DW 35 October 15, 2015
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Campolindo-Moraga - Football - Junior The running back position was one of the biggest question marks for the defending CIF Division III State Bowl champions in 2015, but Moore has slowly emerged over the course of the season and then broke out in a big way on Oct. 9. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound junior needed just 10 carries to rumble for 212 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-20 win against visiting Alhambra-Martinez. Moore’s previous season high for rushing yards was just 46 yards (also on 10 carries) during the Cougars’ win at Dougherty Valley-San Ramon. Moore’s big night against Alhambra helped push the Cougars to a 6-1 record overall and a 3-0 mark in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League. Campolindo entered Week 7 tied atop the DFAL with undefeated rival Miramonte-Orinda. The two are scheduled to meet on Oct. 30.
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Adrenaline
Incredibly, just three weeks remain before the girls volleyball postseason begins across most Northern California sections. However, playoff volleyball seemingly arrived early in Danville on Oct. 13 when cross-town rivals Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley clashed for the first of their two East Bay Athletic League showdowns. Monte Vista (17-3, 7-0 EBAL) took a one-game lead in the standings with a thrilling five-set victory over the host Wolves (13-5, 6-1). San Ramon Valley star hitter Katherine Claybaugh
had a match-high 32 kills while the Mustangs were led by Morgan Burroughs, Maclaine Fields and Maddie Dailey. Here are some of our favorite shots from the match by SportStars photographer Phillip Walton. PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE): Monte Vista celebrates a hard-fought point; Monte Vista’s Maclaine Fields prepares to serve; SRV’s Lucy Strand (3) and Mia Fowler elevate for a block attempt; SRV’s Katherine Claybaugh follows through on one of her 32 kills in the match; Ava Patterson of Monte Vista goes up for a hit.
spike
Sacramento’s Caden Voges
Jake Browning is gone, but Sac-Joaquin Section quarterbacks remain better than ever
W
e are just a year removed from the most prolific statistical season ever turned in by a high school quarterback, yet the Sac-Joaquin Section has plenty of talent under center (or in the pistol formation, to be more precise and up-to-date) battling to be the next big thing at the position. While no one will be approaching the records Folsom’s Jake Browning set in 2014, a handful of local signal-callers are putting up some impressive numbers as most teams have passed the midway point of the 2015 season. Sacramento senior Caden Voges joined the elite 10,000-yard club last week after throwing for 338 yard s in a rout of Laguna Creek. Voges, a three-year starter who eclipsed 4,000 yards passing in each of his first two campaigns for the Dragons, became just the sixth player in California to reach the 10K milestone. He joins Browning, the state career passing leader with 16,775 yards, and Farmersville’s Sam Metcalf as the only NorCal products to reach 10,000 yards. With four regular season games and at least one playoff game still to be played, Voges could be second to only Browning in career yards when all is said and done. While the personal stats and achievements are nice, Voges has other goals on his mind. “Starting in 2013, my goals were to win a section and state championship,” Voges said. “Those goals are still the same. The career yards were just a by-product of the bigger goals.” Like every one of the section’s top passers, Voges puts his team first. “(10,000 yards) is a great accomplishment, but I think it speaks volumes as to how far the program has come,” he said. “Personal records come from a successful team effort. “If it wasn’t for the players around me, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to
throw for so many yards. I’ve always played in the moment and haven’t been too caught up in numbers, but after the season is over I feel like I’ll have a chance to reflect on my career as a whole.” Oak Ridge senior Ian Book is another three-year varsity starter posting impressive stats and getting plenty of attention. Book has led the Trojans to a 6-1 record (the lone loss was to Nevada powerhouse Reed-Sparks) with his arm. But it may be the newly-highlighted running threat that is making Notre Dame plenty happy that the El Dorado Hills product is committed to the Fighting Irish. After throwing for 4,583 yards and 48 TDs in his first two seasons combined, Book is on pace to set season highs in passing yards and touchdowns. In 2013 and 2014, Book ran the ball just 24 times for a paltry 71 total yards and rushed for one score as a sophomore. This year, he has a rushing TD in 6 of 7 games and has carried the ball 62 times for 408 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 8 TDs. He ran for a career-best 96 yards on 13 carries in a 36-28 victory over Sierra Foothill League-rival Granite Bay last week. The effort made Book the Notre Dame Recruit Player of the Week for the second time this season, and he will make his official trip to South Bend this weekend for the program’s big game against USC. Other top performers this season include McNair-Stockton senior Osai Brown, who leads the section with 2,124 yards passing, and touchdown leader Hunter Rodrigues, a senior from Whitney-Rocklin who has already tossed for 34 scores thus far. Isaiah Tenette, a diminutive speedster from Highlands-North Highlands, leads all SJS players (not just QBs) with 1,316 yards in just six games for the Scots. Folsom senior Jake Jeffrey has brought a new dimension to the Bulldogs’ QB position as a pass-run threat. He’s accumulated more than 2,000 yards of total offense and 25 total TDs for the top-ranked SJS team.
Story by Jim McCue • Photos by James K. Leash
10K CAL’S
Following are the six players who have reached 10,000 passing yards in their high school careers. (via Cal-Hi Sports)r Player (School/Grad year) Yards Jake Browning (Folsom ’15).................................................................16,775 Sam Metcalf (Farmersville ’15)............................................................11,913 Michael Herrick (Valencia ’06)...........................................................11,202 Brady White (Hart-Valencia ’15).........................................................10,835 Jimmy Clausen (Oaks Christian-Westlake ’07)....................................10,677 Caden Voges (Sacramento ’16)............................................................10,271
club
Passing FANCY
Here’s how some of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top quarterbacks stack up against each other through seven weeks of the 2015 season.
Passing Yards Osai Brown (McNair-Stockton)............................................................. 2,124 Hunter Rodrigues (Whitney-Rocklin).................................................... 1,977 Brett Neves (Downey-Modesto)............................................................ 1,857 Chris Lubinsky (Ceres)........................................................................... 1,850 Unique Perez (Cordova-Rancho Cordova)............................................ 1,838
TD Passes Rodrigues................................................................................................... 34 Brown......................................................................................................... 32 Perez........................................................................................................... 24 Jake Jeffrey (Folsom).................................................................................... 21 Ian Book (Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills)....................................................... 20 Caden Voges (Sacramento)......................................................................... 20
Right, Oak Ridge’s Ian Book. Bottom left, Folsom’s Jake Jeffrey. Bottom right, Highland’s Isaiah Tenette.
Total Yards Brown................................................................2,481 (2,124 pass; 357 rush) Rodrigues..........................................................2,376 (1,977 pass; 399 rush) Book..................................................................2,220 (1,812 pass; 408 rush) Perez..................................................................2,128 (1,838 pass, 290 rush) Jeffrey.................................................................2,083 (1,771 pass; 292 rush)
Total TDs Doug Guler photo
Brown.............................................................................. 36 (32 pass; 4 rush) Rodrigues........................................................................ 37 (34 pass; 3 rush) Perez................................................................................ 29 (24 pass; 5 rush) Book................................................................................ 28 (20 pass; 8 rush) Isaiah Tenette (Highlands-North Highlands).................... 28 (9 pass; 19 rush) Jeffrey............................................................................... 25 (21 pass; 4 rush)
Between The Tackles Football notes and rankings after Week 6
Records are through Oct. 10 1. (1)
— De La Salle-Concord
5-1
2. (2)
— Folsom
7-0
3. (3)
— Clayton Valley Charter-Concord 5-1
4. (6)
▲ Elk Grove
6-0
5. (8)
▲ Foothill-Pleasanton
7-0
6. (12)
▲ St. Francis-Mountain View
5-0
7. (7)
— Grant-Sacramento
5-1
8. (16)
▲ Archbishop Riordan-S.F.
5-0
9. (4)
▼ Bellarmine-San Jose
4-1
10. (10) — Pittsburg
5-1
11. (11) — Central Catholic-Modesto
6-0
12. (13) ▲ Monte Vista-Danville
5-1
13. (14) ▲ Antioch
6-0
14. (5)
4-1
▼ Valley Christian-San Jose
15. (NR) ▲ Archbishop Mitty-San Jose
4-1
16. (17) ▲ Napa
6-0
17. (9)
▼ Serra-San Mateo
2-3
18. (20) ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills
6-1
19. (19) — Miramonte-Orinda
7-0
20. (NR) ▲ Oakdale
6-0
DROPPED OUT: No. 15 Del Oro-Loomis and No. 18 Granite Bay 5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): AnalySebastopol (6-0), California-San Ramon (5-1), Campolindo-Moraga (6-1), Palma-Salinas (4-1) and Will C. Wood-Vacaville (6-0).
Pittsburg coach Victor Galli earned his 114th career win.
Galli Captains Pirates to Landmark Win His team needed nearly every second of the game to pull it off, but Pittsburg High coach Victor Galli notched his 114th career win at FreedomOakley on Oct. 2. It was a win that made the 14-year coach the storied program’s winningest coach. Galli’s milestone victory was nearly delayed for a week after Pittsburg fell behind to Freedom 29-26 with 1:54 left in the game in the two teams’ Bay Valley Athletic League opener. Pittsburg began the game-winning drive on its own 31-yard line, and reached the Pittsburg 44-yard line with 51.2 seconds to go after Freedom was whistled for a personal foul following an incomplete pass. On the next play, Pirates quarterback Christian Young hit sophomore receiver A’jae Boyd on a crossing pattern about 20 yards downfield. Boyd then proceeded to make four would-be tacklers miss and went all the way for a 44-yard touchdown with 41 seconds left. Freedom’s last-chance drive ended near midfield when Jordan Parker, who earlier in the week gave an oral commitment to Oklahoma University, intercepted the ball at the Freedom 40-yard line. “What a way to reach the mark,” Galli told Prep2Prep reporter Nate Smith. “It was just wild.”
Jonathan Hawthorne
Pittsburg (5-1, 1-0 BVAL) will be heavily favored in its next three league contests before its storied Big Little Game Rivalry matchup with Antioch (6-0, 1-0) on Nov. 7. The Pirates and Panthers haven’t played a game to decide the BVAL crown since 2002. Pittsburg is the host for this year’s game.
STONE LOVE As the league title races heat up throughout Northern California, it’s hard to find a race more captivating than the North Coast Section’s Tri-County Athletic League-Stone Division. The small-school division has four teams legitimately in the hunt, and they all seem extremely evenly matched. Valley Christian-Dublin (6-0, 3-0 TCAL-S) holds a half-game lead in the division over Berean Christian-Walnut Creek (5-1, 2-0), which is coming off a thrilling 37-36 overtime Homecoming win over John Swett-Crockett (5-1, 1-1) on Oct. 2. De AnzaEl Sobrante (5-2, 2-1) is the fourth team in the mix. The race should all but be decided over Weeks 7 and 8. Valley Christian plays host to John Swett on Oct. 16 at Dougherty Valley High in San Ramon, and then Berean Christian on Oct. 24. De Anza will get the final chance to be spoiler for either Berean Christian or Valley Christian. The Dons travel to Berean Christian on Oct. 31 and host Valley Christian on Nov. 6. ✪ — Chace Bryson
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I
n the world of high school sports, September signifies that water polo season has officially begun. And what better way to kick off the season than with a massive tournament? That’s exactly what Sierra College has done for the last 21 years with their Sierra Shoot Out for high school girls teams throughout the West Coast. This huge tournament has always been such a success that about 10 years ago they decided to add boys teams to the mix and an extra weekend to the tournament. Traditionally, the event starts the weekend after Labor Day and is divided into two separate weekends. This year, the boys teams competed on Sept. 11-12 and the girls teams on Sept. 18-19. Both weekends, the tournament utilized the Sierra College Aquatics Complex as well as the pool facilities at Oakmont High in Roseville and Whitney High in Rocklin. The boys tournament had 52 teams competing and the girls tournament had 60. Beginning as early as 7 a.m. on the Fridays of each tournament, the teams battled it out well into the evening. Every team was guaranteed five games and both tournaments branched off with a championship tier and a challenge tier on Saturday. During the first weekend, the boys team of Bella Vista-Fair Oaks produced an impressive second-place finish overall. However it was Merced High that captured the title. As for the girls, competition was especially fierce. They actually had to tier the tournament into three divisions due to the number of teams competing and various levels of play. The Challenge A tier included 16 teams and the Challenge B tier had 12. That left 32 teams competing in the championship tier and on Sept. 19. The field whittled down to two teams, Sanger High out of Fresno and Placer Valley’s own Del Oro-Loomis. Del Oro was victorious and brought home the gold. Scott Decker, Sierra College’s Aquatics Director and Tournament Coordinator, was pleased to have another successful tournament in the books. Decker added, “The Sierra Shoot Out is considered the largest water polo tournament in the west and we love hosting it every year!”
beast of the west Every wrestler dreams of letting their inner beast shine and that is exactly what youth wrestlers ages 5-18 will have the opportunity to do at the Beast of the West Tournament. RMN Events and Placer Valley Tourism have teamed up for the second year in a row to bring this wrestling event back to Hardwood Palace in Rocklin on Dec. 5-6. The tournament has space for 800 youth wrestlers, 32 middle school teams and 24 high school teams and will utilize 14 mats for competitions. Youth athletes and wrestling teams from up to 20 different states throughout the country are expected to be in attendance. First-place winners in all divisions are awarded with an incredible championship belt while second through sixth place receive custom four-inch medals. New this year is the addition of the high school teams which will add an increased level of competition and excitement. “It will be only the second tournament in California history to give high school athletes a chance to compete for a one of a kind custom championship belt for placing first,” said Joshua Gutierrez, Director for RMN Events. “We expect great things for this event.” RMN Events has an incredible reputation for bringing top-level competition to their tournaments and having the best opening ceremonies in the business. The Beast of the West is no exception and will feature an amazing laser light show, special guests and more. “Our goal is always to inspire, encourage and recognize the youth,” Gutierrez said. “At RMN Events, we truly believe the way these kids will be recognized at this tournament will encourage and inspire their inner beast for years to come.” It’s not too late to get your team or youth wrestler registered. Online registration is available at www.rmnevents.com and will be open until Nov. 30. Space is limited so don’t delay. ✪ — All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!
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DIRT TRACK TO A career TRACK J
Avid dirt biker John Cunningham took his passion for Cal State Parks and dirt bikes & shifted it into a career
park. As a ranger, John is now charged with protecting the park where he grew up. John is the consummate professional; his off-highway vehicle (OHV) experience is evident, and the pride of being a ranger is reflected in the interactions with park visitors. If you are interested in a job that operates or works with off-highway vehicles (OHVs), there are a variety available with the OffHighway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division of California State Parks. An employee with an OHV background benefits both the park and the public. An added bonus for the employee is working in a scenic setting that supports OHV recreation and environmental stewardship. Shift your passion into high gear; Ranger Cunningham is a perfect example of how following your passion can lead to an exciting career. For information about being hired for a permanent position with State Parks or to become a State Parks Ranger, check out www. parks.ca.gov and click on the JOBS tab. To inquire about seasonal or part-time employment positions in maintenance, resources, administration, and interpretation at Hungry Valley SVRA, please email recruiter Lisa Zamecki at Lisa.Zamecki@parks.ca.gov. Visitors to the State Vehicular Recreation Areas bring a variety of off-highway vehicles to explore the trails and enjoy the thrill of the ride. Hungry Valley SVRA is a 20,000 acre OHV park with almost 150 miles of diverse trails, a motocross track, several practice tracks and a 4x4 obstacle course to improve vehicle operating skills. Park information is tweeted, posted on Facebook at Hungry Valley SVRA and on the Hungry Valley website at www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/hungryvalley. Hungry Valley SVRA is located at 5301 Peace Valley Road, Gorman, CA 93243. There is a $5 day use fee and $10 overnight camping fee. For more information, call (661)248-7007. Come out and play! ✪ — Content provided by California State Parks
ohn Cunningham took his passion of riding dirt bikes and turned it into a career as a California State Parks Ranger. Ranger Cunningham has been riding his dirt bike at Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) since he was 10 years old and has been working as a ranger at the park for more than two years. As a youngster living only an hour away in Reseda, John and his family often loaded up dirt bikes and headed to Hungry Valley for the day. Cunningham fondly remembers his frequent trips to the park, “I knew that coming out here would be fun!” As a child, John also spent time riding and camping in the Jawbone and Dove Springs area, part of the new California State Parks acquisition that he now patrols. In his early twenties, John raced Enduro and Hare Scrambles at Hungry Valley SVRA. While riding at Hungry Valley one day, he saw a ranger on a dirt bike (John’s Ah-ha! moment) and flagged him down. As he talked with the ranger, John realized that he needed more college credits to meet the requirements for a ranger position. While finishing his college classes, he joined the volunteer patrol staff at Hungry Valley SVRA, gaining valuable knowledge which made him more competitive for the job. After graduating from the six-month training academy to become a California State Parks Ranger, John chose to return and work at the park that he knows and loves. Most weekends you might find John out on patrol at Hungry Valley, either on a dirt bike or in an RZR quad vehicle. As an avid dirt bike rider, he still races a few times a year. Now, though, he mostly focuses on Dual Sport rides, which are often multi-day events. Hungry Valley SVRA became a unit of the California State Parks system in 1980, the same year Ranger Cunningham was born. Having spent most of his life exploring Hungry Valley, he is a natural ambassador for the
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peak performance: sean Donohue
Emotional
Rescue Your emotions matter. There is a strong relationship between how you feel and how you perform in your sport. If you arrive to your sport feeling confident, joyful, focused, and secure, you are putting your body is a position to perform at a high level. On the other hand, if you feel unworthy, insecure, stressed, or afraid, your body will not respond as well as it can. Just like all successful athletes need to care for their physical health, their diet and their academics – athletes must be diligent to protect and care for their mental health. Here are some tips to protect your emotions: SET BOUNDARIES with people who bring you down, bring unwanted drama into your life, or make you feel stressed. This might mean unfollowing someone on Twitter, eating at a new lunch table or breaking up with someone — do what you need to do to protect yourself. SLEEP. Lots. Get lots of sleep. FIND AN ADULT MENTOR whom you feel safe talking with, venting, and sharing your life. If you don’t have a parent that you feel safe with or who can fill this role, find a coach, a relative, a friend’s parent or a neighbor. Use this line, “I’m going through some stuff and I was wondering if we can hang out sometime to talk about life together.” DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO TO INVITATIONS. Sports can be stressful. During your season, you may not have the time or emotional energy to have many other things in your life. Don’t be afraid to say “no thanks” to people who want you to get involved in a new project, hang out, or date. TRY TO LIVE IN PEACE IN YOUR HOME. For some student-athletes, the field is a place of chaos and pressure, and the home is a place of relaxation and joy. Yet for many other teenagers, this is switched. The sports field is a place of safety and joy and the home is a place of displeasure and pressure. If that is you, then consider how you can help to bring peace to your home. Maybe use this line with your adults/parents, “I know we all love each other here, but I have to tell you that our home environment is really stressing me out. I would like to see changes in how we interact. Can we all sit down and discuss how we can make this a more peaceful home to live in?” ASK FOR HELP. Did you know that at four-year colleges all students can go see an on-campus counselor every week for free? It’s true. College kids are lining up for this opportunity. Furthermore, NCAA athletes are often provided with free tutors and extra study halls. Don’t be afraid to ask the adults in your life for support with your mental health and academic health — people care, and they want to help! The teenage years can be very hard. You are not alone. You have people who love you. You will get through this! Now go out there and have fun. ✪ Sean Donohue is a Family Coach in the Bay Area who specializes in helping hurting teenagers become mature, focused, independent, young adults, and he shows parents how to restore love, order and communication to their family. Read about his work at www.SeanDonohue.org