When I watch a high school sporting event, I like to get as close to the action as possible. Perhaps you’ve seen my shiny head pacing up and down the sidelines with notepad in hand, sometimes sprinting awkwardly like a crazed chicken to the other side of the end zone when the action dictates it. One of these days I’m gonna trip and do a face plant – and it will be glorious.
Why do I like to be on the sidelines or courtside instead of a normal sports reporter sitting up in the press box scanning the field with a bird’s eye view? Well for one, the cramped quarters and sometimes sweltering conditions can be less than optimal (except for the occasional free food) but the main reason is because I love to watch the players, coaches, and the game itself up close and personal. I also enjoy watching warmups – it’s fascinating for me to see what players and coaches are either loose or intense or focused or somewhere in between.
And when a football team runs out onto the field with students leading the charge and bearing the school’s flags? Now that’s awesome!
Furthermore, during games I’m captivated by the interaction among coaches and players and the chess matches between head coaches of opposing teams. What adjustments need to be made during the game? What valuable input does an assistant coach give to a player or the head coach? How does a player react when they’ve made a mistake in the game – do they sulk and pout and wallow in self-pity or put that play behind them, ready to get back out there?
While on the sidelines during the Clovis West-Rocklin football game, there was injured star quarterback Adrian Martinez with a headset on, sending out play formations and signals to the offense and coaching up his replacement Dante Chachere. Martinez, the Tennessee verbal commit, could have easily chosen to take a seat in the stands or just stand on the sidelines but no way – he’s there with his teammates, helping any way he can.
Those are the aspects of the game that I love seeing up close – and the little things that don’t go unnoticed.
Smith and Lowe lead Buchanan XC to prestigious Woodbridge Invite win
Buchanan’s Corrie Smith and Meagan Lowe are on the cusp of something extremely special.
Smith, a sophomore, and Lowe, a junior, as powerful a 1-2 cross country running tandem you’ll see in not only the state but the country, placed first and second in the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic helping lead Buchanan to an overall team win at the prestigious two-day event held at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco on Sept. 15-16.
If besting approximately 175 varsity runners at a high level event wasn’t enough, their times of 15:58.4 by Smith and 15:59.3 are national level times, quite an accomplishment for two runners so young.
“It was awesome,” said Buchanan coach Brian Weaver. “What they did was unbelievable – it put them on the map on the state and national level.”
Smith led the whole race while Lowe (first name pronounced Megan) was 4th up until the final 800 meters, eventually pulling up next to Smith. Sydney Fox had a scary fall but got up, eventually catching up to 4th before finishing 16th at 16:39.9. Rounding out the Top 5 scores that were counted were Katie Nili at 53rd (17:21.1) and Amanda Dolberg 55th (17:30.7). Seven total runners race but the Top 5 scores count in the overall standings.
In fact, Smith’s time of 15:58.4 is the fastest 3-mile time currently in the nation.
“The teams we went against tonight are great teams who have a lot of accomplishments throughout the past years,” said Lowe to dystat.com after the race. “Before the race, we were having fun and trying to stay loose, trying to enjoy ourselves more than being nervous and putting that energy into our races.”
Buchanan’s 92 points were ahead of Great Oak’s 116. Great Oak has been the CIF State Cross Country Champions four years in a row.
“But this is not just about the top girls – they are all working together for the team,” said Weaver. “The kids have really chosen to do it for the betterment of the team. They are out there for one another.”
Last year Buchanan placed third overall at the CIF State Cross Country Championships. The next big event in the Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park on Oct. 7.
Defending Valley champion Clovis West girls polo look to youngsters
While Clovis West is the defending Valley champs, beating rival Clovis 9-7 in a thriller last season for the title, the Golden Eagles will field a young team and will be fighting tooth and nail all season in a year that promises to be extremely balanced across the board in the TRAC.
The team’s lone returning senior starter is Caitlyn Snyder, a four-year varsity player. They also return junior Emily Mayer, Abby Samansky and Lauren Cotton in addition to five sophomores.
Head coach Scott Torosian made an adjustment this past summer, practicing in the mornings, a change the girls welcomed. The core of the team participated with the Royal 559 Water Polo Academy and also the U.S. Club Championships and Junior Olympics.
Torosian likes the way the returners have welcomed the newcomers, helping to band the small team of eleven together.
“This year’s group is a small intimate group,” said Torosian in his 14th year as head coach. “They get along so well which makes for a strong team bond and a group that like to have a lot of fun.”
The early results have been mixed for Clovis West, they are 6-4 overall and was beat by Clovis East 10-9 in the TRAC opener in their home pool, their first win over the Golden Eagles in 17 years.
As of Sept.19, Clovis North is 7-6, Clovis East 6-1, Clovis 7-3 and Buchanan 3-3.
“There is a lot of parity in the TRAC this year,” said Torosian. “More so than we have had in a long time. Every team is much improved and it is going to be very competitive.”
Buchanan girls volleyball starts off strong before taking on TRAC
Offseason preparation was key for the Buchanan girls volleyball team, and the early returns are proving positive as the team is off to a strong start with a 15-4 record.
Three of those losses were in Hawaii in early August at the Ann Kang Invitational. Since then, they’ve won 13 of 14 heading into TRAC play.
“We are exactly where we are supposed to be on our journey for this season,” said Buchanan head coach Chantal White. “Sure, I wish we could have taken a game off Santa Margarita [at the Ann Kang Invite] or beat some of the teams we lost to in the 3rd set at tournaments but it is a part of the process. It is nice playing good competition early in preseason to give us specific aspects to come back to the practice gym and work out.”
White points to a trio of hitters who are stepping up in senior Kennedy Rice and juniors Ashley Dittmann and Lexi Pagani. Mikayla Weiss, a junior, is a high volleyball IQ setter who provides strong leadership and senior libero Shaye Dubberke brings energy and trust to the court.
The TRAC, like every year, will be extremely competitive again this year. There’s defending TRAC champion Clovis West (19-6), Clovis North (12-5), Clovis East (7-5), Clovis (8-7) and Central (25-2), perhaps the strongest of them all.
So, after the dust is settled, what’s it going to take to win the TRAC and compete for a Valley title?
“Whenever I make a prediction of who will be the champion, there is always a surprise,” said White, the second-year coach and Buchanan grad. “We all gather so much information about each other throughout the season, it comes down to execution the night of the match. I do believe it will take a team to win. Not the effort or success of one or two individuals but a whole team.”
Football roundup
Sept. 8
Clovis West 30 Edison 9
The Golden Eagles pounced on an offensively challenged Edison squad behind two touchdown passes from Dante Chachere, one each to Rodney Wright and Ricardo Arias to lift Clovis West to a 30-9 win played at McLane Stadium.
D.J. Schramm scored the other touchdown on a fumbled punt snap recovery and kicker Eli Riofrio kicked three field goals including a 49-yarder that could have been good from 60 to earn Cal-Hi Sports Northern California Special Teams Player of the Week.
Buchach Colony 28 Clovis North 21
Clovis North (1-2) lost a close one despite a strong running performance from junior running back Jackson Schultz.
Schultz ran for 183 yards on only 12 carries including touchdown runs of 75 and 31 and DJ Frampton threw a 51 yard touchdown pass to Trenton Holloway.
Buchanan 48 Lemoore 0
At Lemoore Buchanan steamrolled the Tigers to a 42-0 halftime lead before a pulling a majority of the starters in the 49-0 win.
Running back Kendall Milton scored three touchdowns, quarterback Ty Hall scored on a 40-yard keeper and threw a touchdown pass to Cornell Washington, Brock Jones had a punt return for a touchdown and Jacob Calato scored the only touchdown in the second half.
Sanger 34 Clovis East 7
The Timberwolves showed some fight at Sanger, the defending Division II Valley champion whose only loss was in the CIF D-II Divisional Final last year, before falling 34-7 in Sanger.
Sept. 15
Sunnyside 21 Clovis East 14
Looking to break its 19-game losing streak dating back to 2015, Clovis East (0-4) was all even with Sunnyside 14-14 before the Wildcats scored late in the fourth quarter to win.
Edison 20 Clovis North 0
The Broncos couldn’t get anything going on offense against a stingy Edison defense in the shutout loss.