High School Sports

Casa Grande football: 2010 non-league schedule

PrepSports — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:54:09 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
The Casa Grande football team’s 2010 non-league schedule will include Ygnacio Valley, a perennial power from the Diablo Valley League. Ygnacio Valley has won at least one playoff game for the past five years, has a 23-11 record over the past three seasons and won the North Coast Section Class 2A East Bay title in 2005. The Warriors went 9-3 last year.
Ygnacio Valley will take Napa’s place on Casa Grande’s schedule. The Gauchos couldn’t work out a game with Napa due to scheduling conflicts.
The Gauchos will host El Molino on Oct. 1 in its Sonoma County League opener and will host Petaluma on Oct. 15 in the Egg Bowl. A look at their non-league schedule:

Sept. 10 at Ukiah
Sept. 17 at Maria Carrillo
Sept. 24 vs. Montgomery
Oct. 9 at Ygnacio Valley (Saturday afternoon game)

In Empire, is swimming king?

PrepSports — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:04:37 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Want to compete in college? Get in the pool. Really. Is there another sport in the Empire that produces more Division I athletes than swimming? The list below includes the 71 local swimmers who have competed at the NCAA level since 1999. (The six seniors who have signed with Division I schools this year are not included in that total).
Of the 71 who have competed in college, 52 went to Division I programs.
Many thanks to Ruben DiRado, unofficial Empire Swimming Sports Information Director, for providing the information.

Class of 2010
Jessica Ampuero, Windsor (BYU, D-I)
Maya DiRado, Maria Carrillo, (Stanford, D-I)
Molly Hannis, Santa Rosa (Tennessee, D-I)
Lauren Matevish, Maria Carrillo (Pittsburgh, D-I)
Ben Whitenack, Healdsburg (Penn, D-I)
Sophia Yamauchi, Montgomery (UCSB, D-I)

Class of 2009
Sydnie Alquist, Maria Carrillo (Vassar, D-III)
Alison Blom, St. Vincent (Northeastern, D-1)
Amy Cunnigham, Analy (Linfield College, D-III)
* Chris Humphreys, Cardinal Newman (Chapman College, D-III)
Max Horrell, Analy (UCSB, D-I)
Tyler Main, Montgomery (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, D-I)
Jennifer Meyer, Ursuline (UC Davis, D-1)

Class of 2008
Derek Baldwin, Casa Grande (UC Davis, D-1)
Cody Scoles, Cardinal Newman (UC Irvine, D-1)
Russell Deghi, Analy (Cal State Northridge, D-I)
Walter Gault, homeschool, Petaluma (SRJC, UCSB, D-I)
Reid Hartz, Montgomery (UC Davis, D-1)
Kelsey Louden, Windsor (UCLA, D-1)
Christina Messer, Ursuline (Cal Lutheran, D-III)
* Misa Scharfen, Ursuline (Brown, D-1)
Amy Tresenrider, Analy (Claremont McKenna, D-III)
Penelope Yamauchi, Montgomery (Arizona State, D-1)

Class of 2007
Ellie Cannon, Ukiah (Tufts, D-III)
Heather Cramer, Rancho Cotate (SRJC, San Diego State, D-I)
Jim Fong, Maria Carrillo (UC Davis, D-I)
Tyler Hannis, Santa Rosa (SRJC, Pacific, D-I)
Amanda Sims, Montgomery (Cal, D-I)
Amelia True, Santa Rosa (Mills, D-III)
Allie Stuhr, Maria Carrillo (SRJC, San Diego State, D-I)
Hank Weinberger, Analy (Cal State Northridge, D-I)

Class of 2006
Aileen Fedrick, Ursuline (University of San Diego, D-I)
William LaBarge, Rancho Cotate (SRJC, UC Davis, D-I)
Alexi Rosichan, Rancho Cotate (SRJC, UC Santa Cruz, D-III)

Class of 2005
* Amber Brenner, Rancho Cotate (SRJC, Cal State Bakersfield, D-I)
Deke Hu, Casa Grande (MIT, D-III)
Ian Lentz, Casa Grande (Cal, D-I)
Katie Nelson, Maria Carrillo, San Jose State, D-I)
Tess Pasternak, Ukiah (Emory, D-III)
Jennifer Sims, Montgomery (UC San Diego, D-II)
Nathan Vizcarra, Petaluma (Cal State Bakersfield, D-I)

Class of 2004
Lauren Brecht, Montgomery (USC, D-I)
Toki Burke, Rancho Cotate (UC Davis, D-1)
Brittany Cramer, Sonoma (University of San Diego, D-I)
Christine Graham, Maria Carrillo (SRJC, San Diego State, D-I)
Emily Hughes, Ursuline (UC Davis, D-I)
Ashley Moulton, Sonoma (UC San Diego, D-II)
Katie Siegle, El Molino (Lewis & Clark, D-III)
Danyelle Vincent, Rancho Cotate (Tennessee, D-I)
Elena Willoughby, Ukiah (Nevada, D-I)
Mark Wilson, Montgomery (University of LaVerne, D-III)
Mari Wunschel, Maria Carrillo (Boston College, D-1)

Class of 2003
Alex Arbios, Maria Carrillo (UC Davis, D-I)
Erin Grimm, Maria Carrillo (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, D-1)
Ross Haverlah, Casa Grande (Seattle, D-III)
Graham Lentz, Casa Grande (California, D-I)
Meghan Peter, homeschool, Santa Rosa (SRJC, University of San Diego, D-I)
Alyssa Rogers, Casa Grande (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, D-1)
Katie Van Horne, Healdsburg (Washington State, D-I)
Terra Wilson, Deep Valley Christian (Gardner Webb, D-I)

Class of 2002
Tory Moreno, Petaluma (USC, D-I)
Leslie Ouellette, Ukiah (San Jose State, D-I)
Nate Rust, Analy (Cal State Northridge, D-I)

Class of 2001
Scott Hartz, Montgomery (Yale, D-I)
Jackie Snyder, Rancho Cotate (UC Irvine, D-I)

Class of 2000
Arwyn Becker, Elsie Allen (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, D-I)
Jennifer Graham, Maria Carrillo (San Diego State, D-I)
Cameron Poya, Ukiah (UC Davis, D-II)
Hannah Ryan, Sonoma (San Diego State, D-1)
Vanessa Sallee, El Molino (SRJC, UC Davis, D-II)
Mary Thomas, El Molino (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, D-I)
Heather Van Hemert, Analy (SRJC, Cal State Northridge, D-I)

Class of 1999
Travis Schimmer, Santa Rosa (Utah, D-I)
John Smith, Maria Carrillo (SRJC, UC Davis, D-II)
Devin Spicer, Petaluma (UC San Diego, D-II)
David Robinson, Analy (UC Santa Barbara, D-I)
Jamie Westboy, Piner (California, D-I)

* played water polo in college

Ursuline’s Stone soaring (with the boys)

PrepSports — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:15:58 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Ursuline senior pole vaulter Michelle Stone didn’t break her own Empire record when she cleared 11 feet, 9¼ inches Saturday at the Big Cat Invitational at Santa Rosa High, but she did make a little history.
It’s early in the track season, but Stone currently shares the Empire’s best mark with Santa Rosa’s Patrick Herrmann, who also cleared 11-9¼ at the Big Cat.
According to local track aficionado Jim Crowhurst, the man behind www.northbay.com/running/, this marks the first time in Empire history that a girl has shared a season-best mark with a boy in any event since girls began competing in 1976.
Stone owns the Empire record of 12-0 and has four of the top five vaults in Empire history. She finished seventh at the state meet last year and is on DyeStatCal’s preseason all-state first-team.
Stone is ranked fifth in the state.

Analy basketball: A scene that stuck with me

PrepSports — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:26 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
In the final minutes of Analy’s 74-58 loss to Center on Tuesday in the NorCal playoffs, Tigers coach Brett Page pulled his starters from the game and put three sophomores and two freshmen on the court.
The game was over. The season was over. And for Analy’s seven seniors, their high school basketball careers were over.
At that moment, something significant and poignant was happening. But it didn’t register with me until Page called a timeout with about a minute left and began instructing his five underclassmen as if it were a one-point game.
As Page crouched in front of the three sophomores and two freshmen seated in chairs, Analy’s stars — seniors such as Kevin Aronis, Isias Alcantar and Jordan Guerinoni — stood and watched.
They were, suddenly, bystanders as their coach lectured the underclassmen, players he inserted to give a taste of playoff experience.
That’s when it hit me.
Page was looking to the future and next year, in effect, had already begun while the seniors stood to the side.
I don’t want to get overdramatic here. High school athletes will grow up and deal with far worse things than the death of their prep careers.
Still, the scene struck me as sad.
Through athletics, teenagers learn about hard work, dedication and teamwork. But they can also be introduced to some humbling realities. In this case, the knowledge that, one day, we will all be replaced and the team — or the company — will move right along without us.
In writing this, I’ve recalled something I hadn’t thought about in years.
As a freshman in college, I went home and, during my visit, watched my high school baseball team play.
Now, I wouldn’t say I was overly traumatized when I played my last high school game. Some of my teammates cried after we lost to Buena on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth (yes, I remember). But for whatever reason, I couldn’t summon any tears — possibly because I was relieved to have faced my last curveball.
Still, as I sat in the stands watching my old school play a year later, my emotions surprised me.
Most of my old teammates and I were gone, but nothing had changed. Everything — the coaches’ instructions, the parents’ cheers, the chatter and laughter in the dugout — was the same.
I don’t know what I expected.
I had planned to watch the entire game, but I left after a few innings.
I never have gone back.

Petaluma, Arizona softball star Sam Banister to headline camp

PrepSports — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:48:55 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Petaluma’s Sam Banister, a former softball star at the University of Arizona, will be the headline instructor at the All-Pro Fastpitch Camp at Prince Park in Petaluma from April 8-9.
Banister will be joined by former Arizona teammate, Taryne Mowatt, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 Women’s College World Series, and former Petaluma teammate Sadie Dolcini, a two-time all-conference pick at St. Mary’s College.
The camp is for players ages 7-18 and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. It will include instructional stations covering baserunning, hitting, pitching as well as infield and outfield play. There will team instruction, games and contests. Lunch will be provided. The cost of the camp is $175 per camper. Group and team discounts are available. For more information or to register, call 410-472-3500 or visit www.apicamps.com.
Banister played for the Akron Racers of National Pro Fastpitch this past season after helping lead Arizona to two national championships while playing multiple infield positions and serving as a designated player. As a senior last year, she earned all-Pac-10 honors. She hit .305 with a career-high 16 home runs, including two in the NCAA Tournament regionals.
Mowatt recently signed with the Akron Racers. At the 2007 WCWS, she led Arizona to the national title by throwing eight complete games and tossing 60 innings while throwing 1,035 pitches over a seven-day span. She captured a pair of ESPY Awards that year (female athlete of the year and college female athlete of the year) and set single-season Arizona records for innings pitched (370), strikeouts (522) and victories (42). She ranks second on Arizona’s career list with 1,267 strikeout.
Dolcini, a catcher and designated player, hit a team-high .310 as a senior in 2009. At Petaluma High, she helped lead the Trojans to two North Coast Section titles.

Basketball talent will abound in 2010-2011 season

PrepSports — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:56:14 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
I wrote in this week’s high school notebook about the abnormal abundance of talented basketball players returning next year. Due to space limitations, the list only included some North Bay League and Sonoma County League teams.
Here’s a more comprehensive rundown:

BOYS
* Analy (29-3, SCL champions, NorCal playoffs): The Tigers will return junior point guard Max Fujii, the SCL MVP, and junior guard Eli Alcantar, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, 6-foot-6 freshman Geddy Link figures to play a prominent role in the middle.
* Cardinal Newman (22-8, NBL champions, NCS quarterfinals): The Cardinals will return junior guards Xavier McCall and Bobby Sharp, the league’s co-MVPs. McCall and Sharp combined to average 29.9 points a game.
* Casa Grande (17-11, 2nd in SCL, NCS playoffs): The Gauchos will return eight players, including three starters. Among the returning starters are junior guard Joey Rodriguez, a first-team all-Sonoma County league pick, and junior forward Nick Sherry, a second-team all-SCL selection.
* Montgomery (23-8, 2nd in NBL, NorCal playoffs): The Vikings will return four starters. That group includes first-team all-North Bay League picks in 6-9 junior center Ben Freeland and junior guard Alec Kobre. In addition, junior guard Quentin Mendoza, a second-team all-league selection, was the NBL’s co-Defensive Player of the Year.

GIRLS
* Casa Grande (20-10, 3rd in SCL, NCS quarterfinals): The Gauchos will return sophomores Stephanie Sack and Gretchen Harrigan — both first-team, all-SCL selections.
* Cloverdale (27-3, NCL I South champions, NCS quarterfinals): The Eagles will return four starters, a group headlined by league MVP Whitney Edens. Juniors Sara Gambetta and Mary Cruz Lopez were first-team all-league picks.
* Montgomery (24-8, NBL champs, NorCal playoffs): The Vikings will return junior forward Anandi Jimenez, the NBL MVP, and junior guard Sara Fitzgerald, a first-team all-league pick.
* Rincon Valley Christian (27-4, NCS Division VI champions): The Eagles will return four starters, including NCL II South MVP Arianna Hanson, defensive MVP Claire Bailey and first-team all-league pick Hannah Dolan.
* Santa Rosa (18-10, 2nd in NBL, NCS playoffs): The Panthers will bring back a pair of first-team, all-NBL players in juniors McKennan Bertsch and Shawnee Phillips. They combined to average 23.7 points a game.
* St. Helena (21-8, NCS playoffs): The Saints, who lost to Ursuline in OT in the NCS playoffs, will return junior Maddy Densberger and sophomore Holly Depina, a pair of first-team all-league picks.
* Ursuline (17-12, NCS quarterfinals): The Bears return the NBL’s leading scorer, junior Jordan Henry (18.7 points a game), and second-team all-NBL pick McKenzie Mangino.

Montgomery softball regarded among state’s best

PrepSports — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:04:03 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
The Montgomery softball team is one of 12 teams to be placed on the “On the Bubble” list on the CalHiSports preseason state top 20.
The Vikings return seven starters from last year’s team which went 26-2 and advanced to the North Coast Section Division II title game where it lost, 1-0, to Pinole Valley. Pinole, which went 24-3 last year, is also on the bubble list.
The Vikings are led by senior pitcher Taylor Stroud, a Sacramento State signee who went 19-2 with a 0.25 ERA last year. She struck out 174 and walked 18 in 139 innings. Montgomery has a 67-16 record during Stroud’s career.
Montgomery is 2-0 this season. It beat Petaluma, 2-1, in nine innings and beat Ukiah, 3-0.
“We’re kind of like everyone else at this point,” Montgomery coach Mike Malvino said. “We’re trying to get the rust off and hopefully by the time league starts we’ll be back to where we were.”

Live NorCal playoff updates tonight

PrepSports — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:47:28 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
We will have live updates from the NorCal basketball first-round games tonight at pdpreps.com.
We will have reporters at each game (Phil Barber at Montgomery vs. Oakmont; Michael Coit at Montgomery vs. St. Francis and I’ll cover Analy vs. Center).

NorCal playoff predictions and last games

PrepSports — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:03:37 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
After Cloverdale lost to St. Mary’s in the North Coast Section quarterfinals, Eagles coach John Gastineau talked about how painful the loss was for his seniors.
To illustrate his point, he said Cloverdale senior forward Casey Berry showed up to the team’s first practice this season and said, with a touch of melancholy, “This is my last first practice.”
Throughout the season, the Eagles repeated Berry’s line in a variety of ways.
This is our last John McMillan Holiday Invitational Tournament.
This is our last first league game.
This is our last league game …
The day before Cloverdale played St. Mary’s, Gastineau said many of his players lingered after practice. It wasn’t official, but they knew it was possible: They could have just finished their last practice and they didn’t want to leave.
I’m guessing the seniors on the Empire’s three teams alive in the NorCal regional playoffs can relate.
Tuesday could be the end of the high school basketball season in the Empire.
But it won’t be if these predictions are right:

BOYS
Division II
No. 11 Montgomery 60, No. 6 Oakmont 57
Comment: I changed this pick, I think, because I’m feeling responsible for Montgomery’s NCS semifinal loss. (My ego is now so out of hand that a part of me believes these predictions are altering games).
Note: This is what I wrote before changing the pick …
“I tried to pick Montgomery. But I think the Vikings, who start one senior, might be a year away from a NorCal playoff run.”

Division III
No. 11 Analy 67, No. 6 Center 65
Comment: At 5:19 p.m. Sunday, I had never heard of Center High School. I’m still not convinced it exists, thus my pick.
Note: If Center does, in fact, not exist, I predict Analy will win by forfeit.

GIRLS
Division II
No. 7 St. Francis 66, No. 10 Montgomery 59
Comment: Just couldn’t do it. Picking three upsets would officially qualify me as a homer. I couldn’t live with that shame.

NCL II South boys’ all-league basketball team

PrepSports — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:27:57 +0000

Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:

MVP: Josiah Nikkel, Roseland Prep, Sr.
Coach of the Year: Luis Escobar, Roseland Prep

First team
Brently Campbell, Sonoma Academy, Jr.
Anthony Foy, Rio Lindo, Jr.
Darin Grayer, Roseland Prep, Jr.
Julian Mackie, Sonoma Acadmey, Sr.
Taylor Shahi, Rincon Valley Christian, Jr.

Second team
Rickey Becerra, Tomales, Jr.
Travis King, Calistoga, Jr.
Arturo Oregon, Roseland Prep, Jr.
T.J. Robert, Rincon valley Christian, So.
Jemal Williams, Sonoma Academy, Jr.

Honorable mention
Jon Edens, Rincon Valley Christian, Sr.
Jay Hammonds, Rio Lindo, Sr.
Kim Hou Cheap, Roseland Prep, Sr.
Garrett Howze, Tomales, Sr.
Scott Skinner, Calistoga, Jr.
Cody Steele, Sonoma Academy, Sr.
Zach Willford, Santa Rosa Christian, So.