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Hometown SportS HIGH SCHOOLS, RECREATION & SIGN-UPS

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Najee Harris garners prestigious honors

College football observers have long suggested Antioch product Najee Harris — now playing for the University of Alabama — was one of the best running backs in the nation.

Now he has the awards to prove it.

Harris, a senior, was recently named to All-American first teams put out by the American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News, the Football Writers Association of America and the Associated Press.

Harris has rushed 229 times this season for 1,387 yards and 24 touchdowns, in addition to hauling in 36 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s scored in 10 of Alabama’s 12 games and two or more times in eight of those games.

The gaudy numbers have left him the nation’s leader in rushing and total touchLiberty releases new season’s baseball caps downs, third in rushing yards and fifth in yards, with 1,733.

Even more impressive, Harris is now the school’s all-time leader in total touchdowns (54), rushing touchdowns (44) and rushing yards (3,764).

His success is hardly a surprise.

Harris ended his Antioch High School career as the areas best-ever running back, rushing for 7,948 yards and 94 touchdowns. He averaged 9.5 yards a carry and 193.9 yards a game.

He had at least 30 college offers on the table, according to Rivals recruiting service, before settling on the University of Alabama. Najee Harris, seen here leaping over a Notre Dame defender last week, was recently named to several prestigious All-American teams.

About four years later, and after he’s run roughshod over elite college competition, he figures to be a lock for the NFL.

But first he’s got some more college business to tend to.

He’s a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s premier running back, with Iowa State’s Breece Hall

Photo courtesy of University of Alabama

and Clemson’s Travis Etienne.

Harris’ Crimson Tide are also set to clash with Ohio State for the national title on Jan. 11.

Alabama is gunning for its third national championship in six seasons.

To view Harris’s complete stats, visit

A Patriot on the move

https://bit.ly/2KTIGhS.

The Liberty baseball team recently completed the reveal of its new uniforms by showing off their new hats.

One full cardinal-colored edition will feature a gold L on the front, with a shucked corncob on the back.

Meanwhile, a black-colored version will also be utilized, featuring a red bill and lion head at the center of the cap. A golden L is prominently displayed at the lower back of the hat.

The reveal of the hats come weeks after the team’s new uniforms were released.

One uniform set features full cardinal jerseys, with the players’ number in gold in the bottom left front corner, ‘LHS’ displayed in the upper right corner and the Adidas logo in the upper left corner. White pants with red pinstripes finish the uniform set.

The jersey in the second uniform set features cardinal sleeves underneath a white jersey adorned with cardinal red pinstripes. ‘Lions’ written in a cardinal color outlined in yellow is displayed prominently across the front, with the players’ number located in the bottom right corner. This uniform set also features white pants with red pinstripes.

Photo courtesy of Lady Hustle Fastpitch Organization

Heritage softball star Amari Houston is expected to sign her letter of intent to Sonoma State University. Houston, a senior, competed for Freedom and Heritage high schools, according to Maxpreps.com. She becomes the 11th Heritage Class of 2021 member to sign a letter of intent. Houston joins a Sonoma State squad that went 17-8 in 2020, including 12-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

This week in Press’ sports history

In 2018, the Liberty girls’ basketball team won the West Coast Jamboree Turquoise Division.

Led by tournament MVP junior guard Trudi Hartman, Liberty downed Santa Rosa 50-46, Encinal 66-58, and Manteca 60-48 to win the tournament.

In addition to getting her teammates involved in the game, Hartman put up seven vs. Santa Rosa, 23 against Encinal and 12 in the championship game against Manteca.

Joining Hartman on the all-tournament team were senior forward Aubrey Robinson and sophomore Kennedy Fountain.

Robinson primarily earned honors due to solid defense and rebounding but scored 6, 9 and 3 in the three games. Head coach Josh Ellcessor, meanwhile, called Fountain the team’s most consistent scorer. She netted 11 and 9 in the first two games and finished with 22 in the final.

Also helping the Lions to victory was junior center Emily Jacobson, who controlled the glass through the tournament and scored 12 against Santa Rosa. Senior Haley Reyes, who the coach called “the glue of this team,” played strong defense and added 4, 5 and 12 points over the three games. Freshman Jaina Torres, meanwhile, added 7, 10 and 6. The Liberty High girls’ basketball team won the West Coast Jamboree Turquoise Division in 2018.

Photo courtesy of Liberty High School Heritage High counts down historic sports moments

The Heritage girls’ basketball team defeated 13-time defending San Joaquin Section champion St. Mary’s (Stockton) to win the Gold Division of the West Coast Jamboree in 2018. The win was recently selected as one of the school’s top sports moments in its 15-year history.

Press file photo

The Heritage High School Athletic Department launched a virtual campaign to take a look back at the school’s 15 top athletic moments in its first 15 years.

The standout contests and feats were voted on by a panel of longtime Heritage coaches and administrators.

The school began the trip down memory lane this week by honoring those moments that barely missed the cut. They include the girls’ basketball team knocking off 13-time defending San Joaquin Section champion St. Mary’s (Stockton) to win the Gold Division of the West Coast Jamboree in 2018; the girls’ golf team pulling out the school’s first varsity victory, knocking off Pittsburg in 2005; the wrestling team defeating Liberty in a dual-match for the first time, which took place in 2019; the boys’ golf team finishing the decade with 40 straight dual match victories, earning four straight league titles, also in 2019; and the baseball team squeaking by Berkeley for the program’s first Division 1 playoff victory, in 2010.

To read full details of the historic moments, and to follow along with future releases, visit https://bit. ly/3bg8sYb.

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