Say goodbye to July, which means August — and football season — are right around the corner. Kern High School District teams can begin practice with footballs and helmets Monday. Today, we continue our preview trek through the Southern Section and into the High Desert League.

Countdown to Week 0: 36 days

DESERT SCORPIONS

Coach: Chris Hinton (fifth year)

2007 record: 9-2 (5-0 High Desert, 5-1 home)
Average points: 32.4
Average points allowed: 22.5
Average rush yards: 291.7
Average rush yards allowed: 190.6
Average pass yards: 91.2
Average pass yards allowed: 102.3
Best win: Desert 20, Boron 19
Worst loss: Riverside-Notre Dame 54, Desert 36

Key players: Terrance Wells, sr, QB/RB; A.J. Hall, sr, K; Dorian Smith, sr, WR/LB; Steven Ronseldt, sr, OL/DL; Josh Villalobos, sr, OL/LB

Key losses: Phillip Pleasant, RB/LB; Michael Bushrod, WR/DB; Brandon Lowe, RB/LB; Alex Heaton, WR/LB; Justin Heaton, TE/DL; Frank Gutierrez, DB.

Outlook: The times, they are a-changin' down at Edwards Air Force Base, and with more civilians and fewer military personnel living on base, families are sticking around Edwards for longer periods. If you're Hinton, that's a good thing. No longer does he have to teach his shotgun, triple-option attack to five or seven new military kids each year because he lost that many. Instead, he said, it's more like one or two. And with Wells back behind center for his senior year, expectations are high at Desert once again. The Scorpions turned around a 3-7, fifth-place season in 2006 into a 9-2, league championship one last fall. With Wells and most of the team's linemen returning, they could be even better in '08.

Quotable: "When you have a kid at quarterback who can get loose, (the triple option) can be awesome."
— coach Chris Hinton on Desert QB Terrance Wells

ROSAMOND ROADRUNNERS

Coach: Doug South (first year)

2007 record: 1-9 (0-5 High Desert, 1-4 home)
Average points: 4.9
Average points allowed: 29.3
Average rush yards: N/A
Average rush yards allowed: 195.2
Average pass yards: N/A
Average pass yards allowed: 133.9
Best win: Rosamond 16, Acton-Vasquez 12
Worst loss: Mojave 30, Rosamond 0

Key players: Matt Sanchez, sr, QB/DB

Key losses: Josh McClain, RB/DB; James Thomas, RB/DB; Jose Aceves, FB/LB; Jerime Gorse, OL/LB; Courtney Quinton, OL/DL.

Outlook: Here's what I know about the Roadrunners' 2008 campaign (and I'll be the first to admit, it ain't a whole lot): They have a new coach for the second time in three years, a guy named Doug South from Lucerne Valley. South replaces Len Boyett, a former Antelope Valley College coach who lasted two years in Rosamond, going 8-4 the first and plummeting to 1-9 the next. South apparently will run a 3-5-3 defense at Rosamond and, from the photos, seemed to have a pretty good turnout at summer practices (though that story doesn't tell you much else). Other than that, it looks like most of the key players from last year are gone. It looks like somebody will have to step up if South will improve the team in his first go-round.

PREVIEWS INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs

TOMORROW: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley

Our daily high school football previews are moving out of 8-man territory and into the 11-man game we all know and love. And today we bring you a couple of teams from the edge of Kern County that will be worth keeping your peripherals on.

Countdown to Week 0: 37 days

BORON BOBCATS

Coach: Todd Fink (eighth year)

2007 record: 7-4 (3-1 Desert Mountain League (Southern Section), 5-1 home)
Average points: 29.9
Average points allowed:13.1
Average rush yards: 236.4
Average rush yards allowed: 170.8
Average pass yards: 109.8
Average pass yards allowed: 65.0
Best win: Boron 27, Lancaster-Desert Christian 0
Worst loss: Mammoth 30, Boron 28

Key players: Israiel Lucas, sr, RB/DE; Joshua Glass, sr, WR/DB; Cody Caillier, jr, OL/LB; J.R. Peleti, sr, OL/DL

Key losses: Devan Mattox, WR/DB; Marty Powers, QB/DB; Bradley Sailer, OL/LB; Eugene Cotton, OL/LB; Jessie Glass, OL/DL

Outlook: Take a school with enrollment that's about 140 and take away nine starters, and you're talking about a hefty replacement job. Or are you? Fink doesn't necessarily think so. He says the Bobcats still have a goal of winning a league title and advancing in the section playoffs, same as always. Whether or not those things can actually happen is another matter. Joshua Glass and Lucas are two big building blocks, and Peleti is a newcomer from Apple Valley that will make an impact. Also up are four players from last year's JV team that won a league title after starting the year 0-5. Early-season litmus tests at Rosamond and at Kern Vally will tell us if Boron can get by league favorite Mammoth after losing by two in the de facto league title game last season.

Quotable: "For the last three years we've had four new starters on the (offensive) line, and we found a way to get it done."
— coach Todd Fink

BURROUGHS BURROS

Coach: Matt Gracey (second year)

2007 record: 2-9 (2-2 Desert Sky League (Southern Section), 1-4 home)
Average points: 16.6
Average points allowed: 35.2
Average rush yards: 109.1
Average rush yards allowed: 283.3
Average pass yards: 139.9
Average pass yards allowed:119.5
Best win: Burroughs 20, Apple Valley-Granite Hills 6
Worst loss: Ridgeview 22, Burroughs 12

Key players: Stephen Harlow, sr, WR/DB; Daril Manns, sr, QB/WR; Dominic Sween, sr, WR/LB; Derrick Dison, soph, QB

Key losses: Brandon Teasley, RB; Troy Spargo, QB; Frank Heureque, WR; Joe Klein, LB

Outlook: It sounds strange to say for a team that was 2-9 last season — and, let's face it, some of us in Bakersfield forget that Ridgecrest is even in Kern County — but this might be a fun team to watch in the upcoming season. The Burros (can't decide if that nickname is really creative or not so much) are going to be a young team that should be much better because of the lumps they took last year. Leading the charge will be quarterback Dison, who got his feet wet last year — struggling against Ridgeview but then leading a Homecoming comeback against Apple Valley-Granite Hills that eventually gave Burroughs a playoff berth. It's also the first time in three years that the Burros will have the same coach two years in a row.

Quotable: "It'll be a lot of fun. There was a lot of success (at Burroughs) before we showed up and there's been a two-year hiatus. But the kids are proud to be a part of this."
— coach Matt Gracey

TOMORROW: Desert, Rosamond

It's my birthday today, and while that might not mean a whole lot to you, I bring it up for a reason (and it's not to get anonymous well-wishers in blog comments, I assure you).

My birthday, to me, in the past few years has meant less about me getting a year older (I'm 24, if you care) and more about the calendar. July 29 is my unofficial start to football season.

So with that in mind, let's spring into preseason team previews of each of the 33 teams in Kern County. We'll be doing two or three a day here in the start with some of the smaller schools and then break down into one larger preview a day for the larger Kern schools.

Today we start with the smallest schools of all — Lighthouse Christian in Bakersfield, Immanuel Christian in Ridgecrest and Maricopa in ... Maricopa.

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN GUARDIANS

Coach: Nick Park (second year)

2007 record: 8-1 (4-0 Central Valley Small Schools, 5-0 home)
Average points: 39.9
Average points allowed: 17.2
Average rush yards: 237.2
Average rush yards allowed: N/A
Average pass yards: 82.0
Average pass yards allowed: N/A
Best win: Lighthouse Christian 30, Riverdale Christian 20
Worst loss: Cuyama Valley 70, Lighthouse Christian 20

Key players: Michael Stemen, sr, OL/DT; Zack Icenhower, jr, K/OL/DL; Julian Garza, soph, RB/LB; Justin Newton, jr, QB/DB.

Key losses: Justin Trammell, RB/LB; Spencer Kennedy, DE/WR; Jason Franklin, FB/LB; Elijah Palmer, WR/LB.

Outlook: With all the talk about Kern County, the home of four of the five Central Section champions, Bakersfield, Tehachapi, Taft and Bakersfield Christian aren't the only schools that deserve credit. Bakersfield's Lighthouse Christian also won a Valley title in 8-man football, winning the section's only league. Sound cheap? Well, it's not going to be easy to do it again. The Guardians lost their top quarterback, running back and wide receiver from last year, and 8-man often is all about the skill positions. Lighthouse coach Nick Park still thinks his team can do it, but they'll do so with a rebuilt roster that has only one key senior, Stemen. Others of importance, like Garza and Newton, saw time last year on Lighthouse's brand-new JV team. They'll be the key to another league (section ) title.

Quotable: "I'm sort of looking at this year as a team of role players. I don’t do anything real fancy anyway, so we'll work on nothing but basics and focus on what we do well." — coach Nick Park

MARICOPA INDIANS

Coach: Al Allen (third year consecutively, 16th year overall)

2007 record: 4-5 (2-2 Coast Valley League (Southern Section), 3-3 home)
Average points: 23.2
Average points allowed: 25.7
Average rush yards: U/A
Average rush yards allowed: U/A
Average pass yards: U/A
Average pass yards allowed: U/A
Best win: Maricopa 38, Los Olivos-Dunn 14
Worst loss: Los Angeles Lutheran 28, Maricopa 0

Key players: Unavailable

Key losses: Joel Robles, QB; Matt Owens, RB/DB; Samuel Robles, OL/DL; Joel Medina, WR/DB

Outlook: The Indians' biggest problem, this year and probably every year, lies over the mountain and a few miles to the west in Cuyama Valley. That, ladies and gentlemen, is an 8-man powerhouse. The Bears reached the third round of the Southern Section playoffs last year and lost in a shootout. But for teams in their own league, they don't lose much. Maricopa was no exception; the Indians were mashed 56-6 at home last year. So don't expect a league title, not with a trip westward in stow. But Maricopa is on the way back up with Allen back at the helm.

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS

Coach: David Fowler

2007 record: 2-6 (2-2 Hi-Lo League, 1-2 home)
Average points: 24.8
Average points allowed: 48.3
Average rush yards: 104.1
Average rush yards allowed: 263.8
Average pass yards: 116.4
Average pass yards allowed: 85.0
Best win: Immanuel Christian 50, Baker 24
Worst loss: Big Pine 70, Immanuel Christian 22

Key players: William Mills, sr, RB/DB; Neil Shotwell, sr, RB/LB; Trevor Logan, soph, WR/LB; Justin Smith, jr, QB; Caleb Meyer, soph, OL/DL; John Mondragon, sr, WR/DL.

Key losses: Francis Maikai, WR/DB; Terrance Nash, WR/LB.

Outlook: Look, it's no secret that 8-man football is an offensive game. More space to roam means bigger plays, and fewer defenders turns big plays into scoring plays. But for Immanuel to be successful, the key, looking at the above numbers, obviously is going to be bearing down on D. You can't allow 48 points a game and be successful at any level. But the good news is that the team's leading passer, rusher, receiver and tackler are all returning. A veteran team might mean more D — and more wins — in 2008.

TOMORROW: Boron, Burroughs

I've just found out some interesting information regarding movement of athletic directors in the Kern High School District. I'll share.

The district's budget constraints that were much bally-hooed earlier this year didn't seem to affect much of anything as far as coaches and sports were concerned, at least so far. But what I've found this weekend is the first evidence they have had at least some effect.

At Centennial, where new district lines drawn in 2006 gave much of northwest Bakersfield to Frontier, the student body will be shrinking. That's going to be especially true starting this year — now that Frontier has its first senior class, it will be getting a full crop of middle schoolers each year, instead of Centennial underclassmen who had the option of remaining at CHS.

Here's the scoop: Because of that, the KHSD has reassigned Centennial athletic director Gary Fowler to Golden Valley High. That's probably going to be quite a difference for Fowler, who seemed like he had accepted the move when I talked to him about an hour ago.

"It's just a weird thing," he said. "They've got to make decisions. But any time you get into these budget crises, you learn pretty quickly that you don't work for a school; you work for a district."

GVHS' previous AD, Kelly Hardin, has moved into a dean's position at new Independence High. At Centennial, activities director Becky Porter will now have the dual charge of activities and athletics.

Meanwhile, Bakersfield College football assistant Jonny Rose has taken over as the South High athletic director. Former AD Geri Antoine is the new dean of discipline at Golden Valley.

Deep breath. Got all that?

There are 33 high school football teams in Kern County, at different levels, and every last one of them has fans.

That's why, over the next four weeks, we'll be previewing each and every high school team in the area here at School House Zach. I'll run a smaller bare-bones preview on some of the outlying schools, doubling up a couple each day, then get more in-depth as we move in towards Bakersfield and the bigger schools, with coach and player interviews and perhaps some video, if I can learn quickly.

By the time we're done with all 33 (actually, it'll be 36, because one day I'll do quick-hitters on new schools Independence, Mira Monte and Delano-Kennedy even though they're starting as JV-only), preseason scrimmages will have started and we'll be in Week 0 — which, by the way, has a tempting array of games on the schedule: Bakersfield High at Canyon, Westlake Village-Oaks Christian at Bakersfield Christian and Clovis West at Liberty to name three. Also that week, you'll be able to get our high school preview sections inserted in your daily Californian on Sept. 3, 4 and 5, complete with feature stories and preview information on each team, plus some question marks and predictions for each team or league.

If you can't wait for that, check back Tuesday to the blog as we kick off our high school football team previews.

Here's something I've been wondering about for a while, and because I'm nerdy and all, have kind of taken a keen interest in.

Take a look at this page, scroll down past the first image and download the .pdf file for the current Kern High School District Boundaries (the link says "Current Boundaries"). Then download the "Overview" .pdf under "Changes Taking Place in 2008-2009."

Compare. Obviously, the biggest changes are the additions of Independence High in the southwest and Mira Monte High in the east. Both are receiving a good chunk of pie. But what do you see from the remaining districts?

I see some clear winners and losers. Now, let's face it, out of fairness to the KHSD and all involved with these decisions, managing a city the size of Bakersfield into 15 school districts (or 17, if you want to count KHSD schools Arvin and Shafter in this discussion) is incredibly difficult. I'm not going to say I could do it better or that the KHSD hasn't done the best job possible.

Also, it's impossible to completely classify any one neighborhood. You can't say that one berg will definitely produce better athletes than another, and so you can't say for certain that North is in a better position than Ridgeview, or vice versa.

But, having said that, there is a reason schools like Stockdale, Centennial and Bakersfield High have more success than most others. Family-oriented neighborhoods, especially well-off ones, tend to produce students who (a) have motivation and encouragment to keep grades up and (b) have motivation and encouragement to participate. There also is something to be said for success in "money" sports, where equipment and traveling team costs are so important at the youth level (baseball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, swimming, golf, the list is growing).

Keep in mind these are predictions for fun only. I've only lived in Kern County for about eight months, so I'm not the foremost expert on the topic. Also realize that there are plenty of (admittedly more important) things to worry about here besides sports — school diversity, logical bus routes, equal opportunities. But make no mistake: Sports will be impacted.

Any changes to the district lines aren't going to have an effect immediately, but once a new crop of middle schoolers comes through, you better believe they will. Here are some schools that look to have improved their fortunes:

— Highland
The Highland/East district line already was a little strange, with Highland reaching down past Cottonwood towards the middle of town and East getting access to the Kern River Valley. That's been switched around. Highland gets the KRV, some sparsely populated but weatlhy neighborhoods and reaches into East's back pocket along the 178 freeway. All of a sudden, Highland is bigger yet more compact, with access to areas that could grow.

— Mira Monte
The new school has been given the goods. Mira Monte gets a huge district to play with (or to deal with, depending on how you look at it), stretching nearly into Arvin and west to Union Ave.

— Bakersfield High
It's always been a little dubious in my eyes that BHS has access to areas as far west as Gosford and as far south as White Lane, when that's clearly closer to West High or even Stockdale. But tradition and/or influence might speak louder than reality here. New district lines, BHS keeps its borders relatively unchanged again. Nothing against the Drillers, mind you, but you can bet they're not complaining.

On the flip side, some schools had potentially valuable property taken away:

— North High
Centennial is growing to the east, Highland and East to the north and west and even BHS a bit to the North. The Stars have been sequestered into a smaller sliver and lose access to the Olive Drive corridor and some homes along 178.

— West High
Already cut off on its west side by Bakersfield High, West now has seen increasing demands to its south (Ridgeview and now Independence), Golden Valley and now Mira Monte. South High has been reduced to a tiny area, and West is in the same boat now.

— Foothill High
The biggest loser to Mira Monte, it seems like a school that already had trouble competing will be pushed towards irrelevance.

— CalPreps has high school football rankings out. You can sort them by section or division or just look at the overall rankings, which seem a bit off to me (Bakersfield Christian over Centennial, Liberty and Clovis East? West and North so low? I guess it's somewhat believable, but there are divisions separated by school size for a reason).

UPDATE, 7:40 p.m.: Another thing I wanted to point out: El Diamante is ranked first ahead of Division I favorites Bakersfield and Clovis West. Anyone have thoughts? And the gap between BHS and CW and the third D-I team listed, Clovis East, is pretty large. Are those two really the clear-cut frontrunners?

Here are some highlights from the overall Central Section rankings (playoff division in parentheses):

1. Visalia-El Diamante (II)
2. Bakersfield (I)
3. Clovis West (I)
4. Fresno-Edison (II)
5. Tulare Union (II)
6. Bakersfield Christian (V)
7. Clovis East (I)
8. Tehachapi (III)
9. Fresno-Bullard (I)
10. Clovis-Buchanan (I)
11. Centennial (I)
12. Liberty (I)
14. Foothill (III)
18. Taft (IV) — top Division IV team
23. Highland (III)
26. West (II)
28. Garces (II)
30. North (II)
31. Arvin (IV)
34. Delano (III)
36. South (III)
37. East (II)

Also note that Bakersfield High is given an 88 percent chance of going unbeaten in the regular season. Considering the Drillers open at Canyon, the 2006 CIF Bowl state champion, it'd be great for BHS to be 1-0, much less 10-0.

Obviously, it's early, but what are your impressions? Is CalPreps prescient or just blowing smoke so early?

Other notes:
— You all know about the Olympic Games coming up in Beijing, and the participants with Kern ties (one and two), but there are also Junior Olympics. They started today in Omaha, Neb., and a few local athletes are competing. Check on this DyeStat preview of the event, with particular interest in the Intermediate Level jumpers, where a certain freshman state champion is featured.

— In case you missed it, I've been running down the past year in each of Kern County's 19 high school sports here at School House Zach this month. Here's a link to each day's review, starting with the fall sports and rolling through the winter and spring.

July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field
July 17: Girls track and field
July 19: Boys swimming
July 20: Girls swimming
July 21: Boys tennis
July 22: Boys golf

Now, it's finally time again to start thinking about football. The regular season in California begins with Week 0 games Sept. 5, which is in 44 days. We'll continue preview coverage later this week here at School House Zach.

I get tired of hearing stupid clichés like "Last but not least" or "Saving the best for last" on these types of lists, so I'm not going to bite and do it.

But if I did — and believe me, despite my reaction, I too am strongly drawn to the cliché — it would be easy to use it here. Stockdale's Pete Fernandez finished second in the state in golf. Think about that. Yes, Kern County had state champions (three of them in five events) at the CIF Track and Field State Championships, but those were in single events. And a state title from Foothill's Chris Schwartz in cross country, though D-IV champion German Fernandez had a better time. Could you say Anna Jelmini was the best or second-best athlete period in girls track and field in California. Maybe you could (Jelmini is pretty special). But you'd get an argument from plenty of different people backing someone else. That's just the nature of track and field, or wrestling with its different weight classes. But you can't argue what Fernandez did. There's only one event, one division in golf. And he was second in the state.

And with that, I present the final Year in Review for 2007-08 (guess what! guess what! I saved the best ... aw, quit kidding yourself. It just worked out that way):

2007-08 Kern County BOYS GOLF

Overview: At the end of the year, Fernandez, just a sophomore, was definitely the story. But golf in Kern County this year was very multi-faceted. There was the individual competition — golf at its most basic level — where Fernandez and Bhavik Patel of Bakersfield High seemed to be head and shoulders above everyone else, until someone like Centennial freshman Joseph Choi stepped up and won the South Area meet. Then there was the team competition — BHS held off Liberty for the SEYL title, Stockdale roared back to win five straight events to beat Centennial in the SWYL, and Bakersfield Christian won a three-way race with Taft and Tehachapi. And there was the league competition — I'm still not sure if the SEYL or SWYL was the stronger league.

Best player: Funny thing is, I'm not sure if Fernandez is/was a better player than Patel. Shoot, Patel had a lower stroke average and finished fifth in the Central Section tournament while Patel shot 67 and finished second. In plenty of years, that'd be enough to hand the honor to the Driller. But who the better player was isn't really what I'm going to decide. I'm going with who had the better year. And though Patel won the L.A. City Amateur (a la Tiger Woods), the section tourney was the only time out of five that he finished higher than Fernandez when they played in the same event. And Fernandez did have that whole shooting even-par thing at a tough Santa Maria Country Club course to take home the state's silver medal. When the conditions got tough, Fernandez rose to the top.
Honorable mention: Bhavik Patel, Bakersfield; Joseph Choi, Centennial; Stephen Harmer, Garces; Blake Brown, Liberty; Manav Shah, Centennial; Matt Hunt, Stockdale

Best team: By the same strategy, I'll have to take Stockdale here, too. Bakersfield, riding the strength of its top two or three players, won the SEYL and looked to be a favorite heading into the area meet in Taft. But Stockdale and its balance, which got things together in the middle of the year and stormed by Centennial, did the same thing to BHS in the area meet. The Mustangs nearly made the SoCal regional but ended third in section team competition to Clovis West (third in state) and Clovis-Buchanan.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield, Centennial, Liberty

Best event: Here's where Bhavik shined. The Central Section tourney, up in Madera, was the most fun I had in golf all year. I started by watching Patel and a couple of others start their rounds, playing fairly well. Then, at the turn, I caught wind of Fernandez's score — he was already 4-under-par. So I watched him for almost the entire back nine, hearing how his only challenge was Clovis East's Derek Ernst, who was two or three shots behind. But Fernandez struggled, caught some bad breaks, and finished actually over par after a horrible back nine. Ernst was way ahead. Until I drove my cart back to find Patel, who was raining down birdies on the back nine and had pulled to within a stroke of Ernst. He missed birdie opportunities on the 17th and 18th (missing a comeback par putt as well) to finish two back. Still quite a ride.
Honorable mention: State tournament, SoCal regional (Fernandez advances in a playoff)

A look ahead: Patel is out of the picture, so Fernandez, who will still only be a junior, will have the favorite's pressure squarely on his shoulders. He seems well-equipped to handle it, so I'd think he's the guy to keep one eye on. With the other, take a look at the county's crop of other good young players — Choi, a freshman, and Shah, a sophomore, at Centennial; Stockdale's young team; Max Schmidt at Liberty; Stephen Harmer at Garces. And there might be another crop waiting in the wings. So good golf will continue. Second in the state golf? Who knows? You've almost got to catch lightning in a bottle for that to happen, right?

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field
July 17: Girls track and field
July 19: Boys swimming
July 20: Girls swimming
July 21: Boys tennis

And that's it. Time to turn our attention to 2008-09. And we'll start with — what else? — football.

If you weren't a tennis fan after the Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a couple of weeks ago, you'll never be. But I'll bet if you saw Nadal's epic win, you're starting to like the game more and more. And if you like tennis, you'll like today's Year in Review segment.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS TENNIS

Overview: There might not be a Nadal or Federer around here — you'd have to go to Mallorca or Switzerland for that — but there are some great players in Kern County. Behind Jeremy Quiroz of Stockdale, Michael Rodriguez and David Mossman of Bakersfield High and a trio from Bakersfield Christian — Alex Nichols, John Miller and Matthew Booth — the southern half of the section dominated the Valley's individual playoffs.

Best player: Stockdale's first-year coach, Dave Hillestad, said he thinks Quiroz could be a professionalplayer in the not-too-distant future — and he knows more about it than I do, for sure. But that's good enough for me to comfortably say Quiroz is the best around. As if his dominating run to the section final, gutsy three-set victory over Visalia-El Diamante's Josh Lorentzen in the championship or two victories at the prestigious Ojai Tournament weren't enough to convince me anyway. Also, props go out to the BHS team of Michael Rodriguez and David Mossman, who dominated the section's doubles draw.
Honorable mention: Alex Nichols, Bakersfield Christian; John Miller, Bakersfield Christian; Michael Rodriguez, BHS; Nick Jacobs, Garces; James Griffin, Frontier

Best team: I would have paid some money — and I don't normally pay to see these things — to watch Stockdale take on Bakersfield Christian. That goes for this or any year. And Bakersfield is absolutely in the conversation as well. I'm going to give this to Stockdale for the year, because I think the Mustangs' depth would have worn out BCHS in a nine- or 12-match dual and they were more consistent than the Drillers throughout the year. I'm certainly not as sure on that one as I am about Quiroz. But Stockdale had some players in the middle of its lineup — Joe Maeng, Neil Dave and Pierre Tamer, to name a few — that would have been Nos. 1 or 2 on a lot of other teams in the section.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield Christian, Bakersfield

Best event: The section team playoffs produced some memorable dual matches, with Bakersfield and Stockdale both losing heartbreakers in Division I, West winning a thriller to reach the D-II final and Garces holding off Porterville on the road to take its second straight D-III title. But how can you top the individual finals? Besides the early drama of Nichols being suspended for the tournament, Quiroz's unexpectedly tough match in the final and a couple of epics played by West's Tim Donaldson and Kevin Lott (lost in the semifinals, won the third-place match) only added to the drama of having dual Bakersfield champs.
Honorable mention: West 5, Hanford 4; Buchanan 5, Bakersfield 4; Bullard 6, Stockdale 3; Garces 5, Porterville 4

A look ahead: Anyone who's become a tennis fan should get themselves out to some matches next year, because it'll be a juicy one. Rodriguez from BHS and Miller from BCHS are really the only notable singles players who'll be gone. Quiroz will have to battle Nichols again, perhaps this time for a section title, while other players like Griffin and Jacobs try to make the leap. On a team level, Stockdale will have a chance to come out on the other side of its battle with Bullard, this time with a championship at stake.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field
July 17: Girls track and field
July 19: Boys swimming
July 20: Girls swimming

Tomorrow (last one): Boys golf

For today's Year in Review, I'm bringing out Kern's Sunday best — Emily Irvin, Stockdale's swimming extraordinaire, to be exact. Actually, she was good on any day of the week, especially on Saturdays in May.

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS SWIMMING

Overview: Emily Irvin dominated the headlines, but there were plenty of bright spots in Kern County swimming. Frontier, Bakersfield High, Centennial and Liberty all fielded strong teams, and there were good individual efforts from those like East's Karlee Grundeis and Ridgecrest-Immanuel Christian's Mary Hanson, the unknown superstar who finished second in the Southern Section in the 100 backstroke with a time good enough to set a Central Section record.

Best swimmer: You don't see section titles in all four years of a career very often. Swimming might be more susceptible to that sort of feat than most sports, but it's still a heck of an accomplishment. I mean, first off to win as a freshman is fantastic but a necessary first step. But then to stay healthy, focused, consistent and yes, lucky, for three more years? Simply amazing. But that's Emily Irvin, ladies and gents. Four-time Central Section champ in the 100 breaststroke. (She's headed to Boise State next year, of all places. I say, good on ya, Boise State.)
Honorable mention: Mary Hanson, Ridgecrest-Immanuel; Tiffanie Boe, Stockdale; Sara Ramos, Stockdale; Erica Becker, BHS; Stevie Hughey, Frontier

Best team: Like the boys, there was just no touching Stockdale this year. Yes, there's some natural advantages to having your school district encompass some well-off (let's just say pool-friendly) neighborhoods in this sport, but you've still got to tip your cap to this kind of dominance: Stockdale was third in the section with 209 points, and the next area team was baby Frontier, in eighth with 103. Yeah, that's more than doubling up the competition.
Honorable mention: Frontier, Bakersfield

Best event: The spectacle of winning that fourth straight title — there's just something about it that seems really, really special to me. And to see Irvin hit the wall a second or so ahead of everyone else, that small of a margin, for four years, must have been something special. Not to mention seeing her lead the team to another championship in the 200 medley relay. What a day.
Honorable mention: SEYL meet, Garces Invitational

A look ahead: Irvin is gone, but basically no one else is. So who steps up to the spotlight? That's the storyline for next season. It could be Becker, it could be Frontier's Stevie Hughey, or even Hanson, despite her location making her largely unknown in these parts. That backstroke is still pretty darn impressive. Anyone have a problem with an All-Area Swimmer of the Year coming from Ridgecrest? It could happen.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field
July 17: Girls track and field
July 19: Boys swimming

Tomorrow: Boys tennis

So, about that one-post-per-day thing ...

True story — I'm laying in bed last night, just turned off the light trying to decide if I'm going to be too hot (who isn't these days) and then it hits me: I didn't do a boys swimming Year in Review! This might not keep many awake at night, but I did as much as sit up before realizing I had no real intentions of getting out of bed just to do that day's forgotten year in review. So, sorry swimming fans. I just was not dedicated enough.

So our schedule will be pushed back a day. The last sport's review will now be on July 22, still nearly a full week before football practices begin on the 28th. So never fear. I slept like a baby, and we're back on track.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS SWIMMING

Overview: This was the year to buy the hype. What we thought coming in was that Stockdale was loaded and if they didn't win any races, it'd be a good bet that Tehachapi's Michael Halaska did. Maybe a couple of other guys, but the lion's share was right there. And well, there you have it. Those three plus Stockdale, and you've got a nice little winner's circle.

Best swimmer: Actually, Halaska might not have been as dominant as he was during his junior season. He got a stiff challenge in the 100-yard breaststroke, his signature event, from Daniel, even losing to him in the SSL meet, but won his second straight Central Section title in the event. He also added another comfortable victory — and another automatic All-American time — in the 200 individual medley. So, in the end, Halaska really was worth the hype.
Honorable mention: Jay Daniel, Shafter; Randy Aakhus, Frontier, Brian Collier, Stockdale; Daniel Wickensheimer, Stockdale; Mark Silvius, Liberty

Best team: Never a doubt here — Mustangs also apparently run in water. Stockdale, with his massive depth, wasn't tested in the area. The team took fourth in the Central Section behind Clovis West, Clovis-Buchanan and Clovis (no wonder they hold the meet in that town), but around Kern County, Stockdale was the measuring stick. The Wickensheimer brothers (Dan and Mike), Collier and Jon Kim won the 200 medley relay with an automatic All-American time — that should be enough to show you the Mustangs' versatility.
Honorable mention: Liberty, Tehachapi, Centennial, Garces

Best event: Minus Centennial and Tehachapi, the Garces Invitational gave us an early-season glimpse of who was good at what in the area. The absence of an area meet for the first time in a generation wasn't really missed, at least on my end. We had our area meet right there at Bakersfield College. Well-ran, well-rounded.
Honorable mention: Central Section meet

A look ahead: Collier, Kim and the Wickensheimers are all underclassmen. You do the math here. Yep, it'll be Stockdale again. Actually, it should be a good year for the southern half of the Valley — maybe even time to challenge the Clovis triumverate — with Daniel, Aakhus and Liberty's Justin Kraetsch all back as well. I'm also waiting for a boom in both boys and girls swimming from Frontier before too long. The Titans, who'll finally have a senior class, have built up fast in this sport.

Year in review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field
July 17: Girls track and field

Tomorrow (I swear!): Girls swimming

These 100 degree days don't quit very easily, do they? I've always said I prefer extreme hot to extreme cold (I guess that's one reason I live here), but I could use an 85-degree respite or something. Eh. Guess I'll have to wait a month.

Anyway, another summer day means another sports' Year in Review at School House Zach.

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Overview: We talked about how good the boys season was yesterday, and the girls season wasn't too far behind. We had a two-event state champion in Shafter's Anna Jelmini (like Dayshan Ragans, Jelmini did it in throwing events, but then, this is Kern County). Also had Centennial's Alana Alexander, who reached the state finals in both the long and triple jumps, and Frontier's Taylor Jackson, who made it to state in both hurdles events. Oh, and by the way, Burroughs' Kayla Kovar and Stockdale's Alex Collatz (just a freshman) finished 3-4 in the state discus. They'll be back, too.

Best athlete: OK, so not only was Jelmini a dominant two-time state champ, but she was also the national discus champion (fourth in the shot put) and seventh in the world in the discus. Yeah, she gets my vote here. A very focused, determined kid who feels a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight but also isn't afraid to smile. Anna deserves what she gets, folks.
Honorable mention: Alana Alexander, Centennial; Kayla Kovar, Burroughs; Alex Collatz, Stockdale; Taylor Jackson, Frontier; Brushay Wandick, Bakersfield

Best team: With this being coach Randy Jones' final season before he slips quietly into retirement, it was only fitting that the Centennial girls add another Southwest Yosemite League title to his resumé before he left. The Golden Hawks had just one section champion (Alexander, in the triple jump), but give it up for their depth. It seemed like between Alexander, Ashlee Thomas and more than a handful of others, Centennial had a hand in every event.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield, Liberty, Taft, Stockdale

Best event: Hmm. The SEYL meet was a race to the finish between Bakersfield High and Liberty, but for girls athletics in Kern County, nothing the entire year beat watching the discus at the state meet in Norwalk. Jelmini, Kovar and Collatz stepped up to the plate and fulfilled (exceeded?) lofty expectations with a 1-3-4 finish. That's 75 percent of the top four discus throwers in the state from about 2 percent of the state's population here in Kern. Pretty darn good.
Honorable mention: SEYL meet, Central Section championships

A look ahead: Guess what? All three of those throwers are back — and Collatz especially will improve there and in the triple jump, her other great event. Jelmini can't do a whole lot for an encore, besides set a state record or two (not out of her reach), but she'll be fun to follow to a couple more state titles, barring injury (knock on wood, folks). As for the rest of the arena, Jackson was just a sophomore, and Liberty pole vaulter Amanda Klinchuch, plus Alexander and sprinter Wandick will be back for another year. That's a good foundation already; other spots will be waiting for up-and-comers to fill.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball
July 16: Boys track and field

Tomorrow: Boys swimming

Those of you still awake after staying up late last night to watch the All-Star Game go to 15 innings (and just imagine what it would have been like on the East Coast) are in for a treat.

Track and field might have been Kern County's best sport in 2007-08. Better than football, where the area won four Central Section titles. Better than baseball, where Stockdale and Centennial both finished ranked in the state's top 25.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Overview: Three state championships? It doesn't get much better than that. Foothill's Dayshan Ragans, the throwing extraordinare from Foothill, he was expected to do well at the CIF State Championships. In fact, you could even say that not winning a double state title in the shot put and discus would have been a disappointment. And he cashed in on his end. But how about adding a state championship for Johnny Carter, a Ridgeview freshman who took home the crown in a triple jump, an event freshmen aren't supposed to win.

Best athlete: Carter's finish probably was more amazing, considering his age and his prior jumping history (he needed to — and did — set a new personal record with the winning jump), but I won't get any argument for filling this slot with Dayshan Ragans. That's not only because the senior was ultra-consistent throughout the year — he won every event he entered, and wasn't really challenged until the state meet's shot put competition. Ragans also has an amazing back story, springing up from an at-risk home to throw, just for something to do, and turning it into two state championships and a full-ride scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield.
Honorable mention: Johnny Carter, Ridgeview; Chris Schwartz, Foothill; Tyler Thompson, Shafter; Emmanuel Turner, Bakersfield; Isaiah Purvis, Liberty; Chris Kelly, Ridgeview

Best team: Between Ragans and Schwartz, cross-country state champion and second in the state 3,200 in track, Foothill finished fourth in the state. But for a full team, I'll say Bakersfield High, which had the area's best sprinters and got better and better with the 1,600 relay also. The Drillers also got contributions from field events, like Isiah Griggs in the high jump and Colin Ellis in the throwing events.
Honorable mention: Stockdale, Foothill, Shafter, Liberty

Best event: I'm going to repeat this tomorrow when we do girls track and field, but the state meet this year simply was amazing. Between Ragans holding off Colin Quirke of Los Gatos in the shot put and then running away with the discus and Carter shocking the state in the triple jump, there was enough there to make it a great event locally. But German Fernandez of Riverbank took things to another level in the distance events and Compton-Dominguez won the state title with a fantastic 1,600 relay race to end the night. I didn't really consider myself a "track guy" until that meet. Now I do.
Honorable mention: SWYL/SEYL combined championships; Mt. SAC Invitational

A look ahead: It'll be strange not to have Dayshan over in the throwing pits to keep an eye on at every meet, but there's plenty of talent coming back. The list starts with Carter and Schwartz, who will be legitimate threats to give Kern two state champs again (maybe even favorites now that that Fernandez fellow is out of Schwartz's way). Frontier junior-to-be Matt Darr will keep things lively in the throwing pits; he qualified for state in the shot put this season and might be even better in the discus. There's also high jumpers Griggs, West's George Robbins and Garces' Phillip McCullum and sprinters Turner and Purvis, plus Matt Sumlin of Garces. So another good year in store, methinks.

Year in review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball
July 15: Softball

Tomorrow: Girls track and field

So ... I didn't know I was jinxing the poor saps falling asleep at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game (not to mention newspapers on deadline in the eastern half of the country) by saying it was like a softball game, then talking about 15-inning games in my last post.

They're into the 15th inning, American League 3, National League 3, 1:22 a.m. New York time. Anyone still with 'em?

 As I'm starting this entry, the Major League Baseball All-Star game is resembling a softball game — domination from pitchers, lots of strikeouts, some aggressive baserunning, and some baserunning errors.

So maybe it's appropriate that for today's Year in Review segment, we head to the softball diamond.

2007-08 Kern County SOFTBALL

Overview: Unsure whether Centennial or Stockdale had enough ammunition to challenge for a Central Section title this year, I kind of keyed in on the Mustangs first, thinking that Fresno State-bound senior Mackenzie Oakes would be the difference between the two. And Stockdale might have outplayed Centennial in the teams' first meeting, but when Centennial eked out a 1-0 victory, my focus switched. By the time the teams met a third time, in the Division I section semifinals, Centennial was clearly the better team — and in the throes of a 19-game winning streak that ended with a Valley title.
Elsewhere, Garces and Liberty played to a draw in a thrilling SEYL race, Garces won the D-III title, Ridgeview's Carly Hummel led some great unknown pitchers and Golden Valley and Wasco led a resurgence of unknown teams.

Best team: Again, there was doubt about this one by the end of the year. Centennial was playing so well at the end of the year that games never seemed in doubt. Their victory against Stockdale in the semifinals was a classic example: escape early jam, put a couple of runs on the board, and let pitcher Ensley Gammel and a stalwart defense dominate from there on out. The championship against Madera was a little different, with the Coyotes doing a lot of the threatening. But Centennial never cracked and took home a 2-1 victory for the school's first big-school softball championship.
Honorable mention: Stockdale, Garces, Liberty

Best player: This is tougher than you think. Gammel, a junior who's already committed to softball power Florida, is the obvious choice. But Oakes is still an incredible talent who had little help in the way of experience from her teammates. Gammel, on the other hand, had a team laden with juniors and seniors to help her win a title. Who's the better player? Too close to call. But who had the better year? Gammel, with a big assist to her Golden Hawks teammates.
Honorable mention: Mackenzie Oakes, Stockdale; Cassidy Bell, Liberty; Shelby Alsup, Garces; Anissa Carendar, Wasco; Carly Hummel, Ridgeview

Best game: Right in the middle of that winning streak, Centennial was tested by Hummel and her incredible drop-ball. Early in the game (by which I mean the entire first seven innings), Hummel dominated, getting strikeout after strikeout with a few pop-ups mixed in. Ridgeview, meanwhile, had plenty of threats. But Gammel never cracked, and never did an airtight Centennial defense. Finally, in the 13th inning, a tiring Hummel couldn't keep the CHS offense at bay. And Centennial took home a 2-0 win that showed they could battle for victory as well. Hummel, a Memphis recruit who has another year to go, was at least relieved that she'd make her hair and nails appointments in time to get ready for the prom that night.
Honorable mention: Ridgeview 1, Golden Valley 0, 15 innings (Hummel 29 strikeouts); Centennial 2, Madera 1; Centennial 1, Stockdale 0; Liberty 3, Garces 2.

A look ahead: Oakes and Alsup have graduated, and that's about it. Gammel will lead a senior-laden Centennial team (the Golden Hawks did lose catcher Vanessa Medina and a few other contributors to their title, but the core returns), youthful Stockdale just needs a pitcher, Hummel will be back for Ridgeview, and Bell, the area's best position player, returns to try to bookend her career with D-I section titles. My guess? At least two more titles, including the D-I variety, return to Kern County.

Year in review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer
July 14: Baseball

Tomorrow: Boys track and field

 Happy Bastille Day to everyone (French independence day, for the uninformed). Greetings from Las Vegas, perhaps one of the least French places (yeah, yeah, fake Eiffel Tower and all) on Earth but a city that actually has something to do with our baseball year in review segment today. It was during spring break, when most of Bakersfield's best baseball teams left town for big tournaments, when I realized how good the baseball in Kern County was. Liberty was down in San Diego beating some very good teams (Oceanside, which won the SD section, was one), while Centennial and Stockdale were off in Phoenix and Las Vegas beating up the competition.
At year's end, Stockdale was the Division I Central Section champion and was ranked third in the state, and Centennial, though it was upset in the section quarterfinals, finished in the top 20. Let's look back at how it happened.

2007-08 Kern County BASEBALL

Overview: All year long, it was the Stockdale or Centennial show. You could find a good baseball argument with anyone over which was the better team, and the only argument was that they were clearly the best in town (not an unusual position for them, mind you). Stockdale won the first meeting, scoring seven runs in the first inning and hanging on, and in the second meeting, Centennial blitzed the Mustangs 19-10. Neither lost another game in the very tough SWYL. But Stockdale had its day in the sun again, winning a dramatic Valley title.

Best team: In the end, you had to give it to Stockdale, though I'm convinced the Mustangs and Golden Hawks could have played 50 times and each won somewhere between 24 and 26. That's high school baseball, though; you get one game, and the team that makes the most of it gets to call itself the champ. Stockdale did it in heart-stopping fashion, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to dispatch more-than-pesky No. 8 seed Madera, then holding off Clovis West 5-3 with the bases loaded at the end of the game, and then winning an all-time classic against Clovis. See below for the details on that.
Honorable mention: Centennial, Liberty and no one else was in the same category. South made the D-III championship and Bakersfield Christian the D-V.

Best player: Here's the first time I'll break from what I chose in the All-Area ballots. Who was the Player of the Year? K.C. Hobson, who was phenomenal at first base and on the mound. He hit .505, including a home run and the game-winning hit in the championship game. But the best player? I think for this year, it has to be Centennial's Jarret Martin, who shattered the section home run record with 18. He wasn't as dominant on the mound as he would have liked, with an ERA in the high 3s, but that's where he'll likely bemaking a lot of money some day. Martin was drafted in the 19th round of the MLB Draft by the Orioles. He has until Aug. 15 to make a decision on whether he'll sign there or take his scholarship to Cal State Fullerton, which ain't a bad backup.
Honorable mention: K.C. Hobson, Stockdale; Dusty Robinson, Centennial; Andrew Letourneau, Liberty; Scott Denesha, Stockdale

Best game: This one's easy. After Hobson's mammoth home run helped Stockdale to a 3-1 lead in the first inning, Clovis and its ace Dave Rohm slowly took control of the Division I championship game and held a 6-3 lead with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the seventh. The sizable Clovis crowd was on its feet, the sizable Stockdale crowd was dejected, and then magic happened for the Mustangs. Error at third base. Blooper off the shortstop's glove for a hit. Another bloop single and an error, and finally, Greg Osteen's two-run single to right-center field to tie it at 6. In the eighth inning, Hobson won it with a single all the way to the wall in right.
Honorable mention: Centennial 8, Ridgeview 6; Stockdale 5, Clovis West 3

A look ahead: If you thought Stockdale was loaded this year, check out the senior class they'll have next year. Hobson. Ace Philip Valos, who won all three playoff games. Denesha, who led the team in hitting and was one of the league players of the year. Jon Broida. These guys are going to be good. Liberty and Centennial, the only two schools that could touch Stockdale, lose most or all of their key players. So unless an unknown makes a big leap forward (West? Bakersfield? North?), Stockdale should really dominate the area next year.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer
July 13: Girls soccer

Tomorrow: Softball

This is a taped blog entry, so to speak.

I wanted to make sure to get one Year in Review out each day, but I'm heading to Las Vegas for a couple of days to visit a friend. So what to do? Store a couple up and send 'em from the road!

So, live from the Rio Hotel, it's ....
2007-08 Kern County GIRLS SOCCER

Overview: Almost a magical year for Stockdale, which had no problems with anyone locally until the Division I section semifinal, when they got two late goals to top Bakersfield High 2-1. In the championship, Kassi Massey got an early goal in the pouring rain and mud at Clovis-Buchanan, the type of game where one goal could easily win it. Alas, Buchanan's pressure eventually got to Stockdale, and the Bears' 3-1 victory ruined Stockdale's chance at its first championship. Elsewhere, Highland took home a Division III section title for Bakersfield.

Best team: After a couple of early losses to Buchanan and Liberty, Stockdale got on a roll of all rolls. After outscoring its next four opponents 17-1, SHS lost to San Luis Obispo in the Garces Holiday tournament, and later dropped a 2-1 decision to Valencia and battled Woodland Hills-Louisville to a scoreless draw down south in the Hart tourney. But when it came to local play, no one could match the Mustangs. They scored five or more goals 10 times during league and playoff play, and gave up just one goal in that time. Finally, BHS got a goal and Buchanan scored three, but it was a great run for a Stockdale team that didn't really have a weakness.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield, Liberty, North, Highland, Bakersfield Christian

Best player(s): Just like I couldn't make a call in March when I finalized the All-Area team, I won't make a decision here. Stockdale fowards Kassi Massey and Laura Johnson were an absolute terror up front for opponents, combining for 64 goals. 64! That's more than some teams will score in two seasons. Johnson was the visionary, making cuts and passes, give-and-gos and set plays that resulted in easy goals. Massey was the speedster and the shooter, scoring in a lot more traditional ways. Look away for a couple of minutes at a Stockdale game, and the score would change, and these two are the reason.
Honorable mention: Paige Peel, Centennial; Kari Storslett, Bakersfield; Victoria Chicca, Bakersfield

Best game: With so much riding on the line for Stockdale and Bakersfield High in their D-I semifinal — namely local bragging rights and a spot in the championship — it'd be easy to imagine a scenario where the teams came out cautious and nervous. Not the case at all. The city's two heavyweights slugged it out for most of the game, both earning great chances while the other fended them off. BHS scored just before halftime, and for a while it looked like Stockdale would be the unlucky loser, but the Mustangs struck twice in the final 10 minutes for the stunning turnaround victory. The game even included a delay when the timed lights went out on Stockdale's field.
Honorable mention: SLO-Mission Prep 1, Bakersfield Christian 0, D-V playoffs

A look ahead: With Johnson, Massey and Jennifer Spinner gone from Stockdale, Chicca and Storslett gone from BHS, Paige Peel gone from Centennial and a few other All-Area players gone, it'll be interesting to see who steps into the spotlight next year. You'd better believe the two powerhouse teams have some stars waiting in the wings, but I'll present another interesting possibility: Frontier, which had a good season last year led by freshman forward Cami Privett, could take a step forward.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling
July 12: Boys soccer

Tomorrow: Baseball

It's already been an exciting year for soccer fans, with Euro 2008 one of the better-played international tournaments I've ever seen, an all-English Champions League final and  World Cup qualifying beginning in earnest on Aug. 20 (the U.S. takes on Guatemala that day).
It wasn't the greatest year for the boys futbol-ers here in Kern County though. Good teams, some disappointing results in the end. It was also refreshing to see a sport where the "usual suspects" (Stockdale, Centennial, Bakersfield) weren't intimately involved in every big moment. Nothing against those schools; it's just nice to see some different jerseys in there every now and then.
Here's your Year in Review.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS SOCCER

Overview: The league races — in the SWYL, the much tougher SEYL and even the SSL — all came down to the wire, which was thrilling. The playoffs had some exciting games too, though not a solitary Kern County team took home a section championship.

Best team: Could Kern's finest really just be a runner-up in Division III? That's what happened to Golden Valley, which dominated the SEYL season (until being gifted a victory in a late game against Liberty that could have split the title) and then ran roughshod through the D-III playoffs before falling achingly short against Fresno-Roosevelt in the section championship at home. The Bulldogs hit every crossbar, goalpost and bad hop you could hit, didn't score and went home a 1-0 loser. Still a fantastic team led by a stingy defense (you'll see 20 shutouts on this list).
Honorable mention: Liberty, East, West, Wasco

Best player: You could go a lot of different directions with this one — Eddie Llanes and Matt Clemmons were the best defenders in town for Golden Valley, and Noe Ramirez scored plenty of big goals up front. Kenny Johnson might have been the most skilled player in town for Liberty. Horacio Ramirez was a rock in goal for West. But at the end of the day, I'll let the numbers do the talking and go with East forward Javier Pina. He scored 30 goals to lead the Central Section, at least 13 more than any other Kern County player. He also had four of the Blades' six playoff goals.
Honorable mention: Matt Clemmons, Noe Ramirez, Kenny Johnson

Best game: Also a good question, but there's one that sticks out in my mind above all others. In a Division II semifinal, West High — seeded No. 1 after going worst to first in the SWYL — took on Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial for a spot in the championship game against, as it turned out, East. Memorial took the lead in the first half. West answered. Memorial took the lead early in the second half. West answered with a dramatic goal from Ignacio Bernal in the final minutes of regulation. Then Memorial again took the lead in the second overtime session. West had fabulous chances to tie it again and force a penalty-kick shootout, but after a strange call left the Vikings with an indirect kick inside the penalty box (don't think this is even supposed to ever happen), a crossbar was clanged, some rebounds were blocked, and Memorial had its upset.
Honorable mention: Roosevelt 1, Golden Valley 0, D-III playoffs; Bakersfield 1, Liberty 1, BHS wins in shootout, D-I playoffs; East 2, Tulare Western 0, OT, D-II playoffs; Golden Valley 3, Liberty 2 (ruined by questionable refereeing)

A look ahead: Many of the best players in the area were seniors, meaning next year could be wide, wide open. Clemmons comes back at sweeper for Golden Valley, so maybe start there? I'd also always be on the lookout for Stockdale or Centennial to rise again from the west.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball
July 11: Wrestling

Tomorrow: Girls soccer

A couple of interesting tidbits, one football and one track-related, to pass along before we to get to the Wrestling Year in Review.

Derek Carr is the cover boy for Bakersfield football this coming year, between his older brother's legacy in the Valley and his status as a top-notch recruit following David's steps to Fresno State. But Derek's legacy isn't nearly as overpowering as those that a few guys on the other side of the field will have in Bakersfield Christian's season opener against Westlake Village-Oaks Christian.

It would be enough to have Wayne Gretzky's kid at quarterback. But Trevor actually is only on the JV. It would be more than enough to have Will Smith's son Trey at a wide receiver slot. But now, Nick Montana, son of a certain Hall-of-Fame, four-time Super Bowl champion named Joe, is transferring to Oaks Christian from Concord-De La Salle. That's quite a triumverate of parents. Wonder if any of them will make the trip to Bako on Sept. 5 ...

As for track and field, the news came this morning from Poland, where Anna Jelmini has qualified for the discus finals at the IAAF World Junior Championships. Simply put, this means Jelmini is one of the top 12 discus throwers in the world (younger than 17). Pretty impressive. We'll find out which one of those 12 Jelmini is Sunday morning when the finals take place.

Now, down to business.

2007-08 Kern County WRESTLING

Overview: As usual, Bakersfield High dominated the local scene. It actually was a down year for the Drillers, who finished outside the state's top 10 for the first time since 1999. It was the first time Kern County didn't have a top-10 team finish for the first time since '97. Still, there were plenty of storylines to go around.

Best wrestler: Travis Rasmussen wasn't flashy, wasn't a showboat and, with his lanky frame, didn't seem like he'd be such a good wrestler. But he was competetive in the extreme. He loved winning, and he did a lot of it — taking the 145-pound championship at the Doc Buchanan Invitational and the title at the Central Section Grand Masters tournament. His biggest problem was Clovis-Buchanan's Andrew Balch, who moved down from 152 pounds early in the year. Balch caught Rasmussen and pinned him during a wild first period at the section's Yosemite Division championships, and then, in a much more conservatitve match for the state title a few weeks later, beat him 1-0 on a third-period escape. Rasmussen's second-place finish was still the county's highest since 2006.
Honorable mention: Edgar Diaz, Arvin; Jonah Cruz, Bakersfield; Peter Gonzalez, East; Brad Carls, Bakersfield;  Marc Collier, East

Best team: That'd be BHS. A team that had trouble competing with Clovis and Buchanan and even Selma from the northern half of the section was still was one of the 10 or 12 best teams in the state. They also dominated the county, never challenged by one of the other contenders.
Honorable mention: East, Centennial

Best event: The state meet in wrestling will always go unmatched, but for intrigue, this year I'm taking the Southwest Yosemite League championships. The drama started with Centennial's standout 160-pounder Dalton Endes, a good bet to place at the state meet, failing to make weight before the league finals. Season done, just like that. Without him, Centennial couldn't hold off young Frontier, which came from nowhere (the Titans didn't even have a state qualifier) to win the first league title in school history.
Honorable mention: State tournament, Central Section Yosemite Divisional (with No. 1 seeds dropping like flies)

A look ahead: With Rasmussen and Diaz, who placed fourth in state, gone, who will take over as Kern's state-title threat. The East triumverate of Collier, Gonzalez and heavyweight Antonio Hernandez will finally be seniors, and I'd be surprised if all three at least don't place. Jonah Cruz will give the state title a run at BHS, as will Endes at Centennial. Not sure if any of them will have as good of a chance as Rasmussen had this year, though.

Year in review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball
July 10: Girls basketball

Tomorrow: Boys soccer

Ahhh. Finally feeling back to normal, after a week or so back from Europe, my body's clock is finally back on good ol' Pacific Daylight Time. And you can tell that from how my Year in Review blog entries have slipped later and later into each day. Pretty soon, I'll be posting around midnight like I'm used to.

But that's no matter to all the girls basketball fans out there. Let's get to today's Year in Review.

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS BASKETBALL

Overview: All Stockdale, all the time. Well, maybe not quite, but the Mustangs were the measuring stick by which every other Kern County team graded itself. Garces didn't lose until the state quarterfinals — except for the two times it was defeated handily by Bakersfield High. The Drillers didn't lose much and won the SEYL title, but when they played Stockdale, it wasn't pretty. But there were some nice moments for BHS, Garces and Centennial too along the way.

Best team: Stockdale couldn't quite pull out a section title — finishing second in Division I — or a big-school state playoff victory. But within Kern County, there was no one else close. The Mustangs ran and pressed and got off to big leads, and then ran and pressed some more. When all was said and done, Stockdale didn't win a game by fewer than 19 points against county competition.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield, Garces, Centennial

Best player: At the center of all that running and pressing was the calming force — the player who could push the gas pedal harder or calm things down, Melissa Sweat. Only a sophomore, Sweat emerged into a starring role for the Mustangs.
Honorable mention: Jalei Kinder, Stockdale; Asia Wofford, Bakersfield; Caitlin Bernardin, Garces; Nicki Villalobos, Centennial; Jasmine Noldon, Centennial

Best game: Hands down, it was Garces' miracle comeback against La Habra-Whittier Christian in the first round of the Division IV state playoffs. The Rams, not a side used to losing, found themselves down 43-34 with less than three minutes to play in their own gym. But it wasn't just the defecit; Garces, the D-IV section champ, had had other chances to get back in the game and hadn't so much as made a dent. The Rams' offense was struggling so bad, I thought the game was over for sure. But then Garces picked up the press, got some buckets off of turnovers, hit some long-range shots and went ahead for good on Kirsten Acosta's layup with about 40 seconds left. All this to make the state quarterfinals.
Honorable mention: Centennial 47, Fresno-Edison 45, Division II section playoffs; North 64, Ridgeview 62

A look ahead: Stockdale's grip on the area won't loosen any time soon, with a young team coming back, led by juniors-to-be Sweat and Kinder. Garces also was very young and boasts another talented incoming class, something that should lead to a wide-open SEYL race. BHS loses Asia Wofford but will still be the favorite, and Liberty, another young team, has a chance to get back in the race also. In the west, watch out for rising Frontier and North to challenge Centennial for second place. Shafter likely is the SSL favorite, assuming Anna Jelmini doesn't give up basketball to concentrate on throwing.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf
July 9: Boys basketball

Tomorrow: Wrestling

It might not seem appropriate to talk basketball in the summer, what with it 110 degrees outside and all, but that's not entirely the case. Shoot, the NBA plays till the summer solstice, why can't we take things into July? And the Summer Breeze tournament will give you an early glimpse of next year's boys hoops around Kern County. It runs Friday and Saturday at the Icardo Center, with games starting at 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.

With that in mind, here's your boys basketball year in review.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS BASKETBALL

Overview: A wild and crazy year that saw teams head up and down and produced some great matchups and exciting finishes, plus a section championship and state playoff run for Garces.

Best team: This one is a very tough question, considering Centennial and Ridgeview split the Southwest Yosemite League title and Garces, Bakersfield and East all had a share of the SEYL crown. I'll go with Garces, which won its (admittedly lesser) division in the playoffs and went on to the Division IV state quarterfinals before bowing out to eventual state champion North Hollywood-Campbell Hall. The Rams beat BHS twice, which beat East twice, which beat Garces twice. So take your pick.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield, Centennial, East, Ridgeview, Bakersfield Christian

Best player: Stephon Carter was one of the best players in the state, probably the best in the section and definitely the best in Kern. His slashes to the basket, combined with his athleticism on defense and all-around competitiveness make this an easy choice. The stats back it up, too: 23.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
Honorable mention: Ricky Wofford, Bakersfield; Taylor Kelly, Centennial; Art Charles, Ridgeview

Best game: When Ridgeview came to Centennial's gym late in the season, the atmosphere told the story from the very beginning. The crowd was juiced — a Ridgeview win clinched the SWYL title outright for the Wolf Pack, while a Centennial victory would give the Hawks at least a share of the title. And the game didn't disappoint. Centennial struck first, Ridgeview roared back, and then when point guard Travon Wesson fouled out remarkably early, Centennial made a game of it again. CHS freshman point Cody Kessler grabbed an offensive rebound and drained a 15-foot jumper to win it for the Hawks in the final seconds.
Honorable mention: Garces 102, Bakersfield 86; Clovis-Buchanan 55, Bakersfield 52, Division I playoffs; Garces 55, San Joaquin Memorial 53, Division IV playoffs

A look ahead: The best part about last year's exciting season for hoops fans is that most of the best players were young. Garces doesn't lose a single key player, and Carter could be playing with even more passion after the tragic death of his older brother this summer. The Rams might play a big role in the statewide race in D-IV. East was a young team, and Bakersfield adds the best JV team in the county to a core that includes junior post Dijon Henry (though Wofford has moved on). In the SWYL, Ridgeview will be a terror, even minus Charles, if Kaylin Evans and Robert Roberts are eligible. Centennial loses Kelly but brings back Kessler, already one of the area's best guards.

Year in Review index
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis
July 8: Girls golf

Tomorrow: girls basketball

Well, it's not exactly golfing weather, not in my book (then again, this is more like do-absolutely-nothing weather to me), but I'm sure there are some people out there roasting anyway. With that in mind let's look back to last fall's girls golf season in Kern County.

First, the Year in Review index:
July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country
July 7: Girls tennis

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS GOLF

Overview: Golf is one of those sports where a team or player can look great one week and overmatched the next. It's not often easy to summarize those sort of things. But the Kern County girls season is an exception: It was Mica Guzman of Garces by a hair over Tammy Park of Stockdale, and the same in the team standings, Garces by a bit over Stockdale.

Best player: Guzman won the SEYL title, the area championship, finished third in the Central Section and accounted well for herself in the Southern California regional, all with scores between 76 and 79. She beat Park in a playoff at the area tournament at North Kern after both shot 76s.
Honorable mention: Tammy Park, Stockdale; Cassie Clayton, Garces; Deidre Crabtree, Liberty

Best team: It was pretty special for a school as small as Garces (yes, you can insert a barb here about how golf is a "money" sport if you like, but my point still stands) to win an area championship and finish second in the Central Section, all while playing as a Division I team. That led them to the Southern Cal championships as a team, which should be good experience for a team that might be better next year.
Honorable mention: Stockdale, Liberty

Best event: When Tammy Park stepped up to Mica Guzman's challenge at the Area tournament and they shot matching 76s, it was already good golf and great drama. But when Guzman lipped out an eagle putt on the par-5 playoff hole, giving Park a chance to win, it got downright memorable. With Guzman needing only a six-inch gimme for birdie, Park needed to sink her birdie putt. It also lipped out, allowing the crowd to breathe again and giving Guzman, after a tap-in, the title.
Honorable mention: Central Section team championships; SEYL championships

A look ahead: The nucleus of the Rams' team is returning, and they were within five strokes of a section championship last year. Again, golf is a mercurial sport, so there are no guarantees, but I'd start at Garces when looking towards next season. And on an individual level, Guzman and Park will be back to duke it out for their senior seasons.

Tomorrow: Boys basketball

 For those of you who limit your bakersfield.com use to the work week, well, first of all, shame on you. Your weekend fun is here, not at the beach.

No, no, I'm kidding. Hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July. But you did miss the first few installments of the Year in Review segments we're doing here at School House Zach. We'll be doing a recap of one sport from the past school year each day. Here's a linked index to help you catch up, sport by sport:

July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country
July 6: Girls cross country

Today, we move on to the next fall sport on my list, girls tennis.

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS TENNIS

Outlook: It certainly was an intriguing year, with a No. 5-seeded team — Liberty's Estefiana Limpias and Darcy Smith — winning the Central Section doubles title, a big turnaround in the singles final and section titles from Stockdale, Garces and Bakersfield Christian.

Best player: Within a few points of the Central Section title, Bakersfield Christian sophomore Lyndsay Cooke couldn't close out Visalia-Redwood's Gabrielle Gatewood — after taking the first set 6-0, she lost the second in a tiebreaker and the third 6-3. Still, Cooke was unbeaten to that point and clearly was the best player in Kern County.
Honorable mention: Estefiana Limpias, Liberty; Darcy Smith, Liberty; Nancy Ramirez, East; Frances Ellison, Stockdale

Best team: No doubt it was Stockdale, which survived a semifinal test against Clovis East 5-4 before ripping Redwood 7-2 in the championship. The Mustangs lacked a dominant player but enjoyed depth unmatched in the section.
Honorable mention: Liberty, Bakersfield Christian, East, Garces, Highland

Best event: Between Limpias and Smith making a run past Stockdale's top two doubles teams and Cooke's untimely lapse in the singles final, the section's individual competition takes the cake. There was intrigue everywhere you turned.
Honorable mention: Stockdale 5, Clovis East 4, Division I playoffs; East 5, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 4, Division II playoffs; Bakersfield Christian 6, SLO-Mission Prep 3, Division V playoffs.

A look ahead: The best news for Cooke after the section final loss is that she was only a sophomore; I'd expect her to reign over the section for the next two years. Ramirez, meanwhile, was just a freshman at East. On the team scale, there's no reason Stockdale can't repeat as the D-I champ.

Tomorrow: Girls golf

My friends, here is your daily dose of Year in Review. First, an index of what's been covered so far:

July 3: Football
July 4: Volleyball
July 5: Boys cross country

2007-08 Kern County GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Overview: Not as illustrious a year as the Kern County boys runners had, but still a few highlights.

Best runner: No contest here, with North High's Candace Carlson undefeated against Kern opposition. She ran an 18:09 at the Kern County Championships at Hart Park and a 19:04 at Woodward Park to place fourth in the Central Section Division I race. Her time lapsed to 19:28 on the same course at the state meet, so she was only 84th — but that was still the best effort by a local on a tough day.
Honorable mention: Cassandra Salazar, Shafter; Ashley Nolasco, Stockdale; Elizabeth Wittenberg, Shafter; Brianna Diaz, Delano

Best team: I'll say Stockdale, by a smidge over Centennial. The Mustangs won the SWYL title by a narrow margin, then finished fifth in the section's Division I. Centennial placed five runners in the D-II top 10 at the section meet to take home a Valley title.
Honorable mention: Centennial, Shafter, Highland, North

Best meet: The combined Southeast and Southwest Yosemite League races at Hart Park on Nov. 1 were a showcase of county talent. Sixteen girls runners were at or better than the 20-minute mark, with Carlson leading the way at 18:52.
Honorable mention: Central Section meet

A look ahead: Carlson is a junior, so she'll have another year to chase a section title. Unfortunately for the Star, the rest of the girls top 10 in Division I were also underclassmen — a remarkable statistic that means next year should be a great one for the Central Section. I don't know how much of that will be Kern County, though — beyond Carlson, Wittenberg, three Shafter sophomores-to-be and perhaps Stockdale's Carolin Haney, there's precious little depth locally.

Tomorrow: Girls tennis

Don't turn away from this entry just because it's cross country. These Year in Review segments are a great way to look back on the most popular sports, yes, but they're also a good way to quickly catch up on the lesser-known sports.

With that said, here is the boys cross country Year in Review. In case you missed them, we've been through football and volleyball already.

2007-08 Kern County BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Overview: It was a good year for local runners, with Foothill's Chris Schwartz and Centennial's Brant Jones winning the Division I and II Central Section titles and Centennial and McFarland (D-III) taking home team titles. But it was at the state meet that the stories of the year — Schwartz and McFarland — separated themselves from the pack.

Best runner: Win a state championship, and you'll find your name in a Year in Review, I promise. Schwartz, who had ran a 15:31 at the section meet, ramped it up to a 15:13 at the state tournament at Woodward Park in Fresno to beat Riley Sullivan of Mission Viejo-Trabuco Hills by a second in the Division I championship race. German Fernandez of Riverbank — who later in the year wowed the crowd at the state track meet — had the best time in state, but Schwartz always will be the D-I state champ.
Honorable mention: Cody Gragg, North; Alfonso Cisneros, McFarland; Eddie Garcia, McFarland; Jesus Gomez, McFarland; Brant Jones, Centennial; Oscar Fuentes, East

Best team: Just take a look at the honorable mention list above you to find the answer to this question. McFarland has a remarkable distance running program for a small school, and no matter the size, the Cougars were the best in Kern County this year. They dominated the Division IV section meet — finishing 2-3-5-6-10 — and then finished third in the D-IV state meet, with Gomez, Cisneros and Garcia finishing in the top 25.
Honorable mention: Centennial, Highland, Foothill

Best meet: Between Schwartz holding off Clovis-Buchanan's Jonathan Sanchez by two seconds, Jones leading a top-four Bakersfield finish in the Division II race and McFarland's dominance in D-IV, no meet was more exciting than the Central Section Championships. Many of those same runners (Schwartz excepted) struggled on the same course a couple of weeks later at the state meet.
Honorable mention: CIF State Championships

A look ahead: Guess what? Schwartz is back for another year, and Gomez was the only senior in McFarland's starting lineup. So the storyline next year will be more of the same. There are also some good runners who could make the leap to elite status, a few of them on Highland's young team: Jake Van Zandt, Thomas Turner and Colin Lewis, plus Ridgeview's Robby Baker and McFarland's Marco Perez, Marco Camargo and Eduardo Bautista.

Tomorrow: girls cross country

A happy Independence Day to everyone out there. If you're doing work by reading this, I hope you're at least getting time-and-a-half enjoyment out of it. (Bad joke, yes, but I keep reminding myself that holiday pay makes working on the Fourth worth it).

In case you missed it yesterday, we're starting a year in review of all the Kern County high school sports from the 2007-08 school year. We started with football, and now a holiday edition of volleyball. By the time we're done, it'll be time to talk some 2008 football.

2007-08 Kern County VOLLEYBALL

Overview: A mixed bag for local teams, with Centennial edging Liberty in an all-Kern Division II section championship and Garces winning in D-IV, but heartbreak for Bakersfield High, swept by Clovis-Buchanan for the D-I title, and Bakersfield Christian, edged by Central Valley Christian in the D-V section final and again in the state semifinals.

Best team: It's hard to against Bakersfield High here, which despite the disappointment of losing to Buchanan went 18-0 against Kern County teams, dropping only three single games in that time. Bakersfield Christian gets small-school credit for nearly reaching the Division V state final.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield Christian, Centennial, Stockdale, Garces, Liberty

Best player: We'll again head down G Street, where Cassandra Anderson dominated for BHS. The Florida-bound senior didn't give defenses much of a chance with her powerful and accurate attack, leading to a whopping 5.1 kills per game and a .444 hitting percentage.
Honorable mention: Shelby Staab, Garces; Brookey Holmes, Centennial; Natalie Robinson, Liberty; Danielle Gong, Stockdale

Best match: Lots of options here, from a couple of regular-season doozies to BCHS' eerily similar postseason losses to CVC. But the winner in my book is Centennial's comeback 3-2 win in the Division II championship against Liberty. The Golden Hawks rallied from 2-1 down to win the fourth 25-18 and the fifth 15-12.
Honorable mention: CVC 3, Bakersfield Christian 1 (twice); Garces 3, Exeter 2 in D-III final

A look ahead: A quick look at The Californian's All-Area team from last year tells me all I need to know about the coming volleyball season. There are going to be lots of new faces. Anderson is off to Gainesville, Fla., Robinson to UO Pacific, Gong and Lindy DeGeare of Stockdale to Cal State Bakersfield, and so on. The only first-team player coming back is Garces' Staab. Oh, and there's this: with Bakersfield Christian returning the nucleus of a state-title contender, interest will be high to see if the Eagles can finish the job without coach and program architect Judy Rexroth. Rexroth left BCHS after an imapasse with administration about club coaching and has landed at Independence.

Tomorrow: Boys cross country

Pardon my two-week intercontinental sojourn (is it easier if I just say "vacation"?), but I'm back and rested and ready for an information-packed summer at School House Zach.

Here's my plan: We'll go through each high-school sport from 2007-08, one by one, with a look at the best players, teams and games and a quick glance to next year. Once I've gone through all the sports, which will take two or three weeks, we'll storm ahead into high school football, with a team-by-team preview that will lead us to the start of the season Sept. 5.

So, today, we'll begin with football (what else?).

2007-08 Kern County FOOTBALL

Overview: A grand year for the southern Valley, with four of the five Central Section champions coming from Kern.

Best team: Easy. It was Bakersfield High, led by feisty little Pete Mitchell at quarterback. The Drillers got better and better as the year went on, rebounding from an early loss to Centennial to go undefeated in SEYL play before avenging their only loss by pounding Centennial in the section semifinals, 56-7.
Then came the championship, where BHS battled back against Clovis West and won the title on a 43-yard field goal from Mitchell.
Honorable mention: Division III champion Tehachapi, Centennial, Foothill, Div. IV champ Taft, Div. V champ Bakersfield Christian

Best player: He won't look the most impressive to the eye or play at the most prestigious college, but Mitchell was a man among boys in the high school ranks. Not even a favorite to win the starting quarterback position on his own team, he turned in a phenomenal season under center and kicking field goals. Mitchell will play football and baseball at Whittier College.
Honorable mention: Liberty LB Matt Akers, Highland WR/DB Anthony Johnson, West OL David Born, Centennial QB Brock Bivens, East RB Andre Smith, BHS WRs Emmanuel Ojeriakhi and Vince Van Horne, Tehachapi LB Alek Talilulu.

Best game: It'd be easy to make this a Driller trifecta and use the Bakersfield 19, Clovis West 16 championship game as the answer here, but I'll resist. Instead, how about Bakersfield Christian's 35-34 overtime, come-from-way-behind victory against Fowler in the Div. V section championship? The Eagles trailed 28-6 at halftime on the road, but recovered their own kickoff at the Fowler 20-yard line to set up a touchdown early in the third quarter. Two touchdowns later, and the game was tied at 28.
Both teams scored in overtime, but Fowler tried to go for two and the victory. BCHS' Kody Carr batted down a pass, and the Eagles had their shocker.
Honorable mention: Bakersfield 19, Clovis West 16, Div. I championship; Tehachapi 33, Foothill 28, Div. III championship.

A look ahead: I won't go into too much detail here because we'll have team-by-team previews on the blog in the weeks to come, but here's what I'm thinking: Thanks to another Carr, quarterback Derek from the Houston area, Bakersfield Christian, in just its fifth year of 11-man football, will be a small-school contender for the state championship.
Other storylines? Bakersfield High will search for another QB, and if they can find one, the Drillers might just repeat. South, North and Foothill bring back loads of talent, and each will try to take the next step by making noise in their league races.
And yes, BCHS is going to be good, but they've got a stacked schedule: It opens with 2006 state champion Oaks Christian and includes always-tough SSL teams Tehachapi and Taft. Should be a good race there.

Tomorrow: Volleyball