|
|
|
You could read these rankings ... or you could just throw all the Central Section teams in a hat and pick a few winners each week.
No, seriously, read them. And it's not like there were that many upsets last week. But when Stockdale — No. 5 in last week's rankings — can't put away...
|
Comments [1] - Views [200]
|
|
|
|
October is the most wonderful time of the sports year, with baseball playoffs beginning (we have a certain staffer at The Californian, who shall remain nameless, who says the baseball season doesn't begin until October), basketball and hockey season getting ready to go, and of course...
|
Comments [4] - Views [186]
|
|
|
|
UPDATED, 12:04 a.m.: The full score list is below, but I'll pull out a couple you might be interested in:
Stockdale 45, Centennial 44 — The Mustangs remain unbeaten by the skin of their teeth in what Californian staffer Simon Samano calls the best game he's ever seen. Stockdale scored...
|
Comments [6] - Views [286]
|
|
|
|
Ladies and gentlemen, your Week 4 high school football podcast — the three-pronged version, with myself, fellow reporter Simon Samano and copy editor/designer/Kern County football guru Todd Camps.
We'll have full coverage of Week 4 games in the paper tomorrow and Saturday, plus a...
|
Comments [1] - Views [118]
|
|
|
|
I did a little better in my picks last week, getting exactly two-thirds of the games right. Still not great, but I'm working on it, and at least I'm not in chicken-peck territory.
I'll steal a feature from one of my favorite college football bloggers to recap last week's picks: the...
|
Comments [5] - Views [351]
|
|
|
|
If Bakersfield teams are going to win either the Division I or II Central Section football titles this year, it's going to be an upset. The Fresno area, while perhaps not as deep as Kern County, has a monopoly on the top teams in the section thus far.
That could change, of course, and it...
|
Comments [3] - Views [249]
|
|
|
|
We'll be back to football on Tuesday with the newest Central Section rankings, but tonight I'd like to give a little love to the other fall sports, which, like football, are in full swing and rapidly approaching (or already zipping through) league play.
VOLLEYBALL — League play started...
|
Comments [2] - Views [109]
|
|
|
|
Another exciting week means there's plenty to talk about again. And we can do it with a distinct look ahead to the league races that are coming to stadiums near you everywhere next Friday.
First, if you need a handy guide to some Week 3 scores, look no further.
— I don't know...
|
Comments [2] - Views [112]
|
|
|
|
UPDATED, 12:18 a.m.: Scores keep rolling in (check for them below), but here are a few important ones:
Clovis-Buchanan 41, Bakersfield 34
Stockdale 29, Clovis 26
West 23, Liberty 21
Centennial 41, East 21
Bakersfield Christian 41, Madera Ranchos-Liberty 3
Corona-Centennial 42, Clovis West 7...
|
Comments [3] - Views [340]
|
|
|
|
Who am I to tell you how to spend your time, but if you like what you hear on this Week 3 podcast, you can tune in to the KRAB morning radio show on 106.1 FM tomorrow morning to listen to Francis, Meathead and I discuss some high school football goings-on. The segment should...
|
Comments [1] - Views [134]
|
|
|
|
As exciting as last week was, I took a big hit in my predictions. Going .500 isn't exactly the point — after all, a coin flip or a chicken pecking at one team's name or the other would go .500 over the long run, and I'd like to think I do more research than either. No, we have...
|
Comments [8] - Views [398]
|
|
|
|
Well, at some point, I've got to quit being so surprised at what happened in Kern County football's Week 2 and start to try to make some sense of the carnage.
That means answering questions like: What does Stockdale's victory against Bakersfield High mean? Is Stockdale better than...
|
Comments [0] - Views [215]
|
|
|
|
This past Sunday there are a couple of surprising winners and losers in the NFL. Let’s begin with a dominating performance by the Miami Dolphins on the road against the New England Patriots. The last time New England lost a regular season game was December 10, 2006 against the Dolphins....
|
Comments [1] - Views [47]
|
|
|
|
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Wringling Bros. newest attraction! It's Kern County high school football!
Now, just kidding, we haven't gone into circus mode quite yet. But what a wild and crazy week it was in Kern County high school football. Let's see if we can decipher...
|
Comments [8] - Views [196]
|
|
|
|
UPDATE: I'm not a big Chris Berman fan, but the longtime ESPN anchor has one saying that's perfect for Valley football tonight: "That's why they play the game."
Kern County has been turned on his head as far as I'm concerned. You can check out the list of scores below...
|
Comments [7] - Views [320]
|
|
|
|
Ladies and gents, your Week 2 podcast. A quick note you might have seen commented on in the last post: Looks like Clovis East and Fresno-Edison, two of the premier football programs in the Central Section are either already in some recruiting trouble (Clovis East can't have home...
|
Comments [0] - Views [149]
|
|
|
|
Before we begin, there's some gravely sad news to report out of Riverside. Boron sophomore Vinnie Rodriguez, who was taken to the Loma Linda Medical Center in Riverside after sustaining apparent head injuries in the Bobcats game Friday, died last night.
It's a shock any time this happens, but...
|
Comments [22] - Views [467]
|
|
|
|
Whether it’s major league sports or your little brothers Pop Warner football league, everyone these days seem to be tough on many of our sports officials. Some that are top paid professionals, and many who do not receive any indulgences for their service, and worse yet a lack of respect...
|
Comments [0] - Views [14]
|
|
|
|
Lots of big games this week in the Central Section resulted in surprisingly little movement at the top of this week's rankings.
1. Bakersfield (1-0, Div. I, last week: 1) — Is Edison's win against Compton-Dominguez better than BHS' 38-32 Week 0 triumph over Canyon? Hard to say....
|
Comments [0] - Views [198]
|
|
|
|
Sorry this is late. I've been out of town for the weekend recharging the batteries a little bit, but here are your Week 1 most important things. Check back tomorrow for new Central Section power rankings.
— Statement of the week goes to Stockdale, which made me look like a fool with a huge...
|
Comments [4] - Views [175]
|
|
|
|
UPDATE: Well, sometimes best-laid plans ....
I had technical issues all night up in Visalia (thanks, Starbucks) and so I wasn't able to get any blog updates out until now that I'm back in the office. If anybody's still up, I've posted all the scores we have below.
Here are my...
|
Comments [3] - Views [479]
|
|
|
|
Here's your Week 1 podcast. Enjoy and comment below.
|
Comments [1] - Views [146]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [8] - Views [536]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [272]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [107]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [8] - Views [194]
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Comments [3] - Views [41]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [78]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [3] - Views [208]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [67]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [3] - Views [182]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [179]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [5] - Views [222]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [3] - Views [128]
|
|
|
|
I saw this article and that they had to be joking. A kid banned because he is too good of a pitcher!
Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player -- too good, it turns out.
Jericho Scott, 9, warms up on the pitching mound in New Haven, Conn. Saturday Aug. 23, 2008....
Jericho...
|
Comments [5] - Views [52]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [327]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [8] - Views [216]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [218]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [155]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [195]
|
|
|
|
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
...
|
Comments [0] - Views [266]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [3] - Views [255]
|
|
|
|
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)
...
|
Comments [0] - Views [199]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [3] - Views [358]
|
|
|
|
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:...
|
Comments [2] - Views [240]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [0] - Views [226]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [6] - Views [653]
|
|
|
|
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)
...
|
Comments [0] - Views [173]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [2] - Views [311]
|
|
|
|
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...
|
Comments [1] - Views [306]
|
|
|
