Issue 22. January 23, 2015
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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The Vikings’ forward helped the state’s No. 11-ranked team to a perfect week, including two victories in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Showcase at St. Mary’s-Stockton. Blackshell-Fair scored a team-high 22 points in Vanden’s 73-58 victory over then-No. 19 Vista Murrieta and added 10 points in a 64-43 rout of Troy-Fullerton. For the season, she is averaging a double-double with nearly 14 points and 11 rebounds per game. Vanden opened Solano County Athletic Conference play with a pair of wins to improve to 16-2. Both losses have come in major tournaments — a 61-55 loss to Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania at the Nike TOC and a narrow 58-53 defeat to St. Mary’s-Berkeley at the West Coast Jamboree. The Vikings will face defending state champion Modesto Christian on the road Feb. 7 in a final nonleague tune-up before the SacJoaquin Section playoffs begin Feb. 20. SHOWCASE SPOTLIGHT: “I love (playing in big tournaments and showcases) because I get to travel with my teammates. I love the competition and it makes me realize that I have more to work on to get to where I want to be, playing in college at a Division I program.” COURT IDOL: Blackshell-Fair prefers watching basketball live, so she has no pro hoops idols. The sophomore looks up to senior teammate Kayla Blair as a role model on the court. NO COMMITMENT: Just a sophomore, she has not made any decisions on where she wants to continue playing basketball in college. She admits that she likes Arizona State, but will wait a while before committing to a school. FAVORITE TV SHOW: Disney Channel programming FAVORITE FOOD: “I love junk food, but I do like to have apples for a healthy snack.” PIT STOPS: With the miles that the Vikings have logged for tournaments, stops for food are essential. Blackshell-Fair and her teammates like to stop at Chipotle or In-N-Out Burger when travelling. James K. Leash photo
say what? “They share the ball... With a class of nine sophomores (a year ago) who are all good and who all play varsity, you would think they’re going for themselves and we’d have internal issues. But they actually love each other. It’s crazy.” — Moreau Catholic-Hayward boys basketball coach Frank Knight on the development of his Mariners team, including sophomore Damari Milstead (below), which reached the CIF Div. IV state final a year ago with nine sophomores on the roster. The team — which still features just one senior — has begun the 2014-15 season with a 12-5 record and was undefeated against NorCal teams through Jan. 21.
count ’em Combined number of rebounds for Deer ValleyAntioch senior center Brandy Williams in backto-back wins over Mission San Jose-Fremont and Skyline-Oakland over the second week of Jan. Her stat line against Skyline was 20 points and 21 rebounds.
36
thumbs up/thumbs down To Bay Area 10-year-old, ELLA POTTS, who when tasked by her 5th grade teacher to compose an opinionated speech titled hers, “I Throw Like A Girl and I’m Proud of It.” We were alerted to Ella’s speech when it was emailed to us by a proud aunt. Our favorite part: “What if I said ‘You throw like a boy’? What does that mean and how is it any different from ‘You throw like a girl’? Nothing! ... All that matters is that you’re giving effort and trying your best.” Yep, Ella gets it. To the Open Division of the CIF BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS. There’s no question who the best boys team in NorCal is, and that’s nationally-ranked Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland. We really wish there was some way the Dragons could just be placed in the Open Championship to avoid a tournament that will only serve to eliminate 3-4 schools that have serious state championship pedigree in their true enrollment divisions. A solution should be found.
OPen season After grinding out hundreds of wins with tough defense and meticulous half-court sets, De La Salle has taken on a new look
ABOVE: Junior wing Jordan Ratinho attempts a 3-pointer from the corner against Chaminade-West Hills on Jan. 19. RIGHT: One of the most improved Spartans since last season, senior point guard Vince Romeo has helped key De La Salle’s new offense.
So many of coach Frank Allocco’s 500-plus career wins have been achieved in the same fashion: By holding opponents under 40 points with stifling defensive pressure, and dictating the pace of the game to keep things in the half-court where Allocco’s players can pick apart opposing defenses with back-door cuts and strong outside shooting. Allocco’s De La Salle teams have executed that game plan better than almost any NorCal program over the past decade and a half. It’s reaped four state championship appearances and two titles. But after 15 games of the 2014-15 season, Allocco and the Spartans have a new plan. For the first time, De La Salle is making a conscious effort to be an up-tempo team. And the results haven’t changed. The Spartans were 14-2 after splitting a pair of back-to-back games against defending state champs. De La Salle defeated defending CIF Div. III state champion Chaminade-West Hills 56-44 at the Martin Luther King Classic on Jan. 19 at Cal’s Haas Pavilion. On the following night, it hosted defending CIF Div. I-champ Monte Vista-Danville and lost 67-62 in double overtime. In the win over Chaminade, the new up-tempo style — coupled with the typical stout defensive effort — helped spur a 16-0 run that spanned the second and third quarters and put De La Salle ahead for good. The Spartans finished the game with 15 assists on 21 field goals and seven different players cracked the scoring column. “I just think you look at your team each year and see what you have and this year we have some kids who can shoot it and we have some fast guys,” Allocco said when asked about the change in offensive philosophy. “We’re not a real big team. ... We just felt because of our size it’d be better to run. I’ve been wanting to do this for years. We always start trying to run and we stop, and this year I said we’re not stopping. We’re running and the kids are enjoying it.” In the middle of it all is senior point guard Vince Romeo, who after playing only sparingly as a junior, has turned into the catalyst for De La Salle’s uptempo style. Against Chaminade, he lead the team with 21 points and added five steals, three assists and a blocked shot. “He’s amazing,” Alocco said after the victory. “If there’s a role model that every kid on this team should look up to it’s Vince Romeo. “He does all the little things, and he’s a guy who really struggled last year shooting the ball. He’s committed all summer and worked hard and is one of our best 3-point shooters. He just cares so much. He’s our heart and soul.” De La Salle got 15 points and six rebounds from junior Jordan Ratinho in the win over Chaminade. Eric Daul chipped in with six points and five assists. ✪ — Chace Bryson
Phillip Walton photos
Records are through Jan. 19 1. (1)
—
Bishop O’Dowd
10-3
2. (5)
▲
De La Salle
14-1
3. (4)
▲
El Cerrito
15-2
4. (2)
▼
Folsom
15-3
5. (6)
▲
Moreau Catholic-Hayward
11-5
6. (7)
▲
Drake-San Anselmo
16-2
7. (8)
▲
Campolindo-Moraga
15-2
8. (9)
▲
Sacramento
14-4
9. (3)
▼
Archbishop Mitty-San Jose
9-5
10. (10) —
St. Francis-Mountain View
13-1
11. (11) —
Monte Vista-Danville
14-2
12. (12) —
Modesto Christian
13-3
13. (14) ▲
San Ramon Valley-Danville
12-2
14. (15) ▲
Woodcreek-Roseville
16-3
15. (16) ▲
Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove
12-4
16. (17) ▲
Liberty Ranch-Galt
17-1
17. (NR) ▲
Half Moon Bay
17-0
18. (NR) ▲
St. Patrick/St. Vincent-Vallejo
15-3
19. (18) ▼
Serra-San Mateo
11-3
20. (19) ▼
Salesian-Richmond
11-6
DROPPED OUT: No. 13 St. Mary’s-Stockton and No. 20 Granada-Livermore BIGGEST MOVER: De La Salle jumped four spots to the No. 2 position after a very impressive 56-44 victory over defending Div. III state champion Chaminade-West Hills at the MLK Classic on Jan. 19. Previous No. 2 Folsom didn’t lose last week, but we determined that both De La Salle and El Cerrito had finally compiled strong resumes to move ahead of the Bullodgs (These ranks were released before De La Salle’s Jan. 20 loss to No. 11 Monte Vista). Two new teams debut this week as well as Half Moon Bay brings a perfect record to the proceedings after getting a legitamate win over our other new team, St. Patrick/St. Vincent. They enter at No. 17 and No. 18, respectively. Salesian dropped two league games and was destined to fall out as well, but turned the tide with its best game of the year on Monday — a 21-point drubbing of previous No. 13 St. Mary’sStockton. TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 13
ABOVE: First-year Pleasant Grove coach Dwayne Smith huddles with his players during the team’s Mark Macres Tournament game against Granite Bay. BELOW: Three-year varsity standout Marquese Chriss is producing a dominant senior season so far, averaging a double-double through 16 games. James K. Leash photos
eaGLes rIsInG After an up-and-down 2013-14 season in the wake of its 2012-13 state championship run, it looked as though Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove was set to founder through a second frustrating season. The Eagles, lead by new coach Dwayne Smith, began the year 4-4 through Dec. 26. Then a 74-66 win over Salesian-Richmond on Dec. 27 sparked a winning streak that had reached nine games through Jan. 21. “This is my first go-around as a head coach in the Delta League,” Smith said at the Mark Macres Tournament in midDecember. “I know it is going to be ultra-tough. Teams are so good, and with the parity it is difficult to predict any outcomes, but we hope to find a way into the playoffs. We do have seven seniors so that helps with the experience.” One of those seniors is Washingtoncommit Marquese Chriss, a 6-foot-8 post player averaging 21.8 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks a game. “It’s nice to have some other seniors like Johann (Tate), James (Fox) and Daniel (Lara) to lean on as well,” Chriss said. “We just want to focus on our league play first and foremost and then hopefully head back to Sleep Train (Arena).” — Darin Wissner
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: St. Mary’s-Stockton’s Lance Coleman defends Salesian’s Nakota Shepard-Creer; El Cerrito guard Tyrell Alcorn surveys the Berkeley defense; Salesian’s Ke’mare Wright drives to the basket; Moreau Catholic-Hayward wing Oscar Frayer makes a baseline move on Archbishop Mitty’s Ben Kone; De La Salle-Concord guard Jordan Ratinho tries to get down the lane against Chaminade-West Hills’ Ben Oguine; Mitty’s Ben Kone clears a rebound and looks for an outlet; Sacramento big man Solomon Young rises for a layup as Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. forward Ramzi Carter Jr. contests.
The FuTure Is FraGILe next Level Knowledge by scott Mayo
severaL ThInGs FacTOr InTO The recruITInG PrOcess, buT There’s One GuIdInG PrIncIPLe yOu shOuLd FOLLOw I recently spoke with a former Division-I college lacrosse player named Matt. Matt was lightly recruited and received a partial scholarship at Towson University in Maryland. His younger brother, who also played lacrosse, was one year behind Matt in school. The younger brother became the No. 1 recruit in the country with full-ride offers from Duke, Johns Hopkins, Virginia and many other great lacrosse schools. During the younger brother’s recruiting process, an Ivy League head coach arrived for an in-home visit. Upon hearing both kids played, the coach told two rather proud parents, “I have roster spots for both your boys.” Matt transferred and the two brothers began what appeared to be a dream come true. Unfortunately, that athletic dream came to a screeching halt. Midway through his second season, Matt developed persistent hairline fractures in both legs. Unable to run, his college lacrosse career ended abruptly. To make matters worse for the family, that same season, the younger brother suffered a career-ending concussion when he was accidentally kneed in the back of the head. While athletics did not work out for either boy, they both ended up with degrees from a top tier school. Near the end of our conversation I asked Matt if he had any words of advice with regards to the recruiting process. He replied, “Plan like you’re gonna break your leg tomorrow.” His words hit very close to home. After his junior season of football, our oldest son, Mitchell, was getting preliminary contacts from some great schools. Always motivated to succeed, Mitchell spent many, many hours on the
field, in the gym and at the library preparing for his senior year. With only two weeks left in the summer, and with football’s dreaded double days just around the corner, I was sitting downstairs as Mitchell made his way out the door. “I’m going to the park to play pickup soccer,” he said. Two hours later, the phone rang. “Dad?” Mitchell said, “I sprained my ankle pretty bad. Can you have a bucket of ice ready? Justin is bringing me home now.” My heart sank. Mitchell would be out for ten weeks with a broken leg and college football disappeared from his future. At some point, your sport will end, so be sure to do well in the classroom. Also… “Plan like you’re gonna break your leg tomorrow.” ✪ 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
Are you signing a letter of intent when the NCAA Late Signing Period begins on Feb. 4? Let SportStars know by emailing us at editor@sportstarsonline.com. We hope to publish a full list of NorCal athletes by Feb. 11.
get mentla: Erika carlson
Learn how to assess and manage the three types of stress which can negatively affect performance Stress affects us in many ways, including many positive ways. Stressing our muscles with heavy weight forces them to rebuild and become stronger. A bit of stress and worry can help keep us alert to possible danger lurking ahead and therefore we make safer choices. At times, negative emotions can be the catalyst for much needed change in behavior and routines. However, in the context of sport performance — more specifically, hitting a baseball or softball — too much stress can work against you and keep you from getting a solid hit. With the baseball and softball season just a few weeks away, here’s a look at three ways you may be experiencing stress and how it could affect your swing or other parts of your game. Which describes you best? PHYSICAL STRESS shows up many ways in the body — tight muscles, increased heart rate and shallow breathing — all of which lead you towards one outcome: poor mechanics. Tight muscles don’t allow for a powerful, fluid swing and leave the batter feeling slow, heavy and with a death grip on the bat. Once the physical stress sets in and the body feels “off,” then worry kicks in. MENTAL STRESS, or worry, is thinking about what might happen. In your head it sounds like: “What if I strike out?” or “What if I make the last out?” Once worry sets in, you are officially “in your head” rather than in the game. Meaning, your primary focus is on the “What if…” rather than on the pitch coming your way. Hitting performance is likely to suffer. EMOTIONAL STRESS, is best manifested in disappointment, frustration and anger. All athletes experience these feelings at some point, especially if you play long enough. However, if you are spending most of your time in this negative emotional place, you’re probably not having much fun. In fact, you might just be headed down the road toward burnout. Burnout is a complicated syndrome which has physical symptoms (feeling chronically tired, sore and unrecovered), mental symptoms (unmotivated, negative questioning commitment) and emotional symptoms (completely frustrated or shut down). This is a tough place for an athlete to be and if goes untreated, burnout often leads to quitting. So how can you manage all of this stress? ›› Identify your physical stress. Players need to become aware of their stress levels that tend to build up during the day and learn the skills to manage the stress so they come out to field loose and ready to hit, catch and throw. ›› Focus on controllables. Players must learn to focus on simple information that is IN THEIR CONTROL. For example, breathing to relax the body and calm the mind, recalling the feel of a smooth and powerful swing. Solid mechanics, simplicity and discipline go a long way here. ›› Burnout has a very simple remedy: Take a break! One or two weeks can allow a player time to rest, recover, reflect and renew their commitment. If you think you can’t afford the time off, think again. Imagine the player you will be once you feel recovered and re-committed. Players must learn to assess their stress levels. There is a fine line between good stress (excitement, energy and readiness) versus negative stress (nervousness, butterflies and tightness). Once they can accurately assess their stress, players are in a great position to learn how to manage thinking and emotions, which then produces confidence, better mechanics and more consistent at-bats. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.
Photo Finish
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Monte Vista-Danville midfielder Mallory Hromatko pushes the ball up field during a 2-0 win over San Ramon Valley-Danville on Jan. 20. The win improved the Mustangs to 12-0 and 36-0-2 since February 2013. Photo by Phillip Walton