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Lean Into the Fall

W

e’ve already reached November, which means two things: 1) We all have friends and family who are already Christmas shopping (this annoys us), and 2) We’ve reached our first championship season. It’s true. The next six weeks should be quite eventful, taking us right up to the California Interscholastic Federation State Football Bowl Championship games on Dec. 19-20. As is our tradition here, we wanted to highlight a few of the story lines we’ll be keeping an eye on during fall championship season. So here goes. ›› It could be a really good month for girls cross country. Maybe we haven’t had the big feature on cross country yet, but we’re not ignoring it. For instance, we know that the Campolindo-Moraga girls team is currently ranked No. 3 in the state through Oct. 20 results. The Cougars look every bit prepared to defend their CIF Div. III state championship. But the girls running landscape is a lot more than just Campo. In fact, DyeStatCal.com has six Bay Area girls inside the top 15 of its state individual rankings. Chloe Hansel (Las Lomas-Walnut Creek), Megan McCandless (Granada-Livermore), Gillian Meeks (Gunn-Palo Alto), Brooke Starn (Monte VistaDanville) and Brighie Leach (Campolindo) are all state medalist threats inside their own divisions. Oh, NorCal also owns No. 2 in the DyeStatCal rankings with Davis’ Fiona O’Keeffe. ›› Albany’s Allison Chuang has a chance to make a run at North Coast Section girls tennis history. The two-time defending NCS singles champion will have a chance to beome just the second girl to win three consecutive singles crowns. Karen Laurer of Berkeley High was the last and only girls tennis player to accomplish the feat, winning from 1986-88. ›› Can a girls golfer — perhaps Palo Alto’s Michelle Xie or Justin-Siena-Napa’s Kathleen Scavo — break the NorCal drought of CIF individual state champs? The last top medalist from NorCal was Alameda’s Grace Na in 2010. We think it’s time for a change. ›› Can anyone stop Archbishop Mitty-San Jose girls volleyball from winning a third CIF state title in four years? The Monarchs have appeared practically unbeatable on their climb to the No. 2 in the MaxPreps.com national rankings. Those reading the Bay Area edition right now can turn or click to page 20 and learn about what’s made Mitty such a dominant team this year and a special program over the past few decades. ›› Also, there’s plenty more NorCal volleyball teams looking as though they could be legit title threats.

Those include Pitman-Turlock (a story you can read about on Page 14 if you’re currently within the Sac-Joaquin edition), Campolindo-Moraga, Monte Vista-Daville, San Ramon Valley-Danville, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland and Branson-Ross. ›› San Ramon Valley-Danville girls water polo and Kat Klass, right, has a winning streak that’s exceeded 50 games now. Can they win their fourth straight NCS Div. I crown? If they don’t, that’ll be big news. ›› Oh yeah, there’s football too. Plenty of stories to follow there. Is there anyone in the SacJoaquin Section that could upset Folsom? Grant-Sacramento, perhaps? Can McClymonds-Oakland still challenge for a CIF Bowl berth now that star quarterback Kevin Davidson has been declared ineligible? Will any team come out of the West Catholic Athletic League with enough stamina left to compete for the CCS Open title and CIF Northern Regional bowl bid?

That’s a lot to keep tabs on. Just be glad we’re happy to do it for you. We’re also going to slip in a 2014-15 Basketball Preview into November too. So, just watch us for the changes and try to keep up. ✪

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 • dwissner@wordeventssports.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

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

Christian

silva

TENNYSON-HAYWARD - FOOTBALL - JUNIOR Silva is the 6-foot, 168-pound do-it-all quarterback for a Lancers team which is not shy on putting up points. And it was never more obvious than Oct. 17 when Tennyson outlasted Castro Valley 85-77 in a record-breaking overtime shootout. In that game, Silva completed 15 of 19 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns, and ran the ball 18 times for 260 yards and three more scores. He’s led come-from-behind efforts in three of the Lancers (5-2-1) last four games.

He brought Tennyson back from a 42-21 deficit against Mt. Eden-Hayward to force a tie, led them to a game-winning field goal in a 33-31 win over Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland and erased a 20-13 deficit in a 26-20 win over Encinal-Alameda. On the season he’s thrown for 1,587 yards and 20 TDs, and rushed 84 times for 989 yards and eight TDs. IN HIS COACH’S WORDS: “He’s absolutely killing it right now,” Tennyson coach Terry Smith said of Silva. “He’s one of the best (quarterbacks) in the Bay.”

honorable mention MILES HARRISON: The Clayton Valley Charter senior rushed for 337 yards and 5 TDs while also adding a kick return TD in the Eagles 48-40 win over Concord on Oct. 24.

BRIANNA KARSSEBOOM: The senior led Bishop O’Dowd volleyball to a thrilling five-set win over Presentation-San Jose on Oct. 14. She had 14 kills, 24 digs and five blocks.

KATHLEEN SCAVO: The JustinSiena-Napa senior golfer shot a blistering 1-under 70 to win the NCS Div. II Championship Tournament at Blue Rock Springs GC (West) on Oct. 27.

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Rapid FiRe

MICHAEL VIANO Alhambra-Martinez Cross Country

MEGAN MCBROOME Rocklin Volleyball

FavoRite on-campus snack peanuts

Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot Taylor Swift’s eight-second song of annoying static went to No. 1 on iTunes. Annoying static hitting the top of the charts is called the Full Bieber.

Walmart was selling costumes under the unfortunately titled ‘Fat Girl Costumes’. Walmart: Come For The Low Prices, Stay For The Low Blows.

Baked hot cheetos

FavoRite thanksgiving dinneR item turkey & mashed mashed potatoes potatoes new movie you’Re most excited to see

unbroken

hunger games: mockingjay, part i

Best name FoR a pet token

The NBA season is about to tipoff. America celebrates by not caring until football season is over.

Oh, that wacky Ukraine. A man legally changed his name to Darth Vader and is running for parliament, but was denied a chance to vote when he wouldn’t take off his helmet to be identified (we assume he wouldn’t give Donald Trump his birth certificate either).

ginger (my dog’s name)

top item on youR chRistmas wish-list hunting & fishing, running gear

new puppy & green Bay pakcers shirt

A teaser trailer for Batman v Superman is to be attached to the IMAX version of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. That’s a lot of money to buy an IMAX ticket and leave before The Hobbit.

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top 5 Reasons we’Re saying ’meh’ to college FootBall

162

count ’em The number of combined points in Tennyson’s 85-77 football victory over Castro Valley on Oct. 17. The shootout set multiple NCS records, including the combined point total and the most points scored in a loss (77). Both numbers rank No. 2 in state history behind a 2012 game in which Porterville beat Tulare 86-79.

More crazy numbers to consume from Tennyson’s win: 1,462 combined total yards and 23 touchdowns.

Stanford is scuffling. Cal is, well, Cal. The Pac 12 is in total disarray (except for, sigh, Oregon). I mean, UTAH looks like it might be the best team in the Pac 12 South, for Utes’ sake. And San Jose State just got keelhauled by Navy. It’s an undeniably disappointing season in college football, as far as we’re concerned. So of COURSE the first set of rankings under the new playoff format comes out this week. Yawn. Wake us when March Madness starts. Here are the top five reasons we’re taking a sabbatical from the remainder of the college football season.

1. HOOLIGANS. How many more Florida State players have to get arraigned before they have to start playing both ways? Two? Three? Is James Caan just wearing a Jimbo Fisher mask on the sidelines?

2. SHENANIGANS. Our criticism of the ‘Noles notwithstanding, how does FSU drop from No. 1 in the AP Poll to No. 2 despite winning every game it’s played this year (after winning every game it played LAST year, too)? The SEC, that’s how. Mississippi State, which has been relevant in football exactly not at all for the past decade, is somehow the No. 1 team in the country. Because the SEC has to have the No. 1 team in the country. Because they said so. Because because. Here’s guessing that at least three of the four teams invited to the playoff come from the SEC. We just threw up in our mouth a little.

3. THE SABANS. Speaking of the SEC, did you see where the Alabama boosters just paid off Nick Saban’s $3.1 million house? And everybody thinks that’s just hunky-dory?

Um. Reggie Bush is on the phone. He wants his Heisman back.

4. THE FIGHTING CHAD PENNINGTONS. How come We Are Marshall is ranked No. 23? The Herd is 8-0 — one of just three undefeated teams in the country right now.

The other two are ranked Nos. 1 and 2. Marshall, on the other hand, is ranked behind FOUR two-loss teams. Seems legit.

5. THE FIGHTING STEVE SARKISIANS. After last week’s last-minute loss to the Utes, USC just dropped out of the rankings. Snurk. Okay. Actually that one we like.

— Bill ‘the fix is in’ Kolb

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say what?

“We have 10 seniors on the team and we’ve been working so hard in practice.

It’s unbelievable and everyone’s crying.

We’re so excited because we know we did it as a team.”

Monte Vista-Danville volleyball player Hailey Lindberg after the Mustangs defeated cross-town rival San Ramon Valley in five sets on Oct. 14. It was Monte Vista’s first EBAL win over the Wolves in more than five years, and it put the Mustangs in the driver’s seat to win their first EBAL title since 1996.

The two teams meet again Nov. 6.

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Lovin’ it

AT LevI’s

First high school football event at Levi’s Stadium; 5 suggested matchups It wasn’t the Friday night lights of the Corral at Oakdale High, but for senior fullback Frankie Trent the Saturday afternoon sunshine he felt on Oct. 11 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will warm him up until he’s an old man.

Trent scored a whopping six touchdowns to lead Oakdale past Manteca 42-21 in a matchup of Valley Oak League rivals that was moved to the new NFL home of the San Francisco 49ers when Manteca’s August game against WilcoxSanta Clara had to be postponed due to turf conditions at the stadium.

“All week long it never hit me that we were playing here, but when we first walked on the field I got so excited and so pumped up,” Trent said. “After the first snap is when it started to feel a little like a real game.”

Although it was a tough afternoon for Manteca, its players sopped up the experience like a hungry dog lapping up tuna juice.

“The whole experience was just great,” said Luis Reyes of the Buffaloes, who scored twice on long plays. “Just unbelievable to see yourself on that screen. It just would have been much better if we won.”

The first Friday game in the event — which was dubbed Friday Night Lights — produced a tie in the state record book.

It happened in the category for most interceptions by one team after Wilcox-Santa Clara collected nine of them in its 67-20 win over Santa Clara.

The other games during the weekend were between JesuitCarmichael and Elk Grove (Jesuit won 41-38 in Friday’s second game) and De La Salle-Concord and James Logan-Union City (DLS won 51-7 in Saturday’s second game).

In talking to at least one 49er official on Saturday, the concept of bringing in local high school teams to experience the thrill of playing at Levi’s was from the team’s Chief Executive Officer Jed York himself.

Judging from the crowds — 11,115 on Friday and 8,906 on Saturday — and the reaction of the players, it’s an event that certainly could be called a success.

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Phillip Walton

Manteca quarterback Jakarai Charles launches a pass during the Buffaloes Levi’s Stadium game against Oakdale.

It doesn’t seem like the 49ers, however, are interested in building the Friday Night Lights event into something bigger. It’s more about giving back to the local communities and letting as many local schools, their players and their fans get the experience of playing and being inside the stadium.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions we have for

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possible future matchups in the Friday Night Lights series.

These are done with 49ers history in mind and with the condition that the games will be scheduled earlier in the season and would not be league games like they were this year due to the earlier cancellation from Aug. 30.

1. PALO ALTO VS. PITMAN-TURLOCK This would be a competitive matchup and would involve the alma maters of head coach Jim Harbaugh (Palo Alto) and current star quarterback Colin Kaepernick (Pitman).

2. WASHINGTON-FREMONT VS. HAYWARD This matchup could be dubbed the Bill Walsh Bowl similar to San Jose State vs. Stanford. Walsh is a graduate of Hayward High and later began his legendary career as the head coach at Washington.

3. VALLEY CHRISTIAN-SAN JOSE VS. PITTSBURG Valley Christian has tons of 49er connections, and may have more than any other school. Three straight head coaches — Steve Mariucci, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary — all had sons who played there. Former 49er QB Trent Dilfer has a daughter, Maddie, who led VC to a state title in volleyball last year. (Maddie’s younger sister Tori is now a sophomore captain for the Warriors.) And there also are former 49ers who’ve been coaches there, including current offensive line coach Ron Stone.

Pittsburg is the home of the late John Henry Johnson, who is the greatest 49er (so far) from a Northern California high school.

Johnson is an NFL Hall of Famer who still ranks as one of the top running backs to ever play for two teams — the 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

4. PALMA-SALINAS VS. EDISON-FRESNO They’ve got to get Edison-Fresno into this deal somehow since the Tigers are where 49er Super Bowl winners Tim McDonald, Charles Young and Greg Boyd all went to high school.

Palma is the alma mater of 49er Super Bowl-winner Chris Dalman, who is now Palma’s dean of students. His son, Drew, also is a promising 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore lineman.

5. ROCKLIN VS. ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW Rocklin is where the 49ers held their training camp for many years before Rocklin High even existed. St. Francis has been where the sons of several former 49er players (such as Ronnie Lott) have played in the past. ✪

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California football rankings

Foothill-Pleasanton’s Isaiah Floyd Previous ranking in parentheses; through Saturday, Oct. 25 1. (1) — St. John Bosco-Bellflower 6-1 If you don’t know by now, the Braves will remain No. 1 in the state until they lose to an in-state opponent.

2. (2) — De La Salle-Concord 8-0 St. John Bosco has almost lost three times in its league but still remains unbeaten, so the Spartans stay in the No. 2 position.

3. (4) ▲ Folsom 8-0 After Mater Dei lost to JSerra Catholic, it was time to move the Bulldogs to third in the state. One computer ranking has them ahead of DLS, but that may not hold.

4. (8) ▲ JSerra-San Juan Capistrano 7-1 Lions’ 17-10 win over Mater Dei was school’s first-ever over vs.

Monarchs after 8 tries.

5. (3) ▼ Mater Dei-Santa Ana 6-2 Have losses to JSerra and St. John Bosco, but own head-to-head win over Centennial.

Servite’s Travis Waller 13. (15) ▲ Westlake-Westlake Village 6-2 Senior kicker Kevin Robledo recently made 40th field goal to become state’s No. 1 on career list.

14. (17) ▲ Bishop Amat-La Puente 5-3 Two of the three losses were to higher-ranked teams, and Lancers have been red-hot.

15. (18) ▲ Serra-Gardnea 6-2 Hungry defense turned loose in 38-21 over Alemany as Cavs eye Mission League title.

16. (7) ▼ Servite-Anaheim 4-4 22-17 setback to Santa Margarita came with a hobbled Travis Waller (Oregon commit) at QB. 17. (14) ▼ Lutheran-Orange 4-4 Like Servite, all losses to higher-ranked teams, some very close.

18. (20) ▲ Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks 6-2 Having win over San Mateo Serra still paying off for the Knights.

6. (5) ▼ Centennial-Corona 5-2 Despite winning, the Huskies had to drop a spot to stay behind Mater Dei.

19. (21) ▲ Serra-San Mateo 5-2 Close call between Padres, Milpitas for No. 1 in CCS, No. 2 in Bay Area.

7. (6) ▲ Oceanside 8-0 Pirates beat Carlsbad 28-14 on a night they honored greatest alum – the late Junior Seau.

20. (22) ▲ Milpitas 8-0 Trojans can have best season in school history by a wide margin.

8. (8) — Long Beach Poly 7-1 As CIFSS teams in the Trinity and Mission Leagues beat each other up, Poly is cruising in Moore League.

9. (11) ▲ Santa Margarita-Rancho Snta Mrgrita 6-2 Eagles move up after beating then-No. 7 Servite 22-17; only losses are to Bishop Gorman (NV.) and JSerra 10. (10) — Grant-Sacramento 8-0 Pacers have four effective RBs and use them behind o-line with three 300-pounders.

11. (13) ▲ Crespi-Encino 7-1 Using the veer offense, it might be the hottest team in SoCal. 12. (12) — Bakersfield 7-1 Coach Paul Golla recently won 100th game and team is sharper with Lameshio Hill moving to QB.

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21. (16) ▼ Foothill-Pleasanton Solid effort in 56-21 loss to De La Salle puts Falcons behind Milpitas but in front of Cathedral Catholic.

7-1

22. (23) ▲ Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 8-1 The Dons’ only loss is 55-10 to Folsom, have 9-7 win over Helix.

23. (19) ▼ Alemany-Mission Hills Warriors’ final two opponents for regular season are ranked higher (Notre Dame & Crespi).

6-2

24. (25) ▲ Helix-La Mesa 7-1 Best wins for Highlanders: Del Oro-Loomis, St. Bonaventure-Ventura 25. (NR) ▲ Upland 6-2 Former No. 24 Rocklin lost to Folsom which opened door for the CIFSS West Valley leaders.

DROPPED OUT: Previous No. 24 Rocklin

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Great Game, Little Attention Why don’t water polo players get more respect? It’s a really hard sport; it’s got tactics, and there’s plenty of action. But other sports get more coverage, and it seems like water polo is something no one cares about but the players and coaches.

A.N., Orinda

verything you say is true (even if this magazine DID have a water polo cover story just last month), but the biggest difficulty is that a lot of the action takes place under water where no one can see it. (There is a reason, after all, that water polo players wear two swimsuits. The risk of embarrassment is way too high to wear just one, what with all the clutching and grabbing going on beneath the surface.)

Another issue is the rules. The players swim up and down, and the ref blows his whistle for no apparent reason and the ball goes over to the other team. And then suddenly a player gets sent to the side, again for no apparent reason, and one team plays with a man advantage.

OK, OK, anyone who knows the sport knows what’s going on, but for the uninitiated, it’s confusing — and those are just the people you’re talking about.

Still, there’s a lot even a newbie can appreciate: The strength and skill of the hole set, the agility of the goalie, the

E

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stamina of the players as they relentlessly swim up and down.

And when two good teams go at it, the energy from the fans close to the pool is exhilarating.

But I still think it’s going to be a long road before water polo is a big-time sport in America. For one thing, it’s not a good TV game — again, because so much of the action happens underwater. On top of that, only a small percentage of Division I colleges offer the sport — 22 men’s Division I teams and 33 women’s teams — which means that there’s less

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interest at that level. (The scholarship count is low too: Eight for each women’s team, and 4.5 for each men’s team.)

All of that said, how much does the outside attention really matter? High school sports are valuable not because of newspaper stories or scholarship offers or the number of students who watch from the pool deck, but rather for what the process of playing at a competitive level teaches those who compete. It’s about the experience, not the respect of outsiders who don’t know the rules or appreciate the difficulty of water polo.

If you love to play, if you love to compete, and you’re excited about your high school water polo career, you should be thankful you have the opportunity to play. (In fact, so should every high school athlete.) The coaches, the swimming pools, the buses to away games, all of that is support and structure that allows you to do what you love to do.

Sure, it would be nice if more people really understood what a good game water polo is, and what went in to being successful, but it’s still fun, right?

And someday maybe you can challenge the football players to a game, and see how long they last before they’re hanging on to the side of the pool just trying to remember how to breathe. ✪ 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

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W

hen the last of the scores were posted for the 2013 North Coast Section Div. I Girls Golf Championship tournament at Peacock Gap Country Club in San Rafael, plenty of players and coaches murmured surprise that Dougherty Valley had won it all.

The most surprised individuals may have been the Dougherty Valley players themselves.

The Wildcats didn’t exactly come from nowhere to win the program’s first NCS title by eight strokes that afternoon — they were Diablo Foothill Athletic League champions after all — but there wasn’t a single senior in their top six, and the team had finished eighth the year before.

Things will feel much different for Dougherty Valley when it shows up for the 2014 NCS Div. I Tournament at Tilden Park Golf Course in Berkeley on Nov. 3. This time will include expectations — both external and internal.

“It’s not so much that we feel pressure,” Wildcats junior all-leaguer Yoonhee Kim said. “It’s more that we just really want to win again.”

Lack of experience won’t be a problem.

Five of the six golfers who teed off at last year’s section tournament remain among the team’s Top 8. The one name missing is Belinda Hu, who shared medalist honors a year ago as a freshman but chose not to return to the team this year. That, in turn, gave opportunities to a pair of freshmen — Amy Xue and Janica Ha — who have both had fantastic first years with the Wildcats.

The team is coming off a standout performance in the DFAL Championship Tournament on Oct. 20 at Diablo Creek Golf Course. The Wildcats ran away from the field, producing a five-golfer score of 383 with all five golfers posting scores in the 70s. The overall number was 14 strokes better than second-place Dublin.

“I think we’re ahead of where we were last year at this time,” said Mike Cowan, a retired junior college golf, football and wrestling coach who shares coaching duties at Dougherty Valley with his daughter Micalann and long-time friend Pat Hallahan. “The girls are just more seasoned now. They know what it takes.”

Despite the section title, the Wildcats may not have been ready for the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regional tournament a year ago. They ended up taking sixth on the day, failing to make the cut that advances the top three teams to the state tournament.

“I think we all didn’t have our best day (at NorCals),” Kim said. “But we knew that last year we didn’t play our best, and still we ended up getting sixth. Now we really want to get back and see what we can do on a better day.”

Kim is joined at the top of the Dougherty Valley depth chart by fellow junior all-league selection Tiffany Cha and sophomore all-leaguer Reini Lin. Kim and Cha each shot 5-over-par 76s at the DFAL Championship. Lin was one stroke behind with a 77.

Cowan says all three all-leaguers bring something different to the table.

On Kim: “She’s very confident and a quality player,” the coach said. “Very disciplined. She knows how to turn it on, knows how to play and knows how to score.”

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Yoonhee Kim

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On Cha: “She averaged almost three stokes better than last year in her 9-hole matches. She doesn’t get disappointed with bad shots. She’s confident, and a very good athlete.

She actually gave up basketball to focus on golf.”

On Lin: “She doesn’t fool around.

She’s all business. She’s taking like four AP classes and she’s just very steady.”

Filling out the Top 8 are the two freshmen, Xue and Ha, as well as senior Clarendon Chow and juniors Siobhan Sher and Sophie To. Only six can compete in the postseason tournaments with the five lowest scores counting toward the team total.

“It’s just been fantastic to be on a team where I can rely on everyone,” Kim said. “That’s what we do, we rely on each other. We can all have a bad Freshmen Amy Xue day and know someone will pick us and Janica Ha. up.”

It’s up to Cowan and the coaching staff to take on the unenviable task of attempting to chose the right six each day.

“The pressure is on me,” Cowan said. “Am I putting the right person in each week? It’s like, who’s gonna do it today? But I have a lot of faith in all of them.”

Dougherty Valley will need to finish among the top three teams at Tilden Park if it’s to get a shot at NorCal redemption on Nov. 10 at Crazy Horse Ranch in Salinas. The contenders that could keep them out of the top three include East Bay Athletic League stalwarts CarondeletConcord and Monte Vista-Danville, along with Mission San Jose-Fremont (Mission Valley

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league) and Dublin.

“Focus will be the key for us,” Lin said. “Everyone has good games, but if you can keep your focus as you’re playing, that’s where the low scores come from.”

Another big factor will be the two freshmen and how they respond to the big stage. At the DFAL Tournament the two hardly blinked. Ha was right there with Kim and Cha, sharing the team-best score of 76. Xue was only two strokes back at a very respectable 78.

Part of the reason few on the team are concerned about the two freshmen are their demeanor. Kim actually pointed to Xue as the teammate that always manages to keep the rest of the team loose.

“She’s literally one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” the junior captain said. “She can just say ‘Hi’ to you and you start cracking up. Even if you’re upset, you can’t help it. She

makes everyone feel great.”

Ha may be more quiet and analytical, according to Cowan, but neither seems to be overly affected by anything that happens on the course.

“I think we’re prepared for it,” Cowan said. “It’s a matter of whether they all can maintain and play well when they have the good shot, and then scramble when they have the bad shots. ... They’ve done this, so it’s not a problem.

“All I really have to do is get ‘em to the course on time and get my pom poms out.” ✪

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W

hen the Archbishop Mitty High girls volleyball team gathers for its preseason retreats in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Monarchs never set a goal of winning state championships.

They talk about improving as individuals and as a team. They talk about sharing each others’ burdens and picking each other up when they are down. They talk about the value of team and working together. But they never talk about winning championships.

However, they also know that if they do these things that they talk about, the state championships will come. That goes without saying.

And they have come.

The west San Jose school is the most dominant program in state girls volleyball history. The Monarchs’ 10 state championships are a state record and all have come in the past 21 seasons.

In comparison, only Long Beach Poly girls track and field (14), and Mater-Dei-Santa Ana boys basketball (11) have won more California Interscholastic Federation state championships.

One certainly could make a case that Mitty girls volleyball is the most dominant Northern California program in any girls sport in state history, and that run of success shows no signs of slowing down.

Mitty was 25-1 and ranked No. 1 in the state by MaxPreps.com and No. 2 in the Xcellent 25 national rankings.

Recently, the Monarchs swept their closest West Catholic Athletic League pursuer, San Francisco’s Sacred Heart Cathedral. SHC is merely No. 3 in the state and No. 16 in the nation.

If Mitty can win a CIF Division II state title this year, seniors Alexa Dreyer and Natasha Kosowicz will join three former greats — three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh, sister K.C. Walsh, and Erin Downey as the only three-time state champions in Mitty volleyball history.

This year’s team has four seniors: 6-foot-4 middle blocker Dreyer, 6-0 outside hitter Kosowicz, 5-11 middle Brittany Latigue and 5-6 libero Gabriella Carta-Samuels. Their journey is similar to those of other volleyball classes at Mitty, the only difference being that this is their year and this is their time.

Each player chose Mitty largely because of volleyball. Dreyer, Kosowicz, and Carta-Samuels played under Mitty coach Bret Almazan-Cezar at the high-powered Vision Volleyball Club, which has become a Monarchs’ pipeline over the years, and relished the idea of continuing to play for him.

In the past, Mitty has drawn largely from its local environs on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley. Indeed, the Walshes arrived from Saratoga. But now there are those such as Dreyer, who lives in San Mateo, a driving distance of 45 minutes without traffic and much longer with it.

Dreyer’s brother Jack is a lineman at Serra-San Mateo and recently committed to play football at Stanford. He is 6-8. The Dreyer parents are 6-5 and 6-3.

Carta-Samuels also comes from a strong athletic background. Her brother Austyn played quarterback at Vanderbilt University last season and now is a graduate assistant at Missouri.

Their brother, K.J., is a redshirt freshman quarterback at the University of Washington. Both attended San Jose’s Bellarmine Prep.

Gabriella likens herself to Austyn, the gym rat of the family. Like Austyn, Gabriella needs to be active all the time.

“I’m happiest in the gym,” Carta-Samuels said. “I love going to practice every day.”

For Latigue and Kosowicz, they’ve had to make their own way in the sports world, without strong family ties to athletics.

Together, they’ve taken this mix and churned it into another contender.

“We’ve wanted to keep up with the Mitty tradition,” Dreyer said.

Indeed, the allure of continuing the Monarchs’ success was embraced by each as they began their high school careers. However, that success was fleeting at first. Dreyer and Kosowicz immediately joined the varsity and experienced one of the program’s rare seasons of struggle.

There were no titles during a 25-12 year in 2011.

“I just remember thinking, I want to win state sometime before I graduate,” Dreyer said.

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She got her wish, and then some. Over the next two seasons, Mitty went 79-4, and won consecutive CIF Division II and mythical national titles. Now, in three seasons, Mitty has gone 103-5, and a third consecutive national championship is not out of the question.

These seniors can be serious, but they also know when to have fun, and they clearly enjoy being around each other. They take turns leading, but also embrace the contributions of the younger players, such as current freshmen Nicole Liddle and Kamrin Caoili.

Almazan-Cezar typically will bring two freshmen up to varsity. They have to be mature, able to handle the environment and a bit of isolation, and need to rely on each other. Such was the case for Dreyer and Kosowicz, who would prop each other up during sometimes frustrating times.

“We were the babies,” Dreyer said. “You definitely want to step up as a player, but you feel so much pressure.”

“It was our first chance to play in front of a crowd,” Kosowicz said. “I think, in the beginning, you have to be very careful about losing your confidence.”

Meanwhile, Latigue and Carta-Samuels played a lot and won a lot on the Mitty freshmen team. Latigue would join the varsity in time for the 38-0 team of 2012 while CartaSamuels spent that season with the junior varsity. Because of a veteran group of liberos on the varsity, Carta-Samuels did not join the varsity until her junior season, in 2013.

Each year, the Monarchs go on a camping retreat at Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Each trip includes a long hike to Berry Creek Falls, in which each player is given a brick. On the hike the bricks are redistributed so each player carries someone else’s.

The lesson is that each player carries the burdens of their teammates. Each players’ struggles and challenges are shared and redistributed. They all share the weight of responsibility.

The bricks have become a keepsake and a symbol as valuable as a championship medal, and this year’s senior class has taken the lessons of those trips to heart.

“I feel the seniors this year are more friends with the underclassman,” Kosowicz said. “That’s especially important this year because every player has had to step up.”

Almazan-Cezar described this year’s squad as “a team with no stars.” Even more reason to trust each other.

“We’re a lot closer,” Dreyer said. “I love every single girl on this team. I can count on anyone to put a ball away.”

One strength of the Monarchs is their pure athleticism. It allows Mitty to make up for mistakes and to score points in many different ways.

“When we play fast and unpredictable, that’s when we’re doing well,” Almazan-Cezar said.

Dreyer will play at UCLA, Carta-Samuels at Colorado, Kosowicz at Columbia and Latigue also will play in college, though she hasn’t yet decided on her destination. None will receive full scholarships, but they will indeed add to the mystique of the Monarchs’ program.

Eighty-four former Monarchs have lettered at four-year colleges or universities. All but seven of those were with NCAA Division I programs. Fifteen of them currently are undergraduates.

The banners at Mitty’s Brother Herman J. Fein Gymnasium dwarf those at places that house traditional winners like Boston’s TD Garden or UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. For girls volleyball alone — never mind state championship teams in boys and girls basketball — the gym must account for 21 league, 18 Central Coast Section, 14 Northern California, 10 state and three national championship banners.

“I really think Mitty volleyball has defined myself as a person and as a player,” Dreyer said. “I am part of a group that I can depend on, and who can depend on me.”

Carta-Samuels said she may not totally appreciate the Monarchs’ accomplishments for years to come, but can’t wait to show future generations her state championship rings.

“This experience has definitely changed my life,” she said.

Yes, there’s pressure to succeed. But these are pressures that each class willingly shoulders.

The will and expectation to succeed, each senior says, makes them better players and people.

Said Carta-Samuels, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

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ABOVE: Mitch Daniels completed 31 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns for Concord in the loss to Clayton Valley. RIGHT: One of Daniels’ biggest weapons was multipurpose back Malik Blackburn (3).

Blackburn rushed for 156 yards and three scores, and also caught eight passes for 102 yards. “Malik makes it so dang tough,” Clayton Valley coach Tim Murphy said. “You can’t do the things you want against the pass because there’s that draw play you always have to worry about. That kid’s a player. I hope he goes on and plays at the next level.”

Brian Hamilton’s demeanor did not match the situation.

His Concord High football team was playing its biggest game of the season to date — against its most hated rival, Clayton Valley Charter — and it trailed 21-0 after barely more than 12 minutes of action. Most coaches would be manic in such a moment, storming up and down the sidelines trying to get his team right.

Hamilton showed calm. And in turn, many of the Minutemen players did too.

Concord scored on its next possession.

ClayCord Cup rivalry “It’s a tough bunch of kids,” Hamilton said of his 32-man roster. “Watching tape, a lot of teams get down 21 to these guys and they kind of turn it in. That’s not who we are.”

But Clayton Valley Charter kept throwing punches. The Eagles, behind a relentless rushing attack led by senior Miles Harrison, kept piling on. Harrison scored on a 65-yard run on the first play following Concord’s first touchdown. And after a 30-yard scoring run by Devin Banks, Clayton Valley led 34-8 with 5:58 left in the first half.

But anyone who may have declared Concord down and out, didn’t know Concord and hadn’t watched enough of this rivalry. The battle for the Claycord Cup has turned into one of the most heated and competitive rivalries in the East Bay, and the 2014 version was every bit the proof.

Concord scored for the second time on the last play of the half and went into the break trailing 34-14.

Harrison spent his halftime reminding his teammates that they hadn’t won anything yet.

“I grew up with all these guys,” the Eagles running back said of Concord. “They know how to compete and I knew it wasn’t over. That’s why I told our team at halftime that it was 0-0.”

Concord scored on its first possession of the second half, and to the surprise of few, turned the game into the battle of undefeated Diablo Valley Athletic League teams that everyone had expected.

Malik Blackburn’s 40-yard touchdown run with 4:14 left in the game brought Concord within eight points (48-40). And when Concord got the ball back with 1:17 left in the game, it was instant dejá

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Phillip Walton photos

Records are through Oct. 25

vu for Clayton Valley — which surrendered a last-minute scoring drive in the 2013 Claycord game before winning 49-48 when Concord failed to score the game-winning 2-point conversion.

“I was definitely having flashbacks,” Clayton Valley linebacker Richard Peralta said. “Is this really going to happen again?”

It might have, if not for Peralta.

The Minutemen drove the ball all the way to the Clayton Valley 3-yard line with under 15 seconds left. On second down, quarterback Mitch Daniels had an open receiver on a quick out when Peralta got his hand on the pass and it deflected high into the air before falling into the hands of fellow Eagles linebacker Elijah Breon. The play would seal a 48-40 Clayton Valley win.

Afterward, Clayton Valley coach Tim Murphy was asked if it was the type of game he expected.

“No,” he said emphatically. “I really don’t expect it. I expect it to be cleaner overall and our guys to step up more. But (Concord) wants to win that Cup back, and they really step up when they play us. It makes it fun, and these are the ones the kids are going to remember.”

It was a pinnacle night in what had already been an outstanding season for Harrison. Despite the fact that a bone bruise on his left foot had kept him out of practice all week, Harrison took the gameopening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. The fact that Concord, which typically plays for onside and pooch kicks, kicked it deep to Harrison to open the game was a surprise in itself.

“I was thinking that they’re probably going to kick it to me because they think I’m injured,” Harrison said with a laugh. “They’re

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going to try and see if I can play, and I figured I had to prove a point and go score.”

He proved it, and then some. Harrison scored touchdowns on three of his first six carries and finished the game with 33 carries, 337 yards and five touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Concord’s up-tempo offense featured a number of standouts. Daniels completed 31 of 51 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. Senior receiver Mason Knight caught 11 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and Blackburn rushed for 156 yards and three touchdown and added eight catches for 102 yards.

“Offensively, that was definitely the best team we’ve played,” Murphy said. “Those three kids are amazing.”

Both teams will be heavy favorites in their final two DVAL games and are all but certain to be on a collision course in the North Coast Section Division II playoffs — where the championship might very well determine a California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regional bowl berth.

Hamilton believes it’s an inevitability and can’t wait for it.

“Cancel the rest of the playoffs,” he joked. “Make us the 1 and 2 seed and let’s get down.”

Murphy is just as prepared.

“If you look in the NCS right now, I would say that most have us ranked as the top two teams in the division,” the Clayton Valley coach said. “We’ll see ‘em again. They’ll have the same fire, and we’ll have to come out with the same fire. It’ll be fun.” ✪ — Chace Bryson

1. (1)

—

De La Salle-Concord

8-0

2. (2)

—

Folsom

8-0

3. (3)

—

Grant-Sacramento

8-0

4. (4)

—

Serra-San Mateo

5-2

5. (5)

—

Milpitas

7-0

6. (9)

▲

Valley Christian-San Jose

5-2

7. (7)

—

Clayton Valley Charter-Concord

8-0

8. (6)

▼

Foothill-Pleasanton

7-1

9. (8)

▼

Rocklin

7-1

10. (10) —

Bellarmine-San Jose

6-1

11. (12) ▲

Campolindo-Moraga

8-0

12. (13) ▲

St. Mary’s-Stockton

7-1

13. (14) ▲

Los Gatos

6-1

14. (15) ▲

Palma-Salinas

7-0

15. (16) ▲

Pittsburg

6-2

16. (NR) ▲

St. Francis-Mountain View

4-3

17. (17) —

Elk Grove

6-2

18. (18) —

McClymonds-Oakland

7-0

19. (19) —

Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton

7-0

20. (20) —

Concord

7-1

DROPPED OUT: No. 11 Vacaville BIGGEST MOVER: St. Francis-Mountain View, which becomes the first three-loss team to be ranked after it took then-No. 9 Valley Christian-San Jose two overtimes to beat the Friars. St. Francis also has a 15-14 win over Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, which took No. 10 BellarmineSan Jose to the wire before losing 20-17. St. Francis deserves to be — and still should be — ranked when it gets its own shot at Bellarmine on Nov. 7. None of the teams which lost their head-to-head matchup with another Top 20 team got bounced from the rankings. No. 20 Concord (who lost 48-40 to No. 7 Clayton Valley Charter) was the most at risk, but coming back from a 34-8 deficit to have a 1st-and-goal opportunity to tie the game showed enough spunk to keep them around another week.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR (alphabetically): AnalySebastopol (7-1), Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (4-3), California-San Ramon (6-2), Enterprise-Redding (7-1), Freedom-Oakley (6-2), Granite Bay (6-2), Inderkum-Sacramento (7-1), Jesuit-Carmichael (7-1) Monterey (7-1), Salesian-Richmond (6-2), Sierra-Manteca (8-0) and St. Mary’s-Berkeley (8-1).

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tri steps: liz elliott

Three mistakes new triathletes make during the offseason months For most triathletes, the official season is February through September each year with some late season races in October and early November. It’s a long season. October through January is technically an offseason, but what is it “off” from? There are proven ways to make your next season better, and proven ways to sabotage it, depending on what you do and don’t do during your break.

Following are the top three mistakes triathletes make in the offseason which can greatly affect their next season: 1. THEY CONTINUE THE SAME ROUTINE of swim, bike and run at the same intensity, volume and balance that they were during triathlon season. The offseason is the time to rebuild a base of strength, aerobic fitness and get better at your form in your area of weakness. If you continue to push your muscles at the same intensity, you will actually get slower, and have a much higher injury and illness rate. During the intensity of racing and/or hard practices, small muscle fibers break down around your joints, leaving your joints weak. Recovery is needed.

During the offseason, work on form in swim, bike and run, but spend more time on your area of weakness for endurance and add a strength routine. If you need to, take swim lessons, or bike lessons. Take the time to get the right bike fit. And most importantly, do a regular routine of resistance strength training in all planes of motion. Doing strength routines in the gym and after an endurance session is great, but only if you’re using correct form and technique. Learn from a professional. Start with body weight in exercises you need the most stability and coordination, then add weight and tempo for more of an endurance workout.

2. THEY DON’T REST. Nearly 85-90 percent of our training is about pushing through and completing a goal. We become very familiar with what it takes to advance and achieve, and we forget to rest. Rest is essential for physical, mental and emotional health. Rest is when the muscles recover and get stronger. Rest comes in many forms.

There is actual sleep and naps, taking a day off of training, active recovery workouts and stretching and massage as well. Learn and practice dynamic stretching, foam rolling and other form-based exercises with a trained professional to make your time in the gym more effective while reducing your chances for injury and illness. Incorporate rest into each workout, each week, each month, each training phase and each season.

3. THEY CONTINUE THE SAME DIET as if they are still training like they were during peak training periods. During the off season, work with a professional to find out the exact intake of calories you should be eating, and how to best hydrate for your sweat rate. Learning and practicing how to “eat right for you” is essential, even more so during the offseason when you are not working out as much or as hard.

Learn how to use your offseason wisely. Triathletes have only so much time in a day, a week and a season. Come February, it’s all swim, bike, run, and triathlon skills and workouts. Focus on form, strength and areas that need extra attention. And hang out with your friends and family and recharge your mind. ✪ Liz Elliott is the head coach at Tri-Valley Triathlon Club and also works as a National Academy of Science and Medicine-certified Elite Level personal coach at Crunch!

Fitness in Blackhawk.

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BUILDING FROM THe

INsIDe

OUT Training to becoming the best possible athlete starts with the core, pelvis and hips TRAINING TIME: TIM RUDD FOR IYCA Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore

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An athlete’s core, pelvis and hips are the centerpiece of his or her athletic development and the key to becoming a better athlete.

The hips have a ton of movement and are surrounded by big muscles, such as the glutes, quads and hamstrings, which are incredible power producers.

In order to become the best athlete possible, athletes need to train for mobility, stability and strength around their hips.

Let’s look at each of these qualities in a bit more depth:

STEP #1: IMPROVE MOBILITY

STEP #2: IMPROVE STABILITY

STEP #3: STRENGTH AND POWER

Getting more mobility from the hips is an effective way to improve an athlete’s speed, strength and power. Foam rolling the major muscle groups around the hips gets these muscle groups to relax a bit, improving their mobility and range of motion, allowing them to more effectively load their hip muscles.

The next step involves improving the athlete’s pelvic alignment, focusing on improving stability and control over his or her pelvis. If the hips are out of alignment, most notably in an anterior tilt (forward tilt), the athlete is not going to be able to extend his or her hips effectively. Stability is the name of the game when it comes to being fast and explosive, especially when running or coming in and out of cuts.

This is why stability is important — if athletes can’t control the various joints in their body, they’re not going to be as strong or explosive as they should be. And it could even predispose them to injury.

So how do we fix this? In the weight room! This is an ideal time to incorporate split-stance and single-leg movements to an athletel’s weekly program.

The goal of strength and power training is simple – to get STRONGER and more POWERFUL. The best athletes in the world use the gym to get stronger. They perform hang cleans, squats, deadlifts and push-and-pulls. I put a ton of emphasis on developing the backside of my athletes. I also focus on developing a strong and stable core, which helps to properly align the pelvis, as well as improving mobility, stability and strength. ✪

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health watch: jamie faison

ReTURN TO RUN What steps should injured athletes follow before they begin running again?

After getting injured, it is important for athletes to use a structured and systematic program to return back to your prior level of function. Here at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes we have a specific and progressive sequence of requirements that we use to get athletes back to running in an efficient and gradual way.

Our Return to Run program consists of certain stages or benchmarks that athletes need to meet in order to move their way back to pain-free running. Each stage must be completed without increasing pain, tightness or stiffness.

The most important of these stages is building adequate strength in the legs, hips and trunk. We use exercises such as squats, lunges, planks and heel-raises to assess an athlete’s readiness to start full-effort impact loading. Once an athlete has adequate strength in the core and lower body, we make sure they have adequate balance and form with single-leg impact activities. Since running occurs on a single leg, it is of utmost importance that our athletes are strong and

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stable on a single leg without any compensation.

Once we have established that they have sufficient balance and stability, then we start the athlete on an interval running program — usually with a walk and one-minute jog. From there, we will progress to longer intervals of running, then sprinting and lastly multi-directional activities that require planting and cutting.

If an athlete is unable to complete these basic exercises, they will not be cleared to start running or returning to their sport. If there is any report of pain or any compensation with these basic movements, then that athlete is not ready to increase his/her running speed, intensity or distance. Using a systematic program for getting injured athletes back to running helps us make sure our kids have the proper fundamental movement patterns to progress onward safely. ✪ Jamie Faison is a physical therapist assistant at UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospital Oakland and its Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes in Walnut Creek. He is also a certified athletic trainer who specializes in treating, rehabilitating and educating injured high school athletes.

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knee pain: hunter greene, m.d.

KNee KNOWLEDGE

Looking at factors behind general knee pain in young athletes

As a teen who is active in sports, it is not uncommon to experience knee pain behind the kneecap. It’s not caused by an abnormality in the knee and does not cause lasting damage. However, it does mean that you may need to adjust your training routine.

The pain usually begins gradually. You might hear popping or crackling sounds in the knees when you climb stairs or stand up and walk after a prolonged period of sitting. Pain may flare up when you do activities that repeatedly flex the knee, such as jumping, squatting or running, and at night. The knee may become swollen and tender. Without treatment, you may also develop tendon strains and thigh muscle weakness.

What’s causing this knee pain?

Because of the complex anatomy of the knee that allows it to bend while supporting heavy loads, it is very sensitive to small problems in alignment, activity, training and overuse. Pressure may pull the kneecap sideways in its groove, causing pain behind the kneecap.

In teenagers, a number of factors may be involved: ›› Imbalance of thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) that support the knee joint ›› Poor flexibility ›› Problems with alignment of the legs between the hips and ankles ›› Using improper sports training techniques or equipment ›› Overdoing sports activities If your knee pain is lasting, see your doctor to diagnose the cause and to get treatment. Tell your doctor when the knee pain started and provide details about your sports participation and training.

Also let your doctor know which activities aggravate your knee pain.

An exam will help determine the cause of pain and rule out other problems. Your doctor may ask you to stand, walk, jump, squat, sit and lie down. He or she will check alignment, stability and other issues.

Both of your legs will also be X-rayed.

Ice, rest and rehabilitation are the usual treatments for teens with pain behind the kneecap. After the pain and swelling go down, you will probably need to exercise your knee to regain range of motion, strength, power, endurance, speed, agility and coordination.

You may be able to prevent recurrences of knee pain by: ›› Wearing shoes appropriate to your activity ›› Warming up with stretching exercises before physical activity ›› Stopping or reducing any activity that used to hurt your knees ›› Limiting the total number of miles you run in training and competition ✪ Hunter Greene, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael, CA. He specializes in adult and pediatric sports medicine.

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powered by trucks: anthony trucks

scary strong Four strength training regimen tips with a Halloween flare It’s the holiday season and the first one happens to be a personal favorite, Halloween. On this holiday, I get to scare everyone without getting yelled at. One thing I also like to see is people get “scared” at how freakishly strong they become when applying the next simple techniques to their strength training regimen. ›› No Trick or Treat. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that if you miss days on your lift you’ll still get the treat of scary strength. The body needs to continuously train in order to properly adapt.

You miss days, and you’ll miss gains. ›› Get a training partner who knows how to spot you safely, and push you PAST your mental limits. It’s those extra reps at a little more weight that you need to get you past those strength barriers. ›› Have a progressive plan based on your current strength that allows you to know when, and by how much, to increase the weight during your lift. ›› Less is more. When it comes to strength gain you don’t want a bunch of reps. Everyone is always wondering how many sets and reps a person needs to improve strength. For strength, you’re looking at between one to six reps. Increase the weight as you decrease the reps. Also, keep it to around three to six sets with ample rest in between each one.

Now go out there and get strong. Always remember there’s no shortcuts to the candy in this process. You have to earn it, baby! ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

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POCKET RADAR A Santa Rosa-based company has developed a hand-held radar device that has turned the use of radar in sports on its head. You can lug around one of those big old radar guns, or something that does the same thing and is the size of an iPod. SportStars will be doing a larger story on this device in our Nov. 20 issue, but in the meantime, check it out at Pocketradar.com

INDOOR SOCCER AT USA Sooner or later it’s going to start raining more often. We think. When that happens, what’s a better way to burn off some energy than joining an indoor soccer league? Universal Sports Academy in Martinez is holding winter leagues for kids (U8-U14) and adults (coed and men’s). Teams are registering now, though individuals can also register. More info: contact Julio Borge @ jborge6017@aol.com, or at 925-783-3564

SLAMMERS SOFTBALL CLINICS Well, if soccer isn’t your game then maybe softball is? The San Ramon Slammers softball club will be providing winter clinics every Saturday from December through January. They will be held at the team training facility and are open to kids of all ages. Coaches from various college programs will teach strength and conditioning, hitting, defense, pitching and catching and hold scrimmages to get you ready for spring. More info: email Ali Palmero at alipalermo7@yahoo.com.

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Rugby continues rapid growth in NorCal & beyond

T

he sport of rugby is a relative unknown in the United States. Over the past three years just here in Northern California, the youth playing community (under 8s through high school) has grown 24 percent to a solid number of right around 5,000 registered players in 2014.

Rugby continues to be one of the fastest growing sport in America with over 450,000 players at all age grades. There is always room for additional growth and information about the sport, which this monthly column will hopefully provide. Over the coming months, we will continue to update you with league progress, stats and rankings for our high school league here in NorCal, and opportunities for you to get involved in this fantastic, family friendly sport.

For this first column I wanted to set a bit of an introduction to the sport and talk about it’s growth and standing, not just in NorCal, but nationally and internationally.

Rugby has certainly grown to something that’s more than just a club sport at carney’s the interscholastic levels. In fact, it has really taken off in the college ranks over corner: the last two years. Many colleges and universities now provide financial assistance Mark Carney or full scholarship opportunities for rugby players to attend their institutions.

With the sport of rugby being reintroduced to the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janiero, in the 7-a-side version of the sport, rugby will continue to garner the national attention.

If you are reading this on or before November 1, tune into NBC at 12:30 p.m. to watch the USA Men’s National Team take on the New Zealand All-Blacks, arguably the world’s best team, live at Soldier Field in Chicago in front of a sellout crowd of 60,000 fans!

This is an opportunity for the American public to really be introduced to the sport at the National level, and to see what rugby means to those who know and love the sport. It will certainly be a tough test for our National Team, but the USA has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, from this historic test match.

If you have questions about the sport, or want to know how to get involved, or find a club near you, visit our website: www.ncyrugby.org for more information. ✪

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Mark Carney is executive director of the Northern California Youth Rugby Association.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first issue featuring our expanded rugby coverage through a partnership with the Northern California Youth Rugby Association. Mark Carney’s column will be a regular part of the package that will expand further when the high school season begins in late January.

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A Higher Perspective .......................................................................................................37 Bay Area Rhino Court ......................................................................................................23 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada ............................................................................2 Blaze Volleyball ...............................................................................................................35 Catchflame.Com ..............................................................................................................37 Championship Athletic Fundraising ................................................................................12 Cheergyms.Com ..............................................................................................................15 Club Sport .........................................................................................................................5 Core Performance .......................................................................................... 25, 34, 35, 38 Diablo Futbol Club ...........................................................................................................36 Diablo Rock Gym .............................................................................................................25 Diablo Trophies & Awards ................................................................................................33 East Bay Bulldogs Basketball ...........................................................................................34 East Bay Parks .................................................................................................................37 East Bay Sports Academy ................................................................................................16 Excellence In Sport Performance .....................................................................................31 Football University I350 ..................................................................................................25 Foundry Sport .................................................................................................................40 Garaventa Enterprises .....................................................................................................21 Halo Headband ...............................................................................................................37 Home Team Sports Photography .....................................................................................32 Kangazoom .....................................................................................................................32 M L B Scout Online ..........................................................................................................33 Modesto Magic................................................................................................................35 Mountain Mike’s Pizza .....................................................................................................18 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists ...........................................................................................30 Northgate High School ....................................................................................................37 Oakland Police Department Recruiting ...........................................................................26 Oakland Warthogs Youth Rugby ......................................................................................26 Passthaball......................................................................................................................37 Prepstarsonline.Com .......................................................................................................22 Renaissance Club Sport ...................................................................................................31 Rhino Sports Of Northern California ................................................................................23 Rocco’s Pizza....................................................................................................................33 Sacramento Lacrosse Association ....................................................................................33 San Ramon Slammers Baseball .......................................................................................35 Sky High Sports ...............................................................................................................33 Sport Clips .......................................................................................................................17 Sports Gallery Authenticated ..........................................................................................34 Sportstars Magazine Wing Stop......................................................................................36 Stevens Creek Toyota .......................................................................................................19 Sutter Health East Bay .......................................................................................................3 The First Tee Of The Tri Valley ...........................................................................................34 The Golf Club At Roddy Ranch .........................................................................................23 Tpc / The Pitching Center .................................................................................................22 U C Davis Health System ..................................................................................................29 U C S F Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland......................................................................29 U S Cryotherapy...............................................................................................................16 United States Youth Volleyball League ............................................................................39 Wingstop ........................................................................................................................13

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