I Kid You Not

Video: Valley Center vs. Brawley, CIF football playoffs

2011-12-01T15:47:00.001-08:00

Here are the video highlights of the Jaguars' huge win over Brawley in the CIF Division IV quarterfinals on Friday night.

Due to some technical issues (ie, a video camera with a zoom lens that no longer zooms), we are fortunate to have the video feed from the Jags' official videographer, Brandon Usher, who provided us with all three views (sideline, press box, and end zone) of each VC scoring play. Thanks, Brandon!

Also, further technical issues prevented the upload of the video clips from the VC at Orange Glen game. My apologies.

Garrett Fiehler gets the Jaguars on the scoreboard with a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on the slant for a 15-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

McInerny hits a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

Kleiman unleashes the deep ball down the middle, where Damian Stehly hauls it in for an 82-yard touchdown catch.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

Fiehler explodes through the line and runs away from the defense for a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

Fiehler plows it in from one yard out to put the Jags way ahead in the third quarter.
Press Box:

End Zone:

Dylan Glass slashes through the defense to score from nine yards out in the fourth quarter.
Sideline:

Press Box:

End Zone:

Look out! The Jaguars are fired up for the second half, leaving our intrepid cameraman in the middle of the action. Way to brave the dangers of the stampede, Brandon!

Video: Valley Center vs. Del Norte football

2011-11-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Here are the video highlights from the Jaguars' 42-7 win over Del Norte on Friday night, including some nice runs by Garrett Fiehler and a beautiful touchdown pass from Ryan Kleiman to Michael McInerny.

Video by Kelly Kidder

Kleiman lowers his shoulders and drives in behind his linemen for a one-yard touchdown for the first points of the game.

Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart near the sideline, and the speedy receiver cuts back to the middle of the field to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-ten play.

Fiehler takes the handoff, cuts to the outside and outruns the defense to the corner for a four-yard touchdown run.

Fiehler runs through a gaping hole up the middle to score from 11 yards out.

Fiehler gets a huge gain on first down, running through another big hole to pick up 30 yards.

Kleiman uses the pump fake before delivering a perfect fade pass to WR Michael McInerny in the back corner of the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown pass.

Dylan Glass runs through a defender to score a three-yard touchdown late in the game.

Six months after accident, Conrad Murphy focuses on the positive

2011-10-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Conrad Murphy finds a way to keep smiling in tough times

Click here to see more recent photos of Conrad

By Dan Kidder

Six months ago, Conrad Murphy was clinging to life after he survived a terrible head-on car crash while on his way to baseball practice.

And until just over a month ago, the 2010 Valley Center High School graduate says that he didn’t completely believe that what was happening to him was real.

Murphy says that his memories of the early days of his recovery are like a dream—flashes of clarity mixed with confusing, muddled images that don’t fit together. What brought him back to a mostly-conscious state was the pain of a terrible side effect from all the necessary antibiotics pumped into his system.

“I remember what we were doing two days before the accident, and then I thought I remembered waking up, but it was just a hallucination or a dream or something,” he says. “But the first thing I remember after the accident is waking up in horrible pain. The C-DIF bacteria that I got from the antibiotics was horrible, it was the most pain I’ve ever been in. I honestly thought about suicide, it hurt that bad.”

But even as his physical health improved, he says that he kept expecting to wake up and be back to normal.

“Something happened when I saw my truck,” he says, describing the first time he saw the mangled remains of the vehicle that bore the brunt of the head-on collision. “I don’t know if it was a side effect of my injuries, but for a while, I thought it was all fake, like a hallucination or like The Truman Show or something. But when I saw what was left of my truck, I knew it was all real.”

“Anybody who sees that truck, it just leaves you in awe,” says Murphy’s dad, Jim. “Behind the driver’s seat, you can see where there was a pool of blood, and the effect that has on you, it makes you think twice. I haven’t seen them, but I was told that one of the paramedics took some photos at the scene, and the way the column behind the driver’s door was smashed into Conrad’s head, they were amazed that he was still alive. Once we saw that truck, we realized all over again just how lucky we are that he’s alive.”

That was in September, and now, with six months of recovery behind him since the accident, Murphy says that it’s been a difficult journey, but he’s able to see just how well he’s doing.

“When I first got out of the hospital, I was very discouraged,” he admits. “What keeps me going now is a mixture of hope and rage. I have hope that I’m getting better, but I’m angry that this happened to me just because some guy weaved into my lane. I am getting better though, and that hope keeps me positive. And the rage helps me work harder in therapy. I look at where I was three months ago, and I’m really hopeful about where I’ll be three months from now.”

Murphy acknowledges that his athletic training helped him prepare for the occupational therapy he goes through now, but he also says that there were dark days when he didn’t know how he would make it through.

“God helped me get through it, and it helped that I was too lethargic to follow through on committing suicide,” he says. “But it was really tough.”

Murphy has three sessions a week in occupational therapy and one session in psychology, helping him exercise his brain as it recovers. He says that the injuries to his brain have been the hardest to deal with, both in how his mental processes have changed and in how other people relate to him.

“Most people can understand a disability, but this has been hard because you don’t know how much other people can affect you,” he says. “So many people have been so encouraging, and the whole Valley Center community did so much. But one guy told me not to get my hopes up, and I know that he was trying to be helpful, but it came at a bad time and I took it horribly, and it really discouraged me.

“But that’s part of what a brain injury does,” he continues. “I don’t have any short-term memory issues, but I still deal with a lot of anxiety and fear. It’s really scary sometimes, like you know how you get that feeling like somebody’s right behind you? I’ll get that sometimes. I’m still scared that I’ll get hurt again, so I don’t like going in vehicles.”

But Murphy’s progress has been remarkable—his family was told that he had less than a two percent chance of surviving his injuries, and when it became clear that he would survive, he was told that he would most likely not be able to walk again. And even though his vision has been affected—Murphy went from 20/10 vision before the accident to needing to wear glasses for his 20/30 vision—he was told that his injuries should have left him blind. He still doesn’t have the full use of the left side of his body—a sensation he describes as a feeling “like my arm is asleep, times ten.”—but he is able to walk, talk and see, and still regularly beats his brother at chess.

“I don’t want to brag or anything, but I shouldn’t be doing as well as I am right now,” Murphy says. “I’m setting my own goals, and right now, I want to be able to jog again. I used to jog up the hill behind our house every day, and I loved it. I’ve been approved to lift weights again, so I’ve been able to lift ninety-five pounds in therapy, which is better than lifting PVC pipe like I was a few months ago.”

As he walks around the house, cracks jokes with his family, hangs out with his friends, practices the piano and the guitar, and continues to improve, Murphy says that he’s able to keep a positive outlook through everything.

“I’m blessed, because things could be a lot worse,” he says. “I’ve been through a lot, and in a lot of ways, it’s still miserable. But I can focus on the positive now. I try to look at the good things, like how I have a really cool story and a lot of great sympathy scars. I don’t want to sound dumb or clichéd or whatever, but I really try to stay positive and stay hopeful, because no matter how bad things are, it could always get worse.”

Murphy and his family are also incredibly grateful to the Valley Center community for all the support they’ve received, from the hugs and handshakes to the love and prayers to the tireless efforts of those who organized the fundraiser concert in July.

A fund-raiser golf tournament for Murphy will be held on Jan. 24 at the Fallbrook Country Club.

To pass on your words of encouragement to Conrad, search Facebook for the page “Get Well Soon, Conrad Murphy.”

Video: Valley Center vs. Mt. Carmel football

2011-10-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Jaguars played tough in a physical game against Mt. Carmel on Friday, coming away with a 48-21 win for their seventh consecutive victory. Here are the video highlights:

Video by Kelly Kidder

Ryan Kleiman goes deep for Michael McInerny, who shows great concentration in turning around, finding the ball and hauling it in for a 40-yard touchdown.

Garrett Fiehler picks up a few yards, but McInerny gets tangled up with Mt. Carmel CB Dominique Nelson in an outburst that had been brewing for a few plays. Both players were penalized on the play.

Fiehler takes the handoff, breaks a tackle and gets in for the touchdown.

The Sundevils pitch the ball wide, but VC CB Cody Gearhart makes the tackle for a big loss.

Kleiman fakes the handoff and finds Damian Stehly for a three-yard touchdown completion.

Fiehler rumbles in for a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Fiehler pushes the pile to get a one-yard touchdown on fourth down in the fourth quarter.

Sundevil WR Dominique Nelson catches a short swing pass and tries to leap over Anthony Ricks, but instead ends up kicking him in the head, knocking off his helmet. Nelson was penalized for the kick.

Fiehler gets hit in the backfield, but breaks free and dives into the corner of the endzone for a nine-yard touchdown.

The Sundevils, in desperation passing mode late in the game, try to complete a pass near the goal line, but Ricks swoops in to get the interception and returns it 93 yards for a touchdown.

Video: Valley Center at San Marcos football

2011-10-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

It was a close game for three quarters, but the Jaguars broke out with 14 points in a span of 23 seconds in the fourth quarter to beat San Marcos 34-17 on Friday night. Here are the video highlights:

Video by Kelly Kidder

he Knights complete a quick pass to the WR, but JD Frankovich drills the receiver for a loss.

Ryan Kleiman airs it out for Michael McInerny for a 36-yard gain on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.

Garrett Fiehler takes the ball to the outside and runs in for a five-yard touchdown.

The Knights try to run the ball, but Dylan Fredenburg makes a big tackle in the backfield.

Kleiman hits McInerny on a post pattern for a 20-yard gain.

As the Knights try to rally in the third quarter, they pass the ball over the middle, but Tommy Aguilar steps in front to get the interception.

McInerny hits a short field goal to put the Jags up by six in the third quarter.

Kleiman throws it deep for McInerny for a big gain down to the two-yard line.

Fiehler puts the Jaguars up by ten with a two-yard touchdown run.

Kleiman rolls out and tosses it deep for McInerny, who out-jumps his defender for the catch on an 80-yard touchdown pass.

Martin Cunningham jumps in front of this San Marcos pass to get an interception in the fourth quarter.

Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on a wheel route down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown late in the game.

The Knights try some trickery with a halfback pass, but Aguilar breaks up the completion for the Jags.

Video: Valley Center vs Escondido football

2011-10-09T22:52:00.001-07:00

The Jaguars celebrated Homecoming on Friday night with a 35-7 win over Escondido. Here are the video highlights:

Video by Dan Kidder

The Cougars complete a pass over the middle, but when the receiver fumbles, Matt Preston is there to scoop up the loose ball.

Ryan Kleiman rolls out and finds Damian Stehly for a completion down to the one-yard line.

Garrett Fiehler pounds the ball in for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

The Cougars run a toss to the outside and the runner has the ball knocked away, but Escondido comes up with the recovery.

The Cougars get stuffed at the line and fumble, and Dylan Smith is there for the recovery.

Fiehler runs in his second score from one yard out.

Kleiman rolls out and hits Jean-Marc Brierre for a two-point conversion.

The Cougars try to complete a quick pass on the slant, but JD Frankovich jumps the route and gets the interception.

Fiehler runs into his own line, gets hit and fumbles, and the Cougars get the ball.

Fiehler busts through the line and outruns the defense down the middle of the field for a 67-yard touchdown.

Kleiman rolls out and finds Stehly, who works his way down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown.

The Cougars have trouble on a handoff exchange, leading to a fumble that the offense gets back.

Dylan Glass gets some help from the line to get the ball across the line for a one-yard touchdown run.

The Cougars try to complete the pass on a post pattern, but Tommy Aguilar flips the receiver with a big hit to cause the incompletion.

Video: Valley Center vs. Ramona football

2011-10-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

Friday night's game between Valley Center and Ramona was a thriller from start to finish, as the Jaguars came back from a late deficit to beat the Bulldogs 38-24. Check out the video highlights from the game...

video by Everett Bean

Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on a slant, and the receiver outruns the defense for a 79-yard score early in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs try to connect on a pass near the sideline, but JD Frankovich drops off his man in time to snag the interception.

Kleiman runs the quarterback draw, eludes a few defenders and finds his way into the endzone for a ten-yard touchdown.

On a run by the Bulldogs, Zach Tests flies around the end and delivers a big hit on the runner.

On a post pattern over the middle, VC WR Cody Gearhart dives to make the catch, but the pass is ruled incomplete, even though Gearhart came up with the ball securely in his hands.

Garrett Fiehler drives through the line to score a one-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-goal midway through the second quarter.

The Bulldogs try to pick up a first down through the air, but Gearhart delivers a bone-rattling hit to knock the ball away.

Fiehler has the ball stripped away, but when the Bulldogs recover and try to get away, QB Ryan Kleiman drops the ball-carrier with a solid tackle.

Kleiman puts up a deep pass for McInerny, but the Ramona CB makes a good play and comes away with the interception.

Jean-Marc Brierre breaks through the line to drop the Ramona quarterback for a sack on third down late in the third quarter.

On fourth down, Kleiman rolls out and heaves the ball deep down the middle, where Gearhart out-jumps his defender to come down with the catch that set up the game-winning touchdown.

Fiehler plows into the pile and escapes for a 13-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winning points.

Dylan Fredenburg slips through the offensive line to drop the ball-carrier with a big hit late in the fourth quarter.

Martin Cunningham comes on the blitz, hits the QB hard and forces a fumble late in the fourth quarter.

Shaun Woods gets to the QB on third-and-21 for a sack that forced a desperation fourth-down pass that came up short and all but sealed the win for the Jaguars.

Fiehler hits the hole and takes off for a 67-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the game to put the game out of reach.

Video: Valley Center vs. Lincoln football

2011-09-24T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Jaguars won their third straight football game with a 24-7 win over Lincoln on Friday night. Here are the video highlights:

video by Dan Kidder

Ryan Kleiman airs it out to Michael McInerny for a 45-yard touchdown on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.

Tommy Aguilar slices through the Lincoln blockers to drop the runner for a loss.

JD Frankovich steps in front of a Lincoln pass to knock it away.

Kleiman connects with McInerny on a long pass down the sideline, and the receiver takes it all the way down to the one yard line.

Garrett Fiehler finds a sliver of an opening in the line and slips in for a one-yard touchdown.

Shaun Woods darts through the Lincoln line and drags the QB down on a fourth down try early in the game.

JD Frankovich takes advantage of a tipped pass to come down with the interception in the first half.

Fiehler pushes the pile to score a six-yard touchdown.

Martin Cunningham reads the play, steps in front of the Lincoln receiver and nearly comes away with an interception.

The Hornets go for it on fourth and goal from the one, and after a fumbled snap, VC LB Matt Preston dives on the loose ball to give possession back to the Jaguars.

Anthony Ricks goes up to knock down a Lincoln pass in the corner of the end zone.

Frankovich comes up with his second interception of the game on another tipped Lincoln pass.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars punt the ball away, and after the return, VC LB Jacob Beason is hit late with a vicious shot to the head, well after the whistle is heard. Beason left with an apparent concussion, and no flag was thrown on the play.

Jean-Marc Brierre gets to the Lincoln QB on a third-down play late in the game.

Brierre lays a big hit on the Lincoln QB to get the sack on the second-to-last play of the game.

Video: Valley Center at La Jolla football

2011-09-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Jaguars won their second straight lopsided game with a 53-14 win over La Jolla on Friday, behind huge efforts from QB Ryan Kleiman (which is not pronounced "KLEE-man"--see below for more), WR Michael McInerny (also not pronounced "Mick-IN-rey" or "Mick-LEARN-ey") and RB Garrett Fiehler (not pronounced "FILE-er"). Maybe we can get a memo out to visiting team's announcers...and perhaps the Prep Pigskin Report, who decided to not even bother trying to pronounce "MACK-in-er-ney" or "KLY-man"...

And if his name really is pronounced "KLEE-man," then apparently this also applies:

Now, on to the real highlights from the game:

video by Kelly Kidder

Kleiman to McInerny for 10 yards:

Fiehler plows in for 2-yard TD:

Matt Preston makes a big tackle for a loss:

Kleiman to Gearhart for 65 yards:

Fiehler draw play for 10-yard TD:

Fiehler one-yard TD plunge:

Kleiman to McInerny 78-yard TD:

Fiehler 2-yard TD run:

Martin Cunningham lays a big hit on the La Jolla returner:

Kleiman hits McInerny for a 35-yard TD just before halftime:

La Jolla run stuffed by Jacob Beason:

Dylan Glass runs in a six-yard TD:

Fiehler recovers a fumble on a La Jolla kick return:

Kleiman rolls out and hits Damian Stehly for a 10-yard TD:

Zach Tests puts a big hit on La Jolla's kick returner:

Video: Valley Center at Imperial football

2011-09-10T02:18:00.000-07:00

The Jaguars got their first win of the season by beating Imperial 47-14 on Friday night. Here are some of the big plays that helped the Jags get the win:

video by Kelly Kidder

Imperial screen pass blown up by the VC defense:

Garrett Fiehler runs in a 14-yard touchdown:

Tommy Aguilar runs in the 2-point conversion:

Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart for a big gain:

Aguilar deflects the Imperial pass and Gearhart makes the diving interception:

Kleiman hits Damian Stehly for a 45-yard touchdown:

Kleiman's pass for Gearhart gets intercepted:

Kleiman throws deep for Michael McInerny, who takes it down to the five:

Fiehler runs in a five-yard touchdown:

Kleiman finds McInerny again, this time for a 68-yard touchdown:

Fiehler plunges in for a one-yard touchdown:

Dylan Glass runs in a nine-yard touchdown:

Anthony Ricks gets the second of his two interceptions in the game:

Video: Valley Center at San Pasqual football

2011-09-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Jaguars opened the 2011 football season at San Pasqual and couldn't get the offense they needed in a 28-7 loss. Despite the lopsided score, there were a number of exciting plays in the game. Here are the video highlights:

Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on the post for a nice pitch-and-catch.

Garrett Fiehler picks up good yardage, dragging tacklers along the way.

Kleiman hits John Watkins for a big first down.

Fiehler plows in for a seven-yard touchdown.

Kleiman fumbles the ball on a rollout in the second quarter.

Kleiman rolls out and fumbles again, but recovers it himself this time.

The Jaguar defense forces an incomplete pass on fourth down.

Fiehler slashes through the line for a good gain.

Kleiman hits Watkins on a hitch, and Watkins breaks a tackle for a good gain.

Kleiman fumbles the ball on a fake handoff, but recovers the loose ball.

Kleiman hits Watkins on the slant for a nice gain.

Kleiman hits Damian Stehly on a quick pass that turns into a big gain.

video by Dan Kidder

Video: VCHS football scrimmage vs. Chula Vista

2011-08-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Valley Center varsity football team hosted Chula Vista for a scrimmage on Friday night, and although no official score was kept, the Jaguars came away with two touchdowns while holding the Spartans scoreless.

Click here to see photos from the scrimmage, courtesy of Gabriel Santana.

Here are some video highlights from the action:

Garrett Fiehler scores on a 65-yard touchdown run:

Jean-Marc Brierre sacks the Spartan QB:

Anthony Ricks intercepts a deep pass:

Matt Preston gets the second of his two sacks in the game:

Cody Gearhart makes a big tackle for a loss on a Chula Vista reverse:

Damian Stehly, Jacob Beason and Jean-Marc Brierre combine for a sack:

Jacob Beason picks off a screen pass:

Garrett Fiehler bounces off tacklers for a great gain:

Garrett Fiehler takes the handoff in for a 7-yard touchdown:

Ryan Kleiman drops off a screen pass to Fiehler for a good gain:

video by Dan Kidder

I Kid You Not: reviewing last year's sleepers and snoozers

2011-08-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

I said Jason Campbell would have a good season last year. Well, I got other things right, anyway.

It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong.
But I happen to be of the opinion that it takes an even bigger man to publish an article outlining some of the ways in which he was wrong, as long as such an article was really just part of an elaborate plan to also point out some of the ways in which he was exceedingly right, and therefore awesome.
I am talking, of course, about my fantasy football sleepers and snoozers predictions from last year, an article highlighting some of the players I thought you should target in your draft and others I thought you should avoid.
I went into some detail about why I thought what I thought about each player, and backed it up to some degree by drafting my two fantasy football teams last season with those thoughts in mind.
This year, I figured it could be fun to look back and see how my predictions panned out. It turns out I was right on some, wrong on some, and pretty close on the rest—which is about average for any of the national fantasy football writers who get paid to dissect football statistics and then graciously walk us through the results of their predictions from the past year.
We’ll look at what I said, whether or not it came true, and what the overall result of the prediction was. And for the specific numbers (points, rankings, etc.) I’m going by my ESPN.com fantasy football leagues, which have 12 teams each but only have a couple of minor variations from standard scoring.
So let’s get started—here are my sleepers and snoozers from last year, and the results of their fantasy football seasons.

Sleepers
Quarterbacks
Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders
I predicted: He’d be better than Jamarcus Russell (true), he’d be accurate (kind of true), that the Raiders would not win the Super Bowl (definitely true) and that he’d put up solid numbers (not entirely true).
He finished the season ranked as the No. 25 quarterback in scoring with 146 points (nearly 200 behind No. 1 QB Tom Brady’s 343) and got benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski—but in the 11 games he started and finished, he averaged almost 13.3 points per game, which would have made him the No. 15 QB for the season. Not great, but not terrible.
Result: Close, but no cigar

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
I predicted: We would see more than just glimpses of his tremendous ability (true) and that his toughness would get him through a healthy season (not true). Also, that he wouldn’t win the MVP (true) but that you could do a lot worse in the late rounds (definitely true).
He finished in a tie with Rex Grossman as the No. 37 QB last season, but it was definitely due to injury. He only played in three games last year because of a shoulder injury, but in the two he completed, he scored 31 and 26 points against the Redskins and Jets, respectively.
Result: Would have been right if he’d been healthy. And somewhere, Chad Pennington is nodding sadly.

Running Backs
Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
I predicted: That I’m biased when it comes to Miami Dolphins players (oh heavens yes that’s true), that Brown had a chance of getting hurt during the season (he played in all but one game) and that he’d be a better pick in the fourth round than Justin Forsett (yep) or Jerome Harrison (double yep).
Brown was the No.31-ranked RB in the league last year with 128.5 points, well short of No. 1 Arian Foster’s 356. Brown did have big weeks against the Bills in week one (15 points), the Ravens in week nine (17.5 points) and the Bills again in week 15 (9.5 points), but he was frustratingly inconsistent, and was summarily released in the off-season. He’ll be a nice backup for LeSean McCoy in Philadelphia this year, but I doubt he’ll have much fantasy relevance.
Result: Not really even close on this one. Allegiance to a team is a dangerous thing in fantasy sports.

Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I predicted: Nobody on the Tampa offense would be great (wrong-o), that Caddy would show some promise when he made it on the field (correct, but he didn’t get much time) and that nobody had ever made a car-related joke when talking about a guy with the nickname “Cadillac” (pretty sure that one’s still good).
He finished in the top 40 running backs, but his name falls into the space between fellow backups C.J. Spiller and Jason Snelling, so he really wasn’t worth drafting. Meanwhile, rookie LeGarrette Blount came out of nowhere to become another one of the exciting young stars on the Buccaneer offense, essentially relegating Cadillac to the garage (didn’t see that one coming, did you?).
Result: Yeah, let’s just move on.

Wide Receivers
Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs
I predicted: That there wouldn’t be much excitement from the Chiefs’ offense (false), the receivers would struggle (to the tune of Dwayne Bowe finishing as the No. 3 WR in the league—safe to say I missed that one), and that Chambers would get his fair share of chances in the passing game (fair is a relative term, so—oh who am I kidding, I was way off).
Chambers didn’t even make it into the top 100 receivers last year, so it’s safe to say that he shouldn’t have even sniffed a chance at your starting lineup.
Result: I apologize profusely.

Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers
I predicted: Pretty much the same things I said about Chambers (none of which came true) and I implied that Morgan’s quarterback, Alex Smith, would be better since he actually played in college (he did play in college, unlike Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel—but Cassel definitely outplayed Smith last year).
Morgan finished with a grand total of 98 fantasy points, a far cry from No. 1 WR Roddy White and his 256.
Result: So much for going with my gut feelings.

Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
I predicted: That everybody would be “all ga-ga” for Mason’s teammate, Anquan Boldin (true), but that Mason would actually get more open looks because of all the attention on the offense’s other stars (kind of true). Also, that he would be a great pick in the sixth of seventh round (definitely true).
Mason was decent—like I said then, not a top WR or anything, but a guy you could use with a solid degree of confidence. He finished with 148.5 points, good for the No. 32 WR spot, just one behind Boldin (who finished with 151 points).
Result: Things are starting to pick up—I think that one counts as a “correct” prediction.

Tight End
Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers
I predicted: That I agreed with most experts on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers having a monster year (understatement of the year), and that Finley would be the recipient of lots of touchdowns (
Finley battled a few injuries, but for the most part, he was nearly unstoppable. The Packers put up one of the best statistical seasons on offense and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy when all was said and done. Finley played a key role and made lots of fantasy owners very happy in the process.
Result: Nailed it.

Snoozers
Quarterback
Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
I predicted: That he would struggle in a new system with a new team (correct) and that he’d end up with a decent season, but nothing to write home about (also correct).
McNabb finished as the No. 23-ranked QB last year, totaling 160 points, which was six fewer points than the incomparable Jon Kitna. That’s never a good sign.
Result: Right on the money.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
I predicted: Despite how great the Cincinnati offense looked on paper going into the season, I said Palmer would struggle against tough defenses like Pittsburgh and Baltimore (true) and that the overall health of the team would suffer because of the hotshot wide receivers he had to deal with (also true).
Palmer finished as the No. 12 QB with 246 points, behind Matt Cassel but ahead of Joe Flacco. He was decent, but struggled mightily against the Ravens (five points), the Jets (four points), the Steelers (four points again) and the Browns of all teams (eight points). When the season ended, he made it clear that he no longer wished to play for the Bengals, so he followed through on his threat to retire when the team refused to trade or release him. Somewhere, Terrell Owens is doing situps in his driveway and nodding proudly.
Result: Decent doesn’t win championships, so we’re counting this one correct.

Running Back
C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
I predicted: People, especially in the greater Buffalo area, would be excited about Spiller’s speed (and they were), but Spiller himself would have trouble getting on the field with Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson ahead of him on the depth chart (true, even after Lynch got traded to Seattle).
Spiller showed that he’s talented, but couldn’t do anything special enough to unseat Jackson, the team’s rushing leader from the prior season. His 109 fantasy points ranked him No. 38, ahead of the aforementioned Cadillac Williams and just behind fellow backup Tim Hightower.
Result: Correct, with bonus points for giving Bills fans one more reason to feel sad.

Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
I predicted: His age, the competition of a younger back and the lack of rushing attempts included in the Indianapolis attack would leave him without much to work with (somewhat true).
Addai started strong, with nine points or more in five of his first six games (including a 20-point performance against Jacksonville), but suffered a neck injury that kept him off the field for eight weeks. His average for the eight games he did play was a reasonable 10.9 points, but with the nagging injuries, the lack of breakaway speed and the pass-heavy offense he toils in, he didn’t have much upside.
Result: The long absence due to injury left us with a small sample size, but that alone kind of proves what I was getting at. We’ll call it mostly correct.

Wide Receiver
Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
I predicted: Much of the same as what I predicted for his quarterback, Carson Palmer, along with Ochocinco’s advanced age, narcissism and easily frustrated nature combining to make it a rough year for the former Mr. Johnson (all true).
Ochocinco looked like he’d rather be playing soccer, or learning how to dance, or riding a rodeo bull—all things he found time to do during the lockout this year, rather than, you know, practicing football—than having to gator-arm another floater from Palmer on a crossing pattern. His 135.5 points placed him at No. 38 for the WR position, while his teammate, Terrell Owens, posted a very respectable 188 points, good for the No. 16 spot.
Result: Apparently guys who change their last names to match their jersey numbers don’t think ahead very much. Also, I got this one exactly right.

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
I predicted: A similar fate for the latest ex-boyfriend of Kim Kardashian as I saw for McNabb—that he wouldn’t be terrible, but that he’d have trouble living up to the considerable hype around him (arguably true).
And he wasn’t terrible. He finished with 191.5 points, good for No. 15 on the WR list, and put up some incredible games early in the season. The problem was that his starting quarterback broke a collarbone in week seven, and that Kitna guy we talked about earlier was trying to heave the ball in his general direction. He got the job done, which is about what I thought would happen, but if he’d had the luxury of a legitimate QB for an entire season, he would have been pretty good.
Result: Only by luck did I end up seeming even a little bit correct.

Any Receivers From The Pittsburgh Steelers
I predicted: That the six-game suspension of Fatty McFatterson (or as you know him, Ben Roethlisberger—my wife is from Seattle, so we don’t really have flattering nicknames for the Steelers in our home) and the porous offensive line would mean few opportunities for the Pittsburgh wideouts (sadly, not true at all).
Hines Ward had some really good games, putting up 129.5 points, good for No. 44 on the list, in the process. But the breakout star was Mike Wallace (I still get a mental image of the guy from 60 Minutes running around on the field), who racked up 222 points and finished as the No. 7 receiver last year.
Result: In the same way that loyalty to a team can get you into fantasy trouble, hating a team too much can also blind you to the reality of the situation. Not that I’ll ever be a fan of Mr. McFatterson.

Tight End
Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
I predicted: His quarterback would have trouble distinguishing his team from his opponents (to the tune of 16 interceptions) and the offensive system of Mike Martz would prevent the tight end from seeing much of the ball (Greg Olsen, meet Roland Williams).
Olsen had his good weeks (14.5 points against the Packers in week three) and his bad weeks (zeroes in weeks five and six, and only half a point each in weeks 13, 14 and 16), but the bad definitely outweighed the good. He didn’t produce more than 4.5 points in any week after week 12, and when you’re trying to make your league’s playoffs, that is incredibly frustrating.
Result: Correct, and I didn’t even have to drag Ernie Conwell into it.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed breaking down last year’s successes and failures with me, and I hope we all learned something about fantasy football. Namely, that nobody really knows what’s going to happen, so the best thing you can do is watch the games, read the analysis and come up with your own opinions on what you think gives you the best chance to win.
And if you want one more opinion, here’s a short list of players I would like on my team this year and players who I want to avoid.

Players I want—QB: Michael Vick, Josh Freeman; RB: Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, LeGarrette Blount, Daniel Thomas, Tim Hightower; WR: Calvin Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Danny Amendola, Jacoby Ford; TE: Antonio Gates (enough to spend a third round pick), Jimmy Graham, Brandon Pettigrew, Visanthe Shiancoe.

Players I’ll try to avoid—QB: Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler, David Garrard, Kyle Orton; RB: Chris Johnson, Frank Gore, Ryan Mathews, anyone on the Panthers, anyone on the Patriots; WR: Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Brandon Marshall; TE: Owen Daniels, Marcedes Lewis, Zach Miller, Tony Gonzalez.

If you agree or disagree and you’d like to tell me why, send me an e-mail to sports@valleycenter.com anytime and I’d be happy to discuss your thoughts on the matter.
And like I told you last year—take this advice, go forth, and dominate your league.
Or wonder whether or not I gave you a bunch of false leads just to throw off any of the other owners in my league who might be reading this column. Maybe I’m giving good advice, or maybe I’m watching out for my own interests. I will let you decide.

I Kid You Not--fantasty football draft strategy

2011-08-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Should you grab quarterback Michael Vick with your first pick? Depends on your strategy...

You’ve enjoyed your summer.
You’ve eaten your hot dogs at family picnics, you’ve gone to the beach, and you’ve even found the time to avoid doing anything resembling hard work.
But now that August is here again, it’s time to shift our collective minds back into gear to tackle the really important things once again.
And obviously, that begins with preparing for your fantasy football draft.
In years past, I’ve shared my thoughts about sleepers and snoozers—or if you prefer layman’s terms, guys you want and guys you don’t.
This year, in part because of the recently-resolved NFL lockout, and in even larger part because of the aforementioned summer plans of eating hot dogs and avoiding hard work, I’m not going to do that.
Instead, I’ve decided to help you tackle your overall draft strategy. In the end, it kind of doesn’t matter what players you have—so much of the game is luck, plus you can easily go to about 84 different places online to get “expert” advice, and part of what makes fantasy football fun is rooting for the guys you like, so go ahead and draft the guys you like—so instead of talking about specific players, let’s look at some options for how your team could look once the drafting is over.
It never hurts to have a plan, especially when you come to the sudden realization that you’re the only guy (or girl!) in your league who doesn’t have one, and you start re-thinking that decision to draft T.J. Houshmandzadeh last year (even though you just couldn’t resist quoting that ESPN commercial).
All slight variations aside, there are five directions you can take your fantasy football team on draft day, and it pretty much comes down to what you do with your first three or four picks. Let’s dive in and see what we can discover.

Quarterback
The strategy here is to grab a quarterback with your first pick, no matter who else is on the board. If you’re picking in the top five, you can land Michael Vick and simultaneously bookmark WebMD so you know exactly how serious every tweaked ankle really is. If you’re outside the top five, you can hope Aaron Rodgers didn’t just have the best season of his life last year, or that Drew Brees plays better than his haircut makes him look.
Pros: My favorite sportswriter, Bill Simmons, once said that having a crappy fantasy QB is like driving a four-cylinder car. Yeah, it works, but it just isn’t a whole lot of fun. And if you’re into having fun with your fantasy football team, then you should probably help the rest of us convince that one guy in every league who takes it way too seriously. You know—the guy who writes about fantasy football for the local newspaper every summer. Oh wait…
Plus, if you look at the statistics (always dangerous, I know), you can see that the difference between a great QB and a mediocre QB is bigger than the difference between the top players at other positions and their mediocre counterparts. If math is your thing, this might be something to pay attention to.
Cons: If your fun, six-cylinder QB tweaks an ankle, bruises a shoulder, gets his head slammed into the turf, or just flat-out stinks like a redneck barbecue, you’re stuck with a nightmare all season. A lot of pressure gets packed into that one pick.
Plus, you almost have to tag-team this strategy with the “make sure you get the best tight end available” strategy so you can maximize the whole point-differential thing. And unless you want to draft a tight end with your third pick, that might be difficult.

Running Back
A strategy as old as the game itself—running backs win fantasy football championships. The strategy is to grab a stud RB who can carry your team to the title.
Pros: Running backs get the ball consistently, which is what you want in fantasy sports. There’s nothing worse than suffering through a feast-or-famine-that’s-mostly-famine season with a streaky QB or WR threatening to obliterate your lineup every Sunday. Well, that redneck barbecue might be worse, but let’s just move on.
Cons: The days of Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, Jamal Lewis and LaDanian Tomlinson are well behind us, no matter what Tomlinson fans try to tell you this year. Coaches these days worry about running backs like they’re used cars—nobody wants to have to get a new one when the old one breaks down. So a stud running back gets maybe 80% of his team’s carries, while a decent running back gets maybe 70% of the action. Not to mention the trend of more passing in the game than ever before.

Wide Receivers
The NFL is a passing league! Run-heavy offenses died out with Curly Lambeau and the leather helmet! Airing it out not only wins games, it keeps the crowds coming back! Exclamation points are great for emphasizing a point!
This strategy involves going after wide receivers with your first two picks, then worrying about everything else. If you have a mid- to late-round pick, this could be intriguing.
Pros: You lock up studs at one position, hopefully avoiding injuries and essentially forgetting about those two slots in your lineup for the rest of the year. Not bad for those who like some degree of peace of mind.
Plus, there are always players who make surprise leaps to fantasy relevance every year, so when you lose your first three matchups, you have the waiver priority to snatch up this year’s steals.
Cons: The rest of your team is awful, and you find yourself asking questions like, “Who sees more third-down action for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Deji Karim or Greg Jones?” And that, I assure you, is not a place you want to be in December.

One Of Each
The thought here is to spread the wealth—grab a running back, then a quarterback, then a receiver, then a tight end, then running backs and receivers until the last two rounds.
Pros: It evens out your team a little bit and doesn’t leave big gaps. This is a nice strategy for people who like folding laundry and alphabetizing bookshelves in their spare time.
Cons: You can’t cover all the gaps, and if you follow a pattern too closely, you miss out on chances to snag a sleeper that other owners either forget about or don’t have room for.

Best Available
This is almost an actual NFL draft strategy, in that NFL owners throw around the “he was the best guy available” excuse when they don’t know what they’re doing and just grab the first name they find under the empty pizza boxes in the draft room.
Pros: You’re getting the best player available at any given moment. It never hurts to have good players.
Cons: You might end up with seven good wide receivers and a headache trying to figure out which ones to start each week. And when the later rounds start whizzing by, it gets harder and harder to know who the best player actually is, so there’s kind of a lot of guesswork that I don’t think any of us is qualified to do.
* * *
Hopefully this helps you make up your mind about how to strategize for your fantasy football draft this year.
Because if you don’t spend the time thinking about this stuff now, then you’ll probably end up actually getting something productive done, and we definitely can’t have that.
And be sure to share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail to sports@valleycenter.com.

Benefit concert marks another chapter in Conrad Murphy’s story--Event raises more than $30,000 for Murphy’s ongoing recovery

2011-07-21T17:18:00.001-07:00

To see more photos from the Conrad Murphy Benefit Concert on our Facebook page, click here for a gallery of photos by Dan Kidder and click here for a gallery of photos by Gabriel Santana.

By: Dan Kidder
When you live in a community like Valley Center, it doesn’t take long to see how powerfully and passionately people come together to help others in their time of need.

I met Conrad Murphy when baseball season started this spring, and I could easily see why his coaches and teammates spoke so highly of him. His hard work and dedication to the game were obvious, but this quiet, contemplative young man impressed me with his thoughtful observations and the specific encouragements he gave his teammates.

Like the rest of you in our community and beyond, I followed the next chapter of Conrad’s story from day one with a mixture of sadness and hope. It broke my heart to see the Facebook posts from his friends as the news spread about the car accident that Saturday morning in April. When I stopped by the hospital to say hello to the Murphy family that Monday night, I was encouraged to see so many people there supporting, encouraging and loving them in such a difficult time.

And when I asked Conrad’s friends to write in with their stories about him, I was amazed at the consistent threads of kindness, generosity, humor and perseverance woven into their words. As the days and weeks rolled by, we all celebrated the small victories—from Conrad opening his eyes for the first time to waking up fully to wiggling his toes to remembering sign language—all the way up to the day he got to go home again, nearly nine weeks after the accident.

Saturday’s benefit concert at Bates Nut Farm was so much more than just a group of well-wishers paying lip service to a kid they’d never met. No, our community joined with those in Conrad’s hometown of Fallbrook, as well as communities from all across the county, the country and the world—Conrad has been receiving little messages of encouragement in the Facebook group “Get Well Soon, Conrad Murphy,” some of which have come from places such as Australia and the United Kingdom—to do what we all know our community would do for us in a situation like this.

We got together and made a difference.

Signs for the Conrad Murphy Benefit Concert started popping up around town—and around the interwebs—before the official lineup of entertainers had been finalized. Hardly a conversation could be ended without a half-question, half-admonition—“See you at Conrad’s concert?” And when the day arrived, there was a general sense of excitement in the air—different than what you feel at the annual Western Days celebrations or a home football game for the Jaguars, which are always fun—as though we all knew that we were a part of what was happening, not just spectators sitting on the sidelines. We all helped Conrad write this chapter of his story, and we couldn’t wait to celebrate with him because we’ve been celebrating with him all along the way.

I have to say, our community knows how to celebrate. The music was fantastic, with a little bit of something for everybody—from the show tunes of A Little Bit Of Broadway to the pop/country mix of Morgan Leigh to the praise music of the Ridgeview Church Worship Band to the toe-tapping country of Heidi & The Hurricane. I arrived right at 4 p.m., and it wasn’t long before the wonderful aroma of the barbecue started plucking at the strings of my appetite. It was a tough choice between tri-tip, chicken or hot dogs, but I noticed that a lot of folks simply opted for one of each, which is never a bad choice with cooking like this.

The silent auction items were numerous and incredible, with an entire row of tables dedicated to autographed memorabilia from Major League Baseball, including a baseball signed by the entire 2011 National League All-Star team, a Barry Bonds autographed bat, an Adrian Gonzalez autographed jersey and a host of items from the Padres and Rangers.

And that was just the beginning. There were items that ranged from quilts and beautifully-crafted wooden bowls all the way up to a stove and two washing machines and a week’s free lodging in Costa Rica. There were even lots of activities for the kids, from an inflatable bouncy castle to pony rides to a cake walk to a football toss game.

Halfway through the event, one of the helicopter crews from Mercy Air landed in the field and invited the crowd to see the craft that carried Conrad to the hospital after the crash. But even with a helicopter landing nearby, it was still easy to see that Conrad was the real star of the show. Being back at home has had a very evident positive effect on him—even since his graduation ceremony in the hospital a month ago, his speech is vastly improved, his general demeanor seems much more at ease, and he is able to walk around with the help of a cane, something that seemed unimaginable just a few months ago. There was a pretty steady stream of people who found Conrad in his seat in the shade and stopped by to say hello, to wish him well, and to give him a few words of encouragement.

One particularly poignant moment came when the firefighters who were first on the scene at Conrad’s accident came to say hi. There wasn’t much to say between them, but they both expressed how amazing it was to see Conrad doing so well after coming so far from where they found him that day.

And after all the handshakes, hugs, silent auction bids and swinging tunes, the exhausted but happy concert organizers took one last moment to look around and appreciate what the night meant. When all the numbers were added up, the benefit concert raised more than $30,000 for Conrad and his family as he continues to work through physical therapy and the many challenges of full recovery yet to be faced. But more than the numbers, the Conrad Murphy Benefit Concert was another reminder that this young man’s story is far from being written.

And we are privileged to have been a small part of it.

Native athletes show off their skills in 2011 Indigenous Games

2011-07-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

Manny Boyle (left) and Raelyn Rodriguez (right, with her dad, Dennis) brought home medals from the 2011 Indigenous Games in Wisconsin.

Click here to see more photos from the Indigenous Games on our Facebook page.

Valley Center is known for its production of amazing athletic talent, and a few of our young local athletes got the chance to show off their skills in the 2011 Indigenous Games in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week.
Manny Boyle, a junior at Valley Center High School, represented the San Pasqual tribe in the wrestling tournament and swept his opponents to bring home the gold medal in the 135-pound division.
“It was a really amazing experience,” Boyle says. “I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I went in focused on wrestling, and when I won, I was able to celebrate.”
In the softball tournament, Team California featured 15 players from six different tribes, including VCHS senior Raelyn Rodriguez, a member of the Rincon tribe, and 2010 VCHS graduate Olivia Hernandez, a member of the Pauma tribe. After suffering a tough loss to Wisconsin in the opening game, the team won its next four games before falling in the championship game to Wisconsin again.
“I felt so privileged and honored to represent California and my tribe against the best of the best,” Rodriguez says. “We had girls from different tribes and different towns, but we were able to set aside our differences and get along on the field.”
Boyle’s run to the gold medal included four wins in the tournament against opponents from Wisconsin, New Mexico and North Carolina. The only match he didn’t win by pin was the second match, which he won by major decision.
“It was harder than I expected going in,” he admits. “I noticed that their style was much slower than what you usually see in California. Our style is trickier and less aggressive, but I was able to pick up on it pretty quick and take on the pressure.”
The softball team also had to make some adjustments after losing the first game largely because of errors.
“The team from Wisconsin beat us in the first game because we had so many errors,” Rodriguez says. “After we gave up seven runs in the first inning, we knew we had to play so much better in the next game.”
The team rattled off four straight wins, then ran into Team Wisconsin again in the title game.
“We were tied at two through seven this time,” Rodriguez explains. “And in international rules, extra innings start with a runner on second. So their first batter dropped down a bunt, and our third baseman air-mailed it over the first baseman’s head, but we somehow kept the runner at third. We loaded the bases with a walk, and with one out, they hit a grounder that our shortstop threw over the first baseman’s head, and that was it.”
Despite some rough patches on defense, Rodriguez says that the team played well in some tight spots.
“It seemed like whenever we had two outs, or we really needed a run, someone would step up and start a rally,” she says. “We found ways to score runs and we got in a good rhythm. And our outfield knew where to throw the ball and knew what to do no matter what the situation.”
Rodriguez, the starting centerfielder for the Lady Jaguars varsity softball team this past season, came up with a few big plays herself.
“I don’t want to brag or anything, but I did so good!” she says with a laugh. “I drove in the two runs we scored [in the championship game], I scored six or seven runs and I made a couple of catches on balls in the gap. I was so proud!”
Both Boyle and Rodriguez say they were impressed with the quality of play they saw on display at the games, and they even picked up a few new things that should help them when the next school season rolls around.
“I want to be CIF champion and Master’s champion next year,” Boyle says. “And I just want to thank my coaches and my dad for all their support.”
“I thought that they would be easy to beat, but they’re legit,” Rodriguez says. “There were no easy teams, and they battled us every game. I noticed that I need to work on the little things. We didn’t get any batting practice while we were there, so I can’t wait to start working again.”
Thousands of athletes, primarily young people, participated in the competitions, making the U.S. Indigenous Games (USIG) the largest event to host competitions for young Native youth across Indian country. The U.S. Games take place every two years and Milwaukee was the launch site for Indigenous Games USA. The Games proved to be a showcase for Native youth to participate in individual competitions such as archery, track, boxing and wrestling. The team competitions such as baseball, basketball and a newly added competition of dodgeball are examples of the span of competitions. The games certainly proved to be a spectacular event for spectators and allowed Native and non-native people to watch the competition and learn about the cultural activities of tribal nations from across the United States.

Athlete of the Year: Coaches' Thoughts

2011-07-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

Our 2011 Athlete of the Year, Kevin Murphy, has had a lot of different coaches in his life.
In his senior year at VCHS, Murphy had five different coaches from five different varsity sports, and they all had plenty of good things to say about such a versatile, hard-working athlete.
Here are their thoughts:

Kyle Kline, varsity boys water polo coach:
I think Kevin is a great choice for Athlete of the Year. I only had the pleasure of coaching Kevin for one season. I have had many athletes show up senior year and decide they want to play water polo and I was skeptical when I heard about Kevin and his desire to join the team. He showed up with confidence and I really didn’t expect him to last more than one day.
Kevin proved me wrong and exceeded my expectations. He was definitely behind on experience and conditioning in the water but that didn’t discourage him one bit. He worked through the tough practices and absorbed as much as he could to try to catch up. This is definitely one of the most coachable athletes I have had and he put everything I tried to teach him to use. I would only have to tell Kevin something once, and I would see him working on whatever it was throughout the rest of practice and the whole season. Kevin is also a natural athlete. He is aggressive and gives 110% with everything he does.
Something else that really defined Kevin was his willingness to face a tough challenge. He never backed down from a tough swim set that would give seasoned swimmers a tough time. What really set him apart was his decision to take on one of the toughest positions in the pool as two meter defense. This position involves defending usually the biggest and strongest player on the opposing team. When I described this position Kevin’s eyes lit up. He knew this was his spot and he wanted to make sure he earned the starting position. He worked hard and earned the starting spot and again exceeded my expectations. This position does not usually get the stats that the offensive two meter player gets. It does not get nearly as much attention or glory as other positions. Kevin was not in it for those things. He was in it for the challenge and to help his team. He handled athletes that had many more years experience than him and did an excellent job.
What makes Kevin a successful athlete is a combination of things. His work ethic is exceptional. He is confident but not over confident. He faces challenges head on and with an enthusiasm that I don’t often see. He is a positive role model for younger athletes and a team leader. He leads by example but is outspoken when necessary. He is extremely coachable and has a great attitude. All of these things are beneficial to a team. He made a huge contribution to my team this season and I can only imagine the water polo player he would have been with a few more years experience.
I am sure Kevin will apply these characteristics in the future and it is these that will ensure success in anything he chooses to pursue.
Kevin’s senior year stats: nine goals, 16 assists, 31 steals, and four blocks.
Thanks for giving recognition to a great athlete, student, and individual!

Clay Clifford, varsity wrestling coach:
Kevin was a three-year varsity letterman for wrestling and was a contributor to our second place finish at the San Diego CIF Division IV Championships. Kevin is good-natured and was a pleasure to have on the wrestling team. He made many sacrifices for the team when called upon, and always gave his best effort. I expect that Kevin will one day be a very good coach, hopefully in the sport of wrestling.

Rick Darland, varsity boys golf coach:
Kevin is a great kid and a team leader, and I had a lot of fun coaching him this season. To be able to do that many things that well shows you what kind of an athlete and what kind of a person he is.
Because of the nature of golf, you can’t just pick up your sticks after taking all winter off, but somehow Kevin showed up this spring and was better than he was last year. He progressed further than I thought he would this year.
He’s a well-rounded person who enjoys life, and he knows what it takes to be successful in whatever he wants to do.

Rob Gilster, varsity football coach:
He played football all four years, and he was thinking about just doing water polo his senior year, but he was such a strong long snapper that we found a way to make it work out for him to do both this year. He’s a really good long snapper, and I’m sure he could have helped us out at some other positions on the football field, but he was really passionate about water polo. He was able to get in some practice time and work with Davey [Last, the football team’s kicker] on his own. And he was able to get to all our games on time, even though he had other games on the same day.
He was also one of my ASB students this year, so I got to work closely with him on a lot of school activities. He’s a great kid, a hard worker, and very dependable. You know he’s going to get the job done.
He’s very responsible, and as a student and as a player, same thing. I know he had a lot of other responsibilities in his life, but he’s committed to doing what he needs to do to be a good teammate, a good student and a good person.
I think the balance and time management that he’s learned through sports and ASB in high school are important skills he will carry with him. That’s what so much of life is—we don’t always get to focus on just one thing, we have to be able to handle a lot at a time, and Kevin is definitely prepared to do that.
And he was good, too. He’s a great athlete.

Laura McCaulley, varsity swim coach:
Kevin did really well this year for the swim team. He fit in well with the boys and helped us out a lot, especially in the relays. He went to league for the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays and got better throughout the year.
His experience with the water polo team helped him be successful because he was already training really hard. During the swim season, he would come to the morning workout because he had golf in the afternoon, so he had a lot of long days.
But it paid off because he did such a great job in the league finals, where he placed in both the relay events as well as the 200 freestyle.
He’s a really hard worker, and that’s only going to help him with whatever he does in life. His work ethic is unreal!

2011 Roadrunner Athlete of the Year: Kevin Murphy

2011-07-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

To see more photos of Kevin Murphy, click here to visit the gallery on Facebook.

By: Dan Kidder

They say that a jack of all trades is the master of none.
But Kevin Murphy is the rare kind of athlete who defies simple sayings.
Murphy, like the Jim Thorpes and Bo Jacksons before him, was never content with the challenge of just one athletic endeavor.
He grew up playing Little League baseball, Boys & Girls Club basketball, Pop Warner football and youth soccer. He tried his hand at motocross for a while (“Just for fun,” he says).
His older sister, Erin, ran cross country in high school and earned a scholarship to UNLV. Since the middle school didn’t offer very many sports at the time, Murphy decided to follow in his sister’s footsteps and joined the cross-country team. He continued playing flag football and basketball while waiting for his chance to show his stuff at the next level—high school.
His freshman season, Murphy played football, basketball and golf, a sport he picked up on a whim and ended up playing at the varsity levels all four years of high school.
“We became members of the country club,” he says. “And I totally fell in love with golf.”
In his sophomore season, he once again played football and golf, but switched to wrestling in the winter season.
“I loved playing basketball,” he says. “I grew up playing with Beau [Reilly], Stehly [Reden] and AJ [Broomell] on a lot of travel teams. But I wanted to try something a little different. One of my favorite sports to watch is MMA [Mixed Martial Arts], and I’ve always wanted to try to get into that. But in wrestling, you work so hard, especially with the guys around you, it’s like a brotherhood of wrestlers.”
Murphy’s sports schedule remained unchanged for his junior year, but things really picked up for him this year.
In his senior year, he played football and water polo in the fall season, wrestling in the winter season and both swimming and golf in the spring.
“My buddy Ian Macfarlane said I should come swim with him because it’s a great workout,” Murphy says. “It totally changes your body. I used to lift weights to bulk up for football, but swimming really leaned me out while keeping me really strong.”
Not only does Murphy play so many different sports, he plays such unique positions that usually require specific skills beyond the pick-it-up-as-I-go-along mentality.
Growing up, he played middle infield and pitcher on the baseball diamond, as well as point guard in basketball.
Although he grew up playing different positions in football, by the time he got to the varsity level, Murphy was so good as a long snapper that he was able to work out his own practice schedule that allowed him to play both water polo and football this season. He worked out with the special teams unit on Thursdays and found time with kicker David Last to keep his game at the highest level.
On the water polo team, Murphy quickly carved out a spot at two-meter defense, despite his relative inexperience.
“I’ve played so many sports, and water polo is a combination of so many sports, it just came to me,” Murphy says. “I played against the other team’s best offender. I like playing defense, and if the team needs something, I’m willing to do whatever.”
He wrestled somewhere in the 140-pound range, posted a golf index of four (which basically calculates how many strokes above par a player is, on average), and swam the 100 freestyle, the 200 freestyle and the 100 backstroke for the swim team this year.
“I love the camaraderie with my teammates,” Murphy says. “I love winning, and for me, there’s nothing like trying to be the best you can. I was never the quarterback, never scored the most goals, never was the biggest guy on the field, but I always want to work hard and try as many different things as I can.”
To try so many different sports takes a unique approach, and Murphy says that each sport he has played carries its own mentality.
“It’s different for each person,” he says. “For example, a football player isn’t as methodical as a golfer. Before he gets to the first tee, a golfer knows where he wants to put the ball and he has a plan for that hole. A football player walks on the field and he has all his coaches worrying about the bigger picture. He just has to go out and make a play.
“In wrestling, it’s just you against one other guy,” he adds. “You don’t really need the whole team to do your job—it’s a team sport, but so much is placed on the individual. It’s all about self-motivation. In water polo, it’s a lot of work and a lot of swimming, but that sense of brotherhood is big. You work so hard with these other guys that you really appreciate each other. And in swimming, it’s a pretty small group but it’s really tight-knit. It takes a lot of work to do swimming, but it pays off when you start to see your times drop. The coaches were great—they know they work us hard, but we know it’s for our benefit.”
Murphy didn’t earn any scholarships for his play on the field, and even though he will always enjoy playing sports for fun, he doesn’t have any plans to pursue college athletics.
“My sister’s boyfriend is a division one football player—he’s six-two, runs a four-six forty and he plays free safety,” Murphy says. “I love playing sports, but I know I can’t reach that kind of level. To play college sports, you have to be so naturally gifted. I look at Stehly [Reden] and that’s the kind of natural athlete you have to be. But even if I’m not playing, I still love working my body to the point where it feels like it’s breaking down and exceeding my goals. We’ll see where life takes me, and what God’s plan is for me.”
Murphy’s father, Sean, was a Navy pilot, his grandfather was a Blue Angel, and his uncle is an F-4 pilot, and Murphy says that he would love to join the ranks of his fellow naval aviators. But he also says his faith plays a central role in his life, and that he’s willing to pursue other directions as well. As a core team member at St. Stephen’s church, Murphy says he wants to honor God’s plan for his life.
“I definitely have an interest in the military, but I want to go where God leads,” he says. “You don’t know where God’s going to take you, but if you love Him and serve Him, wherever He takes you will be wherever you’re supposed to be. For me, if that’s the Navy, then that’s great. But I’m open to whatever.”
Wherever he goes next, Murphy says that he will never forget the years he spent playing sports with his friends here in Valley Center.
“There are so many great memories,” he says. “Like rushing back from a water polo game at Poway to make it to our home football game—I walked in with no shirt on, my pads in my hands and my eyes still watering from the pool, but I made it in time. And I’ll always remember winning league with the golf team this year—we came through a lot. All the practices, working hard and messing around with the guys, those are the things I’ll remember.”
Kevin Patrick Murphy grew up in Valley Center with his family—his father, Sean, a retired Navy pilot who works for Computer Protection Technology; his mother, Colleen, an aide for the Valley Center/Pauma Unified School District; and his siblings, Erin, John and Bridget.
Befitting his Irish heritage—his grandmother is from Ireland—Murphy is a fan of the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics, and Notre Dame football. He and his father are planning a trip to Dublin, Ireland, to see Notre Dame play against Navy next year. He also likes Duke basketball and has been following the emerging career of PGA golfer Rory McElroy, lamenting that “I was a Tiger Woods fan, but…you can’t really do that anymore.”
When he’s not playing sports, Murphy says he’s working, working out, participating in church activities or sleeping.
After his high school athletics experience, Murphy has some encouragement for young athletes.
“To all the little guys out there, don’t ever stop working hard,” he says. “You may not be a stud, but you mean just as much. A team is a well-oiled machine, and it needs every part to work. So never give up, and don’t be afraid to go out and try a new sport. You never know if you’ll like it, so even if it’s hard, keep pushing through.”

Conrad Murphy goes home Friday

2011-07-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Conrad Murhpy, the seriously injured Valley Center high school athlete who has been hospitalized since his April head-on collision, is scheduled to be sent home tomorrow (7/8/ 2011) where he will begin a lifetime of rehabilitative therapies.

This follows a three month stay at Palomar Medical Center that began when he was hit by a car on his way to baseball practice early in the morning of April 23. Murphy remained in a coma for several days thereafter and then in critical condition for weeks as he clung to April.

His diploma was presented to him in his hospital room by school Supt. Lou Obermeyer and VCHS principal, Ron McCowan. Murphy's return home marks a triumph for both he and his family and the communities of Valley Center and Fallbrook-one where he attended school and one where he lives.

A benefit concert to raise money for Conrad Murphy's future is being held at Bates Nut Farm on Saturday July 16, 4-9 p.m.

15 candidates for 2011 Roadrunner Athlete of the Year

2011-06-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

Great athletes make sports fun to watch.
They turn average contests into you-totally-should-have-been-there events. They make your head spin with a combination of speed, strength and grace that can’t be fully appreciated in a Sportscenter highlight. Basically, they turn a UFL game into an NFL game.
And while we may not get to see the likes of Adrian Peterson, Albert Pujols, David Villa, Dirk Nowitzki or Steven Stamkos here in Valley Center, we have a bevy of athletic talent that makes a Jaguar game anything but average.
This year, I had the privilege of covering Valley Center High School sports from fall to spring, from football to baseball, and everything in between. I must admit right up front that I know I didn’t get to see that much of some of our local teams and athletes, but hopefully we’ll get to hear those stories from you (more on that in a little bit).
Accordingly, I made a list through the various seasons that I titled, simply, “Favorite players to watch 2011.”
I whittled the list down to 15 athletes (not an easy task) that I thought were deserving of another mention because of the way they played on the field. In the coming week, I’ll be choosing one of these 15 athletes as the first-ever Roadrunner Athlete of the Year. The winner will get a full interview in an upcoming issue, and the criteria for winning are mainly athletic, although some other factors, such as attitude and leadership. Basically, I’m going to choose the athlete who I think best represented the Jaguars on the field. I am, however, always open to suggestion, so if you have a strong opinion about one or more of the athletes below, write to me this week at sports@valleycenter.com and tell me why I should choose your athlete.
Just to be clear, this list is based entirely on my experience as a sports fan, primarily, and is in no way intended to rank the included athletes or exclude any other athletes deserving of recognition. This is just the list of a sports fan who wanted to share some thoughts about the outstanding sports he saw this year, and recognize the athletes who helped make it such a fantastic year.
So, in no particular order, here are the candidates for Athlete of the Year:

Travis Bernard—football
Plays like: Barry Sanders
Also a little bit like: Lionel Messi
It had to be hard to follow a great player like Stanton Upson, but Bernard stepped up to the challenge in a big way. The always-shifty Bernard left VC fans gasping at the lightning-quick change of direction, the where-did-he-go cutbacks and the thrill of knowing that the Jaguars were never more than a play away from scoring a touchdown, no matter where they were on the field.
The speed and agility were what made him a great athlete, but to me, the drive and determination are what set him apart as one of the truly phenomenal athletes I’ve ever gotten to see in person. He’s got a chance to see significant playing time at Northern Colorado this fall, and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more from him before the season’s over.

David Last—football
Plays like: Ronnie Lott
And a little like: George Blanda
In football, the kicker is usually the spry little fellow prancing about on the sideline of the stadium, fiddling with some stick-and-net contraption and trying not to look bored until he’s suddenly called upon to do something productive.
David Last is not your usual kicker.
Not only did he boot a school-record 51-yard field goal against Escondido this year and send nearly every kickoff out the back of the endzone, he was a dominant defensive player at cornerback and a handy weapon as a receiver on offense.
I had the most fun watching him play defense. Of the dozens of big hits I saw from the sidelines this year, at least ten to 15 of them belonged to Last. Teams didn’t like throwing the ball his way because they knew that, at best, they’d get a completion and an immediate stop. He was rarely out of position, he was fearless in pursuing (and often flattening) the ball-carrier, and he only seemed to get better as the game wore on.

Kevin Murphy—football, water polo, wrestling, swimming, golf
Plays like: Jim Thorpe
And a little like: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Some athletes are gifted in such specific ways that they're fun to watch--but only when they're doing that one thing they're good at.
Murphy doesn't have to worry too much about that--he's got 11 varsity letters from his four years at VCHS, and he capped off his senior year by playing five sports in three seasons. Five. He started with football and water polo, then (in what must have seemed like a break, going to just one sport after playing two) he joined the wrestling team for the winter season before going out with a bang in golf and swimming in the spring season.
Now, anybody can show up to practice and be on a sports team--just look at half of the Padres' roster this year (seriously--who are these guys?).
But it's another thing altogether to actually be good.
Murphy was the long snapper on the football team, a position that is not for the faint of heart (just for fun, go out in your back yard with a football, then bend over and try to heave the ball between your legs to another person 20 yards away while simultaneously whipping your head back up so you don't get railroaded by a humongous person trying to knock you flat on your back). In the same season, he was also one of the key offensive weapons on the boys water polo team. On the wrestling team, he was a mainstay in the 140-150 range, and helped the Jaguars win the Valley League title. He was also one of the top contributors on the golf team while balancing his time with the swim team.
Each of those things requires a specific skill that would take a long time for anyone to master. And here Murphy was, mixing it up on the varsity level in five completely different sports. Even if he had just played water polo and golf, those two alone astonish me. Then add wrestling...it boggles the mind.

Kelly Hagadorn—field hockey, soccer, lacrosse
Plays like: Alexander Ovechkin, only on turf
And a little like: Ed Reed
There are athletes who impress with skill, and there are athletes who impress with determination. There are also athletes who impress with skill and determination.
Then there are athletes who scare the bejeezus out of you.
If you follow the NFL, you probably know who Ed Reed is. He plays safety for the Baltimore Ravens, and underneath that black helmet, his bushy black beard and his silent scowl could make a running back’s blood go cold (for video evidence, search YouTube for “Ed Reed decleated Knowshon Moreno big hit forced fumble” and get ready to send the kids out of the room).
Hagadorn plays with the same quiet intensity that has made me think, more than once, that I’m glad I don’t play field hockey. Or soccer. Or lacrosse. Or Powder Puff football.
What separates her from the thugs that sports can sometimes breed is the fact that she can back up her swagger with incredible skill. She was the focal point of the offense for the VCHS field hockey team that went deep into the CIF playoffs, and she was a rock on defense for the girls soccer team and the girls lacrosse team.
She was a leader. When she walked onto the field, the rest of the team knew they had a really good chance to win, because they knew she was going to be the one of the best players on the field, no matter what it took.

Melina & Vanessa Heredia—volleyball, soccer, lacrosse
Play like: Charlie Davies, only there’s two of him
And a little like: Deion Sanders, minus the showing off
I hate to put them together—I’m sure that, as twin sisters, it’s happened pretty much all their lives thus far—but it really is impossible to talk about the athletic prowess of one without mentioning the other.
As freshmen, they both played significant time on three varsity teams this season. My first glimpse of these dynamos was in volleyball, where they both showed incredible athleticism around the net and a willingness to learn from the upperclassmen around them.
In soccer, they flashed some of the eye-popping speed that quickly caught the attention of the other team (and the fans).
But it wasn’t until lacrosse season that I fully understood what I was seeing. Both of them have the capability of changing the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye, and they dropped plenty of jaws both in the crowd and on the opposing sideline.
By the end of the season, I learned to sit up a little straighter and watch just a little more closely whenever one of the Heredia sisters got the ball, no matter where they were on the field. A handful of times, I watched as one of the two of them would collect the ball behind their own net, jog with the defender for about 30 yards, then turn on the jets and absolutely blow past one, two, even three defenders before slamming the ball into the net.
Can’t wait to see what they do for an encore in their sophomore seasons.

A.J. Broomell—basketball
Plays like: A young Jason Kidd
And a little like: A young John Stockton, minus the short shorts
Of all the sports I used to follow closely as a kid, basketball is one in which I’ve slowly lost interest, mainly due to the look-at-me preening of the typical NBA star.
But even I couldn’t help but look forward to VCHS basketball games, because players like Broomell only come around so often.
Watching Broomell in each Jaguars game was a study in how to morph your game to match the weakness of your opponent. On a team that ran its offense through center Stehly Reden—with good reason—Broomell was so much more than just a John Stockton to Reden’s Karl Malone.
Broomell proved time and time again that he could carry the team when they needed him, just as adroitly as he found ways to make his teammates better. They say that you can tell how good a basketball player is by the job he does when he doesn’t have the ball, and Broomell passed this test with flying colors.
Whether he scored 20 points or only five, Broomell built a reputation as a smart, clutch player who got the best out of those around him.

James Siva—basketball
Plays like: Spud Webb
And a little like: Kevin Bacon in The Air Up There
He wasn’t the biggest player on the court—not by a long shot. But the players you love to have on your team are the ones who practice hard, play hard and refuse to accept losing as an option.
Siva led the Jaguars in scoring a few times, but mostly he provided the energy and determination that was infectious.
I think the perfect stamp of Siva’s impact on the team this season came in the first round of the CIF playoffs at Santana (click here to watch the video). The Sultans held a one-point lead and had the ball with under a minute left in the game. The Jaguars double-teamed the opposing center, who forced up an off-balance shot that ricocheted off the rim and bounced off Reden’s hands before Siva swooped in to grab the ball at the baseline. After faking a pass, Siva darted up the floor, past four surprised Sultans jogging back on defense, and slipped a perfect bounce pass to Beau Reilly, who banked in the easy layup that gave the Jags a one-point lead.
And Siva wasn’t done. On defense with under 20 seconds left, the Jaguars forced Santana to try a contested three-pointer that missed the mark. As the big men slammed into each other going after the rebound, Siva once again weaved through the traffic, stuck his hand out and tipped the ball away from one of the Sultans. He stayed with the ball, scooped it up and was fouled with under a second remaining, all but sealing the win for VC.

Miriam Zabinsky—girls basketball
Plays like: Magic Johnson
And a little like: Julie Connor from the Saturday morning classic Hang Time.
It’s great when a player plays his or her position well, but when they play multiple positions at a high level, you know you’re watching something special.
Zabinsky showed her versatility in nearly every basketball game this season, from running the offense as a point guard to taking outside shots as a shooting guard to crashing the boards and posting up her defender like a power forward. She’s obviously talented; a casual observer can see that almost immediately. But her focus and intensity put her on another level, and her toughness only serves to shine a brighter spotlight on her skills.

Eddie Alba—soccer
Plays like: Wayne Rooney
And a little like: The Italian kids in the Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming.
Alba is another one of those athletes who isn’t very big and probably isn’t the fastest guy on the field. But his quickness, especially with the ball at his feet, is explosive, and he impressed me more than once with his field vision. I’m not a soccer expert, but I can distinctly recall a handful of times during the boys soccer games when Alba would get the ball and it looked like there was nothing there, but he would find a seam with a pass, or make one extra move and get off a shot when it looked completely closed down.
He was never one to jaw with opponents, or flop to the ground at the slightest whisper of contact (as is the unfortunate case for some soccer players in the world). I remember Alba getting a hard red card at the end of the game against Orange Glen, a penalty that results in ejection. The crowd was understandably upset; the game had been increasingly rough-and-tumble throughout the second half, and Orange Glen had come close to causing some serious injuries with reckless challenges. Alba made an aggressive challenge and caught some of the opposing player’s foot as he slid for the ball, but compared to what had been going on without so much as a whistle, the play seemed harmless.
Alba didn’t complain, didn’t mouth off to the ref or whine about it. He definitely looked surprised, and stood on the field for a while as if in disbelief, but ultimately, he accepted the unjust punishment in a close game that the Jaguars eventually lost without taking his frustration out on the ref, his coaches or his teammates.

Hannah Sanders—girls soccer
Plays like: Shannon Boxx
And a little like: Keira Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham.
The VCHS girls soccer team was fun to watch this season. They had a lot of talented players, especially on offense, and they had a lot of confidence heading into the season.
Sanders was the key cog in the middle, handling the ball often and with more than once with jaw-dropping skill. She always seemed to have another gear to shift into when she got the ball, and she made a lot of defenders look foolish. And for being a willowy blonde, she wasn’t afraid of contact, either.
It was a lot of fun watching how in sync she was with forward Sam Koch, and how often they seemed to know exactly where to go when the other one had the ball.

Dylan Smith—football, wrestling
Plays like: The Ultimate Warrior
And a little like: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Defensive tackles are usually the fattest guys a football team can dig up without resorting to pillaging sumo arenas (although that always seems to happen in every football comedy movie).
Smith is built a little more like a wide receiver—a big receiver, but still, not exactly earth-mover-esque.
But his motor doesn’t seem to have a brake pedal, because he just never quits.
As impressed as I was with him in football, I was doubly so when wrestling season rolled around. He had a way of pacing around the ring, staring down his opponent before the handshake, then launching himself across the mat when the whistle blew to start the match. He showed how tough he is, but I marveled at his quickness, especially when getting at his opponent’s feet.

Dan Henderson—basketball, baseball
Plays like: Tom Glavine
And a little like: Eddie Harris from Major League
Nice guys finish last, as the old saying goes.
They don’t get much nicer than Dan Henderson, and you don’t have to go far to find somebody who will adamantly agree.
What makes him a great athlete to watch is his approach to the game, no matter what that game might be. He does the little things right—he hustles, he pays attention, he’s not afraid to ask questions, and he is never at a loss when it comes to an encouraging thing to say to his teammates (and, on occasion, his opponents).
On a personal level, I had a great time watching him play because he is exactly what I tried to be when I was a high school athlete. I also played baseball, and I also tried my best to be the guy who was first to practice, last to leave, first to hop up for the stray foul balls, first to high five the guy who just struck out, and always ready when the coach needed me.
But I can’t in any way claim to have done it as well or as thoroughly as Dan Henderson, who not only accomplished all these things, but showed time and time again that he’s also a really good ballplayer. He started the baseball season as an afterthought when it came to the pitching rotation, but by the end, the coaches were counting on him in some tight spots as the team tried to stay alive in the battle for the league title.
When he wasn’t pitching, he was still in the lineup and played third base, which wasn’t the spot they had him in at the beginning of the year. He still picked it up as the season went along, and became a solid defender at a tough position.

Anna Luna—softball
Plays like: Cat Osterman
And a little like: If Randy Johnson pitched underhand
When it comes to softball in Valley Center, you only need to talk to two people: Bob & Pat Tousley, who have been a part of the youth softball program and the high school softball program in various forms for the past… Let’s just say there aren’t many people who can remember that far back anymore.
So when Pat Tousley told me that she saw a photo of Anna Luna pitching and added, “That’s exactly how we teach the kids to pitch,” I knew the Lady Jaguars were going to have a good season.
The above comparisons aside, Luna reminds me quite a bit of Orel Hershiser, the former Dodgers pitcher who earned the nickname “Bulldog” for his gutsy pitching performances in the late 80s and early 90s.
Luna has the same lanky build that Hershiser always had, and the same tenacity in the pitcher’s circle. A change in high school softball regulations moved the pitcher back three feet this year, and early in the season, the difference was clear. Offenses had just a little more time to pick up the pitch, and hitters were finding ways to exploit the mistakes that pitchers used to be able to cover up.
The Lady Jaguars were no different—they had a tremendous offensive year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs. Luna’s pitching was a huge part of that run, especially late in the regular season. She found herself in some tight spots more than once, but she quickly gained a reputation for cranking up the intensity and pitching her best when it counted.

Garrett Fiehler—boys lacrosse
Plays like: Sidney Crosby
And a little like: Peyton Hillis
It’s easy to see why so many VCHS football players ended up on the boys lacrosse team this season. It’s a very different game than what the girls play, right down to the different lines on the field.
Fiehler was the third running back on the varsity football team that went undefeated until they lost a heartbreaker in the CIF championship game at Qualcomm Stadium. Travis Bernard was the starter and Michael Rodriguez was the primary backup, but Fiehler showed more than enough evidence in his limited action to indicate that he’s going to be the starting running back next season.
The same mentality he played with in football translated easily to lacrosse, and it was easy to see that he’s been playing lacrosse for a long time. Where some players were still struggling to get used to the mechanics of running and keeping the ball in the cage at the end of the stick, Fiehler fairly glided around the field with that same powerful stride he showed in football.
As a midfielder, the offense ran through him, and his quick first step led to more goals this season than I can count. He never shied away from contact; more often than not, he was the one initiating a hit, even when he had the ball. I can still see in my mind’s eye the opening night game against Temecula, when Fiehler barreled into an oncoming offensive player in one of the fiercest collisions I’ve ever seen.
(Quick aside: the hardest sports hit I’ve ever seen in person came courtesy of James Johnson, Valley Center’s phenom wide receiver who graduated in 2009. In a home game against Orange Glen in ’09, the Jaguars were on offense, and Tyler Bernard dropped off a pass in the flat to the tight end, I think it was Jeremy Dozier. Johnson had gone on a deep corner route, but turned around to come back and block once the ball was caught. One of the Orange Glen corners was trying to chase Dozier down when Johnson completely blindsided him with a totally legal, but absolutely bone-rattling hit, shoulder to chest. It happened about seven yards directly in front of me, and I can distinctly remember hearing all the air get forcibly pancaked out of the kid.)

John Turori—rugby
Plays like: Adrian Peterson
And a little like: If Troy Polamalu played both offense and defense
Honestly, the Adrian Peterson comparison is the closest thing I can come up with to accurately explaining how Turori plays. NFL commentators gush about how Peterson runs “with violence” and how he is a nightmare to try to tackle in the open field.
Turori runs with the same ferocity, and all the more so because he’s doing it in a game without pads. His legs never stop churning, no matter how many defenders he has draped on his back, ankles, or wherever they can try to get a hold of him. And he knows how to use his strength, squeezing his broad frame into the tiniest crack of an opening between defenders to keep them off balance and allow him to gain those precious extra yards.
And he’s smart, too. He’s not just plowing through the nearest defender because he can, he is active away from the ball, feeling out the weak spots in the defense and carefully positioning himself to maximize his efforts once the ball does come his way. And he usually doesn’t have to wait long—the ball finds him in a hurry, another mark of a truly gifted athlete playing at an elite level.
— — —
There you go, 15 athletes who made this year in sports so much fun for me to watch. I had more, but there’s only so much room, and only so many amusing comparisons to movie and/or TV athletes I can think of.
But if there’s anyone I left out, or anyone you think deserves a mention, write to me at sports@valleycenter.com and I’ll add them to consideration.
You can also visit the Roadrunner's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter to share your thoughts about your choice for 2011 Athlete of the Year.

Conrad Murphy's graduation

2011-06-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

Valley Center High School celebrated its graduating seniors on Tuesday night, June 14, and one senior couldn't be there in person.
But he sure was there in spirit.
Conrad Murphy survived a horrific car crash on April 23 while driving to baseball practice. His life-threatening injuries included a broken pelvis, two fractured vertebrae and massive head trauma. But just short of eight weeks later, Conrad is awake, speaking, and working through rehabilitation every day.
Because he's still in the hospital, Conrad couldn't make it to his high school graduation ceremony. His older brother, Clark, received his diploma on his behalf to a standing ovation from the Valley Center crowd.
And the following day, VCHS administrators and faculty brought graduation to Conrad with a small diploma presentation ceremony at the hospital.
Here are some videos from the ceremony:
(To see more photos from this ceremony on the Valley Roadrunner's Facebook page, click here.)

Clark Murphy accepts Conrad's diploma at VCHS graduation:

Conrad answers some news reporters' questions before his diploma presentation:

Conrad shows off his diploma:

Conrad plays a little tune on the piano:

Conrad gets wheeled down the hall to say hi to the VCHS administrators and teachers:

Conrad receives his diploma from VCHS Principal Ron McCowan and VCPUSD Superintendent Dr. Lou Obermeyer:

Conrad was given a baseball bat signed by the class of 2011:

Conrad spends a few minutes talking with the teachers and students who came to visit him:

VCPUSD Superintendent Dr. Lou Obermeyer gets interviewed by the San Diego TV stations:

Clark Murphy gets interviewed by the TV reporters:

photos and videos by Dan Kidder

VCHS Powder Puff Football 2011

2011-06-11T02:26:00.000-07:00

In a thrilling defensive battle, the class of 2011 defeated the class of 2012 by a score of 6-0 in this year's Powder Puff Football Classic at Valley Center High School.
The seniors scored early in the first half when tailback Kelly Hagadorn took a pitch from quarterback Victoria Navarro and rumbled in from four yards out for the touchdown, bowling over defenders and stretching the ball across the goal line for the score.
Check out some of the video highlights from the action:
(Scroll down to the bottom to see the boys' cheer routines at halftime)
(And click here to see more videos on my YouTube channel)

Bailey Hall returns the opening kickoff:

Victoria Navarro keeps the ball and gets upended:

The Juniors run a reverse:

Navarro runs another keeper, but gets stopped for a loss:

Sidney Reilly picks up some good yardage down the sideline:

Raelyn Rodriguez runs a QB keeper and gets hit hard:

Tyler Carr almost intercepts a pass from Navarro:

Kate Richards gets a good gain running to the outside:

Kelly Hagadorn cuts back for a good gain as the 1st half ends:

Hagadorn (on defense this time) busts up a short pass play in the backfield:

Hall brings back a punt return and gets knocked down:

Hagadorn flashes a fierce stiff arm on an inside run:

Hagadorn weaves through the defense for a good gain:

Navarro hits Morgan Marcon on a slant for a nice completion:

Navarro runs the option with Hagadorn, and they take the ball down inside the 10 yard line:

Touchdown! Navarro pitches to Hagadorn, who barrels her way into the endzone for the game's only score:

The seniors kickoff to Sidney Reilly, who doesn't find much room to run:

Rodriguez zips a pass in to Erica Kiesow for a first down:

Rodriguez's pass is almost intercepted by Amanda Nealis:

Big hit! Hagadorn makes the catch over the middle and gets leveled by Taylor Yates. (Note: both players were ejected for the extracurricular physicality):

Navarro runs another QB keeper and shrugs off tacklers left and right:

Hall tries to run to the outside, but gets wrapped up by Laura Glennie (Note: this would have been a perfect tackle had the game not been flag football, and Glennie was summarily ejected for the play):

Reilly pitches to Zabinsky for a nice cutback run:

The Juniors run a final play, but can't beat the clock, as time runs out and the seniors celebrate the win:

The Senior boys halftime dance:

The Junior boys halftime dance:

Video by Dan Kidder

Local boy miraculously has no broken bones after parade accident

2011-06-05T19:59:00.001-07:00

By: DAN KIDDER

The next time you pick up a comic book, you might end up reading the story of Andy Villarreal.
The 12-year-old from Valley Center wasn’t bitten by a genetically-enhanced spider. He didn’t come to earth from a distant planet full of supermen. He doesn’t even have an iron suit.
But after what could have been a tragic accident during the Valley Center Western Days parade this weekend, Andy knows why he’s still here today.
“I could tell that so many people were praying for me,” he says.
Andy and his family were part of a group handing out flyers for Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Valley Center Community Church this summer. Some members of the group were riding in the back of a fire truck, while others, including Andy, were on the street.
Andy’s parents, Chad & Jodi, were on the truck and saw what happened next, as did those watching the parade from the section of Valley Center Road just west of Portino’s Restaurant.
While Andy was riding on his RipStik, a two-wheeled board similar to a skateboard, someone called his name. As he turned his head, his front wheel hit a stone in the street and he fell feet-first under the rear tires of the truck. The tires ran over Andy’s legs, from his left knee across at an angle to his right ankle.
But what still astonishes his family, his friends, and even his doctors is that Andy was at home later that night with nothing more than a soft cast and a pair of crutches.
“They took an x-ray, then we waited about an hour and a half, then they took another x-ray and finally they told me that I don’t have any broken bones,” Andy says. “I just thought, ‘That’s crazy, no broken bones?’ It’s amazing.”
The Villarreal family attends Valley Center Community Church, and Jodi says that the immediate response they received from the community was overwhelming.
“As soon as we were in the ambulance, I sent out a text to several people,” she says. “Within an hour, I had gotten back over a hundred responses letting us know that people were praying for Andy and praying for us. It was so amazing and so calming to know that we had so much support. And that’s something we always know we can count on in such a great town.”
Chad was riding on the back of the truck when the accident happened, and he says he was amazed at how quickly those around him jumped into action.
“I heard the back tires go ‘thump’ and at the same time, I heard Jodi scream Andy’s name,” he recalls. “Those two seconds it took me to turn the corner around the truck were the scariest moments I’ve ever had. But when I saw his face and heard him talking, I was so relieved. I went into that protective dad mode and scooped him up to get him out of the street. By the time I set him down, there were already two off-duty paramedics there, and within five minutes there were two ambulances and eight to ten firefighters and other off-duty personnel there. Because everyone reacted so quickly, there wasn’t any time to panic.”
Because of their faith, the Villarreals say they’ve had a peace and comfort that has allowed them to reassure the others involved that everything is OK.
“The driver and the passenger in the front of the truck obviously just felt terrible about it,” says Chad. “But God has blessed us through this to allow us to let them know that it was an accident, and that God had Andy in His hand the entire time.”
“I told the passenger that he probably saved my son’s life,” Jodi adds. “If he hadn’t called Andy’s name, Andy still would have hit that rock, but because of the way he was turned, he probably would have fallen headfirst under the truck. This was an accident, but God showed us that He is still in control even in the middle of an accident.”
The Villarreals are so thankful for the prayers and support of their community, saying that there is only one possible explanation for the continued safety of their son.
“His doctor called him a miracle kid,” Jodi says. “To get run over by a fire truck and not even have a broken bone, that’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“We could have been planning a funeral today instead of rejoicing that God saved our son,” says Chad. “We’re just overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our brothers and sisters in Christ. God hears our prayers, and we’re all together in that. That’s the biggest comfort for us.”
Andy himself even expressed his wish for others to know that comfort, even in the middle of a difficult situation.
“When we were on the way home from the hospital, Andy said something that really made me proud as a father,” Chad says. “He said, ‘If one or two or five people can hear about God and know Him, then it’s all worth it.’ ”
And if Andy ever decides to give crime fighting a try, he has his superhero name already picked out.
“When you go to Children’s Hospital, they give you a code name based on a letter of the alphabet and an animal,” Jodi explains. “So when Andy found out that his code name was “X-Ray Fish” he wants to keep that name forever.”

Friends of Conrad Murphy share their thoughts

2011-04-26T02:58:00.000-07:00

Valley Center High School senior baseball player Conrad Murphy remains in critical condition after a head-on collision on Hwy 76 on Saturday morning (click here for the full story).

To contribute your own story about Conrad, as well as any comments, encouragements or anything, click here to visit the Get Well Soon, Conrad Murphy page on Facebook.

Here are some stories shared by some of Conrad's friends at VCHS:

David Last
My favorite memory of conroid (some of us in 2nd period Mr.Chews last year called him conROID because we all knew he could jack the baseball so we just liked messing around with him and mixing the word steroid in with his name) was in 2nd period Chew when he would always finish Mr. Chews sentences because he already knew mostly everything about history.
Conrad is a great guy and i cant wait for you to teach me some sign language so i can sign back to you know who haha

Eric Brothers
Conrad correcting Mr. Chew in US history last year and signing spider always made me laugh. He knows how baseball needs to be played and how a team needs to act together. If I could talk to Conrad I would tell him we know he is a fighter and that he is going to pull through this.

Taylor Oshinski
Last year in Mr. Chew's class Spider attempted to play Conrad in chess and in (no exaggeration) two minutes she had given up. Conrad is very intelligent and stumps the teachers more than anyone I know. Conrad is never in a bad mood and always has something comical to say. He is eager to help in class and will not hesitate to correct the teachers if they have dates in history wrong. My favorite story about Conrad is when the life skills class put bird feeders up, Conrad saw the opportunity to get a quick snack and took a bite out of the pine comb filled with seeds. Conrad we miss you buddy. Can't wait for you to get back to strength and we have your seat on the bench cleared off waiting for u.

Martin Cunningham
Conrad is definately that guy you dont find every day. He is definately a down to earth kind of guy and will eat anything healthy and edible haa.The first year here got here me and him were just buds and had the most respect for eachother. He had to play jv baseball as a junior even tho he was way good enough to play varsity, but since he transfer thats what happened. The funniest thing that would always make me laugh a tad bit was when he would make fun of drama or put him in the most awkward situations. Conrad is really good at keeping a straight face and you can never tell when he was serious. The other thing that we always do when we see eachother is just compliment eachother until one of us stops, and it all started when he came up to me one day and said with the straightest face, " Martin how come your so cool?" and i laughed a little bit and said " na conrad you got it all wrong man your the cool one" haa just stuff like that. We always ask eachother for advice but the most times it is for odd reasons like the day he shaved his chest hair into an arrow and the words that said hi, i was the first person he said he would listen to when he asked me and i told him go for it. The next day he shows up to school with his chest/stomach hairs in the shape of an arrow and the word hi hahaa Conrad is my boy and i hope he never forgets that... The rest of this season I am playing for him and i will pray for him every night until he is back and healthy. I have been praying every night since saturday and dont plan on stopping and i ask all my other brothers out there to pray every night too and dont forget because he needs it... I know Conrad will pull through this because some people know how to battle but we know how to war!!! haa inside joke with my boy kidder... get well conrad

Ryan Gerlach
my favorite story with conrad by far was when us baseball guys put a dead rat in his cleat and he didnt notice so he came out of the clubhouse with half his foot out of the shoe. He said "i think my right foots bigger than my left because my shoe doesnt fit anymore." Qualites that make conrad a great friend and teammate is the fact that he is super smart and is really down to earth. If i could talk to conrad right now itd be that there r too many people out there praying for anything else to happy to him and conrad is my main man and i got his back on everything. Get well conrad im praying night and day

Garrett Fiehler
ya i know conrad from working out with him and he is one of the most hard working guys in the weight room and hes always down to do anything you need. hes a great guy and iknow he can get though this and i will be praying for him as long as it takes. we all will

Tom Aguilar
My favorite story from Conrad would have to be, him always bagging on kyle or the time he shaved "HI" and an arrow on his stomach. The random things he would say to all make us laugh was hysterical. it seemed like he always had a HUGE smile on his face and just all around a happy kid.
what makes Conrad a good friend is that no matter what he always has your back. if someone was picking on me he would always be the first one to step in and ask me if i wanted him to beat them up hahaah . . . . and what makes him a good Team mate, he would always cheer me up when i was down. that's what i good team mate does... and of course he always wanted to win!
if i could tell Conrad something, i would tell him to always stay strong and fight thru this struggle. i would also say , God has a plan for you so trust in him.....

John Jensen
My favorite Thing about Conrad is that he always has something funny to say. For example: when I accidentally broke his cheek while hitting him grounders, the only thing he had to say was, "Does it look cool?". Conrad is a very positive person, and he always has a smile on his face. When Conrad wakes up, I know he's going to have that same smile and funny personality. I know Conrad can do this, and I can't wait until he's back to health. Get Well Conrad.....

Cole Howard
conrad is the warmest and nicest person i have ever met.. he is like a big teddy bear.. he knew what to say to make me laugh after a bad at bat or things to say to help my swing.. any question i ever came to him with he always had an answer to.. ever since i have been one the team with conrad i have thrown with him. every practice and every game for almost a year. he has made such a huge impact on so many people and it shows through this tragedy. his smile was contageous just like his laugh. one of the last things he said to me before the accident was when i told austin that he was my brother and conrad turned to me and said if hes ur brother who am i? andi replied that he was my cave bear. i look up to conrad as a person and as an athelete. the first day i met him. i asked him how high up i was on his friendship scale.. he told me i was the number i.. which is the square root of negative one. hahahhah since then i have made it up to a 99.7 was my last check point. there is so many things id like to say to conrad if i could.. but one thing especially is id like to hug him, and thank him for being such a great person on and off the baseball field.. i miss him so much and baseball doesnt feel the same. i pray every time i have a new thing to say and i know my cave bear will pull thru this tragic accident. miss you conrad come back to us soon

Zach Dewey
Conrad is the mos unique person I know. He has many hidden talents, such as an incredible piano player and he is brilliant at chess. He is very humble and suprises us all sometimes at things we didnt know he could do. At the end of the year party last year Conrad off the top of his head made up a song for me called Silly Dewey. For making it up in a couple of minutes it was really good and i hope i get to hear it again someday. I know my cave bear will get through this he strong and has a lot of will. Get well Conrad you are in our prayers.

Ricky Eldridge
Conrad is a very funny, talented, and loyal person. Conrad and I were always able to talk candidly about baseball from hitting techniques to different teams we played on. I talked to Conrad everyday and if always tell him that he's "looking like a stud" and he'd say "thanks but I think you are." me him and Brett would have long conversations about everything from physics to the apartheid to how to pronounce words. Conrad was always funny and always wanted to play baseball. Conrad was a great friend and I hope he gets well soon

Morgan Boberg
Hey Dan! I got your message about Conrad and I wanted to write you some stuff about him.
Conrad always has a smile on his face. If you didn't know Conrad, you would be able to find him on the bench eating his lunch people watching! He's quiet and funny like that! He's such a sweet guy with the best smart ass (smart aleck) comments. He always put a smile on your face on the worst of days with his comments.
I want his family to know that Conrad is missed at school. It just wasn't the same today not seeing him in his usual spot and talking as we pass each other in between classes. All we can do is pray and be optimistic! We all need him back at school and to graduate with us. We miss you Conrad.

Nikki Paredes
Conrad, always had a smile or a smirk on his face, as if he had something clever to say back to any comment or whatever. He has a MASSIVE appetite- about 5 peanut butter and honey sandwiches on rye, and a few 7 handfuls of pecans and apricots(or brazilian fruit by his standard) make up his lunch! It was also really quite comical when we had about a half an hour Lon convo about where the Vikings came about( Conrad is a history genius). Another memorable moment is when he confessed that he was scared to go night fishing because he was afraid he was gonna fall in (he claimed he'd fallen in previous times). Anyone who missed out on a convo with this clever fellow surely does not know what's in store. You have a lot of support and many people who are rooting for you to recover as quickly as YOU can. Stay Strong!

VCHS spring sports photos

2011-04-14T13:06:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out our Facebook page for new galleries of photos from VCHS spring sports. We've got plenty of baseball and softball photos up now, and will have lacrosse, volleyball and golf coming shortly.

Click here to see the photo galleries.

And be sure to send us your sports photos, either by e-mail to sports@valleycenter.com or by uploading them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter/

Hoofs & Woofs Animal Rescue--photos

2011-04-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Check out some photos from our trip to Hoofs & Woofs Animal Rescue here in Valley Center on our Facebook page.

VC track & field teams solid against Escondido and at Sundevil Invite

2011-03-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kaylee Hudson set a new school record in the 3,200 at the Sundevil Invite.

Valley Center’s varsity track and field teams put together another group of outstanding individual performances this week in a dual meet against Escondido on Thursday, followed by the Sundevil Invite at Mt. Carmel on Saturday.
The Jaguars hosted Escondido on Thursday, and after winning a total of 15 events in both the boys and girls events, ended up splitting the meet with the Cougars.
Valley Center won the girls meet 71–64 behind phenomenal performances from triple-winner Sidney Reilly and four more first-place finishes for the team.
Reilly won the 100 hurdles (16.39), the 300 hurdles (47.92) and the long jump (16-feet-3) to lead the Lady Jags, while also taking second in the triple jump after tying the top mark but coming up just short on her second-best attempt.
Sidney Reilly was a triple-winner for the Lady Jags against Escondido.

Meanwhile, Leina Villemez was the winner in the 100 (13.29), Caty Alvarez won the 200 (28.03), Kaylee Hudson won the 400 (1:02.77) and Lauren Gilster took first in the discus (106-0 3/4). The Lady Jaguars also won both the 400 relay (52.62) and the 1,600 relay (4:24.57) in the meet.
Gilster also took second in the shot put, while Vinessa Perryman took second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. In the sprints, Alvarez and Villemez finished one-two in both the 100 and 200, while Hudson ran strong in the distance events to also take second in the 800.
The boys team, however, lost their meet 75–51 despite wins in six of the 15 events.
Jean-Marc Brierre dominated the throwing events, winning both the shot put (42-6) and the discus (133-6), while Ronnie Bourguignon won the 200 (23.07) and took second in the 400, Logan Fiddler won the 3,200 (10:13.65), Armando Diaz won the triple jump (39-0) and Nick Villemez won the pole vault (10-0).
The Jaguars also posted five top-ten individual finishes in the Sundevil Invite on Saturday, including two top-five overall finshes.
Reilly won her heat in the 300 hurdles (46.37), which gave her fourth place overall in Division II, while Hudson finished third in her heat in the 3,200 (11:20.49), good for third place overall in the division and a new school record.
Also for the Lady Jaguars, Gilster took second place in the discus (100-6) and eighth place in the shot put (32-1), while for the Jaguars, Nicasio Westlund took fourth in his heat in the 800 (2:01.69).
Both Jaguars teams will be back in action on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. at Del Norte to open league competition.

Fast, physical play has Jags’ lacrosse team thrilling the home crowd

2011-03-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

Damian Stehly (in white) puts pressure on a St. Augustine attacker.

Valley Center’s JV boys lacrosse team has played a pair of thrilling games in the past two weeks, as the Jaguars rolled to a big win over St. Augustine on March 16 then came back from a two-goal deficit late in the game to register a tie against Rancho Bernardo on Friday.
The Jags jumped out to a big lead early in the game against St. Augustine and never looked back, as they cruised to a 6–3 victory.
Conner Macfarlane scored just two minutes into the game to get things started for the Jaguars, then Jason Blasius added a goal three minutes later and Sullivan Shimer closed out the first period with a goal that came 12 seconds before the whistle.
Leading by three after the first quarter, the Jags scored less than 30 seconds into the second period when Nick Sharp curled in front for the score. St. Augustine forced its way back into the game with two goals in less than 30 seconds to make the score 4–2 at halftime.
The teams traded goals in the third quarter, as Shimer scored his second of the game with just over two minutes left in the period. The Saints answered with only 19 seconds left in the quarter after a turnover in the Valley Center zone led directly to a goal.
As time wound down, the Jaguars got the insurance goal they were looking for when Macfarlane finished off a series of scintillating passes on the fast break with the score that sealed the win.
Friday’s game against Rancho Bernardo was a much more physical contest, and as both teams absorbed big hit after big hit, the Jaguars steadily clawed their way back into the game to make it a 5–5 tie.
The game might have turned out much differently had the first shot of the game, an absolute laser from Garrett Fiehler, found its way into the net instead of clanking off the post and finally coming to rest about 30 yards out of bounds.
But Fiehler wasn’t to be denied, as he took the ball from behind his own net, outran the defense and bounced a shot past the goalie to score the first goal of the game less than three minutes in.
Rancho Bernardo answered in the second quarter, scoring a goal on a shot to the top shelf just 48 seconds into the period to tie the game. The Broncos took the lead just over a minute later on a spinning shot that found its way home. The first half wound down as the physicality of the game heightened, punctuated by a big hit from Fiehler that earned him a penalty for unnecessary roughness.
Fiehler atoned for the penalty early in the second half, as he once again took the ball coast-to-coast and slung a sidearm shot past the goalie to tie the game up once again.
But the Broncos scored two quick goals as the third quarter came to an end, the first a bouncing shot with just over a minute on the clock and the second a Valley Center turnover that wound up in the back of the net with 43 seconds left in the third period.
The Jags came back with a goal from Blasius just over a minute into the fourth, but Rancho Bernardo pulled ahead by two with five minutes left in the game, using consistent pressure in the offensive zone to wear down the Valley Center defense.
Blasius scored another big goal a minute later, as he faked out his defender in the corner and found a sliver of open net for the score. As he put the shot home, one of the Bronco defenders delivered a crushing hit that temporarily knocked Blasius out of the game. The Broncos took an unnecessary roughness penalty for the hit, which led to a one-man advantage for the Jags.
Fiehler took advantage of the open space, as he casually drifted toward the zone and unleashed another sidearm shot from about 20 yards away that may have left a vapor trail.
As the final three minutes of the game ticked away, Fiehler had another shot ring off the post, then the Jaguar crowd leapt to its feet when defender Damian Stehly took off on a long run and let fly with a huge shot that just went wide as time expired.
Valley Center’s next game is at Scripps Ranch at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, then the Jaguars return home to face Serra at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

Offense key for Lady Jags in big win, but untimely errors lead to tough loss

2011-03-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

Jasmine Contreras smashes a home run against Westview.

A powerful offense has been the hallmark of the Valley Center varsity softball team so far this season, and the Lady Jaguars took advantage of their big bats in taking a big win over Holtville last week. But Wednesday’s home loss against Westview has the Lady Jags focusing on defense and fundamentals heading into the Jaguar Classic Tournament this week.
The Lady Jaguars hosted Holtville on March 18 and exploded for seven runs in the first inning en route to a dominating 12–2 victory.
After the big first inning, Valley Center added another run in the fourth before Holtville pushed two runs across in the top of the fifth. But the Lady Jaguars put the seal on the win with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
Leadoff hitter Jasmine Contreras came up big with a home run and a double, with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Stephanie Koishor smashed a two-run home run in the game. Alex Scoles added a double and a single, with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Emma Sloman had two hits, two RBIs and two runs, Andrea Torres had a hit, two RBIs and two runs, Raelyn Rodriguez had a hit, an RBI and a run, Ashley Nuñez had a hit, a run and a stolen base, Anna Luna scored a run and Mindy Faber stole a base.
Anna Luna rips this pitch for a hit.

Sloman pitched an excellent game to get the win, giving up two runs on four hits, with two walks and six strikeouts, in five innings of work.
The Lady Jaguars couldn’t get in rhythm offensively at home on Wednesday against Westview, and a number of errors doomed them to a 9–2 loss.
Valley Center committed five errors in the game, and they came at the most inopportune times. The Lady Jags had three errors in the third inning and the Lady Wolverines scored four runs, then Valley Center made two errors in the fifth, allowing Westview to bring four more runs across to put the game out of reach.
The Lady Jaguars had another good start on offense, as Contreras blasted a solo home run to lead off the first inning. But they couldn’t bring another run in until the fourth, when Rodriguez drove in Luna from second base with an RBI single to right field.
Contreras led the offense with a home run, an RBI and a run, while Rodriguez had a hit and an RBI, Luna had a hit and a run, Koishor had two hits and Scoles had a hit.
Jill Johnson took the loss, pitching five innings and allowing nine runs on seven hits, with seven walks and two strikeouts.
The Lady Jaguars are 7–3 so far this season, with the Jaguar Classic Tournament beginning this week. Valley Center will play at La Jolla on Wednesday at 4 p.m. before returning home to host Kearney on Friday at 4 p.m. The Lady Jags also play a non-league game at San Pasqual on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Jaguars beat Fallbrook, but fall to San Marcos in volleyball

2011-03-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

Taylor Oshinski keeps his eye on this serve.

It was an up-and-down week for the Valley Center varsity boys volleyball team, as the Jaguars rolled to a big win over Fallbrook to start the week, but came home to face San Marcos and suffered a tough loss as the week came to an end.
The Jags had everything working for them against Fallbrook last Monday, and they had no trouble finishing off a 3–0 win, with game scores of 25–15, 25–18, 25–20.
Taylor Oshinski was all over the court, registering eight kills and seven digs, while Beau Reilly had ten assists and six aces, Mitchell Rush had nine kills and Anthony Cozzi had ten assists.
Valley Center’s home game against San Marcos on Wednesday turned out much differently for the Jaguars, even though they fought hard until the end in a 3–0 loss, with game scores of 15–25, 18–25, 25–27.
After falling in the first game, the Jags battled for every point in the second game, never letting the Knights get ahead by more than four. After appearing to tie the score at 24 late in the second game, Valley Center was ruled to have been under the net on the point that would have kept them alive in the game.
Game three was another back-and-forth nail-biter, as San Marcos would pull ahead by three or four points, then the Jags would fight back and pull within one. The Knights had a chance to put the game away at 24–22, but two consecutive kills by Reilly pulled the Jags back even. San Marcos eventually held on for the win, but not without a valiant effort from Valley Center.
Oshinski once again led the way with 12 kills, while Reilly had five kills and five blocks and Rush had six kills.
The Jaguars are now 2–3 overall and 0–1 in Valley League play, with the next match coming at home on Thursday against San Dieguito Academy at 4:45 p.m.

Pitch, Hit & Run competition comes to VC Little League

2011-03-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Valley Center Little League will lead off the local level of the Aquafina Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run Competition on Friday April 8, 2011.
Pitch, Hit & Run is the official skills competition of Major League Baseball. It is designed to provide young people with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball and softball skills.
The Valley Center competition will take place at Valley Center Little League Majors Field on Friday, April 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Competitors will be divided into four age groups: 7-8 years, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14. Both boys and girls are encouraged to participate and will compete separately in baseball and softball, respectively.
Participants will have the chance to advance through four levels of competition, including Team Championships at Major League ballparks and the national finals at the 2011 MLB All-Star Game.
The participants in each age group with the highest score in the following categories will receive awards and will advance to the sectional competition: all-around champion, pitching champion, hitting champion and running champion. Sectional competitions will be held in the San Diego area at a later date.
“The Pitch, Hit and Run Competition gives kids a chance to shine all the way up to the national level as part of this Major League Baseball event,” said Bill Layne, president, VCLL board. “Valley Center sent several kids to Petco Park who came away winners last year, so we would love to see our local stars come out and give their best shot at this great, free competition.”
All participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate and fill out a registration and waiver form before the start of competition. For more information, contact Pitch, Hit, and Run Coordinator, Anita Baranowski at 619-987-0709.

VCHS set to host drumline competition April 9

2011-03-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

In less than two weeks, 43 schools from throughout Southern California will travel to Valley Center High School to vie for top honors in a high energy, percussion battle of musical skills.
This is the first time in its 29-year history that the American Drum Line Assn. (ADLA) has selected Valley Center as a show host.
Students will begin arriving in the early morning on April 9 with the competition beginning at 9 a.m. in the high school gym. It will conclude at about 9 p.m.
According to Diane Conaway, president of Valley Center/Pauma Music Boosters, “Drumline combines the high energy of percussion instruments with a theatrical flair as seen in the popular movie, Drumline.”
Drumlines range from 15 students to 50, grouped according to size and skill level. Students represent middle schools, high schools and colleges. Award presentations will take place throughout the day.
Students may also choose to compete for solo awards with individual instruments such as snare drum and marimba. Competition for solo awards will be in the Maxine Theater in the afternoon. The final schedule will be posted several days prior to the event at www.vcpmusicboosters.org/
Each group has nine minutes to set up its show, perform musical selections and leave the stage.
Drumlines typically have a theme, costumes and props to convey a musical message. Scores are tabulated based upon music and the visual effect of the show.
Chris Doolittle is an accomplished percussionist and instructor of more than 15 years. Under his direction, Valley Center’s Drumline scored a first place win at Mission Hill High School’s drumline competition in the Scholastic C division. Due to their excellent performance and high scores, they were promoted to the Scholastic B division for the remainder of the competition season. Valley Center’s performance is entitled “Skin Deep.”
Valley Center Drumline will perform about 1 p.m., although final performance times won’t be available until three days prior. You should arrive by noon to ensure that you get a seat. Attendees are not allowed to enter the gym during each group’s nine minute performance.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for students with ID and kids 6–12, and free for children 5 and under. Admission is good for the day.
Proceeds benefit music programs in local schools. Valley Center/Pauma Music Boosters will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freshly grilled meals include a cheeseburger, chips and a drink for $6. Hot dog meals cost $5. Baked potatoes, nachos and other foods will also be for sale.
Mrs. Conaway added, “We want to encourage our friends and neighbors to come out and see this exciting musical show! This is a great family event that is fun for all ages. We hope you will come spend part of your day with us. Our drumline students have been putting in long hours practicing and they want you to see their award winning show.”
If you can volunteer a few hours the day of the show, help is needed with parking, ticket and program sales, hospitality and guides. Call Michelle Quiroz at 760-703-0861 or email Michelle@TakingCareOfYourBusiness.com.
If you can’t attend, but want to support music programs in our schools, make tax deductible donations to VCP Music Boosters, POB 841, Valley Center, CA 92082.
Check the Web site for the latest including the final schedule at www.VCPMusicBoosters.org/

Jaguars come close, but can't find elusive first win

2011-03-31T13:24:00.001-07:00

Austin Bernard makes the tag on a Mustang runner at second base.

Valley Center’s varsity baseball team continues to search for its first win of the season, as the Jaguars came up just short in another close game, falling 3–2 to Otay Ranch on Thursday.
The Jags played outstanding defense and got stellar pitching performances out of starter Conrad Murphy and reliever Dan Henderson in the tight game, but couldn’t overcome mental errors on the base paths late in the game.
Otay Ranch scored all three of its runs in the top of the third inning, when a leadoff walk was followed by a base hit, another walk and another base hit off of Murphy, who left the game in the middle of the inning and received attention from the trainer on his right arm.
Henderson came on in relief and retired the next two hitters, then went on to strand eight runners in the final three innings of the game, thanks in part to great location on his pitches and excellent defense behind him.
On offense, the Jaguars took a few innings to figure out the hard-throwing Mustang pitcher and couldn’t string together any scoring chances until the third inning. In the third, Zach Dewey got on first after an error by the third baseman, but even with a total of four base runners in the inning, a pair of fielder’s choice outs prevented any runs from crossing the plate.
The Jaguars stranded two more runners in the fourth before scoring their first run in the fifth, when Austin Bernard doubled with one out and came in to score on a two-out RBI double by Steven Coe. The second run came across in the sixth, when Valley Center loaded the bases with two outs and got a run in on an RBI single by Bernard. The inning could have turned out to be even bigger, but on the run-scoring hit, John Watkins was caught between second and third base and tagged out to end the inning.
The Jags got one runner on base in the bottom of the seventh, when Ryan Bracken was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, but they couldn’t bring him home.
“It’s a tough one, but it’s good to see these guys battle, and to see that they’ve got a pulse,” manager Cliff Bernard said after the game. “They believe that they can win every game, and that’s a good team, ranked number seven in the county, and we can play with them. But it was good to see that, even though we got down, we came back. We’ve got guys who want to compete, who don’t go out easy, who respect the game and end up with a dirty uniform. As a coach, those are the guys you want on your team.”
Bernard led the Jaguars with a double, a single, an RBI and a run scored, while Coe had a double and a single with an RBI, Watkins, Ricky Eldridge and Tommy Aguilar each had a hit, and Eric Brothers scored a run.
Murphy was saddled with the loss after giving up three earned runs on three hits, with four walks and two strikeouts, in two and a third innings pitched. Henderson finished the final four and two thirds with out allowing a run, while giving up four hits and three walks.
The loss drops Valley Center to 0–5 on the season so far, with the next game coming on Saturday at Mira Mesa at 11 a.m.

Outstanding individual scores have Jags' golf team off to a solid start

2011-03-31T13:22:00.001-07:00

The Valley Center varsity boys golf team has posted a trio of outstanding team scores behind excellent individual play so far this season, as the Jaguars have won two of their first three matches to start the year.
All three matches so far have been on the par-35 course at the Pauma Valley Country Club, and the Jags started out the season there by beating Canyon Crest Academy, 212 – 214.
Kevin Murphy fired a 41 to lead the Jaguars, while Paul Calac and Jeremy Halligan each shot a 42, Kamron Zarrabi shot a 43 and Stephen Magnani shot a 44.
The Jaguars suffered a setback in their second match, falling to San Marcos 219 – 228.
Murphy, Calac and Zarrabi each shot a 43 to lead the team, while Cole Kline shot a 45, Halligan shot a 54 and Danny Miller shot a 56.
This week, the Jaguars hosted Escondido on Thursday and rolled to a 214–223 win.
Calac shot a four-over-par 39 for the best score of the season so far, while Zarrabi shot a 42, Kline shot a 43, Murphy and Magnani each shot a 45 and Carlos Casteel shot a 52.
Valley Center is now 2–1 overall with the City Cup Tournament coming up at the Escondido Country Club on Monday.

Another win has Lady Jaguars off to hot start in lacrosse

2011-03-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

Valley Center’s varsity girls lacrosse team is off to an electrifying start this season, as the Lady Jaguars have won ten of their first 12 games, including a pair of hard-fought wins this week.
The Lady Jags hosted Del Norte on Friday night, and after falling behind early in the game, came back to take a 13–7 win.
Del Norte scored three quick goals to take an early lead, but Valley Center got the offense on track and pulled to within one, 5–4, at halftime.
In the second half, the Lady Jaguars applied consistent pressure and locked down the defense to outscore Del Norte 9–2 after halftime to put the cap on the thrilling win.
Cassidy Nowak led the offense with five goals, while Haley Stone added three goals and three interceptions. On defense, Morgan Marcon made six key blocks, while Kelly Hagadorn frustrated the Del Norte attackers on chance after chance in the Valley Center zone. In goal, Danielle Moran made 13 saves to spur the comeback and earn the victory.
“It was a fantastic game,” head coach Ally Faulkner said after the game. “The girls adjusted their game to come back and take the win.”
The Lady Jags played at Poway on Saturday, and after a rough first half, suffered a 17–5 loss.
The Lady Titans racked up 15 goals in the first half, putting Valley Center in a grim situation at halftime. But the Lady Jaguars never gave up and played solid defense in the second half, limiting Poway to only two goals while scoring four of their own.
Melina Heredia led the way with two goals, while Tylee Landavazo, Kelly Bergquist and Kelly Hagadorn each added one. Hayley Helms led the defense with three blocks, while Hagadorn caused a pair of turnovers.
Valley Center hosted Ramona on Monday in an up-and-down kind of game, with the Lady Jaguars taking an early lead, the Lady Bulldogs coming back, but Valley Center squashing any comeback attempts late in the game for a 12–8 victory.
The Lady Jags concentrated on controlling the ball and playing a patient game on offense, and the strategy helped them take a 6–3 lead at halftime.
Ramona came back early in the second half with three goals, but Valley Center kept the lead with two goals for an 8–6 advantage midway through the second half. From that point on, the Lady Jaguars added four more goals and held Ramona to just two more to seal the win.
Marcon led the offense with four goals, while Landavazo had two goals and an assist, Becca Vizcara had two goals, Kelsey Gaylor had a goal and two assists, Bergquist had a goal and an assist and Stone had a goal.
Now 10–2 overall, the Lady Jags play again on Wednesday at Del Norte.

Lady Jags fall to San Marcos in softball

2011-03-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

Valley Center’s thrilling run to open the varsity softball season suffered a setback this week, as the Lady Jaguars traveled to San Marcos on Wednesday and suffered a 9–0 loss.
The Lady Knights did most of their damage in the first inning, scoring six runs right out of the gate to put the pressure on Valley Center. The Lady Jaguars struggled on offense throughout the game, finally breaking up the no-hitter with a double by Ana Luna in the fifth inning.
San Marcos, meanwhile, pushed three more runs across in the bottom of the fourth to seal the win in a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule.
Luna also took the loss, pitching four innings and allowing eight earned runs on ten hits, with five walks and a strikeout.
With the loss, the Lady Jaguars are now 6–2 overall and play again on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at home against Westview.

VCHS varsity cheer team wins San Diego competition

2011-03-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Valley Center High School varsity cheer squad has three big reasons to shout! The Jaguars won three first-place finishes at the Sharp International Cheer Competition at the San Diego Convention Center on Feb. 26.
VCHS varsity cheer made all of their supporters proud as they took the floor and executed a perfect, high-octane routine. They hit all of their stunts and every tumbling pass while keeping the volume turned up! They then carried themselves through the day with spirit and true support of one another and their competitors.
At awards time, the first place finish in the Varsity Large Division was only the start for the Jaguars. They also took first place in showmanship, and the biggest award of the day, first place overall, of all varsity divisions competing. In addition to team awards, senior Sarah Mitchell took a third place award in individual toe touch.
Led by coach Carli Morasco and captains Kate Richards, Tatianna Batalla and Ashley Hildebrand, the VCHS varsity cheer squad has had a very successful and eventful 2010–2011 season. These talented ladies not only choreographed the winning competition routine, they led their squad all year as they cheered the varsity football team all the way to the CIF finals at Qualcomm Stadium. There they also performed an outstanding, high energy, halftime show.
This was the first competition for VCHS varsity cheer in many years. When Coach Morasco came to her varsity squad with the idea of competing, they were all for it! With many veteran cheerleaders, dancers, and choreographers on the squad, they were eager to develop a winning routine.
“Every cheerleader gave a hundred and ten percent, even practicing every day of the President’s Day week right up to the competition,” said cheer supporter Deena Mullay. “It’s so great to see all of their hard work pay off!”
What’s up next for VCHS cheer? They have been invited to the Sharp International Competition in Las Vegas in April. Yet another chance for VCHS Varsity Cheer to Rock the house!

After 25 years with the VCPUSD, Gary Pay heads off into retirement

2011-03-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

Gary Pay plays the mandolin with The Ash Street Ramblers at Bates Nut Farm in 2009.

BY: DAN KIDDER

After 25 years anywhere, you’re going to end up with some stories to tell.
But it’s not every day that you’d get to talking about your week and end up explaining how you and a coworker chased a snake through a parking lot with a trash can.
Such is, or rather has been, the life of Gary Pay for the past quarter century as the head of maintenance and operations for the Valley Center/Pauma Unified School District (VCPUSD). But this summer, Pay will ride off into the sunset of retirement.
“This is the best school district in California,” he says. “I couldn’t imagine spending twenty-five years working anywhere but here.”
The result of simply answering a “help wanted” ad in a newsletter, Pay drove down from Lone Pine to Valley Center for his interview, and knew he’d end up staying.
“When I drove into the area and saw the schools, it really seemed like this was my kind of place,” he says.
Since then, Pay says he has come to appreciate the community’s commitment to the school district, especially shown in the consistency of the school board.
“This community is fortunate to have had such a stable school board all these years,” he says. “I’ve worked with Henry Van Wyk my whole career here, Barb Rohrer has been here fifteen years, and all of the four superintendents I’ve worked under have been such a stable influence. It’s been very consistent, which is nice.”
Pay has in turn become a valued contributor to our community, from serving as the president of the Valley Center Lions Club to getting “talked into” filling the same post in the Valley Center Girls Softball League (VCGSL).
“Pat Tousley has a way of talking you into helping out, one way or another,” he says with a laugh about one of our town’s staunchest supporters of girls softball. “But that’s what I love about our community—those connections. It’s a great community for that.”
Those connections become especially important in times of crisis, as our town has experienced time and time again.
“I’ve worked with Tony Lopresti from the water district for a long time, and we’ve worked together through five disasters here,” Pay says. “In the fires of 2007, I stayed here the whole time, transporting food to the high school, getting lights set up, and taking care of the logistics that need to be taken care of when you have a thousand people staying in your facility for a week. In times like that, you see the same people you see every day, people in the community, working together to help each other get back on their feet.”
When the school year ends and he finally begins his retirement, Pay admits that he won’t miss some things.
“It’ll be nice not to get those phone calls at two or three in the morning,” he says with a smile. “I’ve been on call, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for the past twenty-five years. That’s OK, it’s what I signed up for. But when you work toward a goal like this, it seems so far away, but when you get close, it doesn’t sink in right away that you’re almost there.”
As for his plans in retirement, Pay says that one of his favorite hobbies will get to fill a more central role in his life.
“I’m going to get more exercise, and I’m going to play more music,” he says, referring to his spot in the local bluegrass band, The Ash Street Ramblers. “We’ve got a fiddle player who is a teacher from the Escondido School District, an artist from LA and a bass player who works for NASA working on the next Mars rover—it’s quite a mix of people.”
Pay, who plays the mandolin, first met the group’s guitar player, Ken Simon, who retired from the Valley Center Municipal Water District, when they used to get together in Simon’s office to practice. From those humble beginnings came a band that played in the Millpond Music Festival, the Julian Bluegrass Festival, the Tea Party at Grape Day Park, the Bluegrass On The Greengrass at Skyline Ranch, and a number of shows at Bates Nut Farm, where they will be playing again in October and November. Be sure to check out The Ash Street Ramblers on their Web site at www.ashstreetramblers.net for more information.
But no matter where retired life takes him, Pay says that the memories of his time with the school district will pile as thick as the green spiral notebooks filled with his work projects that he still has covering his desk.
And when the new head of maintenance and operations takes over next year, he or she will be able to look up the proper way to catch a gopher snake in a parking lot with a trash can.

Jaguars win first ever boys lacrosse game in school history

2011-03-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Click here for a photo gallery of the Jaguars' first game!

BY: DAN KIDDER

After years of planning, preparation and hard work, it took only 16 seconds for Valley Center’s high school boys lacrosse program to make its mark.
The inaugural season for the Jaguar boys officially began Monday night with a home game against Temecula Valley, and after a pair of lightning-fast scores to open the game, the Jags went on to take an 8–2 victory.
“Seeing it all come together tonight, I’m just ecstatic,” said head coach Robert Talley. “The guys were getting really excited all week, and they were pumped to get out on the field tonight. They played a great game.”
Valley Center Pauma Unified School District (VCPUSD) Superintendent Dr. Lou Obermeyer threw out the honorary first ball, and it wasn’t long after that the Jaguars were celebrating their first goal in school history. The program is only fielding a junior varsity team this season, but plans to move up to the varsity level next year.
Midfielder Garrett Fiehler took the opening draw, scooped up the ball, fired it to attacker Sullivan Shimer, who wheeled into the middle of the field, ran straight to the goal and fired the first shot of the game past the Temecula Valley goaltender as the home crowd went wild.
“It felt really good to score the first goal,” Shimer said after the game. “I owe it all to my team. We were so excited for our first game. We worked hard in practice and we knew we needed a win to help pump up our sport. Our offense really moved the ball well tonight with some great passes, and our defense really shut them down.”
Fiehler followed up the swift score with another one just 13 seconds later. Once again, he won the midfield draw and scooped up the ball, but this time he took off down the center of the field himself and slung the ball past the bewildered keeper to give the Jags a two-goal lead just 29 seconds into the game.
“It was awesome to come out and see what we had,” Fiehler said. “I’m really proud of our guys, especially how the new kids have stepped up and become leaders.”
The game settled down after the furious flurry to open the contest, and despite a couple of near misses by both teams, the score remained 2–0 at the conclusion of the first ten minutes.
Early in the second quarter, Temecula Valley was called for back-to-back penalties, which gave the Jaguars a two-man advantage for nearly a minute. They cashed in before the second player returned from the penalty box, as Shimer unleashed a cannonade of a shot that gave the Jags a 3–0 lead less than a minute into the second period.
Another penalty on the Golden Bears nearly a minute later led to another goal for Valley Center, this time on another run down the middle by Fiehler, who bounced his shot off the turf in front of the goalie and into the back of the net.
Temecula Valley got its first goal midway through the period on a good run up the middle and a bouncing shot that found its way past the keeper.
But as the final seconds of the first half wound down, Fiehler took matters into his own hands once again, splitting the defenders, bouncing back and forth off of body checks and scoring on a perfectly-placed low shot that gave the Jaguars a 5–1 lead at halftime.
The Jags opened the second half much the same way the opened the first half, with a faceoff win by Fiehler, a great pass on the run to Shimer, and another goal on a pinpoint shot to the top corner of the net.
Valley Center extended the lead with another power play goal midway through the quarter, as Jason Blasius ripped a low shot past the goalie to put the Jags out in front 7–1.
Temecula Valley answered with a goal less than a minute later after a Jaguar turnover that led to a long run and a cleverly maneuvered shot to beat the keeper.
Leading 7–2 heading into the fourth quarter, the Jaguar defense stifled the Golden Bears’ attack again and again. Fiehler found one more way to electrify the home crowd with just under six minutes left in the game. With one of the Golden Bears flying down the hashmarks near the home sideline, Fiehler dropped his shoulder and delivered an absolutely obliterating hit to the ball carrier, flattening him in his tracks with a textbook body check. The collision knocked loose, among other things, the ball, which Fiehler alertly scooped up, carried nearly 60 yards and fired past the Temecula Valley goaltender to put the cap on the thrilling win.
“I just saw the guy coming down into our zone, and I didn’t want to let him get past me,” Fiehler said of the thunderous hit. “We’ve got a lot of guys from the football team out here, and I think that being aggressive on the football field transfers to lacrosse really well. And having played with those guys really helps our team unity.”
Fiehler led the scoring with four goals and a pair of assists, while Shimer added three goals and Blasius scored once. In goal, Kyle Stroud stymied the Golden Bears’ offense again and again to earn the victory.
“We had tryouts two weeks ago, so we only had one full week of practice to prepare for this game, so to get a win like that is solid,” Talley added. “This was a dream start to our season.”
All the hard work put in by so many parents, coaches and administrators finally came to fruition for the boys lacrosse program, but the start of the season was nearly derailed by an issue with the field.
“The game almost didn’t happen because the lines for boys lacrosse are different than they are for the girls,” Talley said. “But [VCHS Athletic Director] Mike Cummings came out here in the rain yesterday to paint the new lines so we could play.”
The Jaguars have a pair of away games next on the schedule—at Maranatha Christian at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and at San Marcos at 5 p.m. on Monday—before they return home next Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. game against St. Augustine.
“Come out and support the team, it’s a lot of fun to watch,” Talley said. “If you come out once, I know you’ll be back.”

VC Little League celebrates opening day with American traditions

2011-03-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Click here to check out a gallery of photos from VCLL Opening Night 2011!

BY: DAN KIDDER

Nothing stirs the blood of a young athlete quite like an umpire calling, “Play ball!”
For more than 400 Valley Center ballplayers, Friday night marked the beginning of what is sure to be an exciting baseball season, as the Valley Center Little League (VCLL) celebrated Opening Night 2011.
And it should come as no surprise that the community helped the young players celebrate the night with an impressive turnout.
“We have more than four hundred kids playing this year, so with parents, other family members and friends, I’d say that there are easily over a thousand people here tonight,” VCLL president Bill Layne said with more than a hint of pride.
The enthusiastic crowd got to start the night off with a mouth-watering selection of culinary delights, courtesy of Gina Puentes and her Delish crew. Along with ballpark standards such as hot dogs and popcorn, the menu also offered a barbecue beef sandwich, complete with potato salad, baked beans and a soda to take care of any dietary distractions before the game got underway.
The rock band Not For Hire provided live music, including favorites such as “All Star” by Smash Mouth and a rocking version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Players for the Rattlers in the Caps Division recognized their coach, Chaz Rhinehart, on guitar and lead vocals.
Many of the parents no doubt felt a little bit like kids again when they saw some of the classic cars on hand, courtesy of some of Valley Center’s many collectors. The classic Chevrolets included a pair of yellow Stingray Corvettes, a souped-up Camaro, some old hot rods and even a tricked-out motorcycle.
The kids even got to play in an inflatable jump house before the opening ceremonies got started.
With a field full of players in uniform, the night began with a traditional blessing by seven “bird singers” from the Rincon tribe in Pauma Valley.
To honor our country, Jodi Villarreal sang the national anthem, then Pastor Bill Trok of Ridgeview Church said a prayer for the season. After some thanks to the volunteers and sponsors, team manager Terry Ryan threw out the first pitch to open the season. Layne told a brief story about receiving a box full of VCLL plaques from Wallace Hardware when it closed. One plaque, from 1994, showed Ryan as the coach of his son’s team. In recognition of his years of dedication to the league, Ryan was honored with the first pitch of the 2011 season.
The players and their families had some more time to enjoy the festivities of the night before the first game of the new season began.
That game, from the Minor A Division, featured the Jaxx and the Hot Rods to kick off the year.
Both teams played well in the first game, showing good positioning and solid fundamentals. The fans got into the game as well, cheering on their team with each good play. Of course, there were a few moments that highlight the joys of youth sports, including a brief timeout for a player to run to the bathroom, and the occasional good-natured reminder from a coach to an outfielder to “stop spinning around and pay attention to the game!” But the fans were also treated to a game of real baseball, with traditional rules and strategy, that showcased the league’s commitment to teaching kids the fundamentals of the game in a safe, positive environment.
The Jaxx scored a pair of runs early in the game, but the Hot Rods came back with a run in the bottom of the third to pull back within one.
The Jaxx pulled ahead with two more runs in the fourth, then added one in the fifth and one more in the sixth to build a big lead. But the Hot Rods made a big play on defense in the top of the sixth, throwing out a runner at home on an attempted double steal, then added a run a beautifully-hit double to right field before the game was over. The Jaxx picked up a 6–2 win in a great game to start of the year.
Layne and the board of directors also took a moment to thank the many volunteers who help make Little League baseball run smoothly every single year. That list included vice president Lance Klem, player agent Roy Stevenson, secretary Christina Marenholz, chief umpire John Tompkins, treasurer Dean Gittleson, information officer and assistant treasurer Tony Katzdorn, safety officer Chad Gustine, snack bar coordinator Gina Puentes, sponsorship and fund-raising coordinator Nancy Layne, team/parent coordinator Jenny Mihoky, assistant chief umpire Mike Marenholz, assistant fund-raising coordinator Angie Saunders, Majors/Minors coaches coordinator Ken Boone, Tee Ball/Caps coordinator Brian Podratz, head scorekeeper Jenny Hakes, sign board coordinator Ron Burke, equipment manager Rob Lieschman, event coordinator Joe Edwards, background check coordinator Newell Cumming, Juniors coordinator Rick Blucher, Web site director Amy Podratz, Little League Baseball district administrator Larry Burch, Valley Center Parks & Recreation general manager Doug Johnsen and Valley Center Parks & Recreation president Tom Litchfield.
VCLL also took time to say a special thanks to the sponsors who helped make the 2011 season possible, including the I-15 Sustainable Community by the Accretive Group, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Pauma Valley Insurance and the Lake Elsinore Storm, as well as snack bar sponsor A-1 Irrigation, Bates Nut Farm, California Bank & Trust, Community Pharmacy of VC, Economy Restaurant Supply, Farmers Daughter, Fat Ivors, Ghosh Consulting, Henry Avocado, Hidden Valley Pump, Jeremy Klem - Farmers Insurance, Jersey Mikes Subs, Left Coast Engineering, the Leishman Family, Medina Eades DDS, North County Spring, Pacific Tax and Financial, Papa Bears/ Sorrentinos, Pinamonti Rentals, ProSource Group, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, SportAbout, Sports Closet, St. Stephen Catholic Church, Tri City Carpet, Valley Center Barbershop, Valley Center Dental, Valley Center Propane and Western CNC, Inc.

Local author examines how action sports changed the business world

2011-03-16T13:36:00.001-07:00

BY: DAN KIDDER

What if the world had never heard of Tony Hawk?
Sure, there are those who would welcome the liberation of their precious sidewalks from the tyranny of an army of four-wheeled oppressors.
But for those who rocked DC gear before it was mainstream, who saved up to buy that Element deck they had their eye on, who saw Hawk pull off the 900 at the X-Games in 1999 and immediately went outside to practice on their own boards—and who know that Hawk’s popularity came about only because of the revolutionary pioneers of the sport, a list that includes Alan Gelfand, Tony Alva, Danny Way, Per Welinder, Andy Kessler and so many more—a life without a skateboard is unimaginable.
It staggers the mind to think about how a group of bored surfers who slapped some metal wheels on the bottom of a wooden box turned out to be the unwitting pioneers of a multi-billion dollar industry. But in the 60-odd years since these unknown street surfers first shredded the California concrete with their new invention, skateboarding has transformed from a weekend hobby into a unique, multi-layered culture.
How did it happen? How did these punks on wheels turn into multi-millionaires? How did the underground skaters in the Z-Boys and the Bones Brigade morph into international superstars? Why didn’t things like frisbee competitions, which were also on the fringe of popularity in the 1970s, explode into a worldwide phenomenon?
Basically, what was it about skateboarding that made it so cool?
That’s what Alex Striler wanted to know.
The Valley Center resident came to California from a job on Wall Street eight years ago and recently published the book X Play Nation, an examination of the people, companies and marketing strategies behind the surge in popularity of action sports.
“I came out here to run a company that sold to skaters online, and I thought I knew how to do it,” he says. “Boy, was I wrong. So I hooked up with Tony Alva, and he helped me see that it’s an entirely different culture than the business community is used to dealing with.”
From that realization came a desire to help create connections between the business community and the ever-growing nation of action sports.
“These endemic brands like DC Shoes just don’t understand the way that corporate America works,” Striler says. “And corporate America doesn’t understand the culture around these brands. This book is a way to bridge that gap.”
X Play Nation is an in-depth look at how leading action sports companies created their brands using lifestyle marketing. With more than 50 interviews of company founders, CEOs and professional athletes, Striler thoroughly examines the roots of skateboarding, the process and effectiveness of lifestyle marketing, the impact of technology and social media on the culture, and the current direction of the culture, including a chapter on the rise of action sports in China.
“My generation grew up with the traditional sports—baseball, football and basketball, or if you’re from Europe, hockey and soccer—and things like skateboarding and snowboarding were just weekend hobbies,” Striler says. “My kids are growing up not knowing the difference between action sports and traditional sports. They don’t view the X-Games as any different from Major League Baseball. My son Cole plays baseball, but he also knows about guys like Ken Block and Mike Metzger. These athletes are finding new ways to earn money by being good at their sport, winning competitions and getting sponsors. And this book is an explanation of how the industry works.”
It’s already working, too. Striler tells a quick story about Vox Footwear, a company formed by his friend, skater Ed Dominick, along with Dr. Chen, a traditional businessman who also helped found Osiris Shoes.
“They always fought about how to do business,” he says. “Doctor Chen came from a methodical business culture and wanted Ed to have regular hours, wear a tie and all of that. Ed was a skater, so he wanted to hit the skate park for lunch and things like that. Ed ended up leaving, saying that he just couldn’t handle that environment anymore. After he left, Doctor Chen got a copy of my book and invited me to lunch. He told me, ‘Thank you for this book, now I understand what Ed was trying to do.’ He called Ed and apologized for everything. Ed sent me a heartfelt e-mail saying that, after four years of an unbearable work environment, Doctor Chen’s call reconciled everything.”
One of the book’s chapters highlights the trend-forward nature of action sports in the parity between genders that pervades deeper into the roots of the sport than in any of the traditional sports.
“The support that was coming in for the guys, it just wasn’t happening for girls,” Striler says. “At the X-Games, the medals for men were something like ten thousand, but for girls it was only like eighteen hundred. The girls united and said that they should get as much as men because they’re out there getting the same exposure. That’s something you don’t see in other sports yet.”
Striler’s ultimate hope for this book is to make it possible for a company looking to support the next skating superstar to find the kid who is out on his sidewalk perfecting the next revolution in the sport.
“Action sports are about creativity and expression,” he says. “Anyone can increase the bar by doing something that no one else has ever done. That expression of creativity is what’s fueling the industry. It’s so innovative, I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next five years.”
Check out X Play Nation on the book’s Web site at www.x-playnation.com or search for X Play Nation on Amazon.

2011-03-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Click here to check out a gallery of clinic photos on the VC Vaqueros Facebook page!

The Valley Center Vaqueros Equine Educational Foundation will host a series of horsemanship clinics in March and April.
The local horsemanship group is excited to offer these clinics to the public at a cost of $5 per family per clinic, or $10 per family for the entire day. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy between sessions.
The clinics will take place at the Valley Center Vaqueros Equestrian Park, located at the corner of Lilac Rd. and Valley Center Rd. The grounds open at 9 a.m. each day of the clinics, and the first sessions begin at 10 a.m.
The first clinic takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, and is hosted by Margit Deerman and Cindi Gianinni. These instructors will present a demonstration of Parelli Natural Horsemanship that is designed to help trainers and their horses achieve the desired behavioral results with as little stress on the horse as possible.
Deerman is a third degree licensed Parelli Natural Horsemanship Instructor and Gianinni is a first degree
junior instructor. Deerman offers clinics and lessons at her M&M Ranch here in Valley Center, while
Gianinni owns and operates Savvy Stables, where she offers lessons and boarding. Deerman can be reached at www.margitdeerman.com or (760) 749-2129 and Gianinni at www.savvystables.com or (760) 751-2073.
The second session on Saturday takes place from 1–3 p.m. and features a demonstration of Driving Training by local trainer Julie Picot.
Picot trains and gives lessons in driving, dressage, hunt seat and western riding. She can be reached at (619) 884-3982 or by e-mail at jewels92040@yahoo.com.
Sunday’s clinics begin again at 10 a.m., and the first session, which lasts until noon, features a presentation by local veterinarian Dr. Linda Byer.
Dr. Byer’s demonstration on basic care is titled, “When to call the vet.” She is an active sponsor of the Valley Center Vaqueros, and writes an article for the monthly Vaqueros newsletter, Nickers and Neighs.
She is a Vaqueros board member and dedicated supporter of the new Valley Center Large Animal Safety Team (LAST). Dr. Byer’s email is lindabyerdvm@sbcglobal.net and she can be called at (760) 751-0807 for appointments.
On Sunday from 1–3 p.m., Sabrina Kahoutek will give a demonstration on Equissage.
Kahoutek teaches and does hands-on application of equissage, which is short for equine massage. She will work with two horses from the audience, to be arranged prior to demonstration date. Anyone interested in taking part in this demonstration should phone ahead for space reservation at (760) 473-9893. Her Web site is www.sabrinaequissagecalifornia.com/
The next series of clinics will be held on April 2–3 at the Vaqueros Equestrian Park, once again at a fee of $5 per family per clinic or $10 per family for the entire day.
The first clinic on April 2 runs from 10 a.m. to noon and features a presentation on trail and endurance riding by local endurance rider Heidi Helly.
Helly is the three-time Regional Featherweight Endurance Champion for 2005, 2008 and 2009 with her horse, Andreti, a Legion of Honor recipient. She has been riding for over twenty years and has logged over 7,000 miles in endurance riding.
This seminar will provide information on trail riding for pleasure or how to achieve your endurance goals, and everything in between. A variety of saddles, tack and accessories will be available to look at and try out, so attendees are encouraged to bring their horses along. There will also be an opportunity to discuss nutritional and conditioning needs and tips on camping with your horse. Helly will be happy to evaluate your saddle needs, and will have horses available for trying on saddles. She can be reached at (760) 749-4063 or by e-mail at vchorsegal@aol.com.
The second session on April 2 will run from 1–4 p.m. and will feature a presentation by Tom Kemp of the Escondido Mounted Posse, who will bring obstacles for sensory training.
Kemp will discuss desensitization of horses and mules for use in parades, etc. He has had experience in working with posse and parade animals for this purpose. Guests are welcome to bring your manageable and “relatively safe” horse to this event to work on sensitizing and desensitization, but the Vaqueros must be sure to keep this a safe activity while exposing animals to new things. For info please contact Tom Kemp by e-mail at goatowner@yahoo.com.
On April 3, the first clinic runs from 10 a.m. to noon and features a demonstration of Natural Balance Hoof Care by farrier Gina Rice.
Rice will work on two horses from the audience with arrangements made before the demonstration. She can be reached at (760) 716-2098 or by e-mail at ginafindyourhouse@cox.net to reserve a space.
The second clinic on April 3 will run from 1–3 p.m. and will be a trail obstacle practice, so guests should bring their horses to take part in the event. Anyone who would like to donate an obstacle to the club is encouraged to call Lorelei Jones at (760) 751-2284.
For more information, visit the Vaqueros’ Web site at www.valleycentervaqueros.com/ or check out the group's Facebook page here.

Oros, Smith finish in top ten in CIF Masters wrestling tournament

2011-03-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Two Valley Center wrestlers finished in the top ten in the CIF Masters wrestling tournament this weekend.
Juan Oros finished sixth at 105 pounds and Dylan Smith finished seventh at 173 pounds to finish off the wrestling season for the Jaguars.
Oros, Smith and Dustin Miller (114 pounds) each earned All-Valley League first team honors for their outstanding seasons, while second team honors went to Daquota Avila (137 pounds), Damian Stehly (162 pounds) and Travis Weddington (217 pounds).

Jaguars win in first round of CIF basketball playoffs, but lose in quarterfinals

2011-03-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

After a thrilling, one-point win to advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Division III playoffs, the Valley Center varsity boys basketball team ran into a juggernaut in the final game and lost to wrap up the 2010-11 season.
The Jaguars went into the playoffs as the No. 9 seed, which set them up with a first-round game at Santana on Wednesday.
In a close game from start to finish, the Jags held on through a furious fourth quarter to escape with a 51–50 win.
Santana came out firing on all cylinders early in the game and took a quick lead. But the Jaguars battled back, spreading the ball around and evening the score at 11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Jags took their first lead of the game on the first shot of the second quarter, a fast-break layup by AJ Broomell that started with a steal by James Siva. Valley Center extended the lead to four points early in the quarter and pushed the lead out to six midway through the period before Santana fought back and pulled within two at halftime.
The Sultans re-took the lead with a three-pointer to open the third quarter, but the Jaguars fed the ball inside to Stehly Reden, who racked up a dozen points in the period, to take a 41–36 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Eight of Reden’s 12 points in the quarter came on free throws, as the Sultans had trouble containing Reden’s size in the paint.
The Jags needed every one of their ten points in the fourth quarter. Santana re-took the lead early in the period on a four-point play, but the Jags went on a six-point run to pull ahead by five once again. Santana responded with another six-point run to pull ahead by one with just over a minute left to play.
With time winding down, the Sultans missed an inside shot, and Siva grabbed the rebound on the baseline after it bounced off of Reden’s hands. After a quick pass fake, Siva took off, driving down the court, past his defender and into the lane, where he bounced a pass to Beau Reilly, who banked in the layup to give Valley Center a one-point lead with 30 seconds left on the clock.
Santana called a timeout with 19 seconds left to draw up a play for a last-second shot for the win. The Sultans got off an open three-pointer with eight seconds remaining, but the shot clanged off the back of the rim and bounced away. One of the Sultans nearly came down with the rebound, but Reden poked it out of his hands and the ball squirted out near mid-court. Broomell knocked it away from another Santana player, and Siva finally got ahold of the ball at half court, where he was immediately fouled with nine-tenths of a second remaining the game. Siva missed the first of his one-and-one shots, and the Sultans tried a desperation heave from the other side of the court. The Valley Center supporters held their collective breath as the ball hit the front of the rim, then celebrated when the ball fell harmlessly to the floor to end the thrilling Jaguar win.
“This game was up and down and up and down, but in the end, we held our poise,” Valley Center coach Bob Purdy said after the game. “We got a little lucky with some shots, but when they doubled Stehly and started overplaying AJ, we were able to spread the ball around and get the points we needed.”
Reden finished the game with an outstanding 22 points, while Broomell added nine, Siva had eight, Reilly had six, and Mike McInerny, Brett Henderson and Ryan Kleiman each had two.
The season came to an abrupt end on Saturday night, however, as the Jaguars traveled to St. Augustine to take on the No. 1-ranked Saints in the quarterfinals.
Valley Center ran into a well-coached team full of outstanding athletes and couldn’t keep pace in a 79–39 loss to end the season.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 5–2 lead in the opening minutes of the game, but St. Augustine put the hammer down and never trailed again in the lopsided game. The Jags pulled within two points late in the first quarter, but the Saints went on a nine-point run to close out the period with an 11-point lead.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, as St. Augustine outscored Valley Center 25–8 in the period to hold a 28-point lead at halftime.
The lead increased to 37 after the third quarter, as the Saints forced turnovers and converted shot after shot on the fast break. With a running clock in the fourth quarter, the Saints ran out the time and put the cap on the 40-point win.
Broomell scored all of the team’s eight points in the second quarter and finished with 17 points in the game, while Reden added eight points, all of which came in the first quarter. Siva chipped in with six points, while Robby Tortes had four points and Reilly and Henderson each scored two.
Valley Center finishes off the season with an 18–9 overall record.

Lady Jaguars fall in first round of CIF girls basketball playoffs

2011-03-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team exceeded many of the preseason predictions for the 2010-11 season, posting an outstanding overall record, earning a share of the Valley League title and taking the No. 7 seed and a home game in the CIF Division III playoffs.
But the season came to an end last Tuesday, as the Lady Jaguars couldn’t get the offense going when they needed it in a 53–43 loss to Santana in the first round of the playoffs.
The Lady Jags battled back from an early deficit to pull within one, 12–11, at the end of the first quarter. Valley Center tied the game at 17 on a fast-break basket by Victoria Navarro with 3:30 left in the first half, but Santana responded with a 12-point run to close out the second quarter and the Lady Jags trailed 29–17 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars bounced back in a big way in the third quarter, as they scored 21 points in the period to tie the score at 38 heading into the fourth quarter. Sidney Reilly led the charge with seven points in the period, while Vinessa Perryman and Miriam Zabinsky added five points each to propel the Lady Jags back into the game.
But the Lady Sultans opened the final quarter with a six-point run and held Valley Center off down the stretch by converting their free throw opportunities to hang on for the ten-point win.
Reilly finished with 15 points in the game, while Zabinsky scored 11, Perryman had nine, Lauren Gilster had four and Navarro and Andie Wagner each had two.
Valley Center finishes the season with a 15–13 overall record.

Lady Jaguars' soccer season comes to an end

2011-03-16T13:23:00.001-07:00

Valley Center’s varsity girls soccer team boasted solid play from a team full of underclassmen this season, and the Lady Jaguars took advantage of their youth and skill to dominate their opening round game in the CIF Division IV playoffs this season.
The Lady Jags cranked up the offense and never let up on defense to cruise to a 7–0 win over Mountain Empire on Wednesday in the first round of the post-season.
The Heredia sisters combined for eight points in the game, as Melina scored four goals and had an assist, while Vanessa scored a goal and had two assists.
Midfielder Hannah Sanders added a goal and two assists, while Julia Stone scored a goal and both Kelly Hagadorn and Leina Villamez had an assist.
In goal, Taylor Yates made two saves to preserve the shutout.
But the Lady Jaguars couldn’t find the offense they needed in the quarterfinals, as they suffered a 2–1 loss to Francis Parker on Saturday.
Melina Heredia scored another goal on an assist from Sanders, while Yates made six saves in a valiant effort in goal to finish out the season.
Valley Center ends the year with a 11–7–2 overall record.

Seven VC water polo players earn All-League honors

2011-03-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Seven Lady Jaguars from the Valley League champion varsity girls water polo team earned honors from the league this week.
Senior Carina Favela was named the Valley League player of the year for 2010–11 and was also honored with a selection to the All-Valley League first team.
Also earning first team honors were Maddy Daugherty, Dani Lettice and Melissa Persichetti, while second team honors went to Nicole Marler, Nikki Paredes and Makayla Markey.
“I am so proud of the girls for accomplishing their goals of earning an undefeated league championship and advancing past the first round in the playoffs,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “This was a great season and I want to thank the parents, faculty, staff, administration, and fans for supporting the girls this season!”

Dr. Greg Carlson opens VC Smiles dentistry

2011-03-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Dr. Greg Carlson has a lot to smile about.
Valley Center’s newest dentist has a young family, an office full of the latest dental technology, and he says he’s looking forward to becoming an integral part of our town.
“We’re new to Valley Center, but I grew up in unincorporated Escondido, so this area appeals to me with all this open space,” he says. “We’re excited to get involved with the community here.”
Dr. Carlson comes to Valley Center with his wife B.B. and their three children—Riley, age four; McKenna, age three; and Huck, age one—to open Valley Center Smiles, a dentist’s office located on Valley Center Rd. at the corner of Woods Valley Rd.
The grand opening for the office will be on March 14, and Dr. Carlson says that his experiences in the world of dentistry so far have prepared him well for opening his own practice.
“Right out of dental school, I worked with the Indian Health Service in Montana, on a reservation with about a thousand people,” he says. “There was a shortage of dental care, so I saw a lot of things you wouldn’t normally see, which helped me hone my skills.”
Now in his third year of dentistry, Dr. Carlson has also picked up plenty of tips from his family.
“When I got back to California last August, I started working with my dad and brother, who have a family practice in Escondido,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot of new procedures and picked up some complex cases while I’ve been there. The two of them have more than fifty years of combined experience, and it’s been great to draw from that before I venture out on my own.”
Dr. Carlson says that a primary focus in his new practice is to make his patients as comfortable and at ease as he can.
“I find that the best way to go about things is to treat everyone like you want you and your family to be treated,” he says. “We’ve got state-of-the-art equipment, as new as you can get, and we offer dental care for the whole family. We cater to all ages, we do most procedures right here, and I’m comfortable doing a lot of the special aspects as well.”
Two pieces of equipment at VC Smiles that will help keep patients as comfortable as possible are the Digital Panoramic X-Ray machine and the electric hand piece drill.
Dr. Carlson says that the Digital Panoramic X-Ray will help cut down on the number of x-rays that need to be taken on each patient.
“In one shot, we can get the whole mouth, even the shots that we used to have to go inside the mouth to get,” he says. “This machine converts the image to show us what we need to see without having to take more shots. That means we’re limiting the number of x-rays taken, which means less radiation, and we can help the comfort level of each patient.”
The electric hand piece for the drill isn’t designed to do anything different than the standard air drills. But one slight difference in the design will hopefully help the mental state of each patient undergoing a drilling procedure.
“With the traditional air-driven hand pieces, you get that high pitched sound that makes you cringe,” Dr. Carlson says. “The electric hand piece operates with considerably less of that sound, which should help take the edge off. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I thought it was a no-brainer if it meant that my patients would be more comfortable. It’s a conscious decision to make that a priority in my practice.”
To help patients work a visit to the dentist into their busy schedules, Valley Center Smiles will offer a variety of hours during the week.
“I want to make the hours more accessible for people who work elsewhere,” Dr. Carlson says. “Some days, we’ll open at seven to be able to see people before they head off to work. Other days, we’ll stay open a little later to catch people after work. We want to make sure we make it convenient for people who work in Escondido or San Marcos, as well as for those who stay right here in Valley Center.”
To help keep Valley Center’s smiles healthy, Dr. Carlson is offering a special to his new patients.
“For any new patient, we’re offering free whitening for life,” he says. “Everyone wants a nice, bright smile, so new patients will get a custom tray to use at home, plus the whitening paste. That’s typically something that costs in the hundreds of dollars, but we’re giving that to our new patients who stay current on their cleanings and yearly exams.”
For more information about Dr. Carlson and his new practice, search for Valley Center Smiles on Facebook, or call the office at 760-749-4700.

Jaguars earn first-ever Valley League boys basketball title

2011-02-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

Robby Tortes puts up a tough shot against Orange Glen.

With a few high-fives and an absolute lack of fanfare, the Valley Center varsity boys basketball team “celebrated” the first Valley League championship in school history with a 52–34 win at Orange Glen on Friday night.
The Jaguars were clearly happy to get the win, but center Stehly Reden summed up the conflicting emotions behind the stoic victory.
“It feels good to be the league champions, but we’ve got a new goal now,” he said.
That goal is to carry the momentum from an outstanding regular season—the Jags finished 17–8 overall and 7–1 in league, including wins in their last eight games—over into the CIF playoffs, which begin this week.
“This is a great bunch of guys,” head coach Bob Purdy said after the game. “They all practice hard and they all play hard, every week. This was the first time we had enough guys to play summer ball, and that carried over into the season. They like each other, and they play hard for each other. Now we just need to keep playing hard and hope for a good seed.”
Despite the league title and outstanding record, the Jaguars enter the CIF playoffs as the No. 9 seed of 16 teams and will play at No. 8 Santana at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round of the post-season.
To win their first league championship, the Jaguars spoiled Orange Glen’s senior night celebration with solid offense and stifling defense in the 52–34 win.
Valley Center built a good lead with a seven-point run late in the first quarter, but Orange Glen pulled back to within four at the end of the period.
But the Jags started the second quarter with a ten-point run, including six straight points from Reden, and held the Patriots to only three points in the quarter to take a 13-point lead at halftime.
The Jaguars spread the ball around on offense in the third quarter, as six different players scored at least a point in the period, to extend the lead to 15 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final period, the Jags played patient basketball, milking the clock on offense and limiting the Patriots on defense to seal the big win.
“We knew we were going to have to hustle to beat these guys,” Purdy said. “They’re a small team, so we used our big guys to our advantage. And [James] Siva really hustled out there; he’s the smallest guy on the team but he came up big for us tonight.”
Reden led all scorers with 17 points, while Siva added ten, AJ Broomell and Mike McInerny each had eight, Robby Tortes had six, Brett Henderson had two and Beau Reilly had one.
Valley Center’s opening game in the CIF playoffs is at Santana on Wednesday at 7 p.m. If the Jaguars win, they play again on Saturday night against the winner between El Capitan and No. 1 St. Augustine.

(photos by Gabriel Santana)

AJ Broomell brings the ball up the court:
Mike McInerny gets an open look at this shot:
Broomell looks for a passing lane under the basket:
Stehly Reden (4) grabs a rebound:
James Siva tries to get a pass around his defender:
Reden goes up for another rebound:
Tortes lines up a free throw:
Siva matches up on defense:
Reden gets set for a foul shot:
Broomell keeps a close eye on his man on defense:
McInerny gets a hand on this layup attempt:
McInerny grabs the loose ball...
...and dishes it off on the fast break:
Reden gets his follow-through set for a free throw:
McInerny goes in for the open layup:
Tortes keeps his hands up on defense:
Siva breaks down the court:

Siva and Beau Reilly go after a loose ball:

Broomell leads the fast break:
Reilly squares up for a free throw:
Siva turns to bring the ball into the offensive zone:
Siva gets an open jump shot:
Brett Henderson brings the ball up the court:
Dan Henderson makes a move to get past his defender:

Oros wins section title, Jags finish second in CIF wrestling tournament

2011-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Juan Oros shows off his medal and winning bracket from the CIF tournament.

The Jaguars finished second in CIF Division IV this season.

Senior wrestler Juan Oros won the 105-pound division to lead the Valley Center varsity wrestling team to a second place finish in the CIF Division IV wrestling tournament at Olympian High School on Saturday.
The Jaguars tallied 179.5 points to finish just behind tournament winner Clairemont with 190 points, and will send eight wrestlers to the Masters meet on Saturday. The Jags beat out the rest of the top five: La Jolla in third with 170.5, Imperial in fourth with 164.5 and Olympian in fifth with 145.5.
Oros came back late in the match to pull out a 6–4 decision over Tirso Lara of Imperial in the championship round, after rolling through the first three matches of the day with lightning-fast pins.
Meanwhile, Dylan Smith finished second in the 162-pound division after falling to Matt Vasquez of La Jolla in a 4–3 decision that went to four overtime periods before a champion was crowned.
In the third place matches, both Dustin Miller at 114 pounds and Lorenzo Gomez at 287 pounds won to secure a top-three spot for the Jaguars. Miller won a 5–0 decision over Jerrick Ello of Olympian, while Gomez won a 3–1 decision over Lance Angulo of Holtville.
Four of Valley Center’s wrestlers made it to the third place matches, only to suffer losses because of the five-match rule. Those four Jaguars were Manny Boyle at 121 pounds, Daquota Avila at 137 pounds, Kyle Glennie at 191 pounds and Travis Weddington at 217 pounds.
Those eight wrestlers—Oros, Smith, Miller, Gomez, Boyle, Avila, Glennie and Weddington—will represent Valley Center in the CIF San Diego Section Masters Tournament this Friday and Saturday at Canyon Crest Academy.

(photos by Gabriel Santana)

Another big win earns share of Valley League basketball title for Lady Jags

2011-02-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

The Valley Center varsity girls basketball team finished off the regular season with an impressive win, earned a share of the Valley League championship and advanced to the CIF playoffs this week.
The Lady Jaguars polished off Orange Glen in the season finale, earning them the league co-championship with Del Norte and the No. 7 seed in CIF Division III, which gave them a home game against Santana at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the first round of the post-season.
To get to the playoffs, the Lady Jags have been on a roll since mid-January, winning five of their last six games and eight of their last ten.
Finishing off the season at Orange Glen on Friday night, the Lady Jaguars dominated the first half and cruised down the stretch to take a 69–47 victory.
Lauren Gilster showed up in a big way for Valley Center, scoring the first 11 points of the game and leading the Lady Jaguars to a 13–9 lead after the first quarter.
Miriam Zabinsky took over for the Lady Jags in the second quarter, scoring 11 of Valley Center’s 28 points in the period, which extended the lead to 25 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars pushed the lead out even further in the third quarter, even with the bench getting plenty of playing time, to put the Lady Patriots down by 28 heading into the fourth quarter.
Orange Glen played outstanding offense down the stretch, racking up 22 points in the final period, but the Lady Jags were solid inside and from the free throw line to hold on for the 22-point win.
Zabinsky’s 19 points led all scorers in the game, while Gilster added 18, Andie Wagner had 16, Sidney Reilly had seven, Vinessa Perryman had four, Kelli Imgrund had three and Darin Gilmore had two.
Valley Center finished the season with a 15–12 overall record and a 6–2 league mark. The Lady Jaguars will have played at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Santana in the CIF playoffs. The winner of that game will play again on Saturday against the winner of the game between Mt. Miguel and No. 2 La Jolla.
Be sure to check out the Valley Roadrunner’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter for all the latest sports updates throughout the week.

Lady Jaguars win soccer season finale, host first round CIF playoff game

2011-02-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

Valley Center’s varsity girls soccer team polished off an outstanding season with another win, making it four wins in the last six games for the Lady Jaguars, and earned a home game in the first round of the CIF playoffs this week.
With the win in the season finale, the Lady Jags earned the No. 6 seed in the CIF Division IV bracket, which means they will host No. 11 Mountain Empire (8–6–3, 4–3–2) on Wednesday night at 5 p.m.
The final game of the regular season was a home game against Orange Glen on Thursday, and a combination of consistent offense and solid defense led the Lady Jaguars to a 2–0 win.
Hannah Sanders scored in the first half on an assist from Michelle Nido to put the Lady Jags in front, then Amanda Nealis scored in the second half to put the game away. In goal, Taylor Yates made two key saves to get the shutout and the victory.
Valley Center posted a 10–6–2 overall record and a 4–3–1 league mark this season. The Lady Jaguars play at home against Santana on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the CIF playoffs. The winner of that game will advance to play at No. 3 Francis Parker on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Season ends in quarterfinals for Lady Jags water polo team

2011-02-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

The 2011 season came to an end this week for the Valley Center varsity girls water polo team after the Lady Jaguars advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs before suffering a loss.
The Lady Jags beat Santa Fe Christian in the opening round of the Division III playoffs on Thursday, but couldn’t get past No. 3-ranked Cathedral Catholic in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Valley Center played well against Santa Fe Christian, taking an early lead and holding on late in the game for a 9–4 win.
After having beaten the Lady Eagles by only one goal earlier in the season, the Lady Jags knew the rematch would be a tough game.
The Lady Jaguars to put away three goals in the first, while allowing two for the Lady Eagles. Both teams scored one in the second, giving Valley Center a 4–3 advantage at half.
The Lady Jags were able to score three in the third, while only allowing only one, to lead 7–4 going into the fourth. In the final period, Valley Center was able to put away two more goals allowing none to take the win.
“The girls did a good job of battling for four quarters,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “Carina Favela had two solid shots at two meters right away, causing Santa Fe Christian to double team her for the remainder of the game. This opened up some opportunities for other players to score from the perimeter. Maddy Daugherty was able to put away three in the third and one in the fourth on penalty shots and from the outside. Nikki Paredes had two solid shots from a six-on-five situation and Makayla Markey had a solid goal from a cross-cage pass. This game was close all the way into the fourth quarter and the girls held their composure and pulled off the win.”
Maddy Daugherty had four goals, four steals, and earned one exclusion. Carina Favela had a solid game with two goals, two assists, two steals, two blocks, earned two exclusions, and earned two penalty shots. Nikki Paredes had two goals, and one steal. Makayla Markey had one goal, three assists, three steals, and earned one penalty shot. Nicole Marler had two assists, and one steal. Danielle Moran played great in the first half with five goal saves and one steal. Melissa Persichetti played great in the second half with eight goal saves and one steal.
This win advanced the Lady Jags to the quarterfinals against Cathedral Catholic on Saturday, and the No. 3 team in the playoffs proved they belonged there with a 14–2 win over Valley Center.
The Lady Jaguars didn’t score until the fourth quarter when the game was all but decided. Meanwhile, Cathedral Catholic racked up five goals in the first, four in the second, three in the third and two more for good measure in the fourth.
For Valley Center, Daugherty and Morrison each scored a goal, while Favela had an assist and Persichetti made eight saves in goal.
The Lady Jaguars finish the season with a 19–10 record.

CIF San Diego Section seeks nominations for inaugural Hall of Fame class

2011-02-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

The CIF San Diego Section is seeking nominations for the inaugural class of the CIFSDS Hall of Fame in honor of 50 years of teaching sportsmanship.
This year the CIFSDS will induct its inaugural class into the CIFSDS Hall of Fame to recognize the athletic achievement of its scholar athletes. Selected athletes will be honored at a special event to recognize their achievement. Schools, coaches and the community are invited to nominate individuals and be a part of the process.
Log on to the CIFSDS web site at cifsds.org and click on the prompt to submit your nominations through March 4.
A person can be nominated once; multiple nominations will not affect the selection. Nominate current seniors, graduated athletes, coaches, officials, or community volunteers with significant participation to improving the sport. Provide the name, school, reason for your nomination and any contact information for the nominee. All nominations will be maintained for future consideration. A distinguished media panel representing every decade of high school competition will review nominations and select individuals to be inducted as the Class of 2011, based on their high school careers.
There have been glorious moments of athletic achievement and demonstrated sportsmanship during the past 50 years; it is time for the CIFSDS to celebrate its own and their accomplishments. The San Diego Section community is committed to the values of educational high school athletics and must honor those who have honored their schools and community.

San Diego Supercross thrills a local race fan

2011-02-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Donna Block, with her brother Steve, take a moment to sign autographs for some young fans at the SD Supercross race.

By: Donna Block

The Supercross San Diego races on Saturday proved to be a different perspective for me. San Diego Supercross was only the second time I’ve ever attended a Supercross event. The first was just this year, when I attended the Opening Supercross that was held at Anaheim Stadium on Jan. 8.
Despite a forecast for rain I was really amazed just how many people came out, not just for the race that night, (53,342) but also how many fans came out to hang out in the pit area and visit vendors and meet their favorite riders to get autographs.
As my brother Steve and I walked around the pits we really enjoyed seeing how many people were wearing our brother, Ken Block’s, gear. How surprised we were when several kids actually asked us for our autographs!
Trying to walk in my brother’s footsteps, I am in the process of launching my own line of active wear clothing, so I plan on attending as many of these kinds of events as possible. As most of you know, and some may just be finding out, my brother Ken, who grew up here in Valley Center, created three successful skateboarding and snowboard entities: Eightball Clothing, Droors Clothing, DUB cold weather gear and Blunt Magazine. He then co-founded DC Shoes in 1994 with partner Damon Way.
Many ask me if Ken named DC shoes after me because my name is Donna Christine Block. So on this note, I’ve created my own logo and have named my company DCB Active Wear. Being that I am financing this adventure on my own, with a little help from friends, I am starting out with t-shirts. As DCB grows we will be coming out with more shirts, hats and other types of active wear clothing. I’ve also been getting some help from Zenkai Motorsports of Las Vegas who so kindly put my logo on racer Thomas Smith’s car when he competed in last December’s Ken Block first Invitational Gymkhana Grid event.
Back to Supercross! It was fun and exciting to watch the races. Chad Reed of Dade City, Florida, captured his sixth career San Diego win in the Supercross class. Eli Tomac of Cortez, Colorado, captured his first career supercross victory in the Western Regional Supercross Lites class. James (Bubba) Stewart took third.
The 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season continues next weekend at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome for the eighth race of the season.

Steve and Donna pause for a photo with Malcome Stewart, brother of racer James "Bubba" Stewart.

Steve and Donna Block get a photo with Quirt Crawford and a race fan named Reese.

Valley Center High School 2011 spring sports tryout schedule

2011-02-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

Valley Center High School – Jaguar Athletics
Spring Tryout Schedules 2011

You must turn in a sports clearance form to the office before participating in tryouts. Also note that tryouts fall on our Presidents Break week off. Clearance packets must be turned in by Friday, February 18th. The next date that packets can be turned in is Monday, February 28th. Please plan ahead.

Baseball
Tuesday through Friday 2/22 to 2/25
2:30–5 p.m. on the varsity baseball fields

Boys Golf
Starting Monday 2/21
3–5:30 p.m. at Pauma Valley Country Club

Boys Lacrosse
Tuesday through Thursday 2/22 to 2/24
3:30–5:30 p.m. at the Primary School

Girls Lacrosse
Monday through Friday 2/21 to 2/25
3–5:30 p.m. at the Elementary School

Softball
Friday 2/25 from 2–5 p.m.
Saturday 2/26 from 9 a.m.–noon

Swimming
Monday through Friday 2/21 to 2/25
3–5:30 p.m. at Adams Park

Boys Tennis
Wednesday to Friday 2/23 to 2/25
3:15–5:15 at Adams Park

Track & Field
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 2/21, 2/23, 2/25
8–10:30 a.m. at the track

Boys Volleyball
Saturday 2/19, Friday 2/25 and Saturday 2/26
8–10 a.m. in the gym

Note: Once practice begins, practices will be daily.
Each coach will distribute additional time schedules for the remainder of the season.

Lady Jaguars clinch Valley League water polo title with undefeated season

2011-02-18T16:04:00.001-08:00

With a pair of wins this week, the Valley Center varsity girls water polo team posted an undefeated season in the Valley League and clinched the league championship.
The Lady Jaguars earned the No. 6 seed in the CIF Division III playoffs, which means they will play against Santa Fe Christian at Westview High School on Thursday at 4 p.m.
To clinch the league title, the Lady Jags defeated Canyon Crest last Tuesday, then finished off the undefeated league season with a big win over Del Norte on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Lady Jags played a steady, consistent game to take a 9–4 win over Canyon Crest.
The Lady Jaguars had a slower start in this game against the Lady Ravens than they did in the first meeting, but still managed to take a 3–1 lead after the first quarter. Canyon Crest was able to score two in the second, allowing two for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center a 5–3 advantage at half.
The Lady Jaguars were only able to score one in the third, but held Canyon Crest scoreless to lead 6–3 entering the fourth. The Lady Jags were able to score two goals while only allowing one to hang on for the win.
“This was a tough game for the girls against an improved Canyon Crest team,” head coach Kyle Kline said. “We missed some opportunities and were playing with some sick girls but they battled through to earn a league title.”
Maddy Daugherty had a big game with five goals, six steals, and one exclusion. Carina Favela had two goals, two steals. Makayla Markey was playing sick, but still had one goal and two steals. Nicole Marler had five steals, one assist, and one block. Nikki Paredes playing sick had three steals. Sarah Mitchell had one assist. Dani Lettice had one assist. Danielle Moran played the first quarter in goal with three goal saves and two assists. Melissa Persichetti had five goal saves and two assists.
Valley Center took on its final opponent of the regular season on Thursday, and after taking a big early lead, the Lady Jaguars went on to beat Del Norte, 13–5, to seal the undefeated league season.
The Lady Jags had an outstanding start, taking a 6–1 lead in the first quarter. Del Norte came back in the second to score two, while allowing only one for the Lady Jags, giving Valley Center a 7–3 lead at half.
The Lady Jags picked it up a notch in the third, scoring three goals and allowing none, to lead 11–3 going into the fourth. Del Norte scored two goals in the fourth, but the Lady Jags put away three to cap the comfortable win.
“Going undefeated in league was a goal for the girls and it was great to see them set the goal, work hard and achieve it,” Kline said. “They played solid team defense in coming up with sixteen steals and were able to turn many of those into goals. Finishing off strong like this will give the girls momentum heading into the playoffs.”
Favela had a great game with six goals, one assist, six steals, and earned one exclusion. Daugherty had three goals, two assists, two steals, earned two exclusions, and converted on two penalty shots. Lettice had two goals, one steal, earned two exclusions, and earned one penalty shot. Marler had one goal, one steal, and a huge block. Paredes had one goal, one assist, two steals, and earned one exclusion. Mitchell had one steal and earned one penalty shot. Markey had one steal, earned one exclusion, and earned one penalty shot. Macy Morrison had one assist. Maggie McGlynn had one steal. Kaylee Hudson had one steal. Persichetti had eight goal saves and four assists.

One more win will give Jaguars a Valley League basketball title

2011-02-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

With just one more win, the Valley Center varsity boys basketball team will clinch its first Valley League championship in school history.
The Jaguars won three games in a row this week to set up their shot at the league title in the final game of the regular season, which will take place at Orange Glen on Friday night at 7 p.m.
“It’ll be a good game,” said head coach Bob Purdy. “They played hard against us last time, and it’s always tough to play them late in the season.”
The first of Valley Center’s three wins this week came at home against Del Norte last Tuesday. The Jags took a commanding lead early in the game and kept the pressure on to take a 61–41 win.
The Jaguars went on a 6–1 run to open the game, extended the lead to 10–3 midway through the opening period, and finished off the first quarter with a 13–5 lead. Stehly Reden scored eight of Valley Center’s points in the first quarter, as the Jags took advantage of their offensive rebounds and free throw opportunities.
Del Norte found some rhythm on offense in the second quarter, but the Jaguars got a boost from Robby Tortes, who scored six points in the period while subbing in for Reden. AJ Broomell added a long three-pointer at the end of the quarter to put the Jags up 29–15 at halftime.
Del Norte scored 13 points in each of the final two quarters, but Valley Center ran away with 14 in the third and 18 in the fourth to seal the win.
Reden led the scoring with 16 points, while Broomell added 15, Tortes had 14, James Siva had eight, Mike McInerny had six and Brett Henderson had two.
Friday’s game at San Dieguito turned out to be a little bit closer, as the Jaguars nearly squandered a big lead late in the game, but held on for a 60–54 win.
Once again, the Jags came out hot, scoring 15 points in the first quarter to take a seven-point lead. Both teams scored 16 in the second quarter, keeping the Valley Center lead at seven going into the locker room.
The Jaguars increased the lead to ten with 14 points in the third quarter, but San Dieguito nearly came back with 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Broomell was on fire from beyond the arc, nailing five three-pointers and dropping 23 points to lead the scoring, while Reden added 18 points, Tortes had six, Siva and Henderson each had four, McInerny had three and John Broomell had two.
The Jaguars returned home on Saturday to face Sierra Pacific, a team from the Fresno area, and showed no mercy in taking an 82–41 win.
Both teams played outstanding offense in the first quarter, as the Jaguars racked up 23 points, including 11 from Reden, but only led by eight. The Jags extended the lead with 15 points in the second quarter, putting them up by 12 at halftime.
Valley Center spread the ball around very well in the third quarter, with seven players scoring at least two points in the period. The Jaguar defense also stepped up, holding Sierra Pacific to just seven points in the quarter and pushing the lead out to 23 points.
The Jags got lots of playing time for the backups in the fourth quarter, but the offense still fired away on all cylinders, leading to 26 points in the period. Once again, the defense was also strong, limiting the Golden Bears to eight points and sealing the lopsided win.
Reden and AJ Broomell each scored 18 points, while Tortes added 15, Siva scored ten, Dan Henderson had nine, McInerny had four and Beau Reilly had two.
Valley Center is now 16–8 overall heading into the season’s final game on Friday night.

(photos by Ray Flores)

VC Girls Softball League celebrates opening day

2011-02-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

A beautiful Saturday morning provided the backdrop for the Valley Center Girls Softball League’s (VCGSL) opening day ceremonies at Cole Grade Park this weekend.
Opening day coordinator Evie Larrabee welcomed the girls and their families to start the season off. Miss Valley Center, Kelsey Schwartz, sang the National Anthem. Each team was introduced as the girls and their coaches walked the field to a cheering crowd.
VCGSL president Jeff Martineau thanked those in attendance for their support of the league. Special thanks was given to the Valley Center Optimist Club for donating all of the food for the opening day barbecue and for cooking during the festivities.
Longtime league supporters Bob and Pat Tousley were thanked once again for their generous donation to the league’s pitching and catching lessons. Former softball board members Tirso and Dianna Ruiz were honored for their service and dedication to the league for so many years. VCGSL board members were introduced to the crowd, including, vice president Ginny Davis, secretary Brenda Barnard, treasurer Kelly Johnson and player agent Susan Davis.
Ashley Kraning threw out the first pitch of the 2011 season, an honor she received for winning the Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run competition at Petco Park last year, and for being a part of softball in Valley Center for the last two years.
The ceremony continued with a skills competition for each age division and a 12U exhibition game.
Softball games will be played at both Scibilia Field and Cole Grade Field for the remainder of the 2011 season. To find out more or to check the game schedule, log onto the Valley Center Girls Softball website at www.vcgsl.org/
Come watch a softball game and cheer on the girls!

Five wrestlers take first place as Jaguars win Escondido Rumble

2011-02-18T15:34:00.001-08:00

On Friday, 26 Valley Center wrestlers traveled to Escondido High School for a two-day wrestling extravaganza called The Rumble, and after a day that lived up to its name, the Jaguars came away with the tournament championship.
Each wrestler was guaranteed five matches, and those with highest win/loss records were entered into the medal tournament, where they could wrestle three additional matches. Sixteen Jaguars advanced to the medals’ tournament, with five winning championships in their respective classes—Sam McCuskey (98 pounds), Dustin Miller (106 pounds), Manny Boyle (122 pounds), Damian Stehly (173 pounds) and Travis Weddington (217 pounds).
Meanwhile, John Mayo took second at 98 pounds and Trevor Ryback finished third at 115 pounds. Four Valley Center wrestlers took fourth—John Murphy (114 pounds), James Oakley (122 pounds), Daquota Avila (138 pounds) and Kevin Izadi (heavyweight).
Five Jags finished seventh in the tournament—Zach Dewey (128 pounds), Kaulana Miller (128 pounds), Christian Guerrero (133 pounds), Jesus Diaz (191 pounds) and Lorenzo Gomez (heavyweight).
After more than 120 individual matches, 11 Jaguars earned medals for finishing in the top four.
But the biggest surprise of the day was winning the tournament championship. The tournament’s design is give underclassmen more opportunity to wrestle prior the entering the CIF tournaments. The Jaguars gained valuable experience that will be helpful for this coming CIF Division IV Tournament coming up on Saturday at Olympian High School in Chula Vista. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. with the championship finals scheduled at 6 p.m.
The Valley Center wrestlers suffered a setback with a league finale loss to Del Norte High School, 39–27, on Thursday.
Two forfeits and some lackluster performances led the Jaguars to their demise, but two Jags won by pin—Juan Oros at 105 pounds and Dustin Miller at 114 pounds—while Christian Guerrero won a 5–4 decision at 132 pounds and Dylan Smith won a technical fall at 173 pounds.
The Jaguars finish the season in third place in Valley League with a 3–2 league record and a 4-4 overall mark.

Valley Center teen tennis tournament slated for Feb. 27

2011-02-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

USPTA tennis instructor and Valley Center resident Peter Cooper has organized a round robin tennis tournament for beginner to advanced players ages 9 through 14 and above. This non-USTA sanctioned event will take place on Feb 27, from 1-4 p.m. (check-in is at 12:30) at the Adams Park tennis courts located at 28751 Cole Grade Road. Trophies will be awarded to the winning boy’s and girl’s players.
Cooper, a biochemist by trade who didn’t take up tennis until his early twenties, donates his time and resources to helping Valley Center teens get a head start – including valuable tournament experience – in this highly competitive sport. He offers after school tennis classes on weekdays and on Saturdays for ages six and above at the Adams Park facilities, where former students act as assistant coaches.
For more information about the tournament, or to find out more about teen tennis instruction opportunities in Valley Center, please contact Peter Cooper at 619-302-2630.

VC Youth Soccer to hold annual election and board meeting

2011-02-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Valley Center-Pauma Youth Sports Organization, Inc. (Valley Center Youth Soccer) will hold its election of officers (executive board) and annual general meeting on Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. at El Rey Restaurant in Pauma Valley.
A regular board meeting will immediately follow the elections and annual general meeting.
The league is set to elect the following positions, and the persons named are presently on the ballot: president—Rick Hall, vice president—vacant, registrar—Patti Wiberg, treasurer—Tom Litchfield, secretary—Ginny Martineau-Davis.
All other positions, such as Directors, are appointed by the president.
Anyone interested in submitting your name for the ballot, should write to secretary@vcys.org, no later than Feb. 25, along with a brief statement of experience and objectives.
Active board members, past season head coaches (may not be parents of players) and parents of players presently registered, in good standing with the league and paid in full are entitled to vote.
The league also extends its appreciation to Todd Maynard, who served for the last two years as president, along with his countless years coaching and always pitching in on the fields with whatever needs to be done.
The league also thanks Christine Maynard, who has served in too many positions for too many years to name them all. To all those who have received uniforms, pictures, awards, or medals, it is guaranteed that Christine was involved!

VC Hurricanes to hold tryouts

2011-02-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Valley Center Hurricanes soccer team will be holding tryouts for youth soccer players interested in playing competitive soccer at an excellent price.
The tryouts will be held at Valley Center Middle School on four different dates.
For the Youngers Division, which covers the Under 11 through Under 14 boys and girls teams, tryouts will be held on Feb. 26 and March 12 from 3–5 p.m.
The Olders Division, for the Under 15 through the Under 19 boys and girls teams, will have tryouts on March 26 and April 9 from 3–5 p.m.
The season begins on Aug. 1, so in order to qualify for a particular team, players will be eligible for a team based on their age as of Aug. 1.
For more information about the team and the tryout dates, contact coaching director Dale Blasius by e-mail at hurricanes@vcys.org.