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Here's your Week 1 podcast. Enjoy and comment below.
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Isn't it nice when things work out?
After a star-studded and heavy-on-drama Week 0, the opening day's major players — Bakersfield, Bakersfield Christian, Liberty — take this week off to cede the spotlight to some of the other teams we need to keep an eye on. Everyone will reconvene...
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I'm going to try something new for the remainder of the football season: Rankings, brought to you by the inside of my head.
We're currently working on getting some entirely objective, computerized rankings to compare these to, but those won't be ready for another week or two. So in the mean...
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I've just rolled down the mountain, where I was covering the last game of the first weekend of this year's high school football season. Tehachapi rolled to a 17-0 lead in the first half and held on to beat Santa Ana-Segerstrom — a bigger school from the Southern Section — 17-12.
Here...
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This is now a final list of Week 0 scores. I'll add some of my thoughts in a blog post tomorrow, but for now, enjoy:
Bakersfield 38, Canyon 32
Westlake Village-Oaks Christian 35, Bakersfield Christian 7
Clovis West 22, Liberty 19
North 26, Shafter 14
Highland 7, Arvin 6
Taft 28, Templeton 3...
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Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Dale Earnhardt Jr, the 1951 New York Giants.
All provided unforgettable sporting moments ... that may have been fixed.
Prepare to have your faith in sports shaken.
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Here's the first edition of what will become a weekly high school podcast. This week's loudmouths are myself and assistant sports editor Ross Priest. Give it a listen and feel free to leave your comments below.
In case you missed it, I gave my predictions for all the Week 0 games in...
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As I type this, it's 7:33 p.m. That means that in two days, the national anthems will be sung, the balls will have been checked for air, the kickoffs taken, and the first plays in the high school football season finished.
In two days, we'll finally begin to figure out who the haves and have-nots...
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Here's a promise: Because my last 50 or so blog entries have been football, football, FOOTBALL, I promise not to mention anything about that one sport that starts with Week 0 games Friday (those of you who want fo__ball, be sure to check back tomorrow for a podcast and predictions on...
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Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone. Of course, it was also the start of football season, a bit more of a holiday for me. College season started Thursday, most high schools around the country kicked off Friday and the NFL is around the corner next Thursday.
As for us, we have to wait for...
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One of the best parts about slaving away on The Californian's high school football preseason sections (and there's really no other way to put it; this sucker is a TON of work, though I'm sure everyone will really enjoy the finished product) is discovering smaller schools: Where they're...
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We're now 10 days and counting till Week 0 kicks off with a slew of great games. We'll talk more about these next week, but here's what fans can look forward to Sept. 5:
*Bakersfield at Canyon
*Westlake Village-Oaks Christian at Bakersfield Christian (A quick aside on the Eagles: The...
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For the first time, Bakersfield Christian football coach Doug Barnett is speaking about the practice Patrick Allen participated in two days before he died.
The school and Patrick's parents believe he died from a heat-related illness. The coroner's report is pending toxicology tests.
The...
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At long last, we've reached the end of our team-by-team previews, and we do so with the top team in Kern County, at least in my eyes.
Looking at this completely objectively (and I know some will think The Californian likes BHS because we're 45 seconds from campus, but that's just not...
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A heat-related illness seems to be the most likely cause of Patrick Allen's death.
Allen, who played on Bakersfield Christian High School's football team, died Aug. 16, two days after suffering leg cramps, vomiting and loss of consciousness following practice in 104-degree heat.
(Read...
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Back for a second update in the same day, making up for my forgetfulness last night. Now we're getting serious, into the top teams in the Southeast Yosemite League.
Another note: We're looking for extras for a Californian cover shoot for our SEYL football preview. If you're a Liberty or...
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Remember when I was so good about putting Year in Review blog posts up? Yeah, that was back when I didn't have much to do over the summer. With our staff scrambling to get our football preview edition for the newspaper done, I'm running around like I just found the king banana.
So...
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For many schools, it's intrasquad scrimmage night — the first edition of Friday night lights, even if they aren't really official. But, my goodness, it's too hot for football still, isn't it? I'm glad they pushed back the real season's start by a week. Maybe that'll give it a chance to...
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AAAAHH!!!
I've had this post ready all day but have forgotten to post between running around working on other stories all day. Sorry for the delay.
GARCES RAMS
Coach: David Fanucchi (sixth year)
2007 record: 7-6 (2-4 SEYL, 3-4 home)
Average points: 24.8
Average points allowed: 19...
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It's Wednesday, so I've got some random thoughts for you (no, that didn't make sense to me, either, but I'm a little delirious at this point).
(Feel free to scroll down to the East High preview if you don't like tangents.)
Random Wednesday Thought No. 1: Anyone pay attention to the medal...
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My oh my. Time to begin previews on teams from the Southeast Yosemite League, our final stop in this 2008 football preview (I'll do succint previews on the rest of the section and state next week).
Countdown to Week 0: 17 days
GOLDEN VALLEY BULLDOGS
Coach: Erich Smith (second year)...
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So I was busy pouring over Sports Illustrated’s college football preview (imagine that) this past weekend, and they’ve made a big deal over the spread offense — who runs it, how it started, why it’s impossible to stop, how defensive coaches are trying to counter it. It was...
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After an emotional day yesterday, we'll bury ourselves back into the football previews. Everyone ready to find out who wins the SWYL? As for my predictions about such a wide-open league, I'll only say I'd be surprised if they're right.
Week 0 countdown: 19 days
WEST VIKINGS
Coach:...
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If you saw my earlier post, you'll know that it's with a somber mood I post this. It seems trivial to talk about team previews or on-field football when something like a player's death slaps us all in face, but I also think it's a way to release some stress and take minds off of the...
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UPDATED: We've just received a statement from Bakersfield Christian president Dan Cole concerning an athlete's death. The statement does not contain Allen's name, but again, there was a memorial up at BCHS this afternoon with his name and jersey number, 51.
Here is the complete...
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For once, I don't have a whole lot to say, so there will be no tangent today. That's just as well, because we're getting into (what I think will be) the top half of the Southwest Yosemite League:
SOUTH REBELS
Coach: John Wren (third year)
2007 record: 3-7 (2-3 SWYL, 2-3 home)...
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I'm making some rounds to practices around the area, and I'll share any significant impressions I get. Here's a big one: Derek Carr is the real deal.
I know a lot has been said and written about this guy before he ever throws a pass for Bakersfield Christian, but I found out...
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Well, it was a depressing day for me. I'm a pretty big soccer fan (I know, I know, that's blasphemy around some of you football-only folks), and I stayed up to watch the U.S. men's Olympic team take on Nigeria at 2 a.m., needing a tie to advance to the quarterfinals. Then this...
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I love the preseason. Anticipation builds, players and fans get psyched, coaches preach patience, everybody waits for the start date, and in the meantime, people like me churn out predictions that turn out to be totally wrong.
Well, today, I'm not alone. I'm going to link to CalHiSports'...
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Are you one of those people who can't believe it'll be high school time in three mere weeks? In Alaska, they've already started. I know most of us can't wait for game days to get here, but that seems a bit early even for me. Of course, with the weather and light restrictions you've got as it...
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Clearly the biggest high school football offseason story in Kern County was the arrival of Derek Carr. Long rumored to be coming home to Bakersfield, Carr left behind a 13-1 team at Sugar Land-Clements in the Houston area to play in the city where his older brother, David, played for Stockdale...
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I don't know what to say to introduce the Taft preview, other than that it'd be wise of you to pay attention the next three days. The Wildcats, plus league rivals Bakersfield Christian and Tehachapi, are going to be three terrific teams next year. How in the world you can confidently predict the...
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Quickly (or knowing me, not so quickly), a non-football related note (gasp!).
I’m a sucker for the Olympics. I have friends who tell me they’re stupid, boring, don’t matter, strange sports, etc., and maybe some or all of that is true. But I don’t care. It’s...
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Maybe it's a California/nice weather thing, but this is the first I ever recall the high school football season starting AFTER college football and the NFL. Week 0 games (countdown: 29 days) begin Sept. 5; the NFL kicks off the previous day, with Washington facing the New York Giants, and college...
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Today we pass another milestone in the long trek of 2008 preseason football. Our team previews here at School House Zach have ventured into the South Sequoia League. We start with a team that fell off the face of the Earth last year after two straight winning seasons. Will this year bring about...
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The number of schools in Kern County grows every year, it seems, and this one certainly is no exception. The Kern High School District opens the doors to two new high schools on Aug. 18, Independence in the southwest and Mira Monte in the southeast. The Delano Joint Unified School District, after...
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In case anyone missed it, the first day of helmet-and-footballs practice for high school football teams was Monday — what I consider the first "official" day of the season.
Check out the Californian's unparalleled coverage of Day 1, complete with my journies across town and a...
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Well, well, well. It's finally here, the first day teams across the county were allowed to bring out footballs and helmets. Pads come next week, but for me, this is the first official day of high school football season.
Optimism reigns everywhere this time of year, but I'm going to go ahead and...
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For all of the schools left to be previewed (Chavez today, Delano tomorrow and then the SSL and the city schools), we'll go to an extended format, with the exception of Tuesday, when I'll take a quick look at the three new schools in the county: Independence, Mira Monte and Robert F. Kennedy...
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There's a smell coming in the air, and it's not smog or smoke.
It smells more like barbeque, fall air and pigskin. That's because high school football is getting closer and closer. The latest sign? Our high school football previews are finishing up with the Southern Section, wrapping up with the...
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Friday night, but no lights yet.
We'll see some next week when full practices begin. Until then, there's our high school football previews. Today we go south and northeast into a couple of mountain towns where they play some pretty good football (no, not THAT one, not yet).
FRAZIER MOUNTAIN...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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— 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...
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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...
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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....
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