Hello Kern County, and welcome to School House Zach, my corny-title, (hopefully) better-content blog on high school sports in the area.
Let me introduce myself first. I'm the newest preps writer for the Californian. I arrived in Bakersfield last week after the long drive from Joplin, Mo., where I was a sports writer for the Joplin Globe. Before that, I attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and had internships at ESPN the Magazine in New York and the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post. I'm originally from Albuquerque, N.M.
But enough about me. Let's talk about the blog and why you'll want to read it, bookmark it, do whatever you can to keep up with it.
First of all, I'll be updating it as often as possible, as much as five or six times a week during the school year (though I'll admit, the first few weeks might be a little slow because of schools' finals and holiday scheduling). I'll drop any tidbits here that didn't fit in the paper or that couldn't wait until the next day to be revealed. I'll also be offering analysis on games I see and even some I don't based on results and talking to coaches/players.
Without further ado, here's your first bit of information, told to me by outgoing Liberty High football coach Chad Provensal a couple nights ago: stud defensive lineman Matt Akers, the SEYL's defensive player of the year, has verbally committed to Fresno State, keeping alive a strong pipeline of Bakersfield athletes headed up Highway 99. I didn't get to see Matt play, but his total of 16 sacks would be enough to open anybody's eyes.
We could have several other football players committing to D-I programs in the next month, but that's the only one I've heard of so far. If you hear of any, feel free to e-mail me at zewing@bakersfield.com or drop them in the comments section below.
That brings me to my final point. With 16 high schools in Bakersfield — plus two more on the way — and about 15 others in surrounding Kern County, I can't possibly keep tabs on everything that happens. News will slip through the cracks, no matter how well I do my job. That's where you come in. If you know of a signing, an award, a coaching change, a suspension, anything at all newsworthy, please give me an e-mail or comment on the blog. That will help me get the information out to everyone, which is what this is all about.
Thanks folks. I look forward to blogging with you.