Archive for September, 2009

    Got a favorite college football team?  Whaddya think of the coach?
    If you want to do something to promote your team, and boost the coach's ego, you might want to nominate him for Coach of the Year.  All it takes is a visit to the right website.
    Starting this week, college football fans can vote for their favorite coach at www.coachoftheyear.com.  The winning vote-getter gets to name a favorite charity to receive $50,000 from Liberty Mutual Insurance.  And the school's alumni association gets another $20,000.
    Liberty Mutual is partnering with the College Football Hall of Fame to honor one coach from each NCAA division "who demonstrates excellence on and off the field, through victories, community service, charitable endeavors and acadamic support for athletes."
    While you're at the site, you can also watch Kirk Herbstreit narrate a movie video highlighting past Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winners.  You'll also find out that this is the only national college football honor that gives fans the ability to determine the finalists and the ultimate winner.
    So, if your guy is getting the job done this year, cast your vote.  If your team is 0-and-something already... hey, there's always next year.

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    Although the Phoenix Desert Vista HS (Phoenix) girls' teams made a strong showing in representing the strength of Valley cross-country programs, it was a couple of 'out-of-towners' that crashed the party at this year's Chandler Invite at Tumbleweed Park.
    The Desert Vista girls' teams totaled 30 points in the 5-kilometer race to finish four points ahead of second-place Highland HS (Gilbert).  The event included four races for both boys and girls, with the team winner determined by the total of the top finishers in each - so Desert Vista was rewarded for outstanding effort in all four races..
    But it was Casa Grande High School's Kylee Kiser that turned in the top individual performance in the girls' competition, winning the junior race in 19:35.  And on the boys' side, it was Tucson's Steve Magnuson, running for Ironwood Ridge, that clocked an event-best of 16:31.
    In the boys' team competition, it was Camelback HS (Phoenix) in first, followed closely by Highland HS, giving Highland a second-place finish on both sides.
    Individual winners on the boys side: Steve Magnuson, Ironwood Ridge HS, in the senior race (16:31); Sadam Zuza, Camelback HS, in the junior race (16:53); R.J. Massey, Mountain View HS, in the sophomore race (17:40); Ryan Dykstra, Desert Vista HS, in the freshman race (17:21).  On the girls' side: Danica Ganje, Corona del Sol HS, in the senior race (20:07); Kylee Kiser in the junior race; Brianna Decker, Mountain View HS, in the sophomore race (19:45); and Ashley Hatch, Highland HS, in the freshman race (20:50).
    More individual results...  (click here for the full article)

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    Maybe Chaparral High School should have moved up two levels of play instead of one.  The Firebirds, who moved up from 4A-I to 5A-II this year, routed Mountain View HS on just the second week of the Arizona high school football season, 42-10.  Mountain View came into the game ranked No. 3 in the 5A-I division.
    The only other top five-ranked team in 5A-I to fall was Basha HS, which lost to Mountain Pointe by 11 points.  But Mountain Pointe, behind a backfield tandem of De'Andre Currie and Davon Jones that has been chewing up real estate, has been a bit of a surprise early as they have run their record to 3-0 -- a team that last year finsished 2-8.  Jones scored the first TD to open the scoring and Currie added two more in the fourth quarter to put the game away
    Another team 'playing up' with success was Santa Rita HS (Tucson), as Cameron Gaddis contributed a 97-yard interception return in the fourth quarter to put Santa Rita on top for good and eventually come away with a 27-16 victory over Sabino.  Santa Rita was ranked No. 3 in 4A-II and Sabino No. 3 in 4A-I.
    Other notables from week two include Paradise Valley HS continuing to stay unbeaten by setting a single-game state rushing record during its 49-35 win over Arcadia HS and Florence HS, 1-9 last season, getting off to a 3-0 start by beating South Pointe HS 40-6.
    Outstanding individual efforts came from games scattered throughout the state... Quarterback Chase Knox throwing to three different receivers for scores in the Brophy Prep-St. Mary's HS rivalry - A.J. Steimel, Josh Dennard, and Peter Kelly - as he piled up 170 yards on 12-for-15 passing... (click for more info)

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    UPDATE: Xavier HS defeated Gilbert HS, 25-23, 25-22, to win the 2009 Westwood Tournament of Champions.  Both teams entered the final match undefeated.  For Xavier: Katarine Schulz 10 kills; Stephanie Preach 22 assists; Jenny Teslevich and Amber Benson six digs each.  For Gilbert: Macey Gardner 11 kils; Alyssa Dwyer six kills; Sarah Beene 19 assists.
   
    Some high school volleyball teams have been waiting years to get into the field of 36 teams in this weekend's Mesa Westwood tournament - and will probably have to continue sitting on the waiting list even longer.  The tournament, generally considered the best pre-season tournament in Arizona, began in 1992 with just eight teams and has since expanded to 36 teams - still not big enough to accommodate all the teams interested in playing.
    This year it will feature the top 5 ranked teams in 5A-I, including defending state champion Xavier Prep.  In addition, defending 5A-II Centennial HS is in the field... and, oh yeah, also defending champions Sunnyslope HS (4A-I), Seton Catholic HS (4A-II) and Thatcher HS (2A).  How's that for quality competition to get you ready for the season?
    The field of athletes will include Stephanie Preach, setter from Xavier Prep who was last year's Arizona Republic 4A-5A Player of the Year, and Chanel Brown, the Class 1A-3A Player of the Year, who is Valley Christian's threat at setter/outside hitter.  Both are seniors.
    No. 2 (5A-I) Desert Vista will counter with Kyle Hartman and Betsi Metter; No. 3 Corona del Sol will pin their hopes on the shoulders of a couple of seniors, Bethany Jorgensen and Cassie Ronda; and No. 4 Gilbert has replacements for their graduated stars in Alyssa Dwyer and Macey Gardner, who are stepping up their game this season.
    Thatcher HS is an ideal representative for the small schools, bringing a load of talent with Rachel Orr, Chelcy Motes, and Heather Lucero. 
    The Westwood has always been a measuring stick of sorts, to find out where the favored teams match up.  By Saturday evening, following the final games in the single-elimination Gold Division, all 36 teams should know whether they're ready for the rest of the season.

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    Seventeen new colleges adding football programs mean hundreds of new opportunities for graduating high school athletes hoping to play the game in college.
    The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) pointed out in a recent release that there are five new college football teams set to take the field for the first time this season - and a dozen more programs are set to begin play between 2010 and 2013.
    "With more than one million high school football participants and only 66,000 playing college football, it makes sense that colleges would want to give high school players more options for playing at the next level," says former college and professional football great, Archie Manning, also the NFF chairman.
    The 17 colleges that will now add football programs will increase the number of four-year colleges offering football to 742 schools: 120 D-I Bowl Subdivision progams, 126 D-I Championship Subdivision programs, 149 D-II programs, 238 D-III programs, and 92 NAIA programs.
    Those who have been monitoring the growth expect this trend to continue, says the NFF, as more and more schools capitalize on the sport's ability to attract student-athletes, energize campus life, increase a school's media visibility, and boost alumni support.  The sport also helps attract students interested in band, cheerleading, exercise science, and other related areas of study. 
    Want to check out the opportunities? For a list of colleges adding football programs, click here for the full article... 

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    Is this how extreme skateboarding got its start?
   The world championships of extreme pogo just wrapped up in Pittsburgh, Pa., drawing a field of some 60 competitors between the ages of 13 and 24.  They came from all over to attend "Pogopalooza 6"- from 23 states, Canada, and England.  The first Pogopalooza started in Lincoln, Neb., with just entries competing in a church parking lot.
    This newest wave of xtreme sports stars have taken advantage of many recent innovations in the pogo stick of old - most notably designs using heavy-duty rubber bands instead of the old steel springs.  There is also the stick that uses compressed air as its propellant, and reportedly is capable of sending the rider some 16 feet in the air.
    One company, the one that makes the rubber band versions, reports that it has sold an estimated 40 million sticks since 1919, the first year that they were patented and sold in the United States.
    There aren't any widely-recognized stars yet, pulling down 6-figure incomes like skateboarder Tony Hawk, but 20-year-old Fred Grzybowski says he earns about $20,000 a year, mostly from appearing at fairs and trade shows.  He started working on his craft at eight years of age and is credited with being the first in his sport to mix forward and backward flips.

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    The Arizona high school running factory known as Xavier Prep (Phoenix) came flying over the Silverado Golf Club cross-country course over the weekend to sweep up the top spots in the girls side of the Scottsdale Running Club Cross Country Festival, finishing first and second in the Gold Run and 1-2-3 in the Black Run.
    There were several races taking place on the same weekend, but this race draws some of the best individual runners in the state.  It also has an unusual format, offering two varsity-level races and two JV-level, with team scoring based n the top five times from either race.
    Led by senior sensation, Jessica Toon, Xavier put the rest of the state on notice again this year.  Toon finished in 17:01.15 in the Gold division, and no doubt has her sights set on a second straight state 5A-I championship. Teammate Sarah Fakler wasn't far behind in finishing second in 17:37.65, and Queen Creek's Ashley Workman came in third at 17:44.70. 
    In the boys' competition, it was pretty much all Mountain View HS and Desert Vista HS - with the notable exception of Queen Creek's outstanding senior, Sherod Hardt, who is expected to vie again this year for the 4A-II state title.  He picked up the individual title by winning the Gold Run in a time of 14:55.15.  Mountain View's Tyler Bingham finished second (15:06.60) and Desert Vista's Albert Kombe was third (15:31.70).  In the Black Run, Mountain View went 1-2-3.
    More results from the Gold division: (Girls) 4th) Lacey Kalinen (Pinnacle HS) 18:01.15  5th) Brianna Decker (Mountain View) 18:07.60  6th) Marissa Opatz (Desert Mtn) 18:08.60  7th) Christen Collins (Pinnacle) 18:09.25  8th) Sarah Schmidt (Mtn View) 18:20.35  9th) Daylee Burr (Xavier) 18:30.00  10th) Kailey Rumbo (Sandra Day O'Connor) 18:47.85.  (Boys) ... (click for more)
   

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    Pinnacle High School will no longer be able to work under the radar, following a 34-17 upset win over No. 5 Millenium High School in 5A competition.  And credit Alex Zemezonak for his role in the outcome.
    Zemezonak had a hand in every one of the Pioneer scores, pulling in a short pass from Alex Cappellini for the opening score of the game and a 22-yard pass for the game's final score.  In addition, he kicked the extra points for each score and added a couple of field goals, from 28 and 40 yards.
    Oh yeah, don't forget that time in the third quarter when he made an on-side kick - and then recovered the kick himself.
    In 4A, the only miscue among the top five teams was a Cactus Shadows HS victory over No. 3 Cienega (Vail) in division I.  But the one-point win (33-32) can't be considered measured on the Richter scale - but an upset win nonetheless that will knock Cienega out of the top team considerations.
    Looking around the Friday night landscape, there were many outstanding individual efforts... Seton Catholic HS's quarterback, Justin Sieczkowski, throwing for 388 yards and five (count 'em - 5) touchdowns... another QB with a great evening, Kody Karjala from Buckeye HS passing for 132 yards and three TDs... and senior QB John O'Connor also contributing three scores in Red Mountain's 56-28 win over Corona del Sol on passing for 249... and teammate Derek Molina adding two more TDs as he chewed up 133 more yards on the ground... Cactus HS running back Allen Woods piling up 236 yards and a TD in the 47-21 win over Coronado HS... and then there was Matt Jones of Horizon, who had more than half of Horizon HS's 49 points in its win over Yuma HS, running for 186 yards and four TDs... and a big night for Casey Jahn from Northwest Christian HS, who ran all over Pusch Ridge Christian HS in the 45-16 win, scoring five times (count 'em again - 5) while running up 254 yards... Horizon's QB Ryan Stanford going 12-foer-19 for 179 yards and three scores... and senior QB Will King, leading Notre Dame Prep's 24-9 season opener win over Shadow Mountain HS with 13-of-19 passing for 164 yards and a TD.

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    Arizona lost a big name in soccer circles when Kyle Ciliento graduated from Pinnacle High School in north Phoenix in 2007 and went to ply his trade at St. Mary's College, a D-I school in Moraga, Calif.  But after a year in the St. Mary's program, he has returned to the Valley to suit up for Grand Canyon University.
    And his presence is already being noticed.  He scored twice to help GCU defeat defending D-II national champion and No. 1-ranked California State University Dominguez Hills last weekend.  Ciliento (on right in GCU photo) drilled a shot from the right side on an assist from Pat Perkins, and then later connected on a penalty kick.
    During his high school career at Pinnacle, Ciliento set state records for goals (160), assists (88), and points (408).  While a senior, he set established single-season marks with 67 goals and 37 assists.

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