eb issue 37 dec. 8, 2011

juniors fuel bishop o’dowd.Pg. 24

dragonforce

40 teams, 20 players. the best of each.starting Pg. 16

ranked

dublin is turning heads. Pg. 28

dazzling

endure | excel | achievedecember 8, 2011vol. 2. issue 37

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4 SportStars™ Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.comDecember 8, 2011

PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507EditOriAl [email protected] Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • [email protected] Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mitch Stephens, Doug Gardner, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Jim McCue, Eric Gilmore, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Jonathan OkanesPhotography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, Darryl Henick, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton

CrEAtivE dEPArtmENt [email protected] manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • [email protected]

PublisHEr/PrEsidENtMike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • [email protected]

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distributiON/dElivEry [email protected] manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • [email protected]

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Last season was so good, let’s run it back. The 2011-12 season promises to be unlike any other. Lace up, it all starts on Pg. 16

First Pitch ................................................... 6

Locker Room ............................................ 8

AAA SportStars of the Week ..............11

Behind the Clipboard ............................12

Health Watch ..........................................35

Tee2Green ...............................................36

Training Time ...........................................39

Camps + Clinics .....................................40

Impulse .....................................................44

Reader Survey .........................................45

Photo Finish .............................................46

ON THE COVER: Clockwise from left: Bishop O’Dowd juniors Breanna Brown, K.C. Waters, Oderah Chidom and Ariell Bostick. Photo by Jonathan Hawthorne.

dRamaTiC TuRNaROuNd: Dublin proved itself to be a force to be reckoned with as it featured such stars as Zach Tucker, left. Pg. 28

20 yEaRs: Yup, it’s been that long since a NorCal team beat De La Salle. Pg. 32

wHERE’s yOuR ipad? Don’t have one? Why not? Time is running out, enter now! Pg. 45

James K. Leash

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Some people don’t like surprises. That always surprises us.

Without the unexpected, things can get pretty dull. And nothing is worse than a dull sporting universe. It doesn’t get any better than true surprises in the sporting world, which is a big reason why the NCAA Basketball Tournament is beloved by so many.

We like the upsets, Cinderellas and longshots. It’s what makes this fun.

And, in what some might be consider-ing one of the wackiest high school foot-ball seasons in quite some time, the North Coast Section tournament has given us a few surprises to savor in the form of Concord and Campolindo-Moraga.

They are both playing for champion-ships on Dec. 9 and 10, respectively. Neither were expected to get this far, and both did so in very different ways.

Campolindo was the surprise that kept building over the course of the season, like a giant balloon that everyone expected would eventually go sputtering away as the air ran out. The Cougars were picked to finish in the bottom half of their league by many — though technically not us. We only predicted league champs this year rather than final league standings. We picked them to finish second (as far as you know).

Still, when we showed up to Moraga on Oct. 21 to watch Campolindo and rival Miramonte-Orinda face off in a battle of 7-0 teams, we were thrown off kilter when the Cougars won 42-6. And it just kept going. Undefeated league champs. Then two dominant playoff wins before taking a trip to Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa on Dec. 2 — a house of horrors in previous years for Campolindo.

The team fell behind 21-0 only to roar back and win 35-24. Now, include the facts that the Cougars will play top seed Marin Catholic-Kentfield in the Division III final at the O.co Coliseum — during the 25th Anniversary season of the last Campolindo team to play at the Coliseum (the school’s only title game appearance and championship). Furthermore, the winner could quite possibly earn a Cali-fornia Interscholastic State Bowl berth.

At this point, the script seems almost too good.

“I think we’re at a point where we don’t quite know what we’re doing, but if we try to figure it out we might screw it up,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said five days before the team’s championship tilt. “There’s definitely something natural happening, and it may not make sense but we’re just going to enjoy it.”

On the same weekend that the Cougars defeated Cardinal Newman, two other top-ranked contenders for the North’s CIF Div. III bowl berth were eliminated in their section

playoffs — including the defending Div. III bowl champions, Escalon. With many prognosticators considering the NCS Div. III playoff field to be among the strongest, it’s not a far stretch to think that a victory would make Campolindo the first public school to represent the East Bay in a CIF bowl game. They’d also be the first East Bay school to go other than De La Salle.

“We don’t talk about state at all,” Macy said. “We never talked about 10-0. We never talked about winning league. The kids made it a priority to play after Thanksgiving, and that was it. ... The chemistry on this team is so good, the kids would be excited about state mostly because it meant they could just spend another week together.”

The week Campolindo completed it’s 10-0 regular season, Concord lost 31-22 to College Park-Pleasant Hill, fell to 6-3 on the season, and lost out on its shot at a second straight Diablo Valley Athletic League crown. One year after a storied run to their first NCS championship behind record-setting quarterback Ricky Lloyd, the Minutemen had the look of a team that still needed an identity beyond its physical defense.

And coach Brian Hamilton found it. In fact, it’d been staring him in the face.

“We lost to College Park still trying to have a lot of offensive balance and still trying to throw the ball out of open sets,” Hamilton said. “I don’t believe in balance, and I went against my beliefs and tried to force balance, and that was dumb.”

So he fixed it. He had an explosive run-ning back in Olito Thompson, and just as he gave Lloyd more receivers to work with, Hamilton decided to start giving Thompson more blockers to run behind.

Hamilton basically added a new blocker every week of the postseason, adding tight ends, fullbacks, mascots. Olito went to work. He set the school rushing record with 370 yards in the playoff opener against Newark Memorial, then topped the East Bay rushing record with 457 yards against Las Lomas-Walnut Creek before a 41-carry, 270-yard effort in a semifinal win over Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park.

And just like that, Concord — as the No. 7 seed — had a chance at defending its Division II title against No. 1 Windsor (13-0).

“From a personal standpoint, because it’s all so unexpected (this playoff run) is a little more fun,” Hamilton said. “No one is giving us a shot against Windsor. No one gave us a shot against Rancho Cotate or Lomas, either. We could be the first No. 7 seed to win it all since it went to a 16-team field. How much fun is that?”

Exactly. ✪

December 8, 2011

Chace Bryson Editor

First Pitch

Chace@ SportStarsOnline.com

(925) 566-8503

On the NCS football playoff menu: Surprise, served two ways


count’EM8The number of California Interscholastic Federation state volley-ball championships won by Northern California schools in the past two years after Palo Alto, Presentation-San Jose, Union Mine and Branson-Ross each secured crowns on Dec. 3. To illustrate how big of an accomplishment this is, the combined number of NorCal teams to win state titles from 2005-2009 was seven. Left, Palo Alto and Kimmy Whitson won Div. I titles in 2010 and 2011. Right, Campolindo-Moraga were the 2010 Div. III champs.

So, it’s official. The reee(diculous)-match is on. LSU has to beat Alabama again for the national championship. Because the comput-ers hate Stanford, and the human voters realized that a loss to Iowa State was a good enough reason to count out Oklahoma State. And Mercury is in retrograde, and the Magic 8-Ball said “My sources say, ‘Snore-fest.’” Anyway. All the hue and cry about the absurdity of the BCS does have one positive aspect: It makes us appreciate just how great high school football’s system for determining a champion is. Here are the top five reasons why high school football’s postseason is better than college.

1. Just because they’re in the best league in Northern California, the top two teams from the EBAL do not pass Go and proceed directly to the championship game. They actually have to play their way to the final.

2. Every game counts. No really. There is no SEC do-over rule. If you beat a team in the regular season and have a similar record, you get seeded ahead of them and they have to win some games to get another crack at you.

3. The best team in EVERY LEAGUE gets a chance to win a championship. No matter what the weighted strength-of-schedule number looks like, or if somebody else has cooler uniforms or nicknames. Win your league, make the playoffs. That simple.

4. People who have never seen your team play, and might not even know that your team exists, don’t get to throw darts at a board, er, vote week in and week out on how much better or worse you are than some other team.

5. Rumor has it that high school teams actually have to be able to score on offense in order to hoist trophies. We heard that somewhere— Bill Kolb

reasons we’re bitter about college football. wait, no ....

Keith Peters/Palo Alto Weekly

Bob Larson

9SportStars™Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™ December 8, 2011

sayWHAT?“I think this game meant a lot to him, just simply about his legacy, and wanting to win this game for his teammates. He’s received a number of individual accolades, but the reality is that this is something he can share (with teammates) for the rest of their lives — getting to the Coliseum.”

San Ramon Valley-Danville football coach Mark Kessler on the North Coast Section semifinal performance of quarterback Zach Kline, left. Just days after being named the Gatorade State Player of the Year, Kline tossed three touchdown passes and rushed for another as the

Wolves defeated cross-town rival Monte Vista 37-21 and avenged a one-point, regular-season defeat to the Mustangs. The No. 7-seeded San Ramon Valley (10-3) will take on top seed De La Salle (12-1) in the NCS Division I final at the O.Co Coliseum on Dec. 10.

rapidFIREGeorge

Clooney

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Jordan weiss, san Ramon Valley FB

Curtis Goins, Vacaville FB

ariell Bostick, Bishop O’dowd hoops

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MacBook Pro laptop

Football

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De La Salle

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Our home field, because I always want to please our

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Butch Noble


nick boyettsalesian . football . senior

Perfection has never been this close for Nick Boyett. The Salesian quarterback threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-6 semifinal win over Healdsburg in the Div. IV playoffs on Dec. 3. He’ll take the snaps in the title game against Ferndale on Dec. 10 at Alhambra, where the Pride look to cap off a historic undefeated season.

sportstars magazine: You’re one win away from another NCS title. What’s running through your mind right now?

Nick boyett: Just excited to be back in the championship another season. We’ve been working really hard, and we just wanted to keep this undefeated season.

ssm: What would an unde-feated season mean to you?

Nb: It would just show all the hard work we put into this sea-son. Starting from my freshman season, my teammates and I have been putting in the work and it’s showing.

ssm: You guys have man-handled opponents this season. Why?

Nb: I think it’s chemistry most-ly, most of us have been playing together for all four years. Also the playcalling … Our coaches get us prepared for every game.

NICK’S QUICK HITSFavorite athlete: Calvin JohnsonFavorite NFl team: 49ersFavorite subject: History

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Phillip Walton

honorablemention

nick ruotolo

The Amador Valley senior guard torched the nets at the

Gold Dust Tournament Dec. 1-3 as he buried 13 threes. He took home MVP honors.

kaadzie quaye

The Liberty star took home the MVP trophy as she led the Lions

to the Mike Koury Tournament championship with a 47-29 win over San Ramon Valley on Dec. 3.

elisha davis

The Berkeley senior scored 14 points in the championship

game of the Dougherty Valley Winter Classic championship on Dec. 3. The Yellowjackets beat the host 49-46.


Our basketball team played last week, and the other team’s coach kept yelling to his players about our players. He’d say things like “She can’t dribble with her left hand,” or, after a foul, “Was she going to make that shot?” It seemed disrespectful — is that something coaches should do?

C.G., Walnut Creek

That was probably me, though I’m certainly not the only coach who tries to make sure his

players attack the weaknesses of the opposition — I’m just louder at it than most.

So first, let’s look at it from the coach’s point of view. I always tell my players to try to make the person they’re guarding do what she doesn’t want to do. If she wants to shoot, make her drive; if she wants to go left, make her go right. She may be a good driver, and she may able to go right, but almost always players want to do what they do best, and if you make them do what’s second on their list, you’re ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to get players used to this kind of defense. Inexperienced players espe-cially get caught up in the excitement of the game, everything’s moving really fast, and they just don’t remember to make the girl dribble with her left

hand. So I remind her. In a loud voice so she can hear me. (Sometimes people think I’m yelling at my player, but I feel like I’m yelling to her — if I speak softly, big stick or no, she probably won’t hear me.)

Eventually, hopefully, my players are able to start taking away the opponents’ strengths, but when I’m reminding them of those strengths and weak-nesses, I’m also letting the opposing player know what we’re trying to do, and sometimes she feels insulted.

But should she feel dissed? The answer is a qualified maybe, because it depends on the personality of the

player. Some people take my remarks as a chal-lenge, and vow to prove me wrong. If I keep say-ing they can’t go left, they go left — and there have been times they have punished me and my team by scoring a bunch of points. More often than not, though, they are definitely less effective going to their weaker hand (or driving rather than shoot-ing), and for those players, it’s foolish to listen.

In fact, very few athletes are capable of listen-ing to other coaches or opposing players and still performing at their highest level. Most athletes are much better off just focusing on what they’re doing and what they should be doing, and block-

ing out any distractions from the crowd or other team. (There are a more than a few athletes who play better when they block out the voices of their own coaches, and/or their parents; it all depends on the individual.)

In the end, though, learning how to deal with distractions is part of maturing as a person and an athlete. In junior high, kids get very upset when other people talk about them. In high school, not so much. And in college and beyond, it’s generally just background noise, like a bad radio station in the car next to you at the stoplight.

As long as the other team’s coach isn’t yelling at you (“42, you’re horrible and your hair is ugly”), it’s something you should try to rise above. He’s just trying to win the game, and instruct his play-ers, and it isn’t personal.

Adjusting to that kind of a distraction takes a little effort, but it’s a skill well worth acquiring — not everyone is going to think you’re wonderful and special when you get out in the real world, but even if they don’t (and they let you know about it), you still have to find a way to get the job done. ✪

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 [email protected].

December 8, 2011

Clay Kallam

Behind the Clipboard

In-game outbursts are meant to help our players, not diss opponentsInexperienced

players especially get caught up in the excitement

of the game, everything’s

moving really fast, and they just

don’t remember to make the girl dribble with her

left hand. So I remind her.

In a loud voice so she can hear

me. (Sometimes people think I’m yelling at

my player, but I feel like I’m

yelling to her.)


Embedded in the South Bay is a program with a passion for youth sports. And after more than 10 years, Mike Allen Sports continues to emerge as a haven for kids and teens to learn, grow and have fun as athletes.

Founded by Mike Allen as the Fun Tyme Sports Academy in 1999, the program offers a wide array of camps, clinics and leagues that run year round for basketball. Baseball, volleyball and football are also among other sports offered.

Allen himself is well-versed in sports. A standout football and baseball athlete in high school, he didn’t pick up basket-ball until his senior year. That didn’t stop him from getting recruited and playing for San Jose Christian College in 1991. There he was co-captain for three seasons and led his team to three NBCAA titles.

After graduating, Allen’s playing career was just getting started. He continued playing overseas in Poland, and in the offseason he would return to the States for training. But with so much downtime, he needed something to fill the void.

“I had so much time on my hands,” Allen said. “I needed to figure out what I wanted to do. I started running camps to start this sports academy.”

With his playing days over, Allen went full throttle on the Fun Tyme Sports Academy. It has since evolved into a mag-nate for youth sports. Right now, there are more than 1,000 kids in his Ballin’ Ambassadors basketball league.

Doors continue to open for Allen as he has partnered with the Golden State Warriors as part of the Junior Warriors and Junior NBA / Junior WNBA. A coup for any local youth sports

program. With the success of his program seemingly skyrocketing,

Allen still finds time to coach. He’s serving his second year as head coach for the varsity program at Gunderson-San Jose.

What he’s done with the team is nothing short of a miracle. The year before he took over, the Grizzlies finished 4-21. Last season, Allen led his team to a solid 14-8 record and within one point of upsetting Robert Louis Stevenson-Pebble Beach in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs.

Poised to build on last season’s promising efforts, Gunder-son got off on the right foot this year. They beat Sobrato-Mor-gan Hill 66-55 in their season opener on Nov. 29 — the first

Gunderson win against a Div. I opponent in 15 years.What’s the reason for the turnaround?“This is something they want,” Allen said. “They just re-

sponded quickly to how much they want it. The fact that I care about them, not as an athlete, but that I cared about them as a person. As someone who doesn’t mind being the parent away from home, as someone who doesn’t mind being the big brother.”

Some of the players stepping up for Allen are seniors Lodi Vertilus and Lamar Smith; juniors Ryan Tran, Jose Silva and Nick Melchor; sophomore Mohamed Ali; and freshmen Da-vid Awolowo and Jonathan Chavez.

With most of his players still with at least a couple years left, Allen has the opportunity to build something very special at Gunderson.

When the season ends, Allen’s program is in full swing. They’re launching the first season of volleyball in April of next year followed by the first season of football.

“Back in 1999, my vision was for (Mike Allen Sports) to be worldwide,” Allen said. “There are a lot of programs out there. We all reinvent the wheel in some way. The real key aspect is what is it all about? ... For a program like this to last there has to be strong relationships, love in your programs. … It took a lot of heartache and sacrifice to get it where it is today.”

Although Mike Allen Sports is a strong presence in the South Bay, there could be more locations popping up soon. To find out how to get involved with Mike Allen Sports or to get a location set up in your area, check out www.mikeallensports.com. ✪

Former South Bay hoops standout is giving back through youth sportsBy Erik stOrdAHl | SportStars

Mike Allen shows off his skills during an exhibition with the Ballin’ Ambassadors.


The North Coast Section is no stranger to suc-cess at the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships. It has had more than its fair share of team and individual titles, and 2011 was no different.

Nine different runners clocked Top 5 finishes in races at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 26, and one team — the University-San Francisco girls — took him a title.

Campolindo’s Carrie Verdon was one of two individual champions from the NCS, winning the Divsion III race for the second time in as many years. Her winning time of 17 minutes, 18 seconds was the second-fastest girls time of the entire day, but it only won her race by a mere second. Julia Maxwell of Branson-Ross was the other section’s other individual state champion, winning the Division V race by 30 seconds over the next closest competitor, Bridget Blum of University-SF.

We had a number of leftover photos from the North Coast Section championship on Nov. 19, so we thought we’d honor a few who had stand-out trips to State.

PHOtOs by JONAtHAN HAwtHOrNE

lEFt: Carrie Verdon of Campolindo-Moraga won her second straight Division III state title by edging out Karlie Garcia of Oakmont.

FACiNg PAgEtOP lEFt: Nick Ratto of St. Joseph-Notre Dame finished third in the Division V boys race, helping his team finish third as well. tOP rigHt: Campolindo’s Thomas Joyce took a third place finish in the Divi-sion III boys race. bOttOm rOw: Amador Valley-Pleas-anton’s Jenna Pianin, left, Piner-Santa Rosa’s Luis Luna, center, and San Ramon Valley-Danville’s Parker Deuel, right, all grabbed fifth-place finishes in their respective races.


records are from 2010-111. ArCHbisHOP mitty-sAN JOsE (32-2)Aaron Gordon and Co. set to defend CIF Div. II crown.

2. sAlEsiAN-riCHmONd (26-12)Perhaps no NorCal team has more depth at the guard and wing positions.

3. dE lA sAllE-CONCOrd (27-6)Every bit as a talented as the CIF Div. I runner-up group from a year ago.

4. BISHOp O’DOwD-OAKLAND (25-7)Losing all-state talent Brandon Ashley won’t hurt as much as many may think.

5. SHeLDON-SACRAMeNTO (24-8)Young, talented nucleus should only get better as the season goes on.

6. sACrAmENtO (27-6)If it develops a strong post presence to go with its guard play, look out.

7. MCCLyMONDS-OAKLAND (16-15)After a year of rebuilding, all signs point to a return of the Mack in the OAL this year.

8. JeSUIT-CARMICHAeL (22-10)Returns core group from a team that was one of just two to beat Mitty last year.

9. NEwArk mEmOriAl-NEwArk (22-7)Expect a well-coached mix of returning talent and up-and-comers.

10. CeNTeR-ANTeLOpe (25-8)Senior Christopher Smith has the potential to lead the Sacramento region in scoring.

11. Berkeley (21-5)12. St. Ignatius-San Francisco (17-10)13. St. Mary’s-Berkeley (23-12)14. Deer Valley-Antioch (21-7)15. Burbank-Sacramento (23-5)16. Sacred Heart Cathedral-San Francisco (23-7)17. Franklin-Elk Grove (25-7)18. Vallejo (16-12)19. El Cerrito (25-8)20. Heritage-Brentwood (16-11)

boyspreseasontop20

When it came to setting up our preseason boys rankings, we looked at four teams who reached state finals a year ago and said that’s our Top 4. Now who goes first?

We sided with the only one that was the defending state champ, Mitty. It also doesn’t hurt that the Monarchs feature the No. 6-ranked junior prospect in the nation in Aaron Gordon.

Salesian is not far behind, because they have a junior prospect in Jabari Bird who seems poised to crack a few national rank-ings himself. And if we’re being per-fectly honest, De La Salle could own the top spot by Jan. 17. That’s because they will match up with Aaron Gordon and Co. in the Martin Luther King Classic Showcase on Jan. 16. That holi-day will certainly shake the rankings tree as Salesian will also face No. 6 Sacra-mento.

The wild card of these rankings is McCly-monds. After a mediocre 2010-11 campaign, there’s a good group of seniors ready to break out. If big man Jamaree Strickland can recover enough from knee surgery to be a factor in Febru-rary, look out.

We know one thing, it’s going to be fun to watch it unfold.

— Chace Bryson

BIG FOUR

Jalen HicksSheldon-SacramentoPhoto by Phillip Walton


records are from 2010-111. ST. MARy’S-STOCKTON (32-2) Talent. Experience. Defending three-time state champion. ‘Nuff said.

2. BISHOp O’DOwD-OAKLAND (25-8) All the big guns return for the last season’s Div. III state runner-up.

3. CARONDeLeT-CONCORD (28-6) No more Erica Payne, but Hannah Huffman and Natalie Romeo are a dangerous duo.

4. bErkElEy (29-2)’Jackets will reload and once again be the NorCal favorite in Division I.

5. ST. IgNATIUS-SAN FRANCISCO (24-8)Young Irish team gets an infusion of talented freshmen, so expect it to be one of region’s best by March.

6. ST. MARy’S-BeRKeLey (29-6)Could be vulnerable, but only until Gabby Green returns from her ankle injury.

7. ArCHbisHOP mitty-sAN JOsE (24-9)Mix of senior leaders and young talent will keep perennial power sharp.

8. TeRRA NOvA-pACIFICA (24-5)You have to love the backcourt of Terilyn Moe and Ivonne Cook-Taylor. Tigers just need signature win.

9. sACrAmENtO (27-9)Allie Green leads the way as Div. III power looks to replace its graduated backcourt.

10. mirAmONtE-OriNdA (23-7)Has pieces in place to move past league powers Campolindo-Moraga and Dougherty Valley-San Ramon.

11. Dougherty Valley-San Ramon (28-3)12. Lincoln-Stockton (27-5)13. Salesian-Richmond (24-6)14. Modesto Christian (25-9)15. Deer Valley-Antioch (20-8)16. Marin Catholic-Kentfield (25-9)17. Del Oro-Loomis (27-5)18. Palo Alto (22-5)19. James Logan-Union City (23-7)20. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (18-11)

girlspreseasontop20

There’s always a tension between talent and teamwork when it comes to preseason rankings.

Clearly, it takes talent to become one of the top programs in Northern California, but it also takes a mix of chemistry and toughness — and sometimes the latter qualities can trump a ros-

ter full of future college stars.That’s the case in this year’s pre-

season rankings, as St. Mary’s of Stockton’s high-pressure defense and high-octane offense offset its lack of size, in our estimation, and put the Rams ahead of the supremely-talented Dragons of

Bishop O’Dowd.Yes, O’Dowd went to the state

finals last year in Division III with a roster heavy on sophomore stars, but St. Mary’s

won its third straight California championship, even though the Rams didn’t have the college coaches drooling as they did when they watched the Oakland school.

Carondelet and Berkeley are traditional pow-ers that still have plenty of firepower, but both programs were hurt by graduation, leaving St. Mary’s and O’Dowd as the clear one and two. Certainly it could be argued that the Dragons are simply too tall and too deep for the Rams to contend with, but we’ll find out for sure Feb. 11 when the two teams play in Stockton.

And it says here St. Mary’s walks away smil-ing.

— Clay Kallam

HIGH Octane

Gabby GreenSt. Mary’s-BerkeleyPhoto by Bob Larson


Frank Allocco stopped the practice. When the 14-year coach of the De La Salle boys

basketball team blows his whistle and begins talking, every varsity player on the floor falls into a ready position of knees bent and shoulder-width apart. There is no standing idly in a De La Salle basketball practice.

Allocco had stopped things right before the team was to practice a sidelines inbounds pass near the mid-court line. He focuses a steely glare on senior forward Remington White. For effect, he stays silent for a beat or two, then...

“You weren’t paying attention,” he said directly at White. “One possession,” Allocco said next, underscoring a

theme that surfaced throughout the practice. “That was all we lost (the 2011 state championship) by. Was it that missed layup earlier, or one of the errant passes we made?”

He then delivered a sharp blow of his whistle and gave a “let’s go.” Practice snapped back into action. One night later, the Spartans played their first official game of the season and defeated Will C. Wood-Vacaville 54-24.

There was no hyperbole in Allocco’s mid-practice scold-ing of White. De La Salle did indeed fall one possession short of what would’ve been one of the most monumental upsets in the history of the California Interscholastic Fed-eration state basketball championships.

Relying on guts, guile, defense and execution — all sta-ples of an Allocco-coached team — the Spartans somehow reached the Division I state final a year ago and went toe-to-toe with the nation’s No. 1 team, Mater Dei-Santa Ana. De La Salle led for much of the game, only to see it slip away in the fourth quarter and lost 43-36.

When is a seven-point victory a one possession game? Well, the Monarch tacked on four points via free throws in the closing seconds as the Spartans fouled to stop the clock.

That Allocco continues to remind the team of the one possession swing shows his natural competitive nature — as well as his belief that the 2011-12 team is talented enough to get back to that state title game and change its fortune.

Junior guard Elliott Pitts is one player who may want to get back to the state final more than any other.

The state championship tilt with Mater Dei was only five

minutes old when he fell underneath the Mater Dei bas-ket, and before he could get back up, the Monarch’s Xavier Johnson attempted to hurdle him and thrust his right knee square into the side of Pitts’ face. The result was a broken jaw, and he was en route to a local hospital as the final min-utes of the first half played out.

Pitts wouldn’t even find out the result of the game until the following evening. The next time he took the floor in front of Allocco, he was a different player.

“As a sophomore last year, he kind of deferred to people a little bit and sunk into a bit of a role player,” Allocco said of Pitts. “But as soon as he came back from the jaw injury,

he took it to another level. It was an attitude shift. Maybe he felt that if he weren’t injured, we win that thing. ... He came back a different player.”

Despite just being a “role player” through much of last year, the lanky 6-foot, 5-inch guard was the first player in Allocco’s tenure at De La Salle to earn a college scholarship offer as a sophomore. Now he’s the first to hold multiple of-fers before his junior season, including Pac-12 schools Cal and Arizona State.

He’s more than ready to shed the “role player” status this season.

“I knew that I was going to have to take on more of a

eV

eR

YPOssessIOn

cOUntsEight months since an underdog De La Salle basketball team nearly won

its third state crown, the Spartans set course for the state final againBy CHACE brysON | Editor

Phillip WaltonAbOvE: De La Salle senior guard Steve Oronos hits the deck to get a loose ball during an NCS

Foundation game against Bishop O’Dowd on Nov. 22. rigHt: Remington White (32) boxes out Bishop O’Dowd’s Elliott Bruce while preparing for a rebound.


scoring role coming back, which is something that I wasn’t really used to,” Pitts said. “But I tried to show that over the summer, and now Amadi (Udenyi) and I are definitely going to share that load this year.”

Udenyi, a senior, has been the team’s primary point guard since his sophomore year. Together with Pitts, they should form perhaps the most well-rounded backcourt in the East Bay.

During one seven-minute stretch of half-court scrimmaging, Allocco observed with a grin as Pitts and Amadi led the first-team offense to perfectly ex-ecuted backdoor layups on four straight possession — all of it against a second team unit that knows the offense, but was still helpless to defend it.

After another five minute stretch, the first-team offense had scored 10 baskets on 10 of 17 shooting. Seven of the baskets were layups or dunks by either Pitts or Udenyi.

“I just like having those two kids side by side,” Al-locco said of the backcourt duo. “They do a lot of re-

ally good things. They can take the game over on the defensive end. They can wreak havoc. We went toe-to-toe (in a Nov. 25 scrimmage) with Mater Dei, and there were stretches where those two kids were the best players on the floor.”

As is almost always the case with De La Salle, the roster goes way beyond two players. Allocco is con-fident he’ll have a rotation that goes as deep as 10, maybe even 11 guys.

How those different players — which includes a handful of new faces — develop and slot into roles will go a long way in determining just how good this Spar-tans team can become.

Two of the biggest vacancies left by graduation are an inside scoring presence and an emotional leader who could sway games with a key steal or a big shot at just the right time. The first role was held by 6-foot-2 Travis Pacos, who lead the 2010-11 Spartans in scoring despite giving up more than a few inches to most of his defenders. The latter role belonged to Duke DaRe.

“I knew that I was going to have to take on more of a scoring role coming back, which is something that I wasn’t really used to. But I tried to show that over the summer, and now Amadi (Udenyi) and I are definitely going to share that load this year.”

Junior guard Elliott Pitts, right

Bob Larson


“I don’t know how many people realized how important Duke was to our run last year,” Allocco said. “He was a special player that brought a lot of energy to us. The bigger the game, the more Duke seemed to elevate his play.”

Replacing Pacos in the paint may prove easier, at least in the short term. Allocco is excited abo ut the prospects of 6-6 sophomore Patrick Marr, as well as 6-7 junior Mac Hoffman. Both are likely to see min-utes, although Hoffman will miss most of December with a broken hand.

As for replacing DaRe, there are certainly candidates. “We have three or four guys who can be like Duke, but haven’t

emerged to be Duke yet,” Udenyi said. “(Seniors) Nick Sullivan, Remy White and Steve Oronos. They all three can play hard like Duke, but they haven’t quite emerged to be like Duke in a game yet.”

Jeremy Gunder is another senior who could play a significant role for the Spartans, and 6-4 junior Adam Will was mentioned by both Udenyi and Pitts as a new face who has surprised them to this point.

“Last year we really didn’t have a lot of talent,” Pitts said. “This year we have talent. We definitely have guys who can win a state champion-ship. I think the main thing is just playing as hard as we did last year. Playing defense. That’s how we got to state last year.”

Once the three hour practice came to a close, the varsity players cleared the main floor so the junior varsity could begin its workout. Most, however, broke off into groups to work on shooting at one of the six side baskets.

Udenyi took a break from rebounding for Pitts.“We were an underdog last year, but we could be a favorite this year,”

he said. “We have to play with a chip on our shoulder this year. Even more than last year. ... The reason why coach is getting on us with that ‘one possession’ talk is that we know we’re so close (to getting back).

“We can get there if we stay focused.” ✪

Phillip WaltonDe La Salle huddles during a timeout during the Nov. 22 game against Bishop O’Dowd.

The Spartans opened the season ranked No. 4 in the state (CalHiSports.com)


Jabari birdsCHOOl: SalesianyEAr: JuniorHt./POs.: 6-5 / GuardtHE dEtAils: After a dominant, if not a tad topsy-turvy sophomore year, Bird is poised for a dominant season. He begins the season as the ranked No. 17 on the ESPN 150 list for the 2013 class. His 6-5 size gives him all sorts of versatility for very talented Salesian team.

richard longrussCHOOl: Bishop O’DowdyEAr: SeniorHt./POs.: 6-7 / CentertHE dEtAils: With his twin-tower mate Brandon Ashley having trans-ferred to Findlay Prep, the Dragons have become Longrus’ team to take charge of. Expect the points and rebounds numbers to spike for the Washington State-commit as he attempts to lead O’Dowd toward another Div. III postseason run.

langston Morris-walkersCHOOl: BerkeleyyEAr: SeniorHt./POs.: 6-5 / GuardtHE dEtAils: ESPN ranks the Oregon State-bound Yellowjacket as one of the nation’s top 150 recruits from the 2012 class. Even if little is known about his supportng cast at Berkeley, Yellowjackets fans will know what to expect from Morris-Walker — plenty of slashing to the basket and finishing at the rim.

elliott PittssCHOOl: De La SalleyEAr: JuniorHt./POs.: 6-5 / GuardtHE dEtAils: Like Bird, Pitts is an extremely versatile player. He has all the skills of a guard, but the length to play up to four positions on the floor. Last year, USF made him the first De La Salle player to ever receive a scholarship offer as a sophomore. He’s since picked up offers from Cal and Arizona St.

aMadi udenyisCHOOl: De La SalleyEAr: SeniorHt./POs.: 5-10 / GuardtHE dEtAils: One doesn’t play three years of point guard for Frank Allocco’s offense without being tough and and without being a tire-less defensive player. Udenyi has already established himself as one of the region’s best on-ball defend-ers; this year look for him to add a better outside shooting game.

the best of the best at season’s tiP-off

don’t sleeP on these PlayersJustiN JOHNsON (El Cerrito), 6-3, Guard, Sr.lAwrENCE Otis (McClymonds), 6-2, Guard, Jr.CAsEy NOrris (Newark Memorial), 6-0, Guard, Sr.ElliOt smitH (Freedom), 6-5, Guard/Forward, Soph.isAiAH tAylOr (St. Mary’s), 6-3, Guard, Sr.


hannah huffMansCHOOl: CarondeletyEAr: SeniorHt./POs.: 5-9 / GuardtHE dEtAils: Huffman is off to Notre Dame next fall, but this year she’ll bring her all-around game back to Concord. If opponents try to guard her with quickness, she posts up; if they try to counter her size and strength, she moves to the perimeter.

gabby greensCHOOl: St. Mary’syEAr: SophomoreHt./POs.: 6-1 / GuardtHE dEtAils: After leading St. Mary’s to a state title as a fresh-man, Green was the last cut from the USA Basketball U-16 team. She is not yet fully recovered from a summer ankle injury, but when the 6-1 guard returns, she will make an immediate impact with ballhandling, defense and scoring.

k.c. waterssCHOOl: Bishop O’DowdyEAr: JuniorHt./POs.: 6-1 / PosttHE dEtAils: Waters is a strong, skilled player who helped the Dragons to the Division III state title game last year – and then had a strong showing at the USA Basket-ball U-16 trials in June. Few can match her combination of strength and quickness on the block.

Mariya MooresCHOOl: SalesianyEAr: SophomoreHt./POs.: 6-1 / WingtHE dEtAils: An athletic wing with skills – Moore’s size and explosiveness make her one of the top players in the country for her class. She is already drawing heavy attention from elite basket-ball colleges, but in the meantime is leading Salesian to the upper echelons of Div. IV.

elisha davissCHOOl: BerkeleyyEAr: SeniorHt./POs.: 5-7 / GuardtHE dEtAils: The Arizona State-bound Davis is off-the-charts quick, but after the graduation of much of Berkeley’s firepower, she’s going to have to adjust to being the focus of the defense rather than just an afterthought.

the best of the best at season’s tiP-off

don’t sleeP on these PlayersOdErAH CHidOm (Bishop O’Dowd), 6-2, Forward, Jr. NAtAliE rOmEO (Carondelet), 5-7, Guard, Soph. AriEll bOstiCk (Bishop O’Dowd), 5-6, Guard, Jr.sOPHiE tAylOr (Acalanes), 6-2, Forward, Sr.mikAylA COwliNg (St. Mary’s), 6-1, Guard, Soph.


K.C. Waters laughs about it now. But there was a time when she was sick of hearing about Breanna Brown. “We didn’t really know of each other, but our Dad’s knew one another,” Waters

said. “And they would brag about us to each other. So her dad would come home telling her how good I’d been playing, and my dad would come home and say the same things about her.”

Oderah Chidom spent several years living just a few doors down from Ariell Bostick.

Only they never met until they each showed at a Bishop O’Dowd open gym as freshmen in 2009.

“She lived right down the street from me and I had never seen her before,” Bo-stick said. “But there just weren’t many parks or places where we might interact.”

Luckily for the Bishop O’Dowd girls basketball program, they found such a place at the school gymnasium. It was there that they also essentially met Waters and Brown for the first time.

All four demonstrated the skill to make the varsity team as freshmen, and two years later they represent the core of a team which begins the year ranked No. 6 in the state and is listed as a “must-see” on just about every collegiate scout’s recruiting list.

Each of them brings different skills and traits to the floor.“K.C. is just plain physical,” Brown said. “We play each other every day in prac-

tice. It’s often the best competition we face each week.”As for Chidom, the team has a nickname to describe her game. “Slinky,” said Waters. “That’s definitely the word.”Brown would add: “She has this move. I don’t know what it is, but the ball goes

in every time.”As for Bostick, Chidom probably put it best. “She’s a great point guard. She always knows where we are. I always have to

expect a pass from her.” The quartet burst onto the scene a year ago as sophomores, leading the Drag-

ons to a 25-8 record and the first state championship appearance in the program’s history. Once there, they were handed a 53-42 defeat at the hands of St. Joseph-Santa Margarita. It’s a loss that they haven’t easily forgotten.

“I have nightmares about it all the time,” Waters said. “I replay it a lot. It’s con-stantly on my mind.”

Certainly it didn’t help that when she and Chidom showed up to play for their AAU summer team in Southern California, they bumped into a familiar face. Waters and Chidom were speaking with the coach when 6-3 St. Joseph center Alyson Beebe walked by.

“The coach turned to her and casually asked her if she got her (state champion-ship) ring yet,” Waters said. “After a bit of an awkward pause, he realized it. ‘Oh, she played you guys, didn’t she?’ ... We saw that ring all summer long, and it’s just made us more hungry.”

Waters, Chidom and Brown make up a menacing frontcourt. Brown and Chi-dom both stand at 6-foot-3 and Waters is a long 6-2. Together with the lightning

ENtEr thEdragons

Fueled by four extremely talented juniors, the Bishop O’Dowd girls basketball team has

become a force to be reckoned withBy CHACE brysON | Editor

Jonathan Hawthorne


fast backcourt of Bostick and Randi Jackson, the Dragons are loaded with matchup nightmares for opponents.

“We had no answer for Waters,” said former Cam-polindo coach Clay Kallam following his team’s double-overtime loss to the Dragons in the North Coast Section Division III championship last season.

“She’s so agile and shoots so well that once she gets the ball near the basket there’s just not much you can do. And Chidom doesn’t allow you to concentrate on Waters be-cause she’ll hurt you in the paint as well.”

The quartet has always been talented, but its freshman year provided a key learning experience as it bided time behind an almost-equally talented senior class that fea-tured Robie Mayberry, Mikayla Lyles and Alexis Bostick (Ariell’s sister).

“I barely got any playing time that first year,” Chidom said. “But that senior group really took us under their wing. Seeing their growth and listening to their stories really motivated me to become the person and player I am today.”

The 2009-10 team went 27-3 before seeing its season end with a heartbreaking 50-48 loss to Sacramento High in the CIF Division III semifinal.

“Seeing my sister cry after that game was one of the most terrible things I’ve been through,” Ariell Bostick said. “She told me afterward to make her proud and do whatever I needed to do to get to the state championship.”

It only took them one season to get there. However, it didn’t play out the way they hoped. But after shedding a few tears, the Dragons’ postgame press conference had a bit more of a defiant vibe. There was a sense that if they got another shot, the result was going to be different.

Now they get to find out if that’s true.

The team will open the year as heavy favorites to win a fourth straight NCS Division III crown, and accomplish-ing that should secure a top two seed in the CIF Northern Regional bracket.

But carrying those expectations and following up on that success can carry a few pitfalls, too.

“Our first few weeks of practice, I think we automati-cally assumed that we could just fall right back into play-ing with each other. It wasn’t that easy,” Chidom said. “It took a little time for that good on-court chemistry to start to come back. We’re starting to look more and more like a team every day.”

When the team is clicking, there isn’t a button that coach Malik McCord can’t push, or an option he can’t go to.

Height, check. Speed, check. Quickness, check. Shoot-ing, check. Depth, check.

“Our versatility and our height is going to make us stand out from other teams,” Waters said. “We have every-thing that you could possibly need for a team. Our posts can play the wing, actually everyone can play multiple po-sitions on the team. That definitely helps.”

And from Bostick’s point of view, what’s not to like? She almost always has a big target to get the ball to, and if not, well that means she’s probably open to fire a 3-pointer.

But more than anything, she feels the team’s greatest strength will be determination — a collective will to re-turn to the Power Balance Arena in Sacramento and fin-ish what they started.

“We’ve had a target on our back ever since my sister graduated,” Bostick said. “We know that target is that much bigger now. If we stay focused and play good de-fense, we’re gonna get to where we want to be.” ✪

Butch Noble/SportStars fileBishop O’Dowd forward Oderah Chidom earned the nick-name “Slinky” from her teammates because she always

seems to be able to make the right move for a shot.


Red Zone

Gaels’ turnaround season under Wade has Dublin buzzing

When the season ended for the Dublin High football team on Dec. 2 — after a 35-0 North Coast Section Division II semifinal loss at top-seeded Windsor — there was almost assuredly some sadness in the knowledge that gear would need to be turned in on Monday.

But there wasn’t disappointment. There was no need to be. The Gaels had been playing with house money, having already reached their goals for the season.

Even more than that, there might’ve even been some hope and excite-ment that permeated the postgame chatter between some of the Dublin underclassmen after the game.

And maybe most important of all, there may have been even been talk of future Gaels football success among the fans and student body.

“That might have been the coolest part of the last few weeks,” Dublin senior quarterback Ed Achziger said two days before the Windsor loss. “Having students and teachers really caring about the football program has been great. Just seeing the com-

munity and school change and rally around us.”How did they get there?

Well it started with the arrival of coach John wade, who last spring left a highly-successful Miramonte program to begin remaking the Gaels. Wade was taking over

a program that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2005 and had gone a combined 13-37 in the five years since.

Wade’s Miramonte teams had a combined record of 42-21 in those same years.

When Wade took the job he knew he was already behind the 8-ball in terms of timing. He and his staff would not only have just the spring and summer months to implement new offensive and defensive systems, but they’d also have to learn who their personnel were and get those players to buy-in.

First things first: he needed to reach the seniors.“Whenever there is a coaching change during your senior year,

you’re gonna get a little nervous and it’s gonna be a little stressful,” said Achziger, who was set to begin his

third year as the Gaels’ starting quarterback. “From the first time I’d talked to Coach

(Wade), I knew that his personality was going to match well with the kids we had at Dublin.”

Achziger and fellow senior leaders Jabari davis (WR), zach tucker (LB) and Clint Jackman (OL/DL) set a tone and work-ethic that instantly began to make things easier on Wade.

“It’s been all business from the beginning, and it’s a testament to those guys,” Wade said.

The team opened the year with two strong wins, outscoring Benicia and Galt by a combined score of 73-12. After a hiccup to Livermore, the Gaels picked up two more wins and headed into the second week of October with a 4-1 record.

On Oct. 14, the team ran into an undefeated Cam-polindo team which throttled it 42-14. But the following

By CHACE brysON | Editor

Dublin

Dublin coach John wade


Red Zone

wide receiver Jabari davis


Red Zone

week, during a 10-9 loss at Las Lomas, was when Wade really started to get fired up about his new squad.

“If you’re going to make the jump from middle part of the league to the top, you need to knock off one of those upper echelon teams,” Wade said. “During that Las Lomas game (a brutal 10-9 loss sealed on a blocked PAT kick), I felt we were able to match their physicality. And I thought to myself that If we get into the playoffs, we’re equipped enough to go toe-to-toe with people. So even though we lost the football game, it answered a question.”

Needing a win to truly punch their at-large berth into the NCS Div. II field, the Gaels stomped Dougherty Valley 40-0 on Nov. 10. Nine days later they opened the playoffs with a 35-7 first-round romp over Ukiah.

However, that was all prelude to an epic quarterfinal that featured three ties and five lead changes before Dublin eliminated Diablo Valley Athletic League champion College Park 49-42 in double overtime.

“It was one of the most exciting games that I’ve been in-volved with,” Wade said. “Both teams were down by 14 or 15 points once or twice in the game. It was just a classic game,

and one I’ll never forget.”The roller coaster game ended after

Achziger put the Gaels up 49-42 on a 6-yard touchdown run, and Davis intercepted College Park quarterback Jordan louis on the ensuing Falcons possession.

“Last year, we had a tendency that if something bad happened or we fell behind, we would have a tough time recovering,” Achziger said. “This year, we just rolled onto the next play. There were a lot of negative things that happened to us in the course of that game, but we never seemed to worry about it.”

Even though Achziger, Davis and other key seniors will graduate, the future might look even brighter for the Gaels in 2012. Dublin was bolstered by a very deep junior class that features plenty of talent.

“Half of this team was juniors,” Wade said. “We started the year without having a single guy that had been in a playoff game. Now we’ll go into next year with half the team knowing what it takes to win, and what to expect.”

If this year’s playoff run was any indication, the expecta-tions of the school and community will be different as well. ✪

Photos by Phillip WaltonDublin quarterback Ed Achziger


StOlE thE ShOW

December 8, 2011

The most memorable moment of Chris Shipe’s memorable high school football ca-reer was taking a knee.

This was no obligatory, run-of-the-mill, end to a football game mind you.

This was on the floor of an NFL stadium — the Oakland Coliseum — on a damp and muddy field at the end of long and strategic and bitterly fought game.

“Frankly, I was trying to settle our guys down,” Shipe said. “They were all celebrating early. I didn’t want anything stupid to hap-pen.”

Shipe, a long and lean and talented Pitts-burgh High quarterback, took the snap, took the knee and the history of prep football in the Bay Area would never be the same.

On the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor — Dec. 7, 1991 — Pittsburg ended the 34-game win streak of De La Salle-Concord with a 35-27 North Coast Section championship-game victory.

Remarkably, 20 years later, De La Salle not only hasn’t lost another NCS playoff game since, but it hasn’t lost to a Northern Califor-nia opponent period — a span of 222 games with 220 victories and two ties.

The Spartans go for their 20th straight NCS title Dec. 10 back at the Oakland Coliseum, this time against San Ramon Valley-Danville.

Former De La Salle players and current coaches say that the loss ignited a firestorm within the program, leading directly to the start of a national record 151-game win streak and at least six mythical national champion-ships.

“It all started there,” said Patrick Walsh, De La Salle’s star junior tailback on that 1991 team and current head coach at Serra-San Mateo. “That was the most pain I ever felt in my life after a game and none of us wanted to feel it again. Pittsburg pushed us to the brink.”

That wasn’t the Pirates’ intent. It was simply to bring back another NCS title to Pittsburg following titles in 1980 and 1985.

And the fact it was in an NFL stadium

against the despised private-school Spartans, who were just beginning to gain national at-tention, was icing on the cake.

Very sweet icing.“I remember the final seconds winding

down and seeing the utter joy of my team-mates, my friends, my coaches,” said Shipe, now the head football coach at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. “It’s a vision I’ll never forget.”

It’s the same sight then Pittsburg coach Herc Pardi shares and has carried with him throughout a successful football and base-ball coaching career. He coaches both now at Clayton Valley-Concord.

“It was more of a feeling really,” he said. “The feeling of an entire community coming together and seeing it through. I can still see the faces of my family, the team’s family, the long-time Pittsburg fanatics.

“Quite frankly, it was one of the greatest sports moments in a city rich in sports tradi-tion.”

no de la salle MystiQueAs De La Salle’s Northern California and

NCS streak grows, the more famous the event and the game becomes.

Like member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins — the only team to go through an entire NFL season undefeated at 17-0 — who openly root against unbeaten teams in order to keep their record alive, do the Pirates from 1991 find themselves rooting for De La Salle?

“I wouldn’t say I root for them,” Shipe said. “Especially against Pittsburg. But I don’t root against them either.”

Aaron Alatorre, a starting receiver on the 1991 squad, who currently teaches special education at Pittsburg and is an assistant football coach at LMC, said he roots for De La Salle out of the area.

“I would love their streak to end against a Pittsburg squad,” he said. “Or someone out in East County.”

That doesn’t appear likely any time soon.

The gap has widened largely since the days when Alatorre, Shipe and a talented, spir-ited and most of all fearless group of Pirates played.

The De La Salle mystique had not yet infil-trated Pittsburg’s psyche. Not by a long shot.

The seniors on the team, including run-ning backs Percy McGee and Derrick Huff-man, receiver Mike Gargalikis, two-way lineman John Buxton, linebackers Anthony Shipe (Chris’ cousin) and Dyshun Beshears, and receiver Greg Quesada, had defeated De La Salle at lower levels. Handily even.

McGee, Chris Shipe, Beshears and Buxton all had successful college careers at Humboldt State. Quesada earned a scholarship to Wash-ington.

And the team’s top player was a junior, of-fensive tackle and defensive end Regan Up-shaw, who starred at Cal and in the NFL. Sophomore linebacker Charlie Ramirez and defensive back Leif Hall were other standouts.

Besides all that talent, Pardi had just re-placed Larry Rodriguez as head coach after leading the Pirates JV team to back-to-back 10-0 seasons.

“That team was very talented and we knew it,” De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said. “They were also very well coached. We knew they were going to give us problems.”

Pardi had superb assistants, starting with defensive coordinator Jerry Halfrich (now at American River College), along with Lenny Davis, Sam Quinones and Joe Aliotti, brother of current Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.

Joe Aliotti, one of Pittsburg’s all-time great quarterbacks who starred at Boise State, is now an assistant at De La Salle and school Dean. He wanted the head coaching job Ro-driguez vacated, but Pardi was a proven com-modity.

The brain-trust worked together to per-haps outcoach one of the most famous staffs in high school football.

“We knew what we wanted to do,” Pardi

thE NIGht thE PIratES

After 20 years, Pittsburg’s 1991 section title victory remains one of most famous in state historyBy mitCH stEPHENs | Contributor


FAr lEFt: The excitement and energy of the postgame celebration, described by then-Pittsburg

coach Herc Pardi as “an in-

credible buzz,” is perfectly encom-

passed in the team photograph

taken on the field and in front of the Oakland

Coliseum score-board. Pardi

said the celebra-tion lasted well into the night

once the team returned to

Pittsburg. “It was a magical night,” he concluded.

(Courtesy of the Pardi Family.)

At lEFt: Pittsburg’s

Eric Alston (3) hurdles over a punishing block thrown

by a teammate. Alston scored

the game’s first touchdown on a 25-yard reverse.

It marked the first time De La Salle had trailed

all season. (Courtesy of The Bancroft Library,

University of California, Berkeley).


said. “And we had kids with the talent and know-how to get it done.”

‘see you in deceMber’Most of all, they had a swagger.The Pirates lost a 28-16 game to De La Salle

during the regular season, “but we knew we could play with them,” Pardi said.

And Pardi knew De La Salle knew.After the first game when the two coaches

shook hands, Pardi told De La Salle coach Bob Ladoucer: “See you in December.”

Said Eidson: “They could have easily beat-en us the first game. They just missed on three bombs or they would have gotten us.”

When the Pirates walked into the Coliseum that night, Alatorre said the game was theirs.

“We all sprinted over to the base paths,” he said. “I remember us all talking about this is where Rickey Henderson steals bases. We were relaxed. In the moment.

“I remember when De La Salle took the field. They just looked stiff. Business like. I felt right then that we had them.”

Pardi had a good hunch at halftime. Shipe, who completed 29 touchdowns to just two in-terceptions all season according to Pardi, had fired a pair of crisp TD passes to tie the game at 21 heading into intermission.

“All our guys sprinted into the locker room,” Pardi said. “They couldn’t wait to get ready for the second half. And they sprint-ed out of the locker room too. I remember thinking to myself, ‘My God we’re going to win this thing.’ “

Added to the enthusiasm was a secret plan devised by Aliotti. It was basically the spread offense — new to the world back then — that Aliotti had brought with him from Boise State.

The Pirates had practiced it all week and it caught the Spartans off guard.

“They ran a five receiver set and we hadn’t seen it that year,” said Eidson, who was in his first season as defensive coordinator. “It defi-nitely caught us by surprise.”

The short passing game led to a long drive and touchdown to put Pittsburg up 28-21 and after a Walsh touchdown and missed extra point, one of the most famous plays in Bay Area prep football transpired.

sea of black and orangeDriving to what looked to be a go-ahead

touchdown, De La Salle quarterback Ali Abrew, pressured by Beshears, threw a short pass that was intercepted by McGee at the Pittsburg 21.

The All-East Bay running back, inserted on defense to make a big play, sprinted down the De La Salle sideline 79 yards for the score to go up with 2:15 left. He was escorted most of the way by Upshaw.

“As soon as I scored I knew we had won the game,” McGee told Neil Hayes in his book about De La Salle entitled “When the Game Stands Tall.”

That’s funny, because Chris Shipe didn’t.

He ran to the dog pile in the end zone and one-by-one pulled players up to get off the field. All signs of a future coach.

“I didn’t want to get a penalty and give them good field position,” Shipe said. “They still had plenty of time.”

De La Salle completed a pair of passes to future NFL great Amani Toomer on the next drive, but Beshears sacked Abrew, forced a fumble and Upshaw recovered, setting up Shipe’s memorable taking of the knee.

More Pardi recollections:“Gatorade bath,” Pardi said. “Hysteria. I

remember my wife (Roxanne) running onto the field and hugging me. I asked her how she got on the field because the security was so tight. She said, ‘I told them they can arrest me but right now I have to congratulate my husband.’ ”

The celebration followed in the stands. Pardi said close to 20,000 showed up that night, making it the largest Coliseum crowd for an NCS event. “There was a sea of black and orange everywhere,” he said. “There was an incredible buzz.”

And the bus ride back to Pittsburg?“A dream,” Pardi said. “Phenomenal.”At the end of the bus ride was a giant re-

ception at school.“The town didn’t sleep much,” Pardi said.

“We all hung out. It was a magical night.”It lasted more than one evening, Alatorre

said. “We celebrated for two or three weeks,” he said. “TV stations showed up. There were parades in town. It was just a completely dif-ferent feel in town. It was such an ordeal.

“Funny, because it’s 20 years later and it’s still an ordeal.” ✪

Mitch Stephens is a national columnist for MaxPreps.com.

Butch NobleChris Shipe, the 1991 Pittsburg

quarterback, is now the coach at Los Medanos College.

35SportStars™Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

Screening for cardiac disease prior to participation in athletics is a hot topic these days. The American Heart Association has a 12-element recommendation for

inclusion in any pre-participation physical examination of young athletes. Included are a personal and family history (verified by a parent or guardian), and physical examination that encompasses listening for a heart murmur, checking blood pressure and heart rate.

It is not recommended to perform an electro cardiogram on all athletes. With a 10 percent false positive/false nega-tive rate, the accuracy of the testing often leaves a family with unneccessary anxiety, and can just as frequently not catch the cardiac issue.

In Italy, where there is a national health care system, all young athletes are required to have an EKG prior to participation (a trend that may ultimately hit U.S. shores). However, Italy still has an incidence rate of 1in 200,000 sudden cardiac deaths of young athletes. Ironically, the rate of sudden cardiac death in the U.S. is no different. So given the expense and lack of any significant decrease in incidence rates, currently EKG’s are not recommended as a component of the pre-participation physical examination.

In the past year alone, Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland has received eight young athletes who have suffered cardiac arrest. Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) revived all of them. Only one continues to suffer a lasting impact of being stricken, due to a delay in receiving the life saving intervention of defibrillation.

Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) are important life saving devices that should be readily available in all public places where athletics occur. Unfortunately they have not yet become as common a sight as an exit sign, or fire extinguisher. It is the one item that no one wants to ever use; yet everyone should have access to. The AED is designed for simplicity, with verbal instruction and pictures to guide the user through the action of saving a life.

The problem remains, however, that we as a society have not yet reached the tipping point of having the expectation of finding an AED in any building, field of play, or sporting venue we may find ourselves in. The good news is we are not very far off.

The public’s awareness is rising, with CPR classes covering the use of AEDs, news and print media covering the issues, and the universal sign of a heart with a lightning bolt becom-ing more common place. Still, more advocacies are needed and it is the public’s pressure on institutions that wins the money to make the AED a pervasive sight. That advocacy is the responsibility of us all. ✪

Bruce Valentine is a physical therapist assistant for the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek. If you have questions or comments regarding the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes staff at [email protected].

December 8, 2011

Bruce Valentinehealth Watch

heart of the matter: Defibrillators need to be more commonplace

Perhaps the biggest myth when it comes to Pilates is the notion that it’s meant solely for women. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Meet Antone, a wrestler, swimmer, boxer and track athlete.Obviously a multi-sport athlete, Antone practically lives in

the gym. But because of the intensity of his workouts and the extreme physicality of the sports he plays, he has sustained severe knee injuries over the years, tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL and Medial Meniscus.

He has also had very “upset” shoulders including torn ro-tator cuffs, a detached clavicle, and a torn bicep tendon. In addition he has had painful leg injuries that have included pulled hip flexors and groin muscles.

Ouch.“I enjoy pushing myself to the limits,” Antone said. “When

it comes to training and exercise.”Through his many years of athletic injuries, Antone has

tried modality after modality to keep him out of pain and performing on the field/ring/mat.

“I have had many coaches, trainers, and physical thera-pists,” Antone said.

“But the one thing I could’ve used the most was Pilates. Too bad I thought it was only for girls.”

The look on Antone’s face was priceless when Tonya Amos, founder of Aspire Pilates, revealed that Joseph Pilates was a

wrestler and boxer.“I feel my athleticism would have greatly benefited,” An-

tone said. “And it would have helped me from getting injured.”Antone was dragged to Pilates by his girlfriend. He liked

that all of the exercises combined strength, flexibility and bal-ance, which made for a streamlined, powerful workout.

“Before I discovered Pilates, I would do thousands of ab ex-ercises to strengthen my core, which gave me a great six pack but not a stable core,” Antone said. “With Pilates I learned how to really engage my hamstrings which increased overall strength and speed.

“I also realized that I was not stretching important muscle groups which inevitably led to injury. Tonya’s keen eye is able to see unhealthy movement patterns in just a short time. I never thought Pilates could be so beneficial.”

The beauty of Pilates is that it’s for athletes of all walks and disciplines. It can maximize your body’s potential even if you’re already incredibly strong and fit like Antone.

“What Antone found with Pilates was a deeper level of full body strength derived from the power of his core and stability of his joints,” Amos said. “Strength that he had never before realized was possible.

“Combine all of that and you get a faster, stronger and more agile Antone with even more “weapons” in his athletic arsenal.”

To learn more about Pilates or to sign up for a class, check out www.aspirepilates.com. ✪

Pilates workouts benefit any athlete, male or femaleBy Erik stOrdAHl | SportStars

Aspire Pilates


tee2green

As a non-profit, the success of The First Tee is largely dependent upon a Board of Directors. We have been very fortunate over the past several months to add new members to the board and even more fortunate that

those members’ backgrounds and experiences are very diverse.Recently we celebrated the recruitment to our Board of one of the all-time

great women’s collegiate golf coaches, Nancy McDaniel — the found-ing coach of the Cal women’s golf team who is responsible for directing one of the most highly-regarded golf programs in the country. We are so excited to have Nancy serving on the program committee. Nancy’s role will be to provide guidance and goal assistance to program par-ticipants, as well as to provide on-going golf education and training for our volunteer coaches.

We had a chance to pose some questions to Nancy about how she got her start in golf, what she has learned from the game and what she hopes to contribute to The First Tee of Oakland.

■ How did you get your start in golf?My start in golf came as an 8-year old in Oregon. Volunteer parents

would take us out on a four-hole course and wait patiently for each junior to finish each hole. Looking back, patience was the key word for both player and parent. I played in high school, beginning as an individual at a school that did not sponsor a girls golf team and was quickly motivated to start one. I found out quickly that it takes parents to get you out on the course and friends to keep you there.

■ What has golf taught you about life?What has golf NOT taught me about life? There are so many life lessons. As a

junior golfer, it taught me full accountability. As a collegiate player, it taught me persistence. As a young professional, I learned passion.

■ What made you decide to become a Board member with The First Tee of Oakland?

Many of my dear friends are active Board members of their respective First Tee Chapters, and this has always piqued my interest. To be asked to be a part of something that is changing lives in youth in your town is a privilege.

■ What has your experience with The First Tee of Oakland been like?When two young people walked up to the first practice I was observing, and

when they took off their hats, extended their hands to say, “Hello my name is. . . “ as they each shook my hand boldly, I about fell down. It was then I realized how impactful this program can be.

■ Are there similarities in coaching college students versus the First Tee kids?

I wish all my student-athletes had the opportunity to go through the First Tee program. I think it may have helped with confidence and dealing with adversity, and there is no question it would help with basic introductions and respect. The ones that were with the First Tee have a great perspective on sport and life.

■ Given the diversity of the players at TFTO, what might you say with regard to golf becoming a more diverse sport?

I love that through The First Tee we are seeing so much more diversity in golf. Breaking the barrier from it being a country club sport to a regular-person’s sport really reminds me of Scotland. When you play there, it’s just what the people do. It’s not special, and you are not special because you play. It’s a way of life — a means to be outside and enjoy camaraderie with friends and family. ✪

First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring administrators of four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee — Contra Costa, Oakland, San Jose and Tri-Valley. April Kenyon is the executive director for the The First Tee of Oakland. Check out your local chapter by visiting one of the following websites: www.TheFirst-TeeContraCosta.org, www.TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.TheFirstTeeSanJose.org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org

Cal women’s coach brings her passion for golf to the First tee of Oakland

april KenyonFirst tee Files


Welcome to the fun part, the race! Your first triathlon is all about having a good

experience. You’ve put in all the training, you are ready physically, now enjoy your special day. You should not expect to do everything right on your first race, so make it fun and memorable.

choosing your first raceIf this is your first triathlon season, choose a fun race

where some of your friends or people you know will also be competing. This will give you something positive and fun to look forward to on race day, and will help lessen your anxiety.

You may want to choose a race close to home, so all your friends and family can come watch you, or a race where you have volunteered.

For training purposes, choose a race at least three months before you begin your season, so you have enough time to build a base, train well, and be ready physically.

goals and first race strategyGoals are important for your training, and your race.

Most people think the only goals that exist are time goals, but, especially for your first race, how you race and how you feel during and at the end of the race are more important. Just like practices, you should feel like after each part of the race you can do the next part.

There are different types of race goals. Your goals will

differ based on your race experience, your athletic background, and how many races you’ve participated in.

If this is your first triathlon, your goal should be pace well, and finish strong. I usually suggest to my first time racers to build into each section. What that means is to start at 10 percent of your top speed at the begin-ning of each section, and work up to 80 percent. The better you are at each section, the faster you will reach and hold 80% within that part of the race.

By setting pace, overall feel during and after each part, and being prepared in transition, your training and racing will be more interesting and your times will drop without directly trying.

If this is your first set of triathlons, your first race may be to finish and pace well. After that race, write a race re-port. Write down your entire experience, while noting areas you did well, and areas you could improve.

For your second race, choose the low hanging fruit, the

areas of improvement you can improve easily. For example, not sitting during transition one.

Managing race anxietyMost triathletes, especially for those experiencing their

first triathlon, will have some anxiety surrounding prepara-tion — what to do the week of, during the race morning and race itself.

Anxiety is totally normal, even for seasoned racers. It is good to feel some anxiety or nervousness before racing, as that is fueled by adrenaline (the juice that gets you go-ing). But you don’t want anxiety to take you over. If you have followed your training plan, and stuck to training patterns, you are each prepared, and whatever happens is what hap-pens.

Overall, have a great time! Enjoy your first race, it will only happen once. Ask any triathlete, your first race will be something you’ll

remember forever. When you cross the finish line, you will be a triathlete. ✪

Liz Elliott is the head coach of the Tri-Valley Triathlon Club based in Dublin. Liz specializes in preparing beginner triathletes for their first race(s). Liz just completed her second Ironman in August, bettering her performance in every aspect of the race. Contact her at [email protected]. Find the first four installments of TriSteps in issues #28, 31, 33 and 35. All can be accessed at www.SportStarsOnline.com.

December 8, 2011

Your first race: the basics for competing in your debut triathlon

Liz Elliott


Today I want to share an abridged version of “7 Reasons Why Pitchers

Shouldn’t Throw Year Round,” by Eric Cressey. Cressey is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the world, and one of my go-to resources when it comes to training this population. To learn more about Eric and to read the complete article go to www.ericcressey.com

There are those who insist baseball pitchers don’t need time off from throwing. I couldn’t disagree more.

I’m sure this will rub some folks the wrong way, but I can’t say that I really care, as most of those individuals can’t rationalize their perspectives outside of “guys need to work on stuff.” I, on the other hand, have seven reasons why baseball pitchers need time off from throwing:

1. They need to lose external rotation to gain anterior stability.

Just going on year-round throwing programs in hopes of increasing external rotation seems like a good idea on paper. It’s actually a terrible idea in the context of inju-ry prevention. Pitchers should intentionally lose a few degrees of external rotation each offseason, as it affords them an opportunity to improve their stability.

2. They need a chance to get their cuff strength and scapular stability up.

At the end of a season, the strength of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers is significantly reduced. Having dealt with many of our players for up to five offseasons, I have a unique appreciation for how each responds differently to not only the stress of the season, but also to arm care programs that we initiate at season’s end.

3. They need an opportunity to do dedicated manual resistance rotator cuff exercises.

Ask anyone who has worked with throw-ers for any length of time, and they’ll always tell you that manual resistance exercises are the single best option for improving rotator

cuff strength. 4. They need to get their

shoulder and elbow range of motion back.

What you need to know is that significant eccentric stress can lead to tissue shortening. Im-mediately after a pitching outing, pitchers lose an average of 9.5 de-grees of shoulder internal rotation and 3.2 degrees of elbow exten-sion — and these losses persist at 24 hours after throwing

5. They need to “dissipate” eccentric stress.

If I already have a guy whose arm is work-ing at a deficit for 8-9 months of throwing, the last thing I want to do is beat him up for the other three months with the same kind of volume and stress.

6. They need to allow any undetected low-grade injuries to heal.

Old, low-level injuries are less likely to reach threshold if you give them some downtime and work on redistributing training stress. By strengthening the rest of your body in the off-season, you’re dramatically reducing the demands on your rotator cuff with throwing.

7. They need a chance to prioritize other competing demands.

There are other things that need to be pri-oritized at this time, and year-round throw-ing is an especially tough pill to swallow when you know that throwing is working against many of the very qualities — rotator cuff strength, scapular stability, mobility, and tissue quality – that you’re trying to establish.

The lack of downtime from throwing is es-pecially problematic in younger populations, as they are skeletally immature and weaker. I firmly believe that pitchers need the ball completely out of their hands for at least two months per year, preferably continuously. ✪

Tim Rudd is an International Youth Condition-ing Association specialist in youth condi-tioning (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 [email protected].

December 8, 2011

Tim Rudd for IYCA training time

Eric Cressey’s SEVEN rEaSONS

why pitchers need rest


camps + clinics

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the First tee - san JoseThe First Tee of San Jose develops youth throughout Silicon Valley, through the game of golf. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals. We welcome participants ranging from second to 12th grade. Scholarships available. Info: 408-288-2973; www.thefirstteesanjose.org.The First Tee - Tri-valleyThe First Tee of the Tri-Valley offers The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes seasonally, for ages 7-17, at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Info: 925-462-7201, www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.lACrOssEAtherton lacrosseOur lacrosse camps are designed for boys and girls ages 5-14, who are beginner or intermediate players. Our group of coaches and staff are leaders in the lacrosse community. Info: 888-526-3330, www.AthertonLacrosse.com.sportformBased in Concord, Sportform provides individual and team instruction in baseball, softball and lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Perform! Info: 925-459-2880, www.sportform.co.mArtiAl Artsunited states karate systemsUSKS offers adult and children’s programs, kickboxing fitness, mixed martial arts. Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family. 925-682-9517; www.usksmartialarts.com.mOtOrsPOrtskeigwins@thetrackWe conduct motorcycle schools and practice events (“track days”) in the West at famous race tracks. For experienced motorcyclists looking to improve skills and build confidence. Riders provide their own motorcycles and protective gear. Keigwins@theTrack takes care of everything else. Info: www.keigwin.com; 650-949-5609.

December 8, 2011

sign-uP tiMeReserve a spot now for a workout with San Ramon Fast Pitch Softball and San Ramon Baseball. Spots are limited for the 2012 spring season. Leagues for 9U to 14U. Go to www.sanramonfastpitchsoftball.com or www.sanramonbaseball.com to learn more.


❒ A A A Northern California, Nevada & Utah .................10

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umigoLearn passing techniques, cornering techniques, throttle & breaking techniques, advance seat position, kart operation, kart control, real racing, and improving your lap times. Racers must be at least 10 years old and at least four feet, 10 inches tall. Two- and four-day camps are available. Info: www.umigoracing.com.OutdOOr sPOrtsBear valley MountainSoccer, Archery, Tennis, Climbing, Cycling ...

If there’s an outdoor activity you enjoy, there’s a good chance you can do it Bear Valley Mountain. Info: www.bearvalley.com.University of SurfingInstructor Matt Cole offers lessons/camps in Pacifica. 650-359-1425, [email protected]; www.universityofsurfing.com.sOCCErHeritage Soccer ClubThe Pleasant Hill/Martinez-

based competitive soccer club welcomes players ages 8-18. Top-flight coaching staff with experience spanning years in the high school and college ranks teach new skills and help hone existing ones. Info: www.heritagesc.com.swimmiNg/diviNgwalnut Creek Swim ClubWCSC is a recreational team, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Led by the experience of coach Brad Hoy, the staff is the finest in the area. WCSC believes in finding the healthy balance between competition and family fun. Sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek, Info: 925-766-5664, www.walnutcreekswimclub.org.Sherman Swim SchoolWe are a Lafayette swimming and diving school celebrating our 50th year. Our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain, and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Info: 925-283-2100, www.ShermanSwim.com.vOllEybAllpacific Rim volleyballWe offer several skill-based camps and clinics, including setting camp, hitting camp and an all-skills camp. Campers will be evaluated and placed in a group that challenges their level of play. Registration for beach volleyball is going on now as well. Info: www.pacificrimvolleyball.com.U.S. youth volleyball LeagueWe’re the leader in developing and maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, we seek to build confidence and self-esteem in each child. Info: 1-888-988-7985; www.USYVL.org.multi-sPOrtCity of Concord skyhawks sportsSkyhawks Sports & the City of Concord team up to provide safe, fun and skills-focused sports camps for ages 4-12. Camps range from soccer to lacrosse to our popular multi-sport camp where kids sample three different sports (Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball) in one camp. Info: 925-671-3404; www.concordreg.org.


imPuLse SSM liked the style of Alex Martin’s

Urban Cutz & Clothing ad (last issue #36) so much that we set up an Impulse shoot. It turned into a “twofer” and included the store’s next door neighbor, Metro Skate-shop. Here’s all the trendy gear you need for the kids on your holiday list.

AHmAd (lEFt): He’s the senior point guard for Ygnacio Valley High. Haircut by Ivan. Flag Snapback Pink+Dolphin hat $45; Play Cloths hoodie $145; DTA tee $25; Gourmet shoes $60; G-Shock watch $200 ... CHris (rigHt): He is YV’s sophomore forward. Haircut by Jerron. Pink+Dolphin Waves beanie $35; Rock-smith jacket $112; 9five eyewear $80; DTA te e $25; Flüd watch $100; Creative Recreation Capri’s $125. Go YVHS War-riors! ... JustiN (iNsEt): He is wearing Metro’s skater gear. KREW hat $18.99; Metro tee $18.99; 9; Brixton vest/hoodie $89.99; Ambiguous Pants $64.99; NIKE SB backpack $50; Real board $46.99; Emerica shoes $59.99.

Urban Cutz & Clothing, 1106 Contra Costa Bl., Pleasant Hill. (925) 708-3832. www.UrbanCutz.biz. Metro’s next store. www.MetroSkateShop.com

*Name____________________________________________________________ Address (optional) _____________________________________________________________

*City/State ___________________________ *Zip______________ Phone (optional) __________________ E-mail: _______________________________________________

CHECk tHE mOst APPrOPriAtE OPtiON FOr EACH. All iNFOrmAtiON HEld iN CONFidENCE

NumbEr OF PEOPlE liviNg iN yOur HOmE: Male: Age(s) __ / __ / __ / __ / __ Female: Age(s) __ / __ / __ / __ / __

HOmE OwNErsHiP:❏ I own my home❏ I rent/lease❏ I live with my parents

EduCAtiON: ❏ Pre High School❏ In High School❏ High School Grad❏ Some College❏ College Grad❏ Post

ANNuAl HOusEHOld iNCOmE❏ Less than $35,000❏ $35,001 to $50 000❏ $50,001 to $75,000❏ $75,001 - $100,000❏ $100,001 - $150,000❏ above $150,000

dO yOu OwN:A mobile/smart phone?❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or moreA credit card?❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or moreA laptop/tablet?❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or moreA car?❏ No ❏ One ❏ Two or moreSocial Media do you use:❏ Faceboook ❏ Twitter

ArE yOu: ❏ Female ❏ Male❏ Married ❏ Single❏ Age 12 or below❏ 13 to 19❏ 20 to 25❏ 26 to 35

❏ 36 to 45❏ 46 to 55❏ Over 55

❏ Student❏ Full-time employed❏ Part-time employed❏ Self-employed❏ Not employed❏ Retired

iN wHiCH sPOrts dO yOu rEgulArly pARTICIpATe? Check all that apply❏ Baseball/Softball❏ Basketball❏ Cheer/Gymnastics❏ Endurance: Swim/Bike/Run❏ Equestrian❏ Football❏ Golf❏ Hockey❏ Lacrosse❏ Motorsports/BMX/Skateboarding❏ Outdoor/Adventure/Snow board/Ski/ Mountaineering ❏ Rugby❏ Self Defense/ Wrestling/Fencing❏ Soccer❏ Tennis/Racquet sports❏ Volleyball❏ Other _____________

wHiCH sPOrts dO yOu wAtCH rEgulArly (check all that apply)High School Sports❏ In person ❏ On TVteen league sports❏ In person ❏ On TVCollege Sports❏ In person ❏ On TVPro sports❏ In person ❏ On TVJr. sports (younger than high school)❏ In person ❏ On TV

wHAt OtHEr sPOrts PubliCAtiONs dO yOu rEgulArly ReAD?❏ Pro sports magazines❏ College sports maga-zines❏ High School sports magazines❏ Endurance magazines (swim, bike, run)❏ Outdoor / Adventure magazinesDo you primarily read these magazines:❏ In print ❏ Online

dO yOu PArtiCiPAtE iN gAmEs Or tOurNAmENtsAS A COACH? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionallyTeAM pAReNT? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionallypLAyeR? ❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionally

gOlFDo you consider yourself an: ❏ avid golfer ❏ Sunday golfer ❏ Occasional golferHow often do you golf? ❏ weekly ❏ monthly ❏ annuallyHow much do you spend per year onGreens Fees $___________ Equipment $___________

eNDURANCe: (SwIM, BIKe, RUN)How often do you participate in Running, Biking &/or Swimming/Diving?❏ routinely ❏ somewhat often ❏ occasionallytypes: ❏ Fun runs (5k/10k) ❏ Marathons ❏ Triathalons

AbOut sPOrtstArs mAgAziNEPlEAsE rANk EACH OF tHE FOllOwiNg sECtiONs iN OrdEr

wITH ‘1’ AS yOUR FAvORITe, eTC...:(rank as many as you can)

__ First Pitch (Editors Opening Column)__ Behind the Clipboard (Coaching Advice Column)__ Health Watch (Medical / Health Advice Column)__ Locker Room (Quick & Fun: Rapid Fire/Digits/Top 5)__ Game Day (Breaking Game Coverage)__ AAA SportStars of the Week (Honoring teen athletes)__ Training Time (Training Tips & Techniques)__ Club Scene (News & Coverage of league play)__ Features (In-depth stories on players and teams)__ In the Paint (Basketball Coverage - seasonal)__ Red Zone (Football Coverage - seasonal)__ Extra Bases (Baseball/Softball Coverage - seasonal)__ Tee2Green (Golf)__ TriSTARS (Endurance: Swim/Bike/Run, Outdoor & Adventure)__ Camps & Clinics (Resource)__ Impulse (New Products)__ 24/7 (Events Calendar)__ Photo Finish (Last Page Photo)

How often do you read SportStars Magazine?❏ Every issue ❏ 3 out of every 4 issues ❏ 1 or 2 of every 4 issues

How would you classify yourself as a SportStars Magazine reader?❏ I read it cover to cover ❏ I read most of the articles❏ I read one or two articles each issue

do you prefer to read sportstars magazine...Print Edition ❏ Daily ❏ Every issue ❏ Monthlyinternet Edition ❏ Daily ❏ Every issue ❏ Monthly

How long do you spend reading each issue: ❏ More than one hour ❏ 30 minutes to one hour❏ Less than 30 minutes

How many others read your copy of SportStars Magazine? ❏ 1 ❏ 2-4 ❏ 5-7 ❏ 8-10 ❏ more than 10

Do you keep your copies for future reference?❏ Always ❏ Often ❏ Sometimeswhere do you pick up your copy of SportStars Magazine?

❏ School ❏ Restaurant ❏ Retail store ❏ Gym/health club ❏ I subscribe ❏ OtherName of location ___________________________________

How often do you visit our website?❏ Daily ❏ Weekly ❏ Monthly ❏ other

would you say reading SportStars Magazine influences your decision to:

❏ Play sports ❏ Buy sports equipment/goods ❏ Work out/stay healthy ❏ Eat healthy ❏ Watch sports

would you say you use SportStars Magazine to choose:❏ Where to play sports ❏ Where to watch sports❏ Where to select a camp or clinic ❏ Other _________________________________________

wHAt subJECts dO yOu tHiNk tHErE sHOuld bE MORe COveRAge OF IN SpORTSTARS MAgAzINe?

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

Contest ends Dec. 15, 2011. No purchase necessary to win or enter. Return this survey to SportStars Magazine c/o Reader Survey Prize, 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521 or fax to (925) 566-8507.


want to submit your pic for photo Finish? Send it to us at [email protected]. Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format. Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information.

Del Oro-Loomis defensive back Russell Smith (26) goes airborne into the end zone to intercept a pass intended for

Oakdale’s Justin Martin during the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III championship on Dec. 2.

PHOtO by James k. leash

eb issue 37 dec. 8, 2011

Documents

manager butch noble

sample issues

jonathan hawthorne

executives erik stordahl

subscription rates

clayton rd

editorial contributions

llc5356 clayton