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SALESIAN-RICHMOND - BASKETBALL - JUNIOR With her older sister Mariya graduated and playing a key role for nationally-ranked Louisville, Minyon Moore has happily — and effectively — taken over as the Pride’s best all-around player. Moore proved she was ready for the role back on Dec. 10 when she delivered a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a 62-51 win over Foothill-Pleasanton. Since then, she’s flirted with triple-doubles on a handful of other occasions, including the team’s regular season finale on Feb. 11 against Menlo School-Atherton. That’s when Moore scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and produced nine assists. Salesian won the game 65-55 to extend its winning streak to 17 games. Moore leads the team in just about every major category on the season, including scoring (13.3 points per game), rebounding (4.8), assists (7.1) and steals (5.2). The Pride entered the Tri-County Athletic League playoffs with a record of 24-2.

It will be heavy favorites in the North Coast Section Div. IV playoffs.

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thumbs up/ thumbs down FOR LIVING IN CALIFORNIA. As College Park High baseball coach, Andy Tarpley said during his team’s Feb. 16 practice, “There’s nobody on the East Coast practicing outdoors right now.” Yup. The sun is out.

The grass is green. Let’s play two! (And read up on all things baseball and softball in our preview issue out Feb. 26) To the announcement that the recruiting site RIVALS.COM has begun monitoring sixth grade college football prospects. Sixth. Grade. Ridiculous.

What’s the sample scouting report say? Pros: Can stay up until 9:30 on school nights. Cons: Reportedly gave Amanda Heuller cooties.

say what?

49

Miramonte’s Rachelle Louie

count ’em Consecutive Diablo Foothill Athletic League games won by the MiramonteOrinda girls basketball team as it heads into its regular season finale against Campolindo-Moraga on Feb. 17. The Matadors defeated their rival 78-30 earlier this year, making them a heavy favorite to extend the streak to 50 games. Miramonte’s last DFAL loss came at Campolindo on Feb. 8, 2011.

“We want to play De La Salle. Our kids embrace it. We have nothing but respect of them and their program. We get up to play De La Salle. And our student body gets up for it. It’s a huge game for us ... A lot of teams get intimidated by the (De La Salle) jersey, but we are able to treat every opponent the same, and that makes a difference.”

— Monte Vista-Danville boys basketball coach Nick Jones, whose Mustangs teams have won five straight games against De La Salle dating back to January 2013. Monte Vista has won both meetings this season by a combined eight points.The teams could likely meet once or twice more in the postseason.

Story by Darin Wissner | Photos by Jim Johnson

Preparing for a shot at her school’s first wrestling state title, Enoch’s Sariyah Jones left the country

It’s not everyday a call placed to a high school athlete is returned from Sweden.

Then again, it’s not everyday one will come across a girls wrestler like Sariyah Jones of Enochs High in Modesto.

While many of the Sac-Joaquin’s top female wrestlers began their week after the SJS Masters Tournament training for the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships on Feb. 27-28, Jones got on a plane to Sweden to train in the Olympic Development Program.

However, before leaving town, the junior dominated her competition by easily taking the 106-pound title at the SJS Girls Wrestling Championships at McNair High in Stockton on Feb. 7. Jones upped her undefeated record to 30-0 with an eye-popping 26 pins.

Jones will be a favorite in her weight class at the state championships in Visalia, and that was before she spent a week overseas training against some of the best female high school wrestlers in the world. The Olympic Development Program is designed for the top 1 percent of wrestlers in the country preparing the athletes for a potential Olympic berth. While in Sweden, Jones trained and competed against international competition.

Sariyah Jones with Enochs coach Duane Brooks.

The globetrotting Jones has competed in Sweden twice now, as well as other destinations like Slovakia, Serbia, Germany, Brazil and Canada.

In fact, Jones could potentially be trying to defend a state title last this month in Visalia — had her 2014 trip to Sweden not fallen on the same weekend as the state championships. Her decision to forego a chance at state title raised a few eyebrows.

“For Sariyah, it was a pretty easy decision,” said Rueben Jones, Sariyah’s father and personal coach. “We are not diminishing (the state championships) by any means, but her goals are so much bigger than a state title. This year, luckily, the Sweden trip fell between Masters and state, so Sariyah is poised to bring home a title to Enochs.”

At the local level, there is nary the competition for Jones as she is clearly better than the other wrestlers in her current weight class, as witnessed by her run to the SJS girls wrestling title. Jones pinned her first four opponents within a half-minute. In the finals, she defeated Candice Corralejo of Del Oro 4-1, becoming Enochs’ first ever Masters champion.

Now, after beginning the season unranked, Jones has a chance to become her school’s first state wrestling champion, boy or girl.

“Yes, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder,” Jones said. “I do feel a bit disrespected. I have high aspirations. I want to go college and the Olympics, but first, I want bring home a state championship to Enochs High School.”

As a freshman in 2013, Jones finished fourth at state, once again setting a first for Enochs — the first to reach the state meet podium.

“Now is the time,” she said. “It would be great for Enochs.”

Getting a state crown would add to her budding resume that already includes three National Wrestling Championships. In March of 2013, as a freshman, Jones won the Girls Folkstyle Nationals in Oklahoma City. The best girls across the country meet to compete in this style (which is different from freestyle, which is the style used in high school competition). Jones won the 95-pound weight class in the Cadet Division. Cadet is an age group designated by USA Wrestling. The Junior Division is the next age group up. Generally, cadets will be 15-16 year old and juniors will be 17-18 years of age.

In May of 2013, coming off her first national title at the Girls Folkstyle National, Jones competed in the freestyle at the Body Bar Nationals in Lakeland, Fla. Jones won her weight class at 101 pounds. By winning this event, Jones was the U.S. representative at the 2013 World Championships in Zrenjanin, Serbia.

CIF Girls Wrestling State Championships February 27-28 at the Visalia Convention Center Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday Championship finals – Saturday, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.).

Tickets: $12 Adults; $8 Students, Children, Seniors (per day)

NORCAL WRESTLERS TO WATCH 101 POUNDS: McKenzie Bacich, Bear Creek: The junior is a three-time SJS champion, winning two straight titles at 101 pounds after capturing the 98-pound title in 2013. She was state runner-up at 101 pounds last year. Harmonie Roberts, Ukiah: North Coast Section champion returning to stawte tournament after finishing as runner-up at 106 pounds in 2014.

106 POUNDS: Sariyah Jones, Enochs-Modesto: The junior is a three-time National Wrestling Champion, and is seeking the school’s first state wrestling championship.

111 POUNDS: Lauren Mason, Woodcreek: The lone state champion from the SJS in 2014, she has won section titles in each of her three years on the mat.

116 POUNDS: Dominique Parish, Scotts Valley: Central Coast Section Champion is defending state champion at 116s.

“That is why I am here in Sweden. I will be going up against some very good wrestlers who have been competing in freestyle their entire lives.”

— Sariyah Jones Jones repeated in 2014 at the Body Bar Nationals, this time, held in Irving, Texas. As the U.S. representative, Jones once again headed back overseas, this time to Humenne, Slovakia, where she finished 7th overall. Jones will once again head to Oklahoma City for the Folkstyle Nationals this March, and in May, try to three-peat at the Body Bar Freestyle Nationals held in Texas.

The main difference between Folkstyle and Freestyle wrestling is the scoring. College women wrestle in Freestyle. All the training and competition that Jones is receiving abroad is preparing her for college and the Olympics. International wrestlers have been competing Freestyle, solely, for their entire careers, and Jones has not. Jones is playing catch-up to the world.

“That is why I am here in Sweden,” she said. “I will be going up against some very good wrestlers who have been competing in freestyle their entire lives.”

“This experience for these young ladies is so invaluable,” USA Wrestling Assistant Women’s National Coach, Erin Tomeo said. “It can be so overwhelming, but that is a part of the process in their growth.”

Tomeo wasted little time explaining why Jones was part of the program.

“In a word, focus. You have to have the drive and desire. Sariyah has that. It has to start there.”

On Feb. 28, Jones will find out if that drive can deliver a state title. ✪

121 POUNDS: Ricki Liang, Benicia: Senior has two SJS championships and hopes to claim her first state title after finishing second at 116 pounds in last year’s state tournament.

131 POUNDS: Erica Sotelo, Albany: Senior helped Cougars to the 2014 state team title with a victory in the 131-pound CIF State Championship match in 2014. Shelley Avellino, Benicia: Just a sophomore, she has won SJS titles in each of her first two years, and hopes to add state hardware to her collection.

137 POUNDS: Alyson Sabbagh, Casa Roble: Sophomore won SJS title this year after finishing as runner-up in section finals last year (131 pounds).

Sotelo

143 POUNDS: Alyssa Hernandez, James Logan-Union City: Senior is defending state champion at 143 pounds.

Nonie Reyes-Small, Folsom: Senior claimed her first SacJoaquin Section title this year and hopes to add a girls’ state champion to the Bulldogs’ rising wrestling program.

150 POUNDS: Nallely Patino, Albany: Senior is top returning wrestler at 150 pounds after she earned a third-place finish at the state tournament in 2014. Iman Kazem, Merril West-Tracy: The senior won her first SJS title this year after reaching the podium at State last year at 137 pounds (6th place).

170 POUNDS: Alexandria Glaude, Christian Brothers: Twotime SJS champion was runner-up at CIF State Championships in 2014. Celycia Sandoval, Franklin-Stockton: The senior was runner-up in SJS finals and finished fourth at state last year. Potential for all-SJS state final against Glaude.

189 POUNDS: Evonne Evlen, Fremont: The senior finished third at the 2014 CIF State Championships.

235 POUNDS: Joanna Mack, Castlemont-Oakland: As a sophomore, she was the state runner-up at 235 pounds in 2014. ✪

Records are through Feb. 14 1. (1)

—

St. Mary’s-Stockton

26-1

2. (2)

—

Miramonte-Orinda

23-2

3. (3)

—

St. Ignatius-S.F.

19-3

4. (4)

—

Pinewood-Los Altos Hills

19-2

5. (5)

—

Carondelet-Concord

22-2

6. (6)

—

Vanden-Fairfield

23-3

7. (7)

—

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

18-4

8. (8)

—

Salesian-Richmond

24-2

9. (9)

—

Dublin

21-3

10. (10) —

Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

17-8

11. (11) —

St. Mary’s-Berkeley

19-7

12. (12) —

Eastside Prep-Palo Alto

18-4

Scotts Valley

21-3

14. (15) ▲

Brookside Christian-Stockton

20-2

15. (16) ▲

Antelope

23-1

16. (17) ▲

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

22-3

17. (14) ▼

Berkeley

17-8

18. (18) —

James Logan-Union City

21-3

19. (19) —

Modesto Christian

22-4

20. (20) —

McClatchy-Sacramento

19-6

13. (13)

—

DROPPED OUT None

BIGGEST MOVER Very little movement this week as the only three teams to lose each lost to teams ranked above them. No. 10 Bishop O’Dowd and No. 9 Dublin lost to No. 1 St. Mary’sStockton and No. 2 Miramonte, respectively. We kept them in place as the teams immediately below them were likely to suffer the same the fates had they faced one of the top two teams in the state (not just NorCal). Bishop O’Dowd also held on to its spot thanks to wins over Piedmont and No. 14 Berkeley.

TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 17

Dublin’s Milan Moses

CrunCh TImE! How the NCS girls basketball races are shaping up in Division I-III as the playoffs draw near

With the North Coast Section playoff brackets being drawn up on Sunday, Feb. 22, we’re taking a look ahead to share what we expect from each of the top three girls divisions. Check SportStarsOnline.com on Monday, Feb. 23 for a glance and preview of each playoff bracket.

DIVISION I — As we see it, this may be the one division that’s the most balanced from top to bottom.

While the four lower divisions have one or two clear favorites, it seems there could be as many as four or five teams which could claim the banner in this division. That list should start with Berkeley, however, which is always a postseason force. The Yellowjackets won NCS titles from 2010-2012 and were in the final a year ago. Berkeley was 17-8 heading into the final week of the regular season and were undefeated against NCS Div. I teams. However, they haven’t played James Logan-Union City (20-4) or Clayton Valley Charter-Concord (19-6), which would be the next two teams on the list of contenders. The latter is in Div. I for the first year since finishing runner-up to Carondelet-Concord in Div. II each of the past two seasons. The Bay Valley Athletic League will play a factor in how this all turns out as well. Pittsburg, Liberty-Brentwood and defending-champion Deer Valley can all be dangerous under the right circumstances.

BEST BET: Berkeley DIVISION II — Carondelet will be a heavy favorite to win its fourth consecutive title, but the first under

new head coach Elgin Leslie. The Cougars held a 22-2 record through the first two weeks of February and were unbeaten against the NCS. If Carondelet’s not in the final and playing against Dublin, then something has gone haywire. The Gaels (21-3) are in the midst of their program’s finest season. Of their three losses, two are to Div. III state-power Miramonte-Orinda and the other is to Fairfax-Los Angeles.

Even if Dublin is unable to conquer Carondelet in an NCS final, the Gaels could be a strong favorite in the CIF Div. II Northern Regional playoffs, assuming Carondelet is moved to the Open Division.

BEST BET: Carondelet DIVISION III — This division has belonged to either Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland or Miramonte for the past seven years. One has to go back to 2006 (El Cerrito) to find a season in which one of those programs didn’t come away with the banner. Bishop O’Dowd won five straight titles from 2009-2013, but a scheduling violation left the Dragons ineligible for the postseason a year ago and made Miramonte’s title run much easier. As the defending champions, one of the top teams in the state and the team with USA Basketball-talent Sabrina Ionescu on the roster, the Matadors (23-2) remain a favorite in this division.

O’Dowd (17-8) will be a stiff challenger, though — especially now that Cal-bound guard Asha Thomas has returned from her ACL injury.

BEST BET: Miramonte. ✪

MONTE VISTa BOyS BaSkETBall

any more QUESTIONS? Monte Vista’s Stefan Mitu

Twenty minutes after his team had just sent a packed home gym into euphoria with a 52-49 win over De La Salle High, Monte Vista coach Nick Jones was asked the question he’s been answering a lot over the past three weeks.

It comes phrased in different forms but can be boiled down to one word, one theme: How? Less than a year since he coached the Mustangs to the program’s first California Interscholastic Federation state championship — and then watched his entire starting five graduate two months later — Jones has guided Monte Vista back into the state rankings and among NorCal’s top five teams. En route to building a 22-2 overall record through Feb. 13, the Danville school has defeated a number of top NorCal programs, including Woodcreek-Roseville, Folsom, San Leandro, Freedom-Oakley, San Ramon Valley-Danville and De La Salle (twice).

How? “I didn’t think we’d fall off the planet,” Jones said of his expectations of the transition between last year’s Mustangs and this year’s. “Last year’s juniors who are now seniors are good players. They won the frosh title; they won the JV league title. I knew we had the talent. It was just a matter of coming together.”

They didn’t fall off the planet. They didn’t fall period.

Monte Vista entered the final week of the regular season owning a 12-game winning streak and a one-game lead over De La Salle and San Ramon Valley in the East Bay Athletic League standings. They travel to arch rival San Ramon Valley for the season finale on Feb. 20. Barring any unforeseen hiccup, the Mustangs will likely begin their North Coast Section Division I title defense as the field’s top seed.

“I didn’t expect this, to be honest,” Jones confides. “I did not expect this at all. But they have their own personality and the thing that’s nice, is when the games get tight they seem to rise to the occasion.”

Senior wing Stefan Mitu was the state championship team’s sixth man a year ago and has fully embraced his new role as the team’s go-to scorer.

Teams replacing all five starters don't always keep winning.

The Monte Vista Mustangs are having fun bucking that theory Story by Chace Bryson | Photos by Phillip Walton

Records are through Feb. 14

PREVIOUS PAGE: Mustangs’ center Spencer LaShells (30) watches a shot go up before fighting De La Salle’s Nikhil Peters for a rebound.

ABOVE: Point guard Joseph Mileski brings the ball up the floor against De La Salle. Teammate Stefan Mitu pointed to Mileski as one of the team’s emotional leaders, “He might not show emotion himself, he’s pretty down to Earth. But when he does something, he gets us going. He sets the tone.”

He finished with a game-high 22 points, including a pair of free throws which helped seal the victory after De La Salle used a 6-0 run to cut Monte Vista’s lead to 50-46 inside the last minute of the game.

Justin Anderson, the current team’s first man off the bench, had a huge fourth quarter for the Mustangs. Inside the final eight minutes of the game, Anderson scored four of his six points and grabbed five of his team-high eight rebounds.

“This group just makes plays down the stretch. It’s huge plays; it’s big plays,” Jones said. “This year’s group is doing a lot of the little things that I think are adding up to big things.”

Despite opening the season 10-1 in nonleague play, Monte Vista came out flat in its EBAL opener and suffered a 59-53 upset loss to Granada-Livermore on Jan. 6. Three nights later, the Mustangs were in danger of losing again before using a 26-13 fourth-quarter blitz to push the game to overtime and defeat Foothill-Pleasanton 80-67.

The next day, a Saturday, the team had a matchup with defending-CIF Div. II NorCal champion Folsom in the Father Barry Classic showcase at Jesuit High in Carmichael.

“All signs pointed to us losing that game,” Jones said.

Instead, Mitu scored 36 points and 6-foot-7 junior Spencer LaShells added 20 as the Mustangs held on for a 66-64 win. That victory changed the collective thinking of the team.

“To walk in and beat Folsom like that was big,” Mitu said. “We came away thinking ‘Ok, this team, yeah, if we can get things rolling then this team can go places.’”

Now in his third year on varsity, Mitu is relishing the role of Monte Vista’s go-to guy.

“We knew that he could score,” Jones said of Mitu.

“He’s good. He can take it to the hole, catch and shoot, post up or score in transition. And he’s a good defender too. ... He loves the big moment. He eats that up.”

He’s also enjoying hearing that same question.

The one that starts with “How?” “It was frustrating to hear everybody say ‘Oh it’s an off year, and they’ll sit this one out and they won’t be relevant.’” Mitu said recalling Monte Vista’s lack of expectations. “It’s frustrating, but I’m glad looking back at it now at 22-2 — 22-2, that’s not bad.” ✪

1. (1)

—

Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

19-4

2. (2)

—

Moreau Catholic-Hayward

19-5

3. (3)

—

Monte Vista-Danville

22-2

4. (7)

▲

Sacramento

22-4

5. (8)

▲

El Cerrito

23-3

6. (4)

▼

De La Salle-Concord

21-3

7. (9)

▲

Modesto Christian

23-3

8. (5)

▼

Folsom

22-4

9. (6)

▼

Campolindo-Moraga

21-3

10. (10) —

Woodcreek-Roseville

22-4

11. (14) ▲

San Ramon Valley-Danville

20-4

12. (15) ▲

St. Francis-Mountain View

19-3

13. (16) ▲

Serra-San Mateo

17-5

14. (12) ▼

Sheldon-Sacramento

17-6

15. (17) ▲

Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton

20-2

16. (20) ▲

St. Mary’s-Stockton

20-7

17. (NR) ▲

Vanden-Fairfield

22-4

18. (11) ▼

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

14-8

19. (18) ▼

Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove

16-5

20. (NR) ▲

Cordova-Rancho Cordova

22-5

DROPPED OUT No. 13 Half Moon Bay and No. 19 Salesian.

BIGGEST MOVER There was plenty of movement this past week as eight different ranked teams lost. The most significant movers were Sacramento and El Cerrito. Sacramento has won 13 straight with its only 2015 loss coming at No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd. The Dragons move up into the Top 5 for the first time this season and El Cerrito returns for the second time this season. The Gauchos were ranked as high as No. 3 before dropping all the way down to No. 10 in early 2015.

They’re back at No. 5 after avenging a Dec. 29 loss to Campolindo with a 55-50 victory over the visiting Cougars on Feb. 14.

TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 12

SingletSafety

MAT MALADIES The list of potential injuries to wrestlers is a long one. Here’s a few. ›› Ligamentous knee injuries such as Meniscus, MCL and ACL tears ›› Cauliflower ear from contusion to ear

cartilage that is not immediately treated ›› Dislocations and sprains of the elbow or shoulder from the take down position ›› Skin infections such as herpes gladitorium, impetigo, folliculitis, abscesses, tinea (ring worm) ›› Fractures of the fingers

›› Concussions, usually caused from falls onto mat or collisions with other athletes ›› Pre-patellar bursitis of the knee from direct trauma ›› Ankle sprains ›› Muscle strains of the lower extremities or the back

As school sports and activities continue to grow, so do injuries. With wrestling becoming one of the most popular winter high school sports, the increasing need for a specific sports medicine program has also risen.

The UC Davis Pediatrics Sports Medicine Program’s focus is to help your child or teen play, excel and enjoy the sports they love in a safe and healthy way, including contact sports such as wrestling.

Wrestling is an extremely physical and demanding sport, requiring high endurance and strength, no matter the age of the athlete. Athletes often wrestle in multiple matches through an entire tournament, sometimes with back-to-back matches and days — all of which greatly fatigues the body and increases risk of injury.

Injuries include a high incidence of sprains, contusions, dislocations, fractures, concussions and even serious injury. Given the nature of close skin-to-skin contact, there is also a very high incidence of contagious infectious skin disorders that may be passed between wrestlers, if not treated properly.

Skin infections cause the greatest time lost from competition in wrestlers among all injuries and condition.

However, they are the most preventable by using very strict individual and team hygiene measures. These include hand washing, washing all uniforms and gear after each use with detergent and hot water, and disinfecting mats and other facility equipment daily. Wrestlers should never share towels, soaps, or razors, report any skin lesion immediately and receive proper treatment prior to return to practice or competition.

Regardless of a young athlete’s ability on the mat, wearing appropriate protective equipment is the best defense against injury. Wrestlers should wear headgear to prevent contusions to the ears (cauliflower ear) and head injury.

They can also consider knee, ankle, or elbow bracing when needed. Avoiding extreme positions such as the take down position has been shown to greatly reduce shoulder and elbow injuries.

Wrestling places heavy demands on the muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system of the body. It is important that athletes are in good physical and cardiovascular condition prior to beginning a season. Proper training to build strength and stamina, along with appropriate weight management and diet, are critical to the athletes’ success and health.

Wrestlers are at high risk for dehydration, dietary deficiencies, and electrolyte abnormalities given the high pressures to meet specific weight classes. It is important to discuss training, diet, and weight goals with a trained professional to be certain that all are managed in a safe manner. ✪ Dr. Mo Mortazavi is pediatric sports medicine physician for the UC Davis Children’s Hospital.