Digital Weekly 49, Sept. 22, 2016

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 DIGITAL WEEKLY 49

FREEDOM-OAKLEY - FOOTBALL - JUNIOR Coston and the Falcons air attack was in full effect on Sept. 16 as Freedom defeated visiting San Leandro 48-20 and improved to 4-0. Coston caught seven passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

The three scores gave him seven in just four games, already eclipsing the five he scored over 12 games in 2015. The speedy receiver, who is also a key player for the Freedom basketball team, has 22 catches for 560 yards and is just 97 yards shy of reaching his 2015 season total of 657.

His yards-per-catch average since the beginning of his sophomore season is an impressive 18.7. A big reason for Coston’s success in 2016 has been the play of senior quarterback and first-year varsity starter, Jonathan Pierce. Pierce has completed 74 percent of his passes (40-for-54) for 857 yards with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Falcons close out their nonleague slate with a road game against an also-unbeaten Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland on Sept. 23.

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FEELING SUP Popular Superhero Run Returns To Redding For Fourth Year

Because who doesn’t just want to put on their favorite superhero costume and run around? That’s the thinking behind the CASA Superhero Run, a benefit event for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) For Children programs located in Shasta and Tehama Counties. The Superhero run is returning to Redding for its fourth year and will once again offer the Little Heroes Dash (which includes a cape and a pancake breakfast), the Superhero 5K run/walk and Superhero 10K run.

This year’s run will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5, and begin at the Redding Civic Auditorium. Registration is open now at Run4Casa.com. Registration fees are $10 for Little Heroes, $20 for the 5K and $30 for the 10K. For those who can’t run, but still want to support the cause, a virtual runner’s entry can be purchased for $25.

CASA is a national program which provides quality court advocacy services to abused and neglected children under the jurisdiction of the Dependency Court. Since its inception in 1977, the program has helped more than two million children across the country. ✪ — Photos provided by Run4Casa.com

PER?

Redding Youth Lacrosse Registration Now Open! September-December: Register individual team(s) with a $50 deposit. RSVP now to avoid a wait list. Visit team registration page for more information.

November-January: Once game schedule is published in late November or early December teams must pay balance of their registration fees and may Pre-Order Jamboree Apparel through our online store.

Sac River Trail Marathon, 15K, 5K October 22: 9 a.m.: Sac River Trail Marathon, 15K & 5K

Redding Soccer Park HUNTER TROY CLEGG MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT: Sept. 24-25, Competitive U10, U11, U12 and Recreation U10-U19 soccer tournament. Five teams max per division, guarantee of four games. $425 per team. www.ReddingSoccerPark.com

SECOND

ACT

Story by Mike Wood Photos by Phillip Walton

Back On The High School Sidelines For The First Time In 15 Years, Floyd Burnsed Is Hoping To Build A New Dynasty In The Same District He Left In 2001 A strong hint of a Florida drawl remains when Burnsed’s last 10 years at the school, his teams featured big linemen, MATADORS MASTER Floyd Burnsed speaks. Though he’s lived in the Bay sometimes in the 6-foot-6, 285-pound range, and deep rosters, typically Floyd Burnsed is back in the Area for three and a half decades, his calm speaking numbering in the 70s. high school coaching ranks this style is one of the many constants associated with the “That’s what we want to build here, said Burnsed, whose current team fall, guiding Acalanes-Lafayette. longtime coach. has 44 players. “That’s not something that’s going to be done in a few Here is a glance at his run from Winning football games is another. So is a knack for months. But I think if people see the way we play football, the schemes 1982-2001 at Miramontedeveloping quarterbacks for the college level. we run and that we play fun and exciting football, we can build on that.”

Orinda: Back in the high school game at Acalanes HighSo far the building process at Acalanes has yielded wins over AlhamLafayette this season, Burnsed, 69, is again plying his bra-Martinez and Skyline-Oakland, followed by road losses trade on the sidelines, having developed a series of to Heritage-Brentwood and 2015 NCS Division III finalist consistent winners at Miramonte-Orinda from 1982-2001. He’s Analy-Sebastopol. eager for the challenge.

It doesn’t get easier. The Dons, who were 4-8 a year ago, “Coaching does keep you young,” said Burnsed, whose return find themselves in the new Diablo Athletic League’s Valley Coaching record over provided one of the more impressive and stunning offseason Bay Conference — the steeper of the DAL’s two divisions — 20 seasons Area hires. with returning state finalists Clayton Valley Charter-Concord Things fell into place quickly. The Dons job opened and Campolindo-Moraga, and yes, Miramonte. after after previous coach Mike Ivankovich retired after the “Our schedule doesn’t do us any favors,” Burnsed remarked.

2015 season. Burnsed retired in May as a kinesiology and Burnsed, whose coaching career began with high school assistant physical education instructor at Solano Community Collegejobs at Russellville, Kentucky, and in Houston, started his Bay Area Fairfield. run in 1981 as an assistant to Tim Galli at Antioch. A year later, he Burnsed had been at Solano since the 2002 season, but took the Miramonte job. the college dropped football as part of budget cuts in March Quarterback success is what’s associated most often with Burnsed.

2012. Efforts to revive the programs were unsuccessful, and Including Ivy Leaguers, 13 of his Miramonte quarterbacks went on NCS Titles (1983, 1997, 1998, he had the itch to return to the sidelines. “I had no intention to play at the NCAA Division I level. That string began in 1984 with 2000, 2001; team was 13-0 in on being retired,” he said.

John Andrews, who went to Yale. Others followed, including Mark ‘98 and ‘01) Burnsed said he discussed the Acalanes opportunity with Guillon (Miami, then Alabama), Drew Bennett (UCLA) and Ken his wife, Carolyn. “We decided it was fun Dorsey (Miami). when we were involved with high school Certainly Burnsed is proud to see Dorsey, football, so I took the job.” who spent three of his six NFL seasons with He had left the high school ranks in late the 49ers, making an impact of his own on 2001, capping his 20-year run at Miramonte the coaching side, as the quarterbacks coach by coaching the Matadors to their second for the Carolina Panthers and arguably the 13-0 season during his run, their fifth NCS game’s best at that position, Cam Newton. title season under his guidance and fourth in “(Dorsey) is such a great guy, very smart,” Consecutive NCS playoff five years. It was time for a new challenge, he Burnsed said. “If he wants, I think he has the appearances said, which he found at Solano.

Overall NCS playoff appearances skills to one day to become a head coach in Given the number of players Burnsed has the NFL.” coached over the years, it’s not surprising to Right now, making Burnsed’s transition see things come full circle. Three of Burnsed’s assistants are back to high school coaching easier is having a solid leader at former players of his: running backs coach Bryce Hawthorne quarterback: junior Robby Rowell. Through four games, Rowell from Solano, quarterback coach Peter Hess from Miramonte, has completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,318 yards and 12 and defensive backs coach Mark Vicencio, a wide receiver on touchdowns. The Dons feature three different receivers — Aidan Burnsed’s first Matadors NCS championship team in 1983, a Macnamara, Matt Burns and Brian Merken — with at least 300 run that included a 14-7 opening-round win over De La Salle. yards receiving. Merken leads the team with 34 catches for 402 Former Cal standout David Ortega is the Acalanes defensive yards four trips to the end zone. coordinator.

Burnsed points to Rowell’s leadership and smarts. “It’s a perfect Division I quarterbacks coached At Miramonte, which made the NCS playoffs each of fit for the situation.” ✪

154-62-2

5 10 13 13

RED ZONE: FOOTBALL NOTES

RARE occurrence De La Salle And Folsom Both Suffer Losses

Records are through Sept. 17 1. (1)

— De La Salle-Concord

3-1

2. (3)

▲ Del Oro-Loomis

4-0

3. (4)

▲

4. (5)

▲ Elk Grove

3-0

5. (6)

▲ St. Mary’s-Stockton

4-0

6. (2)

▼ Folsom

3-1

7. (7)

— Clayton Vlly Chrtr-Cncrd 3-1

8. (8)

— Monte Vista-Danville

3-0

9. (10)

▲ Pittsburg

4-0

St. Francis-Mountian View 3-0

10. (11) ▲ Valley Christian-San Jose 3-0 11. (9)

v

Oak Ridge-El Drdo Hills 3-1

12. (14) ▲ Bellarmine-San Jose

2-1

13. (12) ▼ Milpitas

4-0

14. (13) ▼ Antioch

3-1

15. (15) — California-San Ramon

4-0

16. (16) — Grant-Sacramento

3-0

17. (17) — Sutter

3-0

18. (NR) ▲ Sacramento

2-1

19. (18) ▼ Jesuit-Carmichael

2-1

20. (20) — Freedom-Oakley

4-0

DROPPED OUT: No. 19 Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): American Canyon (4-0), Bishop O’DowdOakland (3-0), Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (2-1), Miramonte-Orinda (4-0) and Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (4-0)

Halley’s Comet orbits around the sun every 75 years to be visible from Earth. The last time it passed our planet was in 1986.

That year might also be significant in that it could be the last time that De La Salle and Folsom lost football games on the same night prior to Sept. 16, when both the Spartans and Bulldogs came up on the wrong end of the final score on their home fields.

The historical significance of Northern California’s top two football programs falling on the same night is that it is not easily known or researched as to when the last time the two teams lost on the same night, or in the same week of the football season. It may have been in the 1980s—perhaps 1986—before coach Bob Ladouceur’s Spartans became the nation’s most unbeatable high school football program, and long before coach Kris Richardson’s Bulldogs battled De La Salle to be the region’s top dog.

But there it was. A last-minute field goal by East-Salt Lake City (Utah) to hand De La Salle its first defeat since the 2015 season opener in Texas, and superior execution by a talented Sacramento High team to end Folsom’s 50-game Sac-Joaquin Section win streak. From 20102015, both programs had 83 victories, combined for 11 section titles, and collected seven CIF State Bowl Championships (DLS with five and Folsom with two).

Since 2004, De La Salle had only lost nine Phillip Walton regular season games, including the 2004 De La Salle running back Kairee Robinson tries to outrun the season-opening defeat at Bellevue (Washington) East-Salt Lake City defense during the Spartans’ 23-21 loss on Sept. 16. It was De La Salle’s first home loss since a September that snapped the Spartans’ record 151-game 2008 loss to Don Bosco Prep (N.J.). winning streak. None of those nine losses matched up with a Folsom defeat on the same night, or during the same week of play. The closest the two programs came to losing in the same schedule week was in 2005 when De La Salle lost to Clovis West 7-0 on Saturday, Sept. 10. The following week — just six days after the Spartans’ Saturday loss — the Bulldogs fell 23-20 to local rival Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills, 23-20.

The last loss suffered by the Spartans before The Streak was to Pittsburg in the North Coast Section final on Dec. 7, 1991. With Folsom not in a Sac-Joaquin Section final that year, there could be no double defeat for the programs.

Prior to the De La Salle loss in 1991, Ladouceur’s teams lost only three games dating back to 1986 when Halley’s Comet was last seen. SportStars did not have the research budget or the time to scour the Folsom football archives dating back to when Richardson was playing high school football at College Park-Pleasant Hill, just a long touchdown drive away from De La Salle’s campus. Thus, the question remains unanswered. What happened more recently: A Halley’s Comet sighting or De La Salle and Folsom football losing on the same night?

MID-SEASON MUST-WIN?: With the addition of Dublin and Dougherty Valley-San Ramon to the re-aligned East Bay Athletic League, the now nine-team league had to begin EBAL contests much earlier than in previous years. And it means that a Monte Vista-Danville at California-San Ramon showdown in Week 5, could have farreaching implications.

Monte Vista (3-0, 2-0 EBAL) has outscored its first three opponents 143-23 behind third-year QB Jake Haener. California (4-0, 3-0) has used a running attack led by Carlos Gomez to outscore its first four foes 175-50. It would seem to figure that the winner of this mid-season tilt would have the inside track on the league crown.

Granada-Livermore (3-0, 2-0) is the league’s only other team without a defeat through Sept. 17. It faces Monte Vista and California on back-to-back weeks on Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, respectively. ✪ — Jim McCue & Chace Bryson

D‘Marcus Ross

T

iming is everything in high school football. A winning streak is better to end the season than to start it, so Capital Christian has its sights set on coming together as a team to play its best football when it counts — in November and December.

Back in May, the Cougars encountered some bad timing when head coach Phil Grams accepted a job as the running backs coach at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, just four days into spring practices. With all head coaching positions throughout the area filled and the spring season started, Capital Christian had few options to fill the position with a veteran coach.

So, the administration, including athletic director Suzanne Baker, decided to minimize the impact of the coaching change by elevating junior varsity coach Ron Gerringer to the same position on varsity and increased the responsibilities of the offensive and defensive coordinators as well as the rest of the existing coaching staff.

“Coach Gerringer is awesome,” said four-year starting quarterback Jacob Norville. “He is the overseer of the program and is almost like the Dad of the team. He has said that his job is to respond to any major crisis.”

Spring practices flowed well with very little changes to philosophy and schemes on either side of the ball, so the transition to the regular season was smooth when games started in late August. With four consecutive undefeated Golden Empire League campaigns and a 2014 Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship, change was not in order beyond the figure head.

“The transition part is over with,” Gerringer said in the early season. “We are still running (Grams’) program and doing everything his way. He is a lasting memory for us.”

The Cougars started 2016 with a pair of convincing wins over Rosemont-Sacramento and Modesto Christian before running into the next timing challenge. In the Cougars’ 46-20 Fish Bowl win over Modesto Christian, sophomore running back/defensive back D’Marcus Ross suffered a high ankle sprain on a fourth-quarter carry.

Before the injury, Ross rushed for 113 yards on 13 carries, scored four touchdowns on the ground, and added a 39-yard pick six and a sack on defense.

“That was one of the most amazing performances that I have seen on this field,” Norville said after the game.

“He’s a special player, and I think that you could see him playing on Sundays.”

With the injured ankle, Ross missed a road game at Central Coast Section small-school power Aptos, and the Cougars fell 17-7. Ross returned to the lineup last week, but Capital Christian had the enormous task of facing CIF State Division II-AA champion Del Oro-Loomis with its roster full or returning stars from the state title run. Del Oro handed Capital Christian a 64-13 walloping and left the Cougars to regroup for league play.

GEL action opens on Sept. 23 for the Cougars, and they will face Marysville at home in a battle with a league foe that has traditionally played Capital Christian strong. Ross should be back at full strength and the Cougars will look to get off on the right foot.

The talent available to Gerringer is not limited to Norville and Ross. Seniors Julian Leslie, Weston Jones and Austin Alexander have provided leadership and impressive statistics on both sides of the ball. Leslie, a speedy fly back and defensive back leads the team with 25 receptions for 542 yards and four touchdowns. He has also been a force in the secondary with three interceptions and a team-high 41 tackles through four games.

Alexander, a 6-foot-6 wide receiver in his first year on the gridiron, has emerged as a deep threat with nine catches for 245 yards and three scores. Jones is the Cougars’ leader in the trenches. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound lineman opens holes for Ross and protects Norville on offense. On defense, he’s compiled 25 tackles and three sacks.

“This is the most talented team we have had,” Norville said. “We also have three starters that are sitting right now. When they are eligible (after the transfer sitting period ends on Oct. 3), it’s going to be scary.”

The timing for the Cougars’ top transfers to finally see the playing field will allow the GEL champs to battle four league opponents, including perennial contender Dixon in the final four regular season games.

The greatest impact transfer will likely be athletic junior RB/LB Christen Simmons from Sacramento High. In just five games for the Dragons in 2015, Simmons rushed for 226 yards and six TDs on 27 carries and was a beast on defense where he recorded 24 tackles and four sacks. Junior OL/DL Christopher Cotham arrived from Cordova, and will be a major force in the middle of the line on both sides of the ball. Senior Kyle Borja, a WR/DB from Folsom, will bolster an already solid receiving group and add depth to the defensive secondary.

“I have told coach (Gerringer) that my goal is to win a state championship,” Norville said. “So that he has to answer a question about how he rallied the team and got us to state on short notice after being made the head coach.”

It’s all about the timing. ✪

Jeff Namba/photo

TOPS ON 2 Placer Valley Prepares For Cyclocross Crowd

Cyclocross racing is a fall and winter sport that takes elements of mountain and cross-country biking to the next level in an adventure-filled, obstacle-ridden way that keeps the racers coming back for more. The race courses typically provide hilly, muddy sections as well as having barriers that require the racers to dismount the bike, carry it above their shoulder and run with it.

Sacramento Cyclocross has an eight-race series throughout the Sacramento region this fall, and each stop is ambitiously challenging for beginner and expert cyclocross racers alike. Placer Valley Tourism is excited to be teaming up with Sacramento Cyclocross to help kick-off its race season in early October when they bring their exhilarating events to Rocklin for the first time.

The first race will take place at Johnson Springview Park on Oct. 8 and the venue will be perfect, as the entire park is visible from the center allowing for great spectating.

“The oak grove around the disc golf course not only provides great shade, but opportunities for interesting course changes and turns on rolling terrain,” event

organizer and competitor Clint Claassen said. “Combined with the open grass area at the front of the park, it makes for an interesting and fun course.”

The racing continues on Oct. 9 at another first-time venue, the Rocklin Golf Course.

“It’s a unique opportunity to host a cyclocross race on a golf course period, but the terrain at the Rocklin Golf Course will add some challenging technical aspects for racers,” Claassen said. “The hillside in the center of the course that extends up from the driving range allows the course designer to include tricky off cumber turns, steep climbs and fast descents that are all visible form the deck of the clubhouse.”

The competitive racing age varies from 9 to 75 yearsold, and there will be seven different races throughout the day on both days with the first race starting at 9 a.m. and the last race starting at 3 p.m. In the spirit of family, fun and including everyone, Sacramento Cyclocross offers a free kids race to any child 9 and under.

Please go to www.saccyclocross.com for more information and to get registered today. ✪

2 WHEELS BMX NorCal State FinalsBreak Loose in Roseville

On August 26-28 NorCal’s number one BMX track was bustling with action as the NorCal State Finals raced into Oak Creek BMX in Roseville.

Hundreds of BMXers arrived for the three days of competition, in hopes of riding their way to the podium at this celebrated event.

The weekend warmed up with a single point race on Friday evening, August 26. Saturday they took it up a notch with a double-point, state final pre-race where nearly 400 riders competed in several different divisions including novice, intermediate, expert and cruiser.

On Sunday, they revved into intense action as the state championship triple points race kicked off at 9 a.m.

Several local Oak Creek BMX racers rode their way to glory, reaching the podium where Cody Wilson of USA BMX was presenting the awards.

Breanna Winter from Antelope, also known in the BMX circle as Monster B, took home a first-place finish for the Expert Girls 11 category and second place

in the Cruiser Girls 11-12 group. James Canevari, 13, from Orangevale also scored a first-place finish for the intermediate boys 13 age group.

Rocklin native Claire O’Connor had an outstanding race in the Expert Girls 15-16 age group and landed at the top of the leader board with a first-place result.

In the Expert Boys 17-18 age group, Oak Creek BMX swept the first-, second- and third-place spots on the podium.

Taking home the gold was long-time rider Jacob Haley of Roseville, followed by twin brothers Jackson and Nick Elliot of Granite Bay. Jackson and Nick finished second and third, respectively.

Track owners Linda and Bruce Minton once again hosted an incredible event, proving why their track earns the number-one track bragging rights year after year. ✪ All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism.

Norbet von der Groeben/Stanford

South Bay Sports Training Is Building A Reputation As One Of The Bay Area’s Most Successful Baseball/Softball Training Centers Chris Viall had a passion for baseball. He, like all kids, dreamt of playing at the collegiate level someday, and eventually at the professional level. But other than his 6-foot-8 stature, there was little about the Soquel High pitcher that was making him stand out to scouts.

A 6-foot-8, 16-year old who threw a 77 mph fastball?

The odds of reaching the next level as a pitcher were small. But Viall still had hope. He had determination. And most importantly, he had South Bay Sports Training to help him achieve his goal.

Ten years ago, two young men by the names of Tony Sanguinetti and Adam Varteressian returned to the Bay Area, coming off brief stints playing professional baseball. Both Sanguinetti, an alum of Valley Christian High in San Jose, and Varteressian, a Saratoga High alum, wanted to continue to be involved in the sport in some way.

Together, they decided to start South Bay Sports Training in San Jose, an establishment geared towards helping young kids grow as both players and people — ultimately helping them gain the ability to play at the next level. The training center’s current focus is on baseball and softball, but Sanguinetti and Varteressian are looking to expand to encompass even more sports.

After starting with almost nothing but an old building and a passion for the sport, the two entrepreneurs put in 60­to 80 hours a week for several years, and have built their business into arguably the most successful baseball training program in the Bay Area. Since inception, they have produced more than 475 college-­bound baseball and softball players, and an impressive 60-plus professionally drafted players.

When asked what has driven their growth and helped them prepare their kids so well, Sanguinetti was quick to point out the key to their success.

“Preparation,” Sanguinetti said. “And that’s thanks to our coaching staff, a hundred percent. Our coaches are so dedicated and passionate about what they do, and that’s what helps us succeed.”

Since founding the company, the two coaches have utilized their connections and friendships to form an impressive coaching staff, consisting of about 12 full-­time coaches and over 60 more part-­time coaches. Several of the coaches are athletes who had played with Sanguinetti and Varteressian in high school and in college.

Tony was even able to bring in his brother Ben to run the front office and sales.

“It helps the kids to have personalized coaching, which is why any hours that our coaches contribute is valuable,” Tony Sanguinetti said. “If it weren’t for Adam and the rest of the coaching staff, we wouldn’t have had the success that we have enjoyed so far.”

South Bay Sports has evolved into a one­-stop ­shop for anything baseball and softball related.

The company offers several services that include equipment and team apparel, coin­-operated batting cages open to anyone, sports camps, training sessions, one­-on-­one personalized coaching, college scouting through events and tournaments and some of the most competitive travel teams in the area. They offer packages for anything a baseball or softball player could ask for, which has helped them grow immensely. They also have paired with outside vendors to provide advanced services such as vision training to improve coordination.

South Bay Sports has partnered with several travel teams in the area, most notably Trosky Baseball and Kali Baseball, and the success they’ve had has been off the charts. Every year, they have over 500 players try out for their teams, and typically end up accepting about 200-­300 players. While several of the kids hear about the terrific program on their own, the coaches also go out and find young talent who they’d like to play for their teams — once again utilizing connections with other coaches throughout the Bay Area.

South Bay has taken in kids from ages as young as 6-years old, getting them involved in the program early to give them an even better chance to play at a higher level.

Sanguinetti is confident that South Bay Sports will continue to prosper and help kids achieve their dreams.

“It’s a passion, it’s something we love to do,” Sanguinetti said.

Viall is now a beast on the mound, having added another 20 mph to his fastball, topping out at 97 mph. Viall played collegiately at Stanford, and in June 2016, was drafted by the New York Mets. He is just one of the bright young talents that was able to achieve his dream with the help of South Bay Sports Training. ✪ — Story by Krishna Gomatam

THE BIG DIG: VOLLEYBALL NOTES

WCAL Dominates Early Rankings

Records are through Sept. 17 1. (1)

— Archbishop Mitty-SJ

12-1

2. (2)

— Notre Dame-Belmont

10-4

3. (7)

▲ St. Ignatius

14-4

4. (3)

▼ Valley Chrstian-San Jose 12-4

5. (5)

— Oak Ridge-El Drdo Hills 12-4

6. (4)

▼ Presentation-San Jose

7. (6)

▼ Menlo-Atherton-Atherton 8-4

8. (8)

— Pitman-Turlock

15-3 12-1

9. (11) ▲ Sacred Heart Cath.-S.F. 12-2 10. (10) — Christian Brothers-Sac.

6-0

11. (13) ▲ Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove 11-2 12. (NR) ▲ Marin Catholic-Kentfield 10-4 13. (9) ▼ Monte Vista-Danville

7-3

14. (12) ▼ Campolindo-Moraga

7-6

15. (16) ^ Menlo School-Atherton 13-4 16. (14) ▼ Sacred Heart Prep-Ath. 11-5 17. (15) ▼ St. Francis-Sacramento

12-7

18. (18) — Dublin

15-0

19. (19) — Del Oro-Loomis

11-4

20. (20) — Foothill-Pleasanton 9-3 DROPPED OUT: No. 17 Acalanes-Lafayette 5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): Acalanes-Lafayette (10-4), Branson-Ross (75), El Dorado (15-2), Head-Royce-Oakland (14-1) and Rocklin (10-3)

The week of Sept. 19-25 was a big week for girls volleyball, as it marked the return of official state rankings provided by Cal-Hi Sports and the debut of NorCal rankings by SportStars.

Cal-Hi Sports released its first state Top 20 since the end of the 2013 season — when Granite Bay was crowned State Team of the Year after a perfect 45-0 season — on Sept. 21, the same day SportStars delivered its second NorCal Top 20 of the young season. There was plenty in common between the two sets of rankings, primarily the abundance of West Catholic Athletic League teams.

Five of the WCAL’s six teams landed inside the state Top 20, an incredible feat. Naturally, the headliner was four-time defending state champion, Archbishop Mitty. The Monarchs begin the year as No. 2 in the state, one slot behind the only team which has beaten them this season — Mater Dei-Santa Ana. Mater Dei is also considered the top team in the nation by multiple outlets.

Filling out the WCAL parade in the state rankings were No. 10 St. IgnatiusS.F., No. 14 Valley Christian-San Jose, No. 17 Sacred Heart Cathedral and No. 20 Presentation-San Jose. If this were still the 2015-16 school year, there would’ve been a sixth WCAL team.

Notre Dame-Belmont, a former WCAL school which has since realigned to the Foothill Division of the West Bay League, checked in at No. 9 in the state rankings and No. 2 in the NorCal Top 20.

Oak Ridge-El Dorado hills was the seventh NorCal team to crack the initial Cal-Hi rankings. The Trojans debuted at No. 18 and are favored slightly in a dead heat with Pitman-Turlock (No. 8 in the NorCal Top 20) as the top team in Sac-Joaquin Section.

THE OTHER ONE: St. Francis-Mountain View is the only team from the Kate Formico and Archbishop Mitty are the first of five WCAL teams in current WCAL that didn’t find itself in the first Cal-Hi Sports Top 20 of the season either Top 20. But it would be foolish to rule the Lancers out.

St. Francis dropped to 11-6 on the season after a Sept. 21 loss to Mitty. However, in the process of losing to the Monarchs, the Lancers became just the fourth team all season to win a set against NorCal’s top team. The other teams were Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton (a 2-1win at the Milpitas Spikefest on Aug. 27), Mater Dei (a 3-0 defeat on Sept. 2) and Edison-Huntington Beach (a 2-1 win at the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas on Sept. 17). That’s pretty good company for the Lancers.

UNDENIABLE DUBLIN: It’s not just that the Gaels of Dublin High are experiencing perhaps their best start to a season in program history (15-0 through Sept. 17), it’s the way they’ve managed to do it.

Prior to the team’s Sept. 22 match against San Ramon Valley, each of Dublin’s previous five wins had come in deciding sets. They defeated Chico 2-1 in the championship of the Chico Invitational and then ran off four straight 3-2 wins over East Bay Athletic League opponents, Foothill-Pleasanton, Livermore, Granada-Livermore and Amador Valley-Pleasanton. ✪ — Chace Bryson

R

ancho Cordova is home to hundreds of events each year, including several major sports events. However, by drawing over 100,000 people over a single weekend, no event is bigger than the California Capital Airshow, which lands at Mather Field on October 1-2.

Headlining the California Capital Airshow, presented by Sacramento County in partnership with the City of Rancho Cordova, are the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, Blue Angels. The iconic blue and gold Boeing F/A-18 Hornets will be only one of the jets thundering across the sky at the airshow. Attendees will see an F-16 Viper Team and B-29 Superfortress, along with aerobatic planes and the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. A spectacular re-creation of the WWII attack, “Tora, Tora, Tora,” features expansive pyrotechnics.

“We are ecstatic to host the Blue Angels,” said Darcy Brewer, executive director of the California Capital Airshow. “It’s been nearly a decade since the team has graced the skies of the state capital and we are beyond excited to showcase them as they celebrate their 70th anniversary.”

The captivating aircraft are only part of the show. On the ramp, you can delight in dozens upon dozens of military and civilian aircraft, including rare warbirds and bombers. Many are available to tour, and pilots and flight crews will be on hand to answer questions. Sure to be in demand is a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning — a new generation stealth fighter jet. Kids are sure to find plenty to do with both a Kids Zone and Launch Pad areas.

These educational exhibits are designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Performing since 1946, the Blue Angels team has thrilled and inspired more than 484 million spectators.

“The fans have been clamoring for the team’s return for years and we can’t wait to share the news. We’re planning to host our biggest show yet and are looking forward to another epic event,” added Brewer.

As part of its community relations, the non-profit organization awards scholarships to deserving students from the region with an interest in aviation, aerospace, aeronautics and STEM-related fields.

Fans can follow the Airshow on Facebook, Twitter (@calcapairshow) and Instagram (capitalairshow).

Family ticket packs and premium seating options are available. Purchase tickets early for a discount from the day of show price of $35. For tickets and a complete show lineup, visit www.californiacapitalairshow.com. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by City of Rancho Cordova

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September 15, 2016

SportStars™

11

FAST FOOD HOME FOOD nutrition: jill daniels

Many athletes and their families find that eating well during a busy week can be a challenging task. However, with a few ideas and a little prep time, you can easily fuel your body so that you are energized and motivated for all of your training, competitions and other activities.

If you need a snack that will sustain you for over two hours, eat from at least three different food groups, making sure that one of those foods is a good source of protein. Examples: granola and fresh berries in Greek yogurt; tuna with whole grain crackers and grapes.

Producing fast food from home isn’t as hard as you’d think.

It’s easy to prepare 5-minute meals if your kitchen is wellstocked. Here’s five you could try, on the fly.

›› Turkey and cheese sandwich ›› Peanut butter and sliced apple in a whole wheat tortilla ›› Oatmeal with nuts, dried apples and milk ›› Chicken, cheese and bean quesadilla ›› Canned beans and leftover chicken added to canned soup ADDITIONAL TIPS: Schedule time to do food prep. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re able to whip up a meal in minutes.

Make a casserole or other main dish and store it in singleserving portions. Put them in the freezer for a later date. ✪ Maximize your performance by seeking out personalized advice from Nutrition Coach Jill Daniels, MS, RD, CSSD, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. www.JillDanielsRD.com

SNACKS THAT SATISFY Keep these ready-to-eat foods on hand for a quick snack: Mozzarella cheese sticks Cottage cheese Fresh fruits and vegetables Yogurt and Greek yogurt Tuna Milk Hard-boiled eggs Graham crackers Natural peanut butter or other nut butters Nuts and dried fruits Granola bars (<10 grams sugar) Hot and cold cereals Crackers (>3 grams fiber)

Ocotillo Wells’ Halloween Spooktacular Festival Offers Thrills & Chills For All Are you ready for a howling good time? Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) is hosting its second annual Halloween Spooktacular Festival on October 29th.

Dress up in your best costume and kick off the evening with trick-or-treating around “Howling Meg” circle, where parents are kindly asked to bring candy to share with the other trick-or-treaters going from station to station with their buckets.

Ghouls and ghosts will await the unwary on the Haunted Trail where participants will find giant arachnids, a haunted house and several other creepy surprises lurking around every bend.

For those with strong stomachs, head on over to “Dead Edgar” and try your hand at putting Edgar back together!

Who knows what will be in the buckets this year, but be assured that it will be memorable! Not every activity during the Spooktacular is creepy though — some will allow you to peak into the lives of the amazing animals that survive in this harsh desert environment.

Join some of the Scorpion Wranglers on a Scorpion Safari where you can find wild glowing scorpions roaming the desert, looking for a meal. Join our Batty Naturalists who will take you for a secret peak into the lives of those furry flying mammals known as bats.

With some special equipment, you will even be able to eavesdrop on them while they hunt and navigate through the dark desert sky.

Come and visit Ocotillo Wells SVRA located at: 5172 Highway 78, Borrego Springs Phone: (760) 767-5391 www.ohv.parks.gov/ocotillowells ✪ —All copy and photos provided by CA State Parks

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