EB Issue 37 Dec. 8, 2011

vol. 2. issue 37

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December 8, 2011

East bay

dragon force

juniors fuel bishop o’dowd.

Pg. 24

ranked

40 teams, 20 players. the best of each. starting pg. 16

dazzling dublin is turning heads. Pg. 28

endure | excel | achieve

all access

Last season was so good, let’s run it back. The 2011-12 season promises to be unlike any other. Lace up, it all starts on Pg. 16

PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mitch Stephens, Doug Gardner, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Jim McCue, Eric Gilmore, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Jonathan Okanes Photography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, Darryl Henick, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising & Calendar/Classified Sales Sales@SportStarsOnline.com Account Executives Erik Stordahl • ErikS@SportStars Online.com (Special Sections, Calendar, Marketplace sales)

showtime Health Watch...........................................35

dramatic turnaround: Dublin proved itself to be a force to be reckoned with as it featured such stars as Zach Tucker, left.

Tee2Green................................................36

Pg. 28

First Pitch.................................................... 6 Locker Room............................................. 8 AAA SportStars of the Week...............11 Behind the Clipboard.............................12

Training Time............................................39 Camps + Clinics......................................40 Impulse......................................................44 Reader Survey..........................................45 Photo Finish..............................................46

James K. Leash

20 years: Yup, it’s been that long since a NorCal team beat De La Salle. Pg. 32

where’s your ipad? Don’t have one? Why not? Time is running out, enter now! Pg. 45

ON THE COVER: Clockwise from left: Bishop O’Dowd juniors Breanna Brown, K.C. Waters, Oderah Chidom and Ariell Bostick. Photo by Jonathan Hawthorne.

Reader Resources/Administration Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsOnline.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Distribution/Delivery Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution Manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • Butch@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com Office Manager/Credit Services Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Deb@SportStarsOnline.com Board of Directors Dennis Erokan, CEO, Placemaking Group Roland Roos, CPA, Roland Roos & Co Susan Bonilla, State Assembly Drew Lawler, Managing Director, AJ Lawler Partners Brad Briegleb, Attorney At Law community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA • 94521 info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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your ticket to bay area sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #2, December 2011 Whole No. 37 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521. SportStars™© 2010 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $42 (allow 3 weeks for delivery).

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On the NCS football playoff menu: Surprise, served two ways

S

ome people don’t like surprises. That playoffs — including the defending Div. always surprises us.

III bowl champions, Escalon. With many Without the unexpected, things prognosticators considering the NCS Div. can get pretty dull. And nothing is worse III playoff field to be among the strongest, than a dull sporting universe. It doesn’t it’s not a far stretch to think that a victory get any better than true surprises in the would make Campolindo the first public sporting world, which is a big reason school to represent the East Bay in a CIF why the NCAA Basketball Tournament is bowl game. They’d also be the first East beloved by so many.

Bay school to go other than De La Salle.

We like the upsets, Cinderellas and “We don’t talk about state at all,” Macy longshots. It’s what makes this fun. said. “We never talked about 10-0. We And, in what some might be considernever talked about winning league. ing one of the wackiest high school footThe kids made it a priority to play after ball seasons in quite some time, the North Thanksgiving, and that was it. ... The Coast Section tournament has given us chemistry on this team is so good, the a few surprises to savor in the form of kids would be excited about state mostly Concord and Campolindo-Moraga. because it meant they could just spend They are both playing for championanother week together.” ships on Dec. 9 and 10, respectively.

The week Campolindo completed it’s Neither were expected to get this far, and 10-0 regular season, Concord lost 31-22 both did so in very different ways. to College Park-Pleasant Hill, fell to 6-3 Campolindo was the surprise that on the season, and lost out on its shot at kept building over the course of the a second straight Diablo Valley Athletic season, like a giant balloon that everyone League crown. One year after a storied expected would eventually go sputtering run to their first NCS championship away as the air ran out. The Cougars were behind record-setting quarterback Ricky picked to finish in the bottom half of their Lloyd, the Minutemen had the look of a league by many — though technically not team that still needed an identity beyond us. We only predicted league champs this its physical defense. year rather than final league standings.

And coach Brian Hamilton found it. In We picked them to finish second (as far as fact, it’d been staring him in the face. you know).

“We lost to College Park still trying to Still, when we showed up to Moraga on have a lot of offensive balance and still Oct. 21 to watch Campolindo and rival trying to throw the ball out of open sets,” Miramonte-Orinda face off in a battle of Hamilton said. “I don’t believe in balance, 7-0 teams, we were thrown off kilter when and I went against my beliefs and tried to the Cougars won 42-6. And it just kept force balance, and that was dumb.” going. Undefeated league champs. Then So he fixed it. He had an explosive runtwo dominant playoff wins before taking ning back in Olito Thompson, and just a trip to Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa on Chace@ as he gave Lloyd more receivers to work Dec. 2 — a house of horrors in previous SportStarsOnline.com with, Hamilton decided to start giving years for Campolindo.

Thompson more blockers to run behind.

The team fell behind 21-0 only to roar (925) 566-8503 Hamilton basically added a new back and win 35-24. Now, include the blocker every week of the postseason, facts that the Cougars will play top seed adding tight ends, fullbacks, mascots.

Marin Catholic-Kentfield in the Division Olito went to work. He set the school III final at the O.co Coliseum — during rushing record with 370 yards in the the 25th Anniversary season of the last playoff opener against Newark Memorial, Campolindo team to play at the Coliseum then topped the East Bay rushing record (the school’s only title game appearance with 457 yards against Las Lomas-Walnut and championship). Furthermore, the Creek before a 41-carry, 270-yard effort winner could quite possibly earn a Caliin a semifinal win over Rancho Cotatefornia Interscholastic State Bowl berth.

Rohnert Park.

At this point, the script seems almost And just like that, Concord — as the too good.

No. 7 seed — had a chance at defending its Division II title “I think we’re at a point where we don’t quite know what against No. 1 Windsor (13-0). we’re doing, but if we try to figure it out we might screw it “From a personal standpoint, because it’s all so unexpected up,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said five days before (this playoff run) is a little more fun,” Hamilton said. “No one the team’s championship tilt. “There’s definitely something is giving us a shot against Windsor. No one gave us a shot natural happening, and it may not make sense but we’re just against Rancho Cotate or Lomas, either. We could be the first going to enjoy it.”

No. 7 seed to win it all since it went to a 16-team field. How On the same weekend that the Cougars defeated Cardinal much fun is that?”

Newman, two other top-ranked contenders for the North’s Exactly. ✪ CIF Div. III bowl berth were eliminated in their section

First Pitch Chace Bryson Editor

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count’EM

kly

Keith Peters/Palo Alto Wee

The number of California Interscholastic Federation state volleyball championships won by Northern California schools in the past two years after Palo Alto, Presentation-San Jose, Union Mine and Branson-Ross each secured crowns on Dec. 3. To illustrate how big of an accomplishment this is, the combined number of NorCal teams to win state titles from 2005-2009 was seven. Left, Palo Alto and Kimmy Whitson won Div. I titles in 2010 and 2011. Right, Campolindo-Moraga were the 2010 Div. III champs.

Bob Larson

reasons we’re bitter about college football.

Wait, no ....

So, it’s official. The reee(diculous)-match is on. LSU has to beat Alabama again for the national championship. Because the computers hate Stanford, and the human voters realized that a loss to Iowa State was a good enough reason to count out Oklahoma State. And Mercury is in retrograde, and the Magic 8-Ball said “My sources say, ‘Snore-fest.’” Anyway. All the hue and cry about the absurdity of the BCS does have one positive aspect: It makes us appreciate just how great high school football’s system for determining a champion is.

Here are the top five reasons why high school football’s postseason is better than college.

1. Just because they’re in the best league in Northern California, the top two teams from the EBAL do not pass Go and proceed directly to the championship game. They actually have to play their way to the final.

2. Every game counts. No really. There is no SEC do-over rule. If you beat a team in the regular season and have a similar record, you get seeded ahead of them and they have to win some games to get another crack at you.

3. The best team in EVERY LEAGUE gets a chance to win a championship. No matter what the weighted strength-of-schedule number looks like, or if somebody else has cooler uniforms or nicknames. Win your league, make the playoffs. That simple.

4. People who have never seen your team play, and might not even know that your team exists, don’t get to throw darts at a board, er, vote week in and week out on how much better or worse you are than some other team.

5. Rumor has it that high school teams actually have to be able to score on offense in order to hoist trophies. We heard that somewhere — Bill Kolb

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rapidFIRE

Actor/ Actress whose movies you’ll always watch

George Clooney

First word that What do you comes to mind Toughest MOST want for when we say Christmas ‘Jersey Shore’ place to play

MacBook Pro laptop

AWFUL

Owen Owens Field, De La Salle

Jordan Weiss, San Ramon Valley FB

Eddie Murphy

Flat-screen TV

TAN

Our home field, because I always want to please our fans

Favorite sport to see live

Fastest mile time

6

Football

min.

Can’t remember

Football, of course

Right around

Track & Field

Curtis Goins, Vacaville FB

Power Balance Arena

Zoe Saldana

TOMS shoes Ariell Bostick, Bishop O’Dowd hoops

Snooki

5:30

sayWHAT? “I think this game meant a lot to him, just simply about his legacy, and wanting to win this game for his teammates. He’s received a number of individual accolades, but the reality is that this is something he can share (with teammates) for the rest of their lives — getting to the Coliseum.”

Butch Noble

San Ramon Valley-Danville football coach Mark Kessler on the North Coast Section semifinal performance of quarterback Zach Kline, left.

Just days after being named the Gatorade State Player of the Year, Kline tossed three touchdown passes and rushed for another as the Wolves defeated cross-town rival Monte Vista 37-21 and avenged a one-point, regular-season defeat to the Mustangs. The No. 7-seeded San Ramon Valley (10-3) will take on top seed De La Salle (12-1) in the NCS Division I final at the O.Co Coliseum on Dec. 10.

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Powered by

nick boyett salesian . football . senior

Phillip Walton Like us on Facebook

NICK’S QUICK HITS Favorite athlete: Calvin Johnson Favorite NFL team: 49ers Favorite subject: History

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Perfection has never been this close for Nick Boyett. The Salesian quarterback threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-6 semifinal win over Healdsburg in the Div. IV playoffs on Dec. 3. He’ll take the snaps in the title game against Ferndale on Dec. 10 at Alhambra, where the Pride look to cap off a historic undefeated season.

SportStars Magazine: You’re one win away from another NCS title. What’s running through your mind right now?

Nick Boyett: Just excited to be back in the championship another season. We’ve been working really hard, and we just wanted to keep this undefeated season.

SSM: What would an undefeated season mean to you?

NB: It would just show all the hard work we put into this season. Starting from my freshman season, my teammates and I have been putting in the work and it’s showing.

SSM: You guys have manhandled opponents this season.

Why? NB: I think it’s chemistry mostly, most of us have been playing together for all four years. Also the playcalling … Our coaches get us prepared for every game.

honorable mention

nick ruotolo The Amador Valley senior guard torched the nets at the Gold Dust Tournament Dec. 1-3 as he buried 13 threes. He took home MVP honors.

kaadzie quaye The Liberty star took home the MVP trophy as she led the Lions to the Mike Koury Tournament championship with a 47-29 win over San Ramon Valley on Dec. 3.

elisha davis The Berkeley senior scored 14 points in the championship game of the Dougherty Valley Winter Classic championship on Dec. 3. The Yellowjackets beat the host 49-46.

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In-game outbursts are meant to help our players, not diss opponents Inexperienced players especially get caught up in the excitement of the game, everything’s moving really fast, and they just don’t remember to make the girl dribble with her left hand.

So I remind her.

In a loud voice so she can hear me. (Sometimes people think I’m yelling at my player, but I feel like I’m yelling to her.)

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Our basketball team played last week, and the other team’s coach kept yelling to his players about our players. He’d say things like “She can’t dribble with her left hand,” or, after a foul, “Was she going to make that shot?” It seemed disrespectful — is that something coaches should do?

C.G., Walnut Creek

hat was probably me, though I’m certainly not the only coach who tries to make sure his players attack the weaknesses of the opposition — I’m just louder at it than most.

So first, let’s look at it from the coach’s point of view. I always tell my players to try to make the person they’re guarding do what she doesn’t want to do. If she wants to shoot, make her drive; if she wants to go left, make her go right. She may be a good driver, and she may able to go right, but almost always players want to do what they do best, and if you make them do what’s second on their list, you’re ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to get players used to this kind of defense. Inexperienced players especially get caught up in the excitement of the game, everything’s moving really fast, and they just don’t remember to make the girl dribble with her left

T

December 8, 2011

hand. So I remind her. In a loud voice so she can hear me. (Sometimes people think I’m yelling at my player, but I feel like I’m yelling to her — if I speak softly, big stick or no, she probably won’t hear me.)

Eventually, hopefully, my players are able to start taking away the opponents’ strengths, but when I’m reminding them of those strengths and weaknesses, I’m also letting the opposing player know what we’re trying to do, and sometimes she feels insulted.

But should she feel dissed? The answer is a qualified maybe, because it depends on the personality of the player. Some people take my remarks as a challenge, and vow to prove me wrong. If I keep saying they can’t go left, they go left — and there have been times they have punished me and my team by scoring a bunch of points. More often than not, though, they are definitely less effective going to their weaker hand (or driving rather than shooting), and for those players, it’s foolish to listen.

In fact, very few athletes are capable of listening to other coaches or opposing players and still performing at their highest level. Most athletes are much better off just focusing on what they’re doing and what they should be doing, and block-

Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam

ing out any distractions from the crowd or other team. (There are a more than a few athletes who play better when they block out the voices of their own coaches, and/or their parents; it all depends on the individual.)

In the end, though, learning how to deal with distractions is part of maturing as a person and an athlete. In junior high, kids get very upset when other people talk about them. In high school, not so much. And in college and beyond, it’s generally just background noise, like a bad radio station in the car next to you at the stoplight.

As long as the other team’s coach isn’t yelling at you (“42, you’re horrible and your hair is ugly”), it’s something you should try to rise above. He’s just trying to win the game, and instruct his players, and it isn’t personal.

Adjusting to that kind of a distraction takes a little effort, but it’s a skill well worth acquiring — not everyone is going to think you’re wonderful and special when you get out in the real world, but even if they don’t (and they let you know about it), you still have to find a way to get the job done. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kallam at clayk@fullcourt. com.

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Former South Bay hoops standout is giving back through youth sports By erik stordahl | SportStars

Embedded in the South Bay is a program with a passion for youth sports. And after more than 10 years, Mike Allen Sports continues to emerge as a haven for kids and teens to learn, grow and have fun as athletes.

Founded by Mike Allen as the Fun Tyme Sports Academy in 1999, the program offers a wide array of camps, clinics and leagues that run year round for basketball. Baseball, volleyball and football are also among other sports offered.

Allen himself is well-versed in sports. A standout football and baseball athlete in high school, he didn’t pick up basketball until his senior year. That didn’t stop him from getting recruited and playing for San Jose Christian College in 1991.

There he was co-captain for three seasons and led his team to three NBCAA titles.

After graduating, Allen’s playing career was just getting started. He continued playing overseas in Poland, and in the offseason he would return to the States for training. But with so much downtime, he needed something to fill the void.

“I had so much time on my hands,” Allen said. “I needed to figure out what I wanted to do. I started running camps to start this sports academy.”

With his playing days over, Allen went full throttle on the Fun Tyme Sports Academy. It has since evolved into a magnate for youth sports. Right now, there are more than 1,000 kids in his Ballin’ Ambassadors basketball league.

Doors continue to open for Allen as he has partnered with the Golden State Warriors as part of the Junior Warriors and Junior NBA / Junior WNBA. A coup for any local youth sports

Mike Allen shows off his skills during an exhibition with the Ballin’ Ambassadors. program.

With the success of his program seemingly skyrocketing, Allen still finds time to coach. He’s serving his second year as head coach for the varsity program at Gunderson-San Jose.

What he’s done with the team is nothing short of a miracle.

The year before he took over, the Grizzlies finished 4-21. Last season, Allen led his team to a solid 14-8 record and within one point of upsetting Robert Louis Stevenson-Pebble Beach in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs.

Poised to build on last season’s promising efforts, Gunderson got off on the right foot this year. They beat Sobrato-Morgan Hill 66-55 in their season opener on Nov. 29 — the first

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Gunderson win against a Div. I opponent in 15 years.

What’s the reason for the turnaround?

“This is something they want,” Allen said. “They just responded quickly to how much they want it. The fact that I care about them, not as an athlete, but that I cared about them as a person. As someone who doesn’t mind being the parent away from home, as someone who doesn’t mind being the big brother.”

Some of the players stepping up for Allen are seniors Lodi Vertilus and Lamar Smith; juniors Ryan Tran, Jose Silva and Nick Melchor; sophomore Mohamed Ali; and freshmen David Awolowo and Jonathan Chavez.

With most of his players still with at least a couple years left, Allen has the opportunity to build something very special at Gunderson.

When the season ends, Allen’s program is in full swing.

They’re launching the first season of volleyball in April of next year followed by the first season of football.

“Back in 1999, my vision was for (Mike Allen Sports) to be worldwide,” Allen said. “There are a lot of programs out there.

We all reinvent the wheel in some way. The real key aspect is what is it all about? ... For a program like this to last there has to be strong relationships, love in your programs. … It took a lot of heartache and sacrifice to get it where it is today.”

Although Mike Allen Sports is a strong presence in the South Bay, there could be more locations popping up soon. To find out how to get involved with Mike Allen Sports or to get a location set up in your area, check out www.mikeallensports. com. ✪

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The North Coast Section is no stranger to success at the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships. It has had more than its fair share of team and individual titles, and 2011 was no different.

Nine different runners clocked Top 5 finishes in races at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 26, and one team — the University-San Francisco girls — took him a title.

Campolindo’s Carrie Verdon was one of two individual champions from the NCS, winning the Divsion III race for the second time in as many years. Her winning time of 17 minutes, 18 seconds was the second-fastest girls time of the entire day, but it only won her race by a mere second. Julia Maxwell of Branson-Ross was the other section’s other individual state champion, winning the Division V race by 30 seconds over the next closest competitor, Bridget Blum of University-SF. We had a number of leftover photos from the North Coast Section championship on Nov. 19, so we thought we’d honor a few who had standout trips to State.

LEFT: Carrie Verdon of CampolindoMoraga won her second straight Division III state title by edging out Karlie Garcia of Oakmont.

Facing page TOP left: Nick Ratto of St. Joseph-Notre Dame finished third in the Division V boys race, helping his team finish third as well.

TOP right: Campolindo’s Thomas Joyce took a third place finish in the Division III boys race.

BOTTOM ROW: Amador Valley-Pleasanton’s Jenna Pianin, left, Piner-Santa Rosa’s Luis Luna, center, and San Ramon Valley-Danville’s Parker Deuel, right, all grabbed fifth-place finishes in their respective races.

Photos by Jonathan Hawthorne

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BoysPreseasonTop20 Records are from 2010-11 1. Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (32-2) Aaron Gordon and Co. set to defend CIF Div. II crown.

2. Salesian-Richmond (26-12) Perhaps no NorCal team has more depth at the guard and wing positions.

3. De La Salle-Concord (27-6) Every bit as a talented as the CIF Div. I runner-up group from a year ago.

4. Bishop O’Dowd-oakland (25-7) Losing all-state talent Brandon Ashley won’t hurt as much as many may think.

5. Sheldon-Sacramento (24-8) Young, talented nucleus should only get better as the season goes on.

6. Sacramento (27-6) If it develops a strong post presence to go with its guard play, look out.

7. McClymonds-Oakland (16-15) After a year of rebuilding, all signs point to a return of the Mack in the OAL this year.

8. Jesuit-Carmichael (22-10) Returns core group from a team that was one of just two to beat Mitty last year.

9. Newark Memorial-Newark (22-7) Expect a well-coached mix of returning talent and up-and-comers.

10. Center-Antelope (25-8) Senior Christopher Smith has the potential to lead the Sacramento region in scoring.

11. Berkeley (21-5) 12. St. Ignatius-San Francisco (17-10) 13. St. Mary’s-Berkeley (23-12) 14. Deer Valley-Antioch (21-7) 15. Burbank-Sacramento (23-5) 16. Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco (23-7) 17. Franklin-Elk Grove (25-7) 18. Vallejo (16-12) 19. El Cerrito (25-8) 20. Heritage-Brentwood (16-11)

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BIG FOUR When it came to setting up our preseason boys rankings, we looked at four teams who reached state finals a year ago and said that’s our Top 4.

Now who goes first?

We sided with the only one that was the defending state champ, Mitty. It also doesn’t hurt that the Monarchs feature the No. 6-ranked junior prospect in the nation in Aaron Gordon.

Salesian is not far behind, because they have a junior prospect in Jabari Bird who seems poised to crack a few national rankings himself. And if we’re being perfectly honest, De La Salle could own the top spot by Jan. 17. That’s because they will match up with Aaron Gordon and Co. in the Martin Luther King Classic Showcase on Jan. 16. That holiday will certainly shake the rankings tree as Salesian will also face No. 6 Sacramento.

The wild card of these rankings is McClymonds. After a mediocre 2010-11 campaign, there’s a good group of seniors ready to break out. If big man Jamaree Strickland can recover enough from knee surgery to be a factor in Februrary, look out.

We know one thing, it’s going to be fun to watch it unfold.

— Chace Bryson

Jalen Hicks Sheldon-Sacramento Photo by Phillip Walton

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high octane There’s always a tension between talent and teamwork when it comes to preseason rankings.

Clearly, it takes talent to become one of the top programs in Northern California, but it also takes a mix of chemistry and toughness — and sometimes the latter qualities can trump a roster full of future college stars.

That’s the case in this year’s preseason rankings, as St. Mary’s of Stockton’s high-pressure defense and high-octane offense offset its lack of size, in our estimation, and put the Rams ahead of the supremely-talented Dragons of Bishop O’Dowd.

Yes, O’Dowd went to the state finals last year in Division III with a roster heavy on sophomore stars, but St. Mary’s won its third straight California championship, even though the Rams didn’t have the college coaches drooling as they did when they watched the Oakland school.

Carondelet and Berkeley are traditional powers that still have plenty of firepower, but both programs were hurt by graduation, leaving St. Mary’s and O’Dowd as the clear one and two.

Certainly it could be argued that the Dragons are simply too tall and too deep for the Rams to contend with, but we’ll find out for sure Feb. 11 when the two teams play in Stockton.

And it says here St. Mary’s walks away smiling.

— Clay Kallam

Gabby Green St. Mary’s-Berkeley Photo by Bob Larson

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GirlsPreseasonTop20 Records are from 2010-11 1. St. Mary’s-Stockton (32-2) Talent. Experience. Defending three-time state champion. ‘Nuff said.

2. Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland (25-8) All the big guns return for the last season’s Div. III state runner-up.

3. Carondelet-Concord (28-6) No more Erica Payne, but Hannah Huffman and Natalie Romeo are a dangerous duo.

4. Berkeley (29-2) ’Jackets will reload and once again be the NorCal favorite in Division I. 5. St. Ignatius-San Francisco (24-8) Young Irish team gets an infusion of talented freshmen, so expect it to be one of region’s best by March.

6. St. Mary’s-Berkeley (29-6) Could be vulnerable, but only until Gabby Green returns from her ankle injury.

7. Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (24-9) Mix of senior leaders and young talent will keep perennial power sharp.

8. Terra Nova-Pacifica (24-5) You have to love the backcourt of Terilyn Moe and Ivonne Cook-Taylor. Tigers just need signature win.

9. Sacramento (27-9) Allie Green leads the way as Div. III power looks to replace its graduated backcourt.

10. Miramonte-Orinda (23-7) Has pieces in place to move past league powers Campolindo-Moraga and Dougherty Valley-San Ramon.

11. Dougherty Valley-San Ramon (28-3) 12. Lincoln-Stockton (27-5) 13. Salesian-Richmond (24-6) 14. Modesto Christian (25-9) 15. Deer Valley-Antioch (20-8) 16. Marin Catholic-Kentfield (25-9) 17. Del Oro-Loomis (27-5) 18. Palo Alto (22-5) 19. James Logan-Union City (23-7) 20. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (18-11)

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EVERY

Possession

COUNTS

Eight months since an underdog De La Salle basketball team nearly won its third state crown, the Spartans set course for the state final again

F

By Chace Bryson | Editor

rank Allocco stopped the practice.

When the 14-year coach of the De La Salle boys basketball team blows his whistle and begins talking, every varsity player on the floor falls into a ready position of knees bent and shoulder-width apart. There is no standing idly in a De La Salle basketball practice.

Allocco had stopped things right before the team was to practice a sidelines inbounds pass near the mid-court line. He focuses a steely glare on senior forward Remington White. For effect, he stays silent for a beat or two, then...

“You weren’t paying attention,” he said directly at White.

“One possession,” Allocco said next, underscoring a theme that surfaced throughout the practice. “That was all we lost (the 2011 state championship) by. Was it that missed layup earlier, or one of the errant passes we made?”

He then delivered a sharp blow of his whistle and gave a “let’s go.” Practice snapped back into action. One night later, the Spartans played their first official game of the season and defeated Will C. Wood-Vacaville 54-24.

There was no hyperbole in Allocco’s mid-practice scolding of White. De La Salle did indeed fall one possession short of what would’ve been one of the most monumental upsets in the history of the California Interscholastic Federation state basketball championships.

Relying on guts, guile, defense and execution — all staples of an Allocco-coached team — the Spartans somehow reached the Division I state final a year ago and went toe-totoe with the nation’s No. 1 team, Mater Dei-Santa Ana. De La Salle led for much of the game, only to see it slip away in the fourth quarter and lost 43-36.

When is a seven-point victory a one possession game?

Well, the Monarch tacked on four points via free throws in the closing seconds as the Spartans fouled to stop the clock.

That Allocco continues to remind the team of the one possession swing shows his natural competitive nature — as well as his belief that the 2011-12 team is talented enough to get back to that state title game and change its fortune.

Junior guard Elliott Pitts is one player who may want to get back to the state final more than any other.

The state championship tilt with Mater Dei was only five 18

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Phillip Walton

ABOVE: De La Salle senior guard Steve Oronos hits the deck to get a loose ball during an NCS Foundation game against Bishop O’Dowd on Nov. 22. RIGHT: Remington White (32) boxes out Bishop O’Dowd’s Elliott Bruce while preparing for a rebound. minutes old when he fell underneath the Mater Dei basket, and before he could get back up, the Monarch’s Xavier Johnson attempted to hurdle him and thrust his right knee square into the side of Pitts’ face. The result was a broken jaw, and he was en route to a local hospital as the final minutes of the first half played out.

Pitts wouldn’t even find out the result of the game until the following evening. The next time he took the floor in front of Allocco, he was a different player.

“As a sophomore last year, he kind of deferred to people a little bit and sunk into a bit of a role player,” Allocco said of Pitts. “But as soon as he came back from the jaw injury,

he took it to another level. It was an attitude shift. Maybe he felt that if he weren’t injured, we win that thing. ... He came back a different player.”

Despite just being a “role player” through much of last year, the lanky 6-foot, 5-inch guard was the first player in Allocco’s tenure at De La Salle to earn a college scholarship offer as a sophomore. Now he’s the first to hold multiple offers before his junior season, including Pac-12 schools Cal and Arizona State.

He’s more than ready to shed the “role player” status this season.

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“I knew that I was going to have to take on more of a scoring role coming back, which is something that I wasn’t really used to. But I tried to show that over the summer, and now Amadi (Udenyi) and I are definitely going to share that load this year.”

Junior guard Elliott Pitts, right scoring role coming back, which is something that I wasn’t really used to,” Pitts said. “But I tried to show that over the summer, and now Amadi (Udenyi) and I are definitely going to share that load this year.”

Udenyi, a senior, has been the team’s primary point guard since his sophomore year. Together with Pitts, they should form perhaps the most well-rounded backcourt in the East Bay. During one seven-minute stretch of half-court scrimmaging, Allocco observed with a grin as Pitts and Amadi led the first-team offense to perfectly executed backdoor layups on four straight possession — all of it against a second team unit that knows the offense, but was still helpless to defend it.

After another five minute stretch, the first-team offense had scored 10 baskets on 10 of 17 shooting.

Seven of the baskets were layups or dunks by either Pitts or Udenyi.

“I just like having those two kids side by side,” Allocco said of the backcourt duo. “They do a lot of re-

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ally good things. They can take the game over on the defensive end. They can wreak havoc. We went toeto-toe (in a Nov. 25 scrimmage) with Mater Dei, and there were stretches where those two kids were the best players on the floor.”

As is almost always the case with De La Salle, the roster goes way beyond two players. Allocco is confident he’ll have a rotation that goes as deep as 10, maybe even 11 guys.

How those different players — which includes a handful of new faces — develop and slot into roles will go a long way in determining just how good this Spartans team can become.

Two of the biggest vacancies left by graduation are an inside scoring presence and an emotional leader who could sway games with a key steal or a big shot at just the right time. The first role was held by 6-foot-2 Travis Pacos, who lead the 2010-11 Spartans in scoring despite giving up more than a few inches to most of his defenders. The latter role belonged to Duke DaRe.

Bob Larson

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“I don’t know how many people realized how important Duke was to our run last year,” Allocco said. “He was a special player that brought a lot of energy to us. The bigger the game, the more Duke seemed to elevate his play.”

Replacing Pacos in the paint may prove easier, at least in the short term. Allocco is excited abo ut the prospects of 6-6 sophomore Patrick Marr, as well as 6-7 junior Mac Hoffman. Both are likely to see minutes, although Hoffman will miss most of December with a broken hand.

As for replacing DaRe, there are certainly candidates.

“We have three or four guys who can be like Duke, but haven’t emerged to be Duke yet,” Udenyi said. “(Seniors) Nick Sullivan, Remy White and Steve Oronos. They all three can play hard like Duke, but they haven’t quite emerged to be like Duke in a game yet.”

Jeremy Gunder is another senior who could play a significant role for the Spartans, and 6-4 junior Adam Will was mentioned by both Udenyi and Pitts as a new face who has surprised them to this point.

“Last year we really didn’t have a lot of talent,” Pitts said. “This year we have talent. We definitely have guys who can win a state championship. I think the main thing is just playing as hard as we did last year.

Playing defense. That’s how we got to state last year.”

Once the three hour practice came to a close, the varsity players cleared the main floor so the junior varsity could begin its workout.

Most, however, broke off into groups to work on shooting at one of the six side baskets.

Udenyi took a break from rebounding for Pitts.

“We were an underdog last year, but we could be a favorite this year,” he said. “We have to play with a chip on our shoulder this year. Even more than last year. ... The reason why coach is getting on us with that ‘one possession’ talk is that we know we’re so close (to getting back).

“We can get there if we stay focused.” ✪

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Phillip Walton

De La Salle huddles during a timeout during the Nov. 22 game against Bishop O’Dowd.

The Spartans opened the season ranked No. 4 in the state (CalHiSports.com)

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The best of the best at season’s tip-off

Jabari Bird

SCHOOL: Salesian YEAR: Junior HT./POS.: 6-5 / Guard THE DETAILS: After a dominant, if not a tad topsy-turvy sophomore year, Bird is poised for a dominant season. He begins the season as the ranked No. 17 on the ESPN 150 list for the 2013 class. His 6-5 size gives him all sorts of versatility for very talented Salesian team.

Richard Longrus

SCHOOL: Bishop O’Dowd YEAR: Senior HT./POS.: 6-7 / Center THE DETAILS: With his twin-tower mate Brandon Ashley having transferred to Findlay Prep, the Dragons have become Longrus’ team to take charge of. Expect the points and rebounds numbers to spike for the Washington State-commit as he attempts to lead O’Dowd toward another Div. III postseason run.

Langston Morris-Walker

SCHOOL: Berkeley YEAR: Senior HT./POS.: 6-5 / Guard THE DETAILS: ESPN ranks the Oregon State-bound Yellowjacket as one of the nation’s top 150 recruits from the 2012 class. Even if little is known about his supportng cast at Berkeley, Yellowjackets fans will know what to expect from MorrisWalker — plenty of slashing to the basket and finishing at the rim.

Elliott Pitts

SCHOOL: De La Salle YEAR: Junior HT./POS.: 6-5 / Guard THE DETAILS: Like Bird, Pitts is an extremely versatile player. He has all the skills of a guard, but the length to play up to four positions on the floor. Last year, USF made him the first De La Salle player to ever receive a scholarship offer as a sophomore. He’s since picked up offers from Cal and Arizona St.

Amadi Udenyi

SCHOOL: De La Salle YEAR: Senior HT./POS.: 5-10 / Guard THE DETAILS: One doesn’t play three years of point guard for Frank Allocco’s offense without being tough and and without being a tireless defensive player. Udenyi has already established himself as one of the region’s best on-ball defenders; this year look for him to add a better outside shooting game.

don’t sleep on these players Justin Johnson (El Cerrito), 6-3, Guard, Sr. Lawrence Otis (McClymonds), 6-2, Guard, Jr. Casey Norris (Newark Memorial), 6-0, Guard, Sr. Elliot Smith (Freedom), 6-5, Guard/Forward, Soph.

Isaiah Taylor (St. Mary’s), 6-3, Guard, Sr.

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The best of the best at season’s tip-off

Hannah Huffman

SCHOOL: Carondelet YEAR: Senior HT./POS.: 5-9 / Guard THE DETAILS: Huffman is off to Notre Dame next fall, but this year she’ll bring her all-around game back to Concord. If opponents try to guard her with quickness, she posts up; if they try to counter her size and strength, she moves to the perimeter.

Gabby Green

SCHOOL: St. Mary’s YEAR: Sophomore HT./POS.: 6-1 / Guard THE DETAILS: After leading St. Mary’s to a state title as a freshman, Green was the last cut from the USA Basketball U-16 team.

She is not yet fully recovered from a summer ankle injury, but when the 6-1 guard returns, she will make an immediate impact with ballhandling, defense and scoring.

K.C. Waters

SCHOOL: Bishop O’Dowd YEAR: Junior HT./POS.: 6-1 / Post THE DETAILS: Waters is a strong, skilled player who helped the Dragons to the Division III state title game last year – and then had a strong showing at the USA Basketball U-16 trials in June. Few can match her combination of strength and quickness on the block.

Mariya Moore

SCHOOL: Salesian YEAR: Sophomore HT./POS.: 6-1 / Wing THE DETAILS: An athletic wing with skills – Moore’s size and explosiveness make her one of the top players in the country for her class. She is already drawing heavy attention from elite basketball colleges, but in the meantime is leading Salesian to the upper echelons of Div. IV.

Elisha Davis

SCHOOL: Berkeley YEAR: Senior HT./POS.: 5-7 / Guard THE DETAILS: The Arizona Statebound Davis is off-the-charts quick, but after the graduation of much of Berkeley’s firepower, she’s going to have to adjust to being the focus of the defense rather than just an afterthought.

don’t sleep on these players Oderah Chidom (Bishop O’Dowd), 6-2, Forward, Jr. Natalie Romeo (Carondelet), 5-7, Guard, Soph.

Ariell Bostick (Bishop O’Dowd), 5-6, Guard, Jr. Sophie Taylor (Acalanes), 6-2, Forward, Sr. Mikayla Cowling (St. Mary’s), 6-1, Guard, Soph.

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enter the

dragons Fueled by four extremely talented juniors, the Bishop O’Dowd girls basketball team has become a force to be reckoned with

By Chace Bryson | Editor

K.C. Waters laughs about it now.

But there was a time when she was sick of hearing about Breanna Brown.

“We didn’t really know of each other, but our Dad’s knew one another,” Waters said. “And they would brag about us to each other. So her dad would come home telling her how good I’d been playing, and my dad would come home and say the same things about her.”

Oderah Chidom spent several years living just a few doors down from Ariell Bostick.

Only they never met until they each showed at a Bishop O’Dowd open gym as freshmen in 2009.

“She lived right down the street from me and I had never seen her before,” Bostick said. “But there just weren’t many parks or places where we might interact.”

Luckily for the Bishop O’Dowd girls basketball program, they found such a place at the school gymnasium. It was there that they also essentially met Waters and Brown for the first time.

All four demonstrated the skill to make the varsity team as freshmen, and two years later they represent the core of a team which begins the year ranked No. 6 in the state and is listed as a “must-see” on just about every collegiate scout’s recruiting list.

Each of them brings different skills and traits to the floor.

“K.C. is just plain physical,” Brown said. “We play each other every day in practice. It’s often the best competition we face each week.”

As for Chidom, the team has a nickname to describe her game.

“Slinky,” said Waters. “That’s definitely the word.”

Brown would add: “She has this move. I don’t know what it is, but the ball goes in every time.”

As for Bostick, Chidom probably put it best.

“She’s a great point guard. She always knows where we are. I always have to expect a pass from her.”

The quartet burst onto the scene a year ago as sophomores, leading the Dragons to a 25-8 record and the first state championship appearance in the program’s history. Once there, they were handed a 53-42 defeat at the hands of St. JosephSanta Margarita. It’s a loss that they haven’t easily forgotten.

“I have nightmares about it all the time,” Waters said. “I replay it a lot. It’s constantly on my mind.”

Certainly it didn’t help that when she and Chidom showed up to play for their AAU summer team in Southern California, they bumped into a familiar face.

Waters and Chidom were speaking with the coach when 6-3 St. Joseph center Alyson Beebe walked by.

“The coach turned to her and casually asked her if she got her (state championship) ring yet,” Waters said. “After a bit of an awkward pause, he realized it. ‘Oh, she played you guys, didn’t she?’ ... We saw that ring all summer long, and it’s just made us more hungry.”

Waters, Chidom and Brown make up a menacing frontcourt. Brown and Chidom both stand at 6-foot-3 and Waters is a long 6-2. Together with the lightning 24

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Jonathan Hawthorne

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fast backcourt of Bostick and Randi Jackson, the Dragons are loaded with matchup nightmares for opponents.

“We had no answer for Waters,” said former Campolindo coach Clay Kallam following his team’s doubleovertime loss to the Dragons in the North Coast Section Division III championship last season.

“She’s so agile and shoots so well that once she gets the ball near the basket there’s just not much you can do. And Chidom doesn’t allow you to concentrate on Waters because she’ll hurt you in the paint as well.”

The quartet has always been talented, but its freshman year provided a key learning experience as it bided time behind an almost-equally talented senior class that featured Robie Mayberry, Mikayla Lyles and Alexis Bostick (Ariell’s sister).

“I barely got any playing time that first year,” Chidom said. “But that senior group really took us under their wing. Seeing their growth and listening to their stories really motivated me to become the person and player I am today.”

The 2009-10 team went 27-3 before seeing its season end with a heartbreaking 50-48 loss to Sacramento High in the CIF Division III semifinal.

“Seeing my sister cry after that game was one of the most terrible things I’ve been through,” Ariell Bostick said. “She told me afterward to make her proud and do whatever I needed to do to get to the state championship.”

It only took them one season to get there. However, it didn’t play out the way they hoped. But after shedding a few tears, the Dragons’ postgame press conference had a bit more of a defiant vibe. There was a sense that if they got another shot, the result was going to be different.

Now they get to find out if that’s true.

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The team will open the year as heavy favorites to win a fourth straight NCS Division III crown, and accomplishing that should secure a top two seed in the CIF Northern Regional bracket.

But carrying those expectations and following up on that success can carry a few pitfalls, too.

“Our first few weeks of practice, I think we automatically assumed that we could just fall right back into playing with each other. It wasn’t that easy,” Chidom said. “It took a little time for that good on-court chemistry to start to come back. We’re starting to look more and more like a team every day.”

When the team is clicking, there isn’t a button that coach Malik McCord can’t push, or an option he can’t go to.

Height, check. Speed, check. Quickness, check. Shooting, check. Depth, check.

“Our versatility and our height is going to make us stand out from other teams,” Waters said. “We have everything that you could possibly need for a team. Our posts can play the wing, actually everyone can play multiple positions on the team. That definitely helps.”

And from Bostick’s point of view, what’s not to like? She almost always has a big target to get the ball to, and if not, well that means she’s probably open to fire a 3-pointer.

But more than anything, she feels the team’s greatest strength will be determination — a collective will to return to the Power Balance Arena in Sacramento and finish what they started.

“We’ve had a target on our back ever since my sister graduated,” Bostick said. “We know that target is that much bigger now. If we stay focused and play good defense, we’re gonna get to where we want to be.” ✪

Butch Noble/SportStars file

Bishop O’Dowd forward Oderah Chidom earned the nickname “Slinky” from her teammates because she always seems to be able to make the right move for a shot.

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Red Zone

Gaels’ turnaround season under Wade has Dublin buzzing

By Chace Bryson | Editor

Dublin coach John Wade 28

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When the season ended for the Dublin High football team on Dec. 2 — after a 35-0 North Coast Section Division II semifinal loss at top-seeded Windsor — there was almost assuredly some sadness in the knowledge that gear would need to be turned in on Monday.

But there wasn’t disappointment. There was no need to be. The Gaels had been playing with house money, having already reached their goals for the season.

Even more than that, there might’ve even been some hope and excitement that permeated the postgame chatter between some of the Dublin underclassmen after the game.

And maybe most important of all, there may have been even been talk of future Gaels football success among the fans and student body.

Dublin “That might have been the coolest part of the last few weeks,” Dublin senior quarterback Ed Achziger said two days before the Windsor loss. “Having students and teachers really caring about the football program has been great. Just seeing the community and school change and rally around us.”

How did they get there?

Well it started with the arrival of coach John Wade, who last spring left a highlysuccessful Miramonte program to begin remaking the Gaels. Wade was taking over a program that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2005 and had gone a combined 13-37 in the five years since.

Wade’s Miramonte teams had a combined record of 42-21 in those same years.

When Wade took the job he knew he was already behind the 8-ball in terms of timing. He and his staff would not only have just the spring and summer months to implement new offensive and defensive systems, but they’d also have to learn who their personnel were and get those players to buy-in.

First things first: he needed to reach the seniors.

“Whenever there is a coaching change during your senior year, you’re gonna get a little nervous and it’s gonna be a little stressful,” said Achziger, who was set to begin his third year as the Gaels’ starting quarterback.

“From the first time I’d talked to Coach (Wade), I knew that his personality was going to match well with the kids we had at Dublin.”

Achziger and fellow senior leaders Jabari Davis (WR), Zach Tucker (LB) and Clint Jackman (OL/ DL) set a tone and work-ethic that instantly began to make things easier on Wade.

“It’s been all business from the beginning, and it’s a testament to those guys,” Wade said.

The team opened the year with two strong wins, outscoring Benicia and Galt by a combined score of 73-12. After a hiccup to Livermore, the Gaels picked up two more wins and headed into the second week of October with a 4-1 record.

On Oct. 14, the team ran into an undefeated Campolindo team which throttled it 42-14. But the following

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Wide receiver Jabari Davis

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Red Zone week, during a 10-9 loss at Las Lomas, and one I’ll never forget.” was when Wade really started to get The roller coaster game ended after fired up about his new squad.

Achziger put the Gaels up 49-42 on “If you’re going to make the jump a 6-yard touchdown run, and Davis from middle part of the league to the intercepted College Park quarterback top, you need to knock off one of those Jordan Louis on the ensuing Falcons upper echelon teams,” Wade said. possession.

“During that Las Lomas game (a brutal “Last year, we had a tendency that 10-9 loss sealed on a blocked PAT if something bad happened or we kick), I felt we were able to match their fell behind, we would have a tough physicality. And I thought to myself time recovering,” Achziger said. “This that If we get into the playoffs, we’re year, we just rolled onto the next play. equipped enough to go toe-to-toe with There were a lot of negative things that people. So even though we lost the happened to us in the course of that football game, it answered a question.” game, but we never seemed to worry Needing a win to truly punch their about it.” at-large berth into the NCS Div. II field, Even though Achziger, Davis and the Gaels stomped Dougherty Valley other key seniors will graduate, the 40-0 on Nov. 10. Nine days later they Photos by Phillip Walton future might look even brighter for the opened the playoffs with a 35-7 firstGaels in 2012. Dublin was bolstered by round romp over Ukiah.

Dublin quarterback Ed Achziger a very deep junior class that features However, that was all prelude to an plenty of talent. epic quarterfinal that featured three ties and five lead changes before Dublin eliminated Diablo Valley “Half of this team was juniors,” Wade said. “We started the Athletic League champion College Park 49-42 in double year without having a single guy that had been in a playoff overtime. game. Now we’ll go into next year with half the team knowing “It was one of the most exciting games that I’ve been inwhat it takes to win, and what to expect.” volved with,” Wade said. “Both teams were down by 14 or 15 If this year’s playoff run was any indication, the expectapoints once or twice in the game. It was just a classic game, tions of the school and community will be different as well. ✪

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The Night the Pirates

stole the show After 20 years, Pittsburg’s 1991 section title victory remains one of most famous in state history By mitch stephens | Contributor

The most memorable moment of Chris Shipe’s memorable high school football career was taking a knee.

This was no obligatory, run-of-the-mill, end to a football game mind you.

This was on the floor of an NFL stadium — the Oakland Coliseum — on a damp and muddy field at the end of long and strategic and bitterly fought game.

“Frankly, I was trying to settle our guys down,” Shipe said. “They were all celebrating early. I didn’t want anything stupid to happen.”

Shipe, a long and lean and talented Pittsburgh High quarterback, took the snap, took the knee and the history of prep football in the Bay Area would never be the same.

On the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor — Dec. 7, 1991 — Pittsburg ended the 34-game win streak of De La Salle-Concord with a 3527 North Coast Section championship-game victory.

Remarkably, 20 years later, De La Salle not only hasn’t lost another NCS playoff game since, but it hasn’t lost to a Northern California opponent period — a span of 222 games with 220 victories and two ties.

The Spartans go for their 20th straight NCS title Dec. 10 back at the Oakland Coliseum, this time against San Ramon Valley-Danville.

Former De La Salle players and current coaches say that the loss ignited a firestorm within the program, leading directly to the start of a national record 151-game win streak and at least six mythical national championships.

“It all started there,” said Patrick Walsh, De La Salle’s star junior tailback on that 1991 team and current head coach at Serra-San Mateo. “That was the most pain I ever felt in my life after a game and none of us wanted to feel it again. Pittsburg pushed us to the brink.”

That wasn’t the Pirates’ intent. It was simply to bring back another NCS title to Pittsburg following titles in 1980 and 1985.

And the fact it was in an NFL stadium 32

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against the despised private-school Spartans, who were just beginning to gain national attention, was icing on the cake.

Very sweet icing.

“I remember the final seconds winding down and seeing the utter joy of my teammates, my friends, my coaches,” said Shipe, now the head football coach at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. “It’s a vision I’ll never forget.”

It’s the same sight then Pittsburg coach Herc Pardi shares and has carried with him throughout a successful football and baseball coaching career. He coaches both now at Clayton Valley-Concord.

“It was more of a feeling really,” he said.

“The feeling of an entire community coming together and seeing it through. I can still see the faces of my family, the team’s family, the long-time Pittsburg fanatics.

“Quite frankly, it was one of the greatest sports moments in a city rich in sports tradition.”

NO DE LA SALLE MYSTIQUE As De La Salle’s Northern California and NCS streak grows, the more famous the event and the game becomes.

Like member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins — the only team to go through an entire NFL season undefeated at 17-0 — who openly root against unbeaten teams in order to keep their record alive, do the Pirates from 1991 find themselves rooting for De La Salle?

“I wouldn’t say I root for them,” Shipe said.

“Especially against Pittsburg. But I don’t root against them either.”

Aaron Alatorre, a starting receiver on the 1991 squad, who currently teaches special education at Pittsburg and is an assistant football coach at LMC, said he roots for De La Salle out of the area.

“I would love their streak to end against a Pittsburg squad,” he said. “Or someone out in East County.”

That doesn’t appear likely any time soon.

The gap has widened largely since the days when Alatorre, Shipe and a talented, spirited and most of all fearless group of Pirates played.

The De La Salle mystique had not yet infiltrated Pittsburg’s psyche. Not by a long shot.

The seniors on the team, including running backs Percy McGee and Derrick Huffman, receiver Mike Gargalikis, two-way lineman John Buxton, linebackers Anthony Shipe (Chris’ cousin) and Dyshun Beshears, and receiver Greg Quesada, had defeated De La Salle at lower levels. Handily even.

McGee, Chris Shipe, Beshears and Buxton all had successful college careers at Humboldt State. Quesada earned a scholarship to Washington.

And the team’s top player was a junior, offensive tackle and defensive end Regan Upshaw, who starred at Cal and in the NFL. Sophomore linebacker Charlie Ramirez and defensive back Leif Hall were other standouts.

Besides all that talent, Pardi had just replaced Larry Rodriguez as head coach after leading the Pirates JV team to back-to-back 10-0 seasons.

“That team was very talented and we knew it,” De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said. “They were also very well coached. We knew they were going to give us problems.”

Pardi had superb assistants, starting with defensive coordinator Jerry Halfrich (now at American River College), along with Lenny Davis, Sam Quinones and Joe Aliotti, brother of current Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.

Joe Aliotti, one of Pittsburg’s all-time great quarterbacks who starred at Boise State, is now an assistant at De La Salle and school Dean. He wanted the head coaching job Rodriguez vacated, but Pardi was a proven commodity.

The brain-trust worked together to perhaps outcoach one of the most famous staffs in high school football.

“We knew what we wanted to do,” Pardi

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FAR LEFT: The excitement and energy of the postgame celebration, described by then-Pittsburg coach Herc Pardi as “an incredible buzz,” is perfectly encompassed in the team photograph taken on the field and in front of the Oakland Coliseum scoreboard. Pardi said the celebration lasted well into the night once the team returned to Pittsburg. “It was a magical night,” he concluded.

(Courtesy of the Pardi Family.)

AT LEFT: Pittsburg’s Eric Alston (3) hurdles over a punishing block thrown by a teammate.

Alston scored the game’s first touchdown on a 25-yard reverse.

It marked the first time De La Salle had trailed all season.

(Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley).

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said. “And we had kids with the talent and know-how to get it done.”

‘SEE YOU IN DECEMBER’ Most of all, they had a swagger.

The Pirates lost a 28-16 game to De La Salle during the regular season, “but we knew we could play with them,” Pardi said.

And Pardi knew De La Salle knew.

After the first game when the two coaches shook hands, Pardi told De La Salle coach Bob Ladoucer: “See you in December.”

Said Eidson: “They could have easily beaten us the first game. They just missed on three bombs or they would have gotten us.”

When the Pirates walked into the Coliseum that night, Alatorre said the game was theirs.

“We all sprinted over to the base paths,” he said. “I remember us all talking about this is where Rickey Henderson steals bases. We were relaxed. In the moment.

“I remember when De La Salle took the field. They just looked stiff. Business like. I felt right then that we had them.”

Pardi had a good hunch at halftime. Shipe, who completed 29 touchdowns to just two interceptions all season according to Pardi, had fired a pair of crisp TD passes to tie the game at 21 heading into intermission.

“All our guys sprinted into the locker room,” Pardi said. “They couldn’t wait to get ready for the second half. And they sprinted out of the locker room too. I remember thinking to myself, ‘My God we’re going to win this thing.’ “ Added to the enthusiasm was a secret plan devised by Aliotti. It was basically the spread offense — new to the world back then — that Aliotti had brought with him from Boise State.

The Pirates had practiced it all week and it caught the Spartans off guard.

“They ran a five receiver set and we hadn’t seen it that year,” said Eidson, who was in his first season as defensive coordinator. “It definitely caught us by surprise.”

The short passing game led to a long drive and touchdown to put Pittsburg up 28-21 and after a Walsh touchdown and missed extra point, one of the most famous plays in Bay Area prep football transpired.

SEA OF BLACK AND ORANGE Driving to what looked to be a go-ahead touchdown, De La Salle quarterback Ali Abrew, pressured by Beshears, threw a short pass that was intercepted by McGee at the Pittsburg 21.

The All-East Bay running back, inserted on defense to make a big play, sprinted down the De La Salle sideline 79 yards for the score to go up with 2:15 left. He was escorted most of the way by Upshaw.

“As soon as I scored I knew we had won the game,” McGee told Neil Hayes in his book about De La Salle entitled “When the Game Stands Tall.”

That’s funny, because Chris Shipe didn’t.

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Butch Noble

Chris Shipe, the 1991 Pittsburg quarterback, is now the coach at Los Medanos College.

He ran to the dog pile in the end zone and one-by-one pulled players up to get off the field. All signs of a future coach.

“I didn’t want to get a penalty and give them good field position,” Shipe said. “They still had plenty of time.”

De La Salle completed a pair of passes to future NFL great Amani Toomer on the next drive, but Beshears sacked Abrew, forced a fumble and Upshaw recovered, setting up Shipe’s memorable taking of the knee.

More Pardi recollections: “Gatorade bath,” Pardi said. “Hysteria. I remember my wife (Roxanne) running onto the field and hugging me. I asked her how she got on the field because the security was so tight. She said, ‘I told them they can arrest me but right now I have to congratulate my husband.’ ” The celebration followed in the stands.

Pardi said close to 20,000 showed up that night, making it the largest Coliseum crowd for an NCS event. “There was a sea of black and orange everywhere,” he said. “There was an incredible buzz.”

And the bus ride back to Pittsburg?

“A dream,” Pardi said. “Phenomenal.”

At the end of the bus ride was a giant reception at school.

“The town didn’t sleep much,” Pardi said.

“We all hung out. It was a magical night.”

It lasted more than one evening, Alatorre said. “We celebrated for two or three weeks,” he said. “TV stations showed up. There were parades in town. It was just a completely different feel in town. It was such an ordeal.

“Funny, because it’s 20 years later and it’s still an ordeal.” ✪ Mitch Stephens is a national columnist for MaxPreps.com.

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Heart of the matter: Defibrillators need to be more commonplace

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creening for cardiac disease prior to participation in athletics is a hot topic these days. The American Heart Association has a 12-element recommendation for inclusion in any pre-participation physical examination of young athletes. Included are a personal and family history (verified by a parent or guardian), and physical examination that encompasses listening for a heart murmur, checking blood pressure and heart rate.

It is not recommended to perform an electro cardiogram on all athletes. With a 10 percent false positive/false negative rate, the accuracy of the testing often leaves a family with unneccessary anxiety, and can just as frequently not catch the cardiac issue.

In Italy, where there is a national health care system, all young athletes are required to have an EKG prior to participation (a trend that may ultimately hit U.S. shores). However, Italy still has an incidence rate of 1in 200,000 sudden cardiac deaths of young athletes. Ironically, the rate of sudden cardiac death in the U.S. is no different. So given the expense and lack of any significant decrease in incidence rates, currently EKG’s are not recommended as a component of the pre-participation physical examination.

In the past year alone, Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland has received eight young athletes who have suffered cardiac arrest. Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) revived all of them. Only one continues to suffer a lasting impact of being stricken, due to a delay in receiving the life saving intervention of defibrillation.

Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are important life saving devices that should be readily available in all public places where athletics occur. Unfortunately they have not yet become as common a sight as an exit sign, or fire extinguisher.

It is the one item that no one wants to ever use; yet everyone should have access to. The AED is designed for simplicity, with verbal instruction and pictures to guide the user through the action of saving a life.

The problem remains, however, that we as a society have not yet reached the tipping point of having the expectation of finding an AED in any building, field of play, or sporting venue we may find ourselves in. The good news is we are not very far off.

The public’s awareness is rising, with CPR classes covering the use of AEDs, news and print media covering the issues, and the universal sign of a heart with a lightning bolt becoming more common place. Still, more advocacies are needed and it is the public’s pressure on institutions that wins the money to make the AED a pervasive sight. That advocacy is the responsibility of us all. ✪

Health Watch Bruce Valentine

Bruce Valentine is a physical therapist assistant for the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek. If you have questions or comments regarding the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes staff at Health@SportStarsOnline.com.

Aspire Pilates

Pilates workouts benefit any athlete, male or female

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By erik stordahl | SportStars

erhaps the biggest myth when it comes to Pilates is the notion that it’s meant solely for women. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Meet Antone, a wrestler, swimmer, boxer and track athlete.

Obviously a multi-sport athlete, Antone practically lives in the gym. But because of the intensity of his workouts and the extreme physicality of the sports he plays, he has sustained severe knee injuries over the years, tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL and Medial Meniscus.

He has also had very “upset” shoulders including torn rotator cuffs, a detached clavicle, and a torn bicep tendon. In addition he has had painful leg injuries that have included pulled hip flexors and groin muscles.

Ouch.

“I enjoy pushing myself to the limits,” Antone said. “When it comes to training and exercise.”

Through his many years of athletic injuries, Antone has tried modality after modality to keep him out of pain and performing on the field/ring/mat.

“I have had many coaches, trainers, and physical therapists,” Antone said.

“But the one thing I could’ve used the most was Pilates. Too bad I thought it was only for girls.”

The look on Antone’s face was priceless when Tonya Amos, founder of Aspire Pilates, revealed that Joseph Pilates was a

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wrestler and boxer.

“I feel my athleticism would have greatly benefited,” Antone said. “And it would have helped me from getting injured.”

Antone was dragged to Pilates by his girlfriend. He liked that all of the exercises combined strength, flexibility and balance, which made for a streamlined, powerful workout.

“Before I discovered Pilates, I would do thousands of ab exercises to strengthen my core, which gave me a great six pack but not a stable core,” Antone said. “With Pilates I learned how to really engage my hamstrings which increased overall strength and speed.

“I also realized that I was not stretching important muscle groups which inevitably led to injury. Tonya’s keen eye is able to see unhealthy movement patterns in just a short time. I never thought Pilates could be so beneficial.”

The beauty of Pilates is that it’s for athletes of all walks and disciplines. It can maximize your body’s potential even if you’re already incredibly strong and fit like Antone.

“What Antone found with Pilates was a deeper level of full body strength derived from the power of his core and stability of his joints,” Amos said. “Strength that he had never before realized was possible.

“Combine all of that and you get a faster, stronger and more agile Antone with even more “weapons” in his athletic arsenal.”

To learn more about Pilates or to sign up for a class, check out www.aspirepilates.com. ✪ December 8, 2011

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tee2green

Cal women’s coach brings her passion for golf to The First Tee of Oakland

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s a non-profit, the success of The First Tee is largely dependent upon a Board of Directors. We have been very fortunate over the past several months to add new members to the board and even more fortunate that those members’ backgrounds and experiences are very diverse.

Recently we celebrated the recruitment to our Board of one of the all-time great women’s collegiate golf coaches, Nancy McDaniel — the founding coach of the Cal women’s golf team who is responsible for directing one of the most highly-regarded golf programs in the country. We are so excited to have Nancy serving on the program committee. Nancy’s role will be to provide guidance and goal assistance to program participants, as well as to provide on-going golf education and training for our volunteer coaches.

We had a chance to pose some questions to Nancy about how she got her start in golf, what she has learned from the game and what she hopes to contribute to The First Tee of Oakland.

■ How did you get your start in golf?

My start in golf came as an 8-year old in Oregon. Volunteer parents would take us out on a four-hole course and wait patiently for each junior to finish each hole. Looking back, patience was the key word for both player and parent. I played in high school, beginning as an individual at a school that did not sponsor a girls golf team and was quickly motivated to start one. I found out quickly that it takes parents to get you out on the course and friends to keep you there.

■ What has golf taught you about life?

What has golf NOT taught me about life? There are so many life lessons. As a junior golfer, it taught me full accountability. As a collegiate player, it taught me persistence. As a young professional, I learned passion.

■ What made you decide to become a Board member with The First Tee of Oakland?

Many of my dear friends are active Board members of their respective First Tee Chapters, and this has always piqued my interest. To be asked to be a part of something that is changing lives in youth in your town is a privilege.

■ What has your experience with The First Tee of Oakland been like?

When two young people walked up to the first practice I was observing, and when they took off their hats, extended their hands to say, “Hello my name is. . . “ as they each shook my hand boldly, I about fell down. It was then I realized how impactful this program can be.

■ Are there similarities in coaching college students versus the First Tee kids?

I wish all my student-athletes had the opportunity to go through the First Tee program. I think it may have helped with confidence and dealing with adversity, and there is no question it would help with basic introductions and respect. The ones that were with the First Tee have a great perspective on sport and life.

■ Given the diversity of the players at TFTO, what might you say with regard to golf becoming a more diverse sport?

I love that through The First Tee we are seeing so much more diversity in golf.

Breaking the barrier from it being a country club sport to a regular-person’s sport really reminds me of Scotland. When you play there, it’s just what the people do. It’s not special, and you are not special because you play. It’s a way of life — a means to be outside and enjoy camaraderie with friends and family. ✪

First Tee Files April Kenyon

First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring administrators of four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee — Contra Costa, Oakland, San Jose and Tri-Valley.

April Kenyon is the executive director for the The First Tee of Oakland. Check out your local chapter by visiting one of the following websites: www.TheFirstTeeContraCosta.org, www.TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.TheFirstTeeSanJose. org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org

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Your first race: The basics for competing in your debut triathlon W elcome to the fun part, the race!

Your first triathlon is all about having a good experience. You’ve put in all the training, you are ready physically, now enjoy your special day. You should not expect to do everything right on your first race, so make it fun and memorable.

Choosing Your First Race If this is your first triathlon season, choose a fun race where some of your friends or people you know will also be competing. This will give you something positive and fun to look forward to on race day, and will help lessen your anxiety.

You may want to choose a race close to home, so all your friends and family can come watch you, or a race where you have volunteered.

For training purposes, choose a race at least three months before you begin your season, so you have enough time to build a base, train well, and be ready physically.

Goals and First Race Strategy Goals are important for your training, and your race.

Most people think the only goals that exist are time goals, but, especially for your first race, how you race and how you feel during and at the end of the race are more important.

Just like practices, you should feel like after each part of the race you can do the next part.

There are different types of race goals. Your goals will

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areas of improvement you can improve easily. For example, not sitting during transition one.

Managing Race Anxiety

differ based on your race experience, your athletic background, and how many races you’ve participated Liz Elliott in.

If this is your first triathlon, your goal should be pace well, and finish strong. I usually suggest to my first time racers to build into each section. What that means is to start at 10 percent of your top speed at the beginning of each section, and work up to 80 percent. The better you are at each section, the faster you will reach and hold 80% within that part of the race.

By setting pace, overall feel during and after each part, and being prepared in transition, your training and racing will be more interesting and your times will drop without directly trying.

If this is your first set of triathlons, your first race may be to finish and pace well. After that race, write a race report. Write down your entire experience, while noting areas you did well, and areas you could improve.

For your second race, choose the low hanging fruit, the

Most triathletes, especially for those experiencing their first triathlon, will have some anxiety surrounding preparation — what to do the week of, during the race morning and race itself.

Anxiety is totally normal, even for seasoned racers. It is good to feel some anxiety or nervousness before racing, as that is fueled by adrenaline (the juice that gets you going). But you don’t want anxiety to take you over. If you have followed your training plan, and stuck to training patterns, you are each prepared, and whatever happens is what happens.

Overall, have a great time!

Enjoy your first race, it will only happen once.

Ask any triathlete, your first race will be something you’ll remember forever. When you cross the finish line, you will be a triathlete. ✪ Liz Elliott is the head coach of the Tri-Valley Triathlon Club based in Dublin. Liz specializes in preparing beginner triathletes for their first race(s). Liz just completed her second Ironman in August, bettering her performance in every aspect of the race. Contact her at liz@trivalleytriclub.com. Find the first four installments of TriSteps in issues #28, 31, 33 and 35.

All can be accessed at www.SportStarsOnline.com.

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Eric Cressey’s

seven reasons

why pitchers need rest

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cuff strength. oday I want to share an abridged version of “7 4. They need to get their Reasons Why Pitchers shoulder and elbow range of Shouldn’t Throw Year Round,” motion back.

by Eric Cressey. Cressey is one of What you need to know is that the top strength and conditioning significant eccentric stress can coaches in the world, and one of lead to tissue shortening. Immy go-to resources when it comes mediately after a pitching outing, to training this population. To pitchers lose an average of 9.5 delearn more about Eric and to read grees of shoulder internal rotation the complete article go to www. and 3.2 degrees of elbow extenericcressey.com Tim Rudd for IYCA sion — and these losses persist at There are those who insist 24 hours after throwing baseball pitchers don’t need time 5. They need to “dissipate” off from throwing. I couldn’t eccentric stress. disagree more.

If I already have a guy whose arm is workI’m sure this will rub some folks the wrong ing at a deficit for 8-9 months of throwing, way, but I can’t say that I really care, as most the last thing I want to do is beat him up for of those individuals can’t rationalize their the other three months with the same kind perspectives outside of “guys need to work of volume and stress. on stuff.” I, on the other hand, have seven 6. They need to allow any undetected reasons why baseball pitchers need time off low-grade injuries to heal. from throwing: Old, low-level injuries are less likely to reach 1. They need to lose external rotation to threshold if you give them some downtime gain anterior stability. and work on redistributing training stress.

Just going on year-round throwing By strengthening the rest of your body in the programs in hopes of increasing external off-season, you’re dramatically reducing the rotation seems like a good idea on paper. It’s demands on your rotator cuff with throwing. actually a terrible idea in the context of inju7. They need a chance to prioritize other ry prevention. Pitchers should intentionally competing demands. lose a few degrees of external rotation each There are other things that need to be prioffseason, as it affords them an opportunity oritized at this time, and year-round throwto improve their stability. ing is an especially tough pill to swallow 2. They need a chance to get their cuff when you know that throwing is working strength and scapular stability up. against many of the very qualities — rotator At the end of a season, the strength of cuff strength, scapular stability, mobility, and the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers is tissue quality – that you’re trying to establish. significantly reduced. Having dealt with The lack of downtime from throwing is esmany of our players for up to five offseasons, pecially problematic in younger populations, I have a unique appreciation for how each as they are skeletally immature and weaker. responds differently to not only the stress of I firmly believe that pitchers need the ball the season, but also to arm care programs completely out of their hands for at least two that we initiate at season’s end. months per year, preferably continuously. ✪ 3. They need an opportunity to do

Training Time

dedicated manual resistance rotator cuff exercises.

Ask anyone who has worked with throwers for any length of time, and they’ll always tell you that manual resistance exercises are the single best option for improving rotator

Tim Rudd is an International Youth Conditioning Association specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). For more information on anything you read in Training Time, email him at tim@fit2thecore.com.

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December 8, 2011

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39

camps + clinics BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Golden Era Baseball Based in the East Bay, we offer several instructional-based programs as well as 9U thru 18U Club Teams.

We are currently taking sign-ups for our Hitting Classes. Please see our website for full details: www.

GoldenEraBaseball. com.

The Pitching Center We develop baseball players to their full potential. The Pitching Center has grown to become the Total Player Center (TPC), a full service baseball and softball training academy. Ageand skill-specific programs are available for students ages 8-high school. Info: 925-416-1600, www. thepitchingcenter. com.

SportForm Based in Concord, SportForm provides individual and team instruction in baseball, softball, lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Perform! Info: 925-459-2880.

All American Softball Girls of all ages welcome. Check into our six-week softball improvement program for all ages. Info: 916-3741907, www.softballschool.com.

BASKETBALL Bladium Triple Threat Academy Alameda’s Bladium Sports & Fitness Club hosts multiple hoops camps for ages 6-12. Designed for players of ALL skill levels. Registration: AlamedaSales@bladium.com, 510814-4999; www.bladium.com.

Mike Allen Sports Learn the basics of basketball, sharpen your skills and improve daily at the Ballin’ Ambassadors basketball clinics! Hosted by MIke Allen Sports in the South Bay, registration is easy.

Go to www.mikeallensports.com to reserve your spot. 408-279-4123.

CHEER CheerGyms.com We offer the best clinics in California!

Customize your clinic to fit your needs. Whether basic stunting techniques or working on twist cradles out of one

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leg stunts, we take your team to the next level! Info: 866-685-7615, www.

CheerGyms.com.

East Bay Sports Academy Recreational, competitive athletes benefit from training with the best coaches. Our 10,000-square-foot facility is clean and bright, with the newest equipment. Info: 925 6809999, www.EastBaySportsAcademy. com.

EQUESTRIAN Kelly Maddox Riding Academy Develop new friendships with other horsecrazy kids.

Weekly activities include learning horse colors, markings and breeds; art and crafts; a farrier demonstration and human horse show; bareback riding and more! Info: 925-575-4818, www.

KellyMaddoxTraining.com.

Franklin Canyon Stables Based in Martinez, we provide two covered arenas and easy access to trails. Whether beginning rider or experienced equestrian, we have a place for you. Instruction in horsemanship on the ground and in the saddle, all while having fun. Info: 925-2281801; www.kimshorsetraining.com/ franklin_canyon.html.

Castle Rock Arabians Activities for tweens and teenagers, where we build team spirit through various team activities on horseback.

Visit the ranch by appointment.

Info: 925-933-3701, www. castlerockarabians.com.

Earthquake Arabians Fall and Christmas Break camps are around the corner for Earthquake Arabians!

Horsin’ Around Fall Camp: Nov. 21-23.

Christmas Break Camps: Dec. 1923 and Dec. 26-30. Registration is OPEN. Log on to www. earthquakearabians.com for more info. 925-360-7454.

FITNESS Aspire Pilates Dramatically increase core strength, power, flexibility, balance, focus and joint stability, while preventing injury.

Aspire prides itself on helping propel athletes to the next level by

December 8, 2011

Sign-up Time

Reserve a spot now for a workout with San Ramon Fast Pitch Softball and San Ramon Baseball. Spots are limited for the 2012 spring season. Leagues for 9U to 14U. Go to www. sanramonfastpitchsoftball.com or www.sanramonbaseball. com to learn more. addressing muscular imbalances, helping athletes increase body awareness, correcting faulty body mechanics, and accessing untapped strength. Info: 925-680-4400, www.

AspirePilatesCenter.com.

Fit 2 The Core As a Youth Conditioning, Speed/ Agility and Nutrition Specialist with the IYCA, Fit 2 The Core Training Systems Boot Camps offer an innovative approach to getting young athletes back on the field post-rehabilitation, and continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. Info: 925-639-0907, http:// f2cbootcamps.com.

TransForm FX At TransForm FX Fitness Boot Camp, we believe that parents can take better care of their kids when they take care of their own health and fitness. This is the reason we have designed our adult fitness boot camp workouts to fit your busy lifestyle. Each boot camp workout is carefully designed to help you burn fat and increase your cardiovascular endurance in less time. Info: 925-289-8042; www. transformfxfitness.com.

Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness We offer more than 70 group classes per week. Members also enjoy our heated pool, sauna, spa and steam room. Massage, skincare and chiropractic services are available.

Call us today for your free one week pass! Info: 925-932-6400, www.wcsf. net.

ENRICHMENT Dianne Adair Enrichment Programs We offer a wide variety of enrichment programs for your child during the school year.

Activities include: Homework help, 4th

& Up Club, art and crafts, science, sports and games. Info: www. dianneadair.org.

E.Nopi and Palm Academy Concentration is on early literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, social understanding, physical coordination, creativity, cooperation and self control. Programs serve children from infancy to preschool, kindergarten, and through 12th grade. Students learn at their own pace. Locations: Fremont, 510-9799794; Newark (E.Nopi), 510-7936674; Pleasanton, 925-461-6284.

FUZE Fit For A Kid! FUZE is a privately-held, DOJcertified, youth-only health club and curricula modeled after the principles of the Positive Coaching Alliance. FUZE enhances athletic development, socialization and selfesteem. Info: 408-358-7529; www. fuzefit.com.

GOLF Dave DeLong Junior Golf Camp For advanced and beginning junior golfers, and designed for golfers 7-15. Camps include a 4 to 1 ratio of students to teachers. Safety is top priority, as are player development and enjoyment. Boundary Oak Golf Course, Walnut Creek. Info: 925997-3683; www.delonggolf.com.

Coach Rick Golf Learn to play on the course, where it matters. Golfers of all ages can sign up. For more info, call 510-9176442; www.ThePersonalGolfCoach. com.

The First Tee - Contra Costa The First Tee is a youth development program for boys and girls 7-18.

Participants learn about golf and life skills and values inherent to the game, rules and etiquette. Instruction occurs at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Info: 925-686-6262, Ext. 0, angela@thefirstteecontracosta. org; www.thefirstteecontracosta.org.

The First Tee - Oakland The First Tee of Oakland has delivered The First Tee Life Skills Experience to more than 262 participants.

Each receives a minimum of 12 hours of instruction over an 8-week period. Instruction is at three Oakland courses: Metropolitan Golf Links, Lake Chabot GC and Montclair GC. Info: 510-352-2002; www.thefirstteeoakland.org.

The First Tee - San Jose The First Tee of San Jose develops youth throughout Silicon Valley, through the game of golf. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals. We welcome participants ranging from second to 12th grade.

Scholarships available. Info: 408288-2973; www.thefirstteesanjose. org.

The First Tee - Tri-Valley The First Tee of the Tri-Valley offers The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes seasonally, for ages 7-17, at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Info: 925-462-7201, www.

TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.

LACROSSE Atherton Lacrosse Our lacrosse camps are designed for boys and girls ages 5-14, who are beginner or intermediate players. Our group of coaches and staff are leaders in the lacrosse community.

Info: 888-526-3330, www.

AthertonLacrosse.com.

Sportform Based in Concord, Sportform provides individual and team instruction in baseball, softball and lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Perform! Info: 925-459-2880, www.sportform.co.

MARTIAL ARTS United States Karate Systems USKS offers adult and children’s programs, kickboxing fitness, mixed martial arts.

Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family. 925682-9517; www.usksmartialarts.com.

MOTORSPORTS Keigwins@theTrack We conduct motorcycle schools and practice events (“track days”) in the West at famous race tracks. For experienced motorcyclists looking to improve skills and build confidence. Riders provide their own motorcycles and protective gear.

Keigwins@theTrack takes care of everything else. Info: www.keigwin. com; 650-949-5609.

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41

camps + clinics Umigo Learn passing techniques, cornering techniques, throttle & breaking techniques, advance seat position, kart operation, kart control, real racing, and improving your lap times. Racers must be at least 10 years old and at least four feet, 10 inches tall. Two- and four-day camps are available. Info: www.umigoracing.com.

OUTDOOR SPORTS Bear Valley Mountain Soccer, Archery, Tennis, Climbing, Cycling ...

If there’s an outdoor activity you enjoy, there’s a good chance you can do it Bear Valley Mountain. Info: www. bearvalley.com.

University of Surfing Instructor Matt Cole offers lessons/camps in Pacifica. 650-359-1425, mattcolesurfs@hotmail.com; www.universityofsurfing.com.

SOCCER Heritage Soccer Club The Pleasant Hill/Martinez-

based competitive soccer club welcomes players ages 8-18. Top-flight coaching staff with experience spanning years in the high school and college ranks teach new skills and help hone existing ones. Info: www.heritagesc. com.

SWIMMING/DIVING Walnut Creek Swim Club WCSC is a recreational team, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Led by the experience of coach Brad Hoy, the staff is the finest in the area. WCSC believes in finding the healthy balance between competition and family fun. Sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek, Info: 925-766-5664, www. walnutcreekswimclub.org.

Sherman Swim School We are a Lafayette swimming and diving school celebrating our 50th year. Our yearround schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain, and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Info: 925-283-2100, www.

ShermanSwim.com.

VOLLEYBALL Pacific Rim Volleyball We offer several skill-based camps and clinics, including setting camp, hitting camp and an allskills camp. Campers will be evaluated and placed in a group that challenges their level of play. Registration for beach volleyball is going on now as well. Info: www. pacificrimvolleyball.com.

U.S. Youth Volleyball League We’re the leader in developing and maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, we seek to build confidence and self-esteem in each child. Info: 1-888-9887985; www.USYVL.org.

MULTI-SPORT City of Concord Skyhawks Sports Skyhawks Sports & the City of Concord team up to provide safe, fun and skills-focused sports camps for ages 4-12. Camps range from soccer to lacrosse to our popular multi-sport camp where kids sample three different sports (Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball) in one camp. Info: 925-671-3404; www.concordreg.org.

Advertiser Index ❒❒ A A A Northern California, Nevada & Utah..................10 ❒❒ Aabco Printing..........................................................43 ❒❒ Army National Guard Recruiter.....................................5 ❒❒ Aspire Pilates Center..................................................41 ❒❒ Back Forty B B Q.........................................................36 ❒❒ Bay Area Baseball Camps...........................................39 ❒❒ Big C Athletic Club......................................................15 ❒❒ Big O Tires....................................................................2 ❒❒ Bob Larson Sports Action Photography......................43 ❒❒ Cheer Gyms..................................................................6 ❒❒ Children’s Hospital And Research Center.....................26 ❒❒ Club Sport Renaisssance ............................................20 ❒❒ Community Youth Center...........................................43 ❒❒ Crowne Plaza.............................................................43 ❒❒ Diablo Car Wash & Detail Center.................................41 ❒❒ Diablo Rock Gym........................................................39 ❒❒ Diablo Trophies & Awards...........................................39 ❒❒ E Teamsponsor...........................................................47 ❒❒ Earthquake Arabians..................................................41 ❒❒ East Bay Sports Academy...........................................34 ❒❒ Excellence In Sport Performance................................30 ❒❒ Fit 2 The Core..............................................................29 ❒❒ Garaventa Enterprises................................................19 ❒❒ Heavenly Greens........................................................37 ❒❒ Home Team Sports Photography................................41 ❒❒ Kaiser Permanente.......................................................7 ❒❒ Kinders B B Q................................................................3 ❒❒ Lone Tree Golf Course.................................................41 ❒❒ Mc Coveys..................................................................29 ❒❒ Mike Allen Sports................................................. 48, 31 ❒❒ Mountain Mike’s Pizza................................................12 ❒❒ Niles Personal Fitness.................................................39 ❒❒ Rocco’s Pizza...............................................................42 ❒❒ Rockin Jump...............................................................21 ❒❒ Scandia Family Center................................................43 ❒❒ Simply Selling Shirts..................................................39 ❒❒ Sport Clips..................................................................13 ❒❒ Sports Stars Magazine................................................43 ❒❒ Star Sports.................................................................30 ❒❒ Sutter Urgent Care......................................................48 ❒❒ The First Tee Of Contra Costa.......................................41 ❒❒ The Golf Club At Roddy Ranch....................................36 ❒❒ The Mt. Diablo Memory Center - Sport Concussion Program.....................................................................30 ❒❒ Unflappable: The Whitney Reed Story........................41 ❒❒ Usks Concord.............................................................43 ❒❒ Velocity Sports Performance......................................42 ❒❒ Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness....................................38 ❒❒ West Coast Jamboree.................................................27

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December 8, 2011

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Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

SportStars™

43

impulse SSM liked the style of Alex Martin’s Urban Cutz & Clothing ad (last issue #36) so much that we set up an Impulse shoot.

It turned into a “twofer” and included the store’s next door neighbor, Metro Skateshop. Here’s all the trendy gear you need for the kids on your holiday list.

Ahmad (left): He’s the senior point guard for Ygnacio Valley High. Haircut

by Ivan. Flag Snapback Pink+Dolphin hat $45; Play Cloths hoodie $145; DTA tee $25; Gourmet shoes $60; G-Shock watch $200 ... Chris (right): He is YV’s sophomore forward. Haircut by Jerron.

Pink+Dolphin Waves beanie $35; Rocksmith jacket $112; 9five eyewear $80; DTA te e $25; Flüd watch $100; Creative Recreation Capri’s $125. Go YVHS Warriors! ... Justin (inset): He is wearing Metro’s skater gear. KREW hat $18.99; Metro tee $18.99; 9; Brixton vest/hoodie $89.99; Ambiguous Pants $64.99; NIKE SB backpack $50; Real board $46.99; Emerica shoes $59.99.

Urban Cutz & Clothing, 1106 Contra Costa Bl., Pleasant Hill. (925) 708-3832. www.UrbanCutz.biz. Metro’s next store. www.MetroSkateShop.com

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December 8, 2011

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*Name____________________________________________________________ Address (optional) _____________________________________________________________ *City/State ___________________________ *Zip______________ Phone (optional) __________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________ Check the most appropriate option for each. All information held in confidence Are you: ❏ Female ❏ Male ❏ Married ❏ Single ❏ Age 12 or below ❏ 13 to 19 ❏ 36 to 45 ❏ 20 to 25 ❏ 46 to 55 ❏ 26 to 35 ❏ Over 55 ❏ Student ❏ Full-time employed ❏ Part-time employed ❏ Self-employed ❏ Not employed ❏ Retired Number of people living in your home: Male: Age(s) __ / __ / __ / __ / __ Female: Age(s) __ / __ / __ / __ / __

Home ownership: ❏ I own my home ❏ I rent/lease ❏ I live with my parents Education: ❏ Pre High School ❏ In High School ❏ High School Grad ❏ Some College ❏ College Grad ❏ Post annual household income ❏ Less than $35,000 ❏ $35,001 to $50 000 ❏ $50,001 to $75,000 ❏ $75,001 - $100,000 ❏ $100,001 - $150,000 ❏ above $150,000 Do you own: A mobile/smart phone? ❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or more A credit card? ❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or more A laptop/tablet? ❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or more A car? ❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or more Social Media Do you use: ❏ Faceboook ❏ Twitter

In which sports do you regularly participate?

Check all that apply ❏ Baseball/Softball ❏ Basketball ❏ Cheer/Gymnastics ❏ Endurance: Swim/ Bike/Run ❏ Equestrian ❏ Football ❏ Golf ❏ Hockey ❏ Lacrosse ❏ Motorsports/BMX/ Skateboarding ❏ Outdoor/Adventure/ Snow board/Ski/ Mountaineering ❏ Rugby ❏ Self Defense/ Wrestling/Fencing ❏ Soccer ❏ Tennis/Racquet sports ❏ Volleyball ❏ Other _____________ Which sports do you watch regularly (check all that apply) High School Sports ❏ In person ❏ On TV Teen League Sports ❏ In person ❏ On TV College Sports ❏ In person ❏ On TV Pro Sports ❏ In person ❏ On TV Jr. Sports (younger than high school) ❏ In person ❏ On TV What other sports publications do you regularly read? ❏ Pro sports magazines ❏ College sports magazines ❏ High School sports magazines ❏ Endurance magazines (swim, bike, run) ❏ Outdoor / Adventure magazines Do you primarily read these magazines: ❏ In print ❏ Online

Do you participate in games or tournaments as a coach? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionally Team Parent? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionally Player? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionally Golf Do you consider yourself an: ❏ avid golfer ❏ Sunday golfer ❏ Occasional golfer How often do you golf? ❏ weekly ❏ monthly ❏ annually How much do you spend per year on Greens Fees $___________ Equipment $___________ Endurance: (Swim, Bike, Run) How often do you participate in Running, Biking &/or Swimming/Diving? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionally Types: ❏ Fun runs (5k/10k) ❏ Marathons ❏ Triathalons About SportStars Magazine Please rank each of the following sections in order with ‘1’ as your favorite, etc...: (rank as many as you can) __ First Pitch (Editors Opening Column) __ Behind the Clipboard (Coaching Advice Column) __ Health Watch (Medical / Health Advice Column) __ Locker Room (Quick & Fun: Rapid Fire/Digits/Top 5) __ Game Day (Breaking Game Coverage) __ AAA SportStars of the Week (Honoring teen athletes) __ Training Time (Training Tips & Techniques) __ Club Scene (News & Coverage of league play) __ Features (In-depth stories on players and teams) __ In the Paint (Basketball Coverage - seasonal) __ Red Zone (Football Coverage - seasonal) __ Extra Bases (Baseball/Softball Coverage - seasonal) __ Tee2Green (Golf) __ TriSTARS (Endurance: Swim/Bike/Run, Outdoor & Adventure) __ Camps & Clinics (Resource) __ Impulse (New Products) __ 24/7 (Events Calendar) __ Photo Finish (Last Page Photo) How often do you read SportStars Magazine? ❏ Every issue ❏ 3 out of every 4 issues ❏ 1 or 2 of every 4 issues How would you classify yourself as a SportStars Magazine reader? ❏ I read it cover to cover ❏ I read most of the articles ❏ I read one or two articles each issue Do you prefer to read SportStars Magazine...

Print Edition ❏ Daily ❏ Every issue ❏ Monthly Internet Edition ❏ Daily ❏ Every issue ❏ Monthly How long do you spend reading each issue: ❏ More than one hour ❏ 30 minutes to one hour ❏ Less than 30 minutes How many others read your copy of SportStars Magazine? ❏ 1 ❏ 2-4 ❏ 5-7 ❏ 8-10 ❏ more than 10

Do you keep your copies for future reference? ❏ Always ❏ Often ❏ Sometimes Where do you pick up your copy of SportStars Magazine? ❏ School ❏ Restaurant ❏ Retail store ❏ Gym/health club ❏ I subscribe ❏ Other Name of location ___________________________________ How often do you visit our website? ❏ Daily ❏ Weekly ❏ Monthly ❏ other Would you say reading SportStars Magazine influences your decision to: ❏ Play sports ❏ Buy sports equipment/goods ❏ Work out/stay healthy ❏ Eat healthy ❏ Watch sports Would you say you use SportStars Magazine to choose: ❏ Where to play sports ❏ Where to watch sports ❏ Where to select a camp or clinic ❏ Other _________________________________________ What subjects do you think there should be more coverage of in SportStars Magazine?

1. _______________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________ Contest ends Dec. 15, 2011. No purchase necessary to win or enter. Return this survey to SportStars Magazine c/o Reader Survey Prize, 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521 or fax to (925) 566-8507.

Del Oro-Loomis defensive back Russell Smith (26) goes airborne into the end zone to intercept a pass intended for Oakdale’s Justin Martin during the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III championship on Dec. 2.

PHOTO BY James K. Leash

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at editor@SportStarsOnline.com. Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format.

Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information.

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SportStars™

December 8, 2011

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