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Real Name: Zach Ewing Address: 1707 Eye St. Bakersfield, CA 93301 Date of Birth: July 29, 1984 Member Since: December 19, 2007 Last Signed In: November 07, 2009 Profile Views: 2936 Blog Views: 121658 Week 9 running thread and scoreboard Week 9 HS football podcast (this one actually works!) Week 9 HS football predictions (finally here!) Central Section football rankings, Week 9 Non-football sports update, Nov. 2 Week 8, most important things Fresno State vs. Utah State running thread Week 8 running thread and scoreboard Week 8 HS football podcast Week 8 HS football predictions December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 
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Year in Review: Softball
I spent the lunchtime hour at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, listening to Fresno State football coach Pat Hill talk to the local Rotary Club about Bulldogs football, in general, and specifically about the contributions of some of Bakersfield's finest. Former West running back Ryan Mathews? Apparently healthy after an injury-riddled '08 season and ready to rock for his junior season. Hill pulled out this stat a couple of times: FSU is 12-2 when Mathews is able to finish a game. Former West defensive back A.J. Jefferson? Didn't play as well in '08 as he did in '07, but Hill thinks he's ready to go. Former Highland receiver Anthony Johnson? Got the test score he needed to become eligible and was in spring practice. Former Liberty linebacker Matt Akers? Now done with his redshirt year, he'll get some playing time on Fresno State's nickel blitz package. Former East receiver Ryan Skidmore? Will compete for the team's starting tight end job. Former Bakersfield quarterback Phillip Thomas? Redshirt freshman has a shot of starting at safety. Anybody I'm forgetting? Oh yeah, that one guy, Derek Carr. He's as good as advertised, Hill said, coming from Bakersfield Christian as a heralded recruit. Hill wouldn't disclose whether Carr or former Visalia-Central Valley Christian QB Ryan Colburn would, but it sounded like they'll both get a chance to prove themselves in game action. That means Carr will be get some significant playing time as a true freshman. Pick up a copy of Friday's Californian for a full report on the Carr situation and Hill's appearance in Bak-town. In the meantime, we press forward with our Year in Reviews. 2008-09 Kern County SOFTBALL Overview: We came in thinking Centennial was going to be able to roll over the section and left thinking Stockdale will do the same thing in the next couple of years. The Golden Hawks returned the majority of their starting lineup from the 2008 Central Section D-I championship team, including pitcher and best hitter Ensley Gammel, a Florida signee. And that held true for about half the season. But then Centennial lost a game. Then it lost another, this time surprisingly easily to rival Stockdale. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Hawks were just a shell of what we thought they'd be and had to hit the road for the quarterfinals. They lost to Clovis-Buchanan. Best team: I kept waiting for Centennial to assert itself and claim this spot, but it never happened. I had players tell me the team just didn't have the same magical feel as last year's squad, which won its last 17 games, did. Stockdale had that magic, and the Mustangs almost used to get all the way to the promised land as well. Amanda Hockett, in her first year, pushed a lot of the right buttons with this team. It relied on Vela's pitching — and she was extraordinary for a sophomore — and good defense, plus a few timely runs created by a speedy team that didn't hit that much. The best news for Stockdale is that the team's starting lineup was made up entirely of underclassmen. This now becomes next year's Centennial, but with the added motivation of not having that title already under your belt. Best player: Vela missed most of her freshman season with a broken finger — plus she was blocked from the starting lineup by Oakes anyway. She made the most of her chance when she got the ball as a sophomore. Vela was 19-5 with a 0.27 ERA and 241 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 155 innings. Those are good numbers; it's the deception created by her large palette of pitches that causes batters fits. Kind of cool to watch an artist at work rather than a flame-thrower. Anyway, the most amazing thing here is Vela's age. She's got two more years to wow us, and this year she was already more valuable than Ensley Gammel or Cassidy Bell, the other two MVP candidates. Best game: The day Centennial's aura of invincibility came crashing down for me (and please note, I'm not trying to pick on the Golden Hawks; They had a very good season, but the expectations for them were so high and so universal that's it's hard not to come back to that point) was its loss at Frontier. It was HOT that day (hey, kind of like today!) and I was thankful the game was flying by so fast. I kept waiting for Centennial to scratch across a run and win the game (I did the same thing in an epic at Ridgeview last year), and the Hawks finally got it in the sixth inning. Funny thing, though: Frontier came back and got one in the seventh inning and the game-winner in the eighth. The Titans, I guess, didn't feel like following any script. It was a sign that Frontier's program was rising (they had beaten Stockdale earlier in the year, too) and that Centennial might not be the juggernaut they had been labeled. A look ahead: The onus of having everyone return from a championship-caliber team is now something Stockdale must learn to deal with, though the Mustangs might have the benefit of some key components being just juniors next year, not to mention that they didn't actually finish their run this year. There will be plenty of landmines, though. Frontier was young, and the Titans are building something. North returns the core of its pitching staff and exciting infielder Brenna Moss, who led big schools in the area in hitting last year. In the SEYL, I'd keep an eye on Golden Valley. The Bulldogs have been rising and will have many key parts returning, including pitcher Julie Estep. Might be time for a league title there, with Garces and Liberty both losing a few parts. In the SSL, Kelsey Kapitzke's return to Tehachapi ensures that the Warriors will be favored. Year in Review Index Tomorrow: Boys track and field 11 comments from 4 users
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posted by
jfrancais
on Jul 16, 2009 at 07:28 PM
Ebahnn Feathers is just as good at QB. People forget that he was the state player of the year for for medium sized schools. He also ran a 4.3 in high school. posted by
zewing
on Jul 16, 2009 at 07:36 PM
Hill made it sound like Feathers will be used no matter whether Colburn or Carr eventually is named the starter as a change-of-pace QB or a Wildcat option back. He's probably the most athletic of the three choices, but he's not the typical drop-back passer that Fresno State uses in its offense. posted by
jfrancais
on Jul 16, 2009 at 07:48 PM
He was a drop back passer in high school (not as good as Carr, though). He played in the valley (at Washington), too? He is just more athletic than any other QB they've ever had under Hill. posted by
zewing
on Jul 16, 2009 at 07:49 PM
He did play at Washington Union, and I think he'll see the field plenty. But going off of what Hill said, he won't be a drop-back passer at the D-I level. posted by
jfrancais
on Jul 16, 2009 at 07:49 PM
Mathews has been there best RB every year he has been there. He's faster, stronger, and just has a better skill set than the others. The entire committee is pretty good though. They are all bruisers, but Mathews has that breakaway speed. posted by
NancyII
on Jul 16, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Did you make it out to Tahoe Joes thos afternoon? Ralph Bailey broadcast from there and Hill was his guest. From the part I heard on my way to Delano was a good bit of talk about how good Ryan Mathews is. Coach praised a lot of his other players too and seemed pleased with his lineup. He did say he was pleased with their standing and feels they will improve this year. Asked if he thought about moving on he said he's had chances but that the valley is his home..., where he raised his children. His son is on the team and an older son is coaching at a high school...he said at this time he has no plans to leave. He does well in interview. One other thing that impresses me about HIll...he said (I believe it was last year) they graduated 14 out of 17 seniors. The year before as just as good. He said he was even more proud of THAT record. edit....If I got my numbers rght he also said there are 7 Bakersfield athletes on the Bulldog team. posted by
jfrancais
on Jul 17, 2009 at 12:00 AM
I have always been impressed with what he's done with players that have struggled in the classroom in high school only to get to his program and succeed academically. He also made a conscious effort to recruit in Bakersfield. For years, good players (How did Steve Wofford, James Wofford and Jerad Pierucci get away?) have left the valley because there was no interest from Fresno State. posted by
NancyII
on Jul 17, 2009 at 07:35 AM
Correction. Hill said he was NOT pleased with their standing and that they would improve it. He also said some think you have to have a lot of money to have the best teams and he didn't believe that. Having family (Ryan and his Mom) involved with Hill, I've heard nothing but praise for him. He takes a personal interest in the guys and people and seems to inspire a LOT of loyalty. Since Ryans family moved to Fresno I don't see much of them but get my info trickled down from Mark so It was good to hear the interview yesterday. Ralph sort of expected Ryan to stop by but I didn't get to hear the rest of the broadcast so lost out on that part..if it happened. posted by
bryanjackson
on Jul 18, 2009 at 12:32 AM
I was utterly dissappointed that Centennial stumbled like that. This was the first year that I really went and watched many Centennial spring sporting events and thought I was going to see something special in softball (at one point the Golden Hawks were #21 in the NATION according to a blurb in The Bakersfield Californian. Then, a loss to up-and-down Frontier (not trying to pick on the Titans) and 2 losses to Stockdale (after beating the Mustangs 15-0 in an out-of-town tournament). Hopefully Centennial can rebuild quickly next year. posted by
zewing
on Jul 18, 2009 at 12:57 AM
For what it's worth, Justine Vela didn't pitch in the 15-0 Centennial win. Hockett held her back so the Golden Hawks wouldn't get a beat on her before league play. posted by
bryanjackson
on Jul 18, 2009 at 09:31 PM
I read something about that in The Californian. And maybe Centennial would be wise to do the same if they face a league opponent in a tournament next year.
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