SJ Issue 55, Nov. 1, 2012

fall's top 3 storylines to watch

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dream team

tossing and turning: Oakmont volleyball losing no sleep in playoff push

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BMOC: football is big time in small towns

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vol. 3. issue 55

Pg. 8

Norcal playoffs: let’s get it started.

rankings sportstars’ top football Teams

IN THE DETAILS: Connor Stapleton sets Davis on fire

PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writers Erik Stordahl, Jim McCue Contributors Bill Kolb, Mitch Stephens, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Bryant West, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Jonathan Okanes Photography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler Intern Ryan Arter Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising & Calendar/Classified Sales Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, (925) 566-8500 Account Executives Erik Stordahl • Erik@SportStars Online.com, Phillip Walton • PWalton@SportStarsOnline.com, Tommy Enriquez • Tommy@SportStarsOnline.com Sac Joaqin edition: Dave Rosales • DaveRosales64@gmail.com Reader Resources/Administration Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsOnline.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Distribution/Delivery Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution Manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • Butch@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com Office Manager/Credit Services Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Deb@SportStarsOnline.com Board of advisors Dennis Erokan, CEO, Placemaking Group Roland Roos, CPA, Roland Roos & Co Susan Bonilla, State Assembly Drew Lawler, Managing Director, AJ Lawler Partners Brad Briegleb, Attorney At Law

First Pitch...........................................8 Locker Room..................................10 AAA SportStars of the Week......13

charmed

Behind the Clipboard....................14

ready to win now: The Oakmont volleyball team just wanted to build.

Turns out that progress came faster than even they could expect. And what do you know? They’re contenders Pg. 16

Impulse.............................................30

Powered by Trucks.........................15

Training Time...................................40 Health Watch .................................41 Camps + Clinics.............................42

hit the bench: It’s not just throwing up weight. You gotta do it right. Pg. 15 best shot: You may not always like it, but coaches have to play to strengths. Pg. 14. on the cover: Davis High senior Connor Stapleton. Photo

by James K. Leash

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your ticket to sac joaquin sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #3, November 2012 Whole No. 55 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521. SportStars™© 2010 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $42 (allow 3 weeks for delivery).

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FALLin IN LOVE: Three things we’re watching for as we welcome the postseason

W

ship format as it stands (we’re not crazy ith all due respect to the about the Open Division game eliminating basketball state tournament one of the region’s top two teams from state and the state track and field consideration), we can at least admit that championships, when it comes to high it ought to add another notch to the usual school sports postseasons, it’s really hard postseason excitement and general scoreto top the fall. board watching across Northern California.

And it’s not all about football. Well, The games themselves ought to be pretty it’s mostly about football, but STILL. darn exciting as well.

Firstly, there are four state champion2 — NorCal Volleyball: For the past two ship sports in the fall — twice as many years, the state volleyball tournament has as either of the other seasons. A fifth been dominated by Northern California — a sport, water polo, doesn’t have a state stark and pleasant change after most of the tournament but each year has provided 2000’s were dominated by SoCal. more and more drama as the sport The North State has brought home four becomes more specialized. state titles each of the past years, and it’s And there’s football. not all one region doing the work either.

Even football goes on steroids this fall Last year the South Bay Area claimed a as another round of postseason has been pair of titles behind Palo Alto in Division I added with the CIF North and South and Presentation-San Jose in Div. II. Union Regional Bowl games.

Mine-El Dorado brought the Div. IV trophy So to say we’re a bit juiced to see back to the foothills of the Sac-Joaquin November roll around would be a bit of Section and Branson-Ross returned to the an understatement.

North Bay Area for the third straight year To celebrate the arrival of the school as Div. V champions. Albany had a pair of year’s first month of postseason play, match points that got away from them in the here’s the top five storylines we’ll be Div. III match, or it would’ve been a NorCal watching over the next seven weeks. sweep.

1 — De La Salle football: Quick, who Can NorCal programs possibly continue was the last California team to beat the this torrid pace? We’re looking forward to mighty Spartans? It’s been awhile. In finding out. fact, nearly four years. The state’s current 3 — Water polo: We admit it. We’re startNo.1-ranked team has lost just three ing to catch the fever. The 2011 postseason games since the end of 2008, two against delivered all kinds of drama, and we’re Florida opponents (Lakeland in 2009 banking on more of it this November. and St. Thomas Aquinas-Ft. Lauderdale The team we’ll be watching the closest in 2011) and one against the Jersey Boys will be the Alhambra-Martinez boys. The of Don Bosco Prep-Ramsey in 2009.

Bulldogs were on the bitter end of perhaps Figured it out yet? The correct answer the most dramatic finish of all last Novemwas Centennial-Corona which defeated ber. With 11 minutes to go in the Division II the Spartans 21-16 in the 2008 CIF Chace@ championship match, Alhambra held a 10-2 Division I Bowl Game. Since that time, SportStarsOnline.com advantage over Las Lomas-Walnut Creek.

De La Salle is 47-0 against California Then it all came crashing down. Las opponents.

(925) 566-8503 Lomas roared all the way back and won the Why are we talking about this? match on Mitch Pilgrim’s goal with 15.6 Because as much as we appreciate the Green and Silver, they’ve battled some injuries this season and seconds left in the match.

In the aftermath of the loss, Alhambra coach Mike Agostihaven’t quite enacted the same dominance over opponents as no told SportStars, “After a loss like that, things can go one of in recent years. Pulling off another state sweep is not out of two ways: The players can be too hurt and opt out, or they can the question, but it doesn’t feel as much like a lock this year. be hungry. It looks like everybody’s in, everybody’s hungry.

The Spartans’ season-finale against California-San Ramon on We’re going to keep getting better. We want more.”

Nov. 2 may just provide a glimpse into this storyline. No East The Bulldogs enter this year’s Division II tournament as Bay program has played De La Salle tougher in recent years, the No. 2 seed. Marin Catholic-Kentfield is the top seed. And and this year’s Grizzlies team will come in confident.

Las Lomas won’t be lurking. They are competing in Div. I this 1A — The Race for the Regional Football Bowl Games: year. ✪ While we aren’t completely sold on the Regional Champion-

First Pitch Chace Bryson Editor

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November 1, 2012

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rapidFIRE 24 hours without food or your phone

Phone

James Bond or Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne

Given 20 for Jr. Pee-wees, stuck with it

Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger

Blue, Silver, Black; Honey Badgers

Deluxe Chicken Sandwich

James Bond

Wanted 11, but senior had it so took 12

Take You Out by Luther Vandross

Baby blue, silver; Pirates

Teriyaki chicken with rice

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count’EM

Kyra Holt, Albany Volleyball

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Build your own high school: Colors and mascot

Why did you pick your jersey number

Troy Knox, Folsom Football

Phone

First song to come to mind when we say ‘Oldie’

Undefeated football teams remaining in the state after 10 weeks. Exactly half come from Northern California schools.

Six remain in the Sac-Joaquin Section, including Folsom (and their wide receiver corp, right) which has used its high-flying spread offense to amass a 9-0 mark through Oct. 26. The North Coast Section also features six remaining unbeatens, and the Central Coast has four. Five teams among the overall 40 are from small school 8-man leagues.

Best thing to eat on campus

Doug Guler

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Top 5 ways high school football tops a presidential electiison important. Seri-

This Pay attention now, sports peoples. e of you who are at the thos , days t shor five just ous, even. In BEHOLDEN to determine age of majority will be allowed, nay, next four years). That’s the for t the fate of the nation (at leas national nightmare (aka, , long Our day. right, y’all, it’s election at an end (again, at least the presidential campaign) is nearly thinking. You know what’s for the next four years). But it got us ’s our list of the top five here So better than politics? Football. ter than anything grea is kin pigs ol scho ways in which high involving an elephant and a donkey. actual mud.

1. Mudslinging. In football, it involves are met with a yelthey all, footb In 2. Ad hominem attacks*. anlike conduct. In ortsm unsp for lty pena low flag and a 15-yard campaign commercials. a presidential election, they turn into all game is just over. The 3. Finality. After 48 minutes, a footb mander in Chief, Com the of winner wins. With the election da.

Flori in cially Espe . over well, nothing is ever gorgeous rotathat , thing tiful beau a it’s all, footb In 4. Spin. idents, it is the pres With tion that a quarterback puts on a ball. inable, usually imag n catio anifi expl most obnoxious, revisionist stuffy suits who wouldn’t executed by guys in crappy ties and even have sniffed the second string. e is NO BIAS in the 5. Journalism. Take it from us. Ther ‘em like we sees calls We all. coverage of high school footb News or MSNBC. Fox on ed start us get ‘em, folks. Don’t even Amateurs. ’. *Look it up. You might learn somethin — Bill Kolb

Pete Souza/The White House/ZumaPress.com

sayWHAT “I call him OG, the original guard.”

Casa Grande-Petaluma lineman and running back Elijah Qualls on former 49ers all-pro lineman Cas Banaszek, who at 67-years old is volunteering as a assistant coach for the Gauchos. Banaszek was drafted by San Francisco in 1967 and played 11 seasons, all with the 49ers. A feature story on how Banaszek is making an impact on a wide range of Petaluma youth will appear in our Nov. 22 issue.

Left to right: Allan Hernandez, Peter Parrick, Coach Frank Giammona, Brandon Jackson, Shane Reed, Cas Banaszek. On knee: Elijah Qualls.

Photo by Harold Abend

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The sophomore assumed control of the starting quarterback job early in the season and has led Vista del Lago to eight consecutive victories after the Eagles dropped their opener against Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills. In the Eagles’ most recent game, Jimison completed 28-of42 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns in leading the team to a 35-34 victory at Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove that secured the school its first Sierra Valley Conference title in six varsity seasons. For the season, Jimison has completed 71 percent of his passes (106-of-149) for 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns with just five interceptions, and has rushed for 234 yards and two more scores.

SportStars Magazine: What were your expectations and goals for yourself and the team heading into the season?

Matt Jimison: I knew that we would be strong offensively, but I wanted to work hard to be the best leader that I could possibly be and to get better every game.

SSM: What has been the key to your success?

MJ: The key has been to learn from each game and get better every day. We are all trusting each other and believing in the team.

SSM: What was the feeling as you started the game-winning drive against Cosumnes Oaks?

MJ: We always have confi-

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honorable mention

matt jimison vista de lago-folsom . football . sophomore

sara schell The Bear RiverGrass Valley senior outside hitter recorded 16 kills in the Bruins’ 3-0 victory over Placer-Auburn to claim a share of the Pioneer Valley League championship. Schell has 366 kills and 219 digs for Bear River.

tyler miguel The Bella VistaFair Oaks senior midfielder scored twice in the Mustangs’ regular season finale, a 3-0 victory over Christian Brothers. Miguel scored 18 goals in 18 games and added 9 assists.

kylie fong Contributed

dence in our ability to score and I knew that we were going to get in the end zone. We work on our 2-minute drill every Thursday and I just told the guys on the sideline that ‘This is what we work for,’ and that we would get it done.

SSM: What does the team need to do to be successful in the playoffs?

MJ: We have to play with confidence. We play hard and fast, and compete every down. If we can do that, we believe that we can play with anyone.

An 85 from the Franklin-Elk Grove sophomore at the Division I North Golf Tournament at Serrano Country Club was strong enough to qualify her for the Section Masters Tournament.

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Acknowledging overall imperfection, coaches play to their strengths Questions like that let me wander off into the realms of Eastern philosophy, which my players have learned to love (if it’s been a really hard practice and they’d like to rest) or hate (“Oh my God, he’s talking about Zen again”).

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Our football team is pretty good but the coach doesn’t seem to care about anything but defense. He puts the best players on defense, he tells us that we can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score and he never seems to say much about our offense. I like offense – I think it’s fun, and people like to watch it. Is there a way to get our coach to think about more than defense?

-F.G., Lodi

et’s start with a question: Have you ever seen a perfect football team?

Maybe you think those De La Salle teams that won all those games in a row were perfect, but you know, I saw the Spartans play a lot, and perfect they were not. They fumbled too much and they had a knack for the untimely penalty, and that was just what I saw from the sidelines. I guarantee you coach Bob Ladouceur never felt he coached a perfect team — and I guarantee you no college or pro coach ever did either.

So if the perfect team is unattainable, then what’s left? Questions like that let me wander off into the realms of Eastern philosophy, which my players have learned to love (if it’s been a really hard practice and they’d like to rest) or hate

L

November 1, 2012

(“Oh my God, he’s talking about Zen again”).

In Japan, there’s something known as wabi-sabi, which is tied to the tea ceremony and Japanese esthetics in general. (The tea ceremony and football? Well, yes – Japanese samurai warriors were represented by two emblems: their swords and cherry blossoms.) The aspect of wabi-sabi that comes into play here is not only the acceptance of imperfection, but the embrace of imperfection.

So what could this possibly have to do with a football coach who loves defense?

Most coaches realize fairly quickly that there’s not enough time, especially at the high school level, to get even close to perfect at all phases of the game. They know they have to emphasize some things, and let some other things slide — in short, they have to embrace the imperfection of their teams. They have to acknowledge that yes, the offense isn’t what it should be, or that the basketball team can’t really press very well, or that the baseball team is bad at stealing bases.

But that doesn’t mean the team can’t be successful. The imperfection doesn’t mean that losses are inevitable because, after all, the op-

Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam

ponents are imperfect too.

Given that reality, there are several paths to take. One is to try and be pretty good at a bunch of things, so that no matter what the other team isn’t good at, you have a chance to attack that weakness. The risk there is that by trying to be good at everything, you wind up really being mediocre at everything and not having a chance to win.

Another option is the one your coach took: Be really good at one thing, even if it means being not very good at something else. So your team is imperfect, especially offensively – so what?

You still can have a very good team despite your flaws, and your imperfection can still lead to success.

Now I doubt your coach spent a lot of time studying the tea ceremony, and he probably thinks wabi-sabi is something that goes on sushi, but he grasped an essential point: There’s no perfect path available, so learn to love the imperfect.

And for you, that means learning to love defense. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kallam at clayk@ fullcourt.com.

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T

Make your bench lifts more imPRESSive

he bench press is one of the most widely performed lifts in the world.

If you walk into any gym in America you will most likely find that there is a line just to use the bench press. It’s all about who can press the most weight. Now if you stand there long enough watching all the lifters take turns on the bench then you’ll see what I see, HORRIBLE form and technique.

There is your old school lifter who is stuck in his ways and scoffs at any new information that studies provide, all the way to your new school lifter who thinks he knows everything there is to know about lifting because he’s never read a single study in his life, or he’s read too many yet he isn’t qualified to even understand what he’s reading.

There are many basic coaching points that are necessary to successfully complete this lift, as well as some basic principles that many are unaware of when trying to increase their bench press strength. Below you will find my simple, yet crucial, coaching points and principles that many people are not aware of.

count unless it touches the chest. So stop doing quarter press’ and grunting like a yeti. No one likes that.

■ In order to increase your strength you must apply a periodized program for progression. If you always bench heavy you’ll simply fry your nervous system and be counterproductive into gaining strength. So have a plan to build up OVER TIME. Nothing happens overnight. Every day is NOT max day.

■ To increase strength, use less reps and heavier weight, don’t just keep banging out sets of 10 until the cows come home.

■ When pressing, keep in mind that the shoulders and triceps are very important muscles when benching and must be trained for strength similarly to aid in the motion.

■ The bench press is a free weight lift, so train it that way.

So many guys try to use the chest press machines and load tons of weight thinking it will fully transfer. The problem is that once you go from an exercise where the machine maintains stability, to an exercise where your body maintains stability, the overall ability to produce strength diminishes.

Moral of the story, use free weights more often to increase bench press strength.

Powered by Trucks

Anthony Trucks

Basic Principles ■ It IS ok for the bar to touch your chest without tearing your chest muscles. In bench competitions the rep does not

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Coaching Points ■ Strengthen your upper back: A strong upper back stabilizes the upper torso region making it easier to press through the chest muscles.

■ Think about pulling the bar apart when pressing up: This engages the pressing muscles to help throughout the pressing movement.

■ Tuck your feet to stabilize your body which allows you to push through the hips. Yes it is possible.

■ Incorporate stability presses into your regimen. Simply stabilizing your pressing muscles will allow you to press more. When your arms start wiggling the muscles do more work trying to balance than they’re doing pressing.

■ WARM UP to heavy weight. JUST DO IT, you know you should.

Apply these techniques, and use these principles and start to see your bench press climb. This is only about 50 percent of what you need to know, but it is the most important. ✪ Anthony Trucks was a decorated football player for Antioch High and the University of Oregon before spending time on multiple NFL rosters. His Trucks Training facility has been operating since 2008. Powered By Trucks runs once a month in the magazine and will include additional content at SportStarsOnline.com. Send your weight training questions to Anthony at Contact@TrucksTraining.com.

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CRUNCHTIME The Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Volleyball Playoffs begin on Nov. 2. It’s also the first step on the road to the state tournament. Here are the essentials.

■ FIRST THREE ROUNDS: Nov. 2, 6, 8.

■ SEMIFINALS: Nov. 13 ■ FINALS: Nov. 15 at UC Davis.

■ DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Division I — St. Francis-Sacramento; Division II — El Camino-Sacramento; Division III — Vista del Lago-Folsom; Division IV — Union Mine-El Dorado; Division V — Ripon Christian; Division IV — VIctory Christian-Sacramento.

■ CIF STATE TOURNAMENT: Begins Nov. 20 with the championships on Dec. 1 at Concordia University in Irvine.

LAST SJS STATE CHAMPION: Union Mine, 2011 Division IV

James K. Leash photos

Half of the Oakmont nucleus gathers after scoring a point during an Oct. 22 match. From right to left, Emily Larson, Brennah Gladwill and Kyra Rogers.

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DREAM

state Oakmont is immersed in a charmed season that just may take the program to new heights

I

By jim mccue | Senior Contributor

t started out as a simple goal to build on newfound success for the Oakmont High girls volleyball team.

It’s turned into a hunger to reach uncharted territory.

That’s what a 31-2 regular season and unbeaten Capital Valley League campaign has done for the Vikings.

“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to make it further than we did last year and to keep improving as a team,” senior captain Brennah Gladwill said of the team’s desire to advance past the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs. “That is still our goal, but we want to break that wall and get to where we have never been before.”

The entire Oakmont team — from head coach Shelby Weinberger to the last player listed on the roster — is saying and doing all the right things in taking the stretch run one match at a time. But a dream season like the one the Vikings are experiencing makes its perfectly understandable to dream bigger while hoping the alarm clock stays on snooze.

After going 21-14 and advancing past the first round of the section playoffs for the first time in recent program history in 2011, Oakmont school was still overlooked in preseason projections, especially in a league with perennial powers Bella Vista-Fair Oaks and Christian Brothers-Sacramento. Rather than letting the slight bother them, the Vikings used it as motivation.

“A lot of people weren’t expecting this from us,” said Weinberger, who is in just her second season as varsity coach at the Roseville school. “All year the girls’ confidence has grown. And now we are no longer hoping to win, but expecting to win.”

Weinberger and her players point to quickness as the key to the team’s success.

On the court and off the court.

Oakmont installed a 6-2 formation with two setters rapidly dishing out low sets for quick kills. The girls also found their chemistry quickly during a pair of preseason tournaments.

“We definitely bonded during those preseason tournaments,” Gladwill said of Oakmont’s overnight trips to Red Bluff and Santa Cruz in the early season. “We played games and got to know each other better and everyone felt more comfortable around the team.”

Gladwill and fellow setter Ally Wubben, who is just a sophomore, had to connect in order for the new formation to work. Obviously, the pair clicked and the result has been a quick offense which has stumped opposing defenses. The communication and trust between the two setters allows for senior outside hitters Katie Carte and Emily Larson and sophomore middle blocker Kyra Rogers to record uncontested kills before defenses can set up their blocks.

While Carte (231 kills), Rogers (180), and Larson (175) post the attacking numbers that grab headlines, Weinberger believes that fundamentals and teamwork Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

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earn the numbers that matter most — wins.

“I try to focus on the basics and emphasize playing smart volleyball and making no mistakes,” she said.

“Everyone is comfortable with their role and everyone leaves everything on the court. This is a team that truly gets along and appreciates the efforts that every player brings to the team.”

Senior captains Gladwill and Carte reiterate Weinberger’s message and lead the Vikings on and off the court with their own unique styles. Carte, who is a three-sport star, provides tactical direction and technical guidance while Gladwill serves as the positive emotional leader that never lets the team get down.

The Vikings have had little to get down about, especially with the contributions of sophomore starters Wubben and Rogers. The pair was elevated to varsity during their freshman seasons and seized the opportunity to break into the starting lineup.

“I knew what I was getting with Ally and expected that she would be running the 6-2 offense with Brennah,” Weinberger said, “but I did not necessarily count on Kyra growing so much this year. She has stepped it up so much and has proven that she deserves to be on the team and can contribute.”

The contributions of the team’s seniors, especially Gladwill and Carte, were expected to raise the emerging program to new heights with solid play and leadership. Both have lived up to their expected roles and validated the attention they have received from college programs interested in their services.

Gladwill has visited Westmont College in the Santa Barbara mountains and will tour six New England-area universities during the Thanksgiving

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break. Carte is considering her options to pursue the sciences in college, and will also have to determine if she will choose soccer or volleyball after high school. A gifted club soccer player and defender on Oakmont’s varsity team, she will be forced to choose one sport as both soccer and volleyball are fall collegiate sports.

Weinberger makes no distinctions based on age or experience, instead stressing the sum of the parts working together to succeed.

“We are one team together where everyone has a role to make the team work,” she said. “There are no seniors, juniors, sophomores, or freshmen, but just players that all work together.”

The girls have bought into the coach’s team concept and it’s paying dividends. Still, the Vikings understand that every practice and point counts, and that no opportunity or opponent can be overlooked.

“That starts with coach,” Gladwill said of the team’s one play at a time mantra. “She makes sure that we stay engaged, and that we realize that we can’t take any plays off no matter who the opponent is.”

Besides, the underdog label may have finally faded for the Vikings. Every opponent that Oakmont faces in the postseason will be aiming to deal the likely No. 1 seed its first loss since a Sept. 20 defeat at the hands of Div. I power Granite Bay. Oakmont’s confidence is high entering the playoffs, but the team still has its sights set on the initial goal to advance past the second round.

“Getting to the playoffs has definitely boosted our confidence,” Wubben said. “And we all think that we can get further than we have ever been before.” ✪

Brennah Gladwill puts up a set during the team’s Oct. 22 match.

A senior co-captain, Gladwill has amassed more than 300 assists in a 6-2 offense featuring a second setter.

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sjs Playoffs At a Glance Division I

■ TOP CONTENDERS: St. Francis-Sacramento (30-2), Granite Bay (33-5), Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (21-14), Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (18-8), Davis (21-7) ■ FAVORITE: With just one player lost from last year’s section champions, St. Francis has been the favorite from Day One. The Troubadours are loaded with talented seniors, including Gabriella Palmeri, Allie Wegener, Hannah Liserra, and Loni Kreun.

■ BRACKETBUSTER: Oak Ridge is familiar with St. Francis as a Delta River League foe, so lessons learned could turn a match in the postseason. The Trojans have a balanced attack featuring five players with triple-digit kills led by senior Mysha Davies (208) and a defense led by Maddie Chambliss (464 digs).

■ TOP STORYLINE: St. Francis has legitimate state title hopes. Coach Alynn Wright has led the TrouGabriella Palmeri helps comprise St. Francisbadours to 11 SJS titles Sacramento’s key core of players set on reaching and will not allow her team another SJS crown. to look past dangerous opponents like Granite Bay (who extended St. Francis to five games in the 2011 semifinals) before even thinking about competition beyond the section.

■ CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: St. Francis d. Granite Bay 3-1.

Division II

■ TOP CONTENDERS: El Camino-Sacramento (31-5), Bella Vista-Fair Oaks (27-7), Del OroLoomis (19-7), Rocklin (24-12), Roseville (22-16) ■ FAVORITE: The road to the title runs through El Camino, even after the graduation of one of the section’s best hitters in Natalie Riddering. Senior Cassidy Denny has assumed the role of team leader and offensive force. Sophomore Mikaela Nocetti has taken some of the pressure off of Denny with a stellar season as well.

■ BRACKETBUSTER: Rocklin has faced El Camino is each of the last two Div. II finals, so it would not be surprising to see a third straight matchup between the Thunder and Eagles.

Coach Dave Muscarella lost a lot of firepower from his 2011 squad, but seniors Sara Sheehy and Kallie Elder have stepped up their games to keep Rocklin relevant.

■ TOP STORYLINE: After losing to eventual champion El Camino in the semis last year, Del Oro has had a solid season. The Golden Eagles’ quest to reach the section final has been helped by a tough league schedule and outstanding hitting from seniors Morgan Lees and Stephanie Solich. The duo who would like to finish their high school careers on top.

■ CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: El Camino d. Rocklin 3-1.

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sjs Playoffs At a Glance

Division III

■ TOP CONTENDERS: OakmontRoseville (29-2), Rio AmericanoSacramento (26-7), Placer-Auburn (22-5), Vista del Lago-Folsom (18-10), Christian Brothers-Sacramento (20-12), Oakdale (19-6-1) ■ FAVORITE: Oakmont has enjoyed a dream season where the Vikings have gone from overlooked to feared. Senior captains Brennah Gladwill and Katie Carte have gotten great production and support from sophomores Kyra Rogers and Ally Wubben, and the team has gelled under the direction of coach Shelby Weinberger.

■ BRACKETBUSTER: Rio Americano is peaking with wins in 11 of its last 12, including dealing El Camino its first Capital Athletic League loss since 2010.

Sophomore Maddie Merlino is approaching 1,000 assists and senior hitter Maddie Cannon has already eclipsed the 400-kill mark.

■ TOP STORYLINE: Caroline Sipiora led Vista del Lago to two consecutive SJS titles before suffering a serious leg injury in the offseason. The senior recently returned to the court, but the Eagles’ top hitter is still limited to defensive duties. How much she can contribute on the court and as an inspirational leader will determine if Vista del Lago can make a run at a three-peat.

Two-time defending Div. III-champ Vista del Lago-Folsom will go as senior hitter Caroline Sipiora goes.

■ CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Rio Americano d. Oakmont 3-2.

Division IV

■ TOP CONTENDERS: Bear River-Grass Valley (24-12), Golden Sierra-Garden Valley (18-9), Escalon (23-5), Sonora (24-7) ■ FAVORITE: Bear River made a run to the 2011 SJS final as a No. 5 seed, and return senior setter Kaya Johnson and outside hitter Sara Schell from the team that fell to a bigger underdog in No. 7 seed Union Mine. Coach Matt MacDonald’s Bruins are prepared for their role of favorite and ready to bring a title back to Bear River.

■ BRACKETBUSTER: Sierra Delta League champion Golden Sierra faced bigger teams like Granite Bay, Oak Ridge, Davis, Roseville, and Christian Brothers in preparation for the playoffs. The Grizzlies dropped a 3-0 decision to Bear River early in the season, but have won eight of their last nine matches entering the postseason.

■ TOP STORYLINE: Escalon has been a top 4 seed each of the last three years, including the top seed a year ago, but has yet to reach the final. The Cougars lost just two players to graduation and return loads of experience. Captains Nicole Bianchi, Cassidy Caton and Samantha Shipley have been aided by newcomer Taylor Laugero, a freshman setter and outside hitter.

■ CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Bear River d. Golden Sierra 3-1. ✪

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story by Jim Mccue • photos by James K. Leash 22

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Connor Stapleton will play for the 18U National Team this summer, but right now he’s focused on leading Davis to its first section title since 2008.

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Perhaps Davis High’s most-decorated boys water polo player, Connor Stapleton takes one last shot at an elusive SJS title

C

onnor Stapleton has an impressive resume.

The Davis water polo star is a two-time High School AllAmerican, a member of the U.S. National Youth Team, and a four-year starter for one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s most prolific programs. The one thing he doesn’t have, though, is a section championship.

The Blue Devils have won a total of 13 section titles, but the last time the Blue Devils captured a championship was in 2008, one year before Stapleton’s freshman season. Despite finishing as runners-up in each of his three seasons, he does not see his last opportunity at a high school title as a make-or-break proposition for his psyche.

“It will only be a disappointment if we don’t give our best effort,” he said of the chance of losing a fourth section final. “As long as we play well, I will be proud of my four years here and of our effort this year.”

The Blue Devils’ effort so far this year has been good enough to earn what is sure to be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Davis has yet to lose to an SJS team this year, and has played top teams throughout the state in preparation for its playoff run.

“We seek out the best competition we can get and travel to play top teams,” head coach Tracy Stapleton said of preparing his team for the postseason. “We are trying to make our athletes the best they can be by giving them these experiences.”

Connor Stapleton, the coach’s son, has accumulated plenty of experience and is a primary reason this year’s team is poised to return to the top. As the team’s lone starting senior, the two-year captain is the Blue Devils’ statistical and tactical leader.

“He really understands what we are trying to do,” the coach said.

“He is like a coach in the water whether it is at practice or in a game.”

That Connor is comfortable leading in and out of the pool is no surprise since he grew up poolside at Davis High. His dad, who is in his 25th season as the Blue Devils’ coach, has had Connor and his younger sister, Colby, a sophomore on the girls’ team at Davis, in the water and on the end of the bench for most of their lives.

Connor was exposed to the game at a very early age and began swimming and throwing the ball around the pool at age 6. That didn’t stop him from exploring other sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball around the same time. The multi-talented athlete was a threesport star until fifth grade when he decided to dedicate his time and effort to becoming the best water polo player he could be.

The accolades and honors piled up as he and his game grew. With just a handful of high school games left, the next chapters of his athletic and academic careers will be written shortly. Stapleton will leave shortly after the section playoffs conclude for Australia, where he will compete for the United States Under-18 youth squad in the FINA World Championships in Perth.

When the new year rings in, he will deliberate over where to continue his education and water polo endeavors. He has already been accepted to Stanford, but Stapleton says he is still considering UCLA and Cal as college options.

“I am really happy that I got accepted to Stanford, but I am still considering everything,” Connor said.

His options are wide open as he carries a 4.3 GPA and would be welcomed by any top tier water polo program in the country. The decision will be just another choice in the student-athlete’s busy life that has included high school and club water polo, AP classes, and, when time permits, a social life.

“I have had to set priorities and budget my time between water polo,

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school, and a social life,” he said of balancing studies and sports with enjoying his senior year of high school. “I have a ‘work now, play later’ mindset that has been taught to me by my entire family, from parents to grandparents.”

For now, the work is his play for Davis in the section playoffs. Stapleton is at the top of his game, having grown stronger each year through his high school, club, and international experience.

“I have become stronger and have more explosiveness than I had in the past,” he said of his strength in the pool. “I also think that I am more tenacious and don’t back down from anyone.”

The Blue Devils will face a steady line of capable opponents with the goal of knocking off the favorite and derailing Stapleton’s hopes of finishing his high school career on top. After coming so close for three years, the senior believes that the pain and heartbreak of years past can propel the team to a championship.

“The sting of losing fuels our team,” Connor said of last year’s loss to Jesuit-Carmichael in the section final and his experience finishing as runner-up the last three years. “We don’t want to feel that way again.”

Stapleton is hopeful that the young team that fell short last year has learned from the experience of being in the postseason.

“It is absolutely huge to have played in the do-or-die situation that the playoffs provide,” he said. “It makes the players comfortable in the water, so that they don’t get caught up in the atmosphere of the playoffs.”

After the recent conclusion of the Finis Memorial Cup in San Jose where the Blue Devils went 3-1 with their lone loss to eventual-champion Corona del Mar of Southern California, the team is confident it can handle the best teams that the section has to offer.

“We just want to go out and keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Connor said of his team’s upcoming playoff run. “My expectation is to blow away the competition in sections because I believe that we are capable of doing that.”

If they can do it, Stapleton can finally add that SJS championship to a resume that will continue to grow far beyond this year’s playoffs. ✪

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“I have a ‘work now, play later’ mindset that has been taught to me by my entire family, from parents to grandparents.”

— Connor Stapleton

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sjs water polo Playoffs At a Glance GIRLS

■ Division I Davis has won nine of the last 12 Div. I titles with St. FrancisSacramento claiming the other three championships in that time frame. The Blue Devils and Troubadours have faced off in the final in each of the last eight years. So, it is not surprising that the two rival powerhouses are again expected to be the top contenders to bring home the hardware. Davis will seek its fourth consecutive championship behind a balanced offensive attack that includes Lauren Owens, Colby Stapleton, Mara Dominguez and Heather Johnson. St. Francis is powered by attackers Marisa Zanobini, Kaitlyn Cozens, Marisa Kolokotronis, and Sophie DiGiambattista. The Troubadours would like to avenge a recent 12-7 loss at Davis and halt the Blue Devils current title streak. Dark horse contenders to challenge for the crown include 2011 Div. II champion Del OroLoomis, St. Mary’s-Stockton and Lodi.

■ Division II This division has been owned by Rio Americano who won the first nine championships since the second division was formed in 2002. The Raiders were dispatched by Oakdale in the semifinals last year, but are the favorites to capture title number 10 this year. Seniors Emmy Savidge and Emily Perry are Rio Americano’s top scorers, and the defense is anchored by

Sierra Martinez and Rio Americano are likely on a collision course with El Camino in the Division II final.

senior goalkeeper Avery Dotterer. Coach Tyson Frenn’s team again finished unbeaten in Capital Athletic League play and sought top competition against local Div. I foes as well as Central Valley and Bay Area teams in various tournaments. CAL rival El Camino is the Raiders’ biggest threat in the tournament field, but the Eagles struggled against Rio Americano in their lone matchup this year. Seniors Nikole Runyon and Summer Jackson each tallied 80 goals and goalkpeeper Catlyn Cavender posted an impressive 3.053 goals against average in the cage. Oakdale, a 2011 finalist, could pose a threat to the CAL’s best as the Mustangs earned a Valley Oak League title with an unblemished league record. Oakdale is led by top scorer Megan Tackett and goalkeeper Hayley Benson.

BOYS

■ Division I Davis is clearly the class of Div. I as the Blue Devils have not lost to a Sac-Joaquin Section team this season. Coach Tracy Stapleton’s team returns the majority of his young team that fell to Jesuit-Carmichael in the final last year. The Marauders are in Davis’s half of the bracket, but the loss of all six starters from last year’s section champion has it with a more realistic goal of gaining postseason experience for another run in 2013. Granite Bay holds the No. 2 seed behind Davis. The Sierra Foothill League champions are led by seniors Nathan Pinkney and Max Vigeant. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills could be a dark horse in the pool with a pair of high-scoring seniors in Bryan Cole and Bryan Bare. St. Mary’s-Stockton, Lodi, and Tokay are the top teams from the Central Valley, but Davis and Granite Bay appear to be on track for a championship showdown.

■ Division II If not for school enrollment size, both Rio AmericanoSacramento and El Camino-Sacramento could likely challenge for the Div. I title. The Raiders and Eagles are head and shoulders above the rest of Div. II and are expected to continue their Capital Athletic League rivalry in the championship match on Nov. 10. Rio Americano won the CAL title and is led by a balanced scoring attack of seniors John Price and Jack Dubois along with sophomore Ian Brady. El Camino has one of the area’s most potent offenses with great scorers in senior Dallen Eddenfield (80 goals in 26 games) and junior Josh Jordan (78 goals in 27 contests).

Senior Jimmy Wiley is a solid third option with 58 goals and 13 assists, senior goalkeeper Chris Lunger was busy recording 249 saves for the Eagles. ✪

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Golf is golden at Greenhorn Creek

I

f you’re traveling east along CA Highway 4 and can avoid blinking at approximately 20 miles from Stockton, you’ll catch a glimpse of Farmington. At the intersection is a refurbished covered wagon doubling as a billboard directing cars to Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp, another half hour ride through undeveloped rural farmlands heading into the Sierra Nevada Gold Country.

Edging the historic town of Angels Camp, a place immortalized not so much by its golden fame but rather by jumping frogs, Mark Twain, and prospectors with golf clubs in lieu of gold pans who find the pristine Greenhorn Creek Resort filled with plenty of its own history.

Prior to the turn of the century, Bardon Stevenot, a fifth-generation member of a pioneer Gold Rush family, pushed forward his vision to build what has now become an idyllic country residential community and golf course on land once occupied by the Native American Miwoks. With respect to the sacred grounds, golf course architect Don Boos weaved Greenhorn Creek GC (opened in 1996) through the rolling meadow hills and majestic oaks to feature plenty of variety while keeping intact certain archeological artifacts, such as a stone wall built

by Chinese laborers during the mid-1800s that divides the par-4 downhill fourth hole.

Another mark on Greenhorn’s historical timeline took place in 1997, when Stocktonbased developer Fritz Grupe purchased the property and immediately brought in his longtime friend, Robert Trent Jones II, to redesign the course. What exists today is a 6,749-yard layout that employs some of Jones’ trademark demanding short par 4s that add just enough challenge to make playing any of

the seven sets of tees fun.

Rich Cathcart, former athletic director of the local Bret Harte High School, can attest to these challenges. As coach of the boys and girls golf teams and having Greenhorn Creek as their home course, his teams have been very successful in most of their matches.

Greenhorn Creek Resort has also been molded into, perhaps, the finest golf retreat experience in the gold country. In addition to the golf, pools, tennis courts and fitness center, guests staying here are only minutes from a wide selection of outdoor adventure throughout the Calaveras County region, such as biking, boating, fishing, hiking, and wine tasting at the 27 local wineries. Plus, it’s less than two hours from Yosemite Valley.

Greenhorn Creek offers hotel and cottage accommodation on-site. The newest lodging retreat is the Caddy Shack, a converted maintenance shed that includes five bedrooms, BBQ area, horseshoe pit, full kitchen, bathrooms, 55-inch HDTV and a fireplace. All these amenities make for a perfect buddies getaway, family vacation or business destination for groups up to 12.

If nobody is up to cooking, CAMPS Restaurant, overlooking the 18th green, serves a variety of plates made from fresh local ingredients and wines made by some of the Greenhorn Creek member vintners.

Had this gold county golf resort existed when Twain was around in 1865 penning “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” I doubt he would have had any basis for complaining that “golf is nothing more than a good walk spoiled.” ✪ — Robert Kaufman, Greenhorn Creek

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Welcome to Impulse, your one-stop shop for gadgets, gizmos and gear. Compiled by staff writer Erik Stordahl, Impulse provides you with the latest and greatest and what’s currently hot on the market.

Have a look and take in all the golf gear that may or may not keep you out of the sandtrap. Enjoy.

OptiShot

Who says you have to go to an actual course to get a round of 18 in? With OptiShot you don’t have to drive anywhere. The golf course is now in your garage! Just have your buds come to your place and play a simulated 18 holes. All you need are your clubs and you can play with real or foam golf balls, or no ball at all! This award-winning, in-home, super duper golf system can be yours by going to www.OptiShotGolf. com

SkyCaddie SG5 This looks like it came straight from a sci-fi golf movie starring a cyber

Tiger Woods and a robot version of Rory McIlroy. Add in a little drama, a little romance and we’ve got an Oscar winner here, folks! The SG5

is a GPS that lets you track how far you are from tee to green. It also lets you know how close you are to water hazards and sandtraps.

Definitely a must-have.

Evolve golf Epoch golf tees At $7 for 50 it would be wise to grab these now and add them to your

dad’s stocking stuffer six weeks later. More durable and cooler sounding than regular, boring golf tees. Get yours now.

Nike Dri-FIT UV Blocked Polo You’ll probably still finish last in your foursome, but at least you won’t

get a sunburn! That’s something, right? As a fair-skin sufferer, I wholeheartedly endorse this shirt.

SwingSmart Stop slicing and hooking the ball all over the place. Get your swing right with

SwingSmart. It works with your iPad, iPhone and Android devices. Swing-

Smart tweaks and corrects every nook and cranny with your swing so you’re sure to stay out of the sandtrap and water hazards. Hit up www.swingsmart.com for more info.

Adidas Golf

You’ve seen the pros use this gear, now it’s your turn to get some Adidas Golf goodies. If you like what you see, get more info at www.taylormadegolf.com.

Have a look…

Crossflex shoes

Wear these shoes and you’ll be a scratch golfer for the rest of your life. That’s a complete lie. But seriously, these shoes are money.

It’s like Adidas made shoes using only the materials from a feather pillow (feathers + cotton minus the warranty tag). Get a pair now.

Do it!

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SwingTIP

Ladies and gentleman, we present to you a gamechanger in the world of golf. Perfect everything there is to perfect with your swing with the SwingTIP. The SwingTIP is a sensor that attaches to your club and contains software which uploads to your iPhone or computer. It details club head speed, swing path, club face angle, and lots more. It’s got that Silicon Valley touch so you know it’s state-of-the-art and crazy hi-tech. David Butler is the only custom golf club fitter to offer SwingTIP. And guess what? He’s gonna be at the Bay Area Golf Show this month (booth #202). This is your chance to try one of these on for size. It’s even endorsed by The Walrus, Craig Stadler, himself. What’s not to love about this thing? Can’t make it to the show? Then what are you waiting for? You know you’re not gonna fix your swing on your own. Don’t make us LOL at you. Get yours now by going to shop.miuragolf.us

Tour pro sunglasses

Put these on and we’re sure people will think you’re a major celeb. It’s always fun to play along. “Of COURSE I’m Justin Bieber!” Wear ‘em on the golf course and we think you’ll get a special kind of x-ray vision that details how to hit a holein-one. We actually can’t prove any of this so you’ll have to contact Adidas if you have any questions.

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golfSark

We at SSM can’t get enough of creativity and originality. That’s why we can get behind our friends at golfSark who are waking up the golf attire game and they want your help. Go to their website, www.golfsark.com and submit your idea for a cool T-shirt.

Like SSM, golfSark will be at the Bay Area Golf Show. Take a gander at their booth (#522) and vote to win yourself a FREE Tshirt. Seriously, who doesn’t like free stuff? You can also vote online on their website: wwww.golfsark.com.

Energy Athletic Golf

Hey, if you know you’re gonna get creamed on the golf course, you might as well be comfortable. Pick up one of these shirts and be ready to take on all desert climates. Get yours by going to www.wearenergy.com

CHAMP Zarma My Hite FLYTee

For increased distance and improved accuracy, you gotta go with “My Hite”. My Hite tees have a colored band around the stem so you can always place the ball at a consistent height. Get a 30 pack for only $7.99. Go to www. champspikes.com

Trophy belt

Normally, we like our trophy belts bigger, flashier, more colorful with a library of catchy nicknames.

But we dig this toned-down, subtle approach too. It’s made with full-grained leather with the signature three-line logo. Wear one and show your foursome who the real champ is.

Tin Cup Golf Ball Marking Stencil

Now you can make sure your ball is YOUR ball.

You can put any logo you want on there. Show your school pride, get a logo of your favorite team, or slap the American flag on there. It’s up to you! Hit up www. tin-cup.com for more info.

ECCO

When it comes to golf fashion, ECCO is at the top of the cool chain. They’ve added style and pizazz to a sport that desperately needed it (sorry, just about every golfer out there). But ECCO also understands the physical demands of the golfer.

They know it’s a taxing sport, one that requires a whole lotta stamina. That’s why their gear is not only stylish but it’s comfortable too. Take a look at their latest line of shoes: BIOM, golf’s first-ever Natural Motion shoe. Skipping all the science-y stuff, these shoes make sure you’re playing your A game even in the thickest of conditions. They’re worn by ‘92 Masters champ Fred Couples and Graeme McDowell, one of the top moneymakers on the tour. Choose between the BIOM and the BIOM Hybrid. And make sure to hit up the ECCO stores in Walnut Creek and San Francisco.

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Masters

St. FrancisSacramento’s No. 1 golfer Emily Laskin didn’t have her best day in the SJS Masters Tournament, but the Troubadours depth still delivered the team title.

Butch Noble photos

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Class St. Francis-Sacramento leads strong list of Sac-Joaquin Section talent into regional championship

J

By jim mccue | Senior Contributor

ust one week after the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top girls’ golfers battled wind and rain for divisional titles and a ticket to the SJS Masters Golf Tournament, the weather and scores improved dramatically at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.

St. Francis-Sacramento captured the team title by edging runner-up Lodi by four strokes.

Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove earned the final team slot for the California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Championships with a third place finish. Junior Ileana MacDonald was the low scorer for the Troubadours with a 4-over 76 while her teammates all carded scores in the lowto mid-80s to amass a team total of 415.

“There is no access to scores out on the course, so the clubhouse restaurant is packed with golfers waiting for scores to be posted,” St. Francis junior Emily Laskin said of waiting to find out if she and her teammates won the team championship. “It was really nerve-racking and there was just a pall of nervousness in the room.”

The top three SJS teams and four individual qualifiers advance to the NCGA/CIF Northern California Championships on Nov. 5 at Brookside Country Club in Stockton. The top three teams and nine individual qualifiers (from non-qualifying teams) will then advance to the CIF State Championships on Nov. 13 at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.

When the Eagles’ final score came in, Pleasant Grove learned that it would be advancing to the NorCal Tournament after the team finished fourth in the section last year to conclude its season.

Junior Sarah Debnekoff led the way with a 74 for Pleasant Grove while sophomores Brittany O’Bryant (84) and Marissa Mallicoat (85) built on their experience from last year’s Masters to post solid rounds. The lone senior in the Eagles’ top six, Anna Jeffries, fired an 86 to prolong her high school career for at least another week.

Lodi’s second-place finish was paced by a 77 from Coby Kooyman and an 81 from Victoria Reiner. The Flames were close runners-up a year ago finishing just two strokes behind team champion Christian Brothers-Sacramento in 2011.

The lone score in the red was posted by Woodland’s Sara Scarlett, a senior who advanced to the NorCal Tournament and state tournament for the first time in 2011, despite barely making it out of the Masters field. She advanced a year ago via a three-way playoff for the final two individual berths.

“It was nice not having to go through a playoff this time,” Scarlett said. “I birdied the first hole and I usually do pretty good when I start with a birdie. I finished with six birdies, which I have never done before, so that was pretty cool.”

To illustrate just how good a round Scarlett had, the University of Texas-commit even managed to birdie a hole in which she put a ball in the water.

Whitney-Rocklin junior Kelsey Ulep finished as the individual runner-up with an even-par 72 to reach the NorCal Tournament for the first time. Oakmont senior Maddy Gedeon, who was the final individual qualifier for NorCals in 2011, will return to the regional round after she shot a 73. Granite Bay senior Paige Lee, who tied for the individual title last year, earned the final individual berth with a 74.

Following are brief summaries of the NorCal qualifiers and each team and individual’s status as contenders for the regional and/or state titles.

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Lodi’s Coby Kooyman fired a 77 to lead the way as the Flames qualified for NorCals with a second-place finish at the SJS Masters.

TEAMS St. Francis The Troubadours were not at the top of their game at the SJS Masters, but captured the team title despite underperforming.

Laskin, the team’s No. 1 player, was off her normal pace with an 83 at The Reserve, but has the potential to rally St. Francis to a NorCal title. Last year, the team finished third at the Masters before vaulting up to a fourth place finish in the NorCal Tournament. Ileana MacDonald paced the Troubadours at The Reserve and could use another round in the 70s to help the team earn a state bid as one of the top three finishers at Brookside. Carina Cater and Tarah Kubes have NorCal experience along with Laskin and MacDonald that could play a key role in punching a ticket to Rancho Cucamonga.

Lodi Coby Kooyman leads a group of four returners that helped the Flames to a seventhplace finish at the NorCal Tournament in 2011. The team’s second-place finish at the Masters shows that it is a legitimate threat to make a run at a state berth. Jessica Hayes, Courtney Newport, and Alissa Sanchez are capable of shooting low enough to heat up the Flames at Brookside.

Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove The Eagles are hoping to take advantage of securing the NorCal berth that eluded them in 2011. Debnekoff is the top player for a rising program that continues to make strides.

Whether Pleasant Grove can take the next step in its progression remains to be seen as the young squad may be a year away from 34

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taking over St. Francis in the Delta River League and section. Regardless of the results at Brookside, more experience gained by Debnekoff, O’Bryant, and Lauren Covey will be invaluable.

INDIVIDUALS Three of the four individual qualifiers for the regional tournament are making return trips with Granite Bay senior Paige Lee leading the way with two previous appearances at the NorCal and state tourneys. The UC Davis-commit was the section’s low individual scorer among returning golfers at the regional and state level in 2011, and her preseason goal was to make a return trip to Rancho Cucamonga where she played in the state tournament as a freshman.

Masters champion Scarlett finished in the top 10 at last year’s NorCal tournament and is playing her best golf. The senior improved in league, divisional, and Masters play in 2012, and she may be the section’s best shot at a regional or state championship.

Gedeon is the third returning state qualifier, finishing in a tie with Lee at the NorCal tournament in 2011 with a 73. She also shared top honors for section underclassmen at state a year ago. She has the game and tournament experience to give the area a chance to fill a large portion of the top 10 at Brookside and Red Hill.

The lone newcomer to the regional tourney among the individual qualifiers is Ulep.

She had a very good summer tournament season before hitting the links for Whitney.

Her even-par 72 was 11 strokes better at The Reserve compared to 2011, so experience at the regional tournament may be the only thing that keeps the junior from continuing her season another week. ✪

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Mike DeCicco

Football in small towns like Colfax is always a big event.

Modern day small-town football

PASSION charm talent

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&

By jim mccue | Senior Contributor For years, residents and politicians in Sacramento have fought to be considered a “major league” sports city. Battles over building a new sports and entertainment complex for the NBA’s Kings make front page news locally and nationally.

A short drive up Interstate 80 toward the Sierra Nevada Mountains are small towns happy to be just that — small towns with quiet main streets devoid of tall buildings and big corporations.

In cities like Auburn and Colfax the king of sports and entertainment is high school football.

“In the foothills, I think you get schools and teams that represent an entire community,” Placer head coach Joey Montoya said. “There is a sense of pride in the school and athletics. Football and the school in general is the focus of the community and it creates a special environment.”

As the football season winds down and the onset of winter temperature make the bleachers on the both sides of the football stadiums near freezing, the pride and support of entire communities warms the atmosphere and can make for heated rivalries among neighboring foothill towns.

The towns dotting the mountainside off of Interstate 80 and Highway 49

football in the foothills

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“In the foothills, I think you get schools and teams that represent an entire community.

There is a sense of pride in the school and athletics. Football and the school in general is the focus of the community and it creates a special environment.”

— Placer head coach Joey Montoya share histories with gold mining, logging, and the railroad as common economic drivers of the past and fading or struggling industries in modern times. The common interests and lifestyles, coupled with the proximity of the cities sitting above the Sacramento valley floor, created natural rivalries, some of which have endured.

With league realignments, some rivalries have faded while others have been reinvigorated.

The Pioneer Valley League features foothill football powers Placer-Auburn, Colfax, and Bear River-Grass Valley. In the past, other schools such as Nevada Union-Grass Valley and Golden Sierra-Garden Valley have had epic games with today’s PVL schools.

In the 1990s, Colfax and Golden Sierra were Golden Empire League teams on the rise, and Colfax head coach Tony Martello — who took over the Falcons program in 1996 — recalls that rivalry pushing his program toward greater relevance and respect throughout the Sac-Joaquin Section.

“Those games were gigantic back then,” Martello said of the stadiums in Colfax and Garden Valley when filled to capacity. “We were trying to change the climate of Colfax and those were magical times.”

Martello created a strong program that has produced three section championships during his tenure and a total of six title game appearances since 1997. In a place where everyone knows your name, winning can create a happier environment for football coaches in small towns. But Martello is happy living and coaching in Colfax, regardless of his team’s wins and losses.

“The community really cares about the kids, the school, and the program,” Martello said. “It’s comforting to know that the community has your back and supports the kids on their journey.”

In Auburn, Placer High football is often the talk of the town, with a majority of the population of 13,300 having an opinion about the Hillmen. Though larger than Colfax and other foothill cities, Auburn knows Placer head coach Joey Montoya and many of the assistant coaches.

“In the community, I talk about one subject 365 days a year,” Montoya said of talking Hillmen football with Auburn locals. “I relate it to a small piece of Texas where people always want to talk about Placer football.”

Assistant coach Mike Sabins, who led the program in the late 1990s and early 2000s, understands and appreciates the local passion for the sport.

“People always want to talk football and when things are going well, it’s great going out in the community,” Sabins said. “It can be hard when things are difficult, but it just means that the community is really involved and they really care about the school and the program.”

In the foothills, there are locals who have cared about their town’s football program for longer than all of the players — and some of the coaches — have been alive. Bob Burdge, a retired English teacher at Placer, served as the Voice of the Hillmen, manning the public address system at LeFebvre Stadium for more than 30 years. Scores of alumni fill the stadium every home game.

“We get four or five guys every night coming out just to watch us practice,” Sabins said of the local supporters/historians.

In Colfax, the Fontana family has been a part of Falcons football since the first year the school was established in 1959. Edward “Ed” Fontana, who lived in Colfax and worked for the railroad, volunteered as a member of the “chain gang” crew that tends the down markers on the visitor’s side of the field every game. He did his job every year from the 1960s until he passed away in 1997. By then, his son Lynn, had joined the chain gang while Ed’s grandsons attended Colfax in the late 1990s, and Lynn remains a staple on the opposing sideline every Friday night that the Falcons host a game.

Ed shared his passion for Colfax football with Lynn and instilled the community pride and

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Doug Guler

Placer running back Michael Robinson bursts upfield against Foothill-Palo Cedro on Sept. 7.

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Colfax football knowledge that his son and other relatives can pass on to future Falcons. Ed would often take Lynn when he joined Colfax coaches on Friday night scouting trips (when Colfax played Saturday home games) and was a fixture in town and on campus.

“My Dad would go to practice every day and smoke a cigar next to the field,” Fontana said.

“I think some of the kids would get sick from the cigar smoke, but you knew he was there when you smelled it.”

Friday nights in Auburn have changed some, but the passion for Hillmen football remains strong. Sabins, a 1984 Placer grad, has grown accustomed to the throngs of locals descending on the campus every Friday night. However, his first experience with foothill passion for high school football came as a surprise after the Sabins family moved into a home just above the football stadium in 1976.

“We didn’t really know what we were getting into,” Sabins said of the town’s dedication to Placer football. “The first Friday night, we could not even get out of our driveway.”

The people and passion are just pieces of what makes football in the foothills so unique, and so appealing to the communities and coaches.

“I heard it said before and agree that being a head coach in a small town is the best job in America,” Martello said. “It’s awesome.” ✪

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Revisionist History 10 weeks later we re-evaluate our section champ predictions

By the time SportStars publishes again, the football postseason will already be approaching the section semifinals stage.

Therefore, it seemed like an appropriate time to take a look back at our comprehensive 2012 Football Preview and see if we needed to call “Do over!” on any of our section championship predicitions.

Here we go.

CENTRAL COAST SECTION

The CCS is always tricky to predict ahead of time because the teams aren’t placed into their division until the end of the regular season. That’s why we’ll probably just play this game for the top two divisions.

Here’s what we had, though.

■ OPEN: Serra-San Mateo over Palma-Salinas — We still feel pretty good about Serra potentially being in the final, but Palma (which is 6-2 as of Oct. 26) may opt for a lower division now. REVISED CHAMP: Bellarmine Prep-San Jose, who hasn’t blinked since a season-opening loss to De La Salle.

■ DIVISION I: Milpitas over Mountain View — We’re sticking with Milpitas, but if Oak Grove-San Jose is in the mix it could get interesting.

Trevon Lampley and the FranklinElk Grove Wildcats have convinced us that they are the team to beat when the SJS Division I tournament begins.

NORTH COAST SECTION

■ DIVISION I: De La Salle-Concord over James LoganUnion City — No changes here. Despite the fact that Spartans haven’t looked as dominant as they have the past couple of seasons. But even in the program’s “off” years, they always rise to the occasion in this game.

■ DIVISION II: Concord over Casa Grande-Petaluma — This isn’t looking so hot. Clayton Valley Charter-Concord has climbed to the top of the contenders list here, along with Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park. REVISED CHAMP: Clayton Valley, which seems like a runaway train at this point.

■ DIVISION III: Marin Catholic-Kentfield over Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa: This looks good. Both teams were 8-1 as of Oct. 26, and we still feel pretty strongly about Marin Catholic getting the title. We caution them about El Cerrito, however.

■ DIVISION IV: Salesian-Richmond over St. Helena — Much like Division III, we feel OK here. Both teams each only have one loss through the first nine games, and Salesian just knows how to win playoff games.

■ DIVISION V: Tomales over St. Bernard-Eureka — With all due respect to Tomales, we’re changing course on this one. REVISED CHAMP: California School for the Deaf-Fremont, which is 8-1 through the first nine weeks and even had Sports Illustrated writing about the program. We’ll bite.

SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION

■ DIVISION I: Lincoln-Stockton over Grant — Ouch! While the season has been repsectable for Lincoln it has not lived

Photo by James K. Leash

up to the hype. And Grant is just scraping to keep it’s playoff streak alive. REVISED CHAMP: Franklin-Elk Grove, which has earned every bit of it’s No. 1 ranking in the Greater Sacramento area.

■ DIVISION II: Elk Grove over Vacaville — The Thundering Herd’s only blemish through nine weeks is a loss to FranklinElk Grove on Oct. 19, so there’s no reason to sway here.

■ DIVISION III: Del Oro-Loomis over Placer-Auburn — Injuries and a grueling schedule derailed Del Oro early in the season. The Golden Eagles are fighting their way back, but this one needs a chance. REVISED CHAMP: Placer, which is 9-0 through Oct. 26 and has won by blowout, by shootout and by the nail-biter.

■ DIVISION IV: Colfax over Central Catholic — This looks like it may need a switch as well. REVISED CHAMP: Central Catholic, which lost to Placer-Auburn but has a very impressive win over St. Mary’s-Stockton.

■ DIVISION V: LeGrand over Highlands-North Highlands — LeGrand remains the team to beat here. ✪ — Chace Bryson

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SportStars NorCal Top 20 All records through Oct. 26 Rank (Last Wk.) School

Record

1 (1)

De La Salle-Concord

9-0

2 (3)

Bellarmine-San Jose

7-1

3 (4)

Franklin-Elk Grove

9-0

4 (5)

Folsom

9-0

5 (6)

Serra-San Mateo

7-1

6 (2)

Elk Grove

8-1

7 (7)

Placer-Auburn

9-0

8 (8)

Marin Catholic-Kentfield

8-1

9 (9)

St. Mary’s-Stockton

7-2

10 (10)

Burbank-Sacramento

9-0

11 (14)

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 8-1

12 (15)

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 6-2

13 (17)

California-San Ramon

8-1

14 (17)

Buhach Colony-Atwater

7-2

15 (12)

Oakdale

8-1

16 (16)

Oak Grove-San Jose

8-0

17 (19)

James Logan-Union City

8-1

18 (NR)

Freedom

7-2

19 (20)

El Cerrito

9-0

20 (NR)

Clayton Valley-Concord

8-1

Top 20 Facts-Figures-Fallout ■ DROPPED OUT: Monte Vista-Danville (6-3), Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (8-1) ■ BIGGEST MOVER: California-San Ramon jumped four spots to No. 13 and as its reward, they get to face No. 1 De La Salle-Concord.

■ TOP 20 MATCHUPS: There are no other direct Top 20 matchups besides the East Bay Athletic League matchup between No. 1 De La Salle and No. 13 California-San Ramon. However, No. 4 Folsom will face a formidable test in its season-finale against Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (6-3). No. 5 Serra-San Mateo also has a tough matchup against St. Ignatius-St. Francisco (6-2).

All three games are on Nov. 2.

■ TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 10 ■ KNOCKING AT THE DOOR: Granite Bay (6-3), Palo Alto (6-2), Sutter (9-0), Yuba CIty (8-1), Central CatholicModesto (7-2), Seaside (8-0), Monte Vista-Danville (6-3), Pittsburg (6-3)

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L

Build your way to being the best athlete you can be

ast week I discussed what plyometrics are ■ Week 5-8, low-to-medium intensity — and why the majority of high school athletes Goal: continue to teach landing while increase deare wasting their time if they jump right celerative forces by adding more gravity. Continue into a high intensity plyometric program. to condition muscles and tendons while increasing Now it doesn’t mean that the only thing a eccentric strength. In this phase we would have beginning athlete should do is strength train. It the athlete jump over a six-inch or smaller hurdle, should be a focus, but a well-rounded program which will add more gravity and decelerative incorporating some level of rate-of-force developforces to overcome, improving eccentric strength. ment work via plyometrics and other methods If the athlete cannot jump over the hurdle meeting will be superior to a program which only includes the same criteria as the previous phase, they will strength training. be regressed.

So in this issue I’ll give an example of how to ■ Week 9-12, medium intensity — Goal: Add Tim Rudd for IYCA progress an athlete from a jumping program to a an elastic component, teaching the athletes to store plyometric program. Keep in mind this is only an and release energy more efficiently. The beginning example and the assumption is this athlete has been of using the strength they have more quickly. In this phase we assessed and ready to participate in this program. Also keep in stay with the same hurdle and add a bounce in between. This mind that other qualities are focused on concurrently such as is still a low to medium level intensity movement, but now we mobility, flexibility, strength, speed, total body power, etc. are adding a bounce, which is a low level stretch shortening Let’s use jumps (2 Legs) as an example for a basketball response of the musculotendon complex. We are teaching the athlete: athlete to produce a low level of force very quickly which helps ■ Week 1-4, low intensity — Goal: teach landing concepts the athlete to improve coordination and condition the musfirst. Develop eccentric strength while conditioning muscle culotendon complex to stretch and shorten more efficiently, and tendons to store energy efficiently and safely. First we preparing the athlete for the next phase. assess the athlete’s vertical jump to pick the appropriate box ■ Weeks 13-16, medium-to-high intensity — Goal: height. If the athlete cannot land on the box quietly on the Enhance the ability to more rapidly express their current level of strength, develop reactive rebound type strength balls of their feet in the same position they jumped out of, and improve the capacity to use their tendons as movement then we would go with a shorter box. Once the athlete has generators. This is where we truly will enhance the efficiency shown consistent proficiency in this phase then we progress.

Training Time

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of the entire absorption, stabilization and release of force in a sport-specific manner. This can be considered a true plyometric activity. At this point the athlete has gained strength, movement proficiency, mobility and stability throughout the joints of the body and ample time to groove the patterns taught in the previous phases. The athlete has also developed an appropriate base of strength from the previous phases.

Staying with the same hurdle the athlete goes over the hurdles continuously without stopping. The athlete will jump over each hurdle with as little ground contact time as possible. This is where we are trying to develop that quick stretch shortening cycle of the musculotendon complex, which will improve how fast the athlete can produce force.

This is a 16 week progression, and just the beginning for a high school athlete, as the athlete gets stronger we continually progress to higher boxes and hurdles starting over with the same 16 week progression as long as the athlete continues to show proficiency. The fact is more advanced progressions require more strength from your athletes, and you simply can’t waste their time trying to improve the rate of something they don’t have. So knowing where your athletes are now is the key to getting them where they need to be. ✪ Tim Rudd is an International Youth Conditioning Association specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). For more information on anything you read in Training Time, email him at tim@ fit2thecore.com.

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Taking a closer look at elbow injures in young pitchers

W

ith the baseball postseason coming to end, it’s perhaps no better time to talk about elbow injuries in our young athletes who play baseball, particularly pitchers.

There has been increasing talk about elbow injuries, particularly after the Washington Nationals decided to shut down Stephen Strasburg for the season after he underwent successful ulnar collateral ligament surgery. The elbow is quite injuryprone as it experiences a tremendous amount of repetitive force during pitching. As a result, even the smallest biomechanical flaws performed repetitively can lead to significant elbow injury.

In patients under the age of 18, there are generally three types of serious elbow injuries seen; all of which find their roots in over-use and poor mechanics: 1) medial epicondyle apophysitis (a.k.a. Little League elbow), 2) capitellar osteochondral lesions (a.k.a. OCD’s), and 3) ulnar collateral ligament tears (a.k.a. Tommy John injury).

Medial epicondyle apophysitis is a condition in which inflammation develops on the inside of the elbow in the space between the apophysis (an outgrowth of bone where muscles attach) and the humerus (the long bone of the arm). When you near adulthood, this space closes and the apophysis “fuses” with the rest of the elbow.

Unfortunately, when you are young (particularly between 10-13 years of age), the muscles which are used in pitching pull on the apophysis and can cause micro-separation of this

bone from the rest of the humerus. This leads to pain, and in severe cases, complete fractures of the inside of the elbow.

As this injury is almost always due to poor pitching motion or throwing too many and/or the wrong kind of pitches (i.e. breaking balls) at a young age, this injury can be avoided. Treatment generally consists of six weeks of physical therapy with absolutely no throwing followed by six weeks of a graduated return to throw program.

The second injury commonly seen is a capitellar osteochondral (OCD) lesion. An osteochondral lesion is a when a piece of cartilage and underlying bone becomes weakened, and can even become detached. The capitellum is the outside part of the humerus bone. Patients generally present with pain over the outside of their elbow with throwing. Patients may also complain that they feel as if there elbow is locking or stuck.

This OCD injury generally occurs with repetitive compression of the outside of the elbow joint when the forearm moves away from the body with the elbow fixed. If left untreated, this can lead to the end of one’s throwing career and severe arthritis. If a patient is quite young with a tremendous amount of growth remaining (i.e. 8-10 years of age), these injuries can be at many times treated with rest, physical therapy, and cessation from throwing. If the disease has advanced significantly, surgical intervention may be necessary to fix the piece back to bone or utilize certain techniques to

Health Watch Nirav K. Pandya

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stimulate the piece to heal so it does not become detached.

The final injury involves tearing of the ulnar collateral ligament. This typically occurs in older patients at the end of their high school/early college careers (in addition to major league pitchers). As with capitellar OCD’s, it develops due to repeated valgus force on the elbow from poor mechanics as well as having thrown a high number of pitches without appropriate rest. A tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow can be career threatening for the pitcher as it acts as the primary stabilizer of the elbow (it prevents the bones in the elbow from moving beyond what they are intended to do).

The majority of injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament have to be repaired surgically. The ligament is reconstructed with a piece of tissue from another part of the body (i.e.

Tommy John surgery). The rehab can be a long and arduous process for a pitcher. Even though surgical techniques have improved, it can also represent a career threatening injury.

The key to preventing elbow injuries in our young athletes is to learn proper mechanics, take the appropriate rest, and remember that more pitches is definitely not always better. ✪ Dr. Nirav K. Pandya is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in pediatric sports injuries at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. He sees patients and operates in Oakland and our facility at Walnut Creek. If you have any questions or comments regarding the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine for Young Athletes staff at Health@SportsStars Online.com.

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BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

Blankenship Baseball We are a year-round competitive baseball program based in Danville. The Camp focuses on teamwork, hustle and sportsmanship. We also offer small group training as well as one-on-one training.

Info: lancerblankenship@sbcglobal.net or 925-7083173.

Cabernet Baseball Club The Livermore-based club hosts baseball and softball camps for players ages 8-14. Lil’ Baseball also offered for ages 3-7. 925-416-1600, http:// cabernet.thepitchingcenter.com.

EJ Sports EJ Sports provides individual, group, team, coaching and manager clinics in many levels of

baseball. Among the numerous different services offered, the Spring Clinic, Summer Clinic and the Fall League for children of Little League age has proven to be successful, instructional and most of all fun for the kids. Contact EJ Sports for a list of upcoming clinics, or contact your local little league to see if they participate in our coaches and managers training program. Info: 925-866-7199, www.ejsports.com.

The Pitching Center In an effort to develop baseball players to their full potential, The Pitching Center has become the Total Player Center (TPC), a full-service baseball/softball training academy. We provide comprehensive, fullyintegrated training programs that evolve based on the best research and information available in areas from health/safety, peak performance, education techniques and more. Age- and skill-specific programs available for students age 8-High School.

Info: 925-416-1600, www.thepitchingcenter.com.

CHEER

East Bay Sports Academy East Bay Sports Academy offers the best in gymnastics and cheerleading training. Our top of the line recreational and competitive programs earned us the exclusive “Best in the East Bay” award for Best Gymnastics Classes 2011. You can bring your team to be a part of the excitement, as our talented & motivated staff becomes your team’s best support system. All of our team camps are custom-built to complement your coaching needs and team goals.

Info: 925-680-9999, www.EastBaySportsAcademy. com.

FITNESS

Fit 2 The Core As a Youth Conditioning, Speed/Agility and Nutrition Specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association, Fit-2-The-Core Training

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Systems offers an innovative approach to getting your young athletes back on the field of play postrehabilitation (which gets your athletes to normal function), continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. For F2C’s Back to Sports programs we offer training weekdays, with 2 days/week or 3 days/week program options. Bottom line: Our program gets your athletes back on the field. Sign up today for your two-week free pass at www. fasteryoungathletes.com, or call 925-639-0907 for more information.

FOOTBALL

Football University From the creators of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl comes a one-of-a-kind football training experience exclusively for the nation’s most elite youth and high school players. Born out of the appreciation that the most successful and skilled football players have mastered great technique, and that for many younger players this level of coaching is simply not available, the Football University (FBU) experience focuses on intense position-specific technique training taught by our expert faculty of former and current NFL coaches. See our list of 2013 camps now www.footballuniversity.org.

NorCal Football Camps Space is available in all of this year’s camps & Flag Football leagues. Led by Ken Peralta, Norcal Football Camps are focused on serving youth ages 7-14. Norcal Flag Football Leagues serve kids entering grades 2-6. Info/registration: Ken, 650-2453608, norcalyouthfootballcamp@yahoo.com; www. norcalfootballcamps.com.

GOLF

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

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November 1, 2012

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learn about golf and the life skills and values inherent to the game. In addition to golf skills, rules and etiquette, participants are introduced to The First Tee Nine Core Values - honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. Fee assistance available. Info: Angela Paradise, 925686-6262, Ext. 0, angela@thefirstteecontracosta.org; www. thefirstteecontracosta.org. See you on The First Tee! The First Tee-Oakland The First Tee of Oakland participants receive a minimum of 12 hours of instruction over an eight-week period. Instruction is conducted at three City of Oakland affiliate golf courses. Each of the golf courses donates their range, golf course and classroom use. We introduce the game of golf in a way that allows participants to progress with the mechanics required, and that teaches the values of the game, celebrates the fitness aspect of playing, and is offered at little or no cost. Info: 510352-2002, info@thefirstteeoakland.org; www.thefirstteeoakland.org.

The First Tee-Silicon Valley The First Tee of Silicon Valley develops youth through the game of golf throughout Silicon Valley. We impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill lifeenhancing values and promote healthy choices though the game of golf. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals for their future. Seasonal classes are offered at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course (San Jose) and Palo Alto Golf Course. We welcome participants ranging from second to twelfth grade. Scholarships are available upon request. www. thefirstteesanjose.org.

The First Tee-Tri-Valley We’re a youth development organization using golf and its etiquette to teach important life skills and core values. We offer seasonal The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes and Summer Camps for youth ages 7-17, held at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Info: Call our office, 925-462-7201; www.

TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.

Atherton Lacrosse T-shirt. Every camper needs a lacrosse stick - we have partnered with Sling It! Lacrosse to bring the best value possible.

Go to www.athertonlacrosse.com for more info. We serve the entire Bay Area! Go to www.vitalitylacrosse.com for more info.

Atherton/Vitality Lacrosse Join Atherton Lacrosse and learn the basics of the game in their fall camps. Every camper receives access to the best high school, college and professional lacrosse coaches in the Bay Area in a setting with an extremely low coach to camper ratio. Every camper receives a free

Sherman Swim School Our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Lessons are usually offered in sessions of 3-4 weeks. (During the slower months of Fall, Winter and Spring, schedules can be more flexible, such as M-W, W-F, or only one day/week.) We teach from age 9-months to adults, from non-swimmers to competitive levels. Since our lessons are private, they are tailored to each student’s age, ability and readiness.

We also offer beginning and competitive diving classes. Beginning sessions typically have three students and are 30 minutes long.

Classes are taught in three-week sessions. Info: 925-283-2100, www.

ShermanSwim.com.

LACROSSE

MARTIAL ARTS

USKS Adult and children’s programs, kick box fitness, mixed martial arts.

Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family. 925-682-9517; www.usksmartialarts.com.

SOCCER

Diablo FC With a history that goes back two decades, the Diablo Futbol Club has proved to be the premier training ground for youth soccer players in the area. Headquartered in Concord, Diablo FC offers training to boys and girls from levels U6 to U23, and has premier, gold, silver and bronze level teams with players from throughout Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda counties. For complete info, call (925) 798-GOAL or visit www.diablofc.org.

Walnut Creek Soccer Club The Walnut Creek Soccer Club uses all the resources available to provide the proper coaching and playing environment for all members.

Our goal is for every member of our club to learn and grow as a soccer player and person. We will promote a positive learning environment for our players and families as we work to provide the highest level of coaching and coach’s education. Info: wcsc_info@wcsc.org; www. wcsc.org.

West Contra Costa Youth Soccer League Our program caters to competitive youth players ages 8-9 regardless of race, creed, gender or religion. The main focus of our program is not on winning, but on the development of the total soccer player within the framework of a team. We also offer specialized training for strikers and goalkeepers. We desire to promote personal responsibility, fitness, sportsmanship and teamwork. 510-758-5288, http://wccysl.com.

SWIMMING-DIVING

TENNIS

ClubSport Valley Vista ClubSport Valley Vista has successfully teaching tennis in the Walnut Creek area for 33 years, with expert instruction. Tennis pro Dale Miller and his team of seasoned professionals will teach your children the fundamentals of tennis or help them improve their skills for recreation or competition. Programs are available for young players of all ages and varying skill levels. ClubSport Valley Vista members receive discounted rates. Info: 925-934-4050.

VOLLEYBALL

Pacific Rim Volleyball Through private lessons, and the opportunity for year-round skills classes, athletes of any age or level can learn and improve the skills needed to gain a competitive edge. Our advanced training, for junior levels (12th grade & below), will provide athletes the opportunity to excel at becoming elite players in preparation for high school and/or collegiate volleyball. Info: www.pacificrimvolleyball.com.

U.S. Youth Volleyball League The USYVL is the leader in developing and maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. Info: 888-988-7985, www.USYVL.org.

WRESTLING

Community Youth Center The CYC wrestling program offers young athletes the opportunity to participate and excel in one of the world’s oldest sports. The program trains and challenges wrestlers at all age groups from kindergarten through high school, and all experience levels from beginner to champion. The program is nationally recognized under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Halvorson. Info: 925-671-7070, Ext. 229, www. communityyouthcenter.com.

MULTI-SPORT

Velocity Sports Velocty Sports Performance in Dublin offers a variety of fall programs to check out. For info: 925-833-0100, velocitydublin.com. ✪

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❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒

A A A No. California, Nevada & Utah......... 12 Army National Guard Recruiter................... 5 Back Forty B B Q....................................... 19 Bay Area Golf Show.................................. 48 Big O Tires.................................................. 2 Blaze Volleyball........................................ 42 Butler Golf / Miura Golf U S A................... 25 Butler Golf / Swing Tip............................. 24 Cal Bears.................................................. 37 Championship Athletic Fundraising......... 38 Cheergyms.Com......................................... 8 Children’s Hospital And Research Center... 15 Club Sport................................................ 14 Community Youth Center......................... 43 Core Volleyball Club.................................. 41 Crowne Plaza........................................... 43 Diablo Car Wash & Detail Center............... 43 Diablo Rock Gym...................................... 45 Diablo Trophies & Awards......................... 42 E J Sports Elite Baseball Services.............. 41 E Teamsponsor......................................... 40 East Bay Sports Academy................... 18, 41 Epic Indoor Skatepark.............................. 43 Excellence In Sport Performance.............. 43 Fit 2 The Core............................................ 19 Golf Gear U S A......................................... 32 golfSark.Com........................................... 22 Greenhorn Creek Golf Club....................... 29 Halo Headband........................................ 43 Heavenly Greens...................................... 35 Hiddenbrooke Golf Club........................... 32 Home Team Sports Photography.............. 37

❒❒ Image Imprint.......................................... 44 ❒❒ Kaanapali Golf Resort / Tee It Up Hawaii.. 23 ❒❒ Kinders B B Q.............................................. 4 ❒❒ Metropolitan Golf Links............................ 34 ❒❒ Midway Paintball Park............................. 40 ❒❒ Mountain Mike’s Pizza................................ 9 ❒❒ Paradise Valley Golf Course....................... 34 ❒❒ Passthaball............................................... 43 ❒❒ Rocco’s Pizza............................................. 42 ❒❒ Rockin Jump....................................... 42, 47 ❒❒ Roddy Ranch............................................ 28 ❒❒ San Ramon Slammers Baseball................ 40 ❒❒ Sheldon Jr. Huskies Youth FB & Cheer....... 41 ❒❒ Sky High Sports........................................ 42 ❒❒ Sports Stars Magazine.............................. 44 ❒❒ State Farm Andrew Amstrup Agent.......... 33 ❒❒ State Farm Jimmy Harrington Agent........ 17 ❒❒ Stevens Creek Toyota................................ 21 ❒❒ Sutter Delta................................................ 3 ❒❒ The Bridges Golf Club............................... 28 ❒❒ The Ecco Store............................................ 7 ❒❒ The First Tee Of Contra Costa..................... 33 ❒❒ The Golf Club At Roddy Ranch.................. 28 ❒❒ Trucks Training......................................... 45 ❒❒ U S K S Martial Arts.................................. 43 ❒❒ Velocity Sports Performance.............. 42, 45 ❒❒ Wingstop Restaurants.............................. 27

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Prizes subject to change. Entries must be received by the 25th.

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November 1, 2012

SportStars™

45

Hannah Gregg of Placer-Auburn fires a shot out of a green side bunker during the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton on Oct. 29.

Photo by Butch Noble

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SportStars™

November 1, 2012

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