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ON YOUR MARK: Runners set course to state meet.

Pg 10

Clayton Valley’s Alexandra Tate

NCS title isn’t enough for Campolindo volleyball. Pg 14

GET INTO IT

Three miles to glory college park’s jeff bickert and the rest of the north coast section’s best endurance runners converged at Hayward high for the ncs championships. Page 10

SportStars photographers capture the NCS water polo championships.

Page 16

Miramonte goalkeeper Alec Ryner 4

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Su

om

There was no stopping Mary Vaccaro and the campolindo volleyball team in its quest for an NCS title. Is a regional or state crown next? Page 14 ON THE COVER De La Salle running back Lucas Dunne.

Photo by Bob Larson, LarsonPic@aol.com See story, Page 18

First Pitch ......................................................................................................6 SportStar of the Week ...............................................................................7 Wally’s World ...............................................................................................8 Locker Room ...............................................................................................9 Training Time ..............................................................................................13 Red Zone: Gridiron Notes .....................................................................18 Health Watch .............................................................................................21 Tee2Green: Golf Notes ...........................................................................22 Game Day: The Games You Have To See..............................................24 Twenty-Four7: Calendar ..........................................................................25 Impulse: The Hottest New Products ....................................................26

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November 25, 2010

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5

Ushering in winter with a high school sports Thanksgiving

T

hanksgiving is always a reality-check holiday for me. It has a tendency to catch me by surprise.

Most likely this occurs because the months that span August and November often go by in a blur of high school football.

Thanksgiving though is a landmark holiday when it comes to prep sports, as it basically acts as the official change-of-season date from Fall to Winter sports.

Sure, football and girls volleyball roll on for a few more weeks, but by now only a handful of local teams are still competing.

After turkey is served, the prep sporting world begins to center around basketball, soccer and wrestling.

So as the seasons begin to change, we felt it was natural to take a look back. And we thought we’d do so Thanksgiving-style.

Here’s a list of a few schools and what they might find themselves thankful for this month.

Alameda: Grace Na’s steady putting stroke — Anytime your school can raise a state championship banner in your school’s gym, it’s an awfully good thing. That’s exactly what Na gave Alameda when she made a birdie on the 18th hole of Red Hill Country Club and claimed the CIF/WSCGA individual state title on Nov. 16.

Antioch: The arrival of the Winter sports season — That 44-0 loss to Pittsburg in the Big Little Game football rivalry was pretty much the exclamation point on a tough fall season for Panthers athletics (with the exception of Kelsey Cast’s sterling golf effort against yours truly). However, we expect things to pick up for Antioch when hoops, soccer and wrestling get underway over the next few months.

Concord: Ricky Lloyd’s right arm — School pride has to be through the roof right now as the Minutemen football team charges toward championship dreams behind an air attack masterfully maintained by quarterback Lloyd and his receiving corps. Concord’s North Coast Section Division II first-round playoff defeat of Tennyson on Nov. 19 was the program’s first postseason victory in 21 years. The one and only Minutemen team to reach a section championship was led by Dave Barr (of Cal fame) in 1989. That team lost 16-12 to Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

Freedom: That Kendall Markham was tired of riding horses — After four to five years of competitive horseback riding, the Freedom senior decided she wanted to play tennis for the Falcons — her first varsity sport. She won 13 doubles matches with Amanda Weaver as the Falcons won their 6

SportStars™

November 25, 2010

FIRST PITCH Chace Bryson Editor

Chace@ SportStarsMag.com (925) 566-8503

first Bay Valley Athletic League championship and became the school’s first girls team (other than softball) to win a league crown.

Miramonte: Wacky time limits — This predates the Fall season actually, and takes us back to early June and the conclusion of the 2009-10 Spring sporting season when the Matadors baseball team squared off against El Cerrito in the NCS Division III final. Miramonte couldn’t shake the gritty Gauchos through 10 innings, and the momentum hung in the balance when NCS officials stopped the game because it had reached its 2-1/2 hour time limit. The game resumed two days later and the Matadors won 3-0. We’re not saying the break directly benefited Miramonte — they deserved the crown — but it sure didn’t help a team like El Cerrito which thrived on putting pressure on heavily-favored teams like the Matadors.

Northgate: Lights! — Of course, we realize that the credit for the Broncos landmark football season should go to the on-field efforts of senior standouts like Matt Butler and Cameron Stover.

However, we can’t help but feel there was a little magic in the long-awaited arrival of permanent lights to Northgate’s football stadium. Sometime teams just need a little extra, and maybe that was it.

Pinole Valley: SportStars’ poor football forecasting skills — We touched on this last week, but ever since we picked the Spartans to finish fourth in the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League, the team has played with a chip on its shoulder. It won the league and was unbeaten over its first 11 games. If this sounds like we’re suddenly taking credit for Pinole Valley’s success, well...

San Ramon Valley: That Monte Vista’s Maggie Steffens is graduating — We feel pretty safe in saying that every other East Bay Athletic League water polo program is thankful the heavily-talented Steffens’ run finally ended after lifting the Mustangs to their fifth straight NCS title. But it’s the Wolves who have the freshest Steffens-inflicted wounds after she burned them for five goals in a 13-3 NCS Division I finals victory. In fact, it was the second time in three years that Steffens led Monte Vista past her school’s rival in a championship setting.

Happy Thanksgiving, from SportStars’ families to yours. ✪

phOne 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 eDitORiAL Editor@SportStarsMag.com editor Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • Chace@SportStarsMag.com contributors Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mike Wolcott, Jim Mannion, Mitch Stephens, Dave DeLong, Gary Xavier, Angela Paradise, Doug Gardner, Matt Smith photography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne cReAtiVe DepARtment Art@SportStarsMag.com production manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsMag.com pUBLisheR/pResiDent Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsMag.com ADVeRtisinG & cALenDAR/cLAssiFieD sALes Sales@SportStarsMag.com Account executives Mike Wolcott Ext. 109 • MikeW@SportStarsMag.com; Patrick McCormick Ext. 102 • Patrick@SportStarsMag.com; Erik Stordahl • ErikS@Sport StarsMag.com (Special Sections, Calendar, Marketplace sales) ReADeR ResOURces/ADministRAtiOn Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsMag.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • DistRiBUtiOn/DeLiVeRY Mags@SportStarsMag.com Distribution manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • Butch@SportStarsMag.com inFORmAtiOn technOLOGY John Bonilla cFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsMag.com Office Manager/Credit Services Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Deb@SportStarsMag.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 cOmmUnitY spORtstARs™ mAGAZine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA • 94521 info@SportStarsMag.com www.SportStarsMag.com

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of the week

Bryan Snyder

powered by:

las lomas . water polo . senior

nominate your star at editor@sportstarsmag.com

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Everyone dreams of winning a championship. Sinking the shot at the buzzer, belting the game-winning home run, etc. But for Bryan Snyder there were no game-ending heroics necessary as he led the Las Lomas boys water polo squad to the NCS Division II championship 13-8 over Alhambra on Nov. 13. He paced the Knights, leading the way with a game-high six goals. sportstars: The game was very close early on. Was there a change in strategy in the second half?

Bryan snyder: Not really. We weren’t putting our shots away. We just had to get back in control of the game. sportstars: Where does this game/ accomplishment rank for you?

Bryan: It’s been my goal for four years to win NCS. All the work I put in was toward this. sportstars: Your head coach, Steve Mann, and assistant coach, Larry Banfield, had their head and facial hair shaved, respectively, after the championship game. What’s the story behind that?

Bryan: At the beginning of the year, they promised that they would do that if we won NCS. Coach Banfield claims he hadn’t shaved since 1974. sportstars: Do you have plans to play in college? Olympics?

Bryan: I’m playing at Cal next year.

After college, I’m going to try out for the senior national team.

BRYAn’s QUicK hits Pregame ritual: Listen to music for an hour, start visualizing, thinking about plays I can make.

If you could go anywhere in the world: Cabo San Lucas.

Dream job: Coaching collegiate water polo — Erik Stordahl

honorable mention

tori bidwell The Monte Vista senior scored five goals in the NCS Division I girls water polo championship on Nov. 13. The Mustangs defeated San Ramon Valley 13-3 after only leading 3-2 at the half.

ross anderson Miramonte’s junior quarterback used his feet more than his arm as he rushed for 147 yards and a TD as the Matadors survived a scare from AnalySebastopol in the first round of the NCS Div. III playoffs on Nov. 19. Miramonte won 17-3.

Caitlin dewitt The senior outside hitter led the Foothill girls volleyball team to a NCS Division I title with 26 kills and six digs in a 25-21, 2514, 20-25, 25-22 victory over San Ramon Valley on Nov. 20.

November 25, 2010

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Trash talk, and when it backfires on one’s backside

J

Pregame: It was the season opener, im Harbaugh became my new hero and McKinleyville’s players took the Saturday.

It had nothing to do with his abilfield breathing fire. “Let’s kick ass!” they ity as a coach, or as a master motivator, or screamed. “Let’s kick ass!” they screamed even with the lopsided outcome of the Big again.

Game (from what I hear, it was a 48-14 When a Ferndale player ran by, it was victory for Harbaugh-coached Stanford.

“We’re going to kick you ass!” After a FernI’m that rarest of Bay Area sports fans; dale player ran off, it was “Yeah! You’re I don’t care who wins the Big Game, gonna get your ass kicked! Let’s kick ass!” because I have no college attachment to Remember, this is Ferndale. There’s not either team. Call me if Cal ever drops a whole lot there, so voices tend to carry Stanford in favor of Humboldt State.) pretty well. And the voices did – all over No, Harbaugh became my hero for the Ferndale sidelines and grandstands. ripping into that lowest level of football Opening kickoff: As the McKinleyville creature, the type that can’t beat his opplayers promised, again, of the upcomponent with skill, so he tries to do it with ing ass-kicking, Ferndale kicked off, and his mouth.

McKinleyville ran the ball back to about Trash-talkers. the 40. “Yeah! Way to kick ass!” a player Or, as we call them in Wally’s World, yelled. “We are kicking ass!” a teammate “The reason we quit following the NBA yelled back. in 1988.”

First drive: On its first play, McKin“I don’t like the kind of football where leyville’s quarterback was sacked. On the you talk and intimidate,” Harbaugh said second play, he threw incomplete just after the game. “It’s not real. … Shut up before being buried by four Ferndale lineand play football.” men. On third down, he was sacked again.

Shut up and play football. Beautiful. If So, suddenly, the “kick ass!” season was off I’m ever appointed Football Czar, those to a fourth-and-29 start. words will be taped onto the front of First punt, and first self-ass-kick: every player’s helmet.

The hike went to McKinleyville’s punter, This isn’t to say the trash-talking wasn’t who caught the snap and took two steps going both ways as a pre-game skirmish forward. McKinleyville’s blocking back, disrupted the Big Coin Flip. But, I loved meanwhile, took about two three steps Harbaugh for coming out and sayback. The punter dropped the ball and ing something that every peewee, high blasted a punt that, based on the sound, school, college and, yes, NFL player needs was going to fly a good 50-plus yards in to hear. the air.

When you think of trash-talkers, Instead, it flew about 2 feet – directly, who comes to mind? Let’s see … Terrell dead-solid-perfect into the backside of the Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss …

McKinleyville blocking back.

MikeW@ yeah, you know. Losers. Guys who are the The ball ricocheted about 20 feet straight SportStarsMag.com first to pop off in good times, and then up. The blocking back reached back, run for cover when it’s time to answer for grabbed one cheek with each hand, arched (925) 566-8500 their own screwups. his head straight up and began hopping Ext. 109 Let your play do the talking, not your around in circles, screaming the sort of mouth. And, in case I haven’t made blood-curdling primal yell that signifies my point, it’s time for my all-time favorite high school the sort of pain probably not felt since “The Texas Chainfootball story, and it’s all about some trash-talking that, saw Massacre.” literally, came back to nail the trash talkers in the butt.

He was still screaming a good 10 seconds later as he Yes — I mean literally. hopped toward the safety of the sideline, clutching both The year was 1987. The schools involved were McKinbuns, while the poor McKinleyville punter fought for leyville and Ferndale of the Humboldt-Del Norte League. the ball beneath a pile of hysterically laughing Ferndale To set the scene, Ferndale had (and has) a long history linemen. of strong, small-school teams, both in terms of athletics Yes, laughing. Players and fans alike were laughing to and sportsmanship. McKinleyville has long since turned the point of genuine tears. It was like the short-pass scene the corner as well, but in those days, it was known, priin “The Longest Yard,” only these guys weren’t acting. marily, as the school that once lost 30 or more consecuThe day’s final mention of an ass kick: After about 30 tive games on three separate occasions. seconds, the laughter subsided. And then came a loud, Things got so bad, McKinleyville was put into the booming voice, bellowing out of the Ferndale bleachers, smaller-schools division, where it would play schools and delivered with perfect aplomb: with about one-fourth of its enrollment. And this had the “Hey, McKinleyville – is that what you guys meant players convinced they were, in their own words, “Going when you said you were going to KICK ASS this year?’ to kick some ass!”

Moral of the story: Don’t talk trash. It could come back And boy, did they ever. It went down like this: to nail you in the you-know-what.

WALLY’S WORLD

Mike Wolcott

8

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November 25, 2010

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RANDOM ACT OF FACTNESS

HE SAID WHAT?!?

With its 44-0 win over Antioch on Nov. 12, the Pittsburg football team logged its third shutout since 2004 in the storied Big Little Game. However, prior to 2004, the Pirates had gone almost 40 years without shutting out the Panthers.

A 26-0 win in 1967 was the last time Pittsburg had held Antioch scoreless. This year marked the 92nd regular-season meeting between the rival schools. The overall series record (which includes one playoff game) stands at 60-26-7 in the Pirates’ favor.

“It was a surprise to see my upper lip again.”

BEFORE

Long-tenured Las Lomas High boys water polo assistant coach, Larry Banfield, who followed through on a four-year promise to the Knights seniors that they could shave his mustache if they won a North Coast Section title. Las Lomas defeated Alhambra 13-8 in the Division II boys championship on Nov. 13, and Banfield’s mustache — established and groomed since 1976 — was treated to some electric shears during the celebration. For more NCS water polo coverage see page 16.

AFTER

Jonathan Hawthorne

Bob Larson

Postseason happenings which test our stoic reporter personas We don’t cheer in the press box, but as the fall sports season winds down, here are five things we haven’t minded (or would mind) reporting on: ■ In the 15 years of NCS boys water polo championships, Miramonte and De La Salle have been the only teams to win. Rooting for them is sorta like rooting for the IRS. Or the Yankees. So when Acalanes held on for a 9-8 win over the Matadors in the NCS Div. I final, yeah, we admit it: There might have been a little happy dance.

■ We also have to admit we were grudgingly rooting for Alameda’s Grace Na when she shot an even-par 74 and won the CIF/WSCGA state golf championship. Grudgingly. Because, well, we’ve never even sniffed 74.

Or, frankly, 84. Not that we’re bitter or anything like that.

■ We’ve always wanted to write: “Monte Vista tops Monta Vista.” So, obviously we were not-so-secretly hoping the Monte Vista (Danville) girls tennis team tops Lowell-S.F. in the CIF-USTA NorCal Team Tennis championship quarterfinals and advances to face Monta Vista (Cupertino) in the semis.

■ Would it be so wrong to root for the Campolindo girls volleyball team? We don’t think so. Local teams haven’t historically fared so well in the CIF championships, what with the SoCal dominance and all. But, at 303, the Cougars have a No. 1 seed in the Div. III bracket and have a legit shot at reaching the finals.

■ We’re really hoping both Concord and Northgate win their second-round games in the NCS Div. II football playoffs. Something tells us the Broncos (9-2) would make a much better showing in a semifinal rematch against the Minutemen (10-1) which rode roughshod over them on Nov. 5. In the same division, how could we not be pulling a little bit for upstart Pinole Valley? The Spartans (10-0-1) are, improbably, the only local team left that hasn’t lost yet this year whose initials aren’t D, L, S. — Bill Kolb

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November 25, 2010

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9

Beyond the lone runner Team concept plays a big role for more than a few North Coast Section champion cross country teams

By mitch stephens | Contributor When senior Michael Johnson slipped and fell in a heap on the rain-drenched Hayward High School 3-mile cross-country course on Nov. 20, so too appeared any chance for De La Salle to win a North Coast Section Division I championship.

As the team’s No. 5 runner, the pressure on Johnson to run his best was enormous in order for the Spartans to finally catch and pass their uphill battle with College Park.

“I’d never fallen in a race before and it was like ‘What am I doing here?’ “ Johnson said. “It was definitely jarring.”

Rather than panic, Johnson listened to the “encouragement” of teammate Stephan Spangenberg — “He ran right over to me and said ‘get back up, get back up,’” Johnson said — jumped to his sneakers and ran seamlessly the final 2½ miles to place 13th overall in a time of 16 minutes and 39 seconds.

He didn’t earn an individual medal and indeed was only the fifth best runner on the team. But Johnson’s performance not only keyed De La Salle’s 13th NCS crown, but it epitomized his team’s poised and determined manner and spirit.

More so, De La Salle and Johnson’s spill demonstrated that the concept of “team” is far more vital to a sport often more associated with individual glory.

The Spartans finished with 34 points to edge College Park (45), which boasted the top two finishers Jeff Bickert (15:50) and Anthony Ortolan (15:57).

But De La Salle, which took the next three spots with Kyle Williams (16:15), Connor Van Meter (16:17) and Evan Molineux (16:20), had the better fifth and final spot (13th) compared to College Park’s fifth runner at No. 23.

“Our fifth guy falls but still gets up to finish 13th?” Williams asked rhetorically.

“That’s what team is all about.”

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November 25, 2010

Bob Larson

At left, Kyle Williams of De La Salle descends a hill on his way to a thirdplace finish for the Division I-champion Spartans. Above, Clayton Valley junior Alexandra Tate qualified for the CIF state championships after a fourth-place finish in the Division II girls race.

Said Johnson: “I definitely didn’t want to let the rest of the guys down. When Stephan stopped his own race to come over and encourage me, I had to get up. I had to finish strong.”

Though sidetracked himself, Spangenberg regrouped quickly and was De La Salle’s fourth finisher at 16:32, placing ninth overall.

De La Salle fourth-year head coach John Pelster, who has been in the program 20 seasons overall, was thrilled but not entirely surprised by his team’s effort and performance.

Plagued by injury early, the Spartans have been chasing College Park all season, finishing behind the Falcons at local Ed

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Sias and Nike Invitational races. They also had slower team times than College Park at national Stanford and Mt. San Antonio events.

But like a race itself, the Spartans paced and planned their season-long finishing point smartly. And triumphantly.

Pelster said the Spartans are as talented and cohesive as any De La Salle team in the past two decades, including the state Division II-title teams of 1991 and 1996. Because they’ve moved up in divisions, this group won’t contend for a title at the CIF State Meet Nov. 27 in Clovis.

De La Salle and College Park hope to finish among the top 10 teams, where each has been ranked all season.

“This is the smartest, most consistent, most poised team I’ve ever coached,” Pelster said. “When the gun goes off they know just what they want to do and get in a position to do exactly that.”

The Spartans graduated four of their top six runners from last year’s third-place NCS squad, “but we had the world’s greatest JV team,” Pelster said. A lot of experienced runners, like Johnson, who didn’t even race on the varsity at NCS last year, were waiting in the wings.

Even with all that experience returning, Williams said, the Spartans had to put in the work. And it helped greatly that College Park pushed them every step of the way.

Bob Larson

San Ramon Valley junior Parker Deuel goes into his final kick as he eyes the finish line. Deuel won the Division II race and helped lift the Wolves to a team title, as well.

“Our guys put in the 500 miles back in the summer,” Williams said. “Our training was quality over quantity though. That’s kind of how it is at De La Salle in all sports.

But still, to finally do this and beat those guys (College Park), it’s exhilarating.”

The team concept was also shared by

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November 25, 2010

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11

NCS GLORY Here’s an overall glance at the most successful teams and individuals from the Contra Costa and Tri-Valley regions.

CHAMPIONS

QUALIFIERS FOR NOV. 27 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOYs teAms: De La Salle (D1), San Ramon Valley (D2).

GiRLs teAms: Granada (D1), Campolindo (D3). inDiViDUAL chAmpiOns: Jeff Bickert (College Park boys, D1), Parker Deuel (San Ramon Valley boys, D2), Carrie Verdon (Campolindo girls, D3).

TOP 5 INDIVIDUAL TIMES BOYs: Thomas Joyce (Campolindo) 15:35, Jeff Bickert (College Park) 15:50, Tyler Troxel (Acalanes) 15:51, Adler Faulkner (Acalanes) 15:52, Aidan Goltra (Las Lomas) 15:52, Tyler Hanson (Miramonte) 15:52.

GiRLs: Carrie Verdon (Campolindo) 17:19, Grace Orders (Campolindo) 17:38, Sophie Hartley (Granada) 18:12, Carina Norvell (Granada) 18:21, Elaine McVay (California) 18:31. other Contra Costa/Tri-Valley squads that won NCS titles: San Ramon Valley boys (Div. II), Granada girls (Div. I) and Campolindo girls (Div. III).

San Ramon Valley’s boys won by the largest margin with 28 points, compared to 91 for runner-up Mt. Eden-Hayward.

The Wolves won their second straight title — they won Division I in 2009 — and third under 15-year head coach Tim Hunter, who utterly pushes the team concept.

His team responded by placing five in the top-10 led by champion Parker Deuel (15:58), Matt DeVries (fourth, 16:23) and Brent Moore (fifth, 16:26).

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November 25, 2010

BOYs teAms: De La Salle (D1), College Park (D1), San Ramon Valley (D2), Campolindo (D3), Las Lomas (D3).

GiRLs teAms: Granada (D1), College Park (D1), San Ramon Valley (D2), Carondelet (D2), Campolindo (D3), Acalanes (D3), Las Lomas (D3).

BOYs inDiViDUALs (nOt On QUALiFYinG teAms): D1 – Zach Chambers (Monte Vista), Skyler Jones (Livermore), Tsuyoshi Kohlgruber (Livermore). D3 – Adler Faulkner (Acalanes), Tyler Hanson (Miramonte), Danny Stalters (Northgate), Tyler Troxel (Acalanes).

GiRLs inDiViDUALs (nOt On QUALiFYinG teAms): D1 – Natalie Dimits (Livermore), Elaine McVay (California), Jena Pianin (Amador Valley). D2 – Alex Tate (Clayton Valley). D3 – Jewelz Andrews (Alhambra), Isabelle De Metz (Dougherty Valley), Shelby Nickles (Dublin). D5 – Asha Brudage-Moore (Athenian).

At 6-foot-4, Deuel stands out of any crowd and led the Div. II race from 200 meters on, winning by 19 seconds over runner-up Paul Holden (Ukiah). Though the Wolves generally run in a very tight pack, the talented junior who has best track marks of 1:57 (800 meters), 4:17 (1,600) and 9:22 (3,200) grabbed the race immediately.

“Today, we just said ‘let Parker go,’ “ Hunter said. “The kid just loves to race and has a ton of talent.”

Said Deuel: “You can’t survive this sport without the camaraderie and friendships of teammates. We all need to be pushed and also to have fun. We rely on each other. We help make each other winners.”

The most talented team among the locals – and with the best shot to bring home a state title – is Campolindo’s girls.

Despite the wet conditions, the Cougars recorded the best team time by far and finished with 30 points to 66 for runner-up Acalanes, which is another state power.

Campolindo junior Carrie Verdon broke the Division course record, winning in 17:19 — the day’s best girls time — over teammate Grace Orders (17:38). The Cougars placed five among the top 11, including Rachel Meadows (sixth, 18:40), Juliet Farnan (10th, 19:04) and Sara Mostatabi (11th, 19:07).

Acalanes was led by sophomores Amy Hollshwandner (fourth, 18:38) and Annie Marggraff (eighth, 18:49).

Granada’s girls placed four of the top six, led by freshman Sophie Hartley (second, 18:12) and junior Carina Novell (third, 18:21), to score a scant 42 points to runnerup College Park (83).

Even though they didn’t win, Campolindo’s boys recorded the second best team time of the day and placed second to Petaluma in Division III. he Cougars, led by third-place finisher Thomas Joyce (15:35), finished with 80 points to 65 for Petaluma. ✪

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T

Athletic success isn’t always in the numbers

oo often trainers and coaches focus too much on bio-motors as a measure of success and performance enhancement when it comes to training young athletes. This is a very short-sighted approach to the long term developmental success of your young athletes.

So what are bio-motors?

Well some examples would be improvements in 40-yard dash times, vertical jump height and how much weight is being lifted. Now if you put any growing young athlete under any new stress, bio-motor improvements will happen no matter how bad or good the training program.

This is simply due to the fact that young athletes are going through growth spurts that include increases in the cross sectional areas of the muscle, hormones such as testosterone, height, weight and bone mass. All these factors contribute to bio-motor improvements regardless of the training program being implemented.

So this is where the quantity versus quality argument comes in, and how focusing on one can negatively affect the

future success of a young athlete while focusing on the other will have a long term positive effect.

Focusing on quantity more than quality will have a negative impact on the success of your young athlete. Quantity includes several factors, such as: How much an athlete can lift, how many reps are completed in a session, how fast a young athlete goes through a ladder or cone drill, or how high an athlete can jump.

However, the focus isn’t on the skill and efficiency of movement.

A quantitative approach is void of skill development, leaving your young athlete at higher risk for injury and decreased athletic potential.

When athletes are not taught properly how to load the system during the movement skills mentioned above, they are prone to injury in certain joints. We see this all the time in non-contact ACL injuries. When joints are not properly aligned, the system cannot properly be loaded and undue stress is put on the ligaments within the joints of the knee, ankles and spine.

Another negative consequence is a

Training Time Tim Rudd for IYCA

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failure to improve athletic potential longterm. When athletes are not taught proper skills of acceleration, deceleration, lifting, jumping and landing they will never attain the mastery of these skills required to constantly improve sport performance.

Without an understanding of the “how” and “why” of these movement skills, young athletes have no room for improvement, limiting their athletic success.

When movements are broken down into skill sets — with proper progression from simple to complex and an understanding of the “how” and “why” of each — your young athletes will consistently improve

@ SportStarsMag.com Visit the “highlights” section of our home page to view a video of Tim Rudd explaining the pitfalls to focusing on quantity when it comes to the skill set of squats.

over time. Gaining mastery of these movement skills will ensure future athletic success and lower risk of injury. ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1).

You can contact him with questions or feed- back at tim@fit2thecore.com.

November 25, 2010

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The way to San Jose starts in Moraga After a dominating NCS finals performance, Campo volleyball sets its sights on a state championship By mAtt smith | Contributor For most schools in small Northern California towns, winning one state title would be worth resting on your laurels for.

But not the Campolindo High volleyball program.

Just four years after winning a CIF state championship in 2006, the Cougars are a serious contender to return to the San Jose State campus on Dec. 4 and contend for their second state championship in five seasons.

Campolindo, which improved to 30-3 after drubbing second-seeded Sir Francis Drake-San Anselmo in the North Coast Section Division III final on Nov. 20, earned its first piece of postseason hard-

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ware since that state title run. It also earned the top seed in the Division III Northern Regional playoffs.

“We just knew this was our year to do something amazing for our school,” Campolindo senior Chandler Moore said. “I think we have a great chance at state. We have a bunch of talent, and we’re very close.

It’s like a family with us.”

Nowhere was that more clear than in Saturday night’s NCS final against Drake, where the Cougars played with fire, passion and enthusiasm in dismantling a very good Pirates team.

“We came out really motivated for this match,” Campolindo senior Mary Vaccaro said. “We knew we needed to be selfless and we knew we needed to work hard.”

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The Cougars did exactly that, getting solid contributions from every single player on the floor, but when they needed a point, a side out or a momentum changer, they went to Vaccaro.

This year’s Diablo Foothill Athletic League MVP had not played volleyball for Campolindo since her freshman season, but decided to come back for her senior year.

But she didn’t do it for herself. She did it for her school and for her teammates.

“The reason I came back was to have fun with my friends and represent Campolindo,” Vaccaro said. “It’s an honor to be playing here. Everyone works so hard and we all care about each other. Of course the goal is always to win titles, but that isn’t the reason I came back.”

It is, however, the reason the Cougars will keep playing right now.

They are in pursuit of the crowning achievement for any high school program, and the experience of a head coach like Scott Bishop, who coached the state title team of 2006, will do nothing but help.

“We’ve been down this road before,” Bishop said. “We knew this road is extremely tough and it will be so every single step of the way.”

If they advance past a first-round match with Northern Section runner-up FoothillPalo Cedro on Nov. 23, the Cougars will

The Campolindo volleyball team (far left) converges in jubilation following the final point of its NCS Division III championship victory over Sir Francis DrakeSan Anselmo. Senior Mary Vaccaro (left) led the Cougars with a match-high 13 kills in the 25-12, 25-13, 25-19 win.

Bob Larson

begin to see some of the top Division III teams in the state in their Nor-Cal playoff bracket.

According to rankings by MaxPreps. com, four of the seven teams in Campolindo’s bracket are ranked as top 10 Division III teams in the state of California,

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which would include a potential Nov. 27 matchup against either No. 6 Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco or No. 10 Vista de Lago-Folsom.

“There are definitely a lot of great teams here ahead of us,” Bishop said. “And who knows, we might see Drake again.”

The Pirates, ranked No. 9 in the state among Division III schools, will certainly be hungry and motivated after a showing on Saturday night that was not indicative of how good they really are.

Drake would have to get past No. 2 St. Ignatius-San Francisco for another shot at Campolindo.

St. Ignatius, along with Campo, has been a favorite to reach the state title match for most of the season.

Clearly there are a lot of great teams that stand in the way of the Cougars quest, but Campolindo has the advantage of knowing that the trek to the state finals will go through Moraga. The Cougars are not just the top-ranked Division III team in the state, but the No. 1 seed in the Northern Regional bracket.

“Once you get to the CIF bracket, there are a lot of tough teams,” Vaccaro said. “The only thing that we can do is work hard and do our best. I know our team will give its best effort each night.”

And even though it’s the same school, this Campolindo team is very different from the 2006 team.

“They are two very different teams and the path will be completely different,” Bishop said. “The 2006 team had to win all road games, and it’s very hard to go on the road the whole way.” ✪

November 25, 2010

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NEWBLOODIN

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Sup

INTHEWATER

m

After expanding from two divisions to four for the 2010 season, the North Coast Section water polo tournaments produced two first-time champions and another which hadn’t won since 2000.

We had our photographers on site for the semifinal and championship matches on Nov. 11 and 13. Here’s a look at some of the moments we captured.

—SportStars

NCS water polo championships ◆ DIVISION I BOYS: Acalanes 9, Miramonte 8 ◆ DIVISION I GIRLS: Monte Vista 13, San Ramon Valley 3 ◆ DIVISION II BOYS: Las Lomas 13, Alhambra 8 ◆ DIVISION II GIRLS: Campolindo 8, Acalanes 5 FAR LEFT: Dominic Lucido of Alhambra takes aim during the Division II boys final against Las Lomas.

UPPER LEFT: Malia Malin pushes the ball forward for Monte Vista in the Division I girls final.The Mustangs claimed a fifth consecutive title. UPPER RIGHT: Acalanes’ Andrew Schnugg attempts to outswim De La Salle’s Cameron Bauer during a 4-1 Division I semifinal victory.The Dons went on to beat Miramonte in the final. MIDDLE RIGHT: A Campolindo fan celebrates a goal during the Cougars’ 8-5 victory in the Division II girls final. LOWER LEFT: Bryan Snyder fires a shot during a semifinal match against Sir Francis Drake-San Anselmo. Snyder went on to score six goals in the championship match victory over Alhambra.

LOWER RIGHT: Danielle Ferraro of San Ramon Valley swims in to contest Monte Vista’s Malia Malin during the Division I final.

All photos by Jonathan Hawthorne except lower left, Bob Larson

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November 25, 2010

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RED ZONE

Spartans’ run at another NCS title is all but a Dunne deal By chAce BRYsOn | Editor

It seems silly to think about now. Silly to even bring up.

However, there was a time not just nearly four months ago that the De La Salle High football team had a slight concern when it came to who would be playing running back for it in 2010.

inside look: de la salle At the time, the concern was genuine. The Spartans top two rushers from their 2009 state-champion squad both graduated. And it wasn’t just any running tandem.

Tyler Anderson: 148 carries, 23 touchdowns and 1,288 yards.

Terron Ward: 199 carries, 28 scores and 2,050 yards — which, oh by the way, erased a 17-year-old school record.

When it came to filling those cleats, senior Lucas Dunne was the only recognizable name. Still, his varsity experience was limited to an average of a little more than four carries a game in 2009.

As it turns out, Lucas Dunne was more than ready to be a feature running back in the Spartans‘ veer offense.

Bob Larson

De La Salle running back Lucas Dunne looks for daylight during his 190-yard rushing performance at California on Nov. 12.The senior scored 23 touchdowns over the Spartans’ 10-game regular season.

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RED ZONE “(Tyler and I) would work out with Lucas in the summer,” Ward said. “And we’d tell him, ‘We’re not here anymore.

It’s your time. You’ve got to carry the team.’ And he definitely took it to heart.”

With a 190-yard effort in De La Salle’s 31-17 regular-season finale at California, Dunne put himself in serious contention to surpass Ward’s record rushing total of 2009. The 5-foot, 8-inch and 175-pound back has carried the ball 161 times for 1,499 yards in just 10 games.

The Spartans have the potential of playing four more games, should they once again gain a berth to the California Interscholastic Federation State Bowl championship games in mid-December.

If they do play all four games, Dunne would need to average 138 yards per game to set the new school’s new season rushing record.

“The guy’s amazing,” De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur said of Dunne at the conclusion of the California game.

“He’s had such a stellar year. He’s just a tough kid. He pulls runs out that are amazing, I think. He does a great job.”

For Dunne, a lot of things have

factored into the success he’s had this season.

Much of it started from time watching his Ward and Anderson.

“I learned a lot from them,” Dunne said. “Everything across the board. I learned from talking to them and watching them play, but I also picked up a determination to get better every single day.”

However, the toughness of Dunne quite possibly takes its roots from another game: rugby.

Dunne has quite a passion for the sport, which he plays for the De La Salle club team during the winter months. And if a scholarship doesn’t materialize on the gridiron, don’t be surprised if he ends up playing rugby at the next level.

“I love both games,” Dunne said.

“They definitely work with each other.

Rugby has a lot of really fast movements, which I think has helped with my conditioning. It requires tougher running, too, and I think that has paid off for me this football season.”

Dunne’s breakout season has been the key ingredient for a De La Salle

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team on the brink of a 19th consecutive North Coast Section championship. With Dunne leading the way, the Spartans (10-0) are averaging 291 rushing yards per game, and more than 425 yards of total offense.

Couple that success with a defense which through 10 games allowed just 80 points and forced 22 turnovers, and it’s not surprising that the Spartans are eyeing another section title and state bowl

game appearance.

Don’t expect Dunne to take any credit, though, or give much thought to his rushing statistics that continue to climb skyward.

“I try not think too much about the future,” he said.

“I kind of just take it day by day and work on everything I need to. I’m just trying to do the best I can, and hopefully it shows on Friday night.” ✪

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RED ZONE A view from the sidelines: How a coach sees the playoffs SportStars asked an East Bay football coach to evaluate who he thought were the teams to beat in the NCS Division I, II and III playoffs. Here’s his breakdown.

DIVISION I De LA sALLe: It’s obvious, but there’s a reason the program sits among the state contenders on a yearly basis. Line play makes the Spartans the most consistent performers on the offensive side of the ball. Lucas Dunne leads the attack with nearly 1500 yards rushing, and he’s just as dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield. QB Bart Houston does a great job orchestrating the offense, while Blake Renaud and Dylan Wynn live up to their hype on defense. The Spartans quarterfinal opponent, Heritage, has talented running backs but is extremely limited throwing the ball. That means the Patriots perform best in an area where the

Spartans always excel – stopping the run. If you can’t move the ball through the air against DLS, it’s going to be a long night. cALiFORniA: I see the Grizzlies as being too balanced offensively and fundamental defensively to be challenged by Berkeley in the quarterfinals. A possible semifinal rematch with Monte Vista could be very interesting, however. Cal beat MV 45-3 earlier this season, but I can’t see it happening that way again. In fact, it could turn out to be the best game of the postseason.

Monte Vista QB Jeff Lockie completed just 6 of 22 passes in that first meeting, while RB Michael Sullas did not play and Cal benefited from a 14-point swing on a 100-yard fumble return. All the pieces are in place for Monte Vista to correct some wrongs, and really give Cal a run for its money.

DIVISION II cOncORD: There are some other very solid football teams in this division, but I don’t see any of them being able to keep up with Concord’s high-octane offense. Additionally, the Minutemen defense may not get a ton of recognition, but it has shown a great ability to make big stops when needed. A semifinal matchup against Casa Grande would be entertaining considering the contrast between Concord’s offense and a Gauchos defense that has a strong ability to get to the QB, most notably Luis Araiza and Mat Floerke (8 sacks each). However, if Rancho Cotate meets Concord in the final, fans of high-scoring games will want to buy a ticket.

DIVISION III mARin cAthOLic: The Wildcats have allowed just 55 points all season, and sit as the number one seed in what might be the most competitive bracket, top to bottom. The Vikings’ defense boasts six wins by shutout (more than half of their games), but their road

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coaches poll

The SportStars Top 10 coaches poll will return with final rankings following the conclusion of the NCS playoffs on Dec. 11.

to a title is tough after the quarterfinals. Whether it is a semifinal against powerful Eureka, or a rematch of last year’s final with Encinal, Marin Catholic will need to win two very tough games to make it back to the state bowl game, where they nearly beat Serra-Gardena in 2009.

BishOp O’DOWD/miRAmOnte: Too tough to pick one or the other here. Miramonte QB Ross Anderson is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the Bay Area.

The Matadors also have an extra advantage in a close playoff game, almost always winning the field position battle thanks to their great kicking game. However, Bishop O’Dowd is red hot. The Dragons are wellcoached, boast a hard-hitting defense and an offense peaking at the right time. Hardy Nickerson, Jr. leads their defense, while Dominic Miroglio and Trenton Trammell keep their offensive attack balanced. A semifinal match-up with Miramonte would be worth the admission price. ✪

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Reducing high school wrestling injuries: A logical approach H igh school wrestling, specifically folk-style, has been a popular high school sport for many years.

Currently, both males and females are participating in the contact sport.

With participation comes inherent risk of injuries.

Research indicates that high school wrestling ranks no lower than fourth in overall high school sports injuries.

The majority of injuries occur to the shoulder and knee joints. These injuries are a result of direct blows to the shoulder and rotational stresses to the knee. And in fact, wrestling practices are the times when most injuries occur.

This is due to the fact that more time is spent in practices verses matches/competitions.

Due to the high intensity, high speed and large forces involved, the “takedown” position seems to be responsible for many wrestling injuries. This is particularly the case in the defensive position.

In order to decrease the risk for injury during the wrestling season, coaches and participants need to consider the fore-mentioned information in designing sound training programs.

The following provides some guidelines regarding areas of emphasis during the preseason and in-season phases of the yearly wrestling training cycle: ■ Preseason: Focus should be on total body power generation through various upper/lower body plyometrics and Olympic lifts and their variations. Work on gaining optimal levels of conditioning through sprint running intervals and moderate/high intensity body weight circuits.

■ In season: Focus should be on working on perfecting technique/skill, agility/ quickness activities that mimic wrestling maneuvers and maintaining strength levels using various strength circuits.

Two frequently overlooked areas that are related to injury reduction in high

school wrestlers include establishing and maintaining healthy eating habits and getting appropriate levels of rest.

Both sport and performance coaches should be aware of not only the performance-based elements of high school wrestlers, but the nutritional and physical elements as well.

Wrestling can be an exciting and highly competitive high school sport. We as health care professionals, coaches and

trainers just need to ensure that all the necessary efforts are being made to make this possible. ✪ David Arakawa is a senior physical therapist with the Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes, an extension of Children’s Hospital Oakland. If you have questions about this column, or have a health concern you’d like addressed in the future, email health@sportstarsmag. com.

Health Watch David A. Arakawa

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November 25, 2010

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TEE2GREEN Mazza finishes as runner-up at World Championships In late August, SportStars ran an item on 16-year-old Domenic Mazza’s journey to Mesquite, Nev., and the 431-yard drive that made him the youngest contestant to ever advance to the Re/Max Long Drive World Championships.

Finally, in the first week of November, Mazza returned to Mesquite.

At the world championships, competing against the pros, Domenic not only competed but turned the heads of the best in the world at hitting the long ball. At the end of the competition, Domenic had defeated all but one, finishing runner-up.

Not only did he manage to control his emotions and perform under the pressure, but he stayed true to his

notes from the pros reason for entering. He turned down the second-place check of $70,000 without batting an eye, and wrote it off as a great experience.

Domenic may very well have a future in this contest.

Pros in this competition work year round to hone their craft.

Domenic just showed up!

Few would have given him any chance at all because he doesn’t jump out of his cleats at impact when he strikes the ball. What he does do — and he does it with more regularity than almost anyone — is he hits the ball so hard while still remaining in balance. As his golf instructor I ought to know. From day one I tell my young students to hit the ball as hard as they possibly can while holding their finish to a count of three while remaining in balance.

Dave De Long

Variety is the key Given the competitive climate of youth sports today, many families are inclined to support a child in one sport from age 6 to age 26. This isn’t a huge problem if this is the child’s decision.

Some young athletes are born with an innate ability to execute certain activities. These athletes, from a very young

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Gary Xavier

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TEE2GREEN

Good on the course, but even better in life The First Tee has nine core values, which are taught to the students to instill values and morals.

One I follow very closely is integrity. Essentially, integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

This could be on the golf course, as sometimes one must call a penalty on themselves.

But it could also be when hanging out with friends, or when at school.

Recently, a close friend was caught cheating on a test. Though the consequences were terrible, she could have made the right decision and had integrity.

But just not doing something because it has consequences isn’t the point.

We must look at our own moral compass and find for ourselves what will keep us from doing the wrong thing. I believe that the reason the First Tee emphasizes integrity, is because it is a major part of our lives.

It is our responsibility to do the right thing no matter what situation we are put in.

As we grow older and mature, we become more aware of and are faced with more situations where we must force ourselves to make the right decision. In that constant battle of right and wrong, integrity helps right prevail.

We must understand integrity to play golf the right way, but to live our life the right way, too.

age, know the sport they want to participate in. Tiger Woods is the quintessential example of this rare type of athlete.

Youth development depends heavily on a child’s exposure to many opportunities for growth. When I was young, I really enjoyed playing basketball, football, kickball, and soccer with my friends at school. I gravitated towards golf and martial arts and pursued them based on my experiences with the other sports — because I just wasn’t as good at the other activities.

Involving your son or daughter in a variety of competitive opportunities is what parents need to be focused on. Young athletes also need to be exposed to the value of teamwork and work ethic at an early age. This allows a young athlete to experience two

very vital emotions: disappointment and victory.

A variety of activities allows a child to begin making decisions about what they find enjoyable. By the age of 12, as the begin transforming into young adults, children begin to favor certain activities over others. Be supportive and trust your parenting skills enough to know that you’ve raised an individual that desires to do something they love.

First Tee, Firsthand

Eddie Estrada

Eddie Estrada is a senior at De La Salle High. He has been a member of The First Tee Contra Costa for six years. Contact him at eddieestrad@gmail.com.

Notes From The Pros is a regular feature compiled by Gary Xavier (Northern California Junior Golf sports administrator) and Dave DeLong (PGA professional and director of instruction at Boundary Oak GC). Contact them at the following addresses: ddelongolf@aol.com or gxavier@pgahq.com.

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November 25, 2010

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GAME DAY

VOLLEYBALL

Bob Larson

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Bob Larson

Nov. 27 — NCS quarterfinal: College Park at Granada, 7 p.m.

Fresh off its second major first-round upset in as many years (beating Foothill 21-13 on Nov. 19), No. 13 seed College Park will travel to Livermore where WR/RB Robbie Byers (pictured above) and the rest of the Falcons will look to knock off the No. 5 Granada. The Matadors narrowly escaped being upset themselves in the first round, fending off Freedom on a TD run by George Atkinson III in double overtime.

FOOTBALL

Dec. 4 — ciF state championships @ event Center, San Jose State, 10 a.m.

Four East Bay girls volleyball teams — Bishop O’Dowd, Campolindo, Foothill and San Ramon Valley — entered the California Interscholastic Federation Northern regional playoffs on Nov. 23, with the hopes of reaching the state final in San Jose. Sophie Smith (pictured) leads Campolindo into the Division III tournament.

An East Bay team has not reached a state final in any division since Campolindo won the Div. III crown in 2006.

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Get dirty. Play rugby.

Is your football season over but you’re still thirsty for more hitting, tackling and bruising? Then rugby is your sport. Diablo Youth Rugby is the only team in the area and they’re looking for tough dudes who are up to the challenge of competing against some of the best teams in the Bay Area.

Diablo Youth Rugby is looking to fill spots for U10, U12, junior high and high school teams. The season starts in February and goes through May. Sign up now for Early Bird registration! You can register online at the Diablo Youth Rugby website: diabloyouthrugby.clubspaces.com or by email: diabloyouthrugby@gmail.com.

—Erik Stordahl

Team Fitness Evolution helps you take the baby steps Training for a marathon always sounds daunting. It entails months of hardcore training and disciplined dieting. But that’s not all Team Fitness Evolution will tell you. In fact the focal point of Luis Leonardo’s and Kyle Leto’s message at Walnut Creek Sports Basement on Nov. 18 was the importance of Base Training. This training method means starting slow — baby-steps slow.

The trick is strapping on a heart rate monitor and working out at a level that doesn’t exceed your maximum heart rate. This will build your base. The catch is this can take a few months to achieve and your patience will extend to new limits. So often, athletes want to walk before they crawl and go the extra mile (literally) in early season workouts. But such a can-do attitude will end up doing more harm than good.

The reward of this method is maximizing your potential for a race while not jeopardizing your body in the process. A successful marathon or triathlon hinges on your patience for building your base.

— Erik Stordahl

TWENTY-FOUR7 BAseBALL through nov. 27: concord — Baseball is fun clinic. Late morning Saturdays @ Woodside Elementary School. Ages 8-14.

Registration: http://walnutcreeksportsleague.com.

Through Dec. 31: Antioch — Batting Cages. For all ages at Golf N Games Family Fun Center. 925-754-5053, www. golfngames.com.

Dec. .8-Jan. 12: Antioch — Antioch Little League’s Spring 2011 Season Registration. 6-8 p.m. Dec. 8 and Jan 12; 10 a.m.2 p.m. Dec. 11 and Jan. 8 and 15. All at Golf N Games. 925-4318478, www.antiochlittleleague.com.

Dec. 11-Jan 15, 2011: Concord — Junior Optimist Baseball/ Softball League registration. At JOBL complex 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 11, Jan. 8; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 15. Ages 4-18. 925-8271088, www.eteamz.com/jobl.

BOWLinG Through Dec. 31: Concord — Parties for kids at Clayton Valley Bowl. 925-689-4631, BowlClayton@Astound.net; www. claytonvalleybowl.com.

Jan. 1-March 29, 2011: Concord — Special Recreation Bowling. Ages 16+ at Clayton Valley Bowl. Info: 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. weekdays, 925-671-3404, www.cityofconcord.org.

Registration: www.concordreg.org; by fax or at drop-off sites.

Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 11, 2011: Concord — Special Recreation Disco Bowl. Ages 16+ at Clayton Valley Bowl. Info: 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. weekdays, 925-671-3404, www. cityofconcord.org. Registration: www.concordreg.org; by fax or at drop-off sites. cOmmUnitY eVents Nov. 27: San Leandro — 26th Annual St. Leanders Sports Collectors Show. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. @ Ryan-O’Connell Hall. 73 dealer tables, sports memorabilia (1880s-2010s), vendors, family atmosphere. Mark Macrae, 510-538-6245.

Dec. 2: Walnut Creek — American Red Cross Preparedness Training Class. 6-8:30 p.m. @ Sports Basement. 925-941-6100, www.sportsbasement.com.

Dec. 3-6: Martinez — Holiday Frolic & Snow Park. For all ages, downtown. A winter wonderland with real snow. 925-228-3577, www.mainstreetmartinez.org.

FOOtBALL Through Dec. 31: Walnut Creek — WCYF Marauders. Open

for registration in the Midget division. Art Thoms, thoms3@ifn.net, 925-786-0721; www.wcyfmarauders.com.

Jan. 28-30, 2011: Oakley — Runnin’ Deep Flag Football. At Freedom Basin. Ages 6-16; 5 on 5, 7 on 7. Contact Coach Mike Weisenberg, 925-625-2222, DiabloFootball@hotmail.com; www.

DiabloFootball.com. sOcceR Dec. 20-24 and Dec. 27-31: Santa Clara — Santa Clara Soccer Camps & Clinics. Choices: Advanced, Classic, GK One, U6 Academy. 408-988-6900, www.offthewallsoccer.com.

Jan. 23, 27, 30, 2011: Concord — Diablo FC’s 2011 Season tryouts. U8-U11 in Concord. 925-779-2101, www.diablofc.org.

Feb. 20, 24, 27, 2011: Concord — Diablo FC’s 2011 Season tryouts. U12-U14 in Concord. 925-779-2101, www.diablofc.org.

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November 25, 2010

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▲

IMPULSE UMDAF

In

First things first. A big reason why we’re having this event is to help out our friends at the United Mount Diablo Athletic Foundation. Six local high schools are in danger of losing their athletic programs if we don’t do something. That’s where you come in. Shop at Sports Basement and receive discounts worth ten percent! Also, a percentage of proceeds will go toward the efforts of UMDAF. So come on out, buy some cool gear and be a part of the community!

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Games 2U

Laser tag! That’s right.

From the same people who brought us Booger Wars and U:Bots, comes Laser Tag from Games 2U. These fun experts know how to put on a good show for anything, whether it’s a birthday party or a community event. Zap and blast your friends while taking no prisoners. You might even see one of us out there, but don’t expect us to go easy on you.

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Kinder’s

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Have you ever wanted to be a three-sport athlete but just never had the time to fit all that in your busy schedule? Then check out Community Youth Center. They have experts who can train you in cheerleading, martial arts and gymnastics. They’ll have demos going the entire time where you can see all three sports in action.

to pr th de to to ha ot

Did somebody say free food? Chow down with free BBQ from Kinder’s. They’ll be grilling during the entire event so hit ‘em up for a sample or two, or five, or ten. Want more than just a sample?

Then you’re in luck since there’s a Kinder’s restaurant located in the shopping center.

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Community Youth Center

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Massage Envy

After zig-zagging through the streets with a Cannondale, stuffing your face with popcorn, and enduring a grueling mini boot camp from Fit 2 The Core, take a load off with a free massage from Massage Envy. Don’t worry, after ten heavenly minutes you’ll be ready for anything.

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Contra Costa Composite

After you win the coveted Cannondale bike, give it a whirl on the cone obstacle, teeter-totter and balance box set up by our friends, the Contra Costa Composite High School Mountain Bike Racing Team. They’ll be rockin’ these crazy demos during the entire event.

Cheer Gyms

Cheerleaders unite: Bring out your squad and perform your routines on Cheer Gyms’ mat. Now’s the time for ultimate bragging rights as you’ll square off against other schools and fight for cheerleading supremacy. The Cheer Gym and East Bay Sports Academy squads will be doing their thing, too. There will be enough backflips, cartwheels and tumbling to make your head spin.

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Sup

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Ever wanted to be a movie star? Well Brenden Theaters can’t help you out with that. They can, however, give you free tickets and other goodies. Hit them up for their prize wheel and hot, fresh popcorn. (But don’t let the guys from Fit 2 The Core see load up on the butter). Can it get any better than that? Well, maybe if they were to get Iron Man and Harry Potter to sign autographs, but that’s pushing it.

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

Jamis Bicycles

SportClips

Here’s the buzz: come check out SportClips at the event and meet the one and only SportsClips mascot, Sporty. After a meet and greet, be sure to hit up SportClips for coupons and other goodies.

Tieni Durophoto finish Mascot Dance-off ▲

Getting in shape means eating right. Hammer Nutrition is here to help. Stop by their booth for samples of energy bars, nutritional supplements and other health food that’ll whip you into shape in no time.

Not only will you see UFC Gym’s presence at the event, you’ll feel it. They’ll have their personal trainers and coaches putting on demos featuring battle ropes and tractor tires.

What’s that?

You didn’t win the Cannondale grand-prize bike?

No worries. Jamis Bicycles is also giving away a bike so you’ll have another chance to ride home a winner.

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Hammer Nutrition

UFC

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Prince

Fit 2 The Core

Are you a couch potato who lives for a weekend filled with sci-fi marathons combined with endless amounts of Hot Pockets and Twinkies? Then do yourself a favor and check out Fit 2 The Core.

They’re gonna put you through the ringer with a mini boot camp that’ll have you wishing you didn’t down all those Oreos and soda the day before.

Brenden Theaters

Calling all tennis players: If you have any new or used rackets, bring ‘em on down to the event. Prince Sports will be there to collect these and donate them to The Boys & Girls Club of Diablo Valley. You will also have the chance to look over a selection of premier Prince rackets, as well as an exclusive, for-your-eyes-only sneak preview of new 2011 products.

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om

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osite

Throughout the day we’ll be giving away a truck full of goodies and prizes. Our grand prize comes from Cannondale. Can you guess which Cannondale product is the grand prize for our Big Bike Giveaway? If you guessed a bike then you win! (Just kidding).

They’ll be at the event with a trailer full of bikes and other gear. Give one a spin.

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It’s here! Well, it’s almost here. Heck, we’ve been talking about it for so long you’ve probably got the date and time memorized by now. Our SportStars SportsJam is coming up on Dec. 5 at the Walnut Creek Sports Basement from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We’re going to fill the Sports Basement parking lot with a myriad of vendors ranging from free food to martial arts demos to free massages to laser tag. Phew. That was exhausting just typing all that.

This is the one event you won’t want to miss. We’re gonna have tons of door prizes and giveaways all day. Because there’s so much going on, we’ve decided to give you a preview of what to expect at the event. Oh, and be sure to stop by our booth as we’re gonna be handing out tons of swag, treats and other goodies. Enjoy.

— Erik Stordahl

Cannondale

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Inside the SportStars SportsJam

When you win the grand prize, you’ll probably want to ride all over your neighborhood boasting about your new wheels.

But first, ride along with SportStars sponsor Tieni Duro Cycling Team who will also hook you up with a customized team jersey.

Think your school mascot has what it takes to bust some serious moves and beat the competition? Maybe they do, but they’re probably no match for Stomper of the A’s. Come out and watch this big, bad elephant show off his ultra-slick moves on the dance floor. Pay close attention because you might learn a thing or two.

Whether by car or by bike, there’s no escaping the traffic.Three members of the Tieni Duro junior cycling team compete during the Merco Credit Union Downtown Grand Prix in Merced last March. Leading the way is Reese Levin, 14, of Orinda. He’s followed by Henry Nelson, 15, of Oakland and Tyler Hanson, 16, of Orinda.Tieni Duro’s season runs from February-July.

PHOTO BY JASON KENT

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at editor@SportStarsMag.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.

November 25, 2010

SportStars™

27

photo finish

Who needs a Gatorade bucket when you have an entire pool? While celebrating its 13-3 North Coast Section Division I championship win over San Ramon Valley, Monte Vista’s Rachel Mitchell (1) and Malia Malin (4) succeed in dunking coach Scott Getty. Meanwhile, the rest of the team works on getting assistant Amy Bergin over the edge as well.

It was the Mustangs’ fifth straight NCS title.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN HAWTHORNE

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at editor@SportStarsMag.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.

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

November 25, 2010

SportStars™

29

BigBikeEntryform

Check boxes of any advertisers from which you’d like more info, then mail or fax it to us! Or drop it off at the SportStars office or the Walnut Creek Sports Basement! ❒

Absorber, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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Clayton/Countrywood Fitness Centers . . 20

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East Bay Sports Academy . . . . . . . . 12

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Ritz/Wolf Camera & Image . . . . . . . . 28

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Aviva Promotional Products . . . . . . . . .15

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Club Sport Renaissance . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Excellence in Sport Performance . . . .18

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San Ramon Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Farmers Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Scandia Family Center . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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Simply Selling Shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Smokin Okie’s BBQ Joint . . . . . . . . . 20

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SportForm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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SportStars Big Bike Giveaway . . . . 30, 31

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Tilden Park Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . 22 UFC gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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Big C Athletic Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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Club Sport Valley Vista . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Big O Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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Community Youth Center . . . . . . . . . 11

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Fit 2 The Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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Bladium Sports & Fitness Clubs . . . . 19

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Conco Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Heavenly Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

❒

Bob Larson Sports Photography . . . . 25

❒

Crow Canyon Country Club . . . . . . . 22

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Jory’s Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Boys & Girls Clubs/Diablo Valley . . . 23

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De La Salle Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Kinders BBQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Brenden Theatres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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Dave DeLong School of Golf . . . . . . 23

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Lone Tree Golf & Event Center . . . . . 22

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Championship Athletic Fundraising. . . . 13

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Diablo Youth Rugby . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Massage Envy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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USKS Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Cheer Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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eTeamSponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Odwalla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Wooden It Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Address _________________________________________________________ City ___________________________ State ___________ Zip _______

CIAL RAT

HOT DEAL!

E!

E Name _______________________________________________ Phone ______________________ E-mail _______________________________________ SP ❒ Enter me to win! But no subscription at this time! ❒ Hey, while I’m at it, sign me up for a subscription! For 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $24 (allow 3 weeks for delivery).

Prizes subject to change. Entries must be received by Dec. 1 ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ Expiration date ______________ Card #______________________________ Total __________ Signature _______________________________________ 30

SportStars™

November 25, 2010

Mail: SPORTSTARS Interactive, 5356 Clayton Road, Suite 222, Concord, CA 94521 • Fax: 925.566-8507 Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com