Four Corners Sports by Majestic Media

content Don Vaughan PuBlISHER

Cindy Cowan Thiele EDITOR

Rick Hoerner Tom Yost Dorothy Nobis Ben Brashear

| 4 | Fall Sports Preview As the days shorten and the nights get a bit colder the district preseason comes to an end and the all-important district season takes center stage. After a year of district realignment and renewed rivalries, with apparently new ones to come next year, the district opponents play with a greater sense of familiarity.

CONTRIBuTING WRITERS

Josh Bishop Curtis Ray Benally CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Suzanne Thurman DESIGNER

| 8 | Tour du Mont Blanc Nathaniel Pavlik and Curtis Hunt have been friends for years. They ﬁrst became acquainted when Hunt was a freshman at Farmington High School and Pavlik was an eighth grader, and both played varsity tennis for Farmington High.

Clint Alexander SAlES STAFF

lacey Waite ADMINISTRATION For advertising information Call 505.516.1230

www.fourcornerssports.com

STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS Please send to editor@tricitytribuneusa.com

| 12 | Editorial Columnist | 19 | Fantasy Geek by Rick Hoerner

by Rick Hoerner

| 14 | NASCAR Nellie

Four Corners Sports magazine is published once a month by Majestic Media. Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Four Corners Sports magazine. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or ommissions. © 2015 Four Corners Sports magazine.

TElluRIDE – The slow chatter of carabiners dragging along aircraft-grade steel cable heightens the sensation of nerves churning in my gut. My climbing partner and I are slowly negotiating our way back to the start of Telluride's one and only Via Ferrata.

| 16 | Catching up with the county New coaches, college signings and much more.

| 18 | 2015 NFL Season Majestic Media 100 W. Apache Street Farmington, NM 87401 505.516.1230 www.majesticmediausa.com

| 21 | The Iron Way

ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you ready for some football!!! Well, if you are like me, you can’t wait to get this season started. This time of year tends to be one of my favorites. If you didn’t get a chance to stay updated on your favorite team’s offseason moves, don’t worry, I have got you covered.

| 28 | San Juan Special Olympics The Four Corners Invitational hosted by San Juan Special Olympics took place on August 21and 22 in San Juan County.

| 30 | The First Tee by Tom Yost

covercredit Curtis Ray Benally

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SPORTS

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW Season brings renewed rivalries, greater sense of familiarity Story by Rich Hoerner Photos by Curtis Ray Benally As the days shorten and the nights get a bit colder the district preseason comes to an end and the all-important district season takes center stage. After a year of district realignment and renewed rivalries, with apparently new ones to come next year, the district opponents play with a greater sense of familiarity.

FOOTbALL In Class 5A last season Aztec returned to the top of a crowded heap where Miyamura, Piedra Vista and Farmington joins the Tigers in forming one third of the 12-team tournament. After the start of the 2015 non-district season it appears to be a three-team race between Farmington, that defeated a usually very solid Los Lunas team; Miyamura, who returns running back AJ Starkovich and Piedra Vista who shocked the state with a big win over No. 2 ranked Roswell Goddard. Of course, counting out Aztec is never really a good idea. Farmington will be led by Diego elebario at quarterback. elebarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s returns at quarterback brings stability to the Scorpions under new head coach Jeff Dalton who has seen the largest influx of new players in nearly a decade. The Panthers return a strong contingency of underclassmen that dominated the PV backfield last season led by quarterback elijah Gamboa and what may be their best offensive line in years. Aztec is young and has

Four Corners SPORTS

OCTOBER 2015

bebeJAQUEZ PIeDRA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL

struggled early in the season. However, the football season is a marathon, not a sprint and injuries will usually dictate who rises to the top.

tral again on top. Shiprock and Bloomfield will be chasing the Broncos for a spot in the state tournament and once again expect Wingate to be in the district mix.

SOCCer

The 4A district title will most likely come down to a single game between kirtland Central and Bloomfield.

Graduation hit the local boys teams hard this spring with District champion Farmington losing eight seniors and Piedra Vista losing its top two scorers. Farmington has been the team to beat in this district since the last Star Wars movie came out.

The Bobcats look to be the head of the class so far. Led by a strong running attack, Bloomfield took down 5A rival Aztec for the first time in 10 years. kirtland Central again tries to replace the excellence and consistency of the long departed Bill Cawood under the new leadership of Greg Links. keishaun Aspaas returns to lead the Broncos ground attack. The Broncos will have a tough schedule early on playing 5A opponents Aztec, Farmington, Los Lunas and Piedra Vista. Navajo Prep should be at the top of what is traditionally a weak district. The eagles have toughened up their preseason schedule to try to improve their competition prior to the district season and hopefully a spot in the state championships bracket.

Here we are a decade later and the same is true, another Star Wars movie coming out and Farmington being the favorite in the district. After an upset loss in the state tournament last year the Scorpions look to return to state with a high seed.

kimmieKELSO AZTeC HiGH SCHOOL

CrOSS COuNTry The realignment of districts last year had the biggest impact on cross country. Suddenly two schools that have a strong long distance tradition found their way in to district 1AAAAA. Gallup High has been a traditional cross country team for the past three decades and miyamura has only added to the city’s distance strength.

Lacey Howe, who finished 10th at state last year, the Chieftains look poised for another run to the podium. On the boys’ side it should be Shiprock again with a young kirtland squad coming in behind them.

On the boys side little has changed from last year’s district. Piedra Vista and miyamura will compete for the top spot. The Panthers are led by fourth year stalwart ryan kruger. miyamura has a pair of the state’s top performers in Niles Thomas and Nicolas Jameson. Last year’s district came down to a tiebreaker with third place just two points behind. Look for similar results this year.

Any talk of San Juan County volleyball begins with Piedra Vista. The Panthers have been to the championship game three years in a row and three straight years they have come up short in their pursuit of the blue trophy. Aztec has been trying to close the gap with the Panthers and Farmington has seen a rebirth of their program since Dan Hickman has taken over aided by perhaps the best setter ever at Farmington High in his daughter Cheryl.

Gallup easily won the girls’ district title last year on their way to placing 4th at state. miyamura and PV also qualified for the state meet from the district both placing int the top ten. Gallup returns six of their top seven runners while both the Patriots and the Panthers return more than half their squad. kirtland Central and Shiprock should once again reign in District 1AAAA. The Shiprock girls finished second at state last fall placing four runners in the top fifteen. Led by Senior

VOLLeyBALL

if the Panthers are to repeat their district dominance, they have a lot to replace in the seven seniors that graduated. Autumn Begay will have to step in and be next in a great line of Panther outside hitters. Aztec will again try to knock the Panthers off the district pedestal and Farmington will try to ride a young team back to the state tournament. in Class 4AAAA it should be kirtland Cen-

Piedra Vista will look to qualify for state with a young squad that should still be good enough for second place with Aztec right behind for district 1AAAA it begins and ends with Bloomfield. The Bobcats are the only local squad to field a team. The girls in District 1AAAAA make it one of the toughest divisions in the state. Aztec and Farmington have been the dominant squads in the district with PV right behind. The Tigers start the year with a new head coach in kelly kelso and have two tough non-district games with perennial state favorite St. Pius. Coach Gill’s Scorpion squad returns everyone and once again will be poised for a state run. The Panthers have consistently been knocking on the door right behind Aztec and Farmington and again will be a threat come district time. in 1AAAA, all three local teams were under .500 last season with a district that includes the likes of state powerhouses Sandia Prep and Hope Christian. it will be tough for kirtland, Bloomfield and Prep to make a serious title run.

We could use your input! As a side note, nearly 20 coaches and athletic directors were sent questions to help compile this year’s fall preview with only two responding. if you have information on upcoming games or players you believe should be previewed, please email the information to rhoerner@yahoo.com

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SPOrTS

Here are a list of surface ﬂies to try.

Fishing REPORT Fishing on the San Juan River below Navajo Lake has been best in the morning hours. Current ﬂows below Navajo Lake are 650cfs.

Size 24 parachute adams Size 22 morgan midge Size 16 black foam ant Fishing below the quality waters has been tough lately. Reports of anglers using nightcrawlers has been best. Also try using silver or gold Panther Martin lures.

With gin clear water conditions getting the correct presentation is very important. Below are a list of the best flies to try. Size 24 gray midge pupae Size 24 black midge pupae Size 22 gray big mac midge Size 22 cream colored midge larvae Having gin clear water conditions is a bonus for the dry fly fisherman. Look for fish rising most of the day.

Four Corners SPORTS

T.J. Massey San Juan River Outﬁtters www.sanjuanriveroutﬁtters.com 505.486.5347

OCTOBER 2015

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Tour du Mont Blanc Nathaniel Pavlik, Curtis Hunt expand their boundaries to include Western Europe Story by Dorothy Nobis Nathaniel Pavlik and Curtis Hunt have been friends for years. They ﬁrst became acquainted when Hunt was a freshman at Farmington High School and Pavlik was an eighth grader, and both played varsity tennis for Farmington High. The tennis team ﬁnished third at the state tennis tournament and the friendship that began as tennis partners continued as both young men took on other athletic opportunities. In 2011, Pavlik and Hunt were center defenders on the Farmington High School’s State

Four Corners SPorTS

Championship Soccer team. In the spring of 2013, the two partnered again and won a dramatic come-from-behind tennis match over Albuquerque Academy to win the state doubles tennis championship. “Physical challenges are nothing new, but the scope of those challenges has broadened,” said Mark Pavlik, Nathaniel’s father. “It started with hikes, rock climbing, snowshoeing and backpacking in the Four Corners. Two years ago, Nathaniel and Curtis took off on a crosscountry hike from the front door of Farming-

OCTOBER 2015

ton’s Durango Joe’s to the front door of Durango’s Durango Joe’s.” This July, the dynamic duo of Pavlik and Hunt took on another challenge. This one, however, would take them away from the Four Corners and into Western Europe, with the goal of hiking nine days around Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. “The decision to take on the challenge of the Tour du Mont Blanc was hatched over a year ago,” Mark Pavlik said. “The boys were looking

to do something outside of the Four Corners that involved the great outdoors and that would push themselves physically, emotionally and intellectually.” Mackenzie Pavli, Nathaniel’s sister, was studying in Florence, Italy, and the Pavli family planned to meet her and enjoy a European tour during the summer of 2015. “Why not have Curtis become an adopted member of the Pavlik family and conclude the tour with a hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc, one of the premier treks in the world,” Mark Pavlik said of having Hunt join them. The Tour du Mont Blanc, referred to as the TMB, offered several challenges for the younger Pavlik and Hunt. “Negotiating foreign languages, ﬁguring out national, regional and local train and bus connections; realizing the rigorous nature of the hike and having to unload weight; securing places to stay each night; learning the routine at each “Refugio” (overnight hut); the physical demands of hiking up and down thousands of feet each day; and giving each other enough space so both could survive,” were challenges the young men would face, said Mark Pavlik. “We decided to hike the TMB after we had stumbled across it online while looking at bigger hikes,” Curtis Hunt said. “After a missed summer, plans all came together when the Pavlis were going to visit their daughter, Mackenzie. This gave Nathaniel and I the perfect opportunity to not only do the hike, but also explore Europe before hand to gain some international traveling experience.” “All in all, I would say we wanted to do whatever it may take us to expand our horizons,” Hunt added.

Expanding their horizons included communicating in a different language. “The language barrier was the most difﬁcult for me,” Hunt said. “Once, while trying to make a reservation at a refuge, the hostess and I cycled through four different languages before we both gave up and I just started saying ‘reservation’ with a poor French accent!” While the two traveled for a month in Europe prior to the trek, Hunt said because he had a stomach bug a few days before the trek began, it was hard to physically train or prep for such a long hike. “After a month touring, the ﬁrst couple of days were an adjustment,” Pavlik admitted. “After that, I was able to just enjoy the scenery

and our conversations with the other hikers, who had traveled there from all over the world. Most were Europeans, of course, but there were also Chinese, Australians, Israelis and other Americans.” “Luckily, Nathaniel and I are both active and young enough to manage the physical demands, even if it did require a few days to get used to it,” Hunt said. A nine-day trek gives one time for reﬂection. “The conversation that we maintained on the trail, especially for nine days, always allows us to challenge our own thoughts and experience the insights of the other, all while sharing some laughs,” Hunt said. “I think this is the way you truly develop your own perspective and it works for us.”

october 2015

Four Corners SPORTS

“We had already done some rigorous hikes together,” Pavlik added. “The TMB, due to its length, emphasized that there is a time to talk and a time to leave one another to their own thoughts.” For Mark and Terilyn Pavlik, their concern for the safety of the young men ended once they got to the trail, which was two days into the hike. “We were anxious to hear about their experiences, not so much because we were concerned, but because we knew that they were doing something that most of us could dream of doing, and we wanted to share in it,” Mark Pavlik said. “Once they were on the TMB Trail, we had conﬁdence in Nathaniel and Curtis’ physical abilities. Terilyn and I know from our various outdoor endeavors that the people you meet in these outdoor settings are friendly and helpful. If something was to happen, there would probably be others around to help.” Both young men are continuing their education – Hunt at the University of New Mexico and Pavlik at Whitman College in Washington – but expect to travel together again.

Hunt is pursuing a degree in civil engineering and plans to get his master’s degree in project management. “This will hopefully land me a job where I can continue to travel while still being able to work full time,” he said. “I hope to major in biology and engineering and pursue job opportunities that will allow me

to keep traveling and exploring,” Pavlick said. “I think a new trip is always on the horizon, as long as we can make the times work,” Hunt said. “As we are getting older, school, work, and other obligations make it harder, but I don’t think those will ever be enough to stop us.”

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OCTOBER 2015

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It’s a long way down the Holiday Road gram” obligations nor year-round single sporting activity.

Last month was the 30th anniversary of the chevy chase classic, Vacation, a vintage story of a family and the cross-country trek that was considered the staple of the time. So in an undesirable growing Hollywood tradition, we were treated this summer to a type of remake of Vacation with the son, Rusty, with Ed Helm replacing Michael Anthony Hall, urning to repeat his treasured family adventure. Honestly, though, a family vacation trek is not the norm anymore.

RickHOERNER Editorial columnist

According to a USA today/Gallup poll nearly half of Americans will not take a vacation this year. For those who do, only 25 percent will use the days they have earned. there are multiple reasons for this – economic issues of course, but also concerns that taking a vacation makes things worse when you return to the job, or that job security could be at risk in a competitive workplace. then there is the fact that a large portion of the American work force doesn’t even get a paid vacation and have to take time without pay to get any vacation time at all, which makes a poor ﬁnancial situation even worse. So vacation has changed from generation to generation, and today sports have become a huge part of the American sabbatical. Simply check out your Facebook page and notice how many families are using their vacation time to follow their athletes to summer tournaments, leagues and camps. Many families i dealt with as a head coach would plan vacation around our summer schedule, either leaving straight from camp or trudging the whole family to our location where vacation turned from heading to Yellowstone or Disneyland to a thrilling four-day adventure in scenic Alamosa, colorado. Demands of year-round youth sports undoubtedly change how a family considers their vacation time. the question now becomes whether carting your kids off to camps and tournaments really

Four Corners SpoRtS

constitutes a vacation. How fair is it to the whole family that vacation now centers around one member’s athletic career? Should families sacriﬁce their time together away from work to go gym jumping four or ﬁve times over the summer, a couple of vacation days at a time? A long time ago, in a state not so far away, my family ensured that our family vacation – or, as we called it, “that horrible week drinking at the campground” – was scheduled around my dad’s coaching and our sports time. Season over, vacation begins. the same was true for nearly everyone i knew. Sports and vacation time were absolutely separate. But then again my parents never had to deal with the constant “commitment to the pro-

OCTOBER 2015

For many of my friends today sport is the vacation. Some traveled with their son’s baseball team and made a vacation out of the experience. Some use the vacation time to hunt or fish. Some even use their vacation time to actually go to a single sporting event such as a Broncos game or spring training baseball. With the rising cost of sporting events pricing the normal fan out of the so-called “fan experience,” it’s nearly criminal that a professional game may cost an average middle class family what they would spend on a significant part of their vacation. For example, opening day for the Arizona cardinals against the New orleans Saints, tickets begin at $40 for an upper row upper deck seat, $160 for your basic family of four. throw in the modestly short drive, a hotel stay, food and the obligatory $8 beer, and a family has just shot a portion of the family vacation budget – significantly more than a week’s pay at minimum wage. Honestly, live sporting events are such a rarity for my family that any time we are preparing to go on vacation the first thing i check is the local sports schedule. Heading to cheyenne to visit the in-laws and i’m checking on the Rockies availability. pretty much any time i’ve been on vacation i’ve tried to tie it to getting to a live sporting event. Even my honeymoon included a trip to the kingdome – look it up, millennials – to watch the Mariners play. Harold Reynolds broke up a double play to ruin the Angels’ Mark Langston’s shutout in a 1-0 win for the Mariners. there are exceptions, though. For example, this past month the family made the red-eye to orlando for our 25th wedding anniversary. So after booking the obvious trips to Disney and Universal the next thing i checked was the schedule for the tampa Bay Rays; but even i couldn’t convince myself that a tuesday night game between the Rays and the cleveland indians was worth my precious vacation time.

There are countries in this small. small world that mandate paid vacation and seem to get by just ﬁne, but here in the political climate that more work time will “Make America Great Again” we live to work instead of working to live. So sports have not only become entertainment escape, but now our vacation time, which isn’t all bad. However, somewhere there has to be a balance between a family’s sacriﬁce of their time together and the need to recharge and reconnect with those that are supposed to mean the most in life.

Just a quick note… Last month this column hit on a topic that just days later became a major topic on social media as Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker James Harrison announced how he had made his children give back their participation trophies because they weren’t earned but given. "While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy," Harrison said in a post on Instagram. "I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I'm not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best." With the response Harrison’s actions incited, perhaps a change in false self-esteem is slowly progressing. It was also the ﬁrst time I had received multiple phone calls and emails on an article I had written. Thanks to those that sent messages and the virtual door is always open to post comments or questions at my email, rhoerner@yahoo.com

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SPoRTS

A WEEK OF SPEED, CHECKERED FLAGS NN checks out Xﬁnity Series; leaves her boss in the dust It’s hard for NASCAR Nellie when the weekend doesn’t offer the opportunity to cheer on her favorite driver, her kinda sorta favorite drivers, her somedaymight-be a favorite driver, and to boo her least favorite driver and those drivers who, for whatever reason, have been not-nice to her favorite driver(s). Just so’s ya know.

her. Deciding to do her Victory Lap early, NN went back to the starting line, found the NB and led him to his meeting – all the while waving to her imaginary fans and throwing kisses to her pit crew. NN is nothing if not grateful for those who share her love of NASCAR. Just sayin’ . . .

So, on those weekends when NN knows there isn’t a NASCAR cup race, she gets a little antsy. Her New Boss learned that the hard way and NN still isn’t sure he’s recovered enough to give her a “talking to” and a “don’t ever do that again” visit. The New Boss needed to be at a meeting and NN offered to drive him there. No, he said, “I’ll just follow you.” ’K, so NN gets behind the wheel of her Manning Mobile, revs the motor, nods to the New Boss, and screams outta the parking lot – thinking all the while the New Boss is right behind her. Unfortunately, while NN was screaming outta the parking lot, the New Boss was still fastening his seat belt and putting his truck into “go.”

When the dust finally settled on the dirt road that was to take the New Boss to his meeting, NN discovered the NB didn’t follow

When NN noticed the New Boss wasn’t following in his truck, NN threw the caution flag outta her window and slowed down. When the New Boss still wasn’t spotted, NN threw the red flag and stopped. NN knows the rules and NN tends to abide by the rules – at least most of the NASCAR rules. Finally, the New Boss was in NN’s rear view mirror, so she revved the engine of the MM, threw the green flag outta the window and hit the gas pedal, thinking the New Boss would keep up. The New Boss, however, isn’t as big a fan of NASCAR as NN is, so wasn’t aware that when the green flag is thrown, you throw caution to the wind, toss your hot dog and your Diet Mountain Dew out the window and put foot to the pedal.

Four Corners SpORTS

OCTOBER 2015

When the NB got to the meeting place, NN put the checkered flag out the window and, after doing a coupla donuts, drove backwards (the NN Victory Lap celebration) to the highway. The NB returned to the office a coupla hours later, but didn’t say much to NN. In fact, for a coupla days, he didn’t say much to NN. Then NN got an email from the NB, suggesting she take defensive driving training and that, under no circumstances WHATSO-

WHAtSoEVEr, was she to drive anybody’s vehicle but her very own until she passed said training. And she must always – in her own vehicle or anybody else’s – drive the posted speed limit, keep her colored flags in her car, not throw hot dogs and Diet Dew out of any window and never EVEr drive backward down any road, street or highway. NN likes the NB and likes her job, so will leave her red, yellow, green and white flags in the trunk of the Manning Mobile, take the Dale Earnhardt Jr. bobblehead doll off of her dashboard, put her helmet in the back seat, and won’t do victory donuts unless Junior wins the championship. When Junior wins the championship, NN will throw the caution, the green, the white and the red flag to the wind and will do the NN Victory Lap through town. Maybe not the NB’s town, but a town somewhere. Just sayin’ . . . When NN can’t watch Junior and those who follow him on the Sprint Cup track, she sometimes watches the Xfinity Series. For those of you who don’t know – or for the love of Junior, don’t care – the Xfinity Series is kinda like the minor league in baseball. It’s where drivers hope to win races so they can get a ride in the Cup Series and make a gazillion dollars selling their sponsor’s products. Sponsors are big in NASCAr and they spend more than a gazillion dollars sponsoring NASCAr teams and they expect the cars they sponsor to be at the front of the race so their logos will be seen by the gazillion trillion people (give or take a hundred million or two) who follow NASCAr. NN, herownself, is loyal to the sponsors of her favorite drivers. When Budweiser sponsored Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver, NN bought Budweiser all the time, even though NN isn’t a beer drinker. NN refused to shop at Lowe’s as long as tony Stewart drove the Home Depot car. And NN invested all of her retirement (all $500 of it, mind you) in M&M NASCAr collectibles when her Sweet Baboo, Elliott Sadler, drove the M&M car. When Kyle Busch snatched that sponsorship right out from under the pants of NN’s Sweet Baboo, NN refused to buy M&Ms ever ever again. Not that M&MS noticed a big drop in sales, or that Lowe’s begged NN to move over to the “dark side” or that Budweiser named a special lite beer in her honor, but NN believes in fan loyalty and driver loyalty and America, but not necessarily in that order. there are some up-and-coming drivers in the Xfinity Series and, because NN knows that, at some point, all of her favorite drivers are gonna give up their seats to be “in the booth” broadcasting, or running their own teams full time or making personal appearances or running for president – which NN thinks Junior should do, since he already has his own nation and his sponsors will give him money for his campaign, and he can run the country prob’ly better than anyone. Just sayin’ . . . Chase Elliott is one of NN’s favorite XS drivers, partly because he’s just too cute and partly because he drives for Jr Motorsports, which is partly owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister Kelly, and rick Hendrick, who has more than a gazillion trillion dollars and was a father figure to Junior when his dad died and his wicked stepmother wasn’t nice to him. Just so’s ya know. Anyway, Chase Elliott is the son of Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, Bill Elliott, who was once the sport’s most popular driver for

like a hundred years, before Junior came on the NASCAr scene and became the sport’s General and, one of these days, maybe the countys’ General In Chief. Just sayin’ . . . In doing her “research” (Some private investigators call it stalking, but NN takes exception to that.) NN discovered that Awesome Bill is worth $5 million and his 20-yearold son is worth $2 million – which isn’t bad pocket change for a guy who can’t buy an adult beverage just yet. Anyway, Chase is the youngest driver to win the then-Nationwide Series championship, which was a mixed blessing, because he couldn’t drink from the expensive champagne bottle that’s usually passed around when you win a championship. Whatever. Chase will take over Jeff Gordon’s car in the Sprint Cup Series next year, when ole Jeffy moves to “the booth” and will offer insights, outsights and oversights of racing, which will be fun for him. He won’t have to “go” in his racing suit anymore; he can actually use the men’s room. there are perks for being in “the booth,” ya know. Chase is expected to be a championship contender and will have his own legion of fans, most of which will be late teens and early 20s young women who would like to help Chase spend his first $2 mil. Just sayin’ . . . NN remains a fan of her Sweet Baboo, who was sent back to the Xfinity/Nationwide Series several years ago (NN had nothing to do with the demotion, no matter what her Sweet Baboo’s lawyers said or what the “evidence implied”), and would like to see her SB win a championship because she’d like to sell some of the “implied evidence” and make her own $2 mil – or in NN’s case, her own $500. Whatever. NN also likes regan Smith and Brian Scott and peyton Sellers. NN isn’t real sure who peyton Sellers is, but is pretty certain he was named after peyton Manning, who has his own shrine in NN’s casita. there are a coupla drivers who should – just maybe – retire from the Xfinity Series. Kenny Wallace, Derrick Cope and todd Bodine all drove in the Sprint Cup Series and none of ’em did very well in that series either. And there’s Morgan Shepherd, who is almost 74 years old and has driven in NASCAr for 44 years. NN loves Morgan’s determination to race and his ability to get in and out of the car, and NN really, truly wants him to win another race. Morgan’s first – and only – win was when he was 51 years, four months and 27 days old, which is kind of a long time ago. Just sayin’ . . . .

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Four Corners SportS

CATCHING UP WITH THE COUNTY New coaches, college signings and much more Recruiting season a success Piedra Vista baseball had a great college recruiting season getting all of their seniors signed to play baseball next year. The last to sign was Tyler Williamson who will join his teammate Phillip Archuleta at Otero Junior College next season.

Aztec grad headed to Seward Aztec Tiger graduate Dalton Watson has signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Seward Community College in Kansas.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, San Juan County will have a rooting interest in the United States track team with Mario Sategna joining the track and field coaching staff as an assistant throwing coach. Sategna, son of New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer Phil and wife, Jeannie Sategna, is a 1991 graduate of Bloomfield High where he excelled in track

Four Corners SPORTS

COUNTy COACHiNg CHANgeS Aztec Lady Tigers The coaching carousel continues in San Juan County, this time with high-powered perennial contending Aztec Lady Tigers Soccer team. Kelly Kelso will have some big shoes to fill taking over head coaching duties from Steve Parks. Under Parks, the Tigers have had an ongoing rivalry with Farmington High for district supremacy, and have been right on the cusp of a state championship, playing in title games in 2012 and 2013 and reaching the semi-finals last fall.

Shiprock Chieftains

Summer Olympics and San Juan County

and field. Mario then went on to LSU as a decathlete and is currently the head track coach of the Texas Longhorns.

Shiprock High School will once again have a new head football coach. The Chieftains hired longtime Aztec Tiger assistant eric Stovall to take over the reins in Shiprock. While he has never led his own football program, Stovall was a head basketball coach while at Aztec and has been an assistant for the Tigers for many years.

PV Panthers golf Tom yost takes over the boys program Both Piedra Vista golf Teams have new coaches this year as Riverview professional Tom yost

OCTOBER 2015

takes over the boys program from longtime golf coach Floyd Kurley. The program will once again split into two separate programs with Charlie Druar, a second year teacher at Piedra Vista, taking over the girls golf squad, hoping to return the program to the level it attained under original head coach Paul Stewart, who led the Panthers to two state titles.

Kirtland Broncos Out in Kirtland, Chad Kimball takes over as the new girls soccer coach replacing Leonel Camacho. This will be Kimballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first head coaching gig; however, he has been an assistant coach for the soccer team as well as an assistant coach in track.

New AD in Shiprock Shiprock High School will begin the fall prep season with a new athletic director. The Chieftains hired earl Barrier to fill the job after one-year director Nic Williams accepted another administration job with the district.

Aztec grad signs letter of intent, heatds to Northwestern College Lukas Frazzini, 2015 Aztec High School graduate, continues his baseball career at the next level, signing with Northwestern College in Orange City, iowa.

piedra Vists graduate joins Boston Celtics Dance team

• September 29, Aztec Volleyball at pV – opening night of district play pits the district champ vs. the runner-up in the past two years

According to UNLVrebels.com, former UNLV rebel and piedra Vista pantera and pV graduate Maire Chew earned a place on the Boston Celtics Dance team. Chew was a part of the UNLV rebel Dance team from 2010 to 2014. Approximately 120-160 dancers attended the preliminary auditions in Boston, Los Angeles and New York to make this year's squad. thirty dancers from all three preliminary auditions advanced to the final round of auditions in Boston where they performed three routines (hip-hop, jazz and a 45-second self-choreographed solo to a randomly selected song).

• october 9, Farmington at piedra Vista Football – the classic crosstown rivalry opens the football district season

Golf Fundraiser If you’re looking to try out your golf skills at night, check out Bloomfield Assembly of God’s Night Glow tournament on September 26. Call 505.330.4710 for information and registration.

Games to Watch … • September 22 and october 13, piedra Vista and Farmington boys soccer – the only two matchups that matter in a relatively weak district. • September 24, Aztec hosts Farmington in girls soccer – the first matchup of the season of perennial final four teams

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SportS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE

2015 NFL SeaSoN

ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you ready for some football!!! Well, if you are like me, you can’t wait to get this season started. this time of year tends to be one of my favorites. if you didn’t get a chance to stay updated on your favorite team’s offseason moves, don’t worry, i have got you covered. i will break down all 32 teams from roster and coaching changes to impact rookies and everything in between, and even a prediction for the upcoming season on every team. But, before we get to your favorite team let’s take a look back at last season – it was one unforgettable season, to say the least. the best way i could describe the 2014 nFl season is that it was like one giant roller coaster filled with extreme highs and, unfortunately, some extreme lows. Before the season could even start nFl Commissioner roger Goodell had his hands full of player misconduct incidents and off-the-field issues that damaged the nFl’s reputation. it all started with Baltimore ravens running back ray rice involved in a domestic violence incident in an Atlantic City hotel involving his then fiancée. rice initially received a fourgame suspension. it wasn’t until tMZ released damaging video surveillance of rice striking his fiancée in an elevator, knocking her unconscious, that Goodell changed the four-game suspension to a seasonlong suspension, due in large part to the public outcry. to make matters even worse, rice was not the only player to be charged in offseason domestic violence issues. Carolina panthers star defensive end Greg Hardy was arrested on similar domestic violence issues involving his then girlfriend. Hardy played one game beginning the 2014 season before sitting out the rest of the season. His case was later dropped and an agreement was settled outside of court, but by now the nFl was facing a huge wakeup call on how players should conduct themselves off the field.

education and exercise in the new nFl’s play 60 movement.

ClintALEXANDER Guest Columnist

had seen enough and came down hard on all three players with suspensions and ﬁnes. the players also were required to go to counseling and anger management classes, in addition to with their suspensions. i applaud Goodell for ﬁnally doing the right thing and coming down on these players. Domestic violence and child abuse should never be tolerated. no matter how talented you are, you do not have a right to play in the nFl. it is a privilege and players must conduct themselves and hold themselves to the highest standards. We must teach our youth and the millions of young football fans that domestic violence and child abuse are never okay. there were plenty of positives to go along with the 2014 nFl season. the nFl dedicated all games played in october to breast cancer awareness, raising millions of dollars for research and awareness. the nFl also raised millions of dollars for countless other charities including the United Way. players gave their time helping with community service events such as food and clothing drives and volunteering at area soup kitchens as well as children’s hospitals. they spoke at countless schools on the importance of

last, but certainly not least, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian peterson was charged with child abuse involving his son. peterson also only played in one game while dealing with his off-the-ﬁeld issues. Finally, Commissioner Goodell

Four Corners SportS

OCTOBER 2015

the Super Bowl was another huge positive for the nFl. Super Bowl XliX was played at University of phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., between the Seattle Seahawks and new England patriots. the game came down to the ﬁnal seconds with Seattle down four points and set up on the two yard line. Every Seattle fan in America was yelling “Hand the ball to Marshawn.” instead, head coach pete Carroll elected to call a very different play. Quarterback russell Wilson threw a quick slant route to his inside receiver, and that’s when new England undrafted free agent Malcolm Butler jumped the route and made the interception at the goal line, clinching the Super Bowl win for tom Brady and the new England patriots. Brady was awarded the game’s MVp that included receiving a brand new Chevrolet Colorado truck. He then happily gave the keys to Butler for the game winning play. the game went down in history as one of the most epic ever played. in fact, a record 114.4 million viewers watched the game that became the largest ever watched program in history. large companies had a feeling the big game would bring in record crowds. So much so that each company dished out a whopping $4.5 million dollars for each 30-second commercial. this year’s Super Bowl is expected to climb to $5 million dollars per 30-second spot, so start saving your money now, business owners of the Four Corners. the record turnout for the Super Bowl

Things to consider when making your draft list The NFL preseason is upon us so many sports geeks will be consumed with watching their favorite team’s training camp workouts. Many more, like yours truly, will be concentrating on what really matters – mock fantasy drafts on Yahoo and NFL.com. Yes, it’s true. i will spend more preseason time getting a draft pattern down and looking for goofy – i mean unique – leagues to get into this season. So here are the annual preseason draft levels for the upcoming Fantasy season. Before you draft, here are some points to consider when making your draft list: kNow YouR PoiNT SYSTeM – Most leagues use a standard scoring format, but knowing your league’s rules is essential. is your league quarterback heavy? if the same scoring is given to QBs as running backs, QBs become more valuable; or if your league allows QBs as a ﬂex, then planning for two may change your draft strategy. know your kicker values and DST points. They may change consideration of drafting a DST or kicker early instead of later. kNow YouR PoSiTioNS – A lot of leagues have PPR scoring, or Points per Reception. This changes the values of wide receivers, and tight ends, and especially running backs. when considering PPR choices look at the number of targets a player gets, not the number of catches. More targets, more chances. translated into record revenue sharing for all 32 teams as each team equally shared a piece of the $6 billion dollars the NFL generated in 2014. i would say it was a very good year to be an NFL owner. one of the biggest things i love about football is that it is a game of teamwork, dedication and passion. every player on every team has an important role and no matter how big or small the player everyone contributes to the common goal. we may all have different favorite teams, but coming together and respecting one another and our differences is what makes this game and this country so special. with that being said, cheers to you and your favorite team as we look forward to one memorable 2015 season to come!

THE FANTASY GEEK

RickHOERNER

PPR changes the values of backs such as Jamal charles and Drew Brees’s new toy, cJ Spiller. it also makes wideouts such as Julian edelman more valuable for all the short route catches he will make. LAST YeAR DoeSN’T MATTeR – with free agent moves and trades, make sure you know who is where and who has had their circumstances changed. For example, LeSean Mccoy moving to Buffalo will deﬁnitely change his status. it may make it better for the poor quarterback situation in Buffalo with him as the biggest weapon, but it could make it worse, seeing a loaded defensive front on early downs. old favorites in new places include Jimmy Graham in Seattle, DeMarco Murray in Philadelphia, Brandon Marshall in New York, Jeremy Maclin in kansas

TeAM oveRviewS FoR 2015 ARizoNA cARDiNALS key Arrivals – Mike iupati, LaMarr woodley, Jermaine Gresham key Draft Pick – DJ humphries key Departures – Darnell Dockett, Antonio cromartie, Sam Acho, Dan williams Arizona surprised a lot of people last year when they were the hottest team to start the season at a record of 9-1. unfortunately injuries plagued the team. The biggest injury came when QB carson Palmer tore his AcL half way through the season. Darnell Dockett missed the entire season due to injuries and has since moved on to San Francisco, but at age 34 who knows how much he has left in the tank. Running back Andre ellington also missed most of the season because of injuries that were instrumental in cardinals ﬁnishing the season as the second worst rushing team in the league. ellington needs to have a strong 2015 if the cardinals want a repeat trip to the playoffs. Arizona managed to limp into the playoffs last year with third string quarterback Ryan Lindley, but only managed to record an all-time playoff low of 78 yards of total offense. it just goes to show not every third

city and the above mentioned cJ Spiller YouR RooTiNG iNTeReSTS DoN’T MATTeR – Don’t play favorites and don’t avoid players on teams you hate. Somebody in your draft will do this, so they may be easy to predict as the draft progresses. That being said, and if all things are statistically equal, take your favorite team’s player. For example, if you hate the cowboys and love the Broncos and your choice comes down to Dez Bryant or Demaryius Thomas, take Thomas. There is virtually no difference, and Sunday becomes easier. if you have to have someone from your favorite team, before the last two rounds, take their kicker. The ScheDuLe MATTeRS – A lot of your competitors will watch the schedule closely to make sure they don’t have too many players on the Bye week. Forget the byes when drafting your regular starters. it’s not that big of a deal. Actually, it may be better to have them all at one time and take the hit. however, the schedule does matter when looking at the difﬁculty of schedule. For example, the AFc North has to play both the AFc and NFc west, meaning they play against three very tough NFc west defenses and a couple of pretty good ones in the AFc west. This may be a factor when deciding on AJ Green or Justin Forsett, for example. Looking at indianapolis, they get two against

* Fantasy Geek 26 string QB can come in like cardale Jones of ohio State to get the job done. The cardinals also lose Pro Bowler Antonio cromartie to the Jets, but with one of the best corners in the league in Patrick Peterson and free safety Tyrann Mathieu, the secondary should still be in good shape. in all reality, the biggest loss to the cardinals was defensive coordinator Todd Bowles who left to accept the Jets head coaching position. on a positive note, the cardinals bring over one of the best guards in the league in Mike iupati from San Francisco and drafted DJ humphries to help strengthen the offensive line. The cardinals have a brutal schedule to ﬁnish the season, including games at Philadelphia, then Green Bay and Seattle at home. however, if the o-line can keep Palmer upright and help get a little more production in the running game, i see no reason the cardinals can’t make a repeat run to the playoffs. 2015 Prediction – (10-6)

ATLANTA FALcoNS key addition – Jacob Tamme key Draft Picks - vic Beasley, Jalen collins, Tevin coleman

* NFL Guide 20

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Four Corners SPoRTS

Key Departures – Jaquizz Rodgers, Harry Douglas The biggest question mark the Falcons face coming into 2015 is ﬁxing that atrocious defense. Atlanta’s defense allowed more yards than any other team in the league last year. They made an excellent hire in head coach Dan Quinn coming over as the defensive coordinator from Seattle. It’s just too bad coach Quinn doesn’t get to bring the “Legion of Boom” with him. The other thing the Falcons did well was building through the draft. With their ﬁrst pick they chose Vic Beasley out of Clemson who instantly helps the Atlanta pass rush. Beasley was an absolute beast at the NFL draft combine bench pressing 225 lbs. for 35 consecutive reps. At 6’3” and 250 lbs. he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, which is scary fast, and recorded a 41” vertical. Other notable draft picks came in a great corner out of LSU in Jalen Collins and running back Tevin Coleman out of Indiana. Atlanta boasts one of the top wide receivers in the league in Julio Jones. With receiver Roddy White on the other side it gives QB Matt Ryan a nice dual threat option. I do think Atlanta is a year or two away from really competing but being in the NFC South anything could happen. 2015 Prediction – (8-8)

BALTIMORe RAVeNS Key Additions – Kyle Arrington, Matt Schaub Key Draft Picks – Breshad Perriman, Maxx Williams Key Departures – Haloti Ngata, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Owen Daniels Baltimore seems to lose some of their best players every year and still manages to compete at a high level. Much credit is due to General Manager Ozzie Newsome for being able to plug in the holes. Haloti Ngata spent his entire career with the

Ravens and is now gone along with top receiver Torrey Smith. They pick up a decent corner in Kyle Arrington from New england and a decent backup QB in Matt Schaub, but barring injury to Joe Flacco don’t expect to see much of Schaub. The Ravens are excited about rookie wide receiver Breshad Perriman; he has looked impressive in off-season workouts. They will need Perriman instantly to step in and try to ﬁll the shoes left by Torrey Smith. Another bright spot for the Ravens is elvis Dumervil who set the Baltimore single season sack record last year with 17 sacks. elvis is 10 sacks away from being just the 32nd player in NFL history to record 100 sacks. On a side note, Terrell Suggs aka “T-Sizzle” was second on the team last year with 12 sacks. Baltimore played in arguably the toughest division last year that could make 2015 just as challenging. 2015 Prediction – (10-6)

BUFFALO BILLS Key Additions – LeSean McCoy, Matt Cassel, Percy Harvin, Charles Clay Key Draft Picks – Ronald Darby Key Departures – Kiko Alonso, CJ Spiller, Scott Chandler, Brandon Spikes Buffalo starts the new Rex Ryan era as they brought the head coach over from the Jets. Ryan inherits a defense that has quietly been one of the best the last two seasons. The Bills defense led the league last year with 54 total sacks. The new coach also gets one of the best running backs in the league in LeSean McCoy and a very talented but young receiver in Sammy Watkins. Last year Buffalo traded up to take Watkins, who was the ﬁrst receiver taken in the draft and thus cost the Bills their ﬁrst round pick this year. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the NY Giants got most of the at-

tention for rookie receivers, so look for Watkins to make a name of his own this year. The biggest question facing coach Ryan is what to do at the quarterback position. eJ Manuel was a first round pick just two years ago, but has really struggled – hence the need to bring in Matt Cassel. Going into 2015 the defense will keep the Bills in a lot of games, but until they get consistent QB play it might take a few years to get back to the playoffs. 2015 Prediction (9-7) Carolina Panthers Key Additions – Michael Oher, Charles Tillman, Ted Ginn Jr. Key Draft Picks – Shaq Thompson, Devin Funchess Key Departures – Deangelo Williams, Greg Hardy Carolina not only managed to make the playoffs last year but actually won their playoff game as well. It did come against a struggling Cardinals team, but a win is a win. The Panthers decided to invest heavily in star QB Cam Newton giving him a five-year $103.8 million extension. Newton is extremely mobile. However, he has been sacked or hit while throwing/rushing more than any other QB since 2011. If he wants to sustain a long career he needs to find ways not to take such a beating. The Panthers lose their all-time leading rusher in Deangelo Williams with Jonathan Stewart ready to step in immediately to fill the gap. They also lose pass-rushing phenom Greg Hardy, but Hardy only played one game last year so they should already be used to his departure. I’m not too high on Carolina’s draft picks, as I think Devin Funchess is overrated and I like Shaq Thompson out of Washington, but he is a little undersized. The biggest bright spot for the Panthers is top linebacker Luke Kuechly who led the league last year with 153 tackles, and second year wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin who was impressive as a rookie. However, I expect Carolina to take a step back in 2015. 2015 Prediction – (7-9)

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Four Corners SPORTS

OCTOBER 2015

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Chicago Bears Key Additions – Jaquizz rodgers, Eddie royal, Antrel rolle Key Draft picks – Kevin White, Eddie Goldman Key Departures – Brandon Marshall, Charles tillman Da Bears! When I think of Chicago I think of the mess created with QB Jay Cutler. Last year the Bears managed to lose eight of their ﬁnal 10 games. In fact, it got so bad that at one point Cutler was benched in favor of Jimmy Clausen. Cutler threw a league-high 18 interceptions, this all coming after signing a massive $126.7 million seven-year contract before the 2014 season. the best way to describe the Cutler and Bears relationship is like a bad marriage without a prenup. I would not be surprised one bit if this was Cutler’s last season in Chicago. He has arguably one of the strongest arms in the league, but his lack of attention to detail turns into far too many mistakes that at this level in his career should not be being made. In the offseason Chicago signed defensive specialist ray McDonald, but after being arrested on a domestic violence charge he was subsequently released. the Bears also lose top receiver Brandon Marshall, but with Alshon Jeffery really coming into his own there will not be that much of a drop off. Wide receiver Kevin White was the second receiver taken in the draft to help ﬁll the Marshall void. Eddie Goldman was a great draft choice, and picking up Antrel rolle from the Giants instantly improves Chicago’s free safety position. Matt Forte has been a dependable running back which gives some hope, but I don’t see much success in 2015. 2015 prediction – (5-11)

CInCInnAtI BEnGALS Key Additions – Michael Johnson, AJ Hawk Key Draft picks – Cedric ogbuehi, paul Dawson Key Departures – terence newman, taylor Mays, Jermaine Gresham Cincinnati has shown nothing but positive consistency. the only thing bad about the positive consistency is that they have lost the wild card round of the playoffs four consecutive years. Star receiver AJ Green was hampered by intermittent foot injuries, so look for him to be much improved. tight end tyler Eifert missed all but one game thanks to a dislocated elbow. the Bengals bring back defensive end Michael Johnson. that should deﬁnitely help, along with signing linebacker AJ Hawk from Green Bay. Drafting Cedric ogbuehi helps with any offensive line issues. the biggest problem Cincinnati will face in 2015 is a problem most other teams would love to have, and that is what to do with their plethora of talented free agents after the season. Look for the Bengals to compete for the AFC north title with a crucial week-17 game against Baltimore that could be the deciding factor. 2015 prediction – (11-5)

an absolute freak of nature at the draft combine recording a 44.5” vertical and setting a new world record broad jump at 12’3” that makes most olympians stand in awe. Drafting Byron will help ease the potential loss of Morris Claiborne as Dallas has elected not to pick up his 5th year option for 2016. the Cowboys did reach a long-term deal ﬁve-year $70 million with top receiver Dez Bryant, but ultimately decided to let star running back DeMarco Murray and his league leading 1,845 yards rushing go. the often-injured Darren McFadden will come in to try to help ﬁll the void. Circle your calendar for thanksgiving Day as the Cowboys and Greg Hardy get to face Cam newton and the rest of his former team in the Carolina panthers. Dallas should be favored to win the nFC East. 2015 prediction – (11-5)

DEnvEr BronCoS Key Additions – owen Daniels, Antonio Smith Key Draft pick – Shane ray Key Departures – Julius thomas, terrance Knighton, orlando Franklin, rahim Moore Denver had a great 2014 season but managed to come up a little short in the playoffs. the Broncos may look a little different in 2015. Both head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Jack Del rio are gone, paving the way for new head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade phillips. the roster will see several changes as well, with Julius thomas, terrance Knighton, orlando Franklin, and rahim Moore all gone, while adding tight end owen Daniels and defensive end Antonio Smith. Losing tight end Julius thomas will hurt the most, as he has been one of the top tight ends in the league. owen Daniels will have his work cut out for him. Denver lost starting left tackle ryan Clady to a torn ACL that will sideline him for the season. the Mile High City may have lost one thomas, but got to keep another in the signing of Demaryius thomas to a 5 year $70 million extension. Demaryius has been one of the brightest receivers in the league accounting for career highs last year with 111 receptions and 1,619 yards. Future hall of fame QB peyton Manning will play 2015 at 39 years old and played some of his worst football in years down the stretch. I am a huge peyton Manning fan and, despite his rough play to finish last season, I just don’t think you can ever count him out. Last year the Broncos posted the second best run defense in the league and will need to continue that this year if they want another run into the playoffs. Having von Miller certainly helps, but when Missouri’s Shane ray fell to Denver at the bottom of the first round of the draft the Broncos struck gold. ray was the SEC defensive player of the year after reaping havoc on opposing quarterbacks. ray was a sure top 10 pick, but days before the draft he was cited for possession of marijuana in a routine traffic stop, which made his draft stock slide. It may have cost ray millions of dollars, but the Broncos got a top draft pick out of the ordeal. Even though the Broncos lost a ton of talent, they should still win the AFC West. 2015 prediction – (11-5)

CLEvELAnD BroWnS

DEtroIt LIonS

Key Additions – Dwayne Bowe, Josh McCown, Brian Hartline, tramon Williams Key Draft picks – Danny Shelton, Cameron Erving Key Departures – Brian Hoyer, Miles Austin, Jordan Cameron What do you do when you rank dead last in run defense? You draft big – and that is exactly what Cleveland did with their ﬁrst pick in the draft, drafting enormous nose tackle Danny Shelton out of Washington at 6’2 and 340 lbs. With their second pick they took multi positioned offense lineman Cameron Erving out of Florida State with the hopes Erving can give the Browns QB’s the same protection he gave number one overall pick Jameis Winston. the Browns bring in two pretty good receivers in Bowe and Hartline while also bringing in Josh McCown to replace Brian Hoyer, but the question still remains will Johnny “Football” (Manziel) ever live up to the hype. Manziel needs to focus on football and not where the next big party is if he ever wants to be successful in the league. Cleveland is still a long way away from any playoff hopes. 2015 prediction – (5-11)

Key Additions – Haloti ngata, taylor Mays Key Draft pick – Ameer Abdullah Key Departures – ndamukong Suh, reggie Bush, nick Fairley Detroit had a very successful season last year, posting a 11-5record and establishing the number one ranked defense in rushing yards allowed. that will all change this year due in large part to the Lions losing the top free agent of 2015 when ndamukong Suh decided to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Dolphins. Detroit brings in Haloti ngata from Baltimore to help alleviate some of the pain losing both defensive tackles in Suh and nick Fairley. Ezekial Ansah has shown a lot of promise and will now be called on to anchor the defense while Glover Quinn and his league-leading seven interceptions bolster the secondary. Ameer Abdullah out of nebraska may be small in stature at just 5’9” but will be a lightning rod out of the backﬁeld replacing reggie Bush. I look for Calvin Johnson to bounce back this year and put up big receiving numbers but I’m not sure if it will be enough, as Detroit should take a step back. 2015 prediction – (9-7)

DALLAS CoWBoYS Key Arrivals – Greg Hardy, Darren McFadden Key Draft picks – Byron Jones, randy Gregory, La’el Collins Key Departures – DeMarco Murray It is evident owner Jerry Jones wants to win and wants to win now. that was made clear with his off season acquisition of Greg Hardy who will miss the first four games due to his domestic violence suspension, as well as drafting randy Gregory who failed a drug test due to marijuana, and drafting La’el Collins who was linked to a murder investigation regarding his ex-girlfriend. Collins ultimately was never charged with any crime. these three moves brought a ton of scrutiny, but Jones believes in second chances and hopes his gamble pays off. Hardy comes in as one of the best pass rushers in the league. Gregory was a superstar at nebraska and at one point was even considered the top overall pick in the draft before sliding. Collins, out of LSU, had first round talent written all over him but went undrafted due to the investigation, so the upside on all three is tremendous. Adding La’el only improves an offensive line already ranked first in the league. I have not even mentioned first round pick cornerback Byron Jones out of UConn who was

GrEEn BAY pACKErS Key Arrivals – n/A Key Draft picks – Damarious randle, Brett Hundley Key Departures – AJ Hawk, tramon Williams A word to the wise, do not sleep on the Green Bay packers this year. I think most people forgot that this packers team was an onside kick recovery away from reaching the Super Bowl. You may have forgotten, but the packers and the Cheese Heads (packers fans) certainly did not. Green Bay has had all summer to plot their revenge, and with Mvp QB Aaron rodgers on a mission to get back to the Super Bowl, I can expect plenty of discount double check celebrations in the end zone. Las vegas has Green Bay and Seattle favored at 6/1 odds of winning this year’s Super Bowl. the packers will be looking to make an impressive ﬁve straight nFC north titles as well as a nFC best seven straight playoff appearances.

* NFL 31 OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SportS

The iron way Telluride's Via FerraTa Story and photos by Ben Brashear Telluride – The slow chatter of carabiners dragging along aircraft-grade steel cable heightens the sensation of nerves churning in my gut. My climbing partner and i are slowly negotiating our way back to the start of Telluride's one and only Via Ferrata. Beginning near Bridal Veil Falls, the route traverses along the east face of ajax Peak high above Box Canyon and the Pipeline climbing area. The route, an out-and-back, spans just over 1-mile in length and offers at times several hundred feet of exposure high above the valley ﬂoor. We've been traversing the route for roughly two hours as we eye storm clouds colliding

overhead only to begin their slow, dark turbulence as we approach what is called "The Main event" for the second time. This section is considered the most difﬁcult portion of the entire route. it is slightly overhung and rife with long reaches, making it quite the accomplishment for anyone shorter than 5 feet 8 inches. My partner, topping out at just 5 feet 4 inches has resorted to the technique of "falling" toward many of the handholds in order to reach them. The dew point begins to match the quickly dropping air temperature and raindrops materialize coating the steel rebar rungs and stemples. Our feet begin to slip from the slick metal steps, which now demand a greater focus on each of our movements. Our day just went from

conﬁdently encouraging a novice couple through the most technical section of the Via Ferrata, a sunny lunch overlooking Telluride, to what has now become a real adventure with real consequences. Via Ferrata, translated as "iron Way" was developed in italy during World War i. The routes comprised of iron stemples, cables, and ladders that allowed soldiers to safely pass through the technical alpine terrain of the dolomites. Following the war, the cable routes gained in popularity among climbers, novice and experienced alike, as an easy way to access the mountains with a minimal amount of gear often requiring only a helmet, climbing harness, and shock-absorbing lanyard.

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners sPOrTs

However, despite its popularity in Europe, Via Ferrata has struggled to gain a stronghold in the United States due to heavy regulation, ethical debates, and the Wilderness Act of 1964. Telluride's Via Ferrata circumvented many of these roadblocks as accomplished climber and mountaineer Charles Kroger utilized an established mining trail dating back to the early 1900s in order to develop the route in 2006. Kroger hand formed each stemple and rung from rebar in his home workshop and hand drilled the 5 1/2" bolts used to secure each length of steel cable. According to the Telluride Alpine Club, climbers can expect that an out and back trip will take on average 6 to 8 hours to complete. The start and ﬁnish of the route are the only option to escape the route, which is worth consideration as the route can become exponentially dangerous in adverse weather conditions. Kroger completed the Telluride Via Ferrata route with the assistance of his climbing partners, now affectionately known by local climbers as the “Krogerata,” in 2007. It was to become part of his legacy as he succumbed to his battle with cancer later that same year. Despite the added dangers of a horizontally traversing route and the limited possibility of escape, with only a handful of Via Ferrata routes scattered throughout the continental U.S., the lure of Telluride's "Iron Way" has exponentially increased as this once secret route has become much more popular in recent years. The rain is still coming down. My partner, looking back over her shoulder with a tremolo of adrenalin in her voice, begins to sing in clipped phrases as she maneuvers through a reach-ier section. With each move she changes the lyrics of pop songs she doesn't know to match each move she makes. I know she's nervous when she starts singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and has awkwardly changed "put a ring on it," to "clip a carabiner to it." My foot slips from the stemple I am standing on and gives me a jolt. I quickly go from being

Four Corners SporTS

OCTOBER 2015

entertained to joining her in singing. We make our way through the "Main Event" and rounding the bend we take a seat at Kroger's Bench to catch our breath. The rain lessens as the sun makes it way through the ether, evoking from us an eruption of laughter full of endorphins and relief. We pad the dirt and take comfort in the 12 inhes of terra ďŹ rma currently beneath our feet and marvel at the sweeping valley below as it comes into sharp focus in brilliant hues of maroon Arkosic sandstone and Feldspar. My partner looks up to the clouds and smirks, "It's always an adventure with you," she says.

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Fantasy Geek

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both Tennessee and Jacksonville plus games against the defensively challenged NFC South. WATCH OuT FOR ROOKiE HYpE – Rookie Quarterbacks Marcus Mariotta and Jameis Winston will be getting plenty of talking head time, but buyer beware. Rookie quarterbacks on bad teams usually mean disaster. Rookies who are expected to carry the load at running back will be worth taking a shot at. This means take a flyer on Todd Gurley and especially Melvin Gordon, who should take over full-time duty from the departed Ryan Mathews. A pair of rookie wideouts worth a gamble would be Oakland’s Amari Cooper and philadelphia’s Nelson Algohor. AVOiD “RuNNiNG BACK BY COMMiTTEE” – This NFL trend makes full-time, three-down backs worthy of early picks. Being stuck with a shared backfield back can be the downfall of a solid team. Mark ingram’s numbers may go down in New Orleans with CJ Spiller on hand. Same with DeMarco Murray being with Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. Dallas’s situation will be difficult as will Detroit’s Cincinnati’s, the New York Giants’ and Cleveland’s. CHECK ON iNJuRiES AND THOSE RECOVERiNG – injuries can kill your chance of league dominance, so injury history matters. Calvin Johnson, for example, is hard to trust as a weekly option, but is far too valuable not to take a chance on. Victor Cruz returns and may change how the Giants use Odell Beckham. Carson palmer had the best record in the NFL for starting quarterbacks before going down last year. The walking Blue Cross patient that is Sam Bradford gets a shot at redemption in philadelphia where, whoever quarterbacks, and is probably worth a shot. With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, Brandin Cooks returns as the No. 1 receiving option in New Orleans STiCK TO YOuR pLAN – This is always the toughest part, especially if you are on either end of a snake draft. Waiting for 22 picks to happen usually means your list is getting crossed off quickly. This is why i try to use a level system instead of rating each individual player. The level system makes sure you draft for points, not for position.

THE FANTASY GEEK’S LEVEL SYSTEM The Level System is really simple. Rate 24 players at Level 1. This makes sure that in a 12team league you are guaranteed to get two of these players and, depending on your draft positions, likely three. Choose the one that best ﬁts your needs regardless of position. All Level 1 players must be gone before you move down a level.

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Level 2 contains Quarterbacks up to 12, 18 running backs and wide receivers, and up to 12 tight ends. This makes sure to cover two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, and a W/R flex. Choose your first Level 2 from a position you did not acquire in your Level 1’s. if you have all Level 1’s across the board, call me. i want in your league. Obviously if one position is flying off the board, you go with that position first before all 18 are gone. if that should happen, there still should be Level 2 at other positions. Again, finish Level 2 before moving down to Level 3. Level 3 is where you find your backups, covers for possible injuries, and make some reaches. This may also be a place to get a DST if there is one you are really high on, such as the Seahawks or Texans at the beginning of the Level. Save the kickers for the end or perhaps Round 15. Keep a balance between positions – one backup at quarterback, one at tight end. Load up at running back and wide receiver

THE FANTASY GEEK’S pROJECTiONS Level 1 – 24 players, must have two Quarterbacks Andrew Luck Aaron Rodgers peyton Manning Drew Brees Matt Ryan Ben Roethlisberger Running Backs Jamal Charles Adrian petersen Le’veon Bell Eddie Lacy Matt Forte Marshawn Lynch DeMarco Murray CJ Anderson Arian Foster

Wide Receivers Antonio Brown Demaryius Thomas Calvin Johnson Dez Bryant AJ Green Julio Jones Jordy Nelson Odell Beckham Jr.

Tight Ends Rob Gronkowski Level 2 Fill out at QB and WR, two RBs and TEs Quarterbacks 7-12 Russell Wilson Cam Newton Tom Brady Matt Stafford Tony Romo

OCTOBER 2015

Carson palmer Running Backs 10-30 LeSean McCoy Justin Forsett Lamar Miller Melvin Gordon Alfred Morris Jeremy Hill Todd Gurley Carlos Hyde Frank Gore Mark ingram Andre Ellington Rashad Jennings LeGarrette Blount Joique Bell Latavius Murray Joseph Randle TJ Yeldon CJ Spiller isaiah Crowell Devonta Freeman Doug Martin

Wide Receivers 9-30 Randall Cobb Alshon Jeffery T.Y. Hilton Jordan Matthews Kelvin Benjamin Brandon Cooks Deandre Hopkins Mike Evans Emmanuel Sanders Julian Edelnman Jarvis Landry Keenan Allen Andre Johnson Amari Cooper Brandon Marshall Martavis Bryant DeSean Jackson Vincent Jackson Golden Tate Roddy White Sammy Watkins Jeremy Maclin

Tight Ends 2-10 Jimmy Graham Travis Kelce Greg Olsen Martellus Bennett Julius Thomas Jordan Cameron Delanie Walker Jason Witten Zach Ertz DST 1-24 Seahawks Texans Bills Jets Rams Dolphins Cardinals panthers packers Broncos patriots Chiefs Eagles Bengals Vikings

Colts Ravens Lions Browns Chargers Steelers Giants Falcons Cowboys

Level 3 – Backups, Gambles and Covers Quarterbacks Running Backs 31-50 13-26 Giovanni Bernard Eli Manning Jonathon Stewart Philip Rivers Tevin Coleman Teddy Bridgewater Ameer Abdullah Jay Cutler Chris Ivory Colin Kaepernick Bishop Sankey Joe Flacco Darren Sproles Sam Bradford Shane Vereen Derek Carr Ryan Mathews Andy Dalton Darren McFadden Alex Smith David Cobb Nick Foles Knile Davis Jameis Winston Charles Sims Robert Grifﬁn III Montee Ball Marcu Mariotta Alfred Blue Denard Robinson Reggie Bush Danny Woodhead Jonas Gray Andre Williams Wide Receivers 31-54 Michael Floyd Charles Robinson Nelson Algohor John Brown Breshard Perriman Mike Wallace Victor Cruz Terrance Williams Kevin White Davante Parker Larry Fitzgerald Torrey Smith Brandon LaFell Doug Baldwin Anquan Boldin Marquis Colston Kenny Stills Kendall Wright

Tight Ends 11-26 Antonio Gates Kyle Rudolph Vernon Davis Dennis Pitta Eric Ebron Josh Hill Dwayne Allen Charles Clay Heath Miller Coby Fleenor Owen Daniels Jordan Reed Larry Donnell Mychal Rivers Ladarius Green Jermaine Gresham

Michael Crabtree Dwayne Bowe Phillip Dorsett Steve Smith Cody Latimer Percy Harvin Kickers 1-12 Stephen Gostkowski Adam Vinateri Justin Tucker Dan Bailey Connor Barth Steven Haushka Matt Bryant Mason Crosby Chandler Cantanzaro Cody Parkey Matt Prater Shaun Suisham So there you go – 192 players to ﬁll your roster. Add a few of your own sleepers and 200 will easily cover you for your draft. Remember this is not a priority list. Choose players you like and enjoy the ride.

Good luck this season!

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SPORTS

SAN JUAN SPECIAL OLYMPICS Four Corners Invitational ‘one of the best competitions in the state’ Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Curtis Ray Benally The Four Corners Invitational hosted by San Juan Special Olympics took place on August 21and 22 in San Juan County. More than 1,000 athletes, coaches, uniﬁed partners and chaperones from delegations across the state of New Mexico, and one from Colorado, traveled to the Four Corners to compete in golf, softball and aquatic (swimming/diving) events. Golf kicked off the event on Friday morning with skills and alternate shot competitions

Four Corners SPORTS

hosted at Riverview Golf Course in Kirtland, Piñon Hills and Civitan Golf Courses in Farmington and Aztec Municipal Golf Course at Hidden Valley in Aztec. Golf gave way to the Opening Ceremonies, escort and softball games on Friday evening. Softball competitions and the aquatic events took place on Saturday at the ﬁelds surrounding the Farmington Recreation Center and at the Farmington Aquatic Center. Closing Cere-

OCTOBER 2015

monies commenced the festivities on Saturday evening. “The 2015 Four Corners Invitational is without a doubt, one of the best competitions in the state,” beamed San Juan Special Olympics Area Director Debra Lisenbee. “It ran like clockwork because of the volunteers who are so committed to making this happen for our athletes. It is not just a competition, the people of San Juan County make sure it is a quality

competition preserving the integrity of the sports, challenging our athletes to be the very best they can be and to feel great about their accomplishments. Our community is so devoted to acknowledging the sportsmanship and abilities of our athletes. Our community IS the success of this event.” The success of the 2015 Four Corners Invitational relies heavily on community support and sponsors. Organizations such as ConocoPhillips, Wells Fargo, Merrion Oil and Gas, Creamland Dairies, area police and ﬁre departments as well as the golf course facilities, city/county governments and volunteer organizations/community members that are too numerous to list. The community comes together to make every athlete’s experience, a memorable one. “Without Special Olympics a lot of our athletes would not have sports,” explained Lisenbee. “Giving them the opportunity to participate is a gift that can be read on every face during competition. Almost every skill you need to succeed in life is practiced within sports…so needless to say this opportunity is translated into every aspect of the life of an athlete. With the involvement of our community as volunteers, partners and coaches, relationships are built that do nothing but improve the lives of all involved.” The Four Corners Invitational keeps growing and the demand is difﬁcult to keep up with by the limited supply of area volunteers. “Because of the quality of this competition and the welcoming atmosphere of San Juan County, these delegations love to visit our community … and it keeps growing,” said Lisenbee. “ With this growth, we always have a need for more volunteers, and we can guarantee that not only will you be changing lives, you will be changed as well. “ To get involved please contact Debra Lisenbee, Area Director at 860-4693 or dlisenbee@gobrainstorm..net.

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Four Corners SPOrTS

The road to Augusta heads west Massey headed to San Diego for regional qualifier on Sunday, August 30 at Common Grounds Golf Course in Aurora., one young member of The First Tee of San Juan County, NM made the most of his 9 shots in the sub-regional qualifier of the Drive, Chip and Putt. Sebastian Massey, from Farmington, finished in second place to qualify for the regional qualifier in San Diego, Calif., at the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course. With a total score of 122, Massey finished 20 points behind the 10-11 boys champion, Aiden Krafft. Massey qualified with scores of 27 in the Drive, 50 in the Chip and 45 in the Putt. He won a first place medal for chipping and finished tied for second in putting, but lost the playoff to finish 3rd.

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Massey will now head to Torrey Pines to compete with 18 other qualiﬁers in his age group for the chance to compete in the 2016 Drive, Chip and Putt Championships at Augusta National Golf Club which will be held the Sunday before the 2016 Masters. To do that, he will have to win his age group at Torrey Pines. other participants that competed in Denver from Farmington included Shandiin Harper, Tyler Diehl and Quinn Yost. Harper ﬁnished in 11th place with a score of 70 points in the 12-13 girls age division.

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Diehl finished in 8th place with a score of 125 points in the 14-15 boys age division, finishing in 2nd place and winning a silver medal in putting. While Yost finished in 3rd place with a score of 124 in the boys 12-13 age division, winning a golf medal for 1st in chipping and a silver medal for 2nd in putting. Yost is the first alternate to go to Torrey Pines in the boys 12-13 age group.

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Congratulations to all of participants of our local area that competed with class in Denver. Junior golf in the Four Corners continues to grow and the level of competition continues to improve with every passing day. Good luck to Sebastian Massey at the Regional Qualiﬁer in San Diego…a trip of a lifetime to the Augusta National Golf Club awaits.

OCTOBER 2015

NFL

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For the second year in a row Green Bay used its ﬁrst pick to draft a safety. this year it was Damarious randle out of Arizona State while last year they drafted safety HaHa Clinton-Dix out of Alabama. You might notice there are not any key additions to the team and that is because Green Bay did everything in their power to resign the free agents they did have. these free agents included randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga, John Kuhn, and BJ raji. Head coach Mike McCarthy gives up play-calling duties for the ﬁrst time to an offense that led the league in offensive points per game. Jordy Nelson continues to be one of the best receivers in the league year after year. I look for Green Bay to be serious Super Bowl contenders. 2015 prediction – (12-4)

HouStoN texANS Key Arrivals – Brian Hoyer, Cecil Shorts III, Vince Wilfork, Nate Washington, rahim Moore Key Draft picks – Kevin Johnson, Benardrick McKinney, Jaelen Strong Key Departures – Andre Johnson If I were a quarterback in the NFL I would have nightmares going up against this Houston defense. JJ Watt is an absolute monster deflecting any balls remotely in his vicinity while recording a second best in the league 20.5 sacks and earning defensive player of the year honors. Last year Houston took Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick overall but Clowney was only able to play in just four games, thanks to microfracture knee surgery. With Clowney at full strength, this year QB’s beware. the texans did well in the draft picking up Wake Forest corner Kevin Johnson as well as linebacker Benardick McKinney out of Mississippi State and wide receiver Jaelen Strong from Arizona State. Houston had to love the fact that McKinney and Strong, who were both first round talents, slid down to them in the draft. the all time leading texans receiver Andre Johnson finally got his wish to move elsewhere while the team reloaded with receivers Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington. Bringing in Vince Wilfork from New england and rahim Moore from Denver helps give this defense loads of playoff experience. there will be a big battle as to who can keep the starting QB position between Brian Hoyer and ryan Mallett all season long. If one of these QB’s steps up and plays well we could be looking at a playoff team. 2015 prediction – (10-6)

INDIANApoLIS CoLtS

KANSAS CItY CHIeFS Key Additions – Jeremy Maclin Key Draft pick – Marcus peters Key Departures – Dwayne Bowe, Anthony Fasano today’s NFL has become a pass happy league. Now quarterbacks and receivers are putting up numbers that previously had never been seen. With all of the new rules in place protecting QB’s in an attempt to lower concussion rates, offensive stats have skyrocketed, which brings me to my next mind-boggling statistic. the 2014 Kansas City Chiefs DID Not have a single receiver catch a touchdown pass the entire season. I am not quite sure how that is even possible but yes, it is true. Bringing in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from philadelphia will – it is hoped – create some touchdown catching possibilities. the Chiefs boast one of the best running backs in the league in Jamaal Charles and a defense that allowed the second lowest amount of points scored. Justin Houston and his leagueleading 22 sacks last year lead the defense. the Chiefs defense hopes to get back safety eric Berry as he continues to battle Hodgkins Lymphoma. tight end travis Kelce is set for a breakout season and may make a lot of fantasy football owners happy. He should be able to be picked up in later rounds. Kansas City drafted arguably the best corner in the draft in Marcus peters out of Washington. peters is loaded with talent but could not get along with his college coaching staff and was dismissed from the team early in the season. Coach Andy reid will have to keep peters under his wing but that will not be anything new, as reid had a similar situation when Desean Jackson came into the league. 2015 prediction – (8-8)

MIAMI DoLpHINS Key Arrivals – Ndamukong Suh, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron Key Draft picks – DeVante parker, Jordan phillips, Jay Ajayi Key Departures – Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Charles Clay, Cortland Finnegan Miami opened up their pocketbook this offseason in hopes that dollars will translate into wins. QB ryan tannehill got a six-year extension worth $96 million, but the biggest move came when prized free agent Ndamukong Suh left the bitter cold Detroit winters for the year round sunny and warm Miami weather. Six years at $114 million may have played a minor role in Suh’s decision, but I will leave that up to you to decide. Suh will now team with Cameron Wake to make a nice pass rushing combo. the Dolphins move on without receivers Mike Wallace and

* NFL 32

Key Arrivals – Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Vincent Brown Key Draft pick – phillip Dorsett Key Departures – reggie Wayne, trent richardson, Hakeem Nicks Indianapolis gets better and better each year due in large part to QB Andrew Luck. In 2012 they made it to the wild card, in 2013 they made it to the divisional round and last year they made it all the way to the AFC Championship before running into the now infamous “Deﬂate Gate.” the biggest hurdle for the Colts last year was a dependable running game. they brought in all-time 49ers leading rusher Frank Gore and brought in all-time texans leading receiver to help with an already loaded offense featuring Luck and tY Hilton. Last year they led the league in passing offense and I can only expect more of the same, with Luck making a serious run at this year’s MVp award. It also helps that in 2015 Indy will have the easiest schedule in the league. the Colts do lose a fan favorite in reggie Wayne, but this team is loaded with guys ready to step in and produce. Indianapolis should be a favorite to come out of the AFC with really good odds on making a Super Bowl appearance. 2015 prediction – (13-3)

JACKSoNVILLe JAGuArS Key Arrivals – Julius thomas Key Draft picks – Dante Fowler Jr, tJ Yeldon, Michael Bennett Key Departure – Cecil Shorts III Can you say Joey Bosa? Bosa is an All-American defensive end currently at ohio State and will most likely be the first player chosen overall in the 2016 draft. Jacksonville will have plenty of scouts watching the Buckeyes all season long, as they are primed for yet another dismal season. the Jaguars have had four consecutive seasons of winning five games or less and it looks strongly like 2015 will only add to that number. the lack of success is largely attributed to Jacksonville’s inability to draft well. In 2011 first pick Blaine Gabbert became a bust. Has anyone seen 2012 first pick Justin Blackmon? He has completely gone missing. 2013 first pick Luke Joeckel has underperformed and last year’s first pick Blake Bortles finished with the second worst starting QBr at 21.9. Joeckel and Bortles still have a chance to turn things around. the Jags got a devastating blow when this year’s third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL in the team’s very first practice. Fowler will now miss his entire rookie season. Drafting running back tJ Yeldon out of Alabama should be an upgrade over Denard robinson. Luckily for Jacksonville, they get a little help by bringing over Julius thomas from Denver and his back-to-back 12 touchdown seasons. 2015 prediction – (3-13)

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OCTOBER 2015

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NFL

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Brian Hartline by replacing them with Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills and rookie DeVante parker out of Louisville. parker was the third wide receiver taken in this year’s draft and hopes to have a breakout season just like last year’s third wide receiver taken odell Beckham Jr. 2015 prediction – (9-7)

MinneSota ViKinGS Key arrivals – Mike Wallace, terrance newman Key Draft picks – trae Waynes, eric Kendricks Key Departures – Christian ponder, Matt Cassel, Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson the biggest news in Minnesota is that of six-time pro bowler adrian peterson returning. peterson will immediately help a team that ﬁnished 27th in total offense last year. 2015 will also be the second year of QB teddy Bridgewater as well as head coach Mike Zimmer, so look for them to build some continuity. With Bridgewater having a successful rookie season the team decided to cut ways with QB’s Christian ponder and Matt Cassel. the Vikings bring in wide receiver Mike Wallace in the hope that he can return to form as he did in his pittsburgh days. Minnesota took the ﬁrst corner in the draft in trae Waynes out of Michigan State. Waynes needs to add a little weight, but he was a lock down corner for the Spartans. the Vikings did well drafting linebacker anthony Barr out of UCLa in 2014. they hope to create a successful pattern by drafting linebacker eric Kendricks out of UCLa this year. 2015 prediction – (8-8)

neW enGLanD patriotS Key arrivals – Brandon Spikes, Scott Chandler Key Draft pick – Malcolm Brown Key Departures – Darrelle revis, Brandon Browner, Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen, Stevan ridley the Super Bowl champs certainly have an uphill battle if they want any chance at repeating this year. Last year QB tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick teamed together for their fourth title and will undoubtedly land in Canton, ohio, enshrined in the hall of fame. it will not come without a little controversy. From “Spygate” which involved the patriots video recording of another teams defensive signal calls to last year’s “Deflategate” where footballs were underinflated giving the offense an unfair advantage in the aFC Championship game. regardless, the patriots will look to continue their dominance in 2015. they will have to do it with a completely depleted secondary after losing corners Darrelle revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle arrington. they also lose gigantic defensive tackle Vince Wilfork with the hopes of rookie Malcolm Brown out of texas stepping up to fill in the middle of the defense. rob Gronkowski will most certainly be spiking balls in the end zone every chance he gets. this could be a very interesting season for the patriots. 2015 prediction – (10-6)

neW orLeanS SaintS Key arrivals – CJ Spiller, Brandon Browner, Max Unger Key Draft picks – andrus peat, Garrett Grayson, pJ Williams Key Departures – Jimmy Graham, Kenny Stills Jimmy Graham will no longer be dunking footballs over goal posts in new orleans. For one thing, the league no longer allows it, but the real reason is he was traded to Seattle for Max Unger. Unger immediately helps out new orleans offensive line, but losing a talent like Graham has to hurt. Why would you trade one of the game’s best tight ends? the easy answer is the Saints management did an extremely poor job at man-

Four Corners SportS

aging their salary cap and could not afford the excessive salary cap taxes they were set to incur. i am sure that is the absolute last thing any Saints fan wants to hear as Graham gave them the best chance at competing deep into the playoffs, but sometimes the truth hurts. Graham leaves an offense that last year led the league in yards per game. on the other side of the ball the defense gave up the second most yards in the league. Bringing in corner Brandon Browner from new england and drafting corner pJ Williams out of Florida State should help. First pick andrus peat from Stanford will help with the offensive line while QB Garrett Grayson from Colorado State gives the Saints a legitimate backup to Drew Brees. 2015 prediction – (7-9)

neW YorK GiantS Key arrivals – Shane Vereen Key Draft picks – ereck Flowers, Landon Collins, owamagbe odighizuwa Key Departure – antrel rolle a very important lesson can be learned from the Giants off season. Kids do not play with fireworks. that is exactly what defensive end Jason pierre paul is saying after having his finger amputated from a 4th of July fireworks accident. Before the accident pierre paul was hoping to negotiate a long-term contract extension, but the Giants were worried about Jpp’s maturity issues and instead decided to lock him in under the one-year franchise tag. it turned out the Giants were right about being hesitant on a multiple year contract. With the possible departure of Jpp in 2016 the Giants drafted defensive end owamagbe odighizuwa out of UCLa and with a name like that do not ask me how to pronounce it. ereck Flowers out of Miami will help out with the o-line, and drafting safety Landon Collins out of alabama will help with the loss of antrel rolle. Shane Vereen will improve the running game, while getting back a healthy Victor Cruz after missing 10 games last year will help the Giants passing game. Head coach tom Coughlin won Super Bowls with the Giants in his fourth and eighth years coaching. this will be his 12th, so he will be hoping to continue the four-year trend. 2015 prediction – (7-9)

neW YorK JetS Key arrivals – Brandon Marshall, Darrelle revis, antonio Cromartie, Stevan ridley Key Draft picks – Leonard Williams, Devin Smith, Bryce petty Key Departure – percy Harvin the Jets look for a fresh start in 2015 while bringing back some familiar faces. new York fired head coach rex ryan and replaced him with defensive guru todd Bowles who will make his rookie head-coaching debut. Bowles’ first concern will be revamping a passing offense that ranked dead last year. QB Geno Smith gets some help with wide receiver Brandon Marshall coming over from Chicago and rookie receiver Devin Smith out of ohio State who will be one of the fastest of any players to step on the field. QB Bryce petty led an extremely high-powered offense at Baylor and will be a nice backup weapon if Geno starts to struggle. along with petty and Smith the Jets get Leonard Williams out of USC with the sixth overall pick. Leonard was considered the top overall pick by many scouts, so the Jets should feel fortunate to land him at six. He now helps out an already very talented front seven for the Jets defense that can only benefit with having coach Bowles now on board. nY brings back corners Darrelle revis and antonio Cromartie to strengthen the secondary. the Jets should be better in 2015, but still short of the playoffs. 2015 prediction – (7-9)

OCTOBER 2015

oaKLanD raiDerS Key arrivals – Michael Crabtree, trent richardson, roy Helu, Christian ponder Key Draft pick – amari Cooper Key Departures – Darren McFadden, Matt Schaub, LaMarr Woodley, antonio Smith i have got to hand it to the oakland fans as they stay true to their team year in and year out. oakland has not had a winning season since 2002. there has been a rumor about moving the team back to Los angeles in a new stadium built to be shared with the Chargers, similar to that of the Giants and Jets at MetLife Stadium. Until those rumors come to fruition america’s second largest city will remain without an nFL franchise. although oakland may have not had a winning season in quite some time, i do like the moves they are making. the raiders hired defensive coordinator Jack Del rio from Denver to help turn around an offense that ranked last in yards per game and last in rushing. QB Derek Carr showed a lot of potential and will finally get some help with Michael Crabtree coming from across the bay in San Francisco. oakland also drafted the highly talented and first receiver taken in amari Cooper out of alabama. Cooper really helps stretch the field that the raiders have been lacking in the past. Darren McFadden leaving makes room for trent richardson and roy Helu. on the defensive side of the ball linebacker Khalil Mack looks to make several pro bowls in the coming years, as he is one of top young LB’s in the league. Mack and Carr look to become oakland’s two most prized possessions. the raiders did not have a lot of success in 2014 but keep in consideration, no other team in the league played as tough a schedule. Look for oakland to get a little better in 2015 and beyond if management can continue drafting well. 2015 prediction – (6-10)

pHiLaDeLpHia eaGLeS Key arrivals – DeMarco Murray, Kiko alonso, ryan Mathews, Sam Bradford, Byron Maxwell Key Draft pick – nelson agholar Key Departures – LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, nick Foles With all of the off-season moves philadelphia has to be the toughest team to predict for 2015. Head coach Chip Kelly is building a roster he seems ﬁt to run his high-powered and fast paced offense. QB nick Foles will be replaced with Sam Bradford. running back LeSean McCoy will be replaced with the combination of DeMarco Murray and ryan Mathews. Wide receiver nelson agholar out of USC was drafted to replace Jeremy Maclin. Cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiki alonso were brought in to help a defense that ranked tied for second in total sacks with 49. alonso missed all of last year with a torn aCL but before that he recorded 159 tackles in his rookie season in 2013. this new look eagles team will get the national spotlight thanksgiving Day as they play against the Lions in Detroit. Despite all of the changes and tough predictability for 2015, i think philadelphia sneaks into a nFC wild card spot and makes the playoffs. 2015 prediction – (10-6)

pittSBUrGH SteeLerS Key arrival – Deangelo Williams Key Draft pick – Bud Dupree Key Departures – troy polamalu, ike taylor the black and yellow had an explosive 2014 that led to the Steelers ﬁnishing second in passing offense and wide receiver antonio Brown leading the league in receiving yards, with 1,698. this also led to QB Ben roethlisberger

signing a ﬁve-year extension. Pittsburgh brings in all time Panthers rushing leader DeAngelo Williams to back up Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers get hit with two of their star defenders in Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor retiring. Long time defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau moves on as well. For the third year in a row they draft a linebacker with their ﬁrst pick. In 2013 it was Jarvis Jones, last year Ryan Shazier and now again this year with Alvin “Bud” Dupree out of Kentucky. The Steelers look to defend their AFC North title in 2015 with a good shot to do it. 2015 Prediction – (11-5)

SAN DIego ChARgeRS Key Arrivals – Stevie Johnson, Jacoby Jones, orlando Franklin Key Draft Pick – Melvin gordon Key Departures – eddie Royal, Ryan Mathews San Diego will start their season with star tight end Antonio gates serving a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. This should make way for rookie running back Melvin gordon from Wisconsin to get plenty of touches. I look for gordon to compete with Jameis Winston for rookie of the year honors. The Chargers lose receiver eddie Royal while replacing him with Stevie Johnson and Jacoby Jones. They steal orlando Franklin from divisional rival Denver. I am expecting for QB Phillip Rivers to at some point in the season have a total meltdown and tirade. If there is a lack of success, look for Rivers to be the ﬁrst one pointing ﬁngers while not taking any of the blame upon himself. In 2015 I don’t think the Chargers get any better, but at the same time I don’t think they will be any worse. 2015 Prediction – (9-7)

SAN FRANCISCo 49eRS

SeATTLe SeAhAWKS

Key Arrivals – Darnell Dockett, Torrey Smith, Shareece Wright, Jerome Simpson Key Draft Pick – Arik Armstead, eli harold, Mike Davis Key Departures – Frank gore, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, Mike Iupati, Chris Culliver, Perish Cox, Chris Culliver, Chris Borland, Anthony Davis, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis Where do I even begin? get ready for a long season, 49ers fans. Unlike Philadelphia’s roster moves making it difficult to predict the upcoming season, that is not the case in San Francisco. The 49ers are going to be bad and it doesn’t help that they have the third toughest strength of schedule for 2015. A team that was just in the Super Bowl a few years ago has completely done a 180. Like a giant domino, things took a turn for the worse when head coach Jim harbaugh resigned to take the head coaching position at Michigan. Jim Tomsula will now take over head coaching duties. The bizarre retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland in the prime of their careers didn’t help, as well as those of Anthony Davis and Justin Smith. Smith’s retirement was understandable, but not the other three. To top it all off, all time 49ers rushing leader Frank gore jumped ship along with Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree and both corners Perish Cox and Chris Culliver. Cornerback Shareece Wright comes over from San Diego, but doesn’t possess the skills of Cox and Culliver. Former Baltimore receiver Torrey Smith will team up once again with Anquan Boldin to give Colin Kaepernick some weapons down field. Drafting Arik Armstead out of oregon helps with the D-line but other than that there are just too many vacancies to fill. Look for the 49ers to take a major step back in 2015. 2015 Prediction – (6-10)

Key Arrivals – Jimmy graham, Cary Williams Key Draft Pick – Tyler Lockett Key Departures – Byron Maxwell, Max Unger hand the ball to Marshawn!!! The Seahawks would most likely be back-to-back Super Bowl champions if indeed they had done just that. Credit coach Pete Carroll with making one of the worst decisions in Super Bowl history. Marshawn Lynch starred in an offense that led the league in rushing, yet with only seconds on the clock being down by four points and set up on the two-yard line, Seattle elected to throw the ball which got intercepted and cost them the biggest game in sports. oh, what could have been. Defensively, the Seahawks have been stellar, leading the league the last two years in points per game and yards per game. The defense referred to as the “Legion of Boom” loses corner Byron Maxwell as well as coordinator Dan Quinn. Cornerback Cary Williams will be asked to step in alongside all pro corner Richard Sherman. Unfortunately for all of the fans, we will no longer get to see Sherman match up against Michael Crabtree twice a year, as Crabtree has moved to oakland. What the fans will get to see is the combination of QB Russell Wilson and newly acquired tight end Jimmy graham. Wilson will play 2015 under one of the biggest bargain contracts for any team in the league at just $1.5 million. If you feel bad for Russell being poorly compensated this year do not worry, as before, next season he will be signing a multi-year contract at roughly 22-25 million dollars annually. Seattle once again should be a top team in the NFC with another shot at a Super Bowl. 2015 Prediction – (12-4)

OCTOBER 2015

Four Corners SPoRTS

St LouiS RamS Key arrivals – Nick Foles, Nick Fairley Key Draft Pick – todd Gurley Key Departure – Sam Bradford Hard to believe but similar to the Raiders the Rams have not had a winning season since 2003 in the days of Kurt Warner and “the Greatest Show on turf.” St Louis made headlines in a blockbuster trade that sent QB Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for QB Nick Foles. Foles missed the final eight games last season due to a broken collarbone, but before that was one of the NFL’s most efficient passers in 2013. Bringing in Foles gives the Rams a fresh start and ends the Bradford era consumed with injuries. the Rams bring in defensive tackle Nick Fairley to an already loaded defense featuring defensive rookie of the year aaron Donald. they took the first running back in the draft with todd Gurley out of Georgia who could miss the first few games after a torn aCL sustained in college. Gurley’s rehab has gone quite well and the Rams should expect him sooner than later. the Rams could use another receiver to help out tavon austin. i think the Rams take a step forward in 2015. 2015 Prediction – (8-8)

tamPa Bay BuCCaNeeRS Key arrivals – N/a Key Draft Pick – Jameis Winston Key Departure – michael Johnson in 2014 the Bucs went 2-14 and on april 30, 2015, at 8:30 et, they immediately improved. that’s of course when they drafted “Famous” Jameis Winston out of Florida State. the

Four Corners SPoRtS

highly touted QB will now have the luxury of throwing to 6’5” receivers Vincent Jackson and mike evans. Head coach Lovie Smith will need Winston to cut back on some of his turnovers as he threw 18 interceptions last year in college, but having the lengthy receivers will certainly help. the defensive side of the ball features defensive tackle Gerald mcCoy who has become one of the best Dt’s in the league. i think the Bucs can only get better in 2015. 2015 Prediction – (6-10)

teNNeSSee titaNS Key arrivals – Brian orakpo, Harry Douglas, Hakeem Nicks, anthony Fasano Key Draft Picks – marcus mariota, Dorial Green-Beckham Key Departures – Jake Locker, Nate Washington, michael oher the tennessee titans also ﬁnished 2014 with a record of 2-14. Drafting Heisman award winner marcus mariota certainly helps moving forward, but will it be enough? the titans bring in head coach Ken Whisenhunt and 77-year-old defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau. Coach Whisenhunt will hope to lead the titans to the promise land as he did with the Cardinals years back. Jake Locker goes down as another ﬁrst round quarterback to be a complete bust and retire. tennessee loses Nate Washington but replaces him with Harry Douglas, Hakeem Nicks and rookie Dorial Green-Beckham out of missouri. Green-

OCTOBER 2015

Beckham was considered the top player in the country coming out of high school, so there is a ton of upside with him. the drafting of mariota and hiring of Whisenhunt should help, but the titans are still a long way away from being a playoff team, and quite possible could be in the running for top draft pick Joey Bosa next year. 2015 Prediction – (4-12)

WaSHiNGtoN ReDSKiNS Key arrivals – terrance Knighton Key Draft Pick – Brandon Scherff Key Departure – Brian orakpo, Roy Helu Washington could very likely soon be experiencing a name change as many take offense to a team that resides in our nation’s capital. as owner Daniel Snyder continues to battle to keep the storied franchise from changing its name, he also has to deal with the growing number of problems on the field. His biggest problem is what to do with QB Robert Griffin iii. RG3 has not been the same elite QB he once was when he was a rookie in 2012. Suffering a torn aCL has completely changed the QB’s level of play and RG3 has to get back to where he was or his days in Washington are numbered. Drafting the first offensive lineman Brandon Scherff out of iowa sure helps RG3’s chances at a return to greatness. Running back alfred morris and receiver DeSean Jackson give added weapons while adding terrance Knighton to the D-line helps with any void left by Brian orakpo. i look for Washington to be at the bottom looking up in the NFC east. 2015 Prediction – (6-10)