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18 they got it all: Capital Christian girls volleyball has it all — youth & experience. All that’s missing is a championship. But it’s close. of the best collections of 14 One quarterback talent you’ll find resides along the Highway 50 corridor. Bombs away, y’all. 4

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pain ain’t just for your 27 Hip grandparents, kiddos. But unlike them, you can overcome it easier. In your face, old people.

STATE BREAKDOWN: The 10 Central Section may lead to

pitch: November, it must 6 First be said, is one of the 12 best months of the year. And this one could be a doozy. If you’re a sports fan (and if you’re not, thanks for reading anyway), get ready for a fun month. We’re back for a 12 Clipboard: second installment on coaches

of the week: 7 Sportstar Dylan Kainrath Del Oro football room: It’s our 75th issue! 8 locker I know, we’re awesome. Thanks. Check out how the world has changed, and check out a few of our favorite moments.

and their, uhhhh, volume.

redefining what NorCal really is. Get Digital extras: Use layar & scan pages 1, 16, 19, 22, 34, 35

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on the cover: L to R: Ian Book (Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills), Jake Browning (Folsom) and Matt Jimison (Vista del Lago-Folsom). Photo by James K. Leash

Fence: Tryouts, sign-ups, 34 The fund-raisers and more!

38 Advertiser’s index

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Time to Feast W e here at SportStars are big fans of Halloween. For evidence, check out my sweet Jim Harbaugh look to the right. (Special thanks to Freedom High football coach Kevin Hartwig for use of the headset.) I didn’t have to throw my red challenge flag once during the party I attended, either. Though the spinach and artichoke dip could’ve used a review. But beyond the parties, costumes and candy, we’re mostly fans of Halloween because it’s the last day before November. And, as all high school sports junkies know, November is one of the best months of the year. This November is looking like it might be one for the ages. And it gets going as early as Nov. 1 when Pirates Stadium in Pittsburg will be rocking for a Bay Valley Athletic League first-place showdown against visiting Deer Valley-Antioch (which comes into the game a perfect 8-0, by the way). And here’s a fun fact: If the Wolverines win and then defeat Heritage-Brentwood on Nov. 8, it would be the program’s third 10-0 regular season since 2006. Each of the first two years Deer Valley accomplished the feat (200 6 and 2009), its season ended in a loss to Pittsburg. We will say, regardless of how the game on Nov. 1 goes, we believe this Deer Valley team might be better than either of its unbeaten predecessors. And now we’ve fallen off track. November! Stay with us here. The first CIF regional event happens on Nov. 4 with the NorCal Girls Golf Championships in Ripon. That’s followed by two more big football games — a Delta River League showdown between Folsom and Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove on Nov. 8, and a much-anticipated West Catholic Athletic League tilt between Archbiship Mitty-San Jose and Serra-San Mateo on Nov. 16. And then it’s playoffs galore. Volleyball, water polo, tennis and cross country will all play out their section and NorCal postseasons during the month, culminating with the first state championship of the 2013-14 school year when the state’s cross country stars lace their running shoes up on Nov. 30. In each of our issues this week, we took the approach of getting our readers primed for this glorious month. Our Bay Area edition features a look at one the more cursed boys water polo teams in the East Bay and if this is the year it can break through. The Sac-Joaquin edition comes with an advance look at how the SJS volleyball playoffs might play out. There’s also some golf coverage and football. Always football. We invite you to dig in. Oh, did we mention basketball will begin competition over the last week of November, too? And somewhere in the middle we all need to make time for a feast. Being a high school sports fan in November can be hard work. ✪

join our team PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writers Jim McCue Contributors Bill Kolb, Mitch Stephens, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Ivans, III Marketing/Events Intern Ryan Arter Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@ SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Leslie Ellis • Leslie@SportStarsOnline.com Camps & Clinics: Ryan ArterCamps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Bobby Pope • BobbyTPope@yahoo.com Reader Resources/Administration Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution/Delivery Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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your ticket to california sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #4, November 2013 Whole No. 75 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). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 to cover postage. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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dylan

kainrath Del Oro-Loomis - Senior - Football The running back has taken over the rushing load after TeVon Rhyne went down with a seasonending knee injury in the team’s second game. Kainrath’s latest effort saw him carry the ball 50 times for 226 yards and score three TDs in the Golden Eagles’ win over Sierra Foothill League rival Granite Bay. He has been dominant in his last four games, rushing for 671 yards and 13 TD while eclipsing the century mark in each game. For the season, Kainrath surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in the Granite Bay game and has rushed for 1032 yards on 196 carries (5.26 yard per carry) and scored 16 TDs. IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I realized that I would have to take most of the running workload on,” Kainrath said of assuming the primary RB duties. “I knew that I would have to pick it up both on and off the field, and do the best that I could.” WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW: The hard-charging runner spends plenty of time in the training room, where he was given the nickname “Princess” by one of the team’s trainers. “Whenever I was in there, I would complain about how delicate I am, and the trainer started calling me ‘princess.’ I kind of liked it at first and thought it was kind of funny, but it has stuck and it’s not just the trainers that call me ‘princess.’”

honorable mention Alex Holt: Monterey Trail volleyball’s senior hitter helped the Mustangs win the Silver Division title of the Stockton Classic, and played a key role in the team’s 6-1 league start.

Paul Herscowitz: The Capital Christian junior has been an offensive force for the Cougars soccer team. He scored a pair of goals in recent GEL wins over Marysville and Lindhurst.

Virgie Velazquez: The Roseville senior shot a 2-under-par 70 at Sunset Whitney Golf Club in Rocklin to win the SJS Div. I North individual title, and a 2-over 74 at the SJS Masters to qualify for NorCals.

James K. Leash/photo

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Top 5 sports related costumes to avoid Happy Halloween, boys and ghouls! Odds are you’ve already planned your costume, but in case you were feeling apprehensive about making a grievous fashion faux pas as you embark on an evening of door-to-door begging for candy — er — trick-or-treating? We’re here to help. Here are the top five costumes for any self-respecting sports fan to avoid this year. 1. Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks. You trippin’, man. 2. The Dallas Cowboys defensive backfield. All of it. You let Megatron run wild for 329 receiving yards? One of the safeties should have dressed up as Optimus Prime. 3. A giant-headed anything. The Washington Nationals have the presidents. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the pierogies. The Oakland A’s (sigh) have Rickey, Catfish and Eck. But let’s leave it to the professionals, shall we? Nobody can top Milwaukee’s Brat, Kielbasa, Frankfurter, and Italian. 4. A cheerleader. C’mon, guys. No matter how good your legs are, you just can’t do the look justice. Plus. What? You’re gonna shave em? Ow. 5. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. What? You didn’t understand what we were saying about the giant-headedness or the cheerleaderness? How about just don’t dress up like a jerk? — Bill Kolb, Survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse John Fisher/Cal Sport Media/ZumaPress GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Volleyball Championships, Nov. 21, UC Davis — Few things provide more edge-of-year-seat enjoyment than championship volleyball, and kudos to the SJS for putting all of its title games on a single day under one roof.

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FOOTBALL: Deer Valley at Pittsburg, 7 p.m., Nov. 1 — BVAL championship will be on the line, as will Deer Valley’s perfect record. GIRLS GOLF: CIF NorCal Championships, 8 a.m., Nov. 4, Spring Creek GC, Ripon — It’s worth the small road trip to see some of the best swings in the state.

FOOTBALL: Pleasant Grove vs. Folsom, 7:15 p.m., Nov. 8, Sheldon HS — Good chance both teams are undefeated for end-of-season showdown. BOYS SOCCER: Sac-Joaquin Section Championships, Nov. 16 — Consumnes Oaks-Elk Grove and Stagg-Stockton will serve as host sites.

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seventy-five issues of

Sportstars-y goodness

In our over three years of bringing the best in high school sports right to your noggin’, the world has changed. We like to think it was because of us. But we can admit other people have had an impact during this last few years. Man, can you even remember what the world was like before SportStars? Neither can we. Grab our hand and let’s take a walk down memory lane.

Our favorite Photo

The 15 most profound ways the world has changed since SportStars made its grand enterance 1. Google+ didn’t even exist. Now, can you imagine a day going by without using Google+?? 2. Prince William got engaged to Kate Middleton, creating a media sensation and fully justifying 1776.

3. Tim Tebow was still considered a viable option. 4. Obama was still a Kenyan citizen. 5. Wikileaks leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents, thus giving the world its first hint that SportStars Magazine was coming. Oh, Julian Assange. You devil, you.

6. The H1N1 flu epidemic ended. So that was a thing.

7. Lady Gaga wore a dress made of meat, but who didn’t back then?

8. The Affordable Care Act passed

Congress and was signed into law.

Whatever happened to that anyway? 9. Apple released the iPhone 4, immediately make your phone stupid.

10. Justin Beiber rises to international fame.

This is why we’ll never forgive you, 2010.

11. The Warriors drafted a hot young player (Steph Curry … maybe you’ve heard of him) and have so far managed not to screw it up. True story.

12. The NFL still allowed tackling 13. Miley Cyrus hadn’t gone the full Lohan yet. You never go full Lohan.

14. #Winning. Thanks, Charlie Sheen! 15. Nobody knew what the fox said and that’s how we liked it.

WATER POLO: North Coast Section Div. I and II Championships, Nov. 16 — Boys and girls titles will be decided at both Acalanes and Campolindo HS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: NCS Championships, Nov. 23 — EBAL rivals San Ramon Valley and Monte Vista could be headed for a Div. I title clash.

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Clockwise from bottom left: St. Francis-Sacramento volleyball’s Gabrielle Palmeri, Hannah Liserra, Allie Wegener & Loni Kreun from Issue 52. Photo by James K. Leash.

A personal fave of our design director, Mike DeCicco. When we talked about doing this, we believe the exact words of our editor, Chace Bryson, were ‘Yes, Mike. We can run the Zen girls again.’

OUR FAVORITE COVER

Our editor’s choice for favorite cover was the Issue #71 Sac-Joaquin Edition featuring Consumnes Oaks-Elk Grove wide receiver Alex Van Dyke making a diving grab over the Tower Bridge in Old Sacramento. Here are some of the recollections of photographer James K. Leash, who went above and beyond to help us deliver the goods. FRee “The SportStars editor and art director came up with the concept, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have Van Dyke look like he’s diving over the Tower Bridge in Sacramento?’ (I would) need to get fresh photos of the bridge, but let’s not make it look too big. That’s right, let’s make Van Dyke bigger than life. Click… click from this angle and a little over there. Click…click…click and we should be good. ... With Alex, we dragged a high jump pit over for him to have something soft to land while we got him diving with the ball, again and again and again. Then SportStars’ art director sends an email…I did what? “You shot Alex diving from the wrong direction,” he tells me. I now need to re-shoot the bridge from the other side. SO, back at the bridge and I can’t seem to get the same angle from the opposite side. So I wonder, ‘Hmm, how deep is the river here next to the bank, and how fast is the water moving?’ Shoes off, socks off and shorts rolled up, I first waded in without the camera. Everything seemed OK. So I waded out, click…click…click. Out a little further, watch out for the wake from that boat. Click…click and done. Now pray like crazy!” August 22, 2013

vol. 4. issue 71 sAc-joAquin

FOOTBALL: Archbishop MittySan Jose at Serra-San Mateo, 1 p.m., Nov. 16 — This game will have all sort of implications attached to it, most likely the West Catholic Athletic League championship, the No. 1 seed to the CCS Open Div. Playoffs and the driver’s seat to a CIF Northern Regional bowl game.

BOYS/GIRLS HOOPS: NCS Foundation Games, Nov. 26 — First big matchups of the early season includes Bishop O’Dowd at De La Salle. CROSS COUNTRY: CIF State Championships, Nov. 30, Woodward Park, Fresno — Road trip alert! If the weather is nice, these state championships are underrated.

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st. francis & the fall classic

Defining NorCal

Central Section may soon be part

Since the introduction of regional playoffs in California Interscholastic Federation state sports in the 1980s, it’s been clear that Northern California consists of schools from the Central Coast, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, Northern, Oakland and San Francisco sections. Looking at a map of the state, however, would put schools in Fresno and throughout most of the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California rather than in Southern California. This geographical breakdown may soon be the same for the CIF as well. There is growing support within Southern California for a proposal circulating among those on the CIF Federated Council to put the Central Section in the north instead of the south. It makes the most sense for this to happen in the football bowl games. If one just prints out the current list of CIF State Football Divisions and which section champions are going to be in which divisions, it’s fairly obvious how moving the Central from one side (South) over to the other (North) is going to even out the list and make it much more equitable to all teams from the South and not just those from the Central Section. In Division I, for example, there are currently only four teams in the north with six in the south. In Division II, there are six in the north and 11 in the south. If the Central Section were switched over, it would be five in the north and five in the south for Division I and then eight in the north and nine in the south for D2. If the Central Section had been in the north all these years, De La Salle would not have made the CIF bowl games every year, either. Clovis West would have gotten the nod for 2004 due to posting a win over the Spartans. This doesn’t work as easily for the small schools, especially because in the Southern Section it’s always a crap shoot that any teams with an enrollment of under 500 will even win one section title. That’s not a knock against those schools, but it’s just that the Southern Section playoff divisions are not based on enrollments. The best solution for this question in football might be to move the Central Section’s Division I, Division II and Division III champions to the north but leave its Division IV, Division V and Division VI champions in the south. That keeps the current breakdown in Division III of 12 in the north and 11 in the south. The proposal under consideration would be for all sports in which regional competition is held. There doesn’t seem to be any support for it among the sections in the north, but keep in mind that if the Central Section can get the Southern, L.A. City and San Diego sections to go for it and it becomes a NorCal vs. SoCal theme, then it has much better odds of getting through. The Southern Section and its more than 600 schools comprise a lot of votes on the CIF Federated Council. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Cal-Hi Sports is the authority in state rankings for football, basketball, baseball and softball, as well as the recognized state record keeper for all high school sports. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

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For only the second time since World Series alumni lists began being compiled in 1990, a California high school can claim it has two former players in the same World Series. The school we’re talking about is St. FrancisMountain View. Former Lancer Daniel Descalso played in the 2013 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Former Lancer Daniel Nava, meanwhile, played for the Boston Red Sox. St. Francis was the only high school in the U.S. with two players in this year’s World Series — the first time that’s happened since 2002. In that World Series, Robb Nen and J.T. Snow of the Giants both hailed from Los Alamitos in Southern California. As the recent MLB playoffs were unfolding, it was not lost on the current cast of players at St. Francis that Descalso and Nava could both be playing on baseball’s biggest stage. “It’s a huge deal around here,” said St. Francis head coach Mike Oakland. “Everyone keyed on it and we’re all really excited about it.” Two other Northern California alums were in this year’s World Series – Jonny Gomes (Casa Grande-Petaluma) and Dustin Pedroia (Woodland) – and both played for the Red Sox. As a state, California was tied with Texas this year with eight players each.

Jacob Daniel of Clovis North-Fresno, which lost to Long Beach Poly in the Socal Div. I Bowl last season. Juan Lainez/ Cal Sport Media/ Zuma Press

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volleyball Rankings (After games of Monday, Oct. 28; previous rank in parentheses) 1. (1) — Torrey Pines-San Diego 24-1 2. (3) ▲ Granite Bay 29-0 3. (4) ▲ Francis Parker-San Diego 20-3 4. (5) ▲ Dana Hills-Dana Point 20-4 5. (6) ▲ Los Alamitos 24-5 6. (9) ▲ Valley Christian-San Jose 24-5 7. (11) ▲ Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 27-4 8. (7) ▼ Redondo-Redondo Beach 17-5 9. (8) ▼ Lakewood 22-5 10. (2 ▼ Mater Dei-Santa Ana 27-5 11. (10) ▼ Corona del Mar-Nwprt Bch 17-4 12. (12) — Santiago-Corona 31-0 13. (13) — La Salle-Pasadena 21-4 14. (14) — Mira Costa-Mnhttn Beach 16-6 15. (15) — Redwood-Larkspur 36-3 16. (16) — La Costa Canyon-Carlsbad 19-5 17. (17) — Gregori-Modesto 35-4 18. (18) — Menlo School-Atherton 23-5 19. (NR) ▲ Lutheran-Orange 16-6 20. (19) ▼ Oaks Christian-Wstlke Vill. 21-3 Dropped Out: Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. Comments: Granite Bay stamped itself as a State Team of the Year contender by defeating Archbishop Mitty (last year’s No. 1 team in the state) in the finals of the Stockton Classic on Oct. 19. Seniors Nicolette Pinkney and Taylor Nelson were among the standouts ... Valley Christian & Mitty were scheduled to play in a loaded field on Nov. 1-2 at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions. State No. 1 Torrey Pines and No. 4 Dana Hills also are in the field ... No. 17 Gregori gave Granite Bay all it could handle in the Stockton Classic semis and forced No. 15 Redwood to a third game in the third-place match.

Football Rankings (Previous ranking in parentheses; through games of Saturday, Oct. 26) 1. (1)

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De La Salle-Concord 8-0

2. (2)

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St. John Bosco-Bellflower 8-0

3. (3)

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Folsom 8-0

4. (4)

—

Serra-Gardena 8-0

5. (6)

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Mission Viejo 8-0

6. (7)

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7. (10)

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8. (5)

▼

9. (8)

▼

10. (9)

▼

11. (12)

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12. (14)

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13. (13)

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Rancho Cucamonga 8-0

14. (15)

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Oaks Christian-Westlake Village

15. (20)

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Latest win streak pushed to 34 after easy victory over Amador Valley. The Braves are ranked higher than DLS in some national polls.

Looks like 80-point output vs. Sheldon-Sacramento is a school record.

Just like DLS-Folsom is big two in North, same for Bosco-Serra in South. Diablos looking like No. 2 seed for CIFSS Pac-5 Division. Serra-San Mateo

6-1Padres moving up in state and also now in FAB 50 national rankings. Hart-Newhall 8-0

With Serra looking like an Open Div. team, Indians solid for D2 South. Mater Dei-Santa Ana

Upset loss to Santa Margarita struck Monarchs prior to game vs. Bosco.

7-1

Servite-Anaheim 5-3

Friars still have to play St. John Bosco before end of regular season. Long Beach Poly

}Coach Raul Lara’s team may not allow a point in league play this season.

7-1

Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove 8-0

Eagles still have Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills and Folsom to deal with.

Chaminade-West Hills 6-2

Losses are to Serra-Gardena and Hart.

No. 1 team from So. Section Inland Division survived upset bid from Los Osos. QB Brandon Dawkins continues to put up huge numbers.

7-1

Edison-Frenso 8-0

socal team to watch

Tigers looking to go unbeaten through Central Section playoffs. 16. (21)

▲

Corona del Mar-Newport Beach This is a school known to many throughout the state for its success in sports such as girls volleyball, boys volleyball, tennis, swimming and water polo. The Sea Kings are now shining in football. This year’s team moved to No. 1 in the D3 South bowl game rankings in early October when previous No. 1 Monrovia lost. The win that helped Corona del Mar move came two weeks earlier over arch-rival Newport Harbor, which plays in the bigger Sunset League and had not lost to the Sea Kings since 2006. It’s likely coach Scott Meyer’s team will be 10-0 heading into the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs. As defending champion, winning another section title and getting CIF bowl eligible also would seem probable. Last year’s CIF Division III bowl featured Marin Catholic-Kentfield and in 2011 it was Campolindo-Moraga. If either the Wildcats, Cougars or another team from the North Coast Section in Division III gets that far this year, Corona del Mar could be the opponent.

17. (19)

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18. (22)

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19. (24)

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20. (25)

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21. (NR)

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22. (NR)

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23. (16)

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24. (NR)

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25. (NR)

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Eastlake-Chula Vista

Only loss to AZ power Hamilton and has some quality wins, too.

7-1

Centennial-Corona 5-2

The Huskies are starting to get into rhythm for the postseason.

Bakersfield 6-2

QB Asuani Rufus leading very effective running game.

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 7-0

The Monarchs are tied with Serra-San Mateo for WCAL lead. Crenshaw-Los Angeles

4-4

Losses to St. John Bosco, Oaks Christian, Edison-Fresno, Long Beach Poly.

Alemany-Mission Hills 7-2

Up-and-down season might be heading back up.

Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks 5-3

Losses to Chaminade, Alemany, Serra-Gardena with win over Del Oro-Loomis. Mission Hills-San Marcos

Team beat Oceanside 30-6 but has OT loss to San Pasqual.

7-1

Del Oro-Loomis 6-2

Wins over James Logan-Union City, St. Mary’s-Stockton, Grant-Sac., Granite Bay. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

Forget lopsided Folsom loss. Wins over Grant, Rocklin, Vacaville.

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Screaming Shame Pt. 2 Editor’s Note: This column is the continuation of a two-part look at particular coaching styles. Coach Kallam will return to the Q/A format in our next issue.

In the book “There’s Only One Way to Win,” Dick DeVenzio — who wrote a lot about leadership and champions before his premature death in 2001— wrote about his father, Chuck DeVenzio, who coached for 40 years in Pennsylvania, and never had a losing season. Chuck DeVenzio was hardly the only old-time coach who acted this way, and in fact it wasn’t that long ago that they were everywhere, but the book (written in 1993) glorifies this style: “Like a Marine Corps drill sergeant, he screams incessantly at his players … When they mess up on the court, he calls them names – not always nice names. And during timeouts, good luck if you’re the kid who just missed a slam dunk. But DeVenzio wins …” The justification is winning — and in fact, throughout the book, Dick DeVenzio comes back to the 40 years without a losing record over and over again. But then, consider this quote … “I played on two of Coach DeVenzio’s most successful teams,” writes a former player, “and I was still never good enough to play intramurals in college. That’s because I was never allowed to do anything in high school. I’m 37 years

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Winning should never be sole justification for any coaching style, or the lone measure of coaching success

old, I can’t dribble; thirty-seven, I can’t shoot. I was supposed to give it to someone else, stay out of the way.” Of course, by “most successful,” the player meant “winning.” I’ve coached for a long time, and I’ve been an assistant and a head coach. I’ve coached teams that by all accounts were successful because they won a lot of games. I’ve coached teams that weren’t nearly as successful by that measure, but I can tell you this: I’ve been around teams that won 20-plus games, and the girls finished the season unhappy and frustrated because it just wasn’t that rewarding. And I’ve coached teams that didn’t reach .500 that the players looked back on as something they’d like to do again. I’ve coached with and against old-school types like Chuck DeVenzio, and seen a lot of coaches who think that Bobby Knight style of embarrassing players into succeeding, and limiting their participation so that the stars can shine, is how it should be in high school as well. After all, DeVenzio won for 40 straight years, and Knight is a Hall of Fame coach. But you know, “There’s Only Way to Win” was written 20 years ago, and Knight’s career ended in mediocrity. And though you can always find players who look back and think positively about their experiences with such coaches, you can find many more who were unhappy during the process, and wish their brief shot at organized athletics had been

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rewarded with more than some wins in some record book somewhere. Or, to put it another way, ask a former high school athlete, 20 years down the road, what the won-lost record was in his or her junior year. I would be surprised if they know those numbers, and in fact I would be surprised if they could say precisely how far they advanced in postseason, if they got there. Yes, winning is important, but it’s far from the only reason to get involved in high school sports, and it’s the least of the lessons learned. Winning, after all, is dependent on so many things outside the control of the players or the coach — such things as available talent, the quality of competition, injuries and just plain luck have a huge impact on a won-loss record. But how to treat others, how to work with others, how to lead, these are lessons that transcend winning or losing, and are unaffected by outside forces. That, to me, is what coaching is about, and though winning is certainly better than losing, it’s not worth treating human beings like chess pieces in order to put a banner up in a gym. And if you agree that abusive coaching has no place in our society, then don’t fall for the line that winning is the only thing, and that the end justifies the means. Especially in high school and youth sports, winning is highly overrated, and never should be the sole measure of coaching success. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt.com

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The top young arms of the Hwy 50 corridor: (L to R) Ian Book, Jake Browning and Matt Jimison. Photos by James K. Leash 14

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The area around the Highway 50 corridor used to be a gateway to the motherlode. It still is.

By jim mccue | Senior Contributor

ack in the Gold Rush days, people came to Sierra foothill towns in search of gold to make their fortune. Now, people come to towns such as Folsom and El Dorado Hills seeking its latest commodity — premier high school quarterbacks. While there may no longer be much gold left in them thar hills, there is a trio of young quarterbacks that have become the gold standard for signal-callers. They all have impressive statistics and a penchant for winning. Juniors Jake Browning of Folsom and Matt Jimison of Vista del Lago-Folsom, and sophomore Ian Book of Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills have made the Highway 50 corridor a gold mine for college recruiters seeking the next big thing for their high-powered offenses. “Around here, football is a big deal,” Browning said. “The area is set up where you can get better with the resources available. There are plenty of outlets to get better like passing academies, and the coaches are great.” All three were connected before they earned their spots on varsity, and were familiar with each other’s backgrounds. Browning was in the Junior Trojans program (Oak Ridge’s feeder program), making him known by the Book family having played against Ian’s older brother, Nolan, who is also a junior. Browning and Jimison played together on Folsom’s freshman football team before Jimison moved to Vista del Lago. They built relationships and became familiar with each other’s accomplishments. “I think that there is a lot of mutual respect between the three of us,” Jimison said. “Jake and I talk a bit and I am just getting to know Ian more, and he seems like a good guy.”

The Headliner Browning has received the most attention from outside of the community due to his record-breaking sophomore season. He burst onto the scene with a 689-yard, 10-TD debut to earn regular mention throughout the state and the nation via outlets such as Cal-Hi Sports and MaxPreps. While the monster season opener put Browning on the radar, it was his steady performance week in and week out that kept him in the spotlight, and placed him on every college recruiter’s schedule for the 2013 season. Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

“Jake has a consistency that you don’t see in a lot of guys,” Folsom co-head coach and quarterback guru Troy Taylor said. “It reminds me of the consistency and demeanor of guys like Tom Brady.” “When he opened up his first game as a sophomore with 10 touchdowns, you never would have known during or after the game if he had thrown 10 touchdowns or 10 interceptions.” Browning finished his sophomore campaign with 5,268 yards passing, shattering the state record set the previous season by Tanner Trosin, his predecessor at Folsom.

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If he maintains his current pace for passing yardage and touchdown passes, he will shatter his own record and set a new scoring mark for California as the Bulldogs are expected to advance deep in the Sac Joaquin Section playoffs. The potential for career records in the state and nation are certainly within range. But the junior insists that numbers and records don’t motivate him. Wins do. “Right now, all I am thinking about is how we can beat Sheldon,” Browning said in the week before the Bulldogs routed the Huskies 80-27. He threw for 330 yards and 5 TDs before Folsom went to a run-only offense. “I just focus on staying within the offense every game and sticking with what has been successful for the team.” Browning has been blessed with very good pass protection, and will never be confused for past Folsom quarterbacks such as Dano Graves and Trosin, who were as dangerous with their legs as they were with their arms. But, opponents have found out that Browning’s skill-set goes beyond being a simple pocket passer. “What impresses me about Jake is his ability to extend plays,” Oak Ridge head coach Eric Cavaliere said. “He gets good protection normally, but if it breaks down, he can get 16

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away and buy some time to find the open receiver.” Browning did just that on a couple of occasions against Oak Ridge, including a huge touchdown pass after a Fran Tarkenton-like scramble on a fourth-down play during the Bulldogs’ 35-0 win. “Experience has been the most valuable entity for Jake,” Taylor added. “Once he got out there and saw what the defenses looked like on the field in game situations, and what he needed to do to make his throws, he just got better.” “He does it all. He is very accurate, a great decision-maker, and is extremely committed. I think that he is the best quarterback in the country.”

Seeking a Share of the Spotlight Jimison did not start until Week 3 in 2012, but still finished his sophomore season with 2,592 yards and 37 TDs. Impressive numbers for any quarterback over an entire season, but the Vista del Lago signal caller had a hard time getting attention for his big numbers in his own town. Sharing a home field with Folsom, the Eagles can easily get frustrated by being regarded as second best. But Jimison is building a resume that is getting him noticed by top-tier college programs already.

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Jimison’s prototypical frame, strong arm, game smarts and pocket mobility are opening eyes and building a successful program up the hill from Folsom High School. Despite the success, he is focused on improving on a solid start to his high school career. “I really want to get better every day,” Jimison said. “I worked hard to put on weight, get quicker with my blitz reads, knowing the offense inside and out, and being a leader.” Jimison is certainly a leader for the Eagles, and became an even larger focal point of the team’s high-powered offense when senior running back Josh Pfeffer tore his ACL and meniscus in the team’s second game this season. The quarterback is typically alone in the backfield as the sole outlet for Vista del Lago’s offensive output. In the Eagles’ most recent game, a 40-21 loss to Cosumnes Oaks, Jimison attempted 71 passes while throwing for a career-high 436 yards and three touchdowns. He recorded the team’s only three rushing attempts. He has already surpassed his 2012 yardage total and is near certain to eclipse the 37 TDs he threw as a sophomore. With an empty backfield creating an even bigger target on his back, Jimison understands that his scrambling ability will determine the offense’s success and his health. Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

“I am always working to get better at extending the play,” Jimison said. “If you can move the pocket and escape, then you can open up the field a lot more to make plays.”

New Kid on the Block Book has found himself in a similar position to that encountered by Browning and Jimison a year ago. The sophomore has been inserted into the huddle and asked to lead a group of older players with varsity experience. He has stepped in and stepped up to lead Oak Ridge to a 7-1 record. Ian’s brother Nolan, a junior offensive lineman, has provided a veteran voice for him in the huddle, and senior receivers Jacob Sipes and Justin Priest support the young QB with more than just catches. Sipes has been especially key in Book’s development after the senior yielded the quarterback position to his younger teammate after Sipes suffered an injury in the preseason. When Sipes went down, Book emerged as a capable starting quarterback by leading the Trojans to a passing camp league title in San Diego. “When we won the passing league, the team learned that we could win games with Ian as our quarterback,” Cavaliere said. “It also allowed us to use Jacob’s versatility at receiver, defensive back, and as a kick returner.” If Sipes won the starting quarterback job, his additional services would be lost, so Book earning the job boosted the Trojans’ offense, defense and special teams. And the youngster is beginning to find his way as a leader, too. “It has been a challenge,” Book said. “I am still working on that aspect of my game, doing my best to lead my team on and off the field.”

Leading the Way All three underclassmen are leading their respective teams and affecting league and section playoff races. Folsom is favored to get another shot at the NorCal Open Division final while Oak Ridge could have something to say about it if the Bulldogs end up in the Division I playoff bracket. Vista del Lago has high hopes of returning to the Division III section final, where they came up just short against Oakdale in 2012. Behind each playoff run and State Bowl dream is a young quarterback working hard to lead his team. “I think that we are all pretty good kids that work hard and want the same thing,” Jimison said. “We are all willing to put in the time and effort to get it.” ✪

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A Christian Brothers roster scattered with senior leaders, talented freshmen and everything in between has jelled into a force

By trevor horn | Contributor

oling up 12 teenage girls in a cabin with no cell phone, no Wi-Fi connection and little contact with the outside world can only go so many ways. For Christian Brothers High girls’ volleyball coach Diane Heine, the opportunity to take her 12 playersf on a retreat into Jackson County in August paid huge dividends. With a team that consists of starters from freshmen to seniors who hail from Vacaville to Elk Grove playing for Christian Brothers in South Sacramento, the chance for friction and conflict would be obvious. Not this team. Not this season. Christian Brothers sits alone atop the Capital Valley Conference standings and has already swept the 2012 Sac-Joaquin Section Division III champions OakmontRoseville in league play this season. Coupled with Oakmont moving up to Div. II for the playoffs, Christian Brothers is the favorite to compete for the Div. III title. “It’s a combination of a lot of competitive girls,” Heine said. “Quite a few of them have competed at a high level in club volleyball. They all have the same mission and the same goal.” Senior outside hitter Iris Anderson calls this team a “family.” “We are really close, which surprises because we have so many underclassmen,” Anderson said. “We are like a family.” Christian Brothers is no stranger to winning at a high level in this sport. Under Heine and former coach Jeff Deter, the Falcons won five consecutive Div. IV titles from 2005-09. Heine said she likens this team to those former championship

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Christian Brothers opposite hitter Nastassja Bowman pokes her head from the team huddle to mug for the camera — a perfect example of the team’s fun-loving chemistry. James K. Leash photos

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Junior outside hitter Lauren Overstreet gets down to dig a ball during a late October match.

seasons with some heavy praises. “I put this team on the top,” Heine said. “This team is more explosive and competitive.” It’s the first time Anderson has played competitive volleyball since her sophomore season. A knee injury kept the senior out of two club seasons and she missed the 2012 high school season entirely. Third on the team in kills behind junior Nastassja Bowman and sophomore Ashlynn Freques, Heine said having Anderson back was the final piece to the puzzle that was missing last season. “Every player respects her,” Heine said. “She’s a great leader. She completes the team.” Added Anderson of her return to the court: “It means a lot to me because I came back from the injury after not playing for quite a while.” All four seniors for the Falcons, Anderson, Jaymee-Lee Bulda, Regan Bradley and Chelsea Valine has played on varsity since their sophomore season. The only CVC losses for those four came to Oakmont in 2012 after going 10-0 in 2011 they are currently undefeated this year. Bulda says it’s enjoyable to be one of the veterans now. “I’m really excited this year because we have a lot of babies on our team,” Bulda said. “But we are working really hard and they are playing well. I’m proud of them. I’ve never played with younger kids before. I’ve always been the baby. So it’s really exciting for me.” Bulda has taken on the role of setter this season, leading the team in assists. She also shares 20

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SportStars takes a look at each of the top four SJS Divisions before the playoffs begin on Nov. 7. Records are through Oct. 25. By Trevor Horn

DIVISION I

TOP CONTENDERS: Granite Bay (29-0), St. FrancisSacramento (24-5) St. Mary’s-Stockton (21-3), Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (15-9) THE FAVORITE: Returning the “Big Three” in two-year tri-captains in Taylor Nelson, Maddie Deters and Nicolette Pinkney have propelled Granite Bay into one the most impressive seasons in recent memory. The Grizzlies are undefeated and have dropped just two sets all season. The script has been flipped this season between Granite Bay and St. Francis. Talented and once again with a deep bench, the Troubadours are the same spot the Grizzlies were in 2012 – great team, looking up. THE BRACKETBUSTER: Monterey Trail is cruising towards an outright Delta Valley Conference title in coach Tony Nguyen’s first season at the helm. Led by Alex Holt, Zaire Dartis and Halee Parnell, the Mustangs will be a tough out. THE TOP STORYLINE: After the departure of former coach Jamie Ingram to William Jessup University in Rocklin, the Grizzlies have turned into one of the top programs in the state under coach Tricia Plummer. Can the Grizzlies keep it rolling? CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Granite Bay d. St. Francis 3-2

DIVISION II

runners up, could surprise a Sacramento area-filled field. Even a mid-season coaching change couldn’t derail the Jaguars who won the Carmichael Invitational Volleyball Tournament title over Bella Vista on Oct. 12. THE TOP STORYLINE: Rocklin, Gregori, and El Camino have been the only teams to make it to a Div. II title game in the past three seasons. With the 2012 Div. III champs Oakmont in the field this season, will the trend continue? CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Rocklin d. El Camino, 3-1

DIVISION III

the Pioneer Valley League and has talent to contend for the section title. Led by seniors Maddie Graham and Clare McInerney, the Lady Hillmen get their power from junior outside hitter Raquel Quirarte. THE TOP STORYLINE: With 2012 Div. III champions Oakmont moving up this season, the field opens up a bit. The Vikings were the surprise champions last season with a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Vista del Lago in the finals. CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Christian Brothers d. Placer 3-0

TOP CONTENDERS: Rocklin (23-9), Vintage-Napa (20-1), El Camino-Sacramento (20-8), Oakmont-Roseville (21-7) THE FAVORITE: Rocklin has played with injuries to sophomore sensations in outside hitter Maddie Haynes and setter Megan McBroome. Tall, strong and athletic across the board, the Thunder have the opportunity to win the first title for the program since 2010. THE BRACKETBUSTER: Gregori-Modesto, the 2012 D-II

TOP CONTENDERS: Christian Brothers (24-7), Oakdale (22-5), Rio Americano-Sacramento (16-10), Vista del LagoFolsom (20-14) THE FAVORITE: Led by Boise State-commit Jayme-Lee Bulda, Christian Brothers is undefeated in league play and poised to put another banner in the rafters to go along with the five straight banners from 2005-09. THE BRACKETBUSTER: Placer-Auburn is tied for first in

DIVISION IV

TOP CONTENDERS: Bear River-Grass Valley (16-13), Sonora (21-6), Hilmar (31-7), Escalon (12-8), Ripon Christian (11-8) THE FAVORITE: Bear River stacked the schedule in September with top competition. The result was a losing record going into league play, but the Bruins did it without standout senior libero Hannah Christianson, whom coach Matt MacDonald says is the best player he has had at the Nevada County school. Since her return, the Bruins have rolled.

THE BRACKETBUSTER: This season, there is no real clear cut favorite in this division. Bear River, Sonora, Hilmar, Escalon and Ripon Christian all have a chance for a title this season. It could all come down to who gets home matches early on. TOP STORYLINE: It’s coach Vicky Sutterlee’s final season at Colfax, the Falcons could feed off that emotion to make a run. Satterlee’s senior daughter, Sophie, is the team’s top setter. Mom and daughter winning in their last season together? Now that sounds like a good story. CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: Bear River d. Sonora 3-2

times on the back line with Nastassja Bowman and her freshman sister, Paloma. This is not the first time Bowman sisters have played together. The past two seasons, Nastassja played with their older sister, Tatijanna, on the varsity team for Christian Brothers. Now, it’s her turn to play the role of big sister to Paloma, and Nastassja loves it. “It’s been a really good experience because I’ve grown closer to them through volleyball and having that common likeness is really good between us,” Nastassja said of her relationship with her older and younger sisters. “On the court, it helps with the communication between the both of us knowing that we can comment on each other’s play and know it is going to be all good after the game.” Paloma also enjoys the fact that she gets to start with her sister for two seasons in high school. “She’s my big sister and teammate,” Paloma said. “She helps me out a lot.” Paloma isn’t the only freshman on the team. Ryann Thomison is a fellow freshman at middle blocker and is reaping acclaim from her coach. “I was surprised she fit in so well, I call her the next Katie Hoekman,” Heine said of the comparison of the former Falcons star who is now a senior starter at University of San Diego. Christian Brothers also has had solid contribution from sophomores Elizabeth Robinson, Ashlynn Freques (daughter of former NFL quarterback Bobby Freques) and Kate Jones. At the retreat in August, the team had plenty of time to bond together with zip lines and sand volleyball to occupy their time without the constant distraction of Twitter, Instagram and texting friends. The team also set goals — short and long term for this season. Four years removed from a section title, this senior class for the Falcons wants to put another banner up in the gym. That is the long term goal. “That’s the main goal,” Bulda said. “I think the end result will be what we’ve been working for all season.” Heine credits the retreat and the team’s trip to the Bay Area in September playing in the Serve It Up Volleyball Classic as building blocks to bring the players together this season. At the tournament, the team spent an entire day together giving back to non-profit organizations and at-risk programs. “I think it’s more than just being on the court in practice time,” Heine said of her desire to get the players to bond as team on and off the court. “The time they share for the two or three months that we are together, they really have to buy in that this is a family.” Going unplugged off the grid was a good start. ✪ Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

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SwiftJUSTICE

››››››››››› Capital Christian’s Justice Shelton-Mosley is poster child for SJS players who are wearing out end zones By trevor horn | Contributor

Justice Shelton-Mosely is the Sacramento version of Boobie Miles from the acclaimed 2004 film “Friday Night Lights.” The junior for Capital Christian High in Sacramento does it all – almost. “The only thing I am not doing is playing Nifae (Lealeo’s) position,” Shelton-Mosley joked about the national football lineman recruit headed to Stanford. But his name is Justice, and he is the authority on scoring touchdowns. ■■■ Shelton-Mosley gave himself a goal this season — score seven touchdowns in a game. The junior halfback, tailback, slot back, fly back, cornerback, safety and returns specialist for Capital Christian High School in Sacramento has all of the chances to do that. Seven touchdowns in a single game is a great goal for a team in a single game. For a player, it’s absurd. But on Oct. 18 against Marysville in a Golden Empire League game, he almost did it. Shelton-Mosley reached the end zone six times against the Warriors. Four of them came on the ground with runs of 80, 60, 60 and 45 yards. He caught a 31 yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff to pay dirt. The effort was asked for by Cougars coach Phil Grams, and his star responded. “I told him after he scored the first two, ‘You might need four more,’” Grams said. “And he said, ‘OK coach.’ He got the four more. There’s not

too many kids that you can tell that to.” There are also not too many players that do what Shelton-Mosley has done this season. There are 21 players in the 197-member Sac-Joaquin Section who have scored touchdowns in at least three different ways, and Shelton-Mosley might be the most dynamic, explosive and well-rounded of them all. Standing 6-foot and a muscled 180 pounds, Shelton-Mosley will not blow you away on the initial eye test. But with bursts of speed and strength (benches 235 pounds), he has garnered high praises and comparisons from Grams. “Back in the day, I remember seeing Austin Collie play against Granite Bay,” Grams, a former Granite Bay assistant coach, said of the 2000s Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills star now playing wide receiver for the New England Patriots. “I thought that was the greatest high school player. And I think I’ve seen a better high school football player now. Justice’s performance (against Marysville) was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Like Collie, Shelton-Mosley has NFL in his bloodline. His father, Anthony Mosley played one season of running back for the Chicago Bears in the 1980s. Now, father and son spend two days a week honing the 16-year-olds skills and learning the traits of the game. “The understanding of the game is probably the one thing he gives me the most,” Shelton-Mosley said of the relationship with his dad. “Just knowing what to do or when to cut back or take those simple yards.” He hasn’t taken many “simple yards” this season. Shelton-Mosley is

Great through Eight Totals

Justice Shelton-Mosley stats through eight games.

rushing 106 carries. 1,110 yards (9.2 aveger). 18 touchdowns

receiving

2,270 yards 28 TDs

17 receptions. 394 yards (21.6 average). 6 touchdowns

interceptions 10 picks, 190 yards (19.0 average)

kick returns 7 returns, 294 yards, 56.2 average. 3 touchdowns.

punt returns 6 returns. 182 yards (30.3 average). 1 touchdown.

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averaging 283.8 all-purpose yards per game. On the ground he is averaging 9.2 yards per carry and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns. Add in seven receiving touchdowns, passing for one, and scoring on three kickoff returns and one punt return. “When you’ve got a guy like that, I’m going to put him everywhere,” Grams said. “(Former Granite Bay coach Ernie) Cooper said to me once that when you’ve got a guy like that, make sure you give him the ball. So I’m going to get him the ball.” After an offseason of helping the Cougars basketball team win a section title and working out all summer, the hard work has paid off and he is having a blast doing it. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I had high expectations for me this season because I worked hard and God has blessed me with a lot of gifts. So I just want to score a lot.” It’s Grams, though, who feels like he was handed a gift in Shelton-Mosley. “Justice would be a great son for anybody,” Grams said. “If I were to have a son, I would wish him to be just like Justice. He is just an unbelievable human being.” An honor student with a 4.24 GPA, Shelton-Mosley is wise beyond his years. He understands that a career in football can only go for so long. So he is using his athletic gifts to put himself in the right position to succeed as an adult once the game ends. “It’s hard work in the classroom, and whenever I get a chance to do well. I am trying to work hard to be the best at everything I can do,” Shelton-Mosley said. “I’m looking for more of an academic school. The Harvards and the Northwesterns.” His coach agrees. “If Princeton or Harvard were to offer him today, he would go on to one of those schools,” Gram said. “He knows that the chance of playing in the NFL … is tough. So he knows he needs to be a doctor or a lawyer or have a professional career that is going to provide for his family. So for him, having the highest education is the most important thing. “He has his priorities in line. I love that about him. I think that this guy could be the leader of our country someday.” ✪

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1. (1) 2. (2) 3. (3) 4. (6) 5. (9) 6. (8) 7. (7) 8. (11) 9. (12) 10. (10) 11. (5) 12. (4) 13. (13) 14. (14) 15. (16) 16. (17) 17. (18) 18. (15) 19. (19) 20. (20)

Records are through Oct. 26 — De La Salle-Concord — Folsom — Serra-San Mateo ▲ Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove ▲ Archbishop Mitty-San Jose ▲ Deer Valley-Antioch — Marin Catholic-Kentfield ▲ Del Oro-Loomis ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills — Campolindo-Moraga ▼ Bellarmine-Sam Jose ▼ Elk Grove — St. Francis-Mountain View — Rocklin ▲ Pittsburg ▲ Clayton Valley Charter-Concord ▼ California-San Ramon ▼ Granite Bay — St. Mary’s-Stockton — El Cerrito

8-0 8-0 6-1 8-0 7-0 8-0 9-0 6-2 7-1 8-0 5-2 7-1 5-2 6-2 6-2 7-1 7-1 5-3 6-2 5-2

DROPPED OUT: None TOP 5 TUMBLE

Two Top 5 teams were dealt big upset losses to unranked opponents on Oct. 25. Previous No. 4 Elk Grove was bounced 28-21 by Franklin-Elk Grove, and No. 5 Bellarmine lost to Valley Christian-San Jose 31-13.

GRIZZLIES HANGING ON

Most teams who take back-to-back losses don’t stick around in the NorCal Top 20, but Granite Bay is an exception. Once ranked as high as No. 7, the Grizzlies took a big hit in the rankings after a 34-13 loss to then-unranked Rocklin on Oct. 18. They would lose the following week to then-No. 11 Del Oro — but held the lead until the very last play of the game when the Golden Eagles won 30-28 on a 28-yard field goal by Mason Humes. The near-upset was enough to keep Granite Bay around one more week.

Justin Shelton-Mosley isn’t the only one getting into the endzone by any means necessary. Here’s who else has been lighting up the SJS wiht touchdowns via three different methods (rushing, receiving, fumble/interception return, kick/punt return) Tyrell Anderson Center-Antelope Kamare Bailey

Mariposa County-Mariposa

Angelo Bermudez Central Valley-Ceres Andrew Brown

Ripon Christian

Kenny Camden Hilmar Cameron Chew

Brookside Christian-Stockton

Ryan Fugit Ripon Darin Gentry Chavez-Stockton Frank Ginda

Pacheco-Los Banos

Calvin Green Burbank-Sacramento Alex Laurel Manteca Ryan Martinez Le Grand Jordan Moore Sheldon-Sacramento Walker Perry Woodland Christian Lonny Powell Sacramento Daniel Ruffin Stagg-Stockton Mason Stahley Christian Brothers-Sac. ››› Christian Williams Le Grand Kameron Williams Rosemont-Sacramento

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TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 14 KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

(Alphabetically): Analy-Sebastapol (8-1), Burbank-Sacramento (6-2), Capital Christian-Sacramento (7-1), Carmel (70), Casa Grande-Petaluma (8-0), Central Catholic-Modesto (7-1), Enterprise-Redding (8-0), Foothill-Pleasanton (7-1), Franklin-Elk Grove (5-3), Grant-Sacramento (5-3), Inderkum-Sacramento (6-2), James Logan-Union City (6-2), Milpitas (6-1), Northgate-Walnut Creek (7-1) and Valley Christian-San Jose (4-3)

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hip pain: dr. hunter greene

Most athletes overcome hip pain with proper treatment Hip arthroscopy is fast becoming one of the most popular procedures in sports medicine. New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay both had the surgery to fix a torn labrum and impingement. Both quickly returned to their respective sports.

HIP PROBLEMS IN YOUNG ATHLETES

The most common hip problems treated with hip arthroscopy are femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and tears of the hip labrum. FAI is a condition where the ball and socket of the hip don’t fit together well. Either the ball or the socket is misshapen or both have irregularities. The labrum acts like an “O” ring around the hip socket and can be injured or torn due to FAI or other traumatic injuries to the hip, such as a fall. A torn labrum can cause severe groin pain in athletes. While many people associate hip pain with older people, hip problems can be a common issue in young athletes and can have a long-term impact on the health and mobility of the hip. Chronic adolescent hip pain often strikes young athletes with structural abnormalities sooner than their less active counterparts, due to the stress their level of activity places on the hip. Such hip pain occurs in young men and women who place stress on their hips with sports (especially in dancers, hurdlers or baseball catchers) because their activities involve the hip moving beyond its normal constraints. Common symptoms of a hip injury include hip or groin pain with movement, snapping hip syndrome, inability to flex or rotate the hips without pain, hip pain when sitting, hip pain when going up stairs, and hip pain when picking something up off the ground.

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HIP ARTHROSCOPY ELIMINATES PAIN In the past, impingements and other hip injuries would end sports careers or stop people from being active because of the pain. But today physicians have more accurate diagnostic capabilities and improved treatments that make it possible for hip specialists to slow or halt the progression of degenerative hip disease, return patients to their chosen activities, and sometimes reduce the need for more extensive surgeries. With minimally-invasive hip arthroscopy, surgeons make small holes in the hip area. They then insert a camera and specialized instruments into these openings and perform the necessary procedures, such as removing loose cartilage, smoothing or repairing damaged tissue or trimming bones spurs. Hip arthroscopy is an outpatient procedure, so patients typically return home the same day. Most people return to sports and other activities quickly, after a period of rehabilitation. If chronic hip pain is impacting your lifestyle, make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon with expertise in hip arthroscopy. It’s important not to ignore the pain, because the conditions that cause hip pain can eventually lead to arthritis if left untreated. For young athletes and people in their 40s and younger, the minimally invasive hip arthroscopy can stop hip pain and eliminate the need for more extensive surgery later in life. ✪ Hunter Greene, M.D. is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael.

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Call the

Exterminator Don’t be a gym rat. Follow simple training etiquette

Have you ever noticed that when you go to the gym the same people are there before you get there, and are still there when you’re leaving over an hour later? If you said yes then you have sighted the gym rats. This breed is a unique bunch because they usually don’t understand the concept between training and working out. They like to spend 5 hours at the gym “working out” while they hog equipment and take 5 minutes between each set forcing people who want to actually “train” to wait on them while they discuss useless things or talk on the phone. Re-rack your weights! A training session should not last more than two hours, MAX. Don’t offer unsolicited advice to every person you see because your buddy told you some new “bro-science” about the bicep curl. Training means you might actually sweat because you’re moving at a consistent pace through your workout, not taking a half hour to complete three sets. Use the machines the way they were intended. Stop doing bicep curls in the squat rack. Do not skip leg day. You look like bricks on sticks, and your body needs it Ladies, if you want that body you see in the magazines you have to get off the treadmill and venture into the weight room. Trust me. If you’re going to make loud noises to attract attention to yourself. Make sure you’re lifting correctly. If this is you it’s not too late to change your ways. If not, then congrats and good luck in your training. ✪ Anthony Trucks is the owner of Trucks Training facility in Brentwood and covers weight training for SportStars.

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get mental: erika carlson

What kind of a leader

are you?

Leadership is huge factor in sport success. It’s a common myth that leaders are born, not made. The fact is, effective leaders have a specific set of skills. And, contrary to popular beliefs, there are a variety of personalities that can lead effectively. Through education, selfawareness, and lots of practice, leaders can be made. And by the way, you don’t have to be a team captain to be a leader. On the field and off, leaders come in two general types. The first type is a vocal leader. These athletes are the heart and emotion of the team. They are comfortable being outspoken and being “in charge.” It’s important for these leaders to be hard working in order to earn the respect of the team. Communication is their strength and valuable leaders use a varying combination of encouragement, instruction, and enforcement. The second type of leader is a “leader by example.” These leaders might have a quiet, yet strong personality. They put their heads down and get the work done. Leaders by example are often highly competitive, have a very strong work ethic and make the whole team work harder, faster and smarter. Take a moment and decide, which type of leader are you? If you are a vocal leader, consider the following: ›› Which type of communication does your team need more of? ■ Encouragement ■ Instruction ■ Enforcement Your homework is to use this type of communication throughout your next practice. If you are a leader by example consider the following: ›› What part of practice (warm-ups, drills, fitness, scrimmage) does your team need better leadership with? Your homework is to increase your intensity, focus and execution at your next practice to encourage others to follow your lead. Simple steps each day can make a BIG difference. Regardless of your status on your team, find the style of leadership that suits your personality best and get to it. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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health watch: dr. Nirav K. Pandva

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Pushing through the pain

What to consider when deciding to gut it out

With the sports season in full swing, many athletes begin to feel the aches and pains of competition adding up. The decision to play with nagging injuries can become confusing when attempting to balance multiple different factors: parents, coaches, teammates, and even potential scholarship offers. When is it OK to “gut it out,” and when do you need to take a break to prevent more serious injury? For many of the athletes that I see, I like to break down the consequences of playing through pain into two main categories: 1) Having no/low risk of structural damage, but the possibility of pain lasting longer. 2) Having a moderate/high risk of structural damage with the possibility of long-term injury. Patients who generally fit into the first category will share many similar characteristics. These include not remembering a discrete traumatic injury, generally having dull discomfort as opposed to sharp/stabbing feelings, having pain that lessens as they progress through their sporting activity (i.e. as one warms up) rather than pain which persists in the heat of the game, and having a diffuse area of pain rather than a specific location. Although exceptions to these rules exist, the golden question when deciding whether someone is healthy enough to play is, “Do you need to change the way you normally run/jump/throw in order to make it through the game, and/ or are you compensating with other parts of your body in order to take pressure off the injured area?” If the answer is yes, more harm than good can arise from playing. Remember that athletics are PART of a healthy lifestyle not something that should compromise it. ✪

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.

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concussions: dr. andrew l. nash

California is generally known as being cutting edge for new technology. However we are far behind the east coast in regards to the evaluation and management of suspected concussion in adolescent athletes. Luckily Governor Brown recently signed legislation aimed at filling in some gaps. Below is a summary of recent concussion legislation:

California Concussion Laws

›› California AB 25 On October 4, 2011, California Assembly Bill 25 (AB25‐Hayashi) was signed into law which became effective on January 1, 2012. A summary

of this bill is as follows: (1) An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an athletic activity shall be immediately removed from the activity for the remainder of the day, and shall not be permitted to return to the activity until he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider, trained in the management of concussions, acting within the scope of his or her practice. The athlete shall not be permitted to return to the activity until he or she receives written clearance to return to the activity from that licensed health care provider. Any group that uses school facilities or grounds for supervised recreational activities must also comply with these requirements. (2) On a yearly basis, a concussion and head

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injury information sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete and the athlete’s parent or guardian before the athlete’s initiating practice or competition. ›› California AB 588 This recent legislation (Sept. 30) added private and charter schools to the already existing legislation that required public schools to implement a concussion management plan. So as required by California law, virtually all athletic teams/leagues that use school district fields for practice or games are legally bound by these requirements. Any league that has not currently implemented such a concussion management plan is in violation of California law. Unfortunately, many of the local athletic leagues are either unaware of this legal requirement or are unclear regarding how to implement and carry out such a systematic approach to concussion

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management. As a concussion specialist, I am particularly invested in helping local leagues develop plans of action to minimize the risk of concussion through sport. This includes: 1) teaching coaches and their staff what to look for in the potentially concussed athlete, 2) developing a concussion policy for teams and leagues, and 3) helping to provide pre-injury baseline ImPACT testing as well as post-injury evaluations for athletes. In this way, it is my goal to reduce the risk of concussions and related head injuries to our athletes and our children. ✪ Dr. Nash is a board certified pediatrician and Credentialed ImPACT Consultant practicing at 1-to-1 Pediatrics in Danville. He may be reached at 925.362.1861, info@1to1Pediatrics. com or www.1to1Pediatrics.com.

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training time: tim rudd for iyca

Conditioned to Succeed I ended my most recent column describing the importance of improving both the anaerobic (without oxygen) and aerobic (conditioning) systems for most team field and court sports. The reason I’m discussing team sports is simple: they tend to fall in the middle of the black hole of conditioning and require the development of both systems. But the big mistake many coaches make is they don’t realize that most of these team sports (football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball etc..) rely heavily on the aerobic system. Coaches and athletes need to understand there is a lot more to conditioning than just going hard. They also need to understand that you can’t improve both effectively and all at the same time. A smart program will build an aerobic foundation and then interweave high-intensity and lowintensity methods over time to build a more resilient and better-conditioned athlete. Building a strong aerobic foundation is actually very sport specific. Studies show that improving an athlete’s ability to repeat explosive efforts during a game (driving to a basket for a lay-up) without gassing out can be improved more efficiently by building a strong aerobic base. In other words, just having athletes sprint to avoid fatiguing and gassing out during a game is less effective than building a strong aerobic foundation for improving this ability to be explosive throughout a game. The fact is the bigger and more stable an athlete’s aerobic foundation is going into a season, the more resilient they’ll be. Increased aerobic capacity will improve the athlete’s tolerance to all bio-motor abilities required for sport performance on and off the field or court of play, thus improving their on-field performance. The great thing about this is that once a solid aerobic foundation is built, maintaining it becomes easy. Allowing the athlete to now build speed, power and strength on this strong foundation. ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore

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call

snap People should know better than to call a sports fan during the game (looking at you, Mom). But if they do, this nifty little app allows you to respond with a personalized photo. Attach a message, show ‘em what you’re doing and you’re good to go. Android only. www.callsnapapp,com or click on over to Ye Olde Google Play Store.

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Welcome to Impulse, your one-stop shop for thingies, thing-a-majigs and thingykabobs. But not thing-a-whozits. That would be ridiculous. Ok, maybe we’ll toss you a few thing-a-whozits next issue. If you’re nice. I mean, for example, if you sent brownies to SportStars HQ you could have thing-a-whozits coming out of your ears next issues. Up to you.

Tailgating wayfair

grill

Let’s get this straight ... it’s a full sized propane grill that attaches into any standard receiving hitch? It swivels out? It’s brought to you by the guy who sings ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise.’ SOLD. For the love of St. Pete, it’s SOLD. www.margaritavillecargo.com Those burgers take time to get just right. Pass the time with NFL Tailgate Toss. Folds up small and is easily transportable. Also available with Broncos (Go Broncos!) and the other teams that aren’t my team. www.Wayfair.com

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EBSA gymnasts open their season pretty in pink East Bay Sports Academy girls gymnastics got off to a great start to their season in early September by attending The PINK Meet in Fremont. The meet is unique in that it donates a portion of its registration fees to Breast Cancer Awareness, and all the competitors are required to wear pink. “Whatever we can do to reduce the pressure our girls feel while they compete, we will do it,” team coach Bailey Hopper said of EBSA choosing the PINK meet as its season-opener. “Even if it means wearing pink leotards to have some fun.” The coaching team at EBSA combines for over 75 years of coaching experience, and includes Hopper, Cliff Parks, Michael Lynn, and Catie Davenport. They are committed to training gymnasts with focus for excellence, and within a stressfree environment where the girls are allowed to show their personality. EBSA brought 19 gymnasts to the meet in USA Gymnastics Level 3, 4 and 5. Of those 19, it was the first competition experience for eight of them. Still, their Level 3 and 4 teams earned 2nd overall

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in the Team Competition. “This is a unique year for for the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic competitive program,” Parks said. “Every eight years, on the Olympic cycle, USA Gymnastics updates the routines at the compulsory (beginning) levels and every gym now begins competition on the same page. “Because EBSA has only been open for just over three years, we have had to play catch-up with some of the other competitive gyms in the area. This season, we look forward to watching our athletes compete on a level playing field with some of the more established gyms in the area.” The Level 3 team was led by first-place performances from Anna Ravid who scored a 9.10 on bars, Mary Siemons with a score of 9.0 on floor, and Randi Marshall who doubled up for two first-place finishes on vault (9.0) and bars (8.95). The team score was also influenced by second-place event finishes from Sarah Young (vault, 9.25), Ashley Gay (bars, 8.95), and Alex Keppel (beam, 8.45). The Level 4 team competed with a

slight advantage in experience, also coming home with second place. Two team leaders emerged, earning State Meet qualifying scores. Elisha Santos blew away her competition with a solid first place on bars (9.15), and a third place in the all-around. Teammate Riley Pellmen earned first place on floor (9.075), second on balance beam (8.80), and third in the all-around. The Level 4 team also had a major score contribution Kate Mercer who finished second on vault (8.55), third on bars (9.00) and third on floor (8.475). In their second competitive season with EBSA, Level 4 athletes Shalley Marshall brought home a second-place finish on bars with an outstanding score of 9.0, and Savrinah Oliveros finished third on balance beam (8.625). Level 5 gymnasts Hadas Hessler and Samantha Balesteri delivered such a strong meet that they scored above the all-around maximum scores and qualified out of Level 5 for the season. They will now reset their focus to working hard to skip Level 6 and compete at Level 7. ✪ — SportStars staff

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1-To-1 Pediatrics..............................................................................................................32 All Out Sports League.......................................................................................................30 Army National Guard Recruiter...........................................................................................5 Athletic Placement Services.............................................................................................34 Bay Area Blast Volleyball Club..........................................................................................37 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada.............................................................................2 Bigfoot Hoops..................................................................................................................40 Blaze Volleyball................................................................................................................35 California Family Fitness...................................................................................................32 Championship Athletic Fundraising.................................................................................20 Cheergyms.Com...............................................................................................................14 Children’s Hospital And Research Center...........................................................................29 Club Sport........................................................................................................................12 Community Youth Center.................................................................................................38 Core Performance.................................................................................................26, 36, 37 Core Volleyball Club..........................................................................................................35 Crowne Plaza...................................................................................................................38 Diablo Rock Gym..............................................................................................................37 Diablo Trophies & Awards.................................................................................................37 E J Sports Elite Baseball Services......................................................................................35 East Bay Bulldogs Basketball............................................................................................34 East Bay Sports Academy.................................................................................................19 Excellence In Sport Performance......................................................................................30 Fit 2 The Core....................................................................................................................33 Franklin Canyon Golf Course.............................................................................................38 Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy ......................................................................................18 Halo Headband................................................................................................................38 Heritage Soccer Club........................................................................................................34 Home Team Sports Photography......................................................................................37 Image Imprint..................................................................................................................31 Kangazoom......................................................................................................................37 M L B Scout......................................................................................................................35 Made In America / Made In Japan....................................................................................26 Modesto Magic................................................................................................................34 Mountain Mike’s Pizza......................................................................................................13 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists............................................................................................31 National Scouting Report.................................................................................................36 Nor Cal All Sports Clinic....................................................................................................22 Northgate High School.....................................................................................................38 Pro Hammer Bat...............................................................................................................16 Rhino Sports Of Northern California.................................................................................21 Rocco’s Pizza...............................................................................................................24, 37 Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.......................................................................................33 San Ramon Slammers Baseball........................................................................................36 Sport Clips........................................................................................................................17 State Farm Jimmy Harrington Agent................................................................................25 Stevens Creek Toyota........................................................................................................21 Summit Orthopedic Specialists..........................................................................................3 Surewest Sports Show.....................................................................................................20 Sutter Delta......................................................................................................................28 The First Tee Of Contra Costa.............................................................................................38 Tri Valley Orthopedic Specialists Inc..................................................................................32 U S Cryotherapy................................................................................................................29 U. S. Baseball Academy....................................................................................................24 United States Youth Volleyball League.............................................................................39

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