DECEMBER 14, 2020 NORCAL EDITION VOL. 11 ISSUE 189
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Concord High quarterback Ricky Lloyd embraces his offensive coordinator Jon Bell after the Minutemen defeated Rancho CotateRohnert Park 40-37 in the North Coast Section Div. II championship at the Oakland Coliseum. Lloyd led a drive that delivered the gamewinning TD with just 16 seconds left. This image would become our cover photo for Issue #14 (Dec. 23, 2010). Visit SportStarsMag.com to read an exclusive oral history on the game to mark its 10th anniversary. Photo by Jonathan Hawthorne
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Divine Interception W e’ve come to December of what can only be referred to as a challenging year in high school sports. And we decided it was going to be a month of focusing on positive vibes. So for this issue, we set out to tell stories about athletes who are still finding ways to compete in their sports. Our cover athlete Maddie Gamble can’t compete for Carondelet-Concord yet, but had a very successful 2020 on the amateur golf circuit. We also chronicled Del Oro wrestler Damion Elliott who may be willing to help on your next home improvement project — if you’ll contribute to his personal wrestling travel fund. I’m also adding one more positive vibe story to this issue. Appropriate for the holiday season, no less. It’s an anecdote told to me as I worked on the recently released oral history of the 2010 North Coast Section Division II football final between Concord and Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park. Go read it on SportStarsMag.com! In the late fall of 2010, Dave Perry — now the new head football coach at Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland — was a 31-year-old personal trainer and assistant football coach at Concord High. His young family included four kids ranging from ages 1 to 11 and finances were tight. That season, Concord was arguably one of the most exciting teams in the East Bay. The week of Thanksgiving that year, days before the Minutemen’s North Coast Section quarterfinal, Perry and his family were rocked. “That was the heart of the housing crisis, and we were given a notice that the bank would be foreclosing our house on Dec. 5,” Perry said. “I didn’t know what to do.” Concord won its quarterfinal and survived its semifinal on Dec. 3. The team would be playing for its first ever section football final the following week. “The bank said our house would be up for sale at noon on Monday,” Perry said. “I talked to our realtor, Susan, that Sunday night and she said ‘I don’t know what else to do, Dave. I’m sorry.’ “So that Monday I’m prepping for practice and searching furiously on the computer for a house. I had three different people knock on my door and awkwardly ask if they could take pictures of the house as interested buyers. Then at 11:30 Susan calls me again. “She said, ‘Dave, we saved your house.’” The realtor would go on to explain that after calling the night before, she’d given into the frustration. A woman of faith who attended the same church as Perry, told the coach she’d shoved everything off her desk and exclaimed, ‘God, you handle it. Because whatever I’m doing ain’t working!’ Then 30 minutes before the house was set to go on the market, Susan got a call from another member of their church. “They said I’m going to buy the house, but only if Dave rents it from me,” Perry said. Five days later, Perry woke up on Saturday morning ready to coach in the biggest game of his young career. His confidence level was likely unmatched as he showed up to the school to get on the bus. “I couldn’t be beat,” Perry recalled with a hearty laugh. “It was impossible. You have pretty strong faith after going through something like that.” Concord won 40-37 in the game’s final 20 seconds. Good deeds and good cheer, sports fans. Happy Holidays. ✪
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Dave Perry, right, hugs Concord head coach Brian Hamilton along with fellow assistant coach John Koven following Concord’s 2010 NCS championship victory. Photo by Bob Larson
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Behind the Clipboard by Clay Kallam
Don’t Be Exclusive Just Play I love to play basketball but everyone tells me I’m a much better baseball player. My coaches want me to play baseball all year-round, and say I might get hurt playing basketball. They say that I’ll fall behind in baseball if I play basketball and guys I’m better than now will be better than me in the spring. Are they right? Should I only play baseball? J.G., Lodi Play basketball. Or soccer. Or become a wrestler. Or go skiing every weekend. Do not play baseball year-round. In fact, no teenager should play any sport year-round. (OK, that’s a blanket statement, and there might be a few athletes who should devote themselves to only one activity — but “few” is the important word.) First, let’s look at why people put pressure on kids to play just one sport. Coaches like to win — and they want good players on their teams, so they will push good baseball players to play baseball as much as possible. Second, some coaches (though not as many in baseball) make significant amounts of money by charging parents for offseason sports. Then there’s family pressure to get a scholarship, which is probably worth about $250,000, a sum that will get anyone’s attention. Peer pressure also comes into play, both in terms of having another good player for a particular team, and getting respect from others for doing something well. The result is the two-fold argument you mentioned: 1) You could get hurt doing another sport; and 2) you won’t be as good because you’re not practicing as much. Both of these arguments are deeply flawed, especially for repetitive motion sports such as baseball and volleyball. To begin with, the repetitive stress injury risk in baseball is very high. Lots of young players now have Tommy John surgery, which makes it seem OK — but don’t forget that not only do many players never get back to their previous form, but that trouble with that elbow will very likely continue through the rest of your life. Shoulder injuries are even less forgiving, and back injuries are also a product of continual twists of the torso that are the basis of throwing and hitting. And sure, you could get hurt playing basketball, but sports like basketball and soccer develop all-around coordination and athleticism, without as much risk of repetitive stress injuries. The range of movement and unpredictability of both sports force athletes to be flexible and learn to react to surprising situations. The “you’ll fall behind” argument is more insidious, really, and more dangerous. First, long-term success in any sport is determined far more by talent than refined skill as a teenager. Yes, major leaguers have acquired specific abilities through years of playing, but missing three months to play basketball in high school isn’t going to have much of an impact. In fact, many college coaches prefer two-sport athletes because of the implied versatility and athleticism that comes with that package. Even more important, though, is enthusiasm. Playing baseball or any sport year-round from middle school on will eventually turn fun into a grind. Burnout is real, and has ended many more careers than lack of practice in the offseason. And it’s very hard to predict when the well of enthusiasm will run dry — things can seem totally fine until one day they’re not. And once the fire goes out, it’s hard to get it re-lit. So play basketball. Or soccer. Or go skiing — one very successful college pitcher I know said he had never been skiing because his coaches wouldn’t let him, which is one of the most stupid things I’ve ever heard. Injuries happen, sure, but injuries are much more likely if you’re just playing the same sport and doing the same motion over and over again. If you’re good enough, you’ll play in college, and if you’re not, it doesn’t matter how many December practices you go to. The bottom line is that sports should be fun. They’re not a job at 15, and shouldn’t be treated as one, and the only reason for you to play baseball is because other people want you to. But since you’re the one playing, there’s no doubt in my mind that basketball is by far the better choice. ✪ Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and has coached numerous sports at a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area. This column first appeared in our October 2019 issue. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Clay at claykallam@gmail.com. Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
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A NEW TRADITION COMES TO REDDING! This holiday season, begin a whole new tradition of lighs and festivities and discover an immersive experience for the entire family with the Redding Garden of Lights at Turtle Bay. Create new and lasting memories this year with all the unique colors, sounds, and scents of the winter season. Explore winding paths leading through 10 acres of artfully illuminated and immersive displays exhibiting world-class design. Celebrate the natural world with wildlife and plant themed exhibits unique to our region.
REDDING GARDEN OF LIGHTS November 27-December 27 Wed-Sun 5pm-9pm Turtle Bay Exploration Park McConnell Botanical Gardens Buy Tickets Online at TURTLEBAY.ORG
Enjoy cheerful amenities and community spaces throughout the gardens, including holiday themed drinks, gifts, and food. Warm up by the fire with s’mores and holiday songs from yesterday and today. Rain or shine, the Garden of Lights has something for everyone to enjoy. Shasta County health and safety guidances will be in place. For more information visit TurtleBay.org or call 530-242-3123.
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arondelet High golfer Maddie Gamble understands she won’t get a ton of sympathy. After all she’s been able to play and compete in her sport for more than six months now. But the two months she had to go without allows her to easily empathize with so many California athletes waiting for their sport to return. “Just being home and not being able to touch a club, after playing golf my whole life? That was really weird,” Gamble said of the first two months of quarantine before golf courses began reopening in May. “But it really helped me, I think. My appreciation for golf skyrocketed when I was finally able to get back out there.’ Playing with a new zest for golf can only lead to good things — especially when one is already among the Bay Area’s best young golfers. Gamble punched her membership card to that group at a very young age. And she’s been one of NorCal’s best high school golfers since her freshman season at the Concord private school. In her first CIF/NCGA NorCal Championship Tournament, Gamble tied for fifth with an even-par 73. In fact, she’s never finished worse than fifth at the NorCal event. She finished tied for fourth as a sophomore and tied for second as junior. Her junior season also included a fourth-place tie at the CIF State Championships.
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Maddie’s younger sister, Morgan Gamble, works on her photobomb game. 12
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“She just has a tenacity and a desire,” Carondelet golf coach Rick Eisenhour said. “She’s both very competitive and very even-keel. And she’s got a lot of game.” Gamble has been flexing that game for nearly a decade. Drawn to the sport by her dad’s affection for the game, she’s been playing tournaments since the age of 7. When she was 9, she attended the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at the famed Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina. The 9-year-old division was played as a three-day, 27-hole tournament. Gamble finished tied for second. “I was shaking I was so nervous,” she said. “After I finished second, though, I remember thinking ‘I can do this.’ We were at the awards ceremony and I just remember thinking ‘This is so awesome.’” Plenty more awards ceremonies have followed, including a handful over this past summer and into the fall. In mid-November — just days after Gamble signed her letter of intent to Washington State — Gamble teamed up with another WSU commit, Granite Bay High junior Hannah Harrison, to win the Northern California qualifier for the USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships. In four-ball format, the field is made up of two-golfer teams. Each golfer plays his or her own ball and the team takes the lowest of its two scores on each hole. If one team member birdies the hole, and one pars it, the team earns a birdie. There is no limit to how many times each player’s score can be used for the team. The pair combined to shoot an 8-under 64. “We’ve known each other for 10 or 11 years,” Harrison said. “I think I texted her back in September and asked her if she wanted to partner up for it. That was even before I had committed to Washington State. … We had a lot of fun practice rounds together, and on the day of the tournament we looked at it as good luck that we were going to be college teammates. We really had a positive mindset going in.” Green Valley Country Club hosted the qualifier. The course is located in Gamble’s hometown of Fairfield, and her heavy familiarity with the layout proved helpful. “Maddie came out and birdied five of the first seven holes,” Harrison said. “That let us relax a bit and we played the back nine really well together.” The USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships will take place April 24-28 at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas. Coincidentally, that will be right around the time both Gamble and Harrison hope to be competing during a rare spring season with Carondelet and Granite Bay. California golf courses have been open to the public since May. Which made it odd in July when the CIF still made boys and girls golf spring 2021 sports as part of its pandemic-related calendar restructure. Traditionally, girls golf is played in the fall months, and boys compete in the spring. Both could’ve been played in the fall, but that’s a different story. Carondelet and Granite Bay were two of the top four teams in NorCal last fall. Granite Bay finished second at the CIF/NCGA NorCal ChamFollow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
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“Maddie came out and birdied five of the first seven holes. That let us relax a bit and we played the back nine really well together.” — Hannah Harrison, right, on playing with Maddie Gamble at the USGA Women’s Amateur Four Ball Championships
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pionships and qualified for the state tournament where the Grizzlies were the highest-finishing NorCal team (fourth). Granite Bay is expected to be loaded again, and Carondelet should also be an upper tier Bay Area team led by the senior duo of Gamble and Maddie Wu. The Cougars also feature a stellar sophomore class that includes Gamble’s younger sister, Morgan. Golf is certainly not among the sports focused on in the public outcry to restart high school sports. Even though the Gamble sisters and Harrison can still find competitions, all three said the value of the high school season is too easily dismissed. “Golf is a very individual sport,” Morgan Gamble said. “(High school) golf season is really the only time of the year that you get to play with other girls and have that social team bond that you really miss in individual sports. Having a golf team and having that experience teaches you a lot of life lessons that being alone on the course just won’t teach you.” “I miss it so much,” Maddie Gamble said. “My teammates are my best friends on and off the course, and it’s just been a bummer.” Meanwhile, the sisters keep working on their game as much as possible. Having each other to play with has certainly helped during this downtime. “She’s really enjoying the game and that’s really cool to see,” Maddie said of her younger sister. “She really wants to go out and practice. Her whole mentality for the game has changed.” As for Morgan, she’s watched her sister’s game develop over the years and continues to admire her game. “I’ve been her caddie in situations where I knew she’s under so much pressure,” Morgan Gamble said. “There were a lot of different ways some of those situations could go. Her ability to pull shots off under pressure is what amazes me the most.” Eisenhour couldn’t pick just one thing at which Maddie has excelled. There’s a list. “Good short game. Hits the ball well off the tee. Good iron player, and someone who thinks her way around the course.” said the coach who’s now in his third decade of leading the Cougars. “I’d take six of her any day of the week. You just have to point her in the right directions and say ‘Go get it.’” If her first 10 years of competitive golf are any indication, there’s plenty more Maddie Gamble can get. ✪ — Story and photos by Chace Bryson
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ll coaches are different, and while philosophical differences some times come into play, parental concerns around coaching start at the most basic level: Is my child safe in his or her care? It’s a question the USA Volleyball and the NCVA take very seriously. General info about NCVA’s background checks usually amount to this line from the USAV Parent Guide: “Every adult over the age of 18 working with USAV juniors has a comprehensive background check performed biannually.” But what information — social security verification, address search, county courthouse and/or statewide search, national database and sex offender registry search — disqualifies a potential coach? The following automatic disqualifiers are listed in the USAV Screening Policy: All sex offenses and homicides, regardless of time limit; felony violence and felony drug offenses in the past 10 years; any misdemeanor violence offenses in the past seven years; any multiple misdemeanor drug and alcohol offenses within the past seven years; or any other crimes (not listed) against children in the past seven years. Furthermore, individuals found to have pending court cases for any disqualifying offenses will be disqualified. If the disposition of the pending case does not meet the criteria for disqualification as listed above, the individual would be cleared and reinstated. But how are crimes collected? Are these background checks effective to filter out people unfit to work with minors? Who performs these
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background checks for NCVA? The answer is Southeast Security Consultants, Inc. SSCI’s motto is ‘Information is protection.’ Committed to finding the best methods for accurate and complete data, they also seek the cost of its absence. SSCI found in a 2016 case study by Randy Rodebaugh found other companies offer national database-only searches to screen applicants as a cost-cutter for volunteer-driven organizations. As a result, 23 of the 56 individuals disqualified by SCCI throughout the 2015-16 screening period would have slipped through the cracks using only a database search. Pending cases will not appear on a national database, another reason courthouse investigations are imperative. “We choose SSCI for their comprehensive background checks that include local and statewide search,” NCVA CEO Donna Donaghy said. “We feel it is imperative to use the best services out there as the first line of defense to minimize safety risks for our players and community.” Unfortunately, some offenders may not have a criminal record, breaching this defense; so it is the community’s responsibility to help ensure the safety of players. In addition to background checks, USA Volleyball’s SafeSport program is a collection of specific policies, training, supervision and grassroots feedback to help ensure the community identifies and reports abuse. SafeSport also helps coaches be self-aware to not commit misconduct, clearly defining standards for them to conduct themselves. SafeSport policies define sexual, physical and emotional misconduct; bullying, threats, harassment and hazing to provide a comprehensive picture of abuse, and how to identify as well as report it. USA Volleyball provides training on these issues. “It is important to be able to coach the game and recognize issues on the court, but it is equally important for coaches to address situations off the court,” Aftershock Volleyball Club Director Craig Hardesty said. “SafeSport training allows them to do that properly.” Additionally, the SafeSport Handbook has two proactive policies to reduce risk of abuse: The Social Media and Electronic Communications Policy and Travel Policy. If a club does not develop its own policy, these policies become their default. For example, the Communications Policy limits all electronic correspondence topics between adults and minors to team activities, and all content must be readily available to the public, ensuring transparency. Plus, minors must copy or include their parents in all electronic correspondence. This multifaceted approach ensures coaches and the community actively create an environment that deeply minimizes abuse and maintains professionalism. We owe our children a life free of violence; together, it is possible through active diligence. ✪ — Kim Lampi for NCVA Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
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NOT WAITING AROUND 18
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Kennedy-Richmond senior and Cal-bound tight end Jermaine Terry II
At Least A Handful Of NorCal Football Players Don’t Have Anxiety Through The Roof These Days — Early Graduates Are Focused On The Future Without Regret — Story by Mike Wood Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
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or the Bay Area’s handful of early enrollment football stars, their bags are packed for college without the chance of playing in one final high school season. For those graduating high school a semester early to get a head start on college, they are making that move laser-focused on the future and without regret. There’s a palpable sense of relief and confidence in making that major decision. It’s full-speed ahead, characteristic of the drive it takes to finish high school early, especially under distance learning. “It’s a weird thing being graduated early; you can’t follow in anyone’s footsteps,” Pittsburg senior offensive tackle Ryan Lange said, speaking with determination and assuredness in his choice. The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Lange is set to move across the East Bay to Cal on Jan. 15 and start classes the following day. In this strange school year contorted by the Coronavirus pandemic, they aren’t taking chances on a final delayed season — which remains in doubt as calendars are set to turn to 2021. Football stadiums were quiet this fall. So too were the competitive spirits of remaining high school football players, as a projected wintertime season is in question after the region enacted new stay-at-home orders in early December. “It’s a sad situation because I did want to play my last season,” said Liberty-Brentwood senior Akili Calhoun Jr., who is also headed to Cal. “But with this situation, I have to think about my family. Pick my friends or my family ... It was tough. I cried about it, because those are my guys.” “Whether football was going on or not, it was something I was going to do,” said Kennedy-Richmond tight end Jermaine Terry II, who committed to Cal in February. “I’m really excited to get to touch the football. I haven’t been able to do that as much.” The CIF put plans for sports practices on hold until at least the start of 2021 after the state’s surge in COVID-19 cases. When January arrives for early enrollees, their future won’t be on hold. They’ll officially become college students. Lange said he didn’t even know graduating early was an option when he began high school. By chance during his freshman year, Lange happened to work out in the same gym as Antioch’s Najee Harris, who drew the spotlight as the nation’s top recruit. That spotlight is even brighter at Alabama, where Harris is the overall FBS scoring leader as of Dec. 9. He graduated early from Antioch to join the Crimson Tide, and in that meeting Lange learned of that possibility. “It was a process that I didn’t even know about,” said Lange. “But now I know two guys who have taken that route.” With doubt hovering over high school sports, these seniors don’t regret taking themselves out of the equation. “Everyone wants to play, but I see my future as coming up quickly, and felt it was something I have to do,” said Terry. At 6-foot-5, 260, Terry is a four-star recruit and a consensus topfive nationally at tight end.
Pittsburg senior Ryan Lange in his future Cal look 20
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“This is truly exciting; truly it is a blessing,” Terry continued. “A lot of people don’t get the opportunity I am getting.” Lange said that while he feels he made the right decision, he realizes he won’t have senior experiences like “being a leader and running the flag onto the field.” He said he’d developed “a good-hearted rivalry” with Calhoun, a mighty 6-4, 265 presence at defensive end. They lined up across from another whenever the two Bay Valley Athletic League teams met. Calhoun, whose father played for the Raiders in the 1990s, was first to offer congratulations when Lange announced his commitment in July. “As soon as I got off the phone with Cal, I got a FaceTime from Akili, and it was ‘Hey, you are going to Cal too. … that’s so cool,’” Lange recalled. “That was such a warm welcome. My phone was getting blown up for the next day after that.” Added Calhoun: “I was hyped; we were playing against each other since freshman year, and he’s always been my boy. He’s been my friend for years, even though we’d been playing against each other. “It’s going to feel great, honestly, since I’m trying to be the best pass rusher in the Pac-12, and I can practice with the best guys.” These recruits had their share of options. Lange’s includes the likes of Arizona, Washington State and USC, among others. “You have to look at it from an adult standpoint,” Lange said. “Cal wasn’t the top choice at first, but the education is amazing and it’s right close to home. So what if they are maybe not one of the best teams in the Pac-12. That doesn’t matter in 20 years when you are looking at your degree.” Lange is looking at studying orthopedics, along with chemistry. “I developed that interest from playing sports, learning about your body and what you need to do after getting hurt. If you hurt a shoulder, ankle or tendon and how you deal with it.” Calhoun’s focus is psychology; “learning about an individual and how to understand what he’s thinking. “You can’t beat a Cal education,” he said. “It’s not a 4-year decision, it’s a 40-year decision. Because I’m not going to be playing football forever.” Terry is eyeing pre-nursing or business studies. Always a physical presence, he initially was lured to sports like basketball because life as a lineman didn’t have much appeal then. Eventually he learned to become a pass-catcher. “Once I entered high school, I knew I had a shot to do something with football,” he said. “I knew I could if I kept my head and worked hard.” Going to Kennedy, Terry knows first-hand the challenges of growing up in one of the Bay Area’s toughest neighborhoods. It’s why he’s wishing his Kennedy teammates get the chance to go back on the field, while heeding to precautions. “Being from my city, I know football is an outlet and a place for people to stay out of trouble,” he said. “So I hope everyone can play, but if they do it, they do it carefully.” Calhoun made his commitment to Cal right before schools and sports were shut down, and decided to graduate early while realizing he’d miss out on a season that might not happen. “I thought, what is the point of me wasting it when I could be getting better?” Still he feels for his teammates, several who were also part of the school’s first state championship team in fall 2018. “It’s a horrible situation, because this is a really important season for a lot of guys out there,” Calhoun said. Heading out of high school without a final senior season, each has accomplishments they can hang their hats on, and can be proud of their teamwork in the trenches. For Calhoun, he points to being part of that state championship team as a sophomore. “Those are the moments they can’t take back, because at Liberty we got to accomplish that,” he said. “It’s leaving me with feelings that I don’t have any regrets about. “You look to the left and you have your brother there and look to the right and have your other brother there, that is what matters. It’s what it’s all about.” ✪ Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
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Wrestling In 2020-21 May Just Be A Vision Quest As NorCal Wrestling Stars Like Del Oro’s Damion Elliott Flee State For Chances At Competition “I’ve put up a roof, painted fences, worked with plaster, concrete, doors and windows — landscaping and moving rocks, cutting grass/ weeds, cleaning gutters. Pretty much whatever I can get my hands on, I’ll do.” — Damion Elliott
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ix months after he seized California Interscholastic Federation stardom by reaching the state finals as a sophomore, Del Oro-Loomis wrestler Damion Elliott found himself again thrust into a high-intensity showdown on an elevated stage. Gingerly perched atop the roof of a Sacramento County home, Elliott knelt carefully and reached a gloved hand into a swath of twigs and leaves clogging a high gutter. Several angry paper wasps suddenly swarmed out, driving Elliott up the shingles and away from trouble. “I got everything but a front corner,” he shouted down. “You got wasps in there.” The second-best 126-pound wrestler among California high schools is fearless on the mat, but he draws the line at perilous dogfights with winged insects. Wasps aside, there are few jobs that Elliott won’t grapple these days. The handyman lifestyle supports his other — traveling the country to compete and preserve what he can from a promising prep wrestling season. He only has one podium step to climb. “Obviously I want to stay at a good competing level, and I am still training to try to keep that up,” Elliott said. “It would be nice to still have tournaments in California.” Unlike most of the country, California has pulled the brakes on prep competition during the COVID-19 pandemic, joining the likes of Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia and North Carolina. On Dec. 1, the CIF followed the guidance of the California Department of Public Health and indefinitely postponed the start of 2020-21 sports. All practice and competition dates are on hold until further CDPH guidance is announced. The decision presents a troubling challenge for prep athletes like Elliott. For the elite, wrestling will undoubtedly create opportunities for higher education and even a successful career. Elliott knows that even in a pandemic, he must train and he must compete against the best. So he sacrifices. Though he only recently turned 17, Elliott spends most of his free time working. He hustles for odd jobs on social media and is quickly expanding his skills and equipment. “I’ve put up a roof, painted fences, worked with plaster, concrete, doors and windows — landscaping and moving rocks, cutting grass/weeds, cleaning gutters,” Elliott explained. “Pretty much whatever I can get my hands on, I’ll do.” He isn’t saving up for recreation. With California wrestling sidelined, Elliott must travel across the U.S. to get matches. Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
Elliott’s hard work, along with some support from area wrestling clubs, enables his travels. In the past few months he’s been to Oklahoma (twice), South Dakota and Idaho. On Jan. 15, he will leave the state for the 2021 Rockwell Rumble Wrestling Tournament at Utah Valley University. Like nearly all of his out-of-state competition this year, Elliott will travel without his best teammate — his mom. “I’m a single mom, so affording travel in general is challenging, and at this point, I just can’t go with him,” Starr Mackelvie said. “We are fortunate to be involved with the youth club (USA Gold), fundraisers, and a lot of it is saving every single penny. “It helps that Damion does stuff on his own to make money.” Mackelvie has only been on one wrestling trip this year, thanks to some saved up points from a Southwest flight that was cancelled because of COVID-19. “I can probably count one time in the last year I had missed matches, so not being there has been very tough,” she said. “It helps that I absolutely trust him to be safe. “He’s a responsible kid and he even catches me sometimes, like, ‘Mom, don’t forget your mask.’” Responsibility has made the holidays even tougher. Since Elliott returned from Oklahoma (World of Wrestling Kickoff Classic) in late November, the pair elected to stay home and miss the annual Thanksgiving gathering with Elliott’s grandparents. “Skipping Thanksgiving with the family was a hard choice, but we have people in sensitive age groups with underlying health conditions in the family,” Mackelvie said. “His whole life, Damion has spent every single Thanksgiving with his grandparents, but this year we did it on FaceTime.” Elliott’s father, Larry Bill Elliott Jr., died just a few days after Damion’s first birthday. It’s one reason why the bond between Damion and Mackelvie seems unequaled. When he wrestles, she squeezes as close to the boundary line of his mat as she can. Win or lose (it’s almost always a win), she saves the best smiles just for him. “Since it’s just her, I talk to my mom about pretty much everything, and if I feel a certain way I don’t even have to say it,” Damion added. “She somehow knows already what I want to say.” Damion’s dad lives on in the moments that matter most. Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!
Damion Elliott and his biggest fan, his mother Starr Mackelvie
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December 14, 2020
SportStars™ 25
Sean Myles
“Sometimes, if I don’t want to go to practice, or let’s say I’m cutting weight or down a few points in a match, I think that he’s watching me, maybe helping me out,” Damion said. “It’s like he’s with me, and it helps me clear my mind.” Ten miles south of Elliott, senior Sean Myles, an Oakmont-Roseville wrestling sensation in the upper weights, anxiously awaits word on the biggest season of his life. Myles, seventh at 170 pounds last year, is one of only two returning state medalists at his weight class. In fact, Myles is one of only nine returning wrestlers from CIF podiums in the entire 160-195-pound range (four weight classes). Being poised as one of the big names of 2020-21 won’t mean much if Myles doesn’t get a senior year. “It’s been so disappointing,” Sean’s mom, Saundra Myles said. “Other states have had successful fall seasons. Yes, they have had to cancel some stuff, but they got to play. “We have just been sitting and waiting for the guidelines.” Saundra is also an assistant principal at Oakmont and oversees Student Activities. She’s adamant about safely bringing kids back to school and eager to see all students participate in athletics. “Hopefully we can get this stupid pandemic under control and start moving on with our regular programming,” Saundra said. “I just want the kids to be able to learn, and I know my kids have a tough time distance learning.” Sean was lucky to squeeze in a few recruiting trips (University of Nebraska at Kearney, Grand View University) this year. He’s wary of California’s collegiate wrestling experience, and for good reason. In July, Stanford announced its intention to eliminate wrestling from its lineup of varsity sports, as part of a cut that included 11 other teams. A few months later, Fresno State followed suit, announcing intentions to cut a wrestling program that surged into the national spotlight with success in both recruiting and competition. Both rosters were loaded with California prep talent, like 2020 star Peter Ming (Elk Grove to Stanford) and 2019 Vacaville talent Lawrence Saenz (transferred from Fresno State to Cal Poly). Especially during COVID, wrestling is bleak in California. But for wrestlers like Elliott and Myles, making the best of the situation is all they have left. ✪ — Story by Ike Dodson 26
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December 14, 2020
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