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CASA ROBLE-ORANGEVALE, WRESTLING, SENIOR The Rams’ senior won the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters heavyweight championship with a 4-3 victory over defending-SJS Masters champion Dominic Balmer of Woodcreek-Roseville. Minshew remained undefeated with 48 wins, including tournament titles at the Tim Brown Memorial, Sierra Nevada Classic, Curt Mettler Invitational, Joe Rios Memorial and Casa Robles’ Marty Manges Invitational. Jake is currently ranked No. 1 in the state in the heavyweight division after earning Capital Athletic League and Division III titles en route to the Masters Tournament. The win over Balmer avenged a triple-overtime loss at the 2014 Masters Tournament. Minshew finished eighth at the CIF State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield a year ago, and is confident of improving that result March 6-7 at Rabobank Arena. IN HIS OWN WORDS: “Before this season, I knew I was going to win state, and I still believe that I will. There will be a lot of tough competitors there, but I’m too confident to lose.” Like us on Facebook
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To James Logan-Union City freshman Aaron Perez, who after winning the 106-pound North Coast Section wrestling title on Feb. 28, wasted little time in running into the stands to hug his mom. (Everybody now: “awwwww”). See the video of Aaron’s match and subsequent celebration by clicking HERE To the countless hours we all spent last week arguing over what color a dress was. (It was blue and black by the way.) EDITOR’S NOTE: Our designer refused to put this here unless we acknowledge that it’s really gold and white. Nyah.
say what?
“Our community has been waiting for this for 20 years. We came close a few times, but this time we did it. It’s this group who made it, but it’s all of Richmond who won tonight. I have a thought for every player who has worn this jersey, dreaming of something like tonight.”
— Richmond boys soccer coach Rene Siles after the Oilers won the school’s first North Coast Section title since 1994 with a 3-1 defeat of San Lorenzo in the Div. II final on Feb. 28. Siles is in his 14th year coaching the Oilers.
49
count ’em Consecutive matches without a loss for the Monte Vista-Danville girls soccer team — which was ranked No. 1 in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com — before Liberty-Brentwood defeated the Mustangs 2-1 in the North Coast Section Div. I girls championship. It was Liberty’s first ever trip to the NCS finals. It was the school’s first ever soccer title, boys or girls.
cIF wreStlIng State tournament
back to the ’bank an in-depth look at each weight class by the SportStars staff
The quest to grapple under the single spotlight reaches its annual conclusion on March 7 when the state’s best wrestlers convene once again at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena for the California Interscholastic Federation state championships. If you’re looking for the lock of the weekend, look no further than the team competition. Clovis has won every title since Bakersfield won in 2010 and the Cougars look poised to repeat once again. On an individual level, Northern California’s best wrestlers stand a good chance to find plenty of success this time around. Modesto’s Israel Saavedra is back in search of a third straight championship. If he can survive the gauntlet once again, he’ll enter 2016 with a chance to join Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez as the only four-time champions in state history. Who are the other contenders heading south this year? Here’s a weight-by-weight look at what to expect. All rankings are courtesy of TheCaliforniaWrestler.com.
Jordan Aquino, 106
Donovin Guerrero, 113
Landon McBride, 113
Jacob Gardiner, 120
106
120
FAVORITE: Cade Olivas (St. John BoscoBellflower), Fr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Jordan Aquino (Vacaville), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Nick Aguilar (Gilroy), Fr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Olivas. A freshman entering as the favorite? When you win the Walsh Ironman and Doc Buchanan in the same season, it doesn’t matter what year you are, you’ve earned the top spot. A host of fellow SoCal lightweights are vying to knock Olivas off track, but Aquino could be the right man at the right time after beating Benicia’s Christian Ramos, who was previously ranked No. 4 in the state, at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters tournament. The North Coast Section is also sending a freshman champion southward, James Logan’s Aaron Perez.
FAVORITE: Durbin Lloren (BuchananClovis), Jr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Devan Turner (Dixon), Jr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Isaiah Palomino (Bellarmine), So. PREDICTED CHAMP: Lloren. The junior has been pegged as the state’s top dog in this weight class all season, and he showed why with a 5-0 win over Clovis North’s Chris Deloza in the Central Section Masters final. The SJS will be well represented in the later rounds as Turner and Oakdale’s Nico Colunga both enter as top threats to Lloren. Turner prevailed 5-4 over Colunga at SJS Masters. State wrestling fans will certainly recognize the name of the CCS champion, as Palomino hails from one of the most well-known wrestling families in all of Northern California. Justin-Siena-Napa’s Jacob Gardiner is the NCS champ in this bracket.
113
Devan Turner, 120
Nathan Cervantes, 126
Israel Saavedra, 126
Curtis Booth, 126
FAVORITE: Justin Mejia (Clovis), So. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Donovin Guerrero (De La Salle), Jr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Landon McBride (Del Oro), Jr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Mejia. The sophomore won a state title at 106 pounds last year and enters as one of Clovis’ top threats to take individual gold. Don’t sleep on Guerrero, who rolled to the NCS final and beat Liberty’s Bryar Edwards 4-1 to take the title. The junior from De La Salle also has a good road to the later stages of the tournament with no section champions in his bracket through the first four rounds. McBride enters as the top hope from the SJS after beating Elk Grove’s Jacob Seto in last weekend’s Masters final.
126
FAVORITE: Israel Saavedra (Modesto), Jr. NORCAL’S NEXT TOP CONTENDER: Curtis Booth (Folsom), Jr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Nathan Cervantes (De La Salle), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Saavedra. Maybe we just want to follow the chase for history next year, but Saavedra’s credentials aren’t in question. Already a two-time state champion, he won the Doc Buchanan handily and rolled to a win over Booth at SJS Masters. Vacaville’s Anthony Hernandez will also be a factor. Cervantes won the NCS title by beating Windsor’s Noah Au-Yeung but has Saavedra in his half of the draw.
Angel Velasquez, 132
McCoy Kent, 138
Michael Klee, 145
Brandon Claiborne, 145
132
152
FAVORITE: Angel Velasquez (PitmanTurlock), Sr. NORCAL’S NEXT TOP CONTENDER: Alex Felix (Gilroy), Fr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Kenny Jones (Lassen-Susanville), Jr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak-Tulare). Velasquez heads south as the favorite, but that might be courtesy of a few upsets at Central Section Masters. Enriquez spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the state but lost in the semifinals last weekend and settled for third. Felix represents one of NorCal’s up and comers but don’t be surprised to see Jones make a run to the later rounds with only one other section champ in his quarter of the bracket.
FAVORITE: Zack Velasquez (PonderosaShingle Springs), Sr. NORCAL’S NEXT TOP CONTENDER: Jacob Thalin (Santa Teresa-San Jose), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: John Leal (Chico), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Justin Thomas (Santiago-Corona). This weight is particularly hard to read after an upset win by San Marino sophomore Luke Troy at Southern Section Masters knocked Thomas from his perch as the presumptive favorite. Velasquez has been remarkably consistent this year, winning big early season titles at the Doc Buchanan and Temecula Valley Invitational. Thalin was actually ranked higher than Velasquez in the last state rankings, and rolled to the CCS title without being challenged.
FAVORITE: Wyatt Wyckoff (Paradise), Sr. NORCAL’S NEXT TOP CONTENDER: McCoy Kent (Enochs-Modesto), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Ian Cramer (Gunn-Palo Alto), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Wyckoff. Paradise’s top man has made it to Saturday night each of the last two years and both times has come up short. He’ll be a man on a mission this year as he tries to close his career with the one title that has eluded him. Meanwhile, Kent is rounding into form at the right time and is even training with Saavedra throughout the postseason. Selma’s Ruben Garcia and Clovis’ Khristian Olivas lead the Central Section contingent.
FAVORITE: Colt Doyle (Poway), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Lorenzo De La Riva (Folsom), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Alex Garcia (Christopher-Gilroy), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Doyle. The defending champion returns for a second go-round at the same weight and he’s done nothing but win this year. His resume includes titles at the Reno TOC and Temecula Valley Invitational. De La Riva could give him quite the test though, as Folsom’s leading man looks to improve on a top-12 finish at 145 pounds last year. Garcia has also spent the whole season in the rankings and is in great form after beating each opponent at CCS Masters by technical fall.
FAVORITE: Ralphy Tovar (Poway), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Brandon Claiborne (Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills), Jr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Reese Chew (Kimball-Manteca), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Tovar. A two-time state placer, Tovar returns to Bakersfield as one of the San Diego Section’s best chances for gold. He’ll have to contend with a loaded contingent from the Southern Section, which occupied spots 2 through 5 in the state rankings heading into Masters weekend. Claiborne beat Chew at SJS Masters and comes in as perhaps a bit of a dark horse himself. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa senior Michael Klee won the NCS championship and is a perfect 34-0 but Tovar looms in that quarter of the bracket.
FAVORITE: Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco-Bellflower), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Mark Penyacsek (Gilroy), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Gavin Hummel (De La Salle), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Valencia. The senior from St. John Bosco is unquestionably the man to beat and he returns to Bakersfield with two state titles and a runner-up finish already in his pocket. Wins at the Walsh Ironman, Doc Buchanan and Five Counties leave little doubt that Valencia is ready for one final run at a crown. Penyacsek makes his final trip south looking to make the jump from contender to state placer. Watch out for Oakdale’s Abel Garcia, who emerged from a crowded field to win the SJS Masters title.
138
Gavin Hummel, 170
Grant Farris, 182
Willie Amen, 195
Darryl Aiello, 220
Jerod Nooner, 220
Murrell Andeson, 285
Dominic Balmer, 285
Jake Minshew, 285
145
160
170
182 FAVORITE: Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco-Bellflower), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Roman Romero (McNairStockton), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Christian Murabito (Saratoga), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Valencia. The second half of perhaps the state’s toughest brothers also enters this year’s tournament in search of a third state title. His main competition will come from another wrestler of good brotherly lineage, Clovis’ AJ Nevills. The NCS sends two wrestlers in Liberty’s Grant Ferris and Las Lomas’ Max Bossert who put on a good show in the section finals as Ferris emerged the 11-9 victor. Murabito survived three close matches to win at CCS Masters and should be comfortable against good competition at state.
195
FAVORITE: Austin Flores (Clovis North), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Matt Penyacsek (Gilroy), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Willie Amen (Las Lomas), Sr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Flores. Yet another matchup of wrestlers well acquainted with one another could be in the cards this weekend for Flores and Adam Prentice of Clovis. Flores prevailed at Central Section Masters and owns three head-to-head wins over Prentice this year. Penyacsek was ranked No. 4 in the state entering CCS Masters and did nothing to change that as he cruised to another title. Amen also rolled to a NCS title but Flores is in his quarter of the bracket.
220
FAVORITE: Liam Sorahan (Poway), Sr. NORCAL’S TOP CONTENDER: Jerod Nooner (Folsom), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Daryl Aiello (De La Salle), So. PREDICTED CHAMP: Seth Nevills (Clovis), Fr. The newest entry in a long line of accomplished brothers, Nevills joined his older brother AJ in the winner’s circle at Central Section Masters. Sorahan entered the San Diego Section tournament at No. 1 in the state and didn’t disappoint, rolling to a title. Nooner won a tough weight class at SJS Masters, but don’t be surprised if Ponderosa-Shingle Springs’ Kyle Jennings or Elk Grove’s Sai Ta’amu make noise in Bakersfield as well.
285
FAVORITE: Jake Minshew (Casa Roble-Orangevale), Sr, NORCAL’S NEXT TOP CONTENDER: Dominic Balmer (Woodcreek-Roseville), Sr. NORCAL’S DARK HORSE: Christian Rebottaro (Monte Vista Christian-Watsonville), Jr. PREDICTED CHAMP: Minshew. The matchup everyone was waiting for finally took place last week at SJS Masters and Minshew came out the winner, beating Balmer 4-3. A rematch could certainly be in the cards in Bakersfield, but the two will need to make it through some tough competition from the Central Section in Clovis’ Hexton Coronado, Selma’s Jose Alvarez and Sierra-Tollhouse’s Casey Jones. Rebottaro won the CCS Masters title while Newark Memorial’s Murrell Anderson goes to Bakersfield as the NCS champion. ✪
cIF gIrlS State tournament
JoneS, enochS hIghlIght Strong norcal eFFort VISALIA - Just two hours south of home, Sariyah Jones celebrated a monumental individual accomplishment moments before she was able to embrace her teammates for their collective efforts, Jones, a junior at Enochs-Modesto, defeated Aleeah Gould of Canyon-Anaheim 5-1 for the 106-pound championship at the CIF Girls State Wrestling Championships in Visalia and the Eagles collectively won the team title by a slim 81-79 margin over Hillcrest-Riverside on Saturday. Six of the top 10 teams at state all came from the Sac-Joaquin, North Coast and Central Coast Sections with James Logan-Union City (3rd, 76 points), Albany (5th, 71), Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco (8th, 55), Del Oro-Loomis (9th, 53) and Benicia (10th, 49). Scotts Valley senior Dominique Parrish won the 116 title with an injury default decision over Alex Hedrick of Bella Vista-Fair Oaks and Ricki Liang of Benicia edged out Dalishea Jaime of San Dimas 2-0 for the title at 121. The finals at 143 had an an all-North Coast Section feel with section champion Rachael Butler of Foothill-Pleasanton against Vanessa Tria of James Logan. Tria, who did not advance out of the semifinals at the section championship defeated Butler 7-4 for the state title. In the second to last match of the finals, Iman Kazem of West-Tracy defeated Ophelia Lara of Gahr-Cerritos 10-4 for the title. The reasoning behind starting the state finals at 170 pounds, not a norm, is because of the opportunity for a first in the five year history of the state championship. Alyssa LaFrancis of Rancho Buena Vista-Vista went into the finals as the only threetime state champion and was vying for the opportunity to etch her name in the record books with a fourth state title against Marianne Schauer of Modesto. LaFrancis made quick work of Schauer with a first round pin. The state finals did not come up roses for all Northern California grapplers. Woodcreek-Roseville junior Lauren Mason, the 2014 state champion at 111 pounds came up short as a repeat champ, losing a 10-3 decision to Selma freshman Gracie Figueroa, one of two freshman to win state titles for Selma. “It’s an awesome honor to be in the finals, no matter what” Mason said. “(Woodcreek) coach (Jene Burris) was telling me this year doesn’t take away from last year. I am still a state champion. It’s just this year, there was another one.” State champion Enochs had the most complete showing at state. Of the four Eagles that advanced to state, three won individual medals with top-six places in their weight classes. Along with Jones, Micaela Kent took third at 101 with a 1-0 win over Harmonie of Ukiah, the North Coast champion, and Rory Coscia defeated Kiah Martin of Eureka 4-0 at 116. James Logan also had three wrestlers medal with Talissa Noriega finishing 5th at 106 and Hayley Aguilar finishing 6th at 121 along with state champ Tria. A final recognition at state was Pursuing Victory with Honor winners presented during the championship presentations at the Visalia Convention Center. Noriega, Parrish, Cassie Olive of Las Plumas-Oroville, Nalley Patino of Albany, Schauer, and Danielle Pubill of Sacred Heart were honored. ✪ — Trevor Horn
Records are through Feb. 28 1. (1)
—
Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland
22-4
2. (2)
—
Moreau Catholic-Hayward
22-5
3. (3)
—
Sacramento
25-4
4. (4)
—
El Cerrito
27-3
5. (5)
—
Monte Vista-Danville
25-3
6. (6)
—
De La Salle-Concord
25-3
7. (7)
—
Modesto Christian
26-3
8. (8)
—
Folsom
25-4
9. (9)
—
Campolindo-Moraga
25-3
Woodcreek-Roseville
25-4
San Ramon Valley-Danville
23-5
12. (12) —
Serra-San Mateo
20-5
13. (13) —
Sheldon-Sacramento
20-6
14. (14) —
St. Francis-Mountain View
21-4
15. (15) —
Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton
23-2
16. (16) —
St. Mary’s-Stockton
22-7
17. (17) —
Sir Francis Drake-San Anselmo
26-4
18. (20) ▲
Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove
21-8
19. (NR) ▲
Sierra-Manteca
27-2
20. (NR) ▲
Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa
28-2
10. (10) — 11. (11)
—
DROPPED OUT: No. 17 Cordova-Rancho Cordova and No. 19 KennedySacramento.
BIGGEST MOVER There was little movement as the Top 17 all took care of business in the playoffs. However, the first-round upset loss by then No. 17 Cordova, and a quarterfinal loss by No. 18 Kennedy made room for two new arrivals — one from the Sac-Joaquin Section and one from the North Coast Section. Sierra-Manteca enters at No. 19 after reaching the SJS Div. III semis and Cardinal Newman grabs No. 20 as it takes care of business as the No. 1 seed in the NCS Div. IV field.
TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 13
Zach Coepeland
berkeley is back Buzzer-beater dramatics put Yellowjackets in the semifinals for first time since 2005 Zach Copeland took the ball at the far end of the court. He pushed it up the floor and hesitated slightly as his other four Berkeley High teammates took their defenders toward the baseline. Then he accelerated toward the middle of the lane and elevated. Stepping up to meet him was Freedom’s 6-foot-7 center Kendall McIntosh — who already had three blocks in the fourth quarter. Copeland brought the ball back down and scooped it up under the left arm of McIntosh. The ball hung on the rim for a brief second before dropping through with 2 seconds remaining. The basket lifted the visiting Yellowjackets to a 6968 North Coast Section Division I quarterfinal win. But more importantly, it announced Berkeley’s return to the big stage. For the first time in a decade, Berkeley will play in an NCS semifinal, and as a result, will also earn an at-large berth to the California Interscholastic Federation Division I Northern Regional tournament. Second-year Yellowjackets coach Mark DeLuca was ecstatic, but not entirely shocked.
“I knew we had a run in us in the playoffs,” the coach said. “I told the boys that no one wants to play Berkeley in the playoffs. No matter what seeding.” Berkeley was given the No. 5 seed in the 16-team field and is now 19-9 on the season prior to a March 4 semifinal meeting with top-seeded Monte Vista (25-3) — the defending CIF Div. I state champion. For the Yellowjackets, though, the Mustangs are just another obstacle in what’s been a whacky season. “This team is amazing,” DeLuca said. “We have fought through everything. We have fought through internal conflict, parent problems, public (Fergusonrelated) protests that stopped practices; my team helped run a peace rally in Richmond. We’ve had a nutty year, and I wouldn’t trade this year back for any. We’ve been through it all this year.” Before Copeland could make his heroic layup, Berkeley had to show its resiliency throughout the game against Freedom. The Yellowjackets scored the first five points of the game, but a 5-2 advantage would be their only lead until late in the third quarter when a layup by Sean Spikes put them up 52-51.
Records are through Feb. 28
Sean Spikes
Freedom recovered, however, and took a 66-62 lead into the last two minutes of the game. It was Spikes, a sophomore, who made the momentum-swinging play. Still trailing by four, Berkeley had just had another empty trip down the floor as McIntosh pulled down a defensive rebound. But as soon as he landed, Spikes was able to reach in an knock the ball free. He grabbed the loose ball and converted a layup while drawing a foul. Spikes would complete the 3-point play and cut the lead to one. “Sean is going to be a superstar,” DeLuca said. “He’s just a sophomore and he doesn’t know how good he can be. We told everybody. ‘Go out of the boundaries. Make plays you’ve never played before tonight.’ And he did it.” As for Copeland, whose layup came 10 seconds after Freedom’s Nick Evans made his own go-ahead layin, DeLuca didn’t have any doubt about placing the ball in his senior’s hands. “He’s a fierce competitor,” the coach said. “He’ll compete in Madden, checkers, basketball, tiddlywinks whatever. He came up big.”
STRONGER THAN OAK? The Valley Oak League is putting its footprints all over the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III tournament. Three VOL teams reached the semifinals with league-champion Sierra-Manteca leading the way. The No. 3-seed Timberwolves took a 27-2 record into their March 3 showdown with No. 2 VandenFairfield. Sierra coach Scott Thomason, who has
lead the program to six VOL titles in his 15 seasons, could pick up career win No. 300 in the matchup. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, No. 5 Manteca and upstart No. 9 Weston Ranch-Stockton will face-off in an all-VOL semi. Manteca’s path meant beating No. 12 Lincoln and No. 13 Rio Americano (which had knocked off No. 4 Cordova-Rancho Cordova). Weston Ranch arrived after taking down top-seeded Christian Brothers. The Cougars are led by dynamic scorer Jaelen Ragsdale, but it was Tre Simmons and his five fourth-quarter steals that helped seal the team’s quarterfinal upset.
HALF DOZEN HEAVYWEIGHT Despite a roster of just six players, the Eastside College Prep girls basketball team began the first week of March ranked No. 17 in the state after upsetting then-No. 11 Archbishop Mitty 56-53 in the first round of the Central Coast Section Open Div. playoffs. Mitty dressed 16 players for the game. After three quarters, Eastside was down to five players after Kayla Taahafe fouled out. The Panthers still managed to hold on, thanks to Brije Byers’ 16 points and center Destiny Graham’s 13 points and 20 rebounds. “A lot of time it’s not the size of the army,” Eastside coach Donovan Blythe told the San Jose Mercury News. “It’s how well prepared you are.” Eastside Prep took a 23-2 record into a March 3 semifinal with Pinewood-Los Altos Hills (21-4). Pinewood has beat Eastside twice this season. ✪ — Chace Bryson
1. (1)
—
St. Mary’s-Stockton
28-1
2. (2)
—
Miramonte-Orinda
26-2
3. (3)
—
Pinewood-Los Altos Hills
23-2
4. (4)
—
Carondelet-Concord
26-2
5. (5)
—
Vanden-Fairfield
26-3
6. (6)
—
St. Ignatius-S.F.
21-4
7. (7)
—
Dublin
24-3
8. (12)
^
Eastside Prep-Palo Alto
21-4
9. (9)
—
Salesian-Richmond
26-3
10. (10) —
St. Mary’s-Berkeley
22-7
Archbishop Mitty-San Jose
19-6
12. (11) ▼
Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland
20-8
13. (14) ▲
Brookside Christian-Stockton
22-2
14. (15) ▲
Antelope
26-1
15. (16) ▲
Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills
25-3
16. (17) ▲
James Logan-Union City
25-3
17. (18) ▲
Modesto Christian
25-4
18. (19) ▲
McClatchy-Sacramento
22-6
19. (20) ▲
Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F.
15-10
20. (13) ▼
Scotts Valley
23-4
11. (8)
▼
DROPPED OUT None
BIGGEST MOVER Only two of the Top 20 teams suffered losses in postseason play last week. Both lost to teams which were also in the rankings. The bigger upset was then No. 12 Eastside College Prep knocking off No. 8 Archbishop Mitty in the opening round of the CCS Open Div. playoffs. That was enough to lift the Panthers into the No. 8 spot. Meanwhile, Scotts Valley dropped from No. 13 to No. 20 after losing its CCS Open Div. playoff game to Sacred Heart Cathedral.
TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 17
Striving for excellence will yield a lot more success than juststriving for perfection
get mental: ericka carlson Is this you? ›› Strong work ethic ›› High expectations for yourself ›› Very competitive ›› Good student ›› Talented athlete ›› Work to please others (parents, coaches) ›› Worry (excessively at times) about making mistakes ›› Put A LOT of pressure on self ›› Hard time mentally recovering from mistakes ›› Easily frustrated If this sounds like you, chances are you consider yourself a “perfectionist.” You strive to connect every pass, make every play, execute every drill perfectly. You push yourself to win every sprint, and anything less than perfect feels totally frustrating. That’s a good thing, right? Wrong. The irony of being a perfectionist is that you’re failing all the time. When is the last time you succeeded at having an absolutely perfect practice, game or drill? There are perfect moments in sport (enjoy every second!), but there are not totally perfect training
sessions, games or practices. There are always ways to get better. Striving to be perfect may help you push to work harder and get it right, but the failure rate of perfectionism (100 percent) is not a great confidence builder. What’s the solution? Make a small shift away from perfectionism to striving for excellence. What’s the difference? Both mindsets require an incredibly tough work ethic, pushing hard to improve, high expectations, being detailed and highly competitive — all excellent characteristics for high achievement. The difference lies in how you manage challenges. Perfectionism has zero margin for error, which is why perfectionists are easily frustrated and often upset about their performance. Excellence, however, indicates that mistakes, set-backs and challenges are inevitable — and are actually extremely valuable for developing as an athlete. The excellence mindset helps you work through challenges with less frustration, so you learn faster and build more stable confidence. Not just confidence as a competitor, but also confidence in your ability to overcome challenges, which is one of the most advantageous mental toughness skills. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.
Photo Finish
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San Ramon Valley-Danville soccer’s Nathan Miller (3) is embraced by Mikey Maul while Chris Scatterday (7) and Alex Raymond (25) join the party after Miller’s goal against De La Salle-Concord. Photo by Phillip Walton