SJ Issue 79, Jan. 16, 2014

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14 THE TEACHER: Will Hewlett has been grooming an impressive stable of NorCal quarterbacking talent. The good go to him to be great. has strength in numbers, 26 Folsom with a powerful trio that has designs on capturing an elusive SJC wrestling crown.

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January 16, 2014

ability to make quick 34 The movements successfully can be the turning point in a game or a season. Do it right.

BREAKDOWN: Boys & 10 STATE girls statewide basketball rankings make their debut Get Digital extras: Use layar & scan pages 1, 4, 9, 11, 18, 20, 24, 25, 42

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PITCH: In picking our 6 FIRST male and female fall Athletes of the Year, Editor Chace Bryson found himself green with envy over something unexpected.

It’s not always the scores you remember, it’s who you got to play with that matters.

Rules are important, 12 CLIPBOARD: but like many things in life some

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OF THE WEEK: 7 SPORTSTAR Isaac Blackburn, Del Oro-Loomis

8 LOCKER ROOM: SportStars goes

beyond what’s in your hand right now. Take a look at our all new Digital Weekly & find out what you’re missing. Like our first AllNorCal Football team.

are best in moderation.

ON THE COVER: Nick Fiegener, Folsom wrestling.

Photo by James K. Leash.

FENCE: Tryouts, sign-ups, 42 THE fund-raisers and more!

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FOUR HANDS ARE BETTER THAN TWO

W

elcome to our first print edition of 2014, and our first awards issue of the 2013-14 school year.

Well technically not the first award issue. The first award issue was released online only as the first SportStars Digital Weekly. It featured our first All-NorCal Football Team. You can read more about all that in our Locker Room section on Page 9.

As for the awards bestowed in this issue, there’s quite a few. We named our NorCal Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as Fall Athletes of the Year.

In compiling our Fall Athlete of the Year stories for each edition, I couldn’t help but notice that both of the Bay Area winners — football standout Nsimba Webster of Deer Valley-Antioch, and water polo star Kat Klass of San Ramon Valley-Danville — had something unique in common.

Both athletes shared the field and pool with siblings.

Nsimba (pronounced, sim-bah) has had the luxury of playing with his twin brother Nzuzi (pronounced, zoo-zee) his entire life. But for Klass, a junior, this was her first year having her sister Sarah as a teammate. Sarah Klass started for the varsity as a freshman this season.

Siblings that are afforded chances like that always make me envious. My younger brother and I were just far enough apart in age that we never had such an opportunity. Oh, we played sports together a lot, but most of the time it was against each other. And more than a few times it got overly competitive and ended with one of us storming off after chucking a bat or ball at the other.

But there were still a few times once we were older and both out of high school that we’d go to an open gym together and end up on the same team. And I can still remember the first time it happened.

I was visiting my brother who was attending Chico State and we dropped in on a rec hall basketball game. It was a moderately competitive 5-on-5 game, and even though my brother and I had never really played competitively together like that before, we knew each other’s games and I remember the intuitive connection we had.

I’ve heard siblings who are teammates say things like how playing together is like having four hands instead of two, simply because you know how the other two hands like to work. And that’s what I remember.

I also remember us winning a lot that afternoon. It’s a favorite memory that I’ll hold on to. And if that two hours of pick-up hoops can elicit that feeling, I can only imagine what it feels like to play as part of a competitive team. I’ve yet to meet a sibling combination who doesn’t cherish the opportunity. I’ve also yet to meet a combination that doesn’t have some level of success.

And with all that said, I’d be disappointed if the Webster Brothers or Klass Sisters haven’t chucked a few things at each other in the spirit of competition. Because sometimes, you just can’t let your Nsimba Webster sibling win.

JOIN OUR TEAM PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 EDITORIAL Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writers Jim McCue Contributors Bill Kolb, Mitch Stephens, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Ivans, III Marketing/Events Intern Ryan Arter CREATIVE DEPARTMENT Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager SportStarsOnline.com PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT

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isaac

Got Send your nominations to: Next? Editor@SportStarsOnline.com or tweet us using #SSOTW

blackburn DEL ORO-LOOMIS - WRESTLING - SENIOR

Invitational at Elk Grove High, the Joe Rios Memorial at Chico High, and the Sierra Nevada student and has been accepted to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Materials Engineering.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “The whole team goes to as many of the top tournaments as we can big tournaments later in the season.”

Blackburn is a friendly guy, and does not want to come off as

everything.”

honorable mention DESTINEY LEE: The Sacramento junior has been a force for Lions basketball.

She scored

The Cosumnes Grove senior forward is averaging

MANDY COLEMAN: The senior has helped Stockton basketball to by averaging

rebounds, and 2.5 steals. He scored a

Submitted

57 win over River City.

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Rapid FiRe

ALICIA GONZALEZ Christian Brothers Basketball

DREW CISTERMAN Alhambra Water Polo

WinteR Olympic SpORt yOu’d mOSt like tO tRy Bobsled

Snowboarding

mOSt impORtant game-day Ritual OR SupeRStitiOn i put ankle bracelet listen to on right foot first pregame music

Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot Dr. Dre’s Beats Electronics and AT&T announced a streaming subscription service. Because nothing like that exists anywhere and this fills a clear void in the marketplace. Unless you count Spotify, Slacker Radio, Pandora, iTunes Radio, Google Music, Napster, Sony Music Unlimited and many others.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie is in trouble for various scandals, including bridge closure and misspent money from the Hurricane Sandy relief fund. Still like him more than A-Rod.

iF yOuR SchOOl clOSed, Which h.S. WOuld yOu Want tO attend

St. mary’sBerkeley

las lomas

SupeRpOWeR yOu’d Want invisibility

Be able to fly

FavORite deSSeRt Brownies

peach cobbler

New New York mayor Bill de Blasio is catching heat for eating his slice of pizza with a fork and knife. He said ‘blah, blah, Italian heritage, blah, blah, they do it in Italy, blah blah blah.’ Put a fork in his second term. New Yorkers won’t forget something like that.

The Ballon D’Or was announced this week and Cristiano Ronaldo won the top individual award in world soccer, ending Lionel Messi run of three straight wins. Ronaldo’s critics say he’s vain, pompous and too damn good looking for his own good. Still like him more than A-Rod. The Golden Globes were held recently. The NIT of award shows honored such visionary films as ‘12 Years A Slave’ but also gave an award to Andy Samberg. So all in all, a mixed night.

Taylor Swift’s fans took to Twitter on Sunday night to politely and coherently air their grievances with Tiny Fey for making a sort-of reference to the singer they didn’t like. This after she was a meanie last year. This is what Twitter was invented for: So we never have to grow up and leave high school.

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dOWnlOad thiS!

tOp 5 WayS We’d Spice up the WinteR OlympicS In less than a month, Sochi, Russia, will host the Games of the 2014 Winter Olympiad. Also know as the Wheretheheck?

Olympics. And all this time we thought sochi was something you put on your frozen yogurt. Look. The Winter Games need a facelift. They lack the signature events inherent to their summer counterparts, beach volleyball, swimming and diving, Rampant Usain Boltism, Caber Toss. What? No? Huh. Anyway. We think we could heat things up in the cold season. Here are our top Yeah, yeah. We know. games. But you throw in some blockers, a pivot, and a jammer, and let the crowd throw beer and popcorn on the track to cheer on to something.

On Jan. 9, we debuted the newest weapon to the SportStars arsenal — the SportStars Digital Weekly.

Using the Ceros online publishing platform, bells and whistles at our disposal, including some graphical animation and movie integration.

But what you care about is the content. So if compel you to click over to SportStarsOnline.com or scan this page with your Layar app: OUR FIRST ALL-NORCAL FOOTBALL TEAM — starters, just for fun.

Who did we miss? Who would you start? Feel free to come tell us on Twitter @SportStarsMag or at Facebook.com/SportStars TALES FROM THE WEST COAST JAMBOREE — over the East Bay in late Decemeber.

We took a week off to produce the magazine another Digital Weekly release on Jan. 23. That issue will feature coverage and video from the Martin Luther King Classic basketball showcase,

Target Ski Jumping, anyone? Combine it hoops rankings.

The Digital Weekly is free and can be emailed directly to you. All you have to do is subscribe.

You can do so by going to: SportStarsOnline.

knuckleheads stick their landings.

3. ICE DANCING: twirling ice dancer with perfect form AND keep both feet in 4. CURLING:

across the Great White North.

Um. Hang on. Give us a sec. this interesting.

— Bobsleigh Skeleton Kolb

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Mixon’s Exclamation Point

T

here are two major U.S. All-American high school football games — the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that started after the 2000 season and the Under Armour AllAmerican Game that began in January of 2008.

Northern California has had players in both, but in this year’s U.S. Army game played on Saturday, Jan. 4 on NBC just before the first NFL wild-card playoff game, running back Joe Mixon from Freedom-Oakley became the first NorCal player to be an MVP in one of those games.

Mixon also was the last of 10 players to commit to a college during the NBC broadcast and chose Oklahoma, a great choice considering the success the Sooners have had with running backs built similarly to Mixon, such as Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray.

Not many from the Bay Area before have chosen Oklahoma.

The best before Mixon was James Logan’s Roy Williams in 1999.

He went on to become an All-American for the Sooners. Many from the Bay Area, however, have chosen Oklahoma in other sports, such as the Paris twins (Courtney & Ashley) for basketball and Archbishop Mitty-San Jose softball star Keilani Ricketts (who led OU to the NCAA Division I title just last spring).

Even before winning MVP in San Antonio, Mixon was being ranked among the most heavily-recruited prospects ever from the East Bay. I’d still rank D.J. Williams of De La Salle-Concord

No. 1 in that category (he was, after all, National Player of the Year) for the 1999 season and 2000 recruiting class. I recall similar interest for quarterback Kyle Wright when he was at Monte Vista-Danville in 2002-03 and linebacker Jamir Miller when he was at El Cerrito in 1990-91. Williams and Wright both chose Miami, and Miller attended UCLA. All-American games such as the U.S. Army and Under Armour typically choose their rosters based more on what players did as juniors and how they looked at spring and summer events such as Nike’s The Opening, which is held in Beaverton, Oregon. That certainly helped Mixon, who enjoyed a very good senior season at Freedom that included a performance of seven touchdowns in one playoff game but wasn’t the player of the year in his league because of the season put together by Pittsburg’s Harris Ross.

The Under Armour game also is chosen by ESPN’s college recruiting evaluators so players in that game also are usually ranked higher on ESPN than they are by Rivals or Scout or 24/7.

Conversely, if the U.S. Army game has a direct tie-in with a recruiting network (it was 24/7 this year) it is a safe bet that players going to the U.S. Army game will be ranked higher than players going to the Under Armour game.

Both games can point to a number of significant players who’ve been in each, such as Andrew Luck by the U.S. Army and Jamies Winston by Under Armour. The first MVP of the Under Armour game was Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

aaron gordon and the nba draft Last year at this time, Aaron Gordon, left, was still tearing up the West Catholic Athletic League for his basketball team at Archbishop Mitty.

In a few months, we could be hearing the current University of

going to go that high, assuming he even decides one year of college Northern California has had a lottery pick as recently as two years the Portland Trail Blazers. He is, of course, from Oakland High and NBA Rookie of the Year.

If Gordon does anything in the NBA like Lillard has done, then the Bay Area will really be on a roll.

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girls basketball rankings boys basketball rankings Previous ranking in parentheses; through Saturday, Jan. 11

Previous ranking in parentheses; through Saturday, Jan. 11

Mater Dei-Santa Ana earlier in year.

Mater Dei-Santa Ana on March 2.

Long Beach Poly

Loyola-Los Angeles

got eligible.

Centennial-Corona Not a typo from FB season; Huskies are that good in hoops, too.

Dei rematch.

All losses at national events, including one in OT to Mater Dei.

with shoulder injury.

Chaminade-West Hills

Carondelet-Concord

Redondo Union-Redondo Beach Dragons move up after beating Salesian; should be in CIF Open

Biggest win by the Sea Hawks is against Lone Peak of Utah.

Bishop Montgomery-Torrance

Division.

Salesian-Richmond

The school Cal fans love after it sent the Bears Justin Cobbs and Richard Solomon.

Capital Christian-Sacramento

Miramonte-Orinda Serra-Gardena

Westchester-Los Angeles

Compton Could dethrone Long Beach Poly in Moore League.

Division crown.

Chaminade-West Hills

Jesuit-Carmichael Marauders still looking for a signature win from top team outside

Clovis West-Fresno

Sacramento.

Monte Vista-Danville

Eagles.

Camarillo

San Jose.

Twin sisters Geraldynn and Geralynn Leaupepe lead the way.

Enterprise-Redding Kamira Sanders is one of top sophomores in the state.

Great Oak-Temecula

some puzzling losses.

Chino Hills Features Lonzo Ball, one of the top sophomores in the nation.

St. Ignatius-San Francisco

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

Alemany-Mission Hills Bryan Camacho looking to coach defending Div. III state champs to second title.

Dropped Out:

The Monsoons have a signature win over St. John Bosco.

El Camino Real-Woodland Hills The No. 2 team in the L.A. City Section behind Westchester.

Dropped Out: None.

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Coaches who universally enforce team rules may be hurting the team in the process My sister’s orthodontist appointment took a lot longer than expected, so my mom was late — and then she had a flat tire. By the time I got to practice, there were only 20 minutes left, and my coach said that I couldn’t play in the game the next day because his rule is if you miss practice the day before a game, you can’t play. But it wasn’t my fault – does that seem fair?

R. G., Lodi

I

t isn’t fair – and not only that, it isn’t smart.

What your coach is doing is penalizing not only you, but the team, the athletic department, the school and whatever community following your team might have for something that was completely out of anyone’s control. Sure, it’s important to be at practices, but the world does not revolve around basketball, and sometimes things happen.

But that’s the problem with rules: sometimes things happen, and you still have to enforce them. If you put in a rule that for every minute a player is late, the entire team has to run one liner, then if a girl’s car breaks down a mile from

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school and she winds up being 15 minutes late, everyone runs 15 liners. Yes, that discourages people from being late, but what if that’s the day before a big game? Now you have an entire team with dead legs, and it was no one’s fault — except the coach’s, for having made a dumb rule he now must enforce.

John Madden, one of the great coaches of his day, had three rules: 1) Be on time; 2) Pay attention; 3) Play like hell.

And he also didn’t specify any particular penalty. Like John Wooden, another pretty decent coach, Madden treated his players fairly, but not equally. For example, if a senior has been dedicated for four years, misses practice only when he’s got a fever of 103, and has always been a team leader, and then comes late to practice, a good coach will let that slide. On the other hand, if a player who’s continually late, misses offseason workouts and has never been dedicated enough to be a leader and then misses practice, then the coach is perfectly justified in laying down a serious, and appropriate, punishment.

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One punishment that likely isn’t appropriate is sitting a player for a game. That doesn’t just penalize the player, it penalizes the whole team (and the athletic department and the school and the community), so it makes sense to deliver a punishment that focuses on the individual rather than a punishment that impacts the group.

Some coaches will come up with several possible punishments, and let the captains and/or the team decide, or some coaches will just have the player involved first apologize to the team, and then have the other players figure out the right consequence.

Regardless, hard and fast rules almost always come back to bite a coach and a team. Instead, go back to John Madden , and treat people fairly, but not equally. The dedicated athlete doesn’t necessarily deserve the same punishment as the habitual slacker — and the team doesn’t deserve to be punished for an individual’s issue, no matter whose fault it is.

Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@ fullcourt.com

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“H

By HAROLD ABEND | Contributor

ome on the Range” is the state song of Kansas, and while its verses talk about buffalo roaming and deer and antelope playing, The Range in Livermore has a different brood being bred.

College-bound quarterbacks.

What happens at the state-of-the-art facility on Patterson Pass Road isn’t happening by chance, it’s occurring because of Will Hewlett, the latest, and at 33, the youngest of the West Coast’s quarterback gurus.

Hewlett, who operates out of The Range as the Director of Player Development for the National Football Academies (NFA), has a pretty impressive list of successful pupils that even goes back to before the native Australian moved to the East Bay from Florida a little over four years ago.

Before he even took a varsity snap as a starting signal-caller, Hewlett’s prize pupil Morgan Mahalak, who just completed his senior and only season starting at quarterback for Marin Catholic-Kentfield, received multiple major Division I offers before settling on Oregon.

“We met Will through a family friend when we were looking around for someone to work with me, and we decided to take a trip out there,” Mahalak said. “Thank God we did because it’s the best decision we ever made.”

After starting with Hewlett around three years ago, Mahalak developed into one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation as rated by every major recruiting service.

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Mahalak was also the first to be an Elite 11 Camp selection and finalist with no varsity film.

“Will has meant the world to me, but not just in football,” Mahalak said. “Although it was kind of scary how fast I improved my mechanics and the way I throw the ball, tightening things up and even the little things he picks up on. He’s always been there for me like a second dad.”

Mahalak was involved in an accident in April and, although he ended up being relatively unharmed, he had to be rushed to the hospital.

“Will was there in less than a half hour,” the young quarterback said.

It all started when Hewlett moved from Austrailia to Tampa, Florida, and played quarterback in high school. He then became the first Australian-born quarterback to play NCAA football. His college experience included the University of Nevada and the University of Dubuque. His playing career extended to the pro ranks with a stint in the Arena League.

From there he started with the National Football Academies after returning to the Tampa area.

Currently, as Director of Player Development for the NFA, Hewlett is involved with conducting more than 70 youth development camps annually for youth and high school athletes. Hewlett has consulted with the NFL, UFL, and NCAA coaches, and continues to work with quarterbacks in the SEC, ACC, Big 10 and other conferences. He has been on the staff of the Elite 11 camps, and is a top speaker at the Glazier Clinics tour — the largest football coaching clinics in the country with over 26,000 active members.

Hewlett is constantly traveling throughout the country working with quarterback prospects and has several that fly — Morgan Mahalak in to the Bay Area to work with him at The Range.

How Hewlett does it with three young children and his wife Julia operating a business adjacent to The Range is amazing.

Part of it is a desire by Hewlett to be at the top of his game.

“My goal is to communicate to the world in a humble fashion that I’m the best mechanics coach in the country,” he said.

There are several top-notch quarterback coaches in California but that hasn’t stopped Hewlett from attracting the top talent. His first Northern California pupil was San Ramon Valley-Danville quarterback Zach Kline, who has transferred to Oregon State from California.

It was 2010, and at the time Kline was working with former Cal Coach and longtime Northern California quarterbacks coach Roger Theder, whom Kline continued to work with after starting with Hewlett.

The San Ramon Valley quarterback that followed Kline, Cameron Birse, was another early Northern California trainee.

“I don’t even know how to start telling you how much Coach Will has meant to me,” Birse said after a recent workout at The Range.

“I met him in my sophomore year and came in as a guy who could throw a baseball hard, and he turned me into a guy that could throw a football hard and with accuracy. If it wasn’t for Coach Will I’d be at a JC somewhere,” continued Birse, who despite only one year as a varsity starter, is

“Will has meant the world to me, but not just in football.

He’s always been there for me like a second dad.”

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Will Hewlett works with Mitch Daniels

Following is a list of Northern California quarterbacks working with Will Hewlett.

Player

School

Class

James K. Leash now at Arkansas State on scholarship thanks to Hewlett.

For Mahalak, who came shortly after Birse, Hewlett worked almost like a magician.

“We built a special recruiting video that showcased his abilities and we were careful with the camera angles,” Hewlett said. “Then, we promoted it in our extensive network of college coaches, and within 48-hours it had gone viral in the coaching community with over 800 views.”

Mahalak had been training with Hewlett about 11 months when the video was created, and within four months he had committed to Oregon.

The approach Hewlett uses includes biomechanics and other creative technology, getting kids to buy into making significant changes, and creating failure. “A big part is teaching kids how to overcome the pressures of failure while trying to help them work through new things,” he explained.

Hewlett does a lot more for his students and the parents, and on an entirely individual basis.

“The way Will treats these boys and brings each one along at their own pace shows they’re more than football players to

him,” said Scott Jimison, the father of Vista del Lago-Folsom junior quarterback Matt Jimison, who threw for 3,238 yards and 37 TDs in 2013. “He has a vested interest in these kids, plus he’s a coach to the dad’s too.”

Hewlett is a coach to the moms as well.

“Will knows just where to zone in on where Mitch’s technique needs work. At the Elite 11 camps Mitch went in totally prepared for every drill,” said Michelle Daniels, the mother of Concord junior quarterback Mitch Daniels.

Not only does Hewlett work his magic with elite quarterbacks, he also works with youngsters, and sometimes from far away. On the day SportStars visited The Range, Birse’s session was followed by an eighth-grader that had flown in with his father from Alaska. “My philosophy is to find a way to bridge the gap in explaining a complex concept so a 13-year-old can digest it,” Hewlett said.

Nationwide, the recipe Hewlett uses has produced some remarkable results over the past 12 months alone.

His 2014 class of quarterbacks has received over 50 college offers. Beside Mahalak, JaJuan Lawson (Casa Grande-Petalu-

ma, Keaton Dunsford (Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa) and CJ Spencer (Inderkum-Sacramento) have all received offers.

His Northern California underclassmen also includes junior Kyle Kearns of Foothill- Pleasanton, and Sac-Joaquin Section breakout sophmore Ian Book of Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills. He also tutors CIF State Bowl-winning sophomore Hunter Petlantsky of Central Catholic-Modesto and projected starters Hunter Bishop at St. Francis-Mountain View and Darius Peterson, Mahalak’s likely successor at Marin Catholic.

“To see the improvements just since August in the mechanics and his physical progression, and none of it would be been possible without Will,” said Bishop’s father Randy Bishop, whose oldest son Braden Bishop starred at St. Francis and is now playing baseball at Washington. “The transition has been amazing,” “The Range is the real deal,” remarked Inderkum assistant coach Terrance Leonard.

Perhaps the elder Jimison summed it up best.

“Will has everything to offer that a quarterback needs to make it in college. It’s a Northern California quarterback factory.”

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The announcement of our Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year marks

at SportStarsOnline.com or by scanning this page with your Layar app.

Jake browning | Qb | folsom lated some very impressive ones, including California state records in each

ing for a record 5,737 yards and 75 touchdowns while leading championship.

Despite breaking his own yardage mark and setting a new scoring record, there is only one number that Browning cares about now that the calendar has “In all honesty, I am over it,” he said of the records

season already.”

gram, but he is only concerned about winning another section champion “If we ran for 5,000 yards and won section, it would mean the same thing to In an age where top players are awarded with stars, ratings and invites to

and offensive coordinator Troy Taylor said. “He is not distracted by the attention he receives or the numbers that he has put up.

“He is the same guy he has always been since I met him years ago.”

mates, particularly to his linemen and receivers.

and the only stat he wants to talk about is the number of games the team has won.”

Browning and the Bulldogs have posted plenty of wins, compiling two seasons as a starter. The only two losses have come at the hands number in each of the last two CIF Northern California Regional Open Championships. with remaining humble. He credits “pretty much everyone around me” with keep ing him grounded and focused. make sure that I am working hard on timing with my new receivers,” he said of his

totaled.

— Jim McCue

signatUre PerforManCe Grove to earn the Delta River League championship.

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adarius pickett | db | el cerrito Adarius Pickett as the NorCal Defensive Player of the Year was easy.

With nine interceptions — three of which were returned for touch NCS Championship, there was more than just cause for such an award.

did for the Gauchos, which went way beyond his incredible play at cornerback. us win,” El Cerrito coach Kenny Khan told the San Francisco Chronicle for its story on the Year.

for a touchdown which crushed the

His two rushing touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which he returned for his third touchdown — of Pinole Valley on Oct. 25 would be another.

His 255 yards rushing with four

WIldcats a year before, and brought a proud and storied that rippled throughout the community and even into the

most of,” Pickett said. “It was great to be part of that victory. We were doing it all for everyone who came before us.”

a home visit to the Pickett household late in the season, Adarius giddy.

And while his future will probably remain on the defensive side of the

was linebacker Myles Jack. great program.”

— Chace Bryson

PiCkett’s favorite PiCk Of his nine interceptions, we asked Adarius which one stood out the most: “Probably my

down the sideline and got some key blocks to get in the end zone.”

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sac-Joaquin best of the fall 2013 GIRLS’ COACH OF THE YEAR TRICIA PLUMMER, GRANITE BAY, VOLLEYBALL — over for departed Jamie Ingram and led the Grizzlies to an undefeated season that was capped by a CIF State Div. I Championship with a win over Los Alamitos.

Granite Bay was season.

BOYS’ COACH OF THE YEAR CASEY TAYLOR, DEL ORO, FOOTBALL — Taylor led the Golden Eagles to their second trip to the CIF State Bowl Championships in three seasons.

Del Oro endured a early season schedule, games to earn Sierra and CIF Div. I NorCal Bowl titles.

FEMALE RISING STAR EMILEE HOFFMAN, VISTA DEL LAGOFOLSOM, SOPH., GOLF — Hoffman outplayed upperclassmen and shot a Masters Tournament at The Reserve at Spanos Park.

77 at the NorCal tournament the CIF State Championship where she earned

MALE RISING STAR

A3<7=@ 2/;3< E633:3@ A/1@/;3<B= A3<7=@ Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

CADEN VOGES, SACRAMENTO, SOPH., FOOTBALL — lead the Dragons to the SJS Div. III champion

to Damen Wheeler as one of his 6 TD passes in that game.

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sac-Joaquin fall female athlete of the year taylor nelson | granite bay | senior | volleyball coach, she has been around the game and dissected the action for much of her life.

I championships.

“Setting is a big leadership role where you need to know the tendencies of your teammates as well as the defenses being presented by the opposition,” Nelson said. “I had to understand my teammates and know how and where they like the ball to be set, and to understand their personalities and preferences.

“That all starts with having relationships with teammates off the court as well as on the court.”

Nelson tapped into her knowledge of the game and the Grizzlies to cap an amaz the SportStars Fall Female Athlete of the Year. The senior setter was also named The accolades started before the season even started as Granite Bay was a con

record. allow Nelson and her teammates to fully believe they could win a state champion

we had,” Nelson said.

the Grizzlies had achieved.

“After we won and got on the bus, we all realized what we had done,” Nelson said. “There was a lot of music and dancing on that ride to the airport.”

Another trip — to San Luis Obispo, where Nelson will enroll in January to continue her academic and volleyball education — will be more subdued as she Her mother, Vera, played volleyball at Cal Poly, but now coaches at Sierra College, connection. She will also miss the regular interaction with her best friend and team “It is a little hard to be leaving for college,” Nelson said. “I am going to miss my

NELSON FILES THE STATS: SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE:

She completed her high school coursework early to graduate in December, and headed south to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to begin working with the

HONORABLE MENTION FIONA O’KEEFE

EIRENE GRANVILLE

DAVIS, SOPHOMORE, CROSS COUNTRY

INDERKUM, SENIOR, TENNIS Granville won the SJS Div. II Singles Championships for her second consecutive season. It was

in Portland, Oregon.

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sac-Joaquin fall male athlete of the year damen wheeler | sacramento | senior | football Damen Wheeler never met Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson until the famous Sacramento High alum grabbed Wheeler and hugged him.

The moment came to be after Wheeler, a standout senior wide receiver for the Dragons, set a state record with 380 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just

Johnson and his wife, Michelle Rhee, were in the back of the west end zone to

came up, shook my hand and gave me a big ole hug,” Wheeler said.

school history. For his efforts, while playing the entire season with a sports hernia,

Wheeler was unsure if he was going to play his senior year. The hernia was so because the pain was so intense. “I was real scared every game,” Wheeler said. were going to win. But I wanted to play every game because I felt like every game “It was my last season and I was never going to be with them again. I had to play.

But I was real nervous every game.”

Doherty knew the injury would slow his speedy receiver.

crowd was roaring. The coach told me before the game that I was going to have a and getting the touchdowns.”

— Trevor Horn

WHEELER FILES THE STATS:

SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: Wheeler was absolutely electric in a Nov. 30 SJS

Wheeler was also recently named the Sacramento

HONORABLE MENTION COLLIN BETTENCOURT

GRAHAM FULLERTON

COSUMNES OAKS-ELK GROVE, SENIOR, SOCCER

DAVIS, SENIOR, WATER POLO captains on repeat Div. I section champions. Behind Fullerton, the Blue Devils did not lose to a Nor

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BEHIND A FEARSOME TRIO, THE 4=:A=; 0C::2=5A />>3/@ POISED FOR A REAL RUN AT THE >@=5@/;¨A 47@AB A8A B3/; B7B:3

E

By TREVOR HORN | Contributor

vidently an old Bulldog can be taught new tricks.

Folsom wrestling coach Mike Collier has been successful on the mat himself at UC Davis and as a coach for the last 15 years. And the 92-year-old school has been a successful program, but is without a Sac-Joaquin Section Master’s title to show for the efforts.

Collier realized that he wanted to add a little something to his team’s preparation. He wanted to work in the mental aspect of the sport along with the strong physical grind the season can put on a high school athlete.

Collier brought in long-time friend and Sacramento City College assistant coach Todd Dilbeck to teach the team some aspects of sports psychology and team building.

It makes sense. In 2012, Folsom finished third at Master’s and 19th in the state. Last season, the Bulldogs were Master’s runner-ups to Vacaville and 14th in the state.

Bringing back a team loaded with talent, including stateranked No. 1 182-pounder senior Nick Fiegener and juniors Lorenzo De La Riva and Mason Koshiyama, this roster is poised to lead the way toward possibly becoming the greatest team in Folsom history. Collier figured adding a new technique to the mind couldn’t hurt.

“Obviously we work on the physical side of things every day

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5

TO WATCH

keep an eye on.

LOOMIS, SR. — strong legs and a work ethic to boot.

120: ISRAEL SAAVEDRA, MODESTO, SO. — The defending state champion at

138: EMILIO SAAVEDRA, MODESTO, SR. – match his younger brother.

145: HAYDEN FRY, VACAVILLE, SR. – The another strong season.

220: JERAMY SWEANY, VACAVILLE, SR. —

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at 220.

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in practice,” Collier said. “But I thought we’d try a new approach. So much of the sport is mental. So just gaining that mental toughness and edge on an opponent could be the difference in getting to the podium at state or getting to state.”

De La Riva placed sixth in the state as a sophomore at 145 pounds last season. Along with Fiegener and Koshiyama at the Walsh Ironman Tournament in Ohio in December, the junior finished in the top-12 at one of the marquee tournaments in the nation.

Adding in the mental preparation has been a key to improving this season, he said.

“It teaches us to calm down before matches and not psyche ourselves out before the match has even started,” De La Riva said. “It gets our mind ready as well as our body.”

FUN LOVING BUNCH Road trips to weekend tournaments and long days of practice in a small room can harbor tight-knit friendships and bonds between teammates on wrestling teams.

This group, Collier said, may be the closest group he has ever had.

“All wrestling teams are close,” Collier said. “I think these guys are even a little bit more close-knit. It’s an interesting mix. They know when to have fun and enjoy it and they know when to get serious and get after it. It’s a good balance.”

For Koshiyama, it’s remembering when wrestling was just fun, keeping the mood light in order to not over burden themselves with the stress that comes with competing at a high level every week.

“We talk about how fun middle school was and we are trying get that kick back into the room,” Koshiyama said. “We keep things light.”

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Collier even mixes things up at practice with games like dodge ball. It’s just another way to physically get a solid workout in without mentally draining his athletes with the mundane activities of everyday practice.

“We are keeping it fun,” De La Riva said. “When you get to a certain level, you can’t focus on just wrestling or you just go crazy. Keeping it fun makes you want to keep wrestling.”

BUILDING UP Winning the Master’s title at 160 pounds last season as a junior was a treat for Fiegener. But the loss by way of pin to Isaiah Martinez (a three-time state champion from Lemoore and now at Illinois) took a huge toll on him.

After a conversation with his coach in the offseason, Fiegener decided that the one flaw was his body strength. So he took to the weight room with a laser-focus approach for one reason — to win a state title.

“I was in the weight room every day,” Fiegener said. “I was in the gym before anything else.”

Working out with his brother Ross, a linebacker at Occidental College in Los Angeles, the two set out to get each other bigger and stronger. And that’s just what he did. Collier said coaches routinely come up to him asking what happened because “Nick is huge now.”

“He just felt like he was overpowered,” Collier said of Fiegener’s loss to Martinez. “He was frustrated because if they were of equal strength level, he felt he would have had a chance.

“From that point on, he never wanted to feel like he was going to get physically dominated.”

Now at 182 pounds, Fiegener finished third at Ironman and first at the Doc Buchanan Tournament this month while being

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named most outstanding upper weight wrestler.

“He’s just so athletic for that weight that it just lets him dominate people,” De La Riva said. “That’s the key for him to win. It’s insane athleticism.”

The Cal Poly commit wouldn’t disagree with his teammate.

“I feel better at 182s than I have at any weight,” Fiegener said. “I’m just more explosive and powerful. I can finish my takedowns quicker. I can get in on people’s legs before they even have time to react.”

His greatest threat to not obtaining a state title is from Corey Griego of Sultana-Hesperia whom Fiegener beat 4-2 in the finals at Doc Buchanan on Jan. 4 in Clovis.

KNOWING THE COMPETITION The last team not named Vacaville or Oakdale to win a Master’s title was Ponderosa in 2006.

Through the sports psychology and confidence in the team’s ability from all weight classes, a goal was set by the team to become the first Folsom program to take home the banner from Stockton Arena this coming March.

“Vacaville is always the team to beat and this year is no different,” Collier said. “That’s the team we’re chasing. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to beat them, but we are certainly going to give it everything that we have.”

Along with the big three, Folsom is deep throughout with state-qualifier Curtis Booth along with Carlos Alvarez, Josh Lazaro, Connor Watson, Jason Bergquist and Andrew Coyne all giving the Bulldogs a strong chance to obtain that goal.

“We’ve always been saying that this is the year that it all comes together,” De La Riva said.

“It’s all come together. It feels great. I’m honored to be a part of this team.”

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“(Nick Fiegener) just felt like he was overpowered (in his 2012 loss at State). He was frustrated because if they were of equal strength level, he felt he would have had a chance. From that point on, he never wanted to feel like he was going to get physically dominated.”

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With league play in full-swing, we look at some ]T <]`1OZ¨a strongest proving grounds for girls hoops 0g 1ZOg 9OZZO[ Desire Finnie, Berkeley. Jonathan Hawthorne photo 30

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All records through Jan. 12, according to MaxPreps

There are really three seasons: Preseason, league and playoffs.

In preseason, the received wisdom is that teams work on what they need to, but when it comes to league, familiarity makes it easy

Which is why focusing on the elite teams misses much of the fun of high school sports.

DROPPED OUT enough attention from girls basketball fans, but this the most closely contested ever.

Santa Rosa and Windsor both have gotten off to

best league in Northern California, if not the entire state — but the only problem is that once league play begins, these strong teams start beating each other up and wind up looking a lot worse than they really are because of the raw number of losses.

and Southern California legends Brea preseason schedule.

easy out, and has already recorded

programs and led by UCLA recruit Hayes which only played for the Div. II state title last year.

St. Ignatius is off to the strongest start,

Santa Rosa, which has wins over Marin In short, the WCAL is living up to its mento – and there are four freshmen to only two seniors on the roster.

but McNair also even though it won. The reason?

McNair lost to Napa and thus has to stay behind the In dians. St. Ignatius, on the other hand,

tion title in the tough Diamond Division of the West

and its veteran roster is already closing in

BIGGEST MOVERS

that reputation is one of the most glitter ing in the country.

choose between SI, Pinewood, Vanden and Brookside Christian, who have lost to one of the four and beaten one of the others.

Tiara Tucker, McNair

STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 13

Kelli Hayes, Archbishop Mitty. Phillip Walton photo

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marvelous Mariya Moore, and you have two powerhouses set to play each other as many as four times.

Gabby Green Taylor Berry

, Cal;

the second half of the season.

Neither team should overlook Div. V power St. Joseph Notre

All records through Jan. 12, according to MaxPreps

nating Div. V opposition.

Pinole Valley, which had some very strong teams in the recent past, also began the season well.

ranian, and the Highlanders have solid wins against North Bay contenders Redwood and Cardinal Newman. guard Ariell Bostick to San Diego State, but Malik McCord has basketball history, Berkeley. Though coach Cheryl Draper lost earlier this season.

The Dragons have also beaten Southern California powers

Piedmont has earned a permanent place in the Bay Area power rankings during Bryan Gardere began with Courtney and Ashley Paris pillaging the state for three years. Now, Gardere relies on sharpshooting Lauren Sey-

Desire Finnie Sacramento.

Another young team, Castro Valley, may be able to give the the same caliber of opposition. Even if Castro Valley struggles

Thomas is looking for another strong push in the Div. II playoffs.

DROPPED OUT Richmond.

BIGGEST MOVER The Pilots throttled their knocking off previously

The Pilots also own wins

season. Newark Memorial also returns to Top 20 this week after the Cougars

Stockton. Photo: Jonathan Hawthorne is just coming off a West Coast Jamboree tourney title, and may be ready to make a move as well.

Temidayo Yussuf, St. Joseph Notre Dame Memorial righting the ship behind senior Joey Frenchwood

TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 17 be primed for a strong league season.

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training time: tim rudd for iyca

the lower body to align itself in an intended direction for greater force application into the ground. back, then the hips would have to travel back as well.

CORE STRENGTH more than just planks and side planks. For optimal power production and angles, the limbs during an acceleration movement such as a plyo step.

This normally occurs when the athlete is in some form of parallel or athletic stance. The reason the plyo step occurs at all, is because the body realizes it cannot manage the weight of the body

SINGLE LEG STRENGTH limiting factor for athletes when attempting to accelerate in multiple directions. If an

push the body into its intended direction. positions, which the body instinctively understands.

REACTIVE ABILITY through the muscle and tendons of the legs. This is where a progressive plyometric

or situations during competition.

the ground.

and prevent athletes from performing this movement will only succeed at taking this innate ability away â&#x20AC;&#x201D; making athletes think too much and putting them in bad positions to attack or avoid op ponents.

Coaches can however improve the mechanics by which the movement takes place. Here are my top three strategies on how to improve the effectiveness of the plyo step:

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mined thought process. Your athletes are simply reacting to the play and their body takes over from there.

Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

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powered by trucks: anthony trucks

tristeps: liz elliott

New Year, New You. Again. Seven Steps for Prep 4 tips for keeping your New Year’s fitness goal from flaming out by February

About this time of the year everyone is looking to get into the best shape of their lives — AGAIN. The problem is that they enter the same vicious cycle where they go strong for a little while and then, like a truck running out of gas, their drive comes to a sputtering halt. Why is this?

get back into the weight room or gym overall, and get the body of their dreams.

When you grind out workouts you also grind down your body. Allow your body the time to recover in between workouts. >> GET CONSISTENT: Plan everything. Plan your workout days and times, plan your workouts in advance to save time; plan your rest days; plan your nutri tion, both in eating time and prepping time. >> EAT BETTER:

It’s the triathlete’s tune-up month. Here are some tips to make getting to February that much easier Happy New Year, and new triathlon season! Triathlon season is February through September, Most of you have been working out less. Even if you a are seasoned athlete,

note, and set up a great season: persistence.

2. Plan out your entire season now. Set your goal races for the entire year.

Decide what are your “A” races, and the “on the way” races to those races. With

road slowly, alternate workouts with the machine. It allows your body to adapt. switches in your diet. Instead make small changes in amounts of meals and content of those meals to keep the changes all year round >> CELEBRATE SMALL SUCCESS: Yes, we want the big goal, but we MUST celebrate the progress to keep progressing. So if your goal is 20 pounds increase in strength, or 20 pounds decrease in weight, celebrate EVERY single pound along the way instead of constantly knocking yourself every step for not already being where you want to be.

Anthony Trucks is the owner of Trucks Training facility in Brentwood and covers weight training for SportStars.

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your body warm. Many thin layers are better than a few thick layers. Shed layers as you warm up.

5. Joining a team and having workout partners and coached practice can be great motivators for getting back into the swing of things.

6. Set up a good training pattern now, early in the season. muscles now will help your body recover better now and through the season, as well as perform bet ter especially in the run portion of triathlons.

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POINTERS OF EMPHASIS common injuries: dr. hunter greene

Hip pointers occur often in contact sports, but proper treatment can lead to relatively quick recovery A hip pointer is a direct contact injury to the iliac crest, the bony prominence that can be felt along contact sports, such as football and hockey.

WHAT IS A HIP POINTER? When you sustain a hip pointer injury, the bone and overlying muscle can be bruised. The bruising is not always visible and may actually occur deep below the skin. A hip pointer is recognizable by pain and tenderness after a direct contact injury. There is also a loss of motion in your hip joint that often causes a limp while walking and hampers your ability to run.

TREATING HIP POINTERS The good news is that a hip pointer can usually be treated with rest and ice. You should discontinue workouts and any activity that causes pain until the hip feels better. Icing the hip every hour during

movement.

If your pain lasts longer than two weeks or wors ens, you should consult your physician. This may be a sign of a more serious injury. If your doctor

PROTECTING YOUR HIPS Hip pointers occur through direct blows to the minimize your risk of the injury by wearing the ap football and hockey players. In sports where pad ding is not worn, such as soccer, certain skills and

surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael. He specializes in adult and pediatric sports medicine.

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get mental: erika carlson

Achieving your goals can be a lot easier if you have a strong, calculated method of setting them As athletes, I know you hear about goals — A LOT. I know you set them, but the truth is, most athletes fail to accomplish their goals consistently. Why? Three reasons:

manage their goals throughout the year.

Weekly goals provide you with the more immediate tasks and strategies that you need to accomplish in order to stay on track throughout the year.

2014 GOAL PLAN: goals by doing the following:

ACCOUNTABLE: Find someone on your team to help keep you accountable to your goals. Encourage them to

commitment and discipline for the week ahead.

RECORD: your goals for the upcoming week. Record

your goals. You do the same for them.

REALISTIC: As a student athlete, you have a lot on Prioritize your commitments and make a plan that is doable. your weekend days to get to the gym and get a run in. On your is all very good practice for being a collegiate student/athlete.

REFLECT:

Give yourself credit! Chances are you are already doing more needs improvement? What needs to be prioritized for this week coming up? Be thoughtful ahead of time; this will increase your

day forces you to stay disciplined and accountable — or pay the price to your partner!

Like any new skill, setting and accomplishing goals every

“Just do it” every week. lence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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FLEXIBILITY

health watch: tom clennell

The Power Of

Here we are in the fall semester, getting settled in to our school schedules and starting up our sports again. Whether your season, there is one thing you might not give a lot of thought

muscle tension, alleviating pain from things

range of motion which is essential to

restricted movement, reducing performance and causing the breakdown of body tissues.

Now you know the why, but what about the how. Here are some key points about the essentials of stretching: static Target the major muscle groups Perform balanced stretching, targeting opposing muscle groups Breathe through the stretch week or after any activity.

The when is often a point of debate. It is best practice to increase core temperature, increase rate and force of muscle

of lactic acid.

You should save static stretching for after your activity. Static removing lactic acid and to regulate heart rate and breathing thereby increasing rate of recovery. Research has shown that mance by decreasing muscle force production and power. The and a 5 percent decrease in vertical jump height. That can be the difference between making the play or getting burned.

Tom Clennell is a physical therapist for Sports Medicine For facility also located in Walnut Creek.

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Everybody Plays Everybody Wins Special Olympics makes a difference in NorCal schools with its Partnership Program

D

id you know that a 20-minute walk has been shown to dramatically increase brain activity? Think about what kind of difference that could make in your office or for your child at recess. But what about special education students? That’s where the Special Olympics Northern California Schools Partnership Program comes in handy — in more ways than just greater brain activity.

The Schools Partnership Program sees 4,600 special education students train and compete in three sports with the involvement and support of over 15,000 general education peers. The special education students play soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and track & field in the spring with all three sports customizable to students’ abilities — including those in wheelchairs.

The program takes place during the school day with training and fitness integrated into the classroom. The practice sessions have multiple purposes — they can be used as motivation for the students to follow directions, they also translate into the lesson plans and they’re a great way to get that brain activity moving.

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But that’s not all. The special education students are supported by their general education peers as sports offer a common ground for the two groups of students, many of whom have never had positive social interaction. The two groups engage in the classroom as well as during training and competition. The result is pure magic. Bullying goes down and respect for everyone — regardless of appearance or abilities — is at an all-time high.

For many of these special education students, this is their first opportunity to compete, be a part of a team or be cheered on by family and friends in sports. Many have seen their siblings excel on the playing field and now it’s their turn for the spotlight. The support of their schoolmates and families builds confidence and self-esteem that carries into the classroom and adulthood.

To learn more about Special Olympics Northern California, please visit www.SONC.org, and to see the Schools Partnership Program in action, please visit www.OurUnifiedSchools.com.

— Anna Oleson-Wheeler for Special Olympics

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Athletic Placement Services ............................................................................................44 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada ............................................................................2 Bigfoot Hoops ...........................................................................................................33, 48 Boomers!.........................................................................................................................43 California Football Academy............................................................................................45 Championship Athletic Fundraising ................................................................................28 Cheergyms.Com ..............................................................................................................14 Children’s Hospital And Research Center..........................................................................35 Club Sport .......................................................................................................................36 Club Sport Renaissance ...................................................................................................40 Community Youth Center ................................................................................................45 Contra Costa Federal Credit Union ...................................................................................12 Core Performance ......................................................................................................42, 44 Core Volleyball Club .........................................................................................................42 Diablo Futbol Club ...........................................................................................................41 Diablo Rock Gym .............................................................................................................44 Diablo Trophies & Awards ................................................................................................44 East Bay Sports Academy ................................................................................................39 Excellence In Sport Performance .....................................................................................38 Fast Break Basketball Camps ...........................................................................................43 Fit 2 The Core ...................................................................................................................37 Franklin Canyon Golf Course ............................................................................................45 Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy .....................................................................................20 Halo Headband ...............................................................................................................45 Heritage Soccer Club .......................................................................................................19 Home Team Sports Photography .....................................................................................44 Impact Soccer Club ..........................................................................................................43 Kangazoom .....................................................................................................................43 Lone Tree Golf Course ......................................................................................................40 Modesto Magic................................................................................................................43 Mountain Mike’s Pizza .....................................................................................................13 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists ...........................................................................................38 National Scouting Report ................................................................................................42 Passthaball......................................................................................................................45 Pro Hammer Bat..............................................................................................................27 Rhino Sports Of Northern California ................................................................................28 Rocco’s Pizza..............................................................................................................30, 44 San Ramon Soccer Club ...................................................................................................46 Sky High Sports ...............................................................................................................42 Special Olympics Northern California ..............................................................................44 Sport Clips .......................................................................................................................29 Sports And Orthopedic Leaders .......................................................................................37 State Farm Jimmy Harrington Agent ...............................................................................16 State Farm Lisa Truesdell Agent .......................................................................................22 Stevens Creek Toyota .......................................................................................................21 Summit Orthopedic Specialists .........................................................................................3 Sutter Health East Bay .......................................................................................................5 T D P Sports ....................................................................................................................44 The First Tee Of Contra Costa ............................................................................................45 Tpc / The Pitching Center .................................................................................................27 U S K S Martial Arts .........................................................................................................30 United States Youth Volleyball League ............................................................................47 Walnut Creek Soccer Club ................................................................................................22 West Coast Soccer Club ....................................................................................................44 World Events ...................................................................................................................43

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One of the outtakes from our Bay Area Male Fall Athlete of the Year photo

common area, and the young percussionists gladly joined in.

PHOTO BY PHILLIP WALTON

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