Issue 11, 11.11.2010

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Freedom girls tennis’ big surprise PG 10

red Zone: pinole valley — ultimate underdogs PG 19

What cross country runners think about PG 9

ncs playoFF

predictions Football: PG 6

volleyball: PG 17

First tee, Firsthand PaGe 24

vol. 1. issue 11

FReestaRRinG east bay athletesnovembeR 11, 2010

Big Bike Big eventinfo, pg 31

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GET INTO IT

First Pitch .........................................................................6

SportStar of the Week ..................................................7

Wally’s World ..................................................................8

Locker Room ..................................................................9

Health Watch ................................................................13

Training Time .................................................................18

Red Zone: Gridiron Notes ........................................19

Tee2Green: Golf Notes ..............................................23

Twenty-Four7: Calendar .............................................25

Game Day: The Games You Have To See .................27

Impules: The Hottest New Products .......................28

ON THE COVERCalifornia

volleyball player Lauren Beyerle goes up for the

block.Phtoto by Bob Larson, [email protected]

See story, Page 14

Don’t look now, but the underdog pinole valley football team, and WR

nehemiah winston, is unbeaten. page 19

Freedom high school, and Kendall MArkham, left, refused to back down on their way to their

first girls tennis league title. page 19

RED

ZO

NE


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See story, Page 14

nehemiah winston, is

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See story, Page 14


nehemiah winston, is

NCS volleyball preview. page 17

San Ramon Valley’s Emily Reder

SportStars™6 Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.comNovember 11, 2010

PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507EditOriAl [email protected] Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • [email protected] Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mike Wolcott, Jim Man-nion, Mitch Stephens, Dave DeLong, Gary Xavier, Angela Paradise, Doug Gardner, Matt SmithPhotography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorn

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Pinole Valley High football coach Steve Alameda was getting a hug from a sup-porter as I called his name.

The nine-year coach of the Spartans and I made eye contact and I indicated I’d like to interview him now that his team had just clinched its first Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League championship since 2006.

He walked over and I introduced myself. “Hi, Chace Bryson from SportStars

Magazine.”To which he quickly replied, “Oh right,

you’re the guys who picked us to finish fourth.”

Ah, yes. Preseason predictions. Those things that writers forget about two weeks after they make them, while coaches and players commit them to instant memory.

I laughed when Alameda wielded that little dagger and playfully jabbed it in my side. But it got me thinking how the first SportStars football predictions were pan-ning out in other leagues.

So let’s go down the list, shall we?ACCAL: Well, as Alameda was happy

to point out, we goofed here. We picked Berkeley to finish first — and perhaps we can push for half-credit since the Yellow Jackets finished 7-3 with their only ACCAL loss coming against Pinole Valley on the last play of the game.

BFL: Oof. Suddenly we’re 0-for-2. We picked Valley Christian here. The Vikings have had a tough year so far, going just 3-6 through their first nine games. We did pick Salesian to finish second and Berean Chris-tian to finish third. The Pride and Eagles are both 4-0 in league and play for the Bay Football League title on Nov. 13.

BVAL: OK, we’re on the board. We went with Pittsburg, who despite an 0-5 start, have gone 4-0 in Bay Valley Athletic League action and can win the title outright with a win over Antioch in the Big Little Game on Nov. 13. Bonus credits: We picked Heritage and Deer Valley to finish second and third, respectively, which will also happen if the Patriots beat the Wolverines on Nov. 12.

DFAL: Bah! We put our faith in Las Lomas here, and it looks like the Diablo Foothill Athletic League crown will come down to whoever wins between Miramonte and Alhambra on Nov. 11. Perhaps our biggest error in our DFAL predictions was slotting Dougherty Valley to finish last. The Wildcats can lock up third place with a win over Dublin in their final game.

DVAL: We said Ricky Lloyd would pass Concord to the title, and that’s what happened. The Minutemen are 8-1 and have assured themselves at least a share of the Diablo Valley Athletic League crown. Thanks, Ricky!

EBAL: This league championship hasn’t been decided

yet. De La Salle was the easy choice. However, there was another undefeated team in the East Bay Athletic League after nine games: California. Yeah, we picked them sixth. The teams play Nov. 12 on the Grizzlies home turf. We’re sticking by our original predicition, though.

Should De La Salle win, that would make us 3-3 on the year. Now, we also made some volleyball predictions, too. And we actually did better in that sport.

We hit on four champions: Berkeley (ACCAL), Albany (Bay Shore Athletic League), Campolindo (DFAL) and Foot-hill (EBAL). We missed on the BVAL, which Heritage won for the first time (we picked Deer Valley), and the DVAL, which Berean Christian conquered over Northgate and our pick, Clayton Valley.

That gives SportStars a career predic-tions record of 7-5. Take that, Coach Alameda!

Buoyed by our winning record to date, here come a few more predictions since the North Coast Section football playoffs will be underway by the time our next issue comes out.

NCS Division I: If you’re looking for some crazy prognostication here, forget about it. De La Salle should cruise to a 19th consecutive NCS crown.

Division II: Despite the fact that I’ll once again have to explain myself the next time I attend a Pinole Valley game, I got a feeling this is Concord’s year. Go watch quarterback Ricky Lloyd in action, and you’re likely to feel the same way.

Division III: This just might be the most competitive division across the board. Our best guess is Marin Catholic will repeat as champions, quite possibly by beating the same team it did in the 2009 final, Encinal. Heading into their season finale on Nov. 12, the Wildcats had a string of four consecutive shutouts and had given up just one score (seven points) since Sept. 25. Defense wins championships.

Division IV: We didn’t pick Salesian to win its league, but we will give them the NCS championship nod. We’re fickle like that.

Want to give us your NCS football predictions? Send ’em to us by email-ing [email protected]. You

can just send us your predicted champs, or you can wait for the brackets to come out and pick them all the way through. The most accurate prognosticator will win our respect — and a pair of lift tickets to one of two Lake Tahoe ski resorts. Good luck!

Grading ourselves on our blind stabs & wild guesses

Chace Bryson Editor

FIRST PITCH

Chace@ SportStarsMag.com

(925) 566-8503

Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™ 7SportStars™November 11, 2010

of theweek

pow

ered

by:

ricky lloydconcord . football . senior

It’s one thing to win and, yet, it’s quite another to win big. Just ask Ricky Lloyd and the Concord High football team. Lloyd pioneers arguably the most excit-ing offense in the East Bay this season. Through the first 10 weeks, the Min-utemen were 8-1 (4-0 in Diablo Valley Athletic League play) and had outscored league opponents 254-64. The Southern Miss-bound quarterback paced Concord to a blistering 78-12 victory at Northgate on Nov. 5 by throwing for 312 yards and picking up five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). With one game remaining in the regular season against Ygnacio Valley, Concord is on the verge of winning the DVAL title outright.

sportstars: Who does your team model its game after?

Ricky Lloyd: We model our offensive tempo after Oregon. I wouldn’t want to be in any other offense.

sportstars: Explain the chemistry you have with your wide receivers.

rl: We’re one big family. We hang out on weekends, we text. After practice we like to go out and have fun.

sportstars: Have you ever thrown up in practice?

rl: Yes, my first practice with varsity was a two-a-day. I ate too much before the second practice and I started getting nervous.

sportstars: You guys lost to YV last year. What will it take to beat them?

rl: We just have to act like it’s another game and keep the same state of mind. We need to go in relaxed and ready to play.

riCKy’s QuiCK HitsFavorite hobby: DrawingBest postgame meal: Bambino’sbest pregame music: Whatever

Alec Pica picks. — Erik Stordahl

grant jones

A senior wide receiver for Ygnacio Valley, Jones heavily contributed in handing Northgate its first loss of 2010 on Oct. 29. He caught seven passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-14 Warriors victory.

Daniel Thomas

The 19-year-old CYC boxer was named Amateur Boxer

of the Year by the Northern Cali-fornia Veteran Boxers Association on Oct. 30 at the Italian American Hall in San Francisco.

Monique Riley

The junior shot a 2-over-par 74 to lead the Amador

Valley girls golf team to first place at the NCS Division I Tournament of Champions at Lone Tree Golf Course on Nov. 1. Riley was one of four Dons to finish in the 70s.

honorable mention

nominate your star at [email protected]


Mike Wolcott

WALLY’SWORLD

MikeW@ SportStarsMag.com

(925) 566-8500Ext. 109

Question: What orange-and-black-clad Bay Area sports team is sitting on top of the world these days?

If you answered the San Francisco Giants, you’d be … well, right.

But the Giants have company. Big company. Big, undefeated, the orange-is-so-bright, you-gotta-wear-shades company.

Something very special is happening in San Ramon, and it’s set up a Nov. 12 football show-down that probably no one outside the hallways of California High could have possibly seen coming.

With their 49-7 shellacking of Foothill on a cool night in Pleasanton last week, the Grizzlies carry a perfect 9-0 record into Friday night’s East Bay Athletic League championship game in San Ramon against (drumroll, please) De La Salle, which also stands at 9-0.

Two unbeaten teams. One night, one league championship on the line.

Is this the year? Could a Bay Area team have an honest-to-goodness chance of knocking off De La Salle, something no local team has done since Pittsburg’s victory in the 1991 North Coast Section final?

(1991. Nineteen years ago. To put this into context, that was before any current high school football player had so much as left the womb.)

Until someone actually beats De La Salle in one of these games, the Spartans are always going to be the favorite. But regardless of what happens Friday night, the Grizzlies’ season is already one for the record books.

And, especially, the highlight reel.This is a team that plays with over-the-top

intensity, puts up points in a hurry, rolls up crazy yardage (539 against Foothill) and comes up with hits that even impacts people on the sidelines.

No, really.For example, midway through the first quarter

Friday night, with the score still tied 7-7, Foothill tried a short swing pass. Cal defensive back Brian Krause timed the play perfectly, throwing himself full-bore and shoulder-first into the Falcons’ receiver the second the ball hit the receiver’s fingertips. The ball bounced one way, the receiver went another and the very vocal orange-and-black-clad visiting section went ballistic.

But the play wasn’t over — especially for Krause.

Second-year Cal coach Eric Billeci was so

ecstatic over Krause’s play, he bounded into ac-tion himself. Briefly leaving the sideline, he threw himself airborne into Krause, knocking him sideways and neatly recreating the play just made by his defensive back.

It just might have been the two hardest hits of the game, and it said everything about a program that never stops attacking.

Billeci, himself a product of the De La Salle program, sets a pretty high standard for the Griz-zlies, roaming (and sprinting) the sidelines with such enthusiasm, it’s tough to imagine him ever allowing a drop in intensity on the field. And, being a former Spartan (class of 1997) and no stranger to success himself, he appreciates what’s ahead Friday night.

“It’s going to be a very big week for us. Cal High has never been in this situation,” Billeci said. “It’s validated the work we’ve done as a coaching staff and it’s very rewarding to see the growth.

“I’m a day-to-day guy and I run a pretty tight ship. Now we’re in an opportunity to play for a championship. It’s an extremely rare opportunity

It’s not “Torture”, it’s just “Ridiculous”

Continued, page 26


“to be honest, the whole

champion thing re-

ally hasn’t sunk in.

but when i see that

banner, that will be the moment of

realization that we truly are champi-ons. i’m excited. i’m excited for that more than

anything.”— Freedom High girls tennis

captain, Alex Gerundio, on being part of the school’s first tennis

team to win a Bay Valley Athletic League championship. Gerundio

and her teammates also represent just the second girls sport to win a league championship since Free-dom opened in 1996. The softball program has won multiple league

titles. To read more about the Falcons’ championship tennis

season, see page 10.

It’s another edition of Chatter, where we respond to the emails or Facebook comments from our readers. Join

the conversation whenever you feel like it by emailing us at [email protected] or posting to our Facebook page — after you officially “Like” us, of course.

■ I recently noticed your comment (“First Pitch”, Sept. 23) that cross country athletes “should not feel under appreciated”. While I do realize and appreciate that you were trying to be supportive of our sport, to say the sport is not under recognized is just untrue. I mean look at the amount of coverage that your own magazine gives weekly to football, versus the 2-3 pages cross country is lucky to snag. Of course I can’t pick on your publication in this. In this one issue you’ve already ran more coverage of cross country than we are likely to see this year in ESPN Rise. I see why this is: Football, to most people, is more of a spectator sport, and consequently more popular to those who aren’t actually athletes of that sport. But to act like this disparity does not exist is honestly a bit of a slap in the face. I would obvi-ously love to see more cross country coverage, such as regional rankings or something ... P.S. I do actually enjoy your magazine, especially for its local focus. It is also much better than ESPN Rise, which seems to be giving more column inches to T-Pain and the latest video games than actual sports. — E-mail, Oct. 11

SportStarS: First off, thanks for the compliments. Secondly, you’re TOTALLY right. We aren’t pretending that we don’t cover football more than cross country. As fall has gone on, we’ve tried to get a little bit of every sport some legitimate coverage. While we didn’t get to regional rankings, we do plan on giving those crazy hill-runners some more ink. In fact, you’ll notice more cross country right below this (total coincidence!). Also, in our remod-

eled GameDay section on Page 26, we feature the upcoming NCS championships — and don’t worry, we’ll have our people there on Nov. 20.

Fifteen minutes for the mind to wanderHere’s the Top Five things that we presume go through a cross-country runner’s head on the course. We

presume, because, well, frankly, we could only run 3 miles if someone were chasing us with a knife:1. Oh look. Mud. Oh, hey. More mud. Say. Would you look at that? Mud. I’ll be darned.2. Do these shorts make my butt look big?3. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

4. To be, or not to be? That is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of out-rageous fortune, or to take arms against the sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them? To die: To sleep. To run.

5. Squirrel!— Bill Kolb

She Said what?!?

Bob Larson

College Park’s Will holland


Kendall Markham’s day of tennis is of-ficially over.

She sits in the cafe at the Diamond Hills Sports Club and Spa, not even a 10 minute walk from the Freedom

High campus where she’s currently a senior, and awaits her lunch order with some of her Falcons teammates.

A casual observer would have no way of knowing that Markham and her doubles partner Amanda Weaver had just narrowly missed posting the big-gest first-round upset on the opening day of the Bay Valley Athletic League singles and doubles championships.

Though that’s what had just happened when a Heritage doubles team of Stefanie Johnson and Me-gan Cleek — a league tournament-inspired pairing of the Patriots’ No. 2 and No. 3 singles players for most of the year — escaped Markham and Weaver with a 10-8 pro-set victory.

Now, at the cafe, there’s no anguish or anger lin-gering in Markham’s expressions. There’s no visible indications of her re-playing the match in her head. Kendall Markham is content.

How the Freedom High girls tennis team

seemingly willed its way to the the program’s

first league titleBy CHACE brysON | Editor


She’s content because she competed.“When I don’t win, I get really mad,” she says as her

sliced turkey deli wrap is delivered to the table. “But af-ter I calm down, I’m just happy that I got to play tennis.”

Perhaps that’s because she had only committed her-self to playing competitive tennis a mere five months earlier. And when she made the girls tennis team in August, it was her first venture into Freedom athletics after already spending three years on campus.

Markham’s story is the perfect microcosm for a Fal-cons tennis team which wasn’t as talented as its prede-cessor, but came together — sometimes in odd circum-stances — to claim the school’s first team tennis title.

◆ ◆ ◆ Steve Amaro can honestly say that he didn’t see it

coming. A season ago, behind USTA-ranked players Sarah

Osborn and Emma Fister, Freedom’s girls tennis team took a third-place finish in the BVAL. That team, Ama-ro said, was arguably the best in Freedom history. And coming from Amaro — who has coached the Falcons’ boys tennis program since the school opened in 1996 and the girls program since 2000 — that statement car-ries some weight.

So after losing seven of his 12 starters from that team to graduation, the coach’s expectations weren’t extremely high.

And a 9-0 season-opening loss to Carondelet didn’t help matters.

In the second match of the season, Amaro was absent serving jury duty when he received an update from as-sistant coach Elisha Hall: Freedom was leading Granada.

“I remember how frustrated I was as a coach,” Ama-ro said after receiving the update. “As I thought it may

be one of the few wins we would get this season.”Upon his release from jury duty, Amaro was on

hand to see wins over Clayton Valley, Livermore and Ygnacio Valley.

“We were improving with every practice, but I couldn’t conceive we were on our way to a magical sea-son,” the coach said.

Nicole Zanarini didn’t see it coming either. Zanarini returned for her fourth year of varsity in

2010, and was a natural selection as the team’s No. 1 sin-gles player after the graduations of Osborn and Fister.

“We’ve always strived to be league champs, and we’ve just barely missed it,” Zanarini said of the three previous Freedom teams she’d been a part of. “I think that of any of the years we would’ve done it, I didn’t expect it to be this year.”

So what happened?Markham happened. And Nadean Hurtado happened. And Jenna Botorff happened.The list could go on, but let’s get back to Markham

for just one second. In her years prior to picking up the tennis racquet for the Falcons, she was a competi-tive horseback rider — not exactly a gateway sport to tennis.

“I was with her during tennis camp (over the sum-mer),” team captain and No. 3 singles player Alex Ge-rundio recalled. “I was the one helping her and teach-ing her all the fundamentals, and then she just took off. She’s amazing. This is probably only her fifth month playing tennis.”

Playing almost exclusively in the No. 3 doubles slot, Markham and Weaver won 13 matches together. That included an 8-2 record in league play. Of the five

Butch Noble

Falcons’ No. 2 singles player Nadean Hurtado lunges to return a shot during a quarterfinal of the BVAL singles tournament.

PRevious PaGe: Kendall Markham was part of a doubles team which notched 13 victories in 2010.

SportStars™12 Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com

Freedom players asked to name the teammate who sur-prised them the most in 2010, three said Markham without hesitation.

“Kendall Markham left her mark here as a one-year ten-nis player,” Amaro said. “(She was) someone who genu-inely set out a goal and did what she thought she could accomplish.”

While Markham and Weaver were raising eyebrows and shattering expectations in doubles play for the Falcons, Hurtado and Bortorff were doing the same in singles. In fact, both players — Hurtado at No. 2 and Bortorff at No. 5 — went a combined 20-0 in league play.

Chalk that up as another thing Amaro didn’t expect. “Jenna going undefeated, I don’t think I could’ve pre-

dicted that,” Amaro said. “She’s just so competitive...And I can tell you that Nadean has truly found her passion. She wants to be the No. 1 singles player now. She didn’t want that before. She wasn’t sure what she wanted before, but I can see that she’s going to dedicate herself to be as great as she can become.”

◆ ◆ ◆ September 27 was the day that Amaro finally stopped

being surprised. Because Freedom and the rest of the Liberty Union

School District take a two-week school break at the end of September, the Falcons chose to get a week’s worth of ac-tion out of the way with a doubleheader. They played Heri-tage at 9 a.m. that morning and won 6-3 before turning around and defeating rival Liberty 5-4 in the afternoon.

“Liberty was actually up in that match 4-2,” Amaro re-called. “And it looked like there were a few times where match point was there and Liberty was going to beat us, and it didn’t happen.”

One of Freedom’s victories in that defeat of Liberty came in the No. 1 doubles match. Falcons’ Kristen Quesada and Madison Mills defeated Alexis Esquivel and Hannah Fu-gazi 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Quesada had only played her first doubles match of the

season just three days earlier. Originally slated to spend her season as the No. 1 singles

player for the JV team, the junior spent the first half of the year filling in for various varsity singles players. And then on the last week of September, Quesada’s role changed when No. 1 doubles player Mansi Saini took a four-week absence to see her uncle get wed in India.

So after Quesada and Mills notched their first victory together in the No. 1 doubles slot, Amaro started to look at things a little differently.

“I would ask myself why are they doing this? What’s hap-pening?,” he said. “And the most rationale answer I came up with is, why not?. The opportunity is there, reach out and grab it. And they did that.”

The Falcons went on to win six of their final seven league matches. The only hiccup coming in a 6-3 loss at Liberty on Oct. 19. Coming against a heated rival, it was a loss that could’ve derailed Freedom.

“They were upset,” Amaro said. “At the end of (the fol-lowing day’s practice) I just told them we still have the abil-ity to win this — to be the first tennis team in Freedom history, and the second girls sport in Freedom history to win a banner — and they really went after it.”

The team clinched its title in the final match of the sea-son, dispatching Antioch 6-3 on Oct. 28. Zanarini shined, defeating Shannon West 6-3, 6-0 just weeks after West had topped her 6-1, 6-2. Hurtado and Botorff both won in straight sets and No. 4 singles player Amy Yonemoto (a senior) grabbed a three-set victory in her match.

The Falcons also notched two doubles wins in the clinch-er, including the No. 2 doubles match where Sierra Quinley and Randi Strain closed out BVAL play with a 9-1 record.

The title qualifies Freedom for North Coast Section Team Tennis tournament which begins on Nov. 9. They will assuredly go into the tournament as heavy underdogs to reach the final, let alone win it.

But Amaro and his Falcons players can attest, stranger things can happen. ✪

November 11, 2010

Butch Noble

Jenna Botorff (left) went undefeated in BVAL singles play as Freedom’s No. 5. Meanwhile, Nicole Zanarini held down the No. 1 singles position for the Falcons and reached the semifinals of the BVAL Tournament.


At the Sports Medi-cine Center we work with athletes form all

sports and ability levels. From time to time we work with cyclists and mountain bikers, and we have found that the demands of these sports are quite different than most field and running sports.

When treating any athlete, we first look at the primary body position of the sport. For a mountain biker the primary body position is seated but leaning slightly forward with hands on a stable surface. This body position allows for maximal lower body power production, but also requires dynamic core control and upper body stability.

A dynamic core stability program is a key part of any training program for a mountain biker. Your core is made up of your abdominal muscles, oblique mus-cles and lower back muscles, and these muscles work together to stabilize the spine. These muscles are crucial for every athlete, but they are especially useful for a mountain biker.

The ability to stabilize your spine on the bike while your legs are moving is not only the key to avoiding obstacles, but also vitally important in being fast. I love using a front- plank pushup position to train mountain bikers how to stabilize in the position that they ride in.

A challenging exercise for cyclists and mountain bikers is a front plank hold with small leg lifts. While holding front plank position (elbows and toes on the floor) try five leg lifts with each leg, and then take a

break. Repeat this exercise for three sets with a one minute break in between. You should feel your abdominals and obliques working, and no pain in your lower back.

Due to the repetitive mo-tion of the lower body joints and muscles used in cycling we often see tight and over-used muscles in the legs of mountain bikers. The typically tight muscles of the lower body usually are the lateral quad, I.T. band and lateral hamstring. If these muscles are tight they may cause the

patella (knee cap) to track improperly and cause knee pain.

A thorough flexibility program after riding — utilizing both static stretching and foam roller myofascial release — should help to increase flexibility to these tight muscles. The foam roller is a great tool to work out some of those knots in your quads and hamstrings that come from training and hard workouts. With the foam roller flat on the floor, lie down with the foam roller going directly across your thighs. Using your arms on the floor, slowly roll your body up and down 10 times using the pressure of the foam roller to massage your quads. Repeat this mas-sage after every workout.

Good core exercises and a thorough flex-ibility program will help make you stronger and more agile the next time you ride.

James Faison is an athletic trainer and a certified strength and conditioning spe-cialist at the Sports Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital Oakland. He is also head athletic trainer at Berkeley High.

Core stability and stretches for mountain biking

James Faison

Health Watch


bob larson

Cal high’s Cassandra montell celebrates a point in a match at san Ramon valley on nov. 2. RiGht: Grizzlies setter ally Good ranks among

the top in the state in season assist totals.

Seven seniors and one standout sophomore have California believing in an NCS championship run

Talented players and good coaching is usually the recipe for suc-cess at any level. However, one aspect in sports is often over-looked.

Belief.A team that believes it is the best, often is, and the California High

girls volleyball team is starting to figure that out.“Heart, determination and belief. That’s all you need,” California

coach Todd Baham said. “It’s all between the ears. I tell them every day that they need to believe they are the best team when they walk into a gym. And when they’ve done that, they’ve shown they can play with anybody.”

The East Bay Athletic League is loaded with talented players, like Caitlin DeWitt of Foothill, Kelly Shaver of Granada and Erin Sher-wood of San Ramon Valley. But the one thing the Grizzlies might have working in their favor is depth.

“We just need to realize, as a whole, we’re the best team,” Cal’s se-nior middle hitter Lauren Beyerle said. “Most other schools just have one or two great players, as to where we are a really good team from top to bottom.”

That depth starts in the middle with Beyerle and her cohort, senior Michelle Watt. Baham likened his philosophy with his two seniors as a football coach would. You establish that you can control the game in

By mAtt smitH | Contributor


the middle, and use that to start going outside.“I feel we have the two best middles in the section,” Ba-

ham said. “Michelle and Lauren are very talented and they are extremely smart volleyball players.”

Baham has no problem going to his middles at any time, and he isn’t the only one who thinks very highly of their ability. Very matter-of-factly, absent arrogance and cocki-ness, Beyerle won’t deny the suggestion that she’s part of the best tandem in the section.

“I would have to agree in the most humble way I can,” Beyerle said. “Michelle and I work well with our setters and we have a very strong connection.”

And when the outside starts to open up because of the attention being paid to the two girls in the middle, that is when Sabrina Clayton starts to make her presence felt.

Clayton — arguably the best player in the league behind DeWitt — is only a sophomore, and in fact, last year she was the first freshman Baham ever kept on varsity.

“It might sound like a cliché, but she’s a coach’s dream,” Baham said. “She’ll run through the wall for you and won’t even ask why you want her to. She is always positive. I’ve never seen her be negative about anything and she can make setters look good. It’s ridiculous how smart she is and how talented she is.”

In addition to being extremely talented and extremely coachable, Clayton gives her coach, teammates — and op-posing players for that matter — even more reason to like her. Humility.

“She’s the most humble player I’ve ever met,” Beyerle said. “It’s inspirational to have a player like that on our team. Even the older girls look up to her.”

Having great hitters is one thing, but if the ball doesn’t get to them, there is not very much they can do to affect the outcome of a match. That is where a great ball handler comes into play, and California has exactly that with ju-nior Ally Good.

Good is third in the North Coast Section in assists, and a major reason, perhaps the major reason, that the Griz-zlies are having a resurgent season.

“She distributes the ball unbelievably well,” Baham said. “We stress balance on the attack. It keeps teams on their toes so they can’t just focus on Sabrina.”

And so, it appears all of the pieces are in place. Cali-fornia has great hitting, both inside and outside, and they have a great setter. The defense/passing game is also well taken care of with senior captain Allison Simmons and freshman defensive specialist Caitlin Quindoy (the sec-ond freshman Baham has kept in 15 years of coaching) taking care of the back row.

Having all of these talented players is fine and dandy, but what might make the Grizzlies even scarier is a ros-ter which is very senior-laden. Seven of the 14 players are seniors who are very, very hungry after a few years that would qualify as disappointing.

California went just 17-16 last year, good for most teams, but not good enough for the Grizzlies. They also have not been to the NCS playoffs since 2006. This year’s team is remedying both of those situations.

At 22-6, California has staked a claim to one of the top seeds in the NCS Division I playoffs.

“Finishing 17-16 last year built character for them,” Ba-ham said. “And the senior leadership, that’s been night and

SportStars™16 Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com

day this year.”With several players returning from last year’s team, one

might wonder why the turnaround has been so dramatic. With talented players already in place, one might assume the Grizzlies would have been good last year, and perhaps beyond.

So what made things click for Cal? Beyerle looks no fur-ther than this team gelling over the last year.

“I feel like we’ve become closer as a team than we were the last few years,” Beyerle said. “We’ve all improved so much over the last year and it has shown with our play on the court.”

Baham agrees with the court time being a big factor for this team.

“Experience has been key for this team,” Baham said. “They all have a full club season under their belts and they

are just getting more comfortable with each other as the season goes along.”

And as the team has improved over the course of the season, it has remained near the top in the EBAL, easily the deepest and most competitive league in the entire East Bay.

How competitive is the EBAL, exactly? Well, other than Foothill — which won the league with 12-2 mark — there are three teams, Cal included, that finished tied for second place.

The Grizzlies, along with San Ramon Valley and Ama-dor Valley, all wound up 9-5 while Granada went 8-6. The Wolves and Dons have won the last two NCS Division I ti-tles, while Granada has reached the finals the last two years.

Then there’s Carondelet, another team opposing squads could not go to sleep on. The Cougars might have just gone 6-8 in league play, but they beat Amador Valley, and re-

cently defeated San Ramon Valley twice — once in league and once at the Northgate Tournament.

Those matches are the only slip-ups of late for the Wolves, who head into the post-season after winning five straight league matches, which includes wins over Grana-da, California and Amador Valley.

Carondelet was also the only team to beat Foothill in league play this year, until Amador Valley topped the Fal-cons on the final day of the regular season.

“This is the EBAL,” Baham said. “We beat up on each other and then we go to playoffs. There’s a lot of parity in our league this year, which is always a good thing. It’s very Jekyll and Hyde this year.”

What that means is that anybody has a chance when the playoffs roll around.

“Foothill is certainly the team to beat,” Baham said. “They’re at the top of the mountain and (Foothill coach) Dusty (Collins) has done a great job. They’re the favorite until somebody beats them, but San Ramon Valley has been the best team in the last couple of weeks.”

Foothill and San Ramon Valley may very well be the two favorites in the Division I playoffs which start Nov. 10, but California is a legitimate contender to make some noise. The Grizzlies will be seeking their first playoff win in four years and their first semi-final appearance in well over 10 years.

“I think they could be a contender,” Carondelet coach Jerry Mix said. “They have two of the best middles and their defense is amazing. Todd and his staff have done a great job this year. I think if anyone can beat Foothill, it’s Cal High.”

And if the Grizzlies believe that, then don’t count them out. ✪

November 11, 2010

Sabrina Clayton (far left) has

more than 350 kills on the

season. In 2009, she became the first freshman to every play

varsity for Griz-zlies coach Todd

Baham. Sarah Hultin (#12),

driving home a kill against San Ramon Valley, is one of the seven seniors

on the Grizzlies roster.

Bob Larson

Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™ 17SportStars™

Playoffs?!?Playoffs?!?

November 11, 2010

SportStars breaks down NCS girls volleyball

Six divisions of playoff girls volleyball

gets underway on Nov. 10. Here’s a quick

look at the top four divisions

Division ItOP sEEds: Foothill (31-4), Ama-

dor Valley (19-11), San Ramon Valley (26-7), Irvington (23-5), California (22-6), Granada (22-8)

tHE FAvOritE: Foothill is certainly the favorite. The Falcons had not lost to a North Coast Section Division I team until a five-game loss to Amador Valley in their regular-season finale, and they feature the NCS’ most feared outside hitter in Caitlin DeWitt.

tHE brACKEtbustEr: Watch out for Irvington. The Vikings (23-5) earned the No. 4 seed and boast Katie Lopez, probably the best middle hitter in the NCS. They also have shown an ability to hang with EBAL teams, as evidenced by a win over California.

tHE tOP stOryliNE: It’s gotta be California, which hadn’t gone to the NCS tournament since 2006. They enter as a No. 5 seed with a legitimate chance to reach the semis. Top hitter Sabrina Clay-ton (just a sophomore) is likely going to reach the 400-kill mark for the season by the end of the first round.

CHAmPiONsHiP PrEdiCtiON: Foothill d. San Ramon Valley 3-1.

Division IItOP sEEds: Bishop O’Dowd (24-

13), Redwood-Larkspur (30-6), Caron-delet (21-13).

tHE FAvOritE: Until Bishop O’Dowd gets beat, the Dragons are the favorite, in any division they play in. After three straight Div. III titles, O’Dowd was forced to move up, and will see top com-petition from Redwood and Carondelet.

tHE brACKEtbustEr: How about Washington? The Huskies have a chance to make some waves in Div. II, because of their stud outside hitter Konami Yokoyama. Washington has six wins over Division I playoff teams, and could be quite a surprise to Redwood in the second round.

tHE tOP stOryliNE: Carondelet is a great story. Up and down for most of the year, the Cougars have turned it on at the right time with a 6-1 showing at the Northgate Tournament, two recent wins over San Ramon Valley, and a win over Amador Valley.

CHAmPiONsHiP PrEdiCtiON: Bishop O’Dowd d. Redwood 3-2.

Division IIItOP sEEds: Campolindo (27-3),

Drake-San Anselmo (32-5), Miramonte (24-12), Albany (27-5).

tHE FAvOritE: Without a doubt, Campolindo, which should also be a favorite in the state playoffs, should it get that far. The Cougars boast a ton of balance, a lot of size, and are capable of beating teams in multiple ways.

tHE brACKEtbustEr: Keep an eye on Drake. Four of the Pirates’ five losses are to Redwood, which is the No. 2 seed in Div. II. The only other loss was to Branson. Drake nearly knocked off Bishop O’Dowd in last year’s finals, and could very well give Campolindo a hard-fought match. Drake knocked out Campolindo a year ago.

tHE tOP stOryliNE: Albany being the No. 4 seed is certainly the top story. The Cougars are the only Div. III team in the Bay Shore Athletic League, so nor-mally they are seeded in the 6-8 range, but this year’s team is a threat in the Div. III bracket. Wins over Northgate, Las Lomas and Liberty show just that.

CHAmPiONsHiP PrEdiCtiON: Campolindo d. Drake 3-1.

Division IVtOP sEEds: Marin Catholic-Kent-

field (25-13), Berean Christian (24-3), Salesian (24-8), St. Patrick-St. Vincent (25-9).

tHE FAvOritE: Marin Catholic is usually considered the favorite. As the top seed after playing an incredibly difficult schedule, one would have to go with the Wildcats.

tHE brACKEtbustEr: Berean Christian could be a team that just goes through and takes care of business, quickly and quietly. The Eagles have only lost to Carondelet, Miramonte and Heritage, which are all playoff teams from upper divisions.

tHE tOP stOryliNE: Try Salesian. A year after winning an NCS title, the defending champs saw one of the East Bay’s best players, Malina Terrell, gradu-ate and move on to the Univ. of San Francisco. The Pride almost didn’t miss a beat, taking second in the BSAL on their way to a No. 3 seed.

CHAmPiONsHiP PrEdiCtiON: Ber-ean Christian d. Marin Catholic 3-2.

— Matt Smith

Bob Larson photos

FaR leFt: Christina Dejesus and her Salesian teammates are one of the top stories in Div. IV as they look to defend their title as the No. 3 seed. insiDe leFt: Rachel Linden and Las Lomas drew the No. 8 seed in Div. II and face a potential quarterfinal

match with favorite and top seed, Bishop O’Dowd. insiDe RiGht: Shannon Boling and Carondelet went just 6-8 in EBAL play, but finished strong to pick up the No. 3 seed in Div. II. FaR RiGht: Abbie Noland is part of a Campolindo team that is the

unquestioned favorite in Div. III.


While spending a recent weekend in Lousiville for an Interna-tional Youth Conditioning

Association conference, I found myself speaking to IYCA founder, Brian Grasso, about what he feels are the biggest mis-takes in speed and agility training.

Upon returning we exchanged emails and I asked him if he could summarize his take on the biggest mistakes made in this area. He responded to me by referring back to something he wrote for the IYCA

website last summer. Here’s his response. Brian Grasso: I can loop speed and

agility training mistakes into the same answer quite easily.

It is customary to see young athletes be-ing taught and drilled on how to run as fast as possible in a straight line.

Coaches spend hours teaching the mechanics of ‘linear speed’. Arm drive, hip drive, ankle push, and forward lean – all the usual suspects. Whether on a high speed treadmill, gymnasium floor or football field,

anywhere you go, you’ll likely see coaches teaching the techniques of running fast in a straight line mov-ing forward.

Now, I don’t really have any fundamental issue with respect to this style of training. I could (and will) argue that virtu-ally every sport is played in a non-linear format and so spend-ing time on the mechanics of an exercise that a young athlete won’t typically ever need in a sporting situation is paramount to a large waste of time.

But young athletes need to be exposed to as much training stimulus as possible – in all formats. In that, no training style should ever be considered ‘not worth the time’ when we’re talking about preadolescent or high school-aged athletes.

But the fact that linear speed training is both taught and drilled INSTEAD of more functional and useable styles of speed and

agility work is where I draw the concern. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball, vol-

leyball – you name the sport. Very seldom does a young athlete need to sprint forward with proper form; and they almost never hit ‘top-end-speed’ for any length of time. If you look at any of the sports from a positional standpoint, that reality is even less likely.

Sports are multi-directional and varying in speed. Young athletes must be taught how to move efficiently and quickly at angles (not just forward), and be ingrained with the knowledge and ability of how to deceler-ate (stop) and shift (change directions) as fast as possible.

Sport speed isn’t about straight lines. It’s about angular quickness and the ability to re-accelerate.

The IYCA enhances the knowledge of youth sports/fitness professionals and volunteers throughout the world via intensive educational opportunities as well as continuing education requirements. To learn more, visit www.iyca.org.

Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). You can contact him with questions or feed- back at [email protected].

Breaking down mistakes made in speed, agility training

Tim Rudd for IYCATraining Time


RED ZONE

A football game ended and a concert broke out. The Pinole Valley High marching band was letting

it all hang out, and the Spartans football players were taking in the scene with the exact same look on their faces.

It was the look of accomplishment. A look of relief. It was the look of champions. That’s what they were after a 49-13 win over visiting

El Cerrito — clinching the program’s first Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League title since 2006.

The Nov. 5 game started out a little ominous for the Spartans as the Gauchos played them even through the majority of the first half. Only a 33-yard touchdown pass from Tay Holley to Nehemiah Winston with 26 seconds to go in the half managed to send Pinole Val-ley into the intermission with an advantage.

The second half was vintage Spartans, though. Shifty running back James Lewis scored on touchdown runs of 10, 8 and 56 yards. And a suffocating defense

What happens when the underdog goes unbeaten? Ask Pinole ValleyBy CHACE brysON | Editor

inside look: pinole valley

James Lewis has been a touch-down-scoring

machine at running back for the Spar-tans this season. Here he breaks loose for one of his three second-half scoring runs against El Cerrito

on Nov. 5.

Bob Larson


led by seniors Travis Feeney and Antoine Davis held El Cerrito to just 60 yards from scrimmage.

The victory kept Pinole Valley unbeaten for the season at 8-0-1, but it didn’t leave the team any less hungry.

“We’ve just been the underdog so much, we’re just full of motivation,” Feeney said afterward. “We want to prove to everyone that we are the team to beat. I love being the underdog because it makes us work way harder.”

Feeney and the rest of the Spartans seniors have been harboring motivation since their season ended in 2009 with a 61-7 loss to Eureka in the first round of the North Coast Section Division II playoffs.

“Our seniors kind of re-committed themselves,” Pinole Valley coach Steve Alameda said. “We had a bad ending last year, and our senior leadership in the offseason set a good standard for the junior under-classmen. We kind of reproduced the blueprint we’ve had all along, tweaked it a little bit, and ended up pretty successful. It’s nice to be champs again.”

The Spartans are all but assured a top three seed when the NCS Division II playoff field is selected on Nov. 14. And unlike last season, thanks to their league champion status, they will have the opportunity to host at least one playoff game, if not more.

Playoff football is played at a different speed, but one things always translates well in the postseason — defense. Pinole Valley has one of the best in the East Bay as long as Feeney and Davis are healthy and on the prowl.

“We’ll go in and see who can get the hardest hit,” Davis said. “And it Travis got a harder hit than I did, I’m

going to be mad until I get one. And that’s how it is with the whole defense.”

Everything continues to revolve around respect for the Spartans, though. They won’t feel they have it until they’re the last team standing.

“People see the games and the scores and think that this is a good team,” Davis said. “But we haven’t even reached our maximum potential yet. If we do, then ev-erybody will be amazed at how good we really are.” ✪

RED ZONE

The SportStars Top 10 coaches poll is vot-ed on by coaches throughout the East Bay. Coaches vote for their top 10 teams, with 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for second, etc. Only Division I-III schools are considered. Records are through Nov. 7.Team (first-place votes) ...record ....Points1. De La Salle (9) ................ 9-0 .................. 902. California ......................... 9-0 .................. 813. Monte Vista ..................... 6-3 .................. 644. Concord .......................... 8-1 .................. 625. McClymonds ................... 9-0 .................. 446. Encinal ............................ 8-1 .................. 227. Foothill ............................ 5-4 .................. 218. Granada .......................... 5-4 .................. 209. San Ramon Valley .......... 5-4 .................. 1910. Pinole Valley ................. 8-0-1 ............... 18

On the bubble: Heritage (7-2) 15 points, Miramonte (8-1) 11.

coaches pollBob Larson

Travis Feeney (right) locks up with El Cerrito’s John McDermott. Feeney, who is committed to play at the Univ. of Arizona, has been a dominant force at middle

linebacker for Pinole Valley this year.


The Pittsburg Pirates had been here before. Sluggish play characterized the first half of their Nov.

5 game against visiting Freedom — just like it did over their first five games of the 2010 season.

“We were killing ourselves with bonehead mistakes,” Pirates coach Victor Galli said of his team’s 0-5 start to the season. “We had the lead late in some of those games and were two scores up on McClymonds (be-fore losing).”

Galli knows he was putting his team through the ringer with an intense nonleague schedule that fea-tured Foothill, McClymonds, Monte Vista and Berkeley. But something was missing.

“I knew I put together a tough schedule,” confesses Galli. “I thought we would be 4-1. But there wasn’t a sense of urgency (from our players); there was no fire.”

Finally, with their backs against the wall, the Pirates found that fire in their league-opener against a Deer Valley squad which rolled into the game with a 4-1 record and thoughts of defending its Bay Valley Athletic League title of 2009. Pittsburg reeled off 415 yards of

total offense and rolled to a 47-12 defeat of the Wolver-ines.

“That was our ‘get-well’ game,” explains Galli. “In my coaching career, that was one of my finest victories.”

Back to the Freedom game, Pittsburg had its back against the wall again. The Falcons built a 14-0 lead as the Pirates turned the ball over twice.

“We didn’t really make any adjustments (at the half),” explained quarterback and wide receiver, Julius Mozee. “We just told each other in the locker room that we’ve got to play hard and this may be our last chance to play on this home field.”

Mozee took matters into his own hands in the third quarter as he scored on a 67-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Malik Watson on just the third play of the second half. He then scored on a two-point conversion run to tie the game at 14-14.

Both teams traded scores and Freedom still had its chance to win the game as it set itself up for a 31-yard field goal with with 37 seconds left. However, Robert Melena’s kick sailed wide right.

“I didn’t even want to look at the final kick,” Galli said. The victory assured the Pirates at least a share of

their third BVAL crown in four years. They will get an automatic berth to the North Coast Section Division I playoffs where they will aim for a third consecutive championship game appearance.

“We really need to put time in at practice where we can eliminate all the mistakes,” Mozee said. “But this game showed our will and our determination to win.” ✪

RED ZONE

Butch Noble

Pittsburg’s Malik Watson (8) is part of a two-man QB rotation for the Pirates. He tossed a 67-yard TD pass in a

Nov. 5 win over Freedom.

Pirates refuse to sink after an 0-5 start to their seasonBy EriK stOrdAHl | SportStars

inside look: pittsburg


tEE2gREEN

Dave De Long

notes from the prosIn the past two issues, we have covered two of the

three parts of what to practice when you go to the range. The third part is to spend the time on the area most responsible for your scores and — your short game.

Spending at least one third of your total time in this area will surely affect the scores you shoot. By hitting your shots closer to the hole, you will convert more putts and lower your scores in the process. It is a simple formula to understand, but you need to be disciplined enough to break away from the long game and devote the necessary time to chipping, pitching, lob shots and your sand game.

The rule of thumb to follow is putt whenever you can, chip when you can’t putt and pitch only when you have to. Program your eye to see the shot that reduces the risk and allows some margin for error while still get-ting the ball close to the hole.

This visualizing of the shot before you hit it is a must. Picture the ball landing on the green close to the edge and rolling the rest of the way to the hole. This is what most great short-game players have in common.

The chip is just a putt with a little air time, minimiz-ing air and maximizing roll. Any club can work with

some practice but you want to make sure you lead with the handle and do not allow the club head to pass the hands. Playing the ball back in the stance helps you to accomplish this, as well as moving closer to the ball. I even grip down to help me get closer to the ball and to stand the shaft up more vertically while keeping approximately 75 percent of my weight on my left leg. (I play golf right handed.)

Flipping the hands is the most common fault I see with golfers who struggle in this area.

I also see players not playing the ball far enough back in their stance.

Get kids to seek true competitionNothing frustrates me

more (in youth sport) than the phrase, “everybody’s a winner!”

This sums all that is wrong and unrealistic with youth sport. This phrase instills a mindset that no matter what you do, you will always be con-sidered to be on top. The harsh reality is the world doesn’t work in the “everybody’s a winner” universe. The world demands focused effort and a constant vigilance for

Lowering scores always starts with the short game

Gary Xavier


tEE2gREEN

One of the first lessons taught in the First Tee is the “4 R’s”: Relax, Replay, Get Ready, Redo. Though it is explained as a way to think about a previous shot and assess the next one, I have used the “4 R’s” to help me in my schoolwork as well. If you are like me (and every other high school student in the nation) you have had your fair share of bad tests.

self-improvement. This is where youth sport can not only create a

whole new mindset amongst Generation Now, but change the landscape that has become a political-correctness nightmare.

Now, my intention is not to get political or create a social movement with my remarks. However, if you are a parent or an adult, I’d like you to think long and hard if the world has given you any favors for mediocre effort?

Many youth sports organizations involving golf, martial arts and baseball — among others — have lowered their expectations.

True competition brings out abilities within children that you could never dream they had. Competition gives them a goal, a benchmark. It lets them know who the winners are and what they have to do to become one. Next time you drop your son or daughter off for martial arts class or baseball practice, watch very carefully for the indicators that will leave your child be-ing exposed to an environment teaching, “don’t worry buddy, you’ll always be a winner.”

Try to look for organizations that not only award physical abilities, but for character development. Look for organizations that take a vested interest in improv-ing a player instead of just casting them aside as a player who could never do what they have to do to win.

If we just wait, maybe all of our children will taste the sweet feeling of victory because they earned it. ✪

Notes From The Pros is a regular feature compiled by Gary Xavier (Northern California Junior Golf sports ad-ministrator) and Dave DeLong (PGA professional and director of instruction at Boundary Oak GC). Contact them at the following addresses: [email protected] or [email protected].

first tee, firsthand

Making the 4 R’s work in the classroom

Eddie Estrada


twENty-fOuR7tEE2gREENMany students could look at a poor test grade and

not really understand how to work to make the next test better. Use a tip from the First Tee and use the “4 R’s”.

Relax: Don’t freak out over the bad grade. It hap-pens to everyone. Take a deep breath and move on.

Replay: How did you study for your test? What parts from studying stuck with you? Which parts didn’t?

Get Ready: Use the techniques that worked best for retaining information and create a study schedule.

Redo: Here it is, Test day! Relax and take the test. You have prepared well and will be ready to go!

Most lessons taught in the First Tee program can be used in many aspects of your daily life, from golf, to school, to problems with friends.

Put these lessons in your toolbox, for you never know when one can come in handy. ✪

Eddie Estrada is a senior at De La Salle High. He has been a member of The First Tee Contra Costa for six years. Contact him at [email protected].

bAsEbAllThrough Nov. 15: Dublin — registration for the 2011 Regular Season is now open. For Dublin Little League. Discounted registration through Nov. 15. 925-417-4728, [email protected]; www.eteamz.com/dublinll.

through Nov. 27: Concord — Baseball is fun clinic. Late morning Saturdays @ Woodside Elementary School. Ages 8-14. Registration: http://walnutcreeksportsleague.com.

Through Dec. 31: Antioch — batting Cages. For all ages at Golf N Games Family Fun Center. 925-754-5053, www.golfngames.com.

Dec. .8-Jan. 12: Antioch — Antioch Little League’s Spring 2011 season registration. 6-8 p.m. Dec. 8 and Jan 12; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 11 and Jan. 8 and 15. All at Golf N Games. 925-431-8478, www.antiochlittleleague.com.

bOWliNgthrough dec. 31: Concord

— Parties for kids at Clayton Valley Bowl. 925-689-4631, [email protected]; www.claytonvalleybowl.com.

CHEErthrough Oct. 28: Antioch — All Out Sports League’s Cheer signups. Online @ www.leaguelineup.com. Casey, 510-282-4986, [email protected].

Through Dec. 31: Walnut Creek — WCYF Marauders Cheer. Open for registration in various divisions. Art Thoms, thoms3@

ifn.net, 925-786-0721; www.wcyfmarauders.com.

COmmuNity EvENtsNov. 13-14: Santa Clara — Silicon Valley Ski and Snowboard Festival. At Santa Clara Convention Center. 50%-off festival tickets available at Sports Basement, Walnut Creek. 530-581-0553, www.snowbomb.com.

Nov. 19: Walnut Creek — Early thanksgiving dinner. 5-8 p.m. at Boundary Oak Golf Course. Reservations: 925-934-43600, Ext. 23; www.playboundaryoak.com.


— two 9-0 teams playing for a championship.” Quarterback Drew Reil is a rare story himself. Never a starter before this season, he’s

playing like a seasoned pro for the hottest show in town.“Oh, man, being 9-0 and going against another team that’s 9-0, it’s ridiculous,” he said.Almost as ridiculous as his night against the Falcons. In a true rarity, Reil didn’t throw

a single pass that hit the ground. He was 14-for-15 for 321 yards and five touchdowns, with one pass intercepted.

“A ball didn’t hit the ground — that’s ridiculous,” he continued. “But there was a pick. If we want to beat De La Salle, that pick can’t happen.”

Indeed. When Pittsburg beat De La Salle in 1991, they did it by avoiding turnovers and dominating time of possession, especially in the second half. Even that was barely enough.

But in this ridiculous kind of year, who can say it can’t happen again?Reil came up with the kind of play in the third quarter that proved anything’s possible.

In one of the classic after-fumble pile-ups that seemed to include every player on the field, it was Reil who somehow entered the pile, got to the bottom and then walked out with the ball, screaming “That’s our ball!” as the rest of the pile stayed more or less intact.

“Drew just amazes me,” Billeci said. “When he came out of the pile with that ball ....’’Yes, it was ridiculous. Nobody could have seen it coming, just like few saw the Griz-

zlies winning their first nine games en route to perhaps the most-anticipated EBAL title game in recent memory.

Just like few people gave that orange-and-black-team across the bay much of a chance.Orange and black. How in the world can it be so hard to miss? ✪

WALLY’S WORLD continued from page 8

twENty-fOuR7Nov. 27: San Leandro — 26th Annual St. Leanders Sports Collectors Show. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. @ Ryan-O’Connell Hall. 73 dealer tables, sports memorabilia (1880s-2010s), vendors, family atmosphere. Mark Macrae, 510-538-6245.

Dec. 3-6: Martinez — Holiday Frolic & Snow Park. For all ages, downtown. A winter wonderland with real snow. 925-228-3577, www.mainstreetmartinez.org.

FOOtbAllThrough Dec. 31: Walnut Creek — WCYF Marauders. Open for registration in the Midget division. Art Thoms, [email protected], 925-786-0721; www.wcyfmarauders.com.

Jan. 28-30, 2011: Oakley — Runnin’ Deep Flag Football. At Freedom Basin. Ages 6-16; 5 on 5, 7 on 7. Contact Coach Mike Weisenberg, 925-625-2222, [email protected]; www.DiabloFootball.com.

FuNdrAisErDec. 3: Concord — CYC Texas Hold’Em Poker Night Fundraiser. 6:30 p.m. @ The Big C Athletic Club. Danny Pease, 925-566-7568, [email protected]; www.communityyouthcenter.com.

April 29-May 1, 2011: Williams, AZ — Hike for Shelter, Inc.: Conquer the Canyon. 16-week training begins in January. Karen Leffler, 925-323-2996, [email protected]; www.shelterincofccc.org/hike.htm.

gOlFThrough Dec. 11: Concord — Changing Kids’ lives through the Game of Golf. Presented by The First Tee Contra Costa. For boys and girls 5-18 @ Diablo Creek. 925-686-6262, Ext. 0; www.thefirstteecontracosta.org.

Through Dec. 31: Berkeley — Junior Academy. Ages 5U at Tilden Park Golf Course. 510-848-7373, [email protected]; www.thegolflearningcenters.com/tildenpark.

mArtiAl Artsthrough dec. 31: Concord — Kids Karate LVL 1 at In-Shape Health Club. Fees and registration: 925-602-5600, www.inshapeclubs.com.

Jan. .29: Walnut Creek — 24th Annual USKS “Just for Kicks” Benefit Show. 6-8 p.m. at Berean Christian High School. 925-682-9517, www.usksmartialarts.com.

rACENov. .25: Walnut Creek — 18th Annual Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness Club Turkey Trot. Kicks off at 8 a.m. @ Civic Park. Details & registration: www.wcsf.net.

sOFtbAllDec. 12-13: Antioch — East Bay Vipers Softball Association 2010 spring tryouts. At Antioch Community Park, James Donlon Blvd. Martin Soares, 925-383-4657, [email protected]; www.eteamz.com/eastbayvipers.com.

sWimthrough dec. 31: Concord — Swim Classes in Heated Outdoor Pool for all ages at In-shape. Fees and registration: 925-602-5600, www.inshapeclubs.com.

tENNisThrough Dec. 31: Pleasanton

— Youth Lessons. Ongoing. Bronze Team, ages 7-18; Silver Team, ages 9-16; Gold Team, ages 12-18. Info: 925-931-3449, www.lifetimetennis.com.

Through Dec. 31: Walnut Creek — Youth Lessons. Ongoing. Beginning to intermediate lessons, ages 7-15. Info: 925-931-3449, www.lifetimetennis.com.

through dec. 31: richmond — Tennis Instruction for youth. Classes Mon.-Thur. at Nichol Park. Info: Recreation Department, 510-620-6793; www.ci.richmond.ca.us.

TRACK & FIELD/X-COUNTRYthrough dec. 31: Concord — Sport-Specific Training - Track & Field. At East Bay Sports Academy. For student athletes. Schedules and fees: 925-680-9999, [email protected]; www.eastbaysportsacademy.com.


gamE DayMark your calendars. Put the dates in your iPhones. Just don’t miss these games

November 29 — CrOss

COuNtryNCs Championships

@ Hayward High, 8:30 a.m.

The endurance elite take the course for 10 championship races, beginning with the Divi-sion III boys race at 8:30 and concluding with the Division II girls at 1 p.m. Grace Orders (pictured) and the Campolindo girls should be heavy favorites in the Div. III girls race on the heels of their 1-2-3 finish in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League championships.

November 13 — WAtEr POlO

NCs Championships @ Soda Aquatic Center, TBA Four new North Coast Sec-

tion champions will be crowned in Moraga. Monte Vista con-tinues to be heavy favorites to win the Division I girls title, while Connor Mattox (pictured) and Acalanes will try to take their No. 1 seed to the Division I boys final. Las Lomas has the inside track to both Division II crowns.

November 12 — FOOTBALLDe La Salle at California, 7 p.m.It’s just how football fans like it.

One game. Two undefeated teams. League championship on the line. The Spartans haven’t lost an East Bay Athletic League game since join-ing the league in 2008. However, the last time they traveled to the home of the Grizzlies they just narrowly escaped with a 21-14 victory. If Cal plans to shock the world, its defense will need to contain Spartans QB Bart Houston (pictured) and RB Lucas Dunne.FO

OTBA

LLWA

TER PO

LO

CROSS COunTRYVOLLEYBALLNovember 20 — vOllEybAll

NCs Championships @ various sites

Six different title matches will be played, but the highest-profile final will be in Division I where Caitlin DeWitt (pictured) will try to lead Foothill to its first championship since 2006. The Falcons finished runners-up to Amador Valley in 2009. To find out where each final is being played, check the NCS web-site at www.cifncs.org.Bob Larson Bob Larson

Bob Larson

Jonathan Hawthorn


Do you see what I see? Watch movies how they

were meant to be seen with the help of our friends at Oak-ley. Their brand-spankin’ new 3D GASCAN glasses enhance your eyesight with the three C’s: clar-ity, color and comfort. Put these glasses on in the theater or at home and you’ll notice the difference immediately. These shades aren’t meant for normal outdoor use, just hardcore movie-watching. So get your popcorn, candy bar, giant soda, Oakley 3D GASCAN glasses and you’re good to go. The latter might cause you to mow a couple hundred lawns but we think it’s worth it. Check out www.oakley.com to learn more.

See you on MondayParents: Racking your brain for the

perfect weekend getaway? We’ve got just the place in mind: Greenhorn Creek Resort. Located just two hours from the Bay Area, Greenhorn Creek is practi-cally a hop, skip and a jump away. It’s got an award-winning golf course tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. When you’re finished playing the front nine, hop in the car and take the short drive up the mountains then ski down the soft, powdery slopes of Bear Valley. Give them a call or check ‘em out online for rates and availability. (209) 729-8111. www.GreenhornCreek.com

now we can play ball in the houseNow that the rain is finally here and

it doesn’t look like it’s leaving anytime soon, it’s time to play sports indoors within the cozy confines of San Ramon Sports. They’ve got a state-of-the-art in-door soccer field with turf grass installed by 1st Impression Lawns & Greens, bat-ting cages and the ultimate party zone. Give ‘em a ring to find out more about special deals and upcoming leagues. Contact them at (925) 831-9050 • 2411 Old Crow Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583. For more info on 1st Impres-sion Lawns & Greens call Jason at (925) 899-8712.

impulsE

KABOOM!Remember those days of wasting

your allowance at the arcade playing NBA Jam for hours on end? And re-member when it was finally released on Super Nintendo and Sega Gen-esis? Weren’t those mega-awesome cheats like playing as Bill Clinton and Al Gore the coolest thing ever? Ah, those were the days. If you have no clue what we’re talking about, it’s because you probably weren’t even born yet. Sigh. Enough of the nostalgia, NBA Jam is back and bet-ter than ever. It’s got slick graphics and new players but still has that same, unreal sense of jumping fifty feet in the air for a “boomshakalaka” slam or busting treys until you torch the nets. It never gets old. Buy yours now on Nintendo Wii for $39.99. Available November 15 for $49.99 on XBOX 360 and PS3. Hit up www.easports.com for more info

new season, new threadsIs your season already a lost cause?

There’s still a way to give your fans some-thing to cheer about by donning ultra-fresh uniforms. Hit up Aviva Design and they’ll hook you up with stylish uniforms that are comfortable and cool. Who knows? It might cause you to hurdle over that psychological hump and put a few games in the win column. Aviva is SportStars’ Apparel partner and you can learn more about them and our other sponsors on our Community Partners page on our website. Call Aviva now and you’ll get 10 percent off your first order! (925) 946-1566. www.avivadesign.com.

— Compiled by Erik Stordahl

Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™ 29SportStars™

photo finish

Few sports bring out the celebrations like girls volleyball. For San Ramon Valley’s Elizabeth Schmahl (14), Meleah Christensen (11), Jane Humphrey (2) and Jenessa Hutchins (6) all it took for some good ol’ hysterical jubilation was the scoring of a clutch point in

the Wolves’ Nov. 2 East Bay Athletic League match against visiting Cal. San Ramon Valley won the match in four games. Photo by bob laRson

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at [email protected]

Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format. Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information.

November 11, 2010


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❒ Absorber, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

❒ Aviva Promotional Products . . . . . . . . .18

❒ Big C Athletic Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

❒ Big O Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

❒ Bladium Sports & Fitness Clubs . . . . 25

❒ Bob Larson Sports Photography . . . . 20

❒ Boys & Girls Clubs/Diablo Valley . . . 21

❒ Brenden Theatres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

❒ Championship Athletic Fundraising . . . . 26

❒ Cheers Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

❒ Clayton/Countrywood Fitness Centers . . 25

❒ Club Sport Renaissance . . . . . . . . . . 11

❒ Community Youth Center . . . . . . . . . 19

❒ Crow Canyon Country Club . . . . . . . 23

❒ De La Salle Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

❒ Dave DeLong School of Golf . . . . . . 24

❒ eTeamSponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

❒ East Bay Sports Academy . . . . . . . . 12

❒ Excellence in Sport Performance . . . .16

❒ Farmers Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

❒ Fit 2 The Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

❒ Franklin Canyon Golf Course . . . . . . 24

❒ Greenhorn Creek Golf Club . . . . . . . 24

❒ Heavenly Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

❒ Jory’s Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

❒ Kinders BBQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

❒ Lone Tree Golf & Event Center . . . . . 23

❒ Massage Envy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

❒ Odwalla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

❒ San Ramon Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

❒ Scandia Family Center . . . . . . . . . . . 25

❒ Simply Selling Shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

❒ Smokin Okie’s BBQ Joint . . . . . . . . . 25

❒ SportForm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

❒ SportStars Big Bike Giveaway . . . . 30, 31

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❒ Walnut Creek Sport & Fitness . . . . . . 15

❒ Wooden It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Issue 11, 11.11.2010

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Transcript of Issue 11, 11.11.2010