SoCal Issue 128, February 2017

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FEBRUARY 2017

SOCAL EDITION

VOL. 8 ISSUE 128

LaMelo Ball CHINO HILLS - BASKETBALL - SOPHOMORE Yes, we’ve already featured older brother Li’Angelo Ball in this section as part of our first three SoCal Editions. And we weren’t really planning on highlighting LaMelo quite yet. And then he went and forced our hand. Melo turned in the second-greatest single-game scoring night in state history by dropping 92 points in a 146-123 win over Los Osos-Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 7.

He reached his total by shooting 37 of 61 from the field, 7 of 22 from beyond the arc, and converted 11 free throws. He scored 41 points in the fourth quarter alone. The 41-point quarter, as well as his 62-point second half were both state records, according to Cal-Hi Sports. The state record for points in a game is 100, set by Tigran Grigorian of Mesrobian-Pico Rivera in 2003.

The 269 combined points by both teams was also a state record.

Chino Hills improved 26-1 with the win over Los Osos and entered the second week of February ranked No. 2 in the state

by Cal-Hi Sports.

Got Send your nominations to: Next? Editor@SportStarsOnline.com or tweet us using #SSOTW 4

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NET RUSH Rancho Cordova Front And Center As Girls Club Volleyball Hits Full Swing

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hen the CIF Girls Volleyball State Championships concluded in early December, it essentially marked the beginning of a new season — the girls club season. And club volleyball in NorCal occurs as part of the Northern California Volleyball Association.

With the arrival of 2017, the much-respected NCVA began its 34th year of providing high-level volleyball com-

petition for Northern California from Bakersfield to the Oregon border as well as Northern Nevada.

NCVA strives to deliver competition opportunities for every athlete, regardless of age or background. It offers its high-caliber Power League for age groups 12 through 18. The Power League consists of a two-day qualifier event and a two-day regional championship as well as three league tournament days in between. The Power League is designed to feed teams to the top levels of the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships each summer.

In addition, the NCVA features a Premier League (for age groups 11 to 17/18) that includes a one-day qualifier, four league tournaments and two-day regional championship. The organization also produces non-league options, a variety of special tournaments, and one of just 10 Junior Nationals qualifying events nationwide. That Far Western National Qualifier is held annually over two weekends at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

The NCVA is extremely active in the Rancho Cordova region, utilizing the 73,000 Square-Foot, nine-court Rancho Cordova Sports and Events Center as a site for league tournaments as well as the upcoming Spring Classic Tournament on March 4-5.

The Spring Classic is spread among six NorCal sites, and Rancho Cordova will be home to the 16-year-old age group. Prior to the tournament’s arrival, the Events Center will be the host site to various divisions of the Premier League Tournament #2 taking place on Feb. 25-26.

For more information on the Spring Classic, or to see schedules, standings and results from any of the various leagues, be sure to visit NCVA.com.

The Rancho Cordova Sports and Events Center is located at 2561 Mercantile Dr. in Rancho Cordova. For more information on the facility and its numerous events schedule, visit rcsportscenter.com. ✪

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Seeking A SHARED STAGE I play on the girls basketball team, and we always play at a different place than the boys. If they’re at home, we are on the road, and what that means is that almost no students ever see us play. Even if we’re playing in our gym, most of the students will go to see the boys somewhere else. We’re varsity athletes just like the boys, and this doesn’t seem right. It would make so much more sense if we played on the same nights in the same gym as the boys. That way students could support both teams at the same time.

—A. W., Livermore

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hat you say makes perfect sense, and most of the resistance to that extremely logical idea comes from the boys coaching staffs.

They claim they want to see their junior varsity teams play, and if the girls and boys varsities are playing at the same site, they won’t get to see the boys JVs play.

This is, of course, nonsense. The boys coaches have plenty of opportunities to see the junior varsity play during preseason — and since they’ve gone through summer basketball, conditioning, open gyms and tryouts, the varsity coaches know full well what’s happening at the JV level. On top of that, they are usually so focused on their own game, that they barely pay attention to the junior varsity game, and in fact, often go in to talk to the varsity team right after halftime of the JV game. They’re also usually not there for the tipoff at the JV game, which they would be if they thought it was so important to see every minute of those younger players who they are already completely familiar with.

Oddly, though, some girls coaches believe it’s better for the girls program to be on its own, and create its own identity. That’s a nice theory, but in practice, after 40 some years of Title IX, the students still faithfully follow the boys wherever they go, and pretty much ignore the girls — even when the girls are very good and the boys are mediocre.

The ideal solution would be to have the girls varsity precede the boys var-

sity at the same site. This gives almost equal treatment to both teams, while at the same time conceding the reality that the fans are mainly going to come see the boys. (If the girls play after the boys, as is done in the Diablo Athletic League half the season, thanks to a lawsuit, the stands often empty after the boys game, and coaches wind up having to shoo parents, students and other fans off the court so the girls can warm up.)

So what about the JVs? There are a couple of options. To make scheduling as simple as possible, the two JV teams, boys and girls, could play at the opposite site, and the freshman boys (there are very few freshmen girls teams left) could open for the two varsity games. Or just play the two varsity games together, or alternate the JVs prior to the varsity games, or whatever solution seems best for that particular league.

But what’s best for varsity athletes, regardless of gender, is to play the girls and boys at the same site on the same nights. That maximizes attendance, maximizes administrative control, and maximizes the spirit of Title IX, which aims to offer the same experience to both male and female athletes at the high school level. ✪ Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and coached multiple sports and a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt.com

TOP 5 SUPER BOWL LI ALTERNATIVE FACTS The big game has come and gone. All that’s left is to clean up in the aftermath. And maybe make sure that the lying liars who lie, also known as the media, are delivering to you, dear citizens, all of the pertinent facts. Or reasonable facsimiles thereof. As the case may be. Here are the top five alternative facts about Super Bowl LI(ar!).

1. The Atlanta Falcons did not choke. #DoctorHeimlichWhiteCourtesyTelephone 2. Julian Edelman sucks at catching stuff. #SeriouslyWhatsWithTheRedRubberGloves?

3. The halftime show wasn’t an elaborate ploy to ‘disappear’ an outspoken Trump critic. #WhereInTheWorldIsLadyGaga?

4. The Patriots executed the single most improbable comeback victory in history. #TellItToHilllary 5. Tom Brady is the Greatest Of All Time. He’s obviously greater than Joe Montana because 5/7 is greater than 4/4. Shut up. It just is. #AlternativeMath — Bill ‘alt-Clinton -Gates -ly Dee Williams -the Kid -Murray -becomes-a-law -NOT-Belichick’ Kolb

Bob Andres/TNS via ZUMA Wire

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TWEET OF THE MONTH Our favorite tweet spotted in the @SportStarsMag timeline for the month of January came from Bishop’s School-La Jolla girls basketball star, Destiny Littleton. The USCbound senior became the state’s all-time leading scorer on Jan. 14, passing former UConn star and seven-year WNBA veteran, Charde Houston (San Diego High ’04). The morning after, Littleton tweeted this:

Littleton’s 3,838th point put her at the top of the state’s girls basketball career scoring list. On Feb. 4, she eclipsed the 4,000-point milestone in a win over LincolnSan Diego. The Knights are 24-1 .

SAY WHAT?!?

“He’s only going to get better. He’s not trying to embarrass anybody. He only wants to be the best player, and he’s chasing his brothers.”

LaVar Ball, father of Lonzo, Li’Angelo and LaMelo Ball of Chino Hills basketball fame, speaking with the Los Angeles Times following LaMelo’s 92-point performance against Los Osos-Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 7. Lonzo is the starting PG at UCLA and is considered one of the top college freshmen in the nation. Li’Angelo, a senior at Chino Hills, already has a 72-point performance for the Huskies this season. LaMelo’s big night came with Li’Angelo watching from the bench with an ankle injury.

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The NBA’S

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GOLDEN GLOW

olden State, and this doesn’t have anything to do with the Warriors.

Players from California are currently dominating in the NBA like perhaps never before. And while most of those superstars are from south of the Tehachapis, there is at least one from Northern California and there are other grads from NorCal schools making key contributions on many teams.

Three of the Californians are legitimate MVP candidates heading toward the All-Star break.

Russell Westbrook, who is from Leuzinger-Lawndale, is leading the league in scoring for the Oklahoma City Thunder at more than 30 points per game and is also trying to average a triple-double.

James Harden of the Houston Rockets, who helped lead Artesia-Lakewood to a CIF state title during his senior season there, isn’t far behind his former OKC teammate in scoring (nearly 29 ppg). He’s also been leading a team with a better record than OKC and has been among the league leaders in assists as well.

From a scoring standpoint, Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs is “only” getting around 25 ppg, but the former Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year from M.L. King-Riverside is leading one of the league’s top three teams. And if anybody saw him score 41 when the Spurs beat the defending NBA-champion Cleveland Cavaliers in late January, it was obvious his MVP credentials are as strong as any other.

Two others from California actually are scoring at a higher clip than Kawhi Leonard, including Oakland High’s own Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers. Lillard, who was not highly recruited as a prep player and went to Weber State, is averaging 26 ppg and has become one of the NBA’s best point guards. Lillard was chosen to the elite 30-player Cal-Hi Sports All-State team despite that lack of recruitment, and his ascent into NBA stardom has to be an inspiration to any high school player who’s not getting much attention from colleges.

The other high scorer from California averaging north of 26 ppg. — actually closer to 28 this season — is DeMar 10

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Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty circa 2013.

Gordon currently plays for Orlando, averaging 11.3 points per game and 4.6 rebounds.

DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors. He’s from Compton High and hopes to lead Toronto to this year’s Eastern Conference finals.

That’s a great list already, but that’s not all. Three other top 30 scorers in the NBA from California — all who’ve been over 20 ppg for most of the season — are Paul George (Knight-Palmdale) of the Indiana Pacers, Klay Thompson (Rancho SM-Santa Margarita) of the Warriors and Brook Lopez (San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno) of the Brooklyn Nets.

Thompson’s scoring is down a little from last season due to the arrival of Kevin Durant to the Warriors, but his status as one of the game’s elite shooters hasn’t diminished.

After Lillard and Lopez (we count Fresno as being part of Northern California for Cal-Hi Sports), there are even more NBA players from NorCal schools who have made big contributions this seasons, including recent Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year Aaron Gordon (Archbishop MittySubscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

San Jose) for the Orlando Magic, who became well-known to many in last year’s slam dunk contest during All-Star weekend.

There is also Tyler Johnson (St. Francis-Mountain View) of the Miami Heat, Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills) of the Houston Rockets, Matt Barnes (Del Campo-Fair Oaks) of the Sacramento Kings, Marquess Chriss (Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove) of the Phoenix Suns and Jeremy Lin (Palo Alto) of the Brooklyn Nets. Both Anderson and Lin led two of the most memorable CIF state championship upsets when Oak Ridge and Palo Alto each beat SoCal titan Mater DeiSanta Ana for Div. II crowns in consecutive years, 2005 and 2006. ✪ 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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TOP 10 STATE BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Bishop Montgomery’s Gianni Hunt

Sacred Heart’s Ilmar’i Thomas

Through games of Saturday, Feb. 4 BOYS 1. (1) — Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth 23-1 Marvelous Marvin Bagley, just a junior, soared for 43 points when Trailblazers blitzed Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas at this year’s Nike Extravaganza.

Through games of Saturday, Feb. 4 GIRLS 1. (1) — Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 18-2 Easy late-January win over No. 5 Carondelet, and an 82-62 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral-SF to open February, cements top ranking in state. Head-to-head win over Clovis West sure helps too.

2. (2) — Chino Hills 25-1 Huskies now have a loss to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) team that Sierra Canyon has beaten. The result also snapped their win streak at 60 games, putting them No. 3 on all-time Cal-Hi Sports state list behind Compton (66) and McClymonds-Oakland (65).

3. (3) — Bishop Montgomery-Torrance 22-2 Head coach Doug Mitchell’s squad has been playing very well in recent weeks, not even close to how it looked season-opening loss to Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland.

4. (4) — Mater Dei-Santa Ana 26-1 Recent addition of 7-foot transfer center Bol Bol (Manute Bol’s son) likely pushes the Monarchs closer to the top two in the state — and further apart from everybody else.

2. (2) — Clovis West-Fresno 24-2 Head coach Craig Campbell’s team was off-kilter when it lost to Centennial-Las Vegas in January, but appears to be back to form.

3. (3) — Long Beach Poly-Long Beach 18-3 Always deep and always intense, Jackrabbits won surprisingly easy 82-56 result over previous state-No. 12 Windward-Los Angeles.

4. (4) — Mission Hills-San Marcos 22-2 Bofh of the Grizzlies’ losses are to WCAL teams Mitty and Sacred Heart Cathedral. The SHC loss was in OT and they have enough other quality wins to overcome that.

5. (5) — Woodcreek-Roseville 21-2 If there’s a NorCal Player of the Year vote taken right now, Jordan Brown of the Timberwolves would be an easy winner.

5. (5) — Carondelet-Concord 18-4 After their loss to Mitty, the Cougars bounced back to beat rugged Salesian-Richmond 62-54. Their win over a healthier version of St. Mary’s-Stockton also still looks good.

6. (6) — Birmingham-Lake Balboa 22-3 Devante Dourtive had 34 points and his younger brother Devonaire had 26 when the Patriots routed Taft-Woodland Hills to virtually wrap up the L.A. City Section’s top seed.

6. (6) — Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 18-3 Dragons were No. 9 in the last issue of SportStars and have moved up due to the injury struggles at St. Mary’s-Stockton, plus other teams dropping.

7. (7) — Alemany-Mission Hills 22-3 Juniors D.J. McDonald (a guard) and Fred Odhiambo (a 6-foot-7 forward) have helped the Warriors emerge as the likely No. 5 seed in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs.

7. (7) — Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth 19-3 Head coach Alicia Komaki’s girls lost their last game when Long Beach State-bound standout Alexis Griggsby was out with an injury.

8. (8) — Roosevelt-Eastvale 16-6 Mustangs have beaten league rival Centennial-Corona three times and one of their top two players — point guard Jemarl Baker — is committed to Cal.

8. (8 — Alemany-Mission Hills 20-5 Just knocked off defending Open Division state champ Chaminade-West Hills for the second time in Mission League action.

9. (12) ▲ Sheldon-Sacramento 22-2 If not for a bad loss to San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno, the Huskies would be much higher in the state, possibly right behind or even slightly ahead of Woodcreek.

10. (13) ▲ Santa Margarita-Rancho SM 19-5 Just retired number of Warriors’ Klay Thompson, Eagles move up this week after beating previous No. 9 Fairfax-Los Angeles.

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9. (9) — Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa 18-3 The Cards had a bad loss to O’Dowd, but came back to beat St. Mary’s-Stockton when that team still had Ariel Johnson playing.

Newman also has two wins over Sacred Heart Cathedral.

10. (12) ▲ Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. 12-7 Despite their record, the Irish have a win over No. 4 Mission Hills and have close losses to top teams (although last week’s to No. 1 Mitty was by 20 points).

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play them

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STRINGS

op youth tennis players from throughout Northern California are getting ready for the annual Johnson Ranch Junior Singles Championships taking place over President’s Day Weekend. Placer Valley Tourism will join forces with Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville to once again host this three-day event on Feb. 18-20.

Girls and boys ages 12 to 18 will be competing in this United States Tennis Association sanctioned event, and the competition promises to be fierce. This tournament traditionally brings in a very advanced level of play.

Cris Bacharach, Tournament Director and Johnson Ranch Racquet Club Head Tennis Pro, explained that many of these players are quite serious and often travel with their coach to the tournament.

“Last year we had 253 competitors,” Bacharach said. “Which means quite a few kids had to be turned away as only the best 32 applicants for each age division are accepted.”

Matches start early Saturday morning and continue well into the evenings on both Saturday and Sunday. The NorCal champions in each age division will be decided in the final match-ups that take place on Monday, Feb. 20.

Mark your calendar and come down to the courts at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club located at 2600 Eureka Rd in Roseville to see these junior tennis athletes take their swing at becoming NorCal champions. ✪ — All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

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Roseville Hosts Fledgling High-Level For Younger Swimmers

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he South Western Age Group Regional swim meet is splashing into the Roseville Aquatics Complex on March 16-19 when California Capital Aquatics and Placer Valley Tourism host this exciting swimming event.

“This is only the second year this event has ever been held, and Clovis Swim Club hosted the inaugural event in 2016,” Executive Director for Sierra Nevada Swimming Denna Culpepper said.

She explained that the concept of this meet was a collaborative effort of two local swim committees, SNS and Central California Swimming, who joined forces to provide a higher level meet for the 14-and-under age groups.

“SWAGR was created as a bridge for those swimmers who were much faster than the standards of a Junior Olympics meet, and may not be fast enough to be competitive for the standards of a Far Western Championship,” CCA Meet Director Alex Ongaco elaborated said.

More than 400 swimmers are expected to participate, all of whom had to qualify by meeting a certain time standard in each event. Swimmers will be coming from as far as Arizona for this competition and records will undoubtedly be broken.

There are three local stand-out swimmers from CCA that were invited to attend the Sierra Nevada Swimming Age Group Elite Camp based on exceptional performance. All three will compete at SWAGR and are expected to do well.

Matthew Ng, 11, is ranked No. 7 in the nation for his age group by USA Swimming in the 200-meter butterfly. He will be setting his sights on a first-place finish. Bianca Ignacio, who is the 10-and-under SNS record-holder for the 500-yard freestyle, is another swimmer to watch. Matthew Crouch holds the 2016 SWAGR meet record for the 500-yard freestyle (12-year-old boys division) and is actively preparing to ensure he is at the top of the leader board this March.

The RAC is located at 3051 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd in Roseville, so make sure to check out these sensational youth swimmers. ✪

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KHAYLA ROOKS Chris Kroesch has a lot of irons in his fire. And that fire seems to burn nothing but hardwood.

Kroesch is the director of the Coastal Elite Basketball Academy, an assistant coach for the Palomar College women’s basketball team, and in his 10th year as the head coach of the Mission Hills High girls program in San Marcos.

And it’s not a bad time to be involved with girls basketball in Southern California.

“I think the girls game is growing, definitely,” said Kroesch, who was named the CIF San Diego Section Girls Coach of the Year following the 2014-15 season. “We have a lot of coaches in San Diego that are doing their part to help the game grow.

Marlon Wells, Roger Dicarlo, Robby Sandoval, Haseen Williams and Lonnie Jones are some of the local high school coaches really pushing the girls game to the masses.”

But it’s also not a bad time to be coaching the Mission Hill Grizzlies.

With Khayla Rooks — a 6-foot-1, four-year starting forward committed to Washington — leading the charge, Mission Hills has blazed its way to a 22-2 record and the state’s No. 4 ranking through Feb. 4. But while Rooks’ first three years with the Grizzles produced 79 wins and three San Diego Section championships, the team has failed to produce the program’s first CIF regional finals appearance.

With a slew of returning talent and an arriving transfer from a Northern California power, this season looks as though it could be different.

Through Feb. 4, the Grizzlies had combined to outscore their first 24 opponents by more than 750 points. They actually held rival San Marcos to a scoreless second half in 59-15 victory on Jan. 27. They were also a perfect 18-0 against Southern California opponents, including key wins over Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth (No. 7 in the state as of Feb. 4) and Serra-Gardena (No. 13).

The team’s two losses both came against NorCal powers, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (No. 1 in the state, and No. 2 in the nation) and Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco (No. 10 in the state).

“We’ve had an amazing start to the season, but those two losses are what stick in my craw,” Kroesch said. “The Sacred Heart game was in the championship of the La Jolla Country Day Sweet 16. We blew a 12 point third-quarter lead and fourpoint lead with 20 seconds left. We made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes and ended up losing in OT.” The loss to Mitty came on Jan. 16 in the Martin Luther King Classic at St. Mary’s High in Stockton. It was a 58-38 final, but Kroesch knows the margin could be much closer in the event of a rematch.

“In the Mitty game, they outplayed us in every aspect,” the coach said. “I would

Story by Thomas Gutierrez | Photos by Jim Johnson

feel very confident in playing them again. I know we are a better team than we showed against them, and with all that being said, I‘m very happy with (the) start to the season.”

With several players who have played together since their youth league days, Mission Hills leans on its chemistry and its senior leadership. But there’s certainly more to the Grizzlies.

“The strength of this year’s team is our versatility,” Kroesch said “We have a lot of length, can shoot it, and have a high basketball IQ. We can play any style with any team in the country.”

Rooks certainly plays a part in that. Since her arrival as a freshman, the Grizzlies have been an absolute force in the SDS. Missions Hills won the Division I final in her freshman season and have won back to back Open Div. titles leading into this season.

Winning basketball is in Rooks’ blood. She’s the daughter of the late Sean Rooks, a 12-year NBA veteran who played for seven different teams, including parts of three seasons with the Lakers. Her older brother Kameron Rooks also starred at Mission Hills and is now a 7-foot-1 junior starting center for Cal. “I started playing basketball as soon as I was allowed,” Khayla said jokingly. “I believe I was around 5-years old when I began. … My mom, dad, and brother helped me develop as time went on, and coaches and players around me today, along with my family, have shaped me and the way I play now.”

Possessing serious handles, rebounding skills, and an inside and outside game, Rooks is averaging ap-

proximately 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists per game. But make no mistake about it, Mission Hills is a team first and foremost.

Rooks shares the captain role with two other seniors who have played major roles in the team’s success in recent years. They make up the Grizzlies backcourt, 5-4 point guard Katelynn Nguyen and 5-7 wing Nikki Mayoral.

“Katelynn and Nikki are two integral parts, not only in this team but of this programs history,” Kroesch said. “Nikki is a gym rat who‘s been involved with the program in some way, shape or form since the 5th grade. She works as hard as anybody in the county.

She’s a defensive stopper, 3-point shooter, tough as nails and great teammate. … Kate is also a leader who‘s gritty, tough and tenacious, and also been around the program for a long time.”

Newcomer Hailey McCoy has been the wild card addition. The 5-foot-10 junior transfer was named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore Team last season while playing for Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills.

She’s fit in nicely among the talented veterans.

Add 5-8 senior guard Olivia Perez, 6-2 senior post Gabby Sebit and 6-0 junior forward Aaliyah Taylor, and the talent and versatility can’t be disputed. It’s just a matter of it all coming together at the right time.

“Our biggest issue this season has been consistency,” Kroesch said. “We need to play with better focus and energy more consistently.”

If recent history suggests anything, bet on the Grizzlies to figure it out. ✪

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ith four NCAA-sized lighted fields over 22 acres, Redding Soccer Park has built a reputation as one of NorCal’s top destinations for youth and adult soccer teams alike.

The family-oriented venue sits at the top of the Sacramento Valley, and is an all-weather soccer complex that allows for events and tournaments year-round. The park was built to offer much more than just four playing surfaces. The goal is to offer a full experience.

That experience is noticeable immediately upon entering. Guests are treated to paved walkways, elevated seating around the fields, a full-service restaurant and over 2,000 square feet of covered seating, equipped with ceiling fans and misters for the hot summer and fall climate. The covered seating area provides views of all four fields. There is also a large play structure for younger attendees that includes climbing walls, slides, ladders and more.

As one may expect, the park has a heavy spring planned.

The SoccerKraze Tournament is an adult tournament that will take place on March 4-5. The tournament is capped at 32 teams and entry will be based on a first-come, firstserve basis. Available divisions include: Open, Co-ed Over 30 and Co-ed Over 40. Entry Fee for all teams is $400.

Each team in the tournament plays a minimum of three preliminary games, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The number of teams per division is determined by the tournament committee, depending upon the number of qualified teams accepted per division.

On April 1-2, the park plays host to the first of two weekends belonging to The Border Classic — a tournament-style league for boys and girls ages U9, U10, U11, U12, U13 and U14 — built on partnerships with California Youth Soccer Association Districts 5 and 9, along with Oregon Youth Soccer. The teams can return for more play on May 6-7.

The Park officially rolls into summer with its annual party, Celebrate Soccer, on May 20. This year’s event includes an appearance by the U.S. National Women’s Team’s Megan Rapinoe, a Redding native and graduate of Foothill High of Palo Cedro. The festivities will also include a car giveaway. A Kia Sedona valued at $28,000 will be raffled off at $10 per ticket.

Information on the event and how to purchase a raffle ticket can be found at ReddingSoccerPark.com. One can also find information and registration links for both SoccerKraze and The Border Classic at the site as well. ✪

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St. John Bosco’s Wyatt Davis Scores One For The Big Boys To be a lineman and to be choRivers from league-rival FreedomMORE 2016 STATE PLAYERS OF sen as the Mr. Football State Player Oakley) were more explosive.

THE YEAR of the Year, that lineman would We don’t disagree with any of have to clear a lot of hurdles. Let’s the player rankings and Najee JUNIOR OF THE YEAR: Jalen Chatman, QB, see how St. John Bosco All-Ameriremains the best running back Narbonne-Harbor City can Wyatt Davis did it. we’ve ever seen from Northern SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR: J.T. Daniels, Is Davis one of the best linemen California. It’s just by the criteria QB, Mater Dei-Santa Ana we’ve ever seen in our 35-plus always used for State Player of the MEDIUM SCHOOLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: years of running Cal-Hi Sports?

Year, others emerged. We’re now Tristan Gebbia, QB, Calabasas Yes. We’d still perhaps rank Don just more glad than ever that NaSMALL SCHOOLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mosebar of Mt. Whitney-Visalia as jee will always be on the all-time John Buksa, QB, St. Anthony-Long Beach the best, but he wasn’t State Player state list, as we expect his career STATE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: of the Year in 1978 since Granada to only blossom in college and Jaelen Phillips, LB, Redlands East ValleyHills had a QB named John Elway. beyond.

Relands Regardless, Davis would be near In a way, Davis getting this the top of a short list that would year’s No. 1 honor also is a reflecinclude the last lineman to be State Player of the Year, Contion of the overall success of the St. John Bosco program cord De La Salle’s Derek Landri (2001), and last year’s all-state under head coach Jason Negro since 2012. While he’s the tackle, Folsom’s Jonah Williams, who just started as a true school’s first Mr. Football State Player of the Year, there have freshman for Alabama in the national title game vs. Clemson. been several others who were close, particularly quarterback Davis has also been ranked among the best linemen seen Josh Rosen in 2014 and running back Sean McGrew. They by longtime correspondents Ronnie Flores, Harold Abend were both the junior and sophomore of the year in 2013. and longtime L.A. Times high school editor Eric Sondheimer.

Davis also is even more rare than the other linemen who Second, did Davis help lead a team to a state title? No have managed to become State Player of the Year — Anaproblem there. More importantly, it was the way in which heim Esperanza’s Travis Kirschke was another one for 1992 his St. John Bosco team defeated its last three opponents, — in that he only played offense. In a program like Bosco’s, Centennial-Corona Centennial, Mater Dei-Santa Ana and that has to be the case. It also didn’t matter.

De La Salle: By dominating line play and balanced offense.

The team’s two-pronged running attack with senior TerJunior QB Re-Al Mitchell also should get a lot of the credit, rance Beasley and junior Demetrius Flowers often featured but all of the post-season accolades handed out so far involv- Davis at the point of the blocking holes. When Mitchell did ing the Braves, such as L.A. Times Player of the Year and Long go back to pass, it was almost impossible to get pressure.

Beach Press-Telegram Player of the Year, have gone to Davis.

Ranked as a five-star prospect by many recruiting services, Heading into the CIF Southern Section Division I champiDavis is seen as a guard by Ohio State, which is where he’ll onship, it’s safe to say Mater Dei sophomore QB J.T. Daniels play next season. At Bosco, he played everywhere along was the front-runner to be Mr. Football. If the Monarchs had the front except center. In the second Mater Dei game he won that game, Daniels would have added another game to was moving from one side to the other. In one memorable his impressive season totals. play, Davis blocked three players and the video of that play Davis didn’t gain a yard, complete a pass or make a tackle became viral on social media. in that game, but if his teammates hadn’t done those things This type of success is nothing new for Davis and his famthen he wouldn’t have earned any postseason honors beside ily. Wyatt is the grandson of NFL Hall of Fame defensive back the obvious ones as an offensive lineman.

Willie Davis of Green Bay Packers fame. His father, Duane Last year’s Mr. Football State Player of the Year, Antioch’s Davis, has played many boxing and football-related roles Najee Harris, was also strongly considered and would have as an actor in television and movies, including roles as Joe been the first back-to-back winner since 1913. Harris, widely Louis, Buster Douglas and others. regarded as the top overall recruit in the nation, finished with This is one Davis who doesn’t play around, however. Espesimilar totals as last year, but was hurt when other running cially if a championship is on the line. ✪ backs playing in the same games as him (especially Ronnie — Mark Tennis, Cal-Hi Sports

30 YEARS OF MR. STATE FOOTBALL 2016 — Wyatt Davis (St. John Bosco, Bellflower) OL 2015 — Najee Harris (Antioch) RB (Jr.) 2014 — Jake Browning (Folsom) QB 2013 — Adoree’ Jackson (Serra, Gardena) WR-DB 2012 — Michael Hutchings (De La Salle, Concord) LB 2011 — Deontay Greenberry (Washington Union, Easton) WR-DB 2010 — Dano Graves (Folsom) QB 2009 — Dillon Baxter (Mission Bay, San Diego) QB-RB 2008 — Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) RB 2007 — Milton Knox (Birmingham, Lake Balboa) RB 2006 — Aaron Corp (Lutheran, Orange) QB 2005 — Toby Gerhart (Norco) RB 2004 — Desean Jackson (Poly, Long Beach) WR-DB-KR 2003 — Sean Norton (Hart, Newhall) QB 2002 — Whitney Lewis (St. Bonaventure, Ventura) WR-RB 2001 — Derek Landri (De La Salle, Concord) OL-DL 2000 — Tyler Ebell (Ventura) RB 1999 — D.J. Williams (De La Salle, Concord) RB-LB 1998 — Kyle Boller (Hart, Newhall) QB 1997 — DeShaun Foster (Tustin) RB 1996 — Rod Perry (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR-DB 1995 — Chris Claiborne (J.W. North, Riverside) RB-LB 1994 — Daylon McCutcheon (Bishop Amat, La Puente) RB-DB 1993 — Keith Smith (Newbury Park) QB 1992 — Travis Kirschke (Esperanza, Anaheim) OL-DL 1991 — Amani Toomer (De La Salle, Concord) WR 1990 — Napoleon Kaufman (Lompoc) RB 1989 — Ryan Hancock (Monta Vista, Cupertino) QB 1988 — Tommie Smith (Antelope Valley, Lancaster) RB-DB 1987 — Bret Johnson (El Toro) QB *See another 60 years-worth of selections at CalHiSports.com.

join the MOVEMENT health watch: jessica medros

Since the early 1920s Pilates has been used as rehabilitative exercise. The following principles are the basis of Pilates for functional movement and optimal performance.

1. Alignment and base of support take precedence.

Alignment is the relationship between body parts and body regions in all planes of motion. It requires self-awareness and proprioception, or the ability to know where the joints are in space. Regulate the base of support, including all weight-bearing structures, such as the feet in standing, the sit bones in sitting, and so on.

2. Emphasize stability before mobility.

In each exercise, there are specific body parts that act as the foundation (the core), and others that move in a choreographed manner (the limbs). The foundational muscles in Pilates are the anticipatory and deep, stabilizing muscles of the core. An exception is when a young athlete has joint restrictions or stiffness.

Structural limitations may also result from a past injury or surgery.

In these cases, it is important to increase mobility and stability.

3. Breath is continuous.

Breathing guides and facilitates movement. For example, exhalation facilitates lumbar stability and co-contraction of the pelvic floor muscles with the lower abdominals. Inhalation facilitates thoracic expansion and overhead arm motions.

4. Every exercise has axial elongation (the scoop).

Pilates teaches axial elongation, or good posture with a

neutral spine. It is the opposite of compression and forms the foundation of many exercises.

5. Mastery equates motor control.

Motor control refers to the relative force of muscle contraction required to perform a movement. It’s the ability to sequence movement, anticipate and modulate how much muscles contract according to the relative load, time movement of body segments, control directional changes in motion and develop patterns of coordination. The result is a more efficient movement pattern and the least amount of stress to the body. Learning motor control in Pilates provides a motor map that can be referred to and applied to functional activities throughout daily life.

So What’s The Scoop?

The scoop is a benchmark of Pilates. It is the ability to maintain the abdominal contraction (without constricting the breath) while simultaneously enacting multiple muscular cocontractions. This concert of movements produces a dynamic connection between the core, the pectoral girdle (‘the secondary powerhouse’) and pelvic girdle (‘the primary powerhouse’) and hence, between the upper and lower extremities. In other words, full-body commitment is achieved in Pilates.

We Squat in Pilates?

Yes! An inability to correctly execute the squat will result in a perpetuation of faulty motor patterns and compensations. It is

Equipped For

common for young athletes with tight hamstrings to tuck during the squat. To avoid this, reduce the range of motion and insist on deeply drawing the abdominal muscles in and up (scoop!).

The squat has high rehabilitative value. For example, not only does it teach to avoid knee valgus (knock knees), but it also moves the knee joint through a functional range of motion, into flexion on the down-phase (135°) and into extension on the up-phase (0°). Full knee extension is required to properly load the lower extremity. The reason for this is the gravity-line. Proper standing alignment ensures the body’s center of mass falls slightly in front of the knee, so the extensor torque of the hamstrings relieves the work of the quadriceps and muscle equilibrium is established between the anterior and posterior quadrants of the thigh. Achieving full knee extension in standing is essential to developing normal stride lengths, optimally dissipating compression loads, and preventing quadriceps atrophy and patellofemoral syndrome.

Where Can I Find Pilates?

Join me in Oakland every Monday evening from 7-8pm for Pilates mat classes! You will learn therapeutic techniques, functional movements such as good posture and the squat, and have fun. Parents who accompany young athletes are welcome to join.

See you there! ✪ Jessica Medros is a physical therapist specializing in pilates for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and its Sports Medicine For Young Athletes division.

BATTLE

Strength Training Requires A Commitment To Attacking Both Physical And Mental Challenges

weight training: anthony trucks

Firstly, thanks for taking the time to read these articles. I love writing them and helping you get better.

Ahroo ahroo!! I was recently featured on the Spartan Race podcast, and the creator of the Spartan Race did a full article about me for Inc. Magazine and it was amazing. See, I run the races as well. They’re a challenge, and part of the fun is preparing for them in two areas: Mentally and physically.

If you haven’t run one yet, then know it’s a battle. Both in preparation and in racing. You have to be equipped for the battle, like Spartans used to be. That equipment comes from the weight room.

I’m about to re-open my gym in Antioch and ironically I’m on the search for equipment that will equip people for the battles they will fight. The battle in competition against others, and the battle against themselves in their own mind. If you want to win both, you have to sweat in practice so you won’t bleed in battle. I mean that literally.

This is the time of the year that weight rooms are packed with people sometimes fighting the same battle they’ve fought for years. The battle that seems un-winnable at times. There’s something special about the weight room because it builds both muscle and minds when you find your limits and crush them.

Here’s my advice: You’re already fighting these battles, but you’re fighting them without any weapons. Step into that weight room with one mindset. To push the weights, and push yourself, so you can push your limitations.

You do that, and you’ll step out of there fully equipped to take on the daily battles of your life. ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

Angst Over

ANXIETY

get mental: erika carlson

We’ve all been there. Feeling tight. Jittery. Nauseous.

Overwhelmed. Lack of control of your muscles. Confidence is nowhere to be found. Pre-game nerves.

Getting nervous is nothing new. It’s a function that’s embedded in our DNA and is designed to keep us alert and safe from potential danger. I often tell excessively nervous young athletes that if it were a different time in history, all that anxiety could be put to good use as a look out for the family cave or castle.

The highly anxious person was ready for battle at any moment.

But today, our nerves don’t always have such an obvious benefit.

Today’s “threats” tend to be those to our egos, situations where we may be perceived as not good enough. We tend to fear mistakes and failure. To be clear, I am in no way making light of this.

The fear that we feel is as strong as our ancestors’. The context is different, but the fear is real. Let’s break it down to examine what’s going on when nerves strike before a game or a key moment.

WE ANTICIPATE A SITUATION — The fear center of our brain sends messages which trigger our adrenal glands. Adrenal glands send a burst of adrenaline racing through our body. This causes the following symptoms: ›› Jitters (combination of increased heart rate, muscle tension) ›› Shallow breathing ›› Tightness ›› Excessive thinking about what might happen ›› Feel sick to our stomach ›› We feel helplessly stuck in our nerves, unable to shake the feeling, which causes more worry, and so the problem builds on itself. Stress levels are very high. ›› Performance suffers and we often find ourselves performing significantly worse in games, than in practices.

What can you do to get in control? A few simple strategies can make a big difference in your pre-game nerves: BE PREPARED — There’s no better source of confidence than being fit, technically sound and properly fueled. This will help you anticipate the game differently. Rather than fear what might happen, you can feel excited about the opportunity to compete.

BREATHE — This is the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to stay present, fight the adrenaline rush, lower your heart rate and feel a sense of control. Long slow breaths force you to slow down. Breathe early and often to get and stay in control.

EMBRACE YOUR NERVES — Feeling nervous is OK. What you’re feeling is your brain and body preparing for battle. The battle just happens to be in your sport. Adrenaline acts like rocket fuel for your muscles to allow you to spring into action. This is your moment, use that to fuel your game. Use it as an advantage.

Simple solutions can go a long way to manage nerves. Focus on these strategies, and remember, like any new skill it will take a lot of quality reps to hold up under pressure. ✪ Erika Carlson is a CEO and certified mental trainer at Mental Training, Inc. in Pleasanton.

the

BUZZ on caffiene nutrition: jill daniels

Triple venti, half-sweet, non-fat caramel Macchiato.

Tall, half-caff, soy latte at 120 degrees.

Non-fat Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Over the years, we have become a very caffeinated society, with dozens of different drink options available to fit anyone’s taste buds. Many athletes have experienced benefits from ingesting caffeine before a workout.

Caffeine has been shown to improve endurance, help athletes train harder and increase concentration levels. Besides coffee, tea and soda, caffeine is found in chocolate, energy drinks, and energy gels. Guarana, yerba mate, guayusa, and kola nut are ingredients, typically found in energy drinks, that also contain caffeine.

Every athlete responds differently to caffeine. It could leave someone feeling energized and ready to go, or it could leave them feeling jittery and nauseated.

With that said, it’s important to not experiment with it on competition day.

If you find yourself relying on caffeine to keep you energized throughout the day, there may be something missing in your fuel and hydration plan. Make sure you are eating adequate calories at breakfast and throughout the day, along with keeping your body hydrated all day including during practice and training sessions. You may also simply need more sleep!

Caffeine is regulated by several agencies and associations in the sports world. The NCAA and the International Olympic Committee have established maximum limits to help athletes avoid misuse of caffeine for competition. The Mayo Clinic has also established healthy limits for daily use.

They state that up to 400 mg/day is safe for most healthy adults, 100 mg/ day is the upper limit for adolescents and no caffeine is recommended for children. Keep these levels in mind as you’re making decisions on how to take the best care of your body.

Even though caffeine has been proven to improve performance, it’s best to focus on the basics of a good nutrition and training plan first. Make sure your diet is providing adequate fuel and nutrients on a consistent basis. Work hard as you listen to your coaches and trainers to be well prepared for competition. Get to bed on time and get extra sleep on weekends as you need it. These habits can make a big difference in improving your sports performance, and you won’t even need caffeine! ✪ Maximize your athletic performance by seeking out personalized advice from Nutrition Coach Jill Daniels, MS, RD, CSSD, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. www.JillDanielsRD.com

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Fairmont Prep-Anaheim guard Izzy Om goes strong to the hoop during an 84-70 loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco during the MLK Classic Showcase at St. Mary’s-Stockton on Jan. 14.

Photo by Jim Johnson