Schools revving up for new season

JAY BEDECARRÉ

The Pioneer

Local high schools begin the 2023-24 term in less than a month and that means their athletes and teams are gearing up for fall sports with the first official practices on Aug. 7.

The Diablo and East Bay athletic leagues welcome a new sport this fall with the debut of girls flag football. The State CIF approved the sport beginning this fall but there will be no post season play during the inaugural season with several local schools still making a determination if they will have teams this year.

The is the final year of the current North Coast Section four-year alignment cycle with the 2024-28 setup beginning a year from now. The only change taking place locally then is that Clayton Valley Charter football will be back in the DAL after what will have been five years in the EBAL.

During this final year of this alignment cycle DAL commissioner Mark Tran says his league members this winter will be trying soccer and basketball without divisions with the schools playing a single round robin schedule. Each of the 13 schools will play 12 league games with one bye. The DAL will be adding post-season basketball playoffs patterned after the West Coast Conference tournament that gives byes to teams based on their league record. The EBAL already holds a post-season basketball tournament with similar seeding.

Fall Sports

CROSS COUNTRY (BOYS & GIRLS)

DAL Center Meets Sept. 27 and Oct. 18

DAL Championships Nov. 4 (Hidden Valley Park, Martinez)

EBAL Championships Nov. 4 (Newhall Park, Concord)

NCS Championships Nov. 18 (Hayward High School)

CIF State Championships Nov. 25 (Woodward Park, Fresno)

FLAG FOOTBALL

DAL Jamboree Scrimmages

Aug. 26

DAL League Games Sept. 16 – Nov. 1

EBAL League Games Sept.

5 - Oct. 17

DAL Jamboree Nov. 4

FOOTBALL

Non-league Games Aug. 25 – Sept. 29

DAL League Games Sept. 22 – Nov. 3

EBAL League Games Oct. 6 – Nov. 3

NCS Playoffs Nov. 10-25

NorCal Regional Championships Dec. 1-2

CIF State Bowl Games Dec.

8-9

GOLF (GIRLS)

DAL League Matches TBA

EBAL League Matches Aug.

29 – Oct. 12

DAL League Championships TBA

EBAL League Championships

Oct. 16

NCS Division II Championships

Oct. 23

NCS Division I Championships

Oct. 30

NorCal Championships

Nov. 6

CIF State Championships

Nov. 15 onships Oct. 24-26

2-6

EBAL Championships Nov.

NCS Team Championships

Nov. 7-11

NCS Singles/Doubles

Championships Nov. 13-14

NorCal Team Championships Nov. 14-18

VOLLEYBALL (GIRLS)

DAL League Games Sept. 5Oct. 19

EBAL League Games Sept.

5 -Oct. 17

EBAL Championships Oct.

19-21

NCS Playoffs Oct. 24 – Nov. 4

NorCal Championships

Nov. 7-14

CIF State Championships

Nov. 17-18

WATER POLO (BOYS & GIRLS)

DAL League Games Sept. 20 – Oct. 25

EBAL League Games Aug.

31 – Oct. 26

NORTHGATE

Female Eric Griffin Memorial Award Tade Scheid played three years of varsity tennis, basketball and lacrosse, captaining the Broncos basketball and lacrosse team. She scored over 100 lacrosse goals during her career while earning first team all-DAL honors the past two years. She also received all-league recognition in basketball as a junior and senior. Scheid also excelled in the classroom with a 4.4 GPA.

Basketball coach Jim Croy said, “Tade is a coach’s dream and represents Northgate and its athletic program with class, grit, determination and leadership. One of the greatest kids I have had the honor of coaching!”

Male Eric Griffin Memorial Award Colin Parker spent four years on Northgate varsity water polo and swimming and one on varsity golf. He was a twotime all-DAL first team water polo player for the Broncos.

BOYS TENNIS

TENNIS (GIRLS)

DAL League Matches Sept.

5 – Oct. 19

EBAL League Matches Sept.

14 – Oct. 26

DAL Division Champi-

He was part of Northgate NCS championship water polo teams as a freshman and junior. All this was accomplished while also compiling a 4.1 GPA.Water polo coach Taylor Herman says Parker “leads in and out of the water. Exemplifies all the traits that a coach can ask for.”

YGNACIO VALLEY

Female Athlete of the Year Leniyah Fulsom was the focal point of the Wolves basketball team putting up incredible marks including 47 points in her final game in

DAL Division Championships Oct. 26-28

NCS Playoffs Nov. 1-11

NorCal Tournament Nov. 14-18 the NCS Division Iv playoffs. A 5-6 guard, she earned honorable mention all-Bay Area honors. Among her accomplishments this year was a quadruple double in a win over Franklin of Stockton. She was 12th in the nation in steals and was voted co-MVP in the DAL, among her post-season laurels.

Male Athlete of the Year Jermaine Patton was named to the all-Diablo Athletic League basketball first team. He helped the Wolves to the Division IV NCS playoff semi-finals as the third seeds.

Nnonaka (NG). Second Team – Brady Cannon (NG). Valley First Team – Damik Van Fanos, Diego Castaneda (CVC), Devin Purewal, Nate Wendling, Nic Austen, James Mariolle, Jackson Barnacal, Zac Gartner (CP). Second Team – Finn Cleary, Jack Parker, Shawn Canada, Dominic Vines, Kyle Stilinovich, Nico Bushnell, David Giordano (CVC), Jackson Barnacal, James Mariolle (CP). Honorable Mention –Misha Popov (CP), Grant Whittlinger (CVC).

EBAL Boys First Team200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay, Zach Elian, Scott Iannaccone. Second Team – Balke Hill, Tyler Laymon. Honorable Mention – 200 Free Relay.

DAL Foothill Girls First Team – Lily Strumph (NG). Second Team – Cady Chan, Vlada Chekurova, Noni Lee (NG). Valley First Team –Allison Fuentes, Madison Bautista, Haylee Wong, Maya Canada (CVC), Amara Martinez, Anna Gornyitzki, Eva Gornyitzki, Lucy Galbraith (CP). Second Team – Grace Cleary (CVC). Honorable Mention - Gianna Kougios, Abigail Adent (CVC), Audrey Hoover, Andrea Garcia, Jess Stauffer, Roxy Tillberg (CP). Honorable Mention – Addison Faulkner (Con).

EBAL Girls First Team –200 Medley Relay, Bailey Hartman, Stephanie Iannaccone. Second Team – Madison O’Connell, 400 Free Relay. Honorable Mention –Claudia Dumais, 200 Free Relay.

DAL Foothill First Team Singles – Dibyam Dikhit (CP), Jon Lee, Ioann Timokhin (NG). Honorable Mention –Dariush Azarkish (CP), Romtin Pourzand (NG). Valley First Team Singles –Nicholas Ashley, Francis Ortaliz (CVC), Maurice Straubhaar (YV). First Team Doubles –Ethan Marquez, Eric Catlano (CVC). Second Team Singles –Sebastian Balmaceda, Alex Mihaylov (CVC), Arman Mirza (MD). Second Team Doubles – Rafael Tolento, Dominic Padilla (MD). Honorable Mention – Isac Rivera (MD), Arslan Adil (YV), Navodit Pillala (CVC), Jared Tumay (Con).

TRACK & FIELD

DAL Boys First Team –Alan Solari, Alex Walker, Daniel Martinez, Daniel Mess- er, Logan Remington (CVC), Alex Lamoureux (CP). Second Team – Fernando Perez, Ryan Christy (CVC). Honorable Mention – Charles Cox III, Angel Gonzalez, Kai Wilson (CVC), Elias Long (CP).

EBAL Boys First Team –Chukwunonso Udeh, 4x100

Relay, Anthony Dean, Jaden Jefferson. Second Team –Markese King. Honorable Mention – Trey Caldwell III, Toa Faavae, Lucas Funk, Brandon Bajada.

DAL Girls First Team –Shantia Ali, Kimora McDonald (CVC), Jessica Chisar (CP).

Second Team – Katarina

Muellerleile (CP), Kellsey Ogu (CVC). Honorable Mention –Gabriela Luna, Isabelle Ruff, Thea Jeffress (CVC), Ella Kopper, Gabriela Manning, Megan Malloy, Reagan Thomas (NG).

EBAL Girls First Team –

Brianna Meredith, Kiana Kenion. Second Team – Kate Mcdonagh, 4x400 Relay, 4x100 Relay. Honorable Mention –4x800 Relay, Paige David.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

DAL Foothill – First Team – Caden Mays (CP), Will Badorf (NG). Second Team –Luke Steinert (NG). Honorable Mention – Atilla Yeh (CP), Ingmar Nordberg (NG). Valley First Team - Adrian Salamasidis, Joey Postlewaite (CVC), Evan McKnight (YV). Second Team – Cody Liming (CVC), Jorish Javier (Con). Honorable Mention – Arslan Adil, Hugo Avalos (CVC), Jumaiya Tabayoyong (Con), Nelson Luna, Minamba Sembele (MD).

EBAL Second Team –John Cheshareck. Honorable Mention – Luke, James Lakin.