BA Issue 100 May 2015 by Sport Stars Magazine

FREE

VOL. 6. ISSUE 100 BAY AREA MAY 2015

Get the most out of your maGazine Subscribe for $35/year EMAIL for FREE Digital Subscription: info@SportStarsOnline.com

››› Like us on Facebook Facecbook.com/sportstars

on Twitter Twitter.com/SportStarsMag

8 LOCKER

ROOM: It’s the NFL draft and anybody can do a mock draft. It’s the low-hanging fruit of punditry. We make the picks others are too scared to.

FENCE: 44 THE Tryouts, sign-ups, fund-raisers and more!

57 ADVERTISER’S INDEX 4

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Triple Digits, Baby! M

ay 3 will mark the fifth anniversary of my first day at SportStars HQ. When I left the daily newspaper industry to be the sole editor of a start-up high school sports magazine, I can’t honestly say I wasn’t thinking of a time in the distant future when we’d be piecing together our 100th Issue. I had a few other things on my mind those first four weeks before Issue #1 debuted on June 10, 2010. For that very first “First Pitch,” I wrote about taking chances, and how a life lived around high school athletics — as the son of two high school coaches — had made SportStars an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. That column highlighted some of the people who would be taking an equally brave chance with me — many of whom still work on our modest, yet very talented, staff. But it closed with this promise: “The stars of each issue will always be the athletes, teams and coaches. They are what’s going to make this a great journey, and one we hope readers will take with us.” I won’t pretend that I’ve gotten everything right while running this magazine, but I’m fairly confident I nailed that one. Putting this 100th issue together has only further underscored how lucky we’ve been to tell the stories of so many great athletes and teams over the past five years. As part of the celebratory package, we endeavored to select the Top 25 athletes and teams we’ve covered through the first 100 issues. Both lists were painstaking to finalize. We gave in and cheated on one of them. Had to be done. Our celebration section (which begins on Page 30) also includes a retrospective on the cover kids of our first 100 issues.

We’ve titled that feature “Faces of the First 100,” so it’s a bit funny that our cover concept for this issue involved asking two athletes to simply let us photograph the back of their uniform. We owe a big thanks to Concord High junior football and track athlete Jose Rivera and Carondelet-Concord senior softball pitcher Taylor Blair. Both were gracious enough to participate as our glorified models. We are happy to show their smiling faces here, though. Jose doesn’t usually wear the No. 1, which is why it might look a bit snug. Taylor has proudly wore the double-zeroes for Carondelet for the past three seasons. However, she will need to try a new number out next fall when she begins at Arizona State — 00 won’t be available. Sharp-eyed readers, especially fans of Concord High, will wonder if the Minutemen have suddenly added red to their school colors. Not so. We took some liberties in post-production to match the No. 1 with Taylor’s bright 00’s so one’s eye could recognize what we were going for a little faster. Finally, on a personal note, No. 100 will always hold a special place for me. The same way that Issue No. 9 does. My first son was born the day Issue No. 9 was released (Oct. 14, 2010). My second son, if he has any knowledge of the family he’s joining, will politely delay his arrival until after our April 28 deadline. Cheers, Sports Fans. Let’s do 100 more. I’m in if you are. ✪

JOIN OUR TEAM PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 EDITORIAL Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Evans, III Marketing/Events Ryan Arter Editorial Intern Mike Young CREATIVE DEPARTMENT Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com ADVERTISING Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com Central Valley, World Events: Anthony Grigsby • Area Director anthony.grigsby@worldeventssports.com Darin Wissner • JustAGameEvents@gmail.com READER RESOURCES/ADMINISTRATION Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com DISTRIBUTION/DELIVERY Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com COMMUNITY SPORTSTARS™ MAGAZINE A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

Caliente!

LLC

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER IN USA

YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #6, May 2015 Whole No. 100 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521. SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 16 issues, U.S. 3rd class $35 (allow 3 weeks for delivery). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 per copy for $6 total fo bulk. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

Read Me. Recycle Me. 6

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Kim

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

Trice

HERITAGE-BRENTWOOD, SENIOR, SOFTBALL The defending Bay Valley Athletic League Most Valuable Player looks well on her way to winning the award for a second straight year. The Patriots’ slugging first baseman absolutely pulverized BVAL pitching during the first two weeks of league play from April 14-23. In four games, she went 8-for-12 with five runs scored, one triple, two home runs (one being a grand slam) and 12 RBI. Trice leads first-place Heritage in batting averages (.531), hits (26) and RBI (24). The Patriots are hitting .413 as a team and hold a 15-2 overall record through April 23. They will be heavily favored to win the BVAL and earn a high seed in the North Coast Section Division I tournament. Read more about the team in Extra Bases on Page 48. IN HER COACH’S WORDS: “She does all the little things and makes sure everyone follows through with all the details,” Heritage coach Ron Rivers said. “She loves the weight room. Kim is every coach’s dream.”

honorable mention HOLLY AZEVEDO: The ace sophomore pitcher for the top-ranked NorCal softball team, PioneerSan Jose, delivered a masterful two-hit shutout of Piedmont Hills on April 23. She struck out 14 and faced one over the minimum.

JAMAUN CHARLES: Amador Valley’s senior sprinter logged the sixth-fastest, wind-legal 100-meter time in the state this season when he clocked 10.63 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational on April 11.

RAY SODERMAN: The San Ramon Valley senior catcher has been an offensive constant for the Wolves baseball team this season. In three games from April 17-24, he went 5-for-9 with 4 RBI.

Like us on Facebook

is powered by:

Phillip Walton

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

Rapid FiRe

LAUREN NUBLA McClarchy-Sacramento Basketball

JORDAN FORD Folsom Basketball

spoRt at whiCh you wish you weRe betteR swimming

Football

FavoRite boaRd game gRowing up Checkers Chess

Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot

thRee athletes you’d invite to dinneR

Spotify has discovered that 42 is the age when people re-discover their interest in current pop music. That still doesn’t make you cool, Dad. It just doesn’t.

Joe panik, buster posey, andrew susac

Reports say 11 stories Brian Williams reported on are under investigation for truthiness. Resigned, Williams is expected to do what all liars do: announce his candidacy for the presidency.

steph Curry, michael Jordan, shaquille o’neal

FavoRite summeR getaway sea Cliff/ santa Cruz

If you told us that Steph Curry takes down Ultron, rips apart a T-Rex and outdoes a Sith Lord, we’d believe you at this point. Blockbusters don’t come much bigger.

santa Cruz

what is youR mom’s go-to thReat ’i’ll take away your phone!’

McDreamy died. Your mother is heartbroken. Go give her a hug.

taking away my basketball training

The first image of Jared Leto as the Joker was released. All of Twitter has made the Hot Topic joke … but we can’t be the only ones that kinda likes it, can we?

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Count ’em

top 5: spoRtstaRs nFl moCk dRaFt The frenzy is upon us, Ladies and Gents. On April 30, at 5 p.m., the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will cement their place in National Football League Draft ignominy when they kick off the proceedings by selecting Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, thus dooming their franchise to decades of ‘They Could Have Had Mariota” criticism. That’s right. You heard us. Winston will go down as the Sam Bowie to Marcus Mariota’s Michael Jordan in what has become the most overblown media event since the Royal Wedding. Any of them. But nevermind that. First picks are easy. Heck. First rounds are easy. We’re giving you the stuff the other media outlets aren’t even thinking about. Here are the Top Five picks that nobody else will see coming. 1. With the 13th pick of the third round (No. 77 overall), the Cleveland Browns select: Dorial Green-Beckham, wide receiver, Oklahoma. Wait. Missouri. Um. Green County Jail? You know what they say about pairing a young quarterback with a talented young receiver and watching them grow up together. Think Montana and Rice. Manning and Harrison. Kaepernick and… nevermind. Anyway. We can’t wait to see the chemistry — er, chemicals — between Green-Beckham and the Browns other fine, upstanding citizen, Johnny Manziel. Can we get a reality show on this immediately? 2. With the 11th pick of the first round, the Oakland Raiders select: Nelson Agholor, wide receiver, USC. In a surprise move, the Raiders trade back with Minnesota, which jumps up to take Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, in exchange for the 11th pick and a really nice dinner at the Hooters in Dublin. Owner Mark Davis is overheard in the war room as having said, “My dad said we need to stretch the field, go deep. So what if he’s not even in the Top 5 receivers in this draft? I got a feeling. Plus, they have great wings at that Hooters.” 3. With the 33rd, 34th, and 35th picks of the seventh round (Nos. 251, 252, 253), the Denver Broncos select: Taylor Kelly, quarterback, Arizona State; Anthony Boone, quarterback, Duke; and Bo Wallace, quarterback Ole Miss. After drafting UCLA’s Brett Hundley in the first round, Baylor’s Bryce Petty in the second, Nevada’s Cody Fajardo in the third, East Carolina’s Shane Carden in the fourth, South Alabama’s Brandon Bridge and Michigan’s Devin Gardner in the fifth, and San Jose State’s Joe Gray in the sixth (no, really), these marked the eighth, ninth, and 10th quarterbacks drafted by the Broncos in an effort to fill what will soon be a Peyton Manning-sized hole behind center. 4. With the 29th pick of the seventh round (No. 247), the San Francisco 49ers select: Jim Harbaugh, quarterback, Michigan. Oh come one. You had to have seen this coming. 5. With the 39th pick of the seventh round (No. 257 of 257), the Arizona Cardinals select: Hey. Where the heck are the Cardinals? Lost interest and went home in the fifth round, you say? Yeah. Us too. —Bill “My hair’s better than Kiper’s” Kolb

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

No-hitters thrown by College Park-Pleasant Hill star hurler, Joe DeMers, through April 24. DeMers tossed a perfect game against Monte Vista-Danville on March 10, and then had back-to-back no-hitters against Concord on April 16 and Northgate on April 11. The Washington-bound talent is 8-0 with a 0.26 ERA over his first eight starts. He allowed just 20 hits over 54 innings during that stretch.

say what “I’ve known Danielle since she was about 4 because my daughter played with her older sister. But I had never seen her pitch or play until tryouts this year.” — Amador Valley-Pleasanton softball coach Teresa Borchard speaking about Dons freshman pitcher Danielle Williams. Williams, whose older sister Krista plays collegiately at Northwestern, has excelled in her first season in the circle for Amador Valley. She has a 1.05 ERA and her record mirrors that of the 13-3 Dons. She’s also hitting .488 through 16 games.

May 2015

SportStars™

Pages of Time Reminiscing On Favorite Issues

ongratulations to everyone at SportStars on reaching 100 issues. As someone who put together and edited a national monthly high school sports magazine for 11 years, I know how hard it is just to put together one of them. If SportStars editor Chace Bryson is like me, he’s always striving for that perfect issue — no typos, no factual errors, with plenty of stories, highlights and lists that hit home to the intended audience. Only Chace or publisher Mike Calamusa knows for sure if that perfect issue has been published, but still there’s probably one or two that have stood out. For me and others (some of whom I still work with through Cal-Hi Sports), we always point to one issue from our years running Student Sports Magazine that gives us the most pride. Part of it involves the legendary De La Salle football program. This would have been our November issue, or basketball preview issue of 2001. As publisher Andy Bark, managing editor John Tawa (who now runs PrepVolleyball.com) and I were planning the cover, we knew we wanted a basketball player featured. In most years, the basketball player on the cover was a senior. However, this particular year we thought we’d try to get a jump on everyone by featuring a junior from Ohio — some kid named LeBron James. LeBron wasn’t crazy about posing for a photo shoot at his school, but his mother reportedly pushed him a bit and he did. I arranged to have a local prep writer, Brian Windhorst, do the story. Brian went on to cover LeBron for many years and now works for ESPN. For the cover headline, I can honestly say I wasn’t the one who thought it up (I think it was John, but perhaps Brian submitted it), but it read: King James, The New Version. Am I claiming we made it up? No, but I know I never started seeing the King James moniker until after that issue was published. Six weeks after our cover story came out, Sports Illustrated did its famous cover story on LeBron. The November 2001 issue also was the one that had our

SportStars™

May 2015

magazine’s coverage of the national No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown between De La Salle and Long Beach Poly. Some polls had Poly higher. We had DLS at No. 1, so when the Spartans won 28-21 (that was the game they debuted a previously unknown running back named Maurice Drew) it just made us look better. In addition to that game, November 2001 wasn’t long after the 9/11 Tragedy, and we frankly did a great job of compiling several stories on how that horrible day impacted high school sports. Another of my favorite aspects of that issue was the very high number of basketball players (both boys and girls) that we picked to have photos included. One of the boys was Sheldon Williams of Oklahoma. One of the girls a few pages later was Candace Parker of Illinois. They not only both made it to the NBA and WNBA, respectively, but were married in 2008 Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

and now have a 6-year old. Hopefully, someday, Chace and Mike will be able to sit back and tell similar stories about a favorite issue. Maybe it will be this one. Only time will tell. NOTE: Go to CalHiSports.com to sign up to the NFHS Network for an unbelievable 50 percent off. The NFHS Network does live video streaming for every CIF section in the state and does live video streaming for many of the state’s top inter-sectional football games. A one-year sub to the NFHS usually costs $119. Only through CalHiSports.com can you get it for $59.99. Check out this offer today. A subscription now takes you through the 2015 football season would even auto-renew at this same low, low price. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

softball Rankings

baseball Rankings

After games of Saturday, April 25 1. (1) — Mission Viejo 21-0 The state and nation’s No. 1 team from last season is rolling along as expected with just about everyone back.

After games of Saturday, April 25 1. (1) — JSerra-San Juan Capistrano 17-3 Team getting ready to play St. Francis-Mountain View in Boras Classic final on May 2 at Cal State Fullerton.

2. (2) — Pioneer-San Jose 21-0 Super soph Holly Azevedo has pitched almost perfectly so far for the Mustangs, who need Mission Viejo to lose in the playoffs or twice in the final weeks of regular season to move ahead.

2. (3) ▲ Buchanan-Clovis 23-3 Connor Loeprich and D.J. Martinez both pitched shutouts in two-game sweep of Clovis West.

3. (3) — Yucaipa Two of this team’s three losses are to Mission Viejo.

20-3

4. (5) ▲ Santiago-Corona 20-3 A SoCal perennial power, the Sharks have one of the nation’s most potent batting orders. 5. (6) ▲ Lutheran-Orange 21-2 Sophomore Maddie Dwyer is one to watch at plate and in circle for the Lancers. 6. (7) ▲ Pacifica-Garden Grove 16-4 Mariners getting ready for end-of-regular season showdown with No. 1 Mission Viejo. 7. (9) ▲ Poway Cal-bound Kourtney Shaw is the Titans’ top player.

18-4

3. (5) ▲ San Dimas 22-0 Speaking of 1-2 pitching combos, Saints have one of best in U.S. with UCLA-bound Peter Lambert and junior Jacob Castillo. 4. (6) ▲ College Park-Pleasant Hill 13-3 Runner-up finish at NHSI showed many how strong this team can be. 5. (7) ▲ Harvard-Westlake-North Hollywood 18-3 Wolverines have lost all three in league, but have won three tourneys. 6. (2) ▼ Los Gatos 21-2 Yes, we know the Wildcats have wins over WCAL teams, but can they do that in the CCS playoffs? 7. (16) ▲ Dana Hills-Dana Point 21-4 A two-game sweep over San Clemente (team that beat College Park in NHSI final) jumped the Dolphins in this week’s rankings.

8. (12) ▲ Elk Grove 20-2 Thundering Herd started 3-2, but have emerged as best in SJS in recent weeks.

8. (8) — La Costa Canyon-Carlsbad 16-4 This has been the No. 1 team in the CIF San Diego Section nearly all season.

9. (15) ▲ Grand Terrace 16-3 Wins against Citrus Valley-Redlands and Murrieta Valley put this new program on the map.

9. (10) ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 22-2 Trojans have emerged in recent weeks as team to beat in SJS.

10. (19) ▲ Amador Valley-Pleasanton 13-3 Dons looked good at Michelle Carew Classic and generally have been ranked higher than Heritage. 11. (13) ▲ Heritage-Brentwood 15-2 This was the runner-up team at the Livermore Stampede due mainly to victory over Mitty. 12. (14) ▲ Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 18-3 Monarchs would love to get another crack at Pioneer in CCS playoffs. 13. (8) ▼ Patrick Henry-San Diego 18-3 Patriots had to drop this week due to loss to Mira Mesa.

10. (17) ▲ Huntington Beach 15-7 Since starting out 2-5, the Oilers have lived up to preseason acclaim as one of nation’s best. 11. (4) ▼ Agoura-Agoura Hills 18-3 This is the team that won the title of the Anderson Bats National Classic (De La Salle & Monte Vista were in that one too). 12. (19) ▲ Jesuit-Carmichael 17-5 Wins over Davis, Franklin & Elk Grove in recent weeks have definitely elevated the Marauders. 13. (12) ▼ St. Francis-Mountain View 17-5 Despite loss last week to Serra, Lancers still heading to SoCal to play JSerra leading the WCAL.

14. (16) ▲ Bonita Vista-Chula Vista 14-3 UCLA-bound Aaliyah Jordan is one to watch for Barons.

14. (9) ▼ San Clemente 17-6 Both losses by the Tritons to Dana Hills last week were by one run.

15. (4) ▼ James Logan-Union City 14-1-1 Despite loss to Newark Memorial, head coach Teri Johnson still seems on track for 600th career win.

15. (NR) ▲ Franklin-Elk Grove 18-4 Wildcats basically were No. 21 last week after loss to Jesuit, then won twice and quickly have gone back in.

16. (20) ▲ Los Alamitos 18-6 Team hit hard by injuries last season gaining momentum for CIFSS playoffs.

16. (NR) ▲ Valley Christian-San Jose 18-5 Wins in the WCAL over Bellarmine, Serra and Sacred Heart Cathedral pushed the Warriors back up into the Top 20.

17. (NR) ▲ Chino Hills 18-5 Washington-bound Tannon Snow hit 49th career homer last week.

17. (NR) ▲ Alemany-Mission Hills 15-6 This is a team many have pegged among best in SoCal since the preseason.

18. (NR) ▲ Murrieta Valley-Murrieta 18-6 Team led by BYU-bound Olivia Sanchez, who was injured last season and did not play. 19. (NR) ▲ West Ranch-Valencia 18-5 Two of this team’s losses were by one run each in doubleheader vs. Santiago-Corona. 20. (NR) ▲ Yorba Linda 14-4 Frosh Meredith Meadows hit three homers in win last week vs. Esperanza-Anaheim. Dropped Out: Previous No. 10 Canyon-Anaheim; No. 11 Norco; No. 17 Livermore; No. 18 Highland-Palmdale.

18. (NR) ▲ Livermore 12-4 After assuming first-place lead in EBAL, the Cowboys also snag a much higher ranking. 19. (13) ▼ San Ramon Valley-Danville 13-3 Handing College Park that early-season shutout still is having residual effects for the Wolves. 20. (NR) ▲ Santa Fe Christian-Solana Beach 18-3 Small school power cracks Top 20 primarily due to being No. 2 overall in San Diego Section. Dropped Out: Previous No. 11 Vista; No. 14 Maria CarrilloSanta Rosa; No. 15 San Benito-Hollister; No. 18 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose; No. 20 Clovis West-Fresno.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

Football fuels headlines Lots of kids get into trouble, but their name isn’t in the headlines. It doesn’t seem fair that Miles Harrison is being singled out just because he’s a good football player. Shouldn’t the media treat everyone the same? R.R., Clayton

n a word, no – but this is a really good question. First, for those who haven’t seen the story, Harrison, a star running back at Clayton Valley Charter, was accused of being involved in an armed robbery targeting a drug dealer. He and three other Clayton Valley Charter students, all athletes, are being charged as adults. Now, it’s certainly true that there are more than a few robberies involving drugs, unfortunately, and this case wasn’t that unusual — except for the fact that Harrison was an all-state player and had a bright, bright future ahead of him as a football player. Now, however, his main goal will be to stay out of jail rather than earn a college scholarship. But if we look at those two words — college scholarship — in context, the media coverage of his arrest makes more sense. To begin with, college football is a big, big business, primarily because lots of people care about how teams

SportStars™

May 2015

do. The interest in college football by the public draws the media, which pays hundreds of millions of dollars to the schools, and some of that money trickles down to young people like Harrison. But without the media money, there weren’t going to be any scholarships for Harrison. There also wouldn’t have been stories about him in local papers saying how great he was, and adults and teen-agers would not have treated him like someone very special. Harrison, then, has gained much from the popularity of his sport, and the media interest in his sport. But public interest in athletes (or entertainers or any celebrity) is a two-edged sword. Once an individual steps into the media spotlight, he or she just can’t suddenly run into the shadows. Harrison had a lot of things go his way because of the attention his ability attracted, and had a lot of positive things likely to come in the future, but that same attention that built him up when things were going right isn’t going to just go away when things are going wrong. In short, you have to take the bitter with the sweet, and those who gain from media attention are always at risk to lose from it.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

If the public loved badminton and ignored football, and the media paid hundreds of millions to televise badminton and never showed a second of football, then Harrison’s arrest would have been treated like any other arrest — and that star badminton player’s tangle with the law would have been big news. But football rules the sporting world, so whatever happens to football players becomes fair game for the public. So to get back to your question: Did the media treat Miles Harrison fairly? Yes, because without the media money, Harrison’s skills would not have put him in position to get a college scholarship (worth around $200,000). If people are willing to reap the positives from a particular situation, then they have to be willing to accept the negatives as well — and of course putting yourself in a situation where you get arrested for armed robbery of a drug dealer is a pretty major negative, whether your name winds up in the headlines or not. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt.com

Matt Klein

A For several years, St. Ignatius has been chipping away at the perceptions of West Coast lacrosse — this year’s team may have torn them down Story by David Kiefer | Photos by Phillip Walton 14

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

t some point, it’s conceivable that a team from the West Coast can become the best in the nation in boys lacrosse. We know this because St. Ignatius College Prep has provided a blueprint for that possibility. On April 7, the Wildcats beat the No. 2-ranked team in the country, the Landon School of Bethesda, Maryland, from the sport’s Mid-Atlantic heartland. In high school lacrosse circles, this was the shot heard ’round the world. “We showed everyone that we’re here to play,” senior captain Nick Stinn said. When the San Francisco school created a boys lacrosse team in 1979, there was no one to play. But as Wildcat lacrosse grows, so does the reputation of a region. Yes, West Coast boys can play too, and the years of chiseling and grinding at the negative perceptions is paying off. The Wildcats, and the West, have never been better. As of late April, St. Ignatius (13-1) was ranked No. 6 in the USA Today Super 25 rankings, and No. 9 by Lacrosse Magazine. Its No. 13 finish in 2013 was the highest ever for a Western team in the LaxPower.com computer rankings — and this team could finish even higher. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Nick Stinn “You look around the landscape in California and there are lots of teams that can compete nationally,” said Chris Packard, who is 130-14 in seven seasons as head coach. “I’m glad it was St. Ignatius that went back there and won a big game, but there are lots of quality programs, and people are starting to understand the level being played out here.” St. Ignatius has become a torchbearer despite playing in an area that still hasn’t fully embraced the sport. There is no California state championship, no NorCal playoffs or even a Central Coast Section title for the Wildcats to play for. Besides the pride and reputation that comes from beating top opponents from out of the area, the only tangible thing to win is a West Catholic Athletic League championship, and none of the other six WCAL teams are at the Wildcats’ level. How did a barren landscape produce a burgeoning national power? In 1979 students sought a nontraditional sport that could help build confidence. A senior, Ken Ross, knew that football legend Jim Brown had played lacrosse and approached the student activities director about forming a club. Ross’ diligence in fundraising and seeking advice from those in the sparse Bay Area lacrosse community got the program off the ground. An S.I. teacher had a friend who played lacrosse at Dartmouth, and that’s how future U.S. congressman John Carney (D-Delaware) became the Wildcats’ first coach. With some used equipment and heavy hand-me-down cotton football jerseys, the “team” ran nine blocks along the avenues to Golden Gate Park each day and then practiced at the Polo Fields before jogging back to campus — a one-way distance of 1.8 miles. It would be years before the school officially recognized lacrosse as an official sport. Even then, its smattering of opponents were mostly infant club programs rather than other high school teams. Still, Carney’s crew didn’t care. They practiced as if championships were at stake. That effort, dedication and preparation became a Wildcat tradition, keeping the program on Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

“This is the best team that we’ve ever had, or that I’ve ever coached. We’ve had star power in the past, but that’s the beauty of this year’s team. The edge we have is more of a blue-collar hard-working mentality.” — Coach Chris Packard

Ben Knaus

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

top even as the sport began to proliferate the West. The program blossomed in the 1990s and by 1999 – the year of the earliest LaxPower.com computer rankings — St. Ignatius was a fixture among the best in the state. Since 1999, the Wildcats have won seven unofficial state titles, earned five West Region No. 1 rankings, and had two perfect seasons. Its worst record is 16-6 in that span, and S.I. has finished among the state’s top two annually since 2007. Roy Lang, S.I. class of ’08, was the state high school player of the year and earned first-team All-America honors at Cornell. He and former St. Ignatius teammate Rob Emery ’10, a third-team All-America at Virginia, play professionally in Major League Lacrosse. This year’s senior class has nine who will play varsity lacrosse at four-year schools: Stinn at Notre Dame (the No. 1 team in the country), Peter Alimam at Fairfield, Timothy Baker at Air Force, Finn Barry at Furman, Aidan Chandless at Washington & Lee, Nick Dupuis at Vermont, Grant Giuliano at Hobart, Henry Hinds at Colorado College and Ben Knaus at Trinity. That list does not include co-captain Matt Klein, who turned down Division I offers to attend Stanford and play on its club team. “When I came here, I was the only guy who played before high school,” said assistant coach Scott Brittain ’03. “I only played in eighth grade because our baseball season was canceled. Now, kids are playing lacrosse since second grade. You’re no longer getting the dad that picked up the lacrosse handbook and is coaching the kids. You’re getting guys who have played before and are teaching the kids the right way to play at an early age.”

One of them is Packard, a Long Island native who played at Cornell, got a job in the Financial District, and came to S.I. as an assistant in 2002. As the program improved, the quality of the schedule has increased. There are the regular games against San Diego County powers La Costa Canyon-Carlsbad and Torrey Pines, and East Coast trips to play nationally-recognized opponents. “We’ve never traveled and thought we couldn’t win,” Packard said. In 2013, St. Ignatius beat New Jersey’s Seton Hall Prep and then took on one of the nation’s elite, Chaminade of Long Island, falling just short, 5-4. Though the 2014 team struggled by St. Ignatius standards (15-5), this year Packard created the most ambitious trip yet — to Landon and Washington, D.C.’s Gonzaga Prep, the nation’s preseason No. 1. “It was like the point of no return,” said Klein, the senior captain. “We were sick of being the contender, of putting up the good fight. We wanted to be the team that did it.” Landon carried an 8-6 lead into the fourth quarter when the Wildcats gathered for their final push. “We were right where we wanted to be,” Stinn said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight the whole game. It was just a matter of who’s going to punch back at the last second. Who’s going to get that last goal to seal it.” Said Klein, “We weren’t going to lose. There wasn’t a lot that had to be said. Everyone just knew it.” The Wildcats got two quick goals to tie it, then Stinn made the play of the game: scooping the ball and going coast-tocoast for the go-ahead score. St. Ignatius scored again with 30 seconds left to clinch it. The result made USA Today: “St. Ignatius College Prep (San Francisco) made a statement for the West Coast in boys lacrosse with a come-from-behind,

Luke Ford 10-8 upset victory against No. 2 The Landon School (Bethesda, Md.) on Tuesday.” The Wildcats were unable to follow it up with another stunner, losing at current USA Today No. 5 Gonzaga Prep, 12-9. “This is the best team that we’ve ever had, or that I’ve ever coached,” Packard said. “We’ve had star power in the past, but that’s the beauty of this year’s team. The edge we have is more of a blue-collar hard-working mentality. All the guys are working for one another. Awesome leadership. Really skilled, hard-working guys who really care about their school.” Captains Klein and Stinn grew up in San Francisco, attend-

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

ed preschool together, played on the same Little League teams and have been best friends for years. It wasn’t long ago when they were watching S.I. lacrosse games at Kezar Stadium and having no doubts about where they would go to school. Stinn is a natural attacker and will play that position at Notre Dame. But when a teammate was injured, Packard asked Stinn to take over a defensive midfield role. And Stinn accepted without complaint, and has played there throughout his senior season. “We’ve had a lot of incredible captains over the years, but they’re two of the best we’ve ever had,” Packard said. “Matt Klein chooses to decline Div. I lacrosse and go to the best school he can possibly go. That sends a message that it’s about a bigger picture. And Nick Stinn is, in my opinion, the best long-stick middle in the country, and he’s willing to do anything to help the team. Top down, everyone else wants to be like those guys.” The Wildcats had long returned from the East when they played Marin Catholic on a typically foggy windswept afternoon in the Sunset District. Berry scored eight goals, and while Marin Catholic had trouble even getting a shot off against a barricade of a defense, the St. Ignatius would slice through Marin’s defense without a care. Stinn feinted one way and then fired a sidearm shot while going the other way for a goal. Ryan Clark floated a pass from the behind the goal to Chris Warrington, who fired a firsttouch behind-the-back shot for another. St. Ignatius won, 18-3. All the while, a trio of kids, armed with lacrosse sticks, fired away at their own makeshift goals behind the playing field, imitating the moves of their St. Ignatius heroes in front of them. There was the sense that St. Ignatius, and West Coast lacrosse, was in good hands. ✪

May 2015

SportStars™

aTHleTeS oF HonoraBle MenTion

Bay area Female athlete of the Year

SaBrina ioneScu, MiraMonTe, junior

t was late June 2014 and Miramonte High girls basketball coach Kelly Sopak was approximately twoplus months removed from his team’s season-ending loss in the CIF NorCal Open Division final to SalesianRichmond. The Matadors had gone 30-2 in that season, and their only two losses had come against the Pride and its senior star Mariya Moore. Since that loss, Moore had graduated and headed for Louisville. Miramonte had graduated a fair amount as well, but Sopak had one very proven commodity returning to the fold — Sabrina Ionescu, who was spending her summer with the Team U.S.A Under-17 squad. “We need leadership,” Sopak told SportStars in that late June interview. “Can Sabrina step on the floor and make everyone better without making a shot or making a pass? Mariya Moore made kids better just by being there, just by her presence, and we need that from Sabrina. She doesn’t like to lose, and she hasn’t lost a lot.” That’s all still true. The winning part, at least. The Matadors don’t lack leadership anymore because Ionescu has that role down cold. She took hold of Miramonte’s young roster and guided it to a 30-3 overall record and the CIF NorCal Open DiTHE STATS: The versatile 6-footer can play pretty much any position asked of her. She averaged 23 vision finals where the Matadors lost to eventual statepoints, 7.3 assists and five steals per game. Her single-season totals of 760 points, 294 rebounds, champion St. Mary’s-Stockton. Ionescu did whatever she 241 assists and 165 steals were all school records. had to during her junior season, and it was often more SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: Highlighting her ability to do pretty much anything, Ionescu actually than enough for Miramonte. posted the rare quadruple-double on Feb. 10 against Alhambra-Martinez. She scored 24 points to go It was certainly enough to earn her SportStars’ Bay along with 12 assists, 11 rebounds and 10 steals. Area Female Athlete of the Winter. QUOTABLE: “Sabrina is one of the most competitive and feisty players I’ve seen,” said Sue Phillips, Ionescu improved her scoring average by five points, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose girls varsity coach and also Ionescu’s coach on the Under-16 National posting 23 points per game to go with 7.3 assists and five Team in 2013. “She’s exceptional on both sides of the court. She’s committed to defense and boxing steals. She recorded eight triple-doubles and set school out, and on offense, she can shoot off the bounce, hit three-pointers and make the extra pass. On single-season records in points, rebounds, assists and top of all that, she’s a fantastic, positive teammate.” steals. But she knew leadership would be her most important asset. and Ionescu is already one of the Top 10 recruits in the nation. “I’ve kind of just grown into the role,” Ionescu said in late February, right If and when Sopak is interviewed again this summer — while his star player before the postseason. “I understood early on that I needed to be more of a will likely be chasing yet another World Championship somewhere with the leader, (to help others) understand what we do and how we do it. Not just preach it, but to lead by example. I was setting my bar high so everyone else national under-18 team — his answer on what he needs next season is certain to be more simple. sets their own bar high.” He’ll just need Sabrina to be Sabrina. ✪ That bar will be set especially high for Ionescu and the entire Matadors team in 2015-16. Miramonte will graduate only one player from its 30-win team, — Chace Bryson

THE IONESCU FILES

MALLORY HROMATKO (MONTE VISTADANVILLE), SR. — For every day of the 2014-15 soccer season but the last, Monte Vista was the best team in all of Northern California. In fact, they were considered by some to be the best in the nation. Hromatko, a talented midfielder, tied for the team-lead in goals with 13 and added three assists. She is committed to play at UC Santa Barbara in the fall. AISIA ROBERTSON (BISHOP O’DOWDOAKLAND), SR. — With Cal-bound star Asha Thomas sidelined, Robertson was the senior leader and go-to star for much of the season. That’s why it was no surprise to see the Kansas-bound guard take over the game during the second half of the CIF Division III Girls State Championship. Robertson scored a team-high 16 points and added eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. She also committed just one turnover while playing 28 of a possible 32 minutes. The Div. III state title was Robertson’s third state crown in four years with O’Dowd.

GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR

FEMALE RISING STAR

TONY MARTINS, LIBERTY GIRLS SOCCER — In what may go down as this academic year’s biggest upsets across any sport, the Martins-led Lions defeated the No. 1 team in the country (Monte Vista) 2-1 in order to win their program’s first North Coast Section title. Furthermore, Liberty had never reached an NCS final prior to the match. The Lions finished the year 19-2-2.

MADELINE HOLLAND (ARCHBISHOP MITTY BASKETBALL), SOPH. — Holland was a pillar for the CIF Div. II State Champions this winter. The sophomore averaged 11.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals a game for the Monarchs. In Mitty’s 53-31 win in the state final, Holland had eight points and game-high 13 rebounds.

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

THe Year winTer eDiTion HonoraBle MenTion BEN KONE (ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE), JR. — It was an up-and-down season for a Monarchs team that would eventually reach the CIF Div. II State final, but Kone’s play was a constant. The 6-foot-9 big man averaged 20.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He upped his game in the state playoffs, averaging 25 points and 18.7 rebounds over Mitty’s last three games. ADDISON ESCOBAR (RICHMOND), SR. — His hat trick in the North Coast Section Div. II final lifted the Oilers to their first section championship in 21 years. He finished the season with 27 goals and 11 assists and was bestowed multiple honors, including the Bay Area News Group’s East Bay Player of the Year.

Bay area Male athlete of the Year

ivan raBB, BiSHoP o’DowD, Senior

ishop O’Dowd senior Ivan Rabb is used to smaller, lessskilled and less-talented players draped all over him. He’s used to double- and triple-teams, hard fouls and opposing fans rooting vehemently against him. At 6-foot-10 and one of the country’s top five recruits for the Class of 2015, he was public enemy No. 1 in Northern California because, well, he was the best and most ballyhooed player. And if that wasn’t all enough, Rabb carried the two more monumental burdens his senior year. 1. Pick the college of choice with the high-pressure recruiting world breathing down his neck. Virtually every school in the country and famous coach came calling: Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), John Calipari (Kentucky), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Sean Miller (Arizona) and Bill Self (Kansas), to name but a few. 2. Win an ever-elusive state title for Bishop O’Dowd, winners of an impressive nine Northern California titles, but losers of eight straight state-title games, including a 71-61 game to Mater Dei-Santa Ana in the 2014 Open Division championship finale. With it all wrapped around his broad, long and sturdy 220-pound frame, Rabb somehow maintained his poise, his game and sanity and accomplished it all. In the end, it added THE STATS: Rabb averaged 24.5 points, 16.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks over 32 games. The McDonald’s All-American shot 71 percent from the field and 75 percent from the foul line. up to being the SportStars Bay Area Male Athlete of the Winter RABB RANKS: The San Francisco Chronicle, after talking with local experts, recently ranked for the second straight year — the first athlete to win the award the Top 10 Bay Area prep basketball players of all-time (based purely on high school acmore than once. complishments). Rabb ranked No. 9, behind Jason Kidd (St. Joseph), Aaron Gordon (Mitty), Almost identical to his junior season, he averaged 24.5 Paul Silas (McClymonds), Phil Chenier (Berkeley), Charles Johnson (Sequoia), Kurt Rambis points, 16.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks. The McDonald’s All(Cupertino), Hank Luisetti (Galileo) and Tom Meschery (Lowell), and ahead of Leon Powe American shot 71 percent from the field and 75 percent from (Oakland Tech). the foul line. He had 19 points and 21 rebounds in the CIF RABB’S LEGACY: In his last three seasons at O’Dowd, the Dragons were a combined Open Division state final — and poetically, made the game82-13, won three North Coast titles, two Northern California titles and one state title. They lost winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left in overtime — giving just once to a Northern California team in that span. the Dragons (28-4) a 65-64 barn-burner over nemesis Mater Dei, the four-time defending champions. his own decision. The game was played before more than 8,000 fans at Haas Why Cal? “Honestly, I’m not sure. I just know I would be most happy here. Pavilion on the campus of Cal, where two weeks later he would decide to atThat’s all I can say. Maybe that was the deciding factor. I felt most complete tend college. The decision surprised most experts, who figured he’d be a one-and-done here.” player for a perennial college power. Instead, reminiscent of another Bay Area Winning the state title at Cal didn’t hurt. “Seeing all those people in the great Jason Kidd, Rabb decided to help rejuvenate the Golden Bears. crowd. All those familiar faces. And also people I’ve never seen before. All of There was no hold to stay close to home. His mom Tami Rabb even gently them rooting for us. That was exciting. I’m so glad we finished it like we did.” ✪ pushed him toward another far away destination, but ultimatly her son made —SportStars staff

THE RABB FILES

BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR

MALE RISING STAR

LOu RICHIE, BISHOP O’DOWD BOYS BASkEtBALL — There’s no question that Richie had the talent, including perhaps the two best players in the Bay Area in Ivan Rabb and Paris Austin. But Richie and the Dragons also had an incredible amount of pressure and one of the boldest and most challenging schedules any NorCal team had taken on in, perhaps, ever. So, leading O’Dowd to its first title in 34 years — with a come-from-behind-overtime CIF Open Division victory against three-time defending state champion Mater Dei-Santa — was a feat worth of this honor.

ANTHONY GAMEZ (KENNEDY-RICHMOND SOCCER), SOPH. — Gamez displayed a natural gift for scoring during the 2014-15 season. He led the entire East Bay with 34 goals. The sophomore also earned 1st-team All Tri-County Athletic League-Stone Division.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

Star Swimmers Placer Valley Tourism is excited to announce that two of Sacramento Synchronized Swim Team’s (SSST) swimmers have made the 12U National Team for the second year in a row. Nicole Meza and Veronika Orlovska, both 11-years-old, will be returning to Team USA with their sights set on qualifying for the Junior Olympics in July. Meza, whose hometown is Sacramento, has been a member of SSST since she was 6-years old and swims both as a soloist and as a duet team with Orlovska. Though this is Orlovska first year on SSST, she has been swimming competitively for five years. A Ukraine native, Orlovska now lives in Yorba Linda and travels to Sacramento to be on SSST, where she also competes as a soloist. The two very accomplished synchronized swimmers have won every competition they have entered so far this year. Both girls practice with swimming and gymnastics coaches for 3-5 hours a day, 5-6 days per week as they focus their workouts on land work, stretching, swimming laps, technical elements of synchronized swimming and routines with music. “The girls make a lot of daily sacrifices such as spending time with friends and family, birthday parties, sleepovers, trying out different activities and sports,” head coach Olga Molotilova explains. “But when you are standing on the podium and listening to the Anthem of USA, you realize every sacrifice was worth it!” Molotilova expanded on what makes the swimmers so successful. “They are very talented young ladies who live such a busy life in synchro, giving them a lot of life lessons like supporting their friends and teammates, not to give up when something is not going like they want, and being on task and organized.” The coach added that both Meza and Orlovska are also great students in school. Along with the Junior Olympics Competition in North Carolina this July, Meza and Orlovska are set to compete at the Pan American Games in Calgary, Canada in August where they are hoping to defend their title in the team event. PVT is thrilled for both of them and will be rooting for them this summer at their distinguished competitions. ✪

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Diamond Days Memorial Day weekend in Placer Valley will deliver much more than warm weather and the countdown to summer. It will also bring some serious softball action. On May 23-25, ASA Tournaments, in conjunction with Placer Valley Tourism, will be hosting the 5th Annual Memorial Day Classic Tournament taking place at multiple fields in Roseville and Lincoln. ASA is expecting an impressive 148 teams coming from all over California and parts of Northern Nevada. Girls ranging in ages from 9 to 18 will be participating at this three-day event that guarantees each team a minimum of six games throughout the weekend. ASA Tournament Director Gary Ybarra points out that this tournament serves as the first tournament of the season in the 16U and 18U/Gold Divisions. This is due to the fact that most players on those teams are just finishing their high school softball season. Essentially this is the start of the ASA tournament season, which brings an exciting element to the weekend. The Memorial Day Classic is also part of the prestigious ASA Heartland Showcase Series of Tournaments which signifies that the level of competition, the fields provided and the amount of playing time is the best and top of the line. “I’d like to thank the Greater Sacramento Softball Association, Wilson Trophy Company and Placer Valley tourism for their support of this tournament every year,” Ybarra said. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

“THiS iS a

TrYouT?!” There are different degrees of recruiting, and some can lead to very unexpected conclusions

recently spoke about the athletic recruiting process with a mother of two named Cynthia. Both her children were very good basketball players. She told the following story: Her older child, Adam, had played AAU basketball since he was 11-years old. By his junior year in high school, he was receiving attention from some NCAA Division II and Division III programs. Assistant coaches from numerous colleges where contacting him through email, phone calls and social media. The recruiting process appeared to be going very well. Eventually an assistant coach at a small school in the Midwest told Adam that the team wanted him to play there. He applied, was admitted into the school and, two months into the semester, Adam showed up at the school gym for what he thought was the first day of practice. It turned out that this was the first day… of tryouts. The coaching staff had told seven kids that they were wanted on the team while only four roster spots were available. Cynthia learned that a lot of Div. III and NAIA programs have difficulty filling their rosters so they often approach the recruiting process differently than do the larger Div. I and Div. II programs. Adam was the last player cut and he was devastated. Cynthia told me that her son had a very difficult time for months before eventually overcoming his loss of basketball. Two years later, Cynthia’s daughter was also being recruited to play basketball. This time head coaches from many colleges where contacting the family and, half way through her senior year in high school, Tufts University claimed they wanted her on the team. Not one to make the same mistake twice, mom took her daughter all the way across the country for a recruiting visit in Boston. On that visit, Cynthia got right to the point “I looked that head coach straight in the eye and said ‘How bad do you want my daughter on your team?’” she recounted. “She’s our number-one recruit,” the head coach replied honestly. That number one recruit became a four-year starting point guard for Tufts University. Mom had learned her lesson the first time. And her daughter not only got to play college basketball, but she ended up with an extremely valuable diploma. Understand that there are different levels of being recruited. There is a huge difference between an assistant coach emailing, “We can explore a walk-on spot in the next few weeks,” and a head coach sitting in your living room saying, “We want your daughter at our school next year.” ✪

Scott Mayo

Scott Mayo and his wife Jennifer are the founders of Next Level College Advisors, a consultation and support service for aspiring college athletes and their families. The Mayos have gone through the recruiting process with all three of their children. To learn more about NCLA, visit NextLevelCollegeAdvisors. com.

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Jesuit’s Chris Bayadline runs the ball. James K. Leash photo

jesuit rugby shines again and Danville oaks double-up

ugby NorCal proudly announced back on April 2nd, that they had broken the 5,000-player barrier for the first time ever. It is proof that the sport is growing and Mark Carney, the Executive Director of Rugby NorCal, expects an additional 50-100 more players to register for the summer sevens as well as youth flag rugby leagues being planned on by Rugby NorCal. It was evident just how big the game is growing with the participation of 57 teams competing in 13 different levels spread out amongst eight fields at the 11th Annual Northern California Invitational (NCIT) at Cherry Island Sports Complex in Antelope on April 18-19. For most squads, this was their last competition of the season. Teams competing in the Boys Varsity Gold, Boys Varsity Silver, and Boys Junior Varsity, this was their semifinals. The championships were played at Saint Marys College on April 25. In the boys Varsity Gold finals, the top-seeded Danville Oaks met up with No. 3 Granite Bay in what turned out to be an epic match. After being down 24-10, the Danville Oaks rallied in the second half to win the title 34-31. It was a sweet victory for the Oaks, who finished 2014 as the runner-up to Hayward. The Boys Varsity Silver division was won by Bishop O’Dowd over the North Sacramento Warriors, 45-31. Mother Lode Rugby edged Granite Bay 26-21 for the JV Gold division. One division which was completed at the NCIT was the Varsity Boys Single-School division which pit eight-time national-champion Jesuit against a very strong Dixon team. Jesuit had already defeated Dixon twice in the regular season, 24-5 and 37-14. Dixon was more than ready for the third go-around, and battled admirably before succumbing the Marauders 17-15.

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Danville’s Ann Lota moves the ball up field. “It was the most exciting single-school championship in years,” President of the Dixon Rugby Club, Robert Salabar, said. “Either team could have won this. The score changed hands four times. The fans were treated to a great back-and-forth battle. Hats off to both teams for a hard-fought match.” It was Jesuit’s 10th straight NorCal championship. “They showed trust and hard work and played as a team while Dixon continued to apply pressure to the very last play of the game,” Jesuit coach John Shorey said afterward. Jesuit will now head to the boys High School Rugby National Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 14-16. The Marauders are the reigning national champion. “We are headed to nationals ranked No. 3, but we have a chip on our shoulders heading back east,” Shorey explained. “I don’t believe we have played our best rugby yet. I expect us to peak when we get to nationals. We certainly have the talent to win it all.” The Danville Lady Oaks captured the NCIT’s Girls Varsity Gold division for the first time in their brief history with an exciting 41-38 win over previous champion, the Sacramento Amazons. The season started with the Amazons dominating the Kick-Off Tournament, showing why they were the reigning champions. However, injuries took a toll on the team. In the meantime, the Oaks were putting together a 6-0 regular season. Danville will be headed to the Girls High School Rugby National Invitational Championships, May 15-17 in Pittsburgh. ✪ — Darin Wissner Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

SportStarsâ&#x201E;˘

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Welcome to our 100th Issue celebration. This June will mark the fifth anniversary of SportStars Issue #1. And while five years doesn’t seem like an extraordinarily long time, it’s provided an extremely rich period in Northern California high school athletics. To celebrate, we attempted to rank the Top 25 athletes and Top 25 teams we’ve covered during these first 100 issues. We weighed not only what the athletes did for their high schools, but the success they’ve achieved since graduating as well. We also provide a fun look back at our history in covers. We hope you enjoy it and find yourself looking forward to the next 100 issues. We are! ✪ — Chace Bryson, Editor

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

The First 100 issues: Top 25 athletes 32

To celebrate our first 100 issues, we attempted to rank the Top 25 NorCal athletes we’ve covered over the first five years of SportStars. We managed to get the list down to 26. Enjoy. Let us know what we got right or wrong at Facebook.com/SportStars

1. MAGGIE STEFFENS, MONTE VISTADANVILLE, WATER POLO When we named her our first SportStars Female Athlete of the Fall in January of 2011, we asked her if she could see herself competing at the Olympics. This is what she said: “I can envision myself (in London), but it’s kind of just in my own mind. It’s a lot of work to get there, and there are a lot of great girls on that team. With hard work and motivation and discipline, hopefully I can get there. But it’s definitely going to be a long road... (But) you get a taste of something, you just want it so much more. I want to make that team.” She made the team. She started. She tied an Olympic single-game scoring record with seven goals in her first Olympic match. She scored 21 goals in the tournament. She won Gold. She was the tournament’s MVP and was named 2012 Female Water Polo Player of the Year by both FINA and Swimming World Magazine.

2. AARON GORDON, ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE, BASKETBALL Unquestionably the most decorated, and most dominant boys basketball player in the SportStars Era to date. Gordon won a pair of CIF Division II State Basketball titles, was named the CalHi Sports Mr. State Basketball as a junior, was a McDonald’s All-American (and the game’s MVP) and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Arizona before declaring for the draft and being taken No. 4 overall by the Orlando Magic.

6. MARCUS LEE, DEER VALLEYANTIOCH, BASKETBALL/ VOLLEYBALL A McDonald’s AllAmerican hooper, Lee has spent the last few seasons contributing off the bench for one of the best college programs in the country — Kentucky. Lee was also an absolute force as a volleyball player, helping Deer Valley to a 42-2 record in 2013.

SportStars™

Lucky 21: De La Salle wins another

Pg. 30

DECEMBER 6, 2012

May 2015

3. JAKE BROWNING, FOLSOM, FOOTBALL Browning was a once-in-a-generation quarterback for the Bulldogs, obliterating state and national records over a three-year stint as the team’s starter. He threw for 10 TDs in his first ever varsity game in 2012. In his last varsity game, he threw for six TDs and rushed for one as Folsom completed a 16-0 season and won the CIF Division I State Bowl Championship. For his career, he set or equaled national marks for career TDs (239) and TDs in one season (91) as well as the state mark for career yards (16,775).

7. NIKKO VILLAREAL, GILROY, WRESTLING He was a three-time CIF State Champion and finished third in nikko villarreal his other trip to Bakersfield. He is one of just 20 wrestlers in state history to win at least three state championships and just the sixth NorCal wrestler to join the club. Powered by

Like us on Facebook

SportStars™

After dramatically winning the state title last year in the 138-pound division, Villareal defended his crown in Bakersfield on March 3 when he beat Elijah Davis of Riordan-San Francisco 3-1 at Rabobank Arena. Even though he doesn’t have a college picked yet, he knows he wants to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics, perhaps his one and only shot. SportStars Magazine: Was this season any different since you were defending your title? Nikko Villareal: No, I had the same mindset. I gotta train hard. It’s a pretty rough season you gotta get through. But you just keep it one day at a time, and hopefully it works out. SSM: Did your preparation change at all? NV: I don’t usually take anytime off. This summer I’m going to the Ukraine to train with the (USA) Olympic team. SSM: Does that mean you’ll be trying to make the team in 2016? NV: I was aiming toward 2020, that’s why i’m disappointed. I’m definitely gonna try out for 2016 during college. NIKKO’S QUICK HITS Favorite athlete: Bruce Lee Favorite Starbucks: White Mocha Favorite baseball team: Giants Sport he wishes he was better at: Football

March 7, 2013

honorable mention

gilroy . wrestling . junior

asha thomas

The sophomore guard led Bishop O’Dowd with 21 points as they beat Miramonte 77-48 on March 2 to capture the NCS Div. 3 girls basketball title.

chanel chawalit

The Berkeley junior won the 126-pound division of the CIF State Girls Wrestling Championship on Feb. 23, defeating Lindhurst’s Teasia Lizama 9-3.

sinorti stegman

The Albany senior won her CIF wrestling state title in the 189-pound division Feb. 23 when she beat Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Danielle Pubill.

Jonathan Hawthorne

Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

4. NATE MOORE, CASTRO VALLEY, TRACK & FIELD/ 2013 spring male athlete of the year BASKETBALL Nate Moore Moore etched his name into the state history books as the first boy to win both the long jump and triple jump state titles in back-to-back years (2013 and 2014). Moore’s winning jumps (TJ: 51 feet, 4 inches, LJ: 25-8.75) were both the top high school marks in the nation for 2014. He also earned a silver medal with the Trojans’ 400 relay team. During the winter, he was a key guard off the bench for the Castro Valley boys basketball team. castro valley track & field junior

THE MOORE FILES

› THE STATS: oore won gold in the long ump and triple ump at both the North Coast Section eet of Champions and the CIF State Track and Field Championships. His state-winning mark in the triple ump 0-11. was the top high school mark in the nation for 2013. › ON COLLEGE RECRUITING: I received a lot of e-mails after the state meet. I’m putting together a list of schools now. I won’t start seriously looking until after uly 1. I want to learn as much or more about the school he’s a 3. student than the track program. I’ll go anywhere in the country if it’s a perfect fit. Leaving California might hurt a little but I would definitely deal with it. › ON FAVORITE ATHLETE ALLEN IVERSON, AND PRACTICE: I en oy practice but sort of like Iverson I don’t like the little workouts stretching striding. I like to do hard workouts and working really hard. › ON HIS TWO EVENTS: I’ve been long umping since 10 and triple umping since I was 1 . I like triple ump more because it’s harder. It takes more work and dedication. Basically if you run a 10. 100 you’re going to be a really good long umper.

8. IvAN RABB, BISHOP O’DOWDOAKLAND, BASKETBALL He’s been at the top of national recruiting lists for each of the past three seasons and finally chose to attend Cal not long after winning the CIF Open Div. State Championship by sinking the game-winning free throw with less than a second remaining. He averaged more than 20 points and 15 rebounds a game as a senior. FREE

VOL. 5. ISSUE 93 BAY AREA

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

SportStars™

July 1, 2013

Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

Nate oore was fully e pecting the two state championships — the nearly 25-foot long ump and then the national-leading 0 foot, 11.75-inch performance in the triple ump. Frankly he ust wasn’t e pecting it this season. The Castro alley unior said he was dreaming of such a performance on the state’s biggest stage eteran’s Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis — ever since he was a freshman. The fun and articulate 5-foot-9, 145-pound standout was named the SportsStars Spring ale Athlete of the ear for his record-setting performance on une 1. He was the first Bay Area athlete boy to ever win both events in the same state meet and the first male overall since 198 . It’s still surreal to me he said. I ust didn’t really think it was possible until my senior year. It was ust a crazy e perience. oore who transferred from Bishop O’Dowd before the school year seemed almost content with a second-place finish in the long ump considering the defending champion and one of the nation’s top athletes was in the field. Serra- ardena unior Adoree’ ackson came in with the nation’s top long ump this season at 25-0. This after he won it as a sophomore at 2 -0. . ackson seemed comfortably ahead at 2 - . before oore ew to within an inch on his fourth attempt. At that point ackson had to run a leg in the 00-meter relay and oore then unleashed his winning ump. ackson had only five minutes to complete three umps and couldn’t overcome oore’s winning mark of 2 -11. . I wasn’t thinking about my mark or form or anything, I ust wanted to win oore said. oore said his competitive spirit was pushed all season by Castro alley umps coach Dooney ones who also offered the inspirational shove needed to win the triple. Battling a nagging left e or in ury oore asked ones for some IcyHot a rub to relieve pain right before his final ump but the fiery coach refused. He looked at me and said there’s no way he’s giving it to me oore said. He told me to block everything out, that this was the moment champions are made of. He told me this was the moment I’ve been waiting for all year and to make it all happen. es that last ump was all adrenaline. After revving up the crowd with rhythmic clapping oore unleashed his personal best by more than a foot to win the triple ump going away. I couldn’t ask for a better season or school year said oore also a starting point guard on the Castro Valley basketball team. — Mitch Stephens

onathan Hawthorne

STEVEN STUMPH, SENIOR, CAMPOLINDO-MORAGA

In what may be remembered among the greatest races in NCS Swimming Championships history, Stumph set a national record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.39 seconds. The second- and third-place finishers also came in under the previous nationalrecord time of 53.67 held by U.S. Olympian Brendan Hansen. Stumph also won the 100 backstroke in an NCS-record time, and was part of two NCS record-setting relay teams.

CalHiSports.com

MICHAEL STREM, SENIOR, ST. FRANCIS-MNTN VIEW

The Boston College-bound senior was the ultimate double-threat player for a Lancers team which went finished 29-4, won the CCS Div. I title and was ranked No. in the final a Preps. com national rankings. Strem lead the team in hits (45) and doubles (13). He also had 22 RBI and 29 runs scored. On the mound, he went 11-1 with a 1.70 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 80.2 innings of work. Oh, and one perfect game on 66 pitches in the first round of the playoffs.

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

5. BRITTANY BOYD, BERKELEY, BASKETBALL Our 2010-11 Female Athlete of the Winter honoree — after leading the Yellowjackets to a record 10th NorCal title — went on to become a four-year pillar of the Cal Women’s program. She closed out her career as a semifinalist for the Naismith Award recognizing the beat female college basketball player. In April, she was selected No. 9 overall in the WNBA Draft and will play for the New York Liberty.

9. KRISTIAN IPSEN, DE LA SALLE-CONCORD, DIVING Ipsen was the only the Magazine’s second ever SportStar of the Week. Like Steffens, he went on to star for the Americans at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Ipsen and his 3-meter synchro partner, Troy Dumais, brought home a Bronze medal.

It was Jan. 26, 2008, at Acalanes High School, the third of seven games. There had been rumors that Hercules High School had a pretty good team, and the summer club talk about its freshman guard was hype-heavy. But no one had really seen much of the Titans, a program that had been quietly winning games without making a big impression. That all changed at the Acalanes Shootout, against traditional power Moreau Catholic and its 6-5 center, Malia Nahinu. Nahinu put on a show, with 27 points, 21 rebounds and 14 blocks, but after the game, the buzz wasn’t about the Arizona-bound center, but rather about that below-the-radar freshman for Hercules, a small guard named Brittany Boyd. Boyd finished with 29 points — 21 in the second half — but what was so impressive was how she made every big play as the Titans came from 10 points down in the third quarter to steal a 67-62 win. When Hercules needed a basket, Boyd scored; if the Titans needed a steal, she got the ball; and if they needed leadership, the freshman supplied that as well. In short, a star was born. And though Boyd had to sit out much of her sophomore year at Berkeley due to eligibility issues, there was never any doubt she was going to be a force once she stepped on the court. Although it was a forgone conclusion, all those expectations were realized this season when she led the Yellowjackets to 31-2 season and CIF Division I Northern regional championship. But it wasn’t as if Boyd just emerged — she had worked hard to acquire the skills that make her special. She started playing when she was 6, and worked with her dad, DeShawn Boyd, on her skills. And then she started playing in Oakland, where she started to understand the game. “Leroy Hurt (the AAU Cal Ballaz coach) helped me to be a floor general,” Boyd said. “My freshman year I knew I was good, but over time, I grew to understand myself.” And those who’ve watched her play over the years have seen her steady development. That won’t change, either, as the next stage of her basketball career will continue right down Telegraph Avenue at Haas Pavilion. She ended up choosing Cal due in part to her connection with her high school teammates and her hometown. “We were friends on and off the court,” said Boyd of the Yellowjackets, “And the Berkeley High community is great,” That community will get a chance to see her continue to grow and improve for the next four years. — Clay Kallam

THE BOYD FILES

per game ■ THE STATS: 15.7 points/6.7 steals/5.2 assists/6.4 rebounds nine rebounds and seven assists ■ SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: 20 points, 10 steals, state playoffs. vs. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills in the second round of the my first letter, from North Caro■ ON HER FIRST RECRUITMENT LETTER: “I received

Bob Larson

HONORABLE MENTIONS HANNAH HUFFMAN, Carondelet, Jr. — Basketball Huffman saved her best for the biggest games, averaging more than 30 points in the state playoffs — including a 34-point, 8-rebound effort in the CIF regional quarterfinals and a 30-point performance against Berkeley in the regional final. She was the East Bay Athletic League co-MVP after helping Carondelet go undefeated in league play for the second straight season. She averaged 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.2 blocks a game this season.

SportStars™

lina, in seventh grade.” and Princeton ■ THE COLLEGES THAT JUST MISSED OUT: Washington “Not making the team was motiva■ ON MISSING THE CUT FOR USA U-18 ROSTER: tion to me. I was in the gym every day to prove that I belonged.”

BRIANA GAINES, Dougherty Valley, Sr. — Basketball/Soccer Her future will be in a soccer uniform, and that’s where she led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 goals. Five of those goals came in the postseason when underdog 10th-seeded Dougherty Valley rolled all the way to the NCS championship and knocked off heavy-favorite Bishop O’Dowd. One week later, she helped the basketball team win a section crown. She averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 assists and 4.3 steals per game.

April 14, 2011

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com

10. ARIK ARMSTEAD, PLEASANT GROVE-ELK GROVE, FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL After a phenomenal and decorated two-sport career with the Eagles, Armstead excelled at Oregon. He enters the NFL Draft on April 30 as a consensus first-round talent at defensive end; many have him projected to go No. 15 overall to the 49ers. QB — JAKE RODRIGUES, WHITNEY-ROCKLIN, 6-3, 205, SR.

Oregon-bound signal-caller accounted for 43 TDs and more than 3,300 yards of offense in 2010. RB — MARK JENKINS, PLEASANT GROVE-ELK GROVE, 5-9, 175, SR.

Looks to improve on 2011 performance (2,739 yards; 41 TDs) for Div. I-favorite Eagles

RB — JOSH MIGUEL, ESCALON, 5-9, 175, SR. Rushed for 1,840 yards and 27 TDs to lead Cougars to SJS and CIF Div. III titles

WR — DYLAN COLLIE, OAK RIDGE-EL DORADO HILLS, 5-11, 180, SR.

Trojans’ top receiver is following older brother, Austin (of the Indianapolis Colts), to prep stardom and then BYU WR — ZACHARY MORENO, LEGRAND, 6-3, 190, SR.

Led all juniors in SJS with 1,055 receiving yds. (25 yards/catch) for Div. V champion Bulldogs

TE — JALEN COPE-FITZPATRICK, WHITNEY-ROCKLIN, 6-5, 250, SR.

Prototypical TE has great size and hands; 7 of 24 catches as a junior went for TDs

OL — GAVIN ANDREWS, GRANITE BAY, 6-6, 330, SR.

Among top recruits in state, hulking lineman committed to Oregon State OL — LEONARD WOOD, MONTEREY TRAIL-ELK GROVE, 6-2, 295, SR.

In run-oriented offense, Wood is key piece for Mustangs

OL — MATT COCHRAN, BUHACH COLONY-ATWATER, 6-4, 330, SR.

Powerful lineman has attracted attention of schools from both the Pac-12 and SEC

UTIL. — SHAQ THOMPSON, GRANT-SACRAMENTO, 6-2, 210, SR. Thompson can do just about anything he wants for the Pacers. He can play RB, WR, CB, S, even QB, if needed

SportStars™

August 25, 2011

OL — STEVEN MOORE, ELK GROVE, 6-7, 265, SR. Committed to Arizona, Moore will be charged with opening holes for RB Deon Ransom

OL — ARIK ARMSTEAD, PLEASANT GROVE-ELK GROVE, 6-7, 280, SR.

Opened huge holes for Jenkins; dominant tackle headed to USC

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

11. CHELSEA CHENAULT, CARONDELET-CONCORD, SWIMMING Her four-year prep swimming career included 12 North Coast Section golds, five NCS records and two national records. She was a two-time All-American in her freshman year at USC and is a current member of the U.S. National Team.

13. MARIYA MOORE, SALESIANRICHMOND, BASKETBALL The McDonald’s All-American averaged 17.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3.5 steals her senior year, and led the Pride to two state finals. As a freshman she led national-power Louisville in scoring, assists and 3-point field goals.

12. ROBERT STEPHENSON, ALHAMBRA-MARTINEZ, BASEBALL Began his senior year with consecutive no-hitters and finished as the Gatorade State Player of the Year and the 27th overall selection in the MLB Amateur Draft. He is currently the No. 1-ranked prospect in the Reds organization.

14. SHAQ THOMPSON, GRANT-SAC., FOOTBALL/BASEBALL/TRACK One of six finalists for the U.S. Army National Player of the Year in football and an 18th round pick in the MLB Amateur Draft by the Red Sox. Dominant three-year career at Washington ended with winning the Paul Hornung Award (nation’s most versatile player). Projected as a 2nd/3rd round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

16. EDDIE VANDERDOES, PLACER-AUBURN, FOOTBALL/ BASEBALL Before starting at UCLA, he was the top-ranked defensive line recruit in the nation as a senior. He was also a .400 hitter and highly-effective pitcher in baseball.

15. SASHA WALLACE, HOLY NAMESOAKLAND/CASTRO VALLEY, TRACK As a senior she won double-gold FREE heavy at the CIF medal pow! State meet for the second top dogs straight year, defending her state titles in the 100-meter hurdles and the triple jump. She was the first East Bay girl to ever repeat at state in the same two events. At Oregon, she had two Top-3 finishes at the 2014 Pac-12 Championships. inspiration comes from everywhere

VOL. 3. ISSUE 48

JUNE 28, 2012

Pg. 8

BEST IN PREP SPORTS

BAY AREA

BENICIA ARSENAL BREAKS THROUGH

DIABLO VALLEY VB DIGGING FOR BLING

GET SPORT SPECIFIC THIS SUMMER.

PG. 12

PIT BULLS READY FOR CLOSE-UP

james marvel, sasha wallace cash in season honors pg. 30

NO HEROES WITHOUT VILLAINS. WE HAVE VILLAINS. PG. 11

17. TOMMY THOMPSON, GRANITE BAY, SOCCER He played for the Grizzlies through his junior year in 2012. He graduated early to play for Indiana University before signing with the San Jose Earthquakes at age 18. Current member of the National under-20 team.

18. JOE DEMERS, COLLEGE PARKPLEASANT HILL, BASEBALL/ BASKETBALL One of the best two-way baseball players in the state since freshman year in 2012. Starter for the CIF NorCal Championship basketball team as sophomore. As of April 25, he was batting .490 and had logged three no-hitters as a senior.

19. DYLAN WYNN, DE LA SALLECONCORD, FOOTBALL/WRESTLING Wynn was a three-year starter and dominant two-way player for the Spartans. His wrestling career also took him to the state meet twice. Recently closed a strong career as a DL at Oregon State.

20. JOHANNA GRAUER, AMADOR VALLEY-PLEASANTON, SOFTBALL Was the Bay Area’s most dominant pitcher from 2011-2014. As a senior she was 27-0 with a 0.51 ERA, 290 strikeouts and 60 hits allowed over 191.1 innings. She was also the team’s top hitter with a .429 average. Currently pitches for UCLA.

21. ODERAH CHIDOM, BISHOP O’DOWD-OAkLAND, BASkEtBALL The McDonald’s All-American was the SportStars Bay Area Female Athlete of the Winter in 2013 after leading the Dragons to a second straight state title. She currently plays for Duke.

22. DEREK HILL, ELK GROVE, BASEBALL A three-year standout, he was the 23rd selection in the 2014 MLB Amateur draft after batting .500 with 11 doubles, 7 triples and 30 RBI in his senior year. The outfielder is currently the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Tigers organization.

23. CIARRA BREWER, JAMES LOGAN-UNION CITY, TRACK A two-time state champion in the triple jump, Brewer has since gone on to star at the Univ. of Florida and is a two-time SEC Champion.

24. TAYLOR NELSON, GRANITE BAY, VOLLEYBALL Nelson was honored as the Gatorade State Player of the Year after leading the 2013 Grizzlies to an unprecedented 45-0 state-championship season. That year she had 996 assists (8.9 per set) with 192 kills and 90 aces.

T25. CARRIE VERDON, CAMPOLINDOMORAGA, CROSS COUNTRY The current Pac-12 star for Colorado won back-to-back state titles as a junior and senior. Her state-winning time of 17:15 in 2010 ranks second all-time for the Div. III state race.

t25. FIONA O’kEEFFE, DAvIS, CROSS COUNTRY Already a two-time state champion, O’Keeffe will have an opportunity in 2015 to become just the seventh girl to win three or more state titles.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

CHIZOBA OKODOGBE: THE ORIGINAL SPORTSTAR

he ran fast, and she had a great smile. But mostly, Chizoba Okodogbe ran fast. That fact especially made her appealing to a start-up high school sports magazine debuting its first issue the week after the CIF State Track and Field Championships. As SportStars began to look for stories for its first issue, it decided to take a gamble on the potential of a 400-meter sprinter for Deer Valley High in Antioch. The first generation Nigerian-American held the fastest time in the state in the event through early May of 2010. She would be a fun story to tell — especially if she were a state champion. She finished second. And it made for an even better story — because the spirit and passion of Okodogbe was far more impressive than what she did on the oval. At the time, even Okodogbe might’ve been wondering how she ended up as the face on the front of the inaugural SportStars issue. It was purely a case of the right athlete and right time. “I felt honored,” Okodogbe said in a phone interview from Eugene, Oregon. “That was crazy to me. I feel honored even now. I just felt blessed, and it was so cool.” Okodogbe graduated from Oregon in December following a distinguished four-year career. She was a 12-time All-American, and part of relay teams which won two Pac-12 and two NCAA National Championships. Individually in the 400 meters, she had a second- and third-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships. And in the brief time she wasn’t racing or training, she doublemajored in psychology and sociology. Now, a few months after graduation, Okodogbe works part-time for the UO ticket office and is pondering her future. It’s a future that will probably include grad school, but what about track? “That’s so hard to say,” she said. “When track was over last season, I was ready to be done. I was tired of track. But I’m getting that itch again, so I can’t really say that book is completely closed.” She plans to return to the Bay Area and to stay involved with track while she works through grad school. But what exactly that means, she isn’t certain. It could mean reaching out to her old high school coach, Brad Stephens at Deer Valley. Or it could mean a re-commitment to training and one last push at her Olympic dream, one which would likely mean running for the Nigerian National Team. “I definitely think I could go after it,” she said. “But because I waited so long, it would be that much harder.” If that door is closed, however, she sounded legitimately cheery at the idea of helping younger sprinters. She definitely knows what her first piece of advice would be. “Looking back when I was in high school, I wanted to go to the Olympics and it was all about track. I had such a narrow focus,” she said. “(I’d tell today’s athletes) sports aren’t a given and things may not pan out the way you want to them to. Focus on school and know that you can always fall back on your degree.” ✪ — Chace Bryson

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

›››

There have been 168 unique covers between our two editions. Here are some fun facts/figures about those covers, and the 235 different kids whose faces have been depicted on the front of one of our first 100 issues.

BeFore THeY were STarS In digging through all of our old covers, we were particularly struck by our June 23, 2011 cover (issue #26) featuring a pair of Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) Club soccer players. The cover story was on the MVLA Lightning, which was ranked the No. 1 girls U-15 program in the country as of late May of that year. We chose the cover photo for the action involved, and not necessarily the players in the shot. However, the players turned out to be two of the most successful Central Coast Section athletes of the past four years. The MVLA Lightning player portrayed is Sarah Robinson, a 2014 Gunn-Palo Alto graduate who accepted a soccer scholarship to Stanford but was also the Bay Area’s top distance runner a year ago. She had the fastest time of any Bay Area girl at the CIF State Cross Country championships (17:16, 4th place in Div. 1), and she took gold in the 1600-meters and silver in the 3200-meters at the State Track and Field Championships. The other player in the photo was Marissa Hing of the MVAL Mercury Black, a 14-U team. Hing was recently named the San Jose Mercury News Girls Basketball Player of the Year after leading Pinewood-Los Atlos Hills to a 24-4 record and the CIF Open Div. semifinals (where they lost to Miramonte in OT). Hing will play hoops at UC San Diego.

VOL. 2. ISSUE 26

FREE

NORCAL REPRESENTS AT USA HOOPS TRYOUTS

PG. 14

In terms of individual athletes, the record for most SportStars covers stands at three — an honor shared by Folsom football star Jake Browning (a 2015 grad) and Salesian-Richmond basketball standout Jabari Bird (2014, right). Browning was on the Sac-Joaquin cover as a sophomore (#60), junior (#75) and senior (#89). Though he was part of three covers, Bird was never alone on any of them. He was part of cover illustrations on Bay Area issue #41, #43 and #57. There are five athletes in the Two Covers Club. The first to do it was Clayton Valley Charter girls volleyball player Camille Condit (Bay Area #7 and #26). The others have been Salesian girls basketball player Mariya Moore (BA #77 and #80), St. Francis-Sacramento girls volleyball star Gabreille Palmeri (Sac-Joaquin #52 and #60), Del Oro-Loomis footballer Tyler Meteer (SJ #74 and #78) and Amador Valley-Pleasanton softball pitcher Johanna Grauer (BA #25 as a freshman, and #84 as a senior).

PG. 13

suit up

PG. 24

It’s no secret that De La Salle-Concord football builds its offensive success around a dominant running game. Coincidentally, five different Spartan standout tailbacks have graced four different Bay Area covers: Lucas Dunne (Issue #12), Tiapepe Vitale (#38), John Velasco (#78, right) and Antoine Custer with Andrew Hernandez (#94).

IT ISN’T EASY TO WEAR THIS UNIFORM

PG. 12

SOUTH BAY’S MVLA LIGHTNING READY TO STRIKE. PG. 20

FREE

VOL. 4. ISSUE 78 BAY AREA DECEMBER 19, 2013

THe MigHTY wolveS

in a golden state of mind. PG. 6

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

PAC RIM VOLLEYBALL MAKING ITSELF KNOWN

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SUMMER GAMES COME TO UC DAVIS

running wilD

FREE

sizzling

brave attempts

It probably comes as no surprise to most that football has been the most portrayed sport on our covers. The Bay Area edition has had 19 football-related covers with a total of 33 when adding Sac-Joaquin Edition football covers. Basketball came in as a close second with 15 Bay Area hoops covers and 28 total between the two editions.

VOL. 3. ISSUE 41

ENDURE | EXCEL | ACHIEVE

super 6

king FooTBall

jake anD jaBari

JUNE 23, 2011

CALIFORNIA

ENDURE | EXCEL | ACHIEVE

BAY AREA

RACE TO STATE

CRUNCH

TIME

STARTS NOW! PG. 36

SPORTSTARS CUP ’12: LEADERS OF THE PACK. PG. 14 LINside: LOCKERROOM ZEROES IN ON NORCAL ICON. PG. 10 UNBEATABLE: MIRAMONTE NEARS RECORD FEAT. PG. 32

When the photo of San Ramon Valley-Danville boys basketball teammates Keith Smith and Christian Fuca embracing after their CIF Division I State Championship victory was chosen as the Bay Area cover for Issue #99, it marked the seventh time Wolves FREE athletes had graced our cover. That’s the most covers for any school, pushing San Ramon Valley past both De La Salle-Concord and Campolindo-Moraga. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Wolves’ seven covers is that each highlighted different sports. Thery were: ›› #5: John Hochstatter, baseball ›› #23: Marissa Neel, swimming ›› #30: Zach Kline (pictured with De La Salle and Monte Vista quarterbacks, Bart Houston and Jeff Lockie), football ›› #39: Morgan Idso, girls soccer ›› #45: Jordan Weiss, boys lacrosse ›› #90: Katherine Claybaugh, girls volleyball ›› #99: Keith Smith/Christian Fuca, boys basketball NOTE: Folsom has the most appearances on a SacJoaquin cover with five.

VOL. 6. ISSUE 99 BAY AREA APRIL 2015

InsIde:

the offIcal program of the

get drafted in first pitch. Pg. 6

VOL. 3. ISSUE 43

MARCH 29, 2012

FREE

ENDURE | EXCEL | ACHIEVE

BAY AREA

get knee-deep in prevention. Pg. 14 el cerrito is rockin' & firin'.

Pg. 24

our top wishes for baseball.

Lucky 21: De La Salle wins another

Pg. 9

Pg. 30

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

The First 100 Issues: Top 25 Teams 38

To celebrate our first 100 issues, we attempted to rank the Top 25 NorCal teams we’ve covered over the first five years of SportStars. Let us know what we got right or wrong at Facebook.com/SportStars

1. DE LA SALLE-CONCORD FOOTBALL 2014 While the Spartans have had an honor roll of talented individuals play between the white lines at Owen Owens Stadium, it’s impossible not to think of that football program and not think TEAM. There was little doubt a De La Salle football was going to top this list. The 2014 team may not have been the best Spartans team of the storied program, but it was the most dominant of the SportStars Era. The Spartans went 15-0 and were the highest-scoring team in school history, outscoring opponents 748-182 (42 of those opponents’ points came in the CIF Open Division State Bowl Championship against high-powered Centennial-Corona). It was also the most dominant rushing offense in school history, fueled by the junior tandem of Antoine Custer and Andrew Hernandez. The team finished No. 1 in the state (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 2 in the nation (StudentSports.com). FREE

DECEMBER 18, 2014

VOL. 5. ISSUE 94 BAY AREA

2. Granite Bay Girls VolleyBall 2013 — The Grizzlies weren’t just the best girls volleyball team in the SportStars Era, they have a very real argument for the best team in STATE HISTORY. The CIF Division I State Champions finished the season with a record of 45-0 — the best unbeaten record in state history by five games, passing the 2000 team of Bonita Vista-Chula Vista. Granite Bay finished the year ranked No. 1 in state (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 3 in nation (StudentSports.com) FREE

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

VOL. 4. ISSUE 72 SAC-JOAQUIN

FREE

7. archBishop Mitty Girls VolleyBall 2012 — Prior to Granite Bay’s perfect season, this Monarchs team may Anne Marie Schmidt have held the title of NorCal’s most dominant team ever. Mitty went a perfect 38-0 to win the CIF Div. II State Championship. It lost just eight sets all year, and didn’t drop a single set in the state playoffs. The Monarchs closed the year No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in national (MaxPreps.com). Volleyball - Archbishop Mitty-San Jose - Senior

SportStars™

May 2015

DECEMBER 18, 2014

VOL. 5. ISSUE 94 SAC-JOAQUIN

feMAle Athlete of the yeAr: fAll

6. Bishop o’DowD-oaklanD Boys BasketBall 2014-15 — The CIF Open Division Champions were the undisputed best team in the state with a record of 28-4 and undefeated against in-state opponents. Three of the team’s four losses were to the two teams which finished No. 1 and 2 in StudentSports.com final national rankings. The Dragons would get the No. 4 ranking.

4. st. Mary’s-stockton Girls BasketBall 2015 — Much like the De La Salle football program, there’s a huge back catalog of great teams in the history of the Rams program, but if this year’s squad that went 34-1 and won the CIF Open Division State Championship wasn’t the best, then the 2015-16 team might be. Only one senior will graduate from the roster that went a perfect 26-0 against California opponents, finished the year on a 29-game winning streak and as the No. 3 team in the nation (StudentSports.com).

3. folsoM footBall 2014 — In an exclusive article for SportStars, Cal-Hi Sports co-founder and editor Mark Tennis ranked this Bulldogs team as the second-greatest Sac-Joaquin Section football team of all-time behind the undefeated 1975 Cordova-Rancho Cordova team. Behind national record-setting QB Jake Browning, Folsom set a state record with 915 points (also a state record for season point differential, 915-166) on its way to a perfect 16-0 season that included a CIF Division I State Bowl Championship and nation’s No. 5 ranking (StudentSports.com)

Archbishop Mitty girls volleyball Brett Almazan-Cezar fondly recalls his first memory of Anne Marie Schmidt. “She was about 10, at one of our summer camps,” he said. “She had to be the brightest, most enthusiastic kids we’ve ever had there. She’d shag every ball. She’d somehow be involved with every play. “I remember thinking I just hoped she’d get a little bigger.” Schmidt didn’t. Not relatively to her classmates. She grew to 5-foot-6, by grown female standards, average. y volleyball criteria — small, short, tiny. Schmidt had heard it all before around volleyball circles. It didn’t matter. “Her enthusiasm won out,” Almazan-Cezar said. The upbeat, infectious defensive starlet led Mitty to a rather shocking 3 -0 record, a No. 2 national ranking by MaxPreps and a state-record ninth CI state title. rom her under-appreciated, unspectacular-but-vital libero position, Schmidt recorded a gaudy 570 digs with 465 serve receptions with just — get this — 23 errors. She also served at 95.5 percent with 22 aces. or it she was a unanimous selection as the West Catholic Athletic eague’s Player of the ear, the team’s only first-team All-American pick by MaxPreps and for it all is the ay Area SportStars emale all Athlete of the ear. “How cool is that ” Almazan-Cezar asked rhetorically. Schmidt, a 4.2 student who is headed to SC on a volleyball scholarship, tried to answer his uestion. “I’ve been utterly blown away by it all (the postseason awards ,” she said. “ sually the big hitter or the great setter is recognized and rightfully so. I’m extremely surprised and honored that I’ve been honored. “At the same time, I hope this definitely shows that defense makes a difference and that hard work does pay off. I’ve dedicated most of my free time to this sport and this shows that it was all worth it.” Almazan-Cezar will second that. He

SportStars™

February 1, 2013

THE SCMHIDT FILES

›› THE STATS: The court — 570 digs, 465 serve receptions, 23 errors, 95.5 service percentage, 22 aces. The classroom — 4.2 grade point average. ›› THE AWARDS: nanimous West Catholic Athletic eague Player of the ear MaxPreps first-team All-American ›› THE ATHLETIC FAMILY: Dad David played football at San Ramon alleyDanville and C Davis with Jets uarterback en O’ rien mom athy swam and ran track at California High-San Ramon sister elly played volleyball at Mitty brother John played basketball and football at Mitty. ›› FAVORITES: Actor, ince aughn Actress, Julia Roberts T show, Suits Modern amily Athletic idol, Team SA libero Nicole Davis.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

JULIA MAXWELL, JUNIOR, BRANSON-ROSS

Maxwell’s 2012 season established her as the hands-down best small school distance runner in the state. After winning the Div. NCS Championship race by 33 seconds, she won the Div. CI State Championship race by more than a minute. Her time of 17 26 on the Woodward Park course in resno was 34 seconds faster than the Div. I state champ.

ANNIE SHURTZ, SENIOR, CAMPOLINDO

Norbert von der Groeben

said Schmidt had the perfect demeanor to lead the Monarchs calm, yet cool. Her personality fit her play. She was steady and smart opposed to spectacular and sporadic. “ ery uick, very agile,” her coach said. “She let all her knowledge and reading of the court carry her and us. She was just always in the right place at the right time and she always got our offense started.” As their record indicated, the season was just about perfect. This coming off sub-par back-toback 12-loss seasons. “It was awesome,” Schmidt said of the season. “Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to end my last year playing high school volleyball. ... We just stayed in the present all season. We were always in the moment. We trusted each other and kept consistent and did our job.” ✪ — Mitch Stephens

Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

ven with the departure of highly-successful coach Scott ishop, Campolindo failed to skip a beat in 2012 as it returned to the CI Div. III final behind its all-state middle hitter. Shurtz was named the Diablo Foothill Athletic eague M P and finished the season with 500 kills, 54 blocks and 49 aces.

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

8. Jesuit-carMichael ruGBy 2013 — It’s not a CIFsanctioned sport, but SportStars covers all sports. The 2013 Marauders (18-11) weren’t just mythical national champs, they won it outright on the field in the High School Rugby National Invitational in Indiana. Jesuit erased a 29-point deficit to defeat Xavier (N.Y.) in the semifinals, avenging their only other loss of the season. Jesuit-Carmichael’s rugby team battled back from a pair of half-time deficits to claim a seventh national title By JIM McCUE | Senior Contributor

The Jesuit High rugby team does not need much motivation for games. The Marauders are a nationally-recognized power that strives each year to live up to the standards and reputation established by their predecessors in the program. At the recent High School Rugby National Invitational Tournament in Elkhart, Indiana, Jesuit got an unexpected motivation en route to the Marauders’ seventh national championship in 17 years of existence. Prior to the team’s semifinal game against No. 2 Xavier of New York, Jesuit discovered that the oldest high school rugby program in the nation was more than a little confident in its ability to defeat the Marauders. The Outlaws had downed Jesuit 41-20 in an April 1 matchup in Carmichael, so Xavier supporters reserved an entire restaurant to celebrate their team’s national championship berth. The problem was that the semifinal game to earn the national title game berth had not yet been played against Jesuit when some Jesuit parents and supporters stumbled upon the information about the Outlaws’ reservation while dining at the restaurant the night before. “At our morning stretch and walk-through, we let the boys know that there was a big party planned by Xavier to celebrate their win,” coach John Shorey said. “We didn’t play it up, but we let them know.” In the semifinal, Jesuit trailed at halftime before scoring 29 consecutive points after the intermission on their way to a convincing 39-20 victory to earn a shot at the national championship. In the final, the Marauders again trailed at halftime — this time, 13-7 to national No. 1 Gonzaga College High from Washington, D.C.— before tightening up their vaunted defense and allowing just a single three-point try by the Eagles to record a 21-16 victory and secure the national title.

SportStars™

May 23, 2013

James K. Leash

Jesuit’s Austin Gates gains separation by putting a strong move on a Dixon defender during the Northern California Invitational Rugby Tournament on May 4 in Sacramento.

“The game was top-flight and our defense was amazing,” Shorey said. “We were able to put tremendous pressure on what they wanted to do and they were unable to change their game.” Wing Devin Kelly scored a pair of tries and Jesuit’s defense, led by junior flanker Connor Rock, set the tone. The Marauders allowed just 53 points in three games (17.6 per contest) against top-level competition. “Our defense if our offense,” Shorey said. “If you don’t let teams score, then it puts more pressure on them and allows us to capitalize on mistakes teams might make if they start to panic.” Jesuit’s biggest defensive stand came in the first game at the NIT when the Marauders defended their goal line against a bigger and more physical Herriman (Utah) squad that featured five Division I football scholarship athletes. The clutch defensive effort spanned the last five minutes of the game in a narrow 18-17 win. That kind of desire and intensity has been a staple of Marauders squads under Shorey, who helped found the program in 1997 along with help of General Manager Fred Khasigian and support from then-athletic director Chris Smart. Shorey initially told Smart and Khasigian that he would coach for one year to help start the program, but the off-campus coach has

Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

not been able to step away for 17 years. In addition to the traditional desire and determination, this year’s Jesuit rugby team featured great depth and unmatched team speed. “From one through 15, this is one of the best teams that I have had in terms of talent at all positions,” The veteran coach said. “These young men have built an amazing bond where everyone is in for the team.” Shorey credits captains Matthew Ternan and Casey Reilly for the team’s bond and unselfishness. The senior pair led the Marauders and the school with integrity, according to Shorey, and built a trust and brotherhood that the coach believes will last for years. “We want kids to be able to come back to the school years later and show their kids and family the trophies and share the stories about the teams and their success,” Shorey said. “I tell them that we play to win the hardware, but we do it with class and humility. That is their legacy.” The legacy of the 2013 Jesuit rugby team will include another national championship trophy for the storied program. That, in and of itself, will be motivation for future teams to live up to the standards and traditions upheld by this year’s team. And it will likely be motivation for every opponent that faces the defending national champions in 2014.

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

5. Monte Vista-DanVille Girls soccer 2013-14 — The Mustangs became just the second East Bay team in a 20-year span to finish a season undefeated, closing the year with a 23-0-2 mark after winning the North Coast Section Division I championship. The Mustangs allowed just seven goals on the season, outscoring their 25 opponents 59-7. They were crowned mythical national champs in the final StudentSports.com rankings of the season.

9. aMaDor Valleypleasanton softBall 2014 — Make room for another national champion. The Dons were crowned mythical national champions by MaxPreps.com after closing out a perfect 27-0 season and outscoring opponents 141-25. The StudentSports.com Fab 50 put them at No. 2 in their final national rankings.

10. Jesuit soccer 2012 — Yet another national champion, the Marauders closed the year atop the MaxPreps.com national rankings after posting a 27-1-1 overall record on their way to winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title. Jesuit was undefeated against California opponents and outscored competition 120-8 on the season.

11. DE LA SALLE BOYS WRESTLING 2012 — As North Coast Section wrestling teams go, there hasn’t been a more dominant one. The Spartans scored a NCS Championship-record 318.5 points and finished 130.5 points ahead of second-place College Park. The Spartans had 12 wrestlers place, eight qualify for state and six won titles.

12. SAN RAMON VALLEY GIRLS WATER POLO 2013 — Led by top youth national player Kat Klass, who was in her junior year, the Wolves torched nearly every team that dared get in the pool with them. SRV finished the year 27-0 and outscored opponents 439-101 and scored 15 or more goals in 15 of their 27 contests.

13. BISHOP O’DOWD GIRLS BASKETBALL 2012-13 — Like the school’s boys team of 2014-15, the Dragons were unquestionably the Alpha team in the state this season. With six NCAA Division-I talents on the roster, O’Dowd went 30-3 and avenged its only loss to a California team when it beat Windward-L.A. in the the inaugural CIF Open Div. State final. They finished No. 3 in the nation (StudentSports. com).

14. ELK GROVE BASEBALL 2013 — The Thundering Herd hit .333 AS A TEAM behind two of the best talents in the state, Rowdy Tellez and future MLB first-round pick, Derrick Hill. Elk Grove won the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title and posted a 30-5 record.

15. MONTE VISTA-DANVILLE BOYS HOOPS 201314 — The Mustangs were the closest thing to an undefeated state champion as a team could be. The CIF Division I champs went 32-1 and were undefeated in regulation during the season. Their only loss, which they avenged, was OT defeat to cross-town rival San Ramon Valley.

16. DE LA SALLE FOOTBALL 2011 — Perhaps the best Spartans defense ever fueled this 13-1 season (its only loss coming in Florida against St. Thomas Aquinas in Week 2) and allowed 7 points or less in 10 games. They are the only team to win an CIF Bowl Game by shutout, defeating Westlake 35-0 in the Open Div. Bowl.

17. COLLEGE PARKPLEASANT HILL BASEBALL 2015 — It’s difficult to put a team on this list that hasn’t completed its season yet, but the the Falcons have lived up to the hype of being BaseballAmerica’s preseason No. 1. They were runners-up in the National High School Invitational and have seven Div. I college-signed players on the roster.

18. ARCHBISHOP MITTY BOYS BASKETBALL 201112 — In his junior year, Aaron Gordon led the Monarchs to a 31-3 overall record and the CIF Division II State Championship. Mitty closed the year on a 19-game winning streak to close season.

19. SALESIAN-RICHMOND BOYS BASKETBALL 201112 — Had the CIF Open Division existed in 2012, the Pride may have had as good a shot as any NorCal team to win it. Instead, Salesian won the CIF Division IV championship behind a 34-2 record.

20. CAMPOLINDO-MORAGA FOOTBALL 2014 — The Cougars went 16-0 and became just the second North Coast Section school to win a CIF State Bowl title, and the first public school to do so. They came from behind in each of their last four playoff games.

21. CAMPOLINDO GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 2010 — The Cougars went 34-3 and captured the CIF Division III State title. Campo avenged or had previous wins against all three teams which beat them that season.

22 .SHELDON-SACRAMENTO BASKETBALL 2011-12 — The third boys team on the list from this season, the Huskies went 29-6 to finish as CIF Div. I NorCal champs. Of their five losses to California teams, three were to eventual state champs (Mitty, Salesian and Mater Dei-Santa Ana)

23. CAMPOLINDO GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 2010 — The Cougars girls have notched a pair of state titles during the SportStars Era, but this team’s composite time of 91 minutes, 32 seconds is a CIF State Championships Division III Race record by 25 seconds.

24. GRANITE BAY BOYS GOLF 2013 — With all five players shooting in the 70s, the Grizzlies were the first NorCal team to win a CIF State Boys Golf title since 2006, edging Foothill-Pleasanton by two strokes.

25. ALBANY GIRLS WRESTLING, 2014 — It plays in the shadows of boys wrestling, but girls wrestling is growing and the 2014 Cougars team was the first to bring a state title back to NorCal thanks to four podium finishes, including two individual champions. ✪

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

The fully loaded benefit of developing strong arms It is no secret that strong arms are the desire of any man or woman who exercises. If you’re female, then you want great arms and appreciate them on other men and women. If you’re a male, then you want strong arms and are measuring yourself up to any other guy who looks like he lifts. There happen to be hidden secrets to having strong arms, secrets that supersede the simple benefit of vanity. As an athlete, arms are a huge factor for sprint speed, vertical jump and agility. When you think about needing to sprint as fast as you can, you must not forget to take into account the arm drive necessary to coordinate the body so that the legs can cycle fluidly. When you first take off during a sprint, and you are trying to get as much out of each leg stride, your arms create a powerful drive forward that helps propel your moment in the direction you desire. While driving your arms, the elbow needs to be cocked close to a 90-degree angle. If you try to accelerate the arm forward while keeping the elbow locked at 90 degrees, you will notice that at full exertion, the arm can possibly open up. This extended arm creates a longer level and a slower arm cycle, which translates to a longer leg cycle. This is where a strong bicep comes in. If you can maintain a solid arm position through that drive because of a strong bicep, you will have a faster arm cycle, and therefore a faster leg cycle, which translates to increased speed. This became crystal clear to me when I was training a 49ers wide receiver who normally

ran a 4.2- to 4.3-second 40-yard dash. He went to get a tattoo and rested his arm over a chair, which shut down his bicep nerve and he couldn’t flex his muscle. Until his arm recovered, he was only able to run in the 4.5- to 4.6-second range. When you look at vertical jump, you will notice a similar concept applied. Watch someone squat and load their body to accumulate momentum to jump as high in the air as possible. You will see the jumper’s arms swing back, then forward and up violently. This violent motion creates a momentum that guides the power up when exerted by the legs. This requires strong shoulders to drive the arms forward and up. Finally, strong arms are key to great agility as an athlete. We have already covered the relation to arms and sprint speed, but what about if I need to redirect and re-accelerate? Well, the arms come in huge here as well. If I am an athlete and I want to efficiently redirect my body, I have to add some sort of a turning motion to the equation. Yes, your core is a helpful aspect, but your arms provide the quick shift as a catalyst to lead the entire process. Without a strong shoulder, biceps and triceps, you would find your arms dragging behind you. This creates a dead weight the rest of your body has to compensate for and leads to diminished speed. Am I saying to go out and get Arnold Schwarzenegger-sized arms and never focus on anything else? Of course not, but don’t neglect building strength in those “huggers.” ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

training time: tim rudd for iyca

Speed training requires strength training, and both deliver the best results when the athlete provides intensity If athletes want to get faster then they must focus on intensity. Trying harder, getting stronger and getting more powerful than they are now is going to determine whether or not they will get faster. And when they’re faster, they can dominate on the field or court of play. This is a fact that I believe most coaches, parents and athletes just don’t understand. Your athletes can run with perfect form and master agility drills, but if they have no horsepower, they have no speed. Becoming stronger and more powerful will make all their speed and running skills easier to learn and execute. If an athlete gets stronger and more powerful in the weight room, he or she will have an easier time maintaining optimal acceleration angles and balance — but only through building strength and power. The skills necessary for optimizing speed such as arm drive, front side/back side mechanics, posture, core strength and multi-directional control, will all improve with more strength and power. It really is intensity that drives athletes to greater strength and power. Intensity can also improve technique due

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

to increases in the stability of joints and greater recruitment throughout the muscles that produce and resist force. The higher degree of voluntary tension throughout the muscles of the body will also reduce joint stress of sporting activities, which can often lead to a higher potential of injury. This means more time playing and less time injured. Maximizing an athlete’s strength and intensity will always result in the highest output of power and athletic ability. It’s simple: If the athletes want to maximize their power and explosiveness then they have to be able to generate the highest amount of strength in the shortest period of time. This simply is the definition of speed: how fast an athlete can produce force (strength). The bottom line is that stronger and more powerful athletes will always dominate on the field and court of play. They simply will be faster, more athletic and, most importantly, more resistant to injury. ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

get mental: erika carlson

The foundation for mental strength in sports and life starts with these three building blocks Sports have become a very important part of our youth experience. Parents often say they want their kids to participate in sports to learn life skills that will prepare them for life after sports. Let’s take a closer look at what a few of those skills are.

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

DEVELOPING PASSION Sport tests our motivation. The longer we stay engaged in a sport, the more likely we are to face some big challenges that will test how much we really love what we are doing. Strong passion and internal motivation are REQUIRED in order to get through the tough times. If your sport isn’t your passion, hard times (difficult coach, performance plateau, going through a big technical change) will reveal that. That may be the life lesson you learn: Find your passion!

2 3

CONTROLLING THINKING Ever heard your coach say, “Get out of your head!”? Competition can come with a head FULL of thoughts about what needs to be done. Athletes can have too many thoughts, racing thoughts or the dreaded LOTS of racing thoughts. Too much thinking has a direct impact on one specific body part. Any guesses on which one? Your feet. They slow down — significantly. Why? Decision-making slows down. Your ability to anticipate what’s going to happen weakens. You can’t feel what’s happening. Confidence disappears. Result? Your feet slow down and you look confused. Learning to manage your thinking is KEY to sport and life performance (think: test-taking and interviewing). There is no better testing ground for learning how you think under

EMOTIONAL CONTROL Competition can be intense, and this skill can be tough to master. Strong emotions strip away our knowledge and fine motor skills VERY quickly. Frustration, fear, excitement are all very common emotions associated with competitive athletics. While some athletes learn to build a solid foundation of confidence, others seem to constantly battle the confidence monster. Learning how to recognize your emotional reactions to stress and adversity — bad calls, making a mistake, getting frustrated with a teammate or coach — and then learning to stay in control of your emotions, is a sure-fire way to increase confidence. Again, these skills are necessities in the workplace and personal relationships. Improving in each of these areas is a great way to evaluate if you (or your child’s) sport experience is a successful one. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

SportStarsâ&#x201E;˘

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

wanna get back into the game?

Suck iT uP!

health watch: suzanne becker

It is well understood that the goal of athletic rehabilitation often is to return an athlete back to play as soon as possible. New trends and techniques have been developed in recent years to address this goal, though one “new” technique is actually quite old. Elite athletes from different sports backgrounds, including swimming, gymnastics and baseball have been reported to use myofascial decompression (MFD) during their rehabilitation program and have seen great results. MFD, often referred to as “cupping,” is a form of manual therapy and is one of the oldest known medical therapies. Today, little research exists on modern MFD in the athletic population, though a good understanding of the science behind why cupping works has led to more physical therapists and athletic trainers trying out this form of therapy. While most forms of manual therapy, like massage, work by pressing into an area of tightness or restriction, MFD uses cups to create a suction similar to a vacuum seal that pulls the skin and underlying connective tissue.

For example, after shoulder surgery the arm is immobilized in a sling for up to six weeks, causing tightness in the surrounding musculature. For treatment after this surgery, MFD can improve muscle and scar mobility by increasing blood flow to the area, flush residual waste from tissue fibers that may build up and cause pain, and free any areas that feel “stuck” for increased movement. This treatment often takes less time than traditional soft tissue massage and results are often seen immediately after use. MFD should be considered during physical therapy in combination with other treatments to improve range of motion, decrease pain and aid in a more efficient return to sports. ✪ Suzanne Becker is a physical therapist at the Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Student Physical Therapist, Alexis Standfield of Samuel Merritt University, also contributed to this column.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

THe

Swingin’

PaTS With one of the East Bay’s most feared offenses, the Heritage Patriots may have the firepower to reach their first NCS softball final

Of the many eye-catching facts about the 2015 Heritage softball team, it’s difficult to determine what dilates the pupil most. For instance, this: Of the 15 players through 17 games (15 wins), 11 are hitting at least .400, led by the team’s only senior Kim Trice (.531). “We can really hit, no question about that,” head coach Ron Rivers said. “We’re getting much better on the pitching and defensive end, but we can really hit.” Or, perhaps this: Of the 15, according to Rivers, 12 can hit it over the fence. That was shown right off the bat, no pun intended, in the season-opener on a game-winning seventh-inning homer by No. 7 hitter and catcher Alyssa Kirk. “That sort of set the tone,” Rivers said. “About a month later our No. 6 hitter (Anyssia Ramirez) blasted a walk-off grand slam to beat Alhambra.” Then there’s this: Six of the starting nine has at least 10 RBIs and six have at least 20 hits. The Patriots are hitting a crazy .418 as a team, averaging 8.3 runs per game, and of its 191 hits, 22 have gone for doubles, seven for triples and 10 for home runs. They’ve also stolen 43 bases in 44 attempts. “We can really hit up and down he lineup,” Rivers said. “And we have some very athletic girls.” Said Antioch coach Nick Wisely after his team was defeated 16-0 on April 23. “We weren’t giving them any hard stuff either. They generated all their power themselves.” In his eighth season, Rivers, a former NFL running back, said this is likely his most athletic and best hitting team, and he’s had some good ones. After winning a North Coast Section title under Antioch Hall of Fame coach John Rebstock in the program’s first season in 2007, Rivers took over and Heritage has made the NCS tournament all but one season since. It’s not made the finals.

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

“We got to the show and made some noise but not won the big one,” Rivers said. “This team is definitely capable but we’ll have to earn it. That’s been our motto all year. ‘If you want it, you have to earn it.’ “ They’re only nemesis so far this season is Livermore, which handed the Patriots both their losses — 10-7 early in the Queen of the Mountain Tournament and 5-3 in the finals of the Livermore Stampede Tournament. In the first Livermore loss, Heritage committed 10 errors. It was a turning point. “We definitely melted down,” Rivers said. “But we learned from it. We let it go. We just went back to work.” Rivers believes his team might be the only one in NCS to watch game film, like a football squad. Combine that with a team-first approach — “these girls want to leave something behind as a group, not just individuals,” he said — and a strong camaraderie, and all signs point to a strong finish. And future. Hey, how about another eye-popping number: The most remarkable fact about the Patriots may be that of the 15, 11 are either freshmen or sophomores. “We’re definitely getting good kids coming in here to play,” Rivers said. “The future looks bright.” As does the immediate future. Here are the team’s starters with comments from Rivers. Catcher: Kirk (sophomore) — Not only is she hitting .465 with 20 hits, five doubles and two home runs, but no one has stolen a base against her in four league games. First base: Trice (senior) — The reigning Bay Valley Athletic League MVP is on her way to repeat, also leading the team in hits (26), RBI (24) and home runs (three). Signed to Tennessee State, Trice is “a great captain.” Second base: Tamia Lee (junior) — “The No. 2 hitter is batting .412 with 21 hits and 16 runs, Lee “is a good and smart hitter. She always has a plan.” Lee is a third-year starter.

Records are through April 25 1. (1)

—

Pioneer-San Jose

21-0

2. (2)

—

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

18-3

3. (5)

▲

East Union-Manteca

21-2

4. (7)

▲

Heritage-Brentwood

15-2

5. (8)

▲

Alhambra-Martinez

13-3

6. (4)

▼

Pioneer-Woodland

20-2

7. (10)

▲

Woodcreek-Roseville

19-1-1

8. (11)

▲

Elk Grove

19-2

9. (12)

▲

Castro Valley

15-4

10. (6)

▼

Livermore

11-5

11. (3)

▼

James Logan-Union City

14-1-1

12. (14) ▲

Benicia

20-4

13. (15) ▲

Notre Dame-Salinas

18-4

14. (16) ▲

San Benito-Hollister

15-5

15. (17) ▲

Carlmont-Belmont

16-4

16. (18) ▲

Foothill-Pleasanton

13-3

17. (19) ▲

Amador Valley-Pleasanton

13-3

18. (20) ▲

River City-West Sacramento

17-3

19. (NR) ▲

Sheldon-Sacramento

16-6

20. (NR) ▲

Redwood-Larkspur

17-0

DROPPED OUT: No. 9 Ponderosa-Shingle Springs and No. 13 Mt. Pleasant-San Jose BIGGEST MOVERS: Unfortunately, the only big movers this week went downward. Ponderosa and Mt. Pleasant both exited previous No. 3 James Logan dropped eight spots after falling to Mission Valley Athletic League-rival Newark Memorial in extra innings. East Union returns back to the No. 3 spot after four weeks of undefeated softball while Heritage and Alhambra both move up three spots to round out the Top 5. TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 12

Maddy Silay Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

Shortstop: Maddy Silay (junior) — The leadoff hitter is batting .449 with 22 hits and a team-best 17 runs, Silay “might be our most versatile player. ... besides pitcher and catcher, she has played every position.” She’s also a three-year starter. Third base: Riley Ehlen (freshman) — Hitting .396 with 21 hits, 14 runs and three doubles, Ehlen has also stolen five bases in five attempts. “Her future is limitless.” Left field: Ramirez (sophomore) — Sister of former Heritage standout Ali Ramirez (now at Eastern Carolina), Anyssia is hitting .449 with 22 hits, 20 RBI and seven extra-base hits. “She can obviously really hit, but she’s been awesome in the outfield as well.” Center field: Kylee Barrios (junior) — The fastest player on the team, “she can flat out get to any ball, plus she has a fantastic arm. She controls the outfield.” She’s hitting .333. Right field: Cameron Zamora (sophomore) — In her first season as a starter, Zamora is hitting .400 with 14 hits in 35 at-bats. Designated hitter: Katherine Hall (sophomore) — Despite standing just 5-foot-3, Hall “hits the crud out of the ball.” She’s hitting .339 with 19 hits, 10 RBIs and two doubles. The benefactors of all that hitting are sophomore pitchers Marissa Espinoza (10-2, 2.26 ERA) and Morgan Billeci (4-0, 3.57). Hall is the team’s third pitcher. Espinoza, a right-hander, throws close to 60 mph but relies on a good mixture of pitches. She’s struck out 47 in 65 innings and walked just 13. Opponents are hitting just .179 against her and .203 versus Billeci. Both pitched last season as freshmen. “They’re athletic enough to play other positions, but right now we just need them to pitch,” Rivers said. Whatever is needed, this team has delivered, Rivers said. Their offensive attack is displayed beyond swinging the bats. The day after the lopsided win over Antioch, captains sent a group text to get ready for the Patriots’ following game at Freedom. “The message went out on a Friday,” Rivers said. “The Freedom game was Tuesday. They weren’t getting mentally prepared the day before or day of the game. They started locking in five days ahead. As a coach, you have to love that. I didn’t have to say a word.” ✪ — SportStars Staff

SportStars™

May 2015

Tamia Lee

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Howling S Behind a red-hot lineup and a late-blooming ace, the San Ramon Valley Wolves pick up where they left off in 2014

Records through April 25 1. (1)

—

College Park-Pleasant Hill

13-3

2. (7)

▲

Valley Christian-San Jose

18-5

3. (5)

▲

Serra-San Mateo

14-7

4. (2)

▼

San Ramon Valley-Danville

13-3

5. (6)

▲

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

17-6

6. (4)

▼

St. Francis-Mountain View

17-5

7. (3)

▼

Los Gatos

21-2

8. (10)

▲

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

22-2

9. (11)

▲

Jesuit-Carmichael

17-5

10. (8)

▼

De La Salle-Concord

9-6

11. (13) ▲

Franklin-Elk Grove

18-4

12. (12) —

Bellarmine-San Jose

15-7

13. (18) ▲

Livermore

12-4

14. (19) ▲

Vintage-Napa

19-3

15. (14) ▼

Elk Grove

13-8

16. (NR) ▲

Foothill-Pleasanton

11-5

17. (NR) ▲

Lincoln-Stockton

20-4

18. (17) ▼

San Benito-Hollister

19-4

19. (15) ▼

Redwood-Larkspur

15-2

Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa

13-5

20. (9)

▼

In the movie, “Bull Durham,” Tim Robbins’ iconic character Nuke LaLoosh found himself in a situation in which he really wanted to throw a fastball against the advice of his catcher, played deftly by Kevin Costner. His reasoning? “I want to announce my presence with authority.” It didn’t go well for LaLoosh. Perhaps he could’ve learned a few things from the 2015 San Ramon Valley High baseball team. The Wolves announced their presence back on March 13 in a showcase game victory over Baseball America’s National Preseason No. 1-ranked College Park-Pleasant HIll at Banner Island Park in Stockton. Senior pitcher Joey Matulovich provided the authority. Matulovich carved up the vaunted Falcons lineup, allowing just one hit and striking out 12 in a complete-game shutout. The win demanded Matulovich become a pitcher to keep an eye on, and that the Wolves had more then enough talent to defend their 2014

North Coast Section Division I championship. “I’m excited. It’s a good group,” San Ramon Valley coach Chris de Clercq said on April 27 as the Wolves held a 13-3 record and were one game out of first place in the super-competitive East Bay Athletic League. “They work hard every day and do what we ask them to do. They also understand their strengths and try to bring those out when we play our games. ... We felt we were gonna be pretty good. As good if not better than last year.” There was going to be a good amount of position talent returning in 2015, but pitching was going to be a question mark. The Wolves had a trio of senior pitchers work 144 of a total of 186 innings a year ago. That veteran depth meant Matulovich had just six innings of work as a junior. With the prospect of earning a rotation spot as a senior, Matulovich mapped out a plan. “He looked at his upcoming season as 12 or 13 starts, and figured ‘I only get 13 chances to play, and I’m going to do what I

DROPPED OUT: No. 16 California-San Ramon and No. 20 Monte Vista-Danville BIGGEST MOVER: Valley Christian-San Jose jumped five spots to become our new No. 2 this week after a 3-0 week in the West Catholic Athletic League included wins over previous No. 5 Serra and No. 12 Bellarmine. Serra actually moved up from No. 5 to No. 3 after its WCAL wins over previous No. 4 St. Francis and previous No. 6 Archbishop Mitty. Livermore, which few would’ve guessed would be at the top of the East Bay Athletic League at the end of April, jumped five spots to No. 13 this week. TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 12

SportStars™

May 2015

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

SucceSS can to make the most of each of those chances,’” de Clercq said. “He told me that a few months ago and it’s been really cool to see him follow through on it. Matulovich followed his one-hit shutout of College Park with a March 21 no-hitter against Palo Alto (which included 11 strikeouts), and an April 3 no-hitter against Amador Valley-Pleasanton (14 strikeouts). For the season, he has a 6-1 record with a 1.37 ERA and 71 strikeouts in just 46 innings of work. But while Matulovich has grabbed on-lookers’ attention with his pitching success, its keeping a very good offensive team in the shadows. San Ramon Valley is hitting an impressive .341 as a team with four regular starters batting over .400 through April 27, and another hovering just over .350. Senior Ray Soderman — another player who re-committed himself in the offseason and grabbed th starting catching job after never having played the position at any previous level — is leading the Wolves with a .462 average and 16 RBI. “He’s made himself into a catcher, and that’s probably one of the hardest things for someone to do,” de Clercq said Soderman. “He’s been such a nice surprise. Offensively, he’s really carrying us.” Other offensive standouts for the team include senior outfielders Connor Doyle (.451 and a team-best 23 hits) and Greg Lowe (.419 with 12 RBI), along with senior shortstop Nick Poirer (.346 with 13 RBI) and junior third baseman Nick Moroney (.357 with 13 runs scored). Poirer and Moroney are in their third straight year of sharing the left side of the infield together. They are the cornerstones of a starting defense that includes four three-year starters.

Joey Matulovich

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Phillip Walton photos

May 2015

SportStars™

Nick Moroney

SportStars™

May 2015

“Part of the reason we felt so good about this team was its experience,” de Clercq said. “We knew we were getting four guys back who had about 150 varsity starts between them.” San Ramon Valley will begin the second half of EBAL on May 1. The Wolves were tied for second through April 27, one game back of Livermore. “Our goal every year is to simply to win that league,” the Wolves coach said. “There’s so much talk about NCS, but we play in one of the toughest leagues around. And if you can win that, it says volumes about the team you have.” San Ramon Valley took a big step toward that on April 25

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

when it defeated De La Salle and ace Justin Hooper 2-1 in Danville. According to de Clercq, it as the closest thing to a complete game the Wolves had played so far this season. However, for San Ramon Valley to get back to the NCS Div. I final and defend that banner, de Clercq said the biggest factor will be the development of pitchers not named Matulovich. “I think that we have to continue to evolve on the mound,” the coach said. “You’re not going to win NCS with one guy. That’s been proven over and over again. ... If we work on that and stay humble, I think we’re on the right track. ✪ — Chace Bryson

❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒

A G: Guidance For Your Football Future ............................................................................45 Acalanes Football Dons Camp..........................................................................................57 Aspire Summer Core Intensive For Athletes .....................................................................35 Bay Area Festivals Inc. Kidfest Field Of Dreams ................................................................26 Bentley School Lafayette .................................................................................................22 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada ............................................................................2 Bigfoot Hoops ...................................................................................................................5 Bike The Bridges: Special Olympics Northern California ...................................................25 Blankenship Baseball ......................................................................................................46 Burger Rehab ..................................................................................................................53 Cal Athletic Camps...........................................................................................................57 California Football Academy............................................................................................53 Campolindo High School Cougar Camp ...........................................................................47 Capitol City Driving School ..............................................................................................47 Championship Athletic Fundraising ................................................................................50 Cheergyms.Com ..............................................................................................................33 Club Sport .......................................................................................................................60 Community Youth Center ................................................................................................56 Concord Police Association Stars & Stripes 5K Run & Walk ...............................................54 Core Performance ......................................................................................................46, 47 Core Volleyball Club .........................................................................................................47 De La Salle High School Football Coaches Clinic...............................................................57 De La Salle High School Music Camp ...............................................................................57 Delta Fencing Center .......................................................................................................54 Diablo Futbol Club ...........................................................................................................40 Diablo Trophies & Awards ................................................................................................54 Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union...................................................................................24 East Bay Parks .................................................................................................................57 East Bay Sports Academy ................................................................................................17 Excellence In Sport Performance .....................................................................................37 Halo Headband ...............................................................................................................57 Hilton Concord.................................................................................................................45 Jumbo Sunflower Seeds ..................................................................................................39 Kneed-A- Brace ...............................................................................................................39 Las Lomas High School ....................................................................................................45 Lone Tree Golf Course ......................................................................................................48 Moreau Catholic High School............................................................................... 44, 45, 46 Mountain Mike’s Pizza .....................................................................................................55 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists ...........................................................................................42 National Academy Of Athletics ........................................................................................31 Northgate High School ....................................................................................................24 Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division..............................................................28 Placer Valley Tourism Board .......................................................................................20, 21 Renaissance Club Sport ...................................................................................................12 Rugby Nor Cal..................................................................................................................25 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School.............................................................................15 San Ramon Golf Club.......................................................................................................27 San Ramon Slammers Baseball .......................................................................................44 Santa Clara Aquamaids ...................................................................................................59 Sherman Swim School ....................................................................................................37 Shirt Girlz ........................................................................................................................57 Soccer Pro........................................................................................................................34 Sports Gallery Authenticated ..........................................................................................44 St. Francis High School ....................................................................................................24 State Farm Lisa Truesdell Agent .......................................................................................48 Stevens Creek Toyota .......................................................................................................`3 Sutter Urgent Care.............................................................................................................3 The Range Football Training ............................................................................................46 Tompkins Tennis Int’l .......................................................................................................54 Tpc / The Pitching Center .................................................................................................29 Tricityeliteallstars.Com ....................................................................................................52 U C Davis Health System ..................................................................................................13 U C S F Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland......................................................................43 U S Sports Mike Allen Sports Camps ................................................................................45 United States Youth Volleyball League ............................................................................23 Walnut Creek Soccer Club ................................................................................................16 West Coast Training Center ..............................................................................................48 Win Anyway & All For Kids ..............................................................................................44 Wingstop Restaurants .....................................................................................................51

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

May 2015

SportStars™

Photo finish

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at editor@SportStarsOnline.com. Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format. Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information. 58

SportStarsâ&#x201E;˘

May 2015

Chizoba Okodogbe could always soar and she helped get SportStars off to a flying start by gracing the cover of our inaugural issue.

Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Photo by Jonathon Hawthorne Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!