEAK PEEK: Speaking of Miramonte and the Open Division, before the Matadors reached the 2015 NorCal Open final against St. Mary’s-Stockton last March, it had to win a grueling quarterfinal against Pinewood-Los Altos Hills. Miramonte prevailed 57-52 in overtime.

In a rare nonleague season finale, Miramonte and

Before St. Mary’s-Stockton’s Mi’Cole Cayton, left, and Miramonte’s Sabrina Ionescu lead their teams to another inevitable NorCal Open Division clash, there’s a few teams who would like a word.

Photo by James K. Leash

Pinewood are scheduled to meet in a 4 p.m. game in Los Altos Hills on Feb. 20. If the SportStars NorCal Top 20 rankings hold, that will most likely be a matchup of the No. 2 and 6 teams. Not bad for a postseason tune-up.

Miramonte is led by McDonald’s All-American and Naismith National Player of the Year-candidate, Sabrina Ionescu. The dynamic guard was averaging 28 points, 7.5 rebounds, 9 assists and 7.5 steals through the team’s first 20 games. Pinewood’s leading scorer is freshman Hannah Jump, averaging 11.2 points through her first 20 games. Sophomore Briana Carlos and junior Akayla Hackson were also averaging near 11 points a game. ✪ — SportStars Staff

The tragic deaths of two NorCal football players in a two-month span illuminated a role a coach should never have to play

By Jason Harper | Special to SportStars

T

he January night air was crisp and cold. The air bit. Throngs of faithful Del Oro High students, faculty, parents and fans gathered at midfield to say goodbye to one of their own.

Just days before, Ronny Andrews died in a tragic car accident. A little over a month after winning the school’s first CIF State Bowl title, the Golden Eagles’ football program was joined by its hometown of Loomis as it grieved in loss.

Hundreds gathered in the empty stadium accustomed to standing-room-only cheering fans. Wearing Del Oro’s ominous black and gold colors and #56 lapel pins memorializing Ronny, students whispered to each other wondering how to make sense of it all.

Midfield, where Coach Casey Taylor’s team had battled to compete amidst a season of highs and lows, the emotionally worn coach fought for composure. His eyes red from exhaustion, his shoulders postured with courage, Taylor searched for words. A small podium held tightly by the 14year coach of the Golden Eagles served as a place for his

hand-written notes. Just beyond him on the ground, candles outlined the number 56. Countless times, at this very place he stood, he had hollered resilient motivation. On this night, it was an altar of respect and mourning.

As a coach, he was there to console and counsel and give his grizzled athletes permission to cry.

Twenty miles west and two months earlier, Grant-Sacramento coach Mike Alberghini was broken with the same emotion on his own sideline. The day of the Pacers’ scheduled playoff opener, senior cornerback Jaulon “JJ” Clavo — known for his broad smile, personality and passion for all things Pacers — died from a gunshot wound to the neck just hours before kickoff. The team honored Clavo in their locker room with photos and flowers, some sent by area football programs. And they honored him on the field by prevailing 35-0 over Beyer-Modesto in the re-scheduled game three days later.

Two storied programs. Both dealing with death. And they are not alone.

Each year across the country, scores of teachers, coaches, principals, players and fans are forced to deal with the death

WHAT TO SAY/NOT SAY Some simple advice to follow when talking with students and player who are dealing with the death of a teammate, classmate, friend or loved one. ›› AVOID “At Least” statements: “At least he/she is in a better place” This diminishes the current reality and can make a student feel increased grief.

SAY THIS: “Can you tell me more about what this has been like for you?” ›› AVOID “I know how you feel” statements: “I totally know/understand how you feel” Though empathy is a great tool, using this type of statement minimizes the complexities of emotion. Every student has different feelings, making this impossible to be true.

SAY THIS: “Most people have strong feelings when something like this happens to them. What has this been like for you?” ›› AVOID “Cheer Up” statements: “Cheer up. The good news is that it’s only going to get better from here.”

Again, this is a dangerous assumptions. Grief has many layers and this statement could prevent them from feeling the necessary emotions needed to heal.

SAY THIS: “What kinds of memories do you have about the person who died?” ›› AVOID Comparison statements: “When I lost my friend in high school…”

Again, they don’t care about anyone else’s loss but their own immediate loss.

Choosing to be available and just listen will be more effective.

SAY THIS: “I know how I’ve felt when someone I loved died, but I don’t really know how you’re feeling. Can you tell me something about what this has been like for you?”

— Coalition to Support Grieving Students; Grievingstudents.scholastic.com

The December 2014 Richmond peace rally in honor of Rodney Frazier. of a student. There are no quick fixes. Coaches lead their players on and off the field, but death is never easy to navigate.

Berkeley High basketball coach Mark DeLuca vividly remembers the moment when his friend and housemate, Richmond boys basketball coach, Rob Collins, lost a player to gang violence. Rodney Frazier died after being shot outside of his grandfather’s house just days before the first scheduled practice of the 2014-15 season. The reasons was believed to be mistaken identity.

“Friday night, I heard him screaming and crying. I immediately went to find out what was wrong and he looked up and said, ‘My point guard was just shot and killed,’” DeLuca recalled in a 2014 interview with SportStars. “He just sat around the house crying. By Sunday he was finally able to talk about it.”

Though they spend hours devising game plans and schemes, rarely does a coach think about getting continuing education credits in grief counseling. Yet for the sake of the students they lead, they are forced to help process the emotion and begin leading student athletes in the healing journey.

Before Grant took the field after its weekend delay, many wondered how the Pacers would respond.

“I spent so much time crying over the weekend that it was hard to rally,” Alberghini said, his eyes bloodshot. “We have to do this. It’s part of life.”

In Loomis, the candles flickered bright.

“Tonight,” Taylor said, “I want to introduce one of our final speakers, Fatima Galindo, Ronny’s mom.”

Grant coach Mike Alberghini during a moment of silence for JJ Clavo.

An awkward hush hovered over the crowd. Galindo, a native of Honduras and a current Crisis Counselor in Placer County, stepped to the microphone. Students held on to each other for support as she began to speak. “My English, not so good. But listen to me. You all loved Ronny. And he loved you. Take arm.

Hold high. Hold other arm up with candle,” Galindo directed as she coached the crowd, her voice strong.

She had set aside her own need to mourn and was being of service to others.

“In my Spanish, ‘Adios’ means goodbye. Say ‘Adios Ronny.’

With your candle high, use other hand and wave to sky. Say it louder, ‘Adios Ronny, Adios!’”

Hundreds of hands went skyward with candles flickering. Faint ‘adios’ murmurings begin to build. Within seconds, the field was layered with an active action of closure. Healing had commenced. Slow and small, but it had started by the courage of the one hurting the most, Ronny’s mom.

Taylor, along with other coaches, players, students and faculty, stood waving and repeating this mother’s motivational mantra — ‘Adios Ronny.’

“She was brilliant and bold. I had no idea she was a counselor and as I listened to her lead the crowd, I was thinking, ‘She is

coaching these kids through this better than I ever could,’” Taylor said. “We were stunned by her strength. She is a true warrior.”

For those who coach long enough, the likelihood of a death on campus only rises. When tragedy hits, what can schools, teachers and coaches do? Both Grant and Del Oro had crisis counselors in place in the days following their losses. In both cases, law enforcement chaplains were also on campus to help students deal with these losses. DeLuca and Collins worked with the City of Richmond to hold a peace rally in the wake of Frazier’s death.

Several Bay Area teams and coaches attended.

“Grief looks different with each person and does not follow a set time line.” said Dr. Miranda Kucera, a school psychologist at Rocklin High.

“Immediate support is essential, but equally important is longterm support,” continued Kucera. “Coaches can be instruments in connecting their students to their counselors and school psychologist that aid in the grieving process.”

For Taylor and Alberghini, the healing has started. And like their players, the grief is gone but not forgotten. ✪ Jason Harper is the founder of Character Combine, a one-day event that assesses, develops, and celebrates character in college, high school and youth sports

Where To Have Your Winter Fun

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here’s no shortage of winter recreation opportunities in Northern California, but among the most inexpensive is the state’s SNOPARK program.

Distinctive brown highway signs located along highways identify the SNO-PARKs. The program is coordinated and administered by the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of California State Parks, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol and various community organizations. Through this collaborative effort, winter recreation opportunities are provided at 19 SNO-PARK sites along the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Each SNO-PARK provides visitors access to snow-cleared parking lots and sanitation facilities. The sites can accommodate self-guided activities such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and general snow play. The Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Program program supports 30 trailheads and 26 groomed trail systems, providing more than 1,700 miles of motorized opportunity on 11 National Forests.

These trails are used each year by an estimated 159,000 OSVs bringing upwards of 200,000 visitors to the trail systems. The OSV Program benefits not only motorized recreation, but also non-motorized recreational pursuits such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and even dog sledding Snow conditions determine accessibility and opportunities available at each site.

SEASON & PERMITS: SNO-PARKs are open seasonally between Nov. 1 and May 30. A SNO-PARK permit is required for each vehicle parked at a SNO-PARK site during that period. Permits are sold as Day Permits or Seasonal Permits by vendors throughout Northern California. Day permits are sold for $5 and are valid for one single day. Season permits are sold for $25 and are valid for the entire six-month span. You can purchase permits online at www.snoparkpermits.com or from various vendors that can be located using the same website.

The SNO-PARK permit must be displayed on the left side of the vehicle dashboard where it can be seen clearly from outside the vehicle. All permits sold are non-refundable.

PARKING & RESTRICTIONS: Parking is on a first-come, first-served basis at all SNO-PARK sites. No refunds are issued if your favorite SNOPARK is full. Park and drive carefully within SNO-PARK sites. Watch for pedestrians. Overnight parking, including in-vehicle camping is allowed except where noted or signed at SNO-PARK sites. Tent camping or sleeping outside a vehicle in the parking area is prohibited at all SNO-PARK sites. Do not build campfires on paved areas. Do not litter SNO-PARK sites. Trash containers may not be provided, pack out your own refuse.

Carry a shovel and tire chains. Vehicles parked overnight need to be staked at all 4 corners with 1x2-inch thick 8-foot poles to prevent accidental damage by snow removal equipment. Lock your vehicle and do not leave items of value in sight. Winter recreation activities may be hazardous. Your common sense, skill level, use of proper clothing, respect for the terrain and weather will combine to affect your safety.

For details, you can call the SNO-PARKs hotline at (916) 324-1222. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by CA State Parks

february 13

february 13-15 USTA NORCAL JUNIORS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS

WRESTLING: NCS DUALS Top wrestling teams from throughout the North Coast Section will wrestle for the NCS Duals Championships. The championships are divided into three divisions and two regions. The Division I and II East Bay titles will be decided at Liberty High in Brentwood and the Div. II Redwood Empire and Div. III championships take place at Windsor High. Weigh-ins take place at 8 a.m. and competition begins at 10 a.m. Defending champions include De La Salle (Div. I-EB), Las Lomas-Walnut Creek (Div. II-EB), Windsor (Div. II-RE) and Fort Bragg (Div. III).

The Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville is the home for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) NorCal Junior Championship taking place throughout the three-day Presidents Day Weekend. Singles titles will be contested for boys and girls ages 12 to 18. Competition begins at 8 a.m. on Feb. 13 and all championship matches are slated for Feb. 15. Johnson Ranch Racquet Club is located at 2600 Eureka Rd in Roseville.

february 20

GIRLS HOOPS: MIRAMONTE-ORINDA at PINEWOOD-LOS ALTOS HILLS Two of the top six programs in Northern California will face off in a rare nonleague season finale.

Miramonte entered the week of Feb. 8 with a perfect 22-0 record and ranked No. 2 in the state (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 7 in the nation (MaxPreps). Pinewood began the week with a 16-3 record and ranked No. 6 in the SportStars’ NorCal Top 20. Both programs are all but assured to be headed back to the CIF Open Division State Tournament where they played to a thrilling 57-52 overtime finish in a NorCal semifinal last March. Tip-off is 4 p.m.

february 25 SPRING READING Just days before many NorCal baseball and softball teams open up their seasons, SportStars will release its Baseball/Softball Preview. The issue will land on SportStarsOnline.com on Feb. 25 and be at all your favorite distribution outlets by Feb. 27.

The preview is set to include features on some of the top NorCal teams, key players to watch and NorCal Preseason Top 20s for both sports.

february 27 BASEBALL: ST. FRANCISMOUNTAIN VIEW at LEIGH-SAN JOSE The Lancers of St. Francis begin defense of their 2015 CCS Open Division title with a nonleague season-opener at Leigh. The returning players from the Longhorns have certainly been waiting for this matchup, as it was St. Francis who ended their 2015 season with 5-0 loss in first round of the Open Div. tournament last May. St. Francis is set to return a number of key players from its championship team, including infielder Andrew Martinez and outfielder Jeremy Ydens.

february 16

february 19

BOYS HOOPS: MONTE VISTA-DANVILLE at DE LA SALLE-CONCORD

BOYS/GIRLS HOOPS: SJS PLAYOFFS

Clashes between these two programs have been the can’t-miss main event of the East Bay Athletic League schedule over the past five seasons. The first meeting this season continued the trend as De La Salle survived its trip to Danville with a 60-56 overtime win. The Spartans play host this time and will all but likely have a shot at clinching at least a share of the EBAL title with a win.

The basketball postseason begins for the SacJoaquin Section as first round play-in games take place for all of its divisions. The tournaments for each of the top five divisions culminate in championship games at Sleep Train Arena on March 4-5. Check the section’s website at cifsjs.org for all of the brackets, match-ups, game times and locations. Brackets will be posted by Monday, Feb. 15.

february 20-21 CAMP & SCHOOL FAIRS The 3rd Annual Tri-Valley Camp & School Fair in Danville, and 4th Annual Contra Costa Camp & School Fair in Lafayette take place Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, respectively. The events include booths for camps, schools, preschool, daycare, S.T.E.M. & S.T.E.A.M. programs, sports, martial arts, gymnastics, enrichment, performing arts, scouts and family vacations. Activities and exhibitions. Both run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission & free parking. The Tri-Valley fair takes place at San Ramon Valley High and the Contra Costa happens at Acalanes High. More info: TriValleyCampFair.com; ContraCostaCampFair.com

february 23-24 BOYS/GIRLS HOOPS: NCS PLAYOFFS The first rounds of the North Coast Section boys and girls basketball tournaments get under way. Divisions I-III open Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. for single games or 6:30/8 p.m. for doubleheaders. Divisions IV-VI begin on Feb. 24 with the same start times. Brackets and matchups for all six tournaments will be posted at cifncs.org on Sunday, Feb. 21.

february 26-27 WRESTLING: SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS Individual champs will be crowned in the North Coast and Sac-Joaquin Sections with the top finishers qualifying for the CIF State Wrestling Championships on March 5-6. NCS will take place at James Logan High in Union City and SJS takes place at Stockton Arena. Brackets and times for each can be found on the section websites, cifncs.org and cifsjs.org. The Central Coast Section holds its finals on Feb. 20 at Independence High in San Jose.

february 27 SOCCER: NCS CHAMPIONSHIPS The North Coast Section Division I and II boys and girls soccer tournaments conclude with championship matches at various sites. The brackets and matchups will be posted to cifncs.org by Sunday, Feb. 14.

Defending champions in each division include San Ramon Valley-Danville (Div. I-Boys), Richmond (Div. II-Boys), Liberty-Brentwood (Div. I-Girls) and Miramonte-Orinda (Div. II-Girls).

Commitment

get mental: erika Carlson

CRUNCH

Being recruited brings pressure; committing early won’t help you sidestep it A growing trend in youth sports, especially female youth sports, is early commitment to college. In 2014, the New York Times ran a story about Haley Berg a 14-year-old 8th grader who, just a few weeks before her first day of high school, accepted an offer from the University of Texas to play soccer — in four years.

While it might seem like an unusual scenario, in today’s hyper-competitive sports world, it’s not as unusual as you might guess. So what’s wrong with making a decision early if you can? Why not accept the offer and play without the pressure of being recruited?

At a first glance that’s exactly how it looks — the work of recruiting is complete. No more evaluations; no more official and unofficial visits; no more emailing and discussions about possible options.

And of course there’s the status and “glory” that comes along with being an early recruit, “I’m going to Texas to play college soccer!” Sounds cool, right?

Not entirely. When one looks a little closer, there are many unintended consequences that come along with early commitment. Being “that kid” who committed to college at 14 leaves a lot to live up to. Even with tremendous talent, teens are going to have some tough games. Playing with those expectations every weekend will wear on someone and make him or her fearful of mistakes and not meeting expectations. Successful athletes will tell you that being at the top of one’s game is never easy. It comes with a lot of pressure, and that pressure can turn to fear very quickly.

Then there are other factors like injury. Will the commitment still be honored if the athlete is injured? And, what exactly does a verbal commitment really mean? Is it binding? What if the coach the athlete committed to leaves the school? What are the options? It can get complicated very quickly.

Academic concerns and whether a school is the right fit for the athlete is a concern too. Most of us are different students as seniors than we were as freshmen.

Committing early may also create tremendous fear and anxiety about what the future actually holds. Almost every concern listed above (others expectations, injury, whether or not the school keeps up its end of the commitment) is out of the athlete’s control. So, what’s in your control? Your grades — the most important piece of the puzzle. Yes, you MUST meet the schools academic requirements to get accepted. The better your grades, the more “recruitable” you are. Bottom line, despite the early commitment, there are many factors that still have to fall into place for an athlete to actually attend the school. And while you wait it out, will you miss another, more promising opportunity?

So what’s the solution? Patience and due diligence. Being a college athlete can be one of the best experiences of your life. It opens a door to becoming a member of a very elite club. Sadly, parents and athletes alike can get sucked into feeling like they have to make a decision as soon as possible. Kids need parents to be patient, present and ready to help guide them through the decision-making process. Remember, the process itself is an excellent teaching opportunity on how to carefully consider and make big decisions.

Mental toughness skill No. 1 is “control the controllables.” In recruiting, that means working hard on your grades, being patient, doing your recruiting “homework” and taking the time to carefully weigh your options. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

Popular adult soccer tourney heads to Redding’s top-notch facility Redding Soccer Park, a one-of-a-kind, “State-of-the-Sport” soccer facility, will be playing host to the Soccerkraze Invitational this March 12-13.

If you are part of an adult league team looking for a quick getaway tournament, well this is the one.

The Soccerkraze Invitational provides adult league teams the opportunity to compete against top-quality teams from various states — and it all plays out on Redding Soccer Park’s four, all-weather, synthetic-turf, NCAA regulation-size lighted fields. Saturday night games under the lights will bring an added element of excitement to the event.

This is a 32-team maximum event and entry will be based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The available divisions include: Open, Coed Over 30 and Coed Over 40. Entry fee for all teams is $400.

Each team in the tournament shall play a minimum of three preliminary games (forfeited games will count in the game minimum), two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The number of teams per division will be determined by the tournament committee, depending upon the number of qualified teams accepted per division. Also, the number of teams per flight will depend on the number of teams per division.

Redding Soccer Park is also home to various spring and summer camps and clinics. For 2016 dates, check ReddingSoccerPark.com as spring nears.

Once the rains of El Niño finally pass, it’ll be time for baseball and softball to overtake diamonds across Northern California.

That will surely be the case for the three replica ballparks located at Big League Dreams Park in Redding. Big League Dreams Park features replica versions of Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park and plays host to countless tournaments year-round.

The tournament season kicks off in earnest in March when Anderson High will host junior varsity and varsity tournaments on consecutive weekends. The JV Cubs Classic takes place from March 10-12 with Paradise and Del Norte-Crescent City returning as defending champs.

Then as many as 20 varsity programs take the field on March 18-19 for the 13th Annual Cubs Classic.

Lassen-Susanville was the 2015 champion.

The boys take the diamonds March 24-26 for the American Christian Academy’s Spring Break Tournament. That three-day event will feature up to 25 teams with a championship taking place on Saturday.

Hardball North (baseball), USSSA Fastpitch (softball), All World Sports (baseball) and NSA Fastpitch (softball) will all host tournaments at Redding’s Big League Dreams Park across the summer and fall. To check out the schedule and see images of the replica fields, visit Redding.BigLeagueDreams.com.

Big League Dreams

Redding Soccer Park

20155 Viking Way 530-223-1177

www.ReddingSoccerPark.com

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

Shasta Magic March 2016: AAU 8th Grade Shasta Magic Elevation Tip-Off April 2016: Shasta Magic 15th Annual Battle For The North State 530-945-0182 or Grayrealty@charter.net

Redding WinterFest When you visit Redding, be sure to enjoy all we offer at WinterFest Redding! Arts, culture and the beautiful outdoors! Great food, great music, great scenery and great activities. Join us!

WinterFestRedding.org

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

Rayovac flw Series

Feb. 18-20: Take your bass fishing to the next level! www.flwfishing.com

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Del Oro’s Clay Shropshire stares down Folsom’s Jeff Skyrud during a Sierra Foothill League dual meet in January. Shropshire won the 152-pound matchup 9-5, and the Golden Eagles edged the Bulldogs 35-28 in the meet. Photo by JAMES K. LEASH