My high school football proposal

My proposal would be for every section champion to play an extra game if they choose as a reward for an excellent season.  Plus I do not like the idea of players going through a week of practice only to not end up being chosen (at this point, that would only apply to teams in the Northern, Oakland, and San Francisco sections).  This way, every team has something to play for.  In addition, there would be a state championship game for the 8-man division (top ranked team from the two Southern Section divisions and Los Angeles section vs. whoever is top-ranked from the Central Section, Northern Section, or a section that does not have an 8-man playoff)

My proposal has three models the Section commisioners can choose from, but there are details they all have in common.  The state championship bowls would remain as they are.  Those who are not chosen would be invited to play in some type of bowl game.  In the other bowl games, they are all officially "open" divisions, but the selectors would try to make the matches as even in terms of enrollment  and rankings as possible (however, there may be a few games that end up to be mismatches, because there is nowhere else to put certain teams).  Also, the extra bowl games may or may not be north vs. south, but teams from the same section would not play each other.  Like the Nor-Cal and So-Cal games, a team may decline an invitation if it chooses, but it may not choose where to play or who to play against.  Only section champions are qualified to participate.  However, should there be an odd number of teams, the top-ranked runner-up would be invited.

Model 1- Would Take Place During State Bowl Weekend (Regional Losers would be invited)
The state bowl would still take place in Carson, CA and have 5 games.  There would be 6 other predetermined sites (San Diego [SD Section], Anaheim [Southern Section], Bakersfield [Central Section], Sacramento [State Capitol, Sac-Joaquin Section], alternate between San Francisco/Oakland [SF even years, OAK odd years], Redding [Northern Section], and Oakdale [solely because it's my model and I want it in my town].  This year, San Francisco would get 4 games and everyone else would host three.

Again, Carson would get the state bowl games, and Oakdale would get the 8-man championship.  The SF section vs. OAK section game would return and would be at SF/OAK.  Each host city would also get to host at least one team in its section.  The rest of the games would be placed where there is room. (Note: If you arewondering which division these teams won, please see model 3).

State Bowl @ Carson
Open Division- De La Salle (Concord) vs. Centennial (Corona)
Division I- Granite Bay vs. Poly (Long Beach)
Division II- Oakdale vs. Serra (Gardena)
Division III- Marin Catholic (Kentfield) vs. Madison (San Diego)
Division IV- Central Catholic (Modesto) vs. Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach)

@ San Francisco
Monrovia vs. Mendota
Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) vs. Valley Christian (San Jose)
Edison (Huntington Beach) vs. Clayton Valley (Concord)
McClymonds (Oakland) vs. Lincoln (San Francisco)

@ Sacramento
Nordhoff (Ojai) vs. Justin-Siena (Napa)
Sutter vs. St. Francis (Mountain View)
Folsom vs. Ridgeview (Bakersfield)

@ Redding
8-man: Mendocino vs. Northwest Christian (Bakersfield)
Ferndale vs. Brookside Christian (Stockton)
Palos Verdes (Rancho Palos Verdes) vs. Enterprise (Redding)

@ Oakdale
8-man championship: Dunsmuir vs. Excelsior (Victorville)
Willows vs. LeGrand
Clovis North (Fresno) vs. San Fernando

@ Bakersfield
Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) vs. Portola
Wasco vs. Citrus Hill (Perris)
Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) vs. Garces (Bakersfield)

@ Anaheim
8-man: Fulton (Van Nuys) vs. Joshua Springs (Yucca Valley)
Kaiser (Fontana) vs. Eastlake (Chula Vista)
Oceanside vs. Narbonne (Harbor City)

@ San Diego
Liberty (Madera) vs. Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead)
Downey vs. San Benito (Hollister)
St. Ignatius (San Francisco) vs. Lincoln (San Diego)

Model 2- Would Take Place During Regional Weekend
Sites would be pre-determined by CIF.  The extra games would only include those not selected for a regional bowl game.  (Note: For the 8-man match-ups, see model 1. The sites may be different, but the match-ups would be the same.)

Part A- What actually happened
Nor-Cal Regional Bowls
Open- De La Salle (Concord) vs. Folsom
Division I- St. Ignatius (San Francisco) vs. Granite Bay
Division II- Clayton Valley (Concord) vs. Oakdale
Division III- Marin Catholic (Kentfield) vs. Sutter
Division IV- McClymonds (Oakland) vs. Central Catholic (Modesto)

So-Cal Regional Bowls
Open- Narbonne (Harbor City) vs. Centennial (Corona)
Division I- Clovis North (Fresno) vs. Poly (Long Beach)
Division II- Serra (Gardena) vs. Edison (Huntington Beach)
Division III- Madison (San Diego) @ Monrovia
Division IV- Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) vs. Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia)

Part B- My model in addition to what happened. (Note: Games went in order from highest to lowest enrollment with 2 exceptions: 1) If teams in same section would have met 2) If one team has a calpreps.com rating 20 points higher or more than opponent.)

Game 1- San Benito (Hollister) vs. Downey
Game 2- St. Francis (Mountain View) vs. San Fernando
Game 3- Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead) vs. Liberty (Madera)
Game 4- Citrus Hill (Perris) vs. Oceanside
Game 5- Lincoln (San Diego) vs. Ridgeview (Bakersfield)
Game 6- Palos Verdes (Rancho Palos Verdes) vs. Eastlake (Chula Vista)
Game 7- Wasco vs. Corona del Mar (Newport Beach)
Game 8- Valley Christian (San Jose) vs. Enterprise (Redding)
Game 9- Nordhoff (Ojai) vs. Garces (Bakersfield)
Game 10- Lincoln (San Francisco) vs. Mendota
Game 11- Kaiser (Fontana) vs. Justin-Siena (Napa)
Game 12- Portola vs. Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton)
Game 13- Willows vs. Le Grand
Game 14- Brookside Christian (Stockton) vs. Ferndale

Model 3- Would take place during regional weekend
CIF would pre-determine sites.  Division champions would be assigned a game regardless of enrollment or ratings.  Should one team in the assigned game be chosen to a regional championship, then those remaining teams would then be put in games based on ratings or enrollment.

Note: (Oakdale) would indicate that the team assigned has been selected to a regional bowl game.

Game 1: Pac I (Southern) vs. Division I (Los Angeles)
              Poly (Long Beach) vs. Narbonne (Harbor City)

Game 2: Inland II (Southern) vs. North Coast Division 1
              Centennial (Corona) vs. De La Salle (Concord)

Game 3: Central Coast Open Division vs. San Diego Division I
               St. Ignatius (San Francisco) vs. Eastlake (Chula Vista)

Game 4: Central Section Division I vs. Sac-Joaquin Section Division I
               Clovis North (Fresno) vs. Granite Bay

Game 5: Oakland Section vs. San Francisco Section
               McClymonds (Oakland) vs. Lincoln (San Francisco)

Game 6: Central Coast Division I vs. Sac-Joaquin Division II
               San Benito (Hollister) vs. Folsom

Game 7: North Coast Division II vs. Central Section Division II
               Clayton Valley (Concord) vs. Garces (Bakersfield)

Game 8: Northern III (Southern) vs. San Diego Division II
              Palos Verdes (Rancho Palos Verdes) vs. Oceanside

Game 9: San Diego Division III vs. Western IV (Southern)
              Lincoln (San Diego) vs. Serra (Gardena)

Game 10: Central (V) Southern vs. Los Angeles Division II
                Kaiser (Fontana) vs. San Fernando

Game 11: Central Section Division III vs. Southwest VI (Southern)
                Ridgeview (Bakersfield) vs. Edison (Huntington Beach)

Game 12: Central Coast Division II vs. Southwest VII (Southern)
                 St. Francis (Mountain View) vs. Downey

Game 13: Eastern VIII (Southern) vs. Northern Section Division I
                 Citrus Hill (Perris) vs. Enterprise (Redding)

Game 14: Southern IX vs. Sac-Joaquin Division III
                Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) vs. Oakdale

Game 15: Sac-Joaquin Division IV vs. North Coast Division III
                Central Catholic (Modesto) vs. Marin Catholic (Kentfield)

Game 16: Northwest X vs. Central Coast Division III
                Nordhoff (Ojai) vs. Valley Christian (San Jose)

Game 17: Central Section Division IV vs. Mid-Valley (XI) (Southern)
                Wasco vs. Monrovia

Game 18: Northern Section Division II vs. North Coast Division IV
                Sutter vs. Justin-Siena (Napa)

Game 19: San Diego Division IV vs. East Valley XII (Southern)
                Madison (San Diego) vs. Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead)

Game 20: Central Section Division V vs. Central Coast Division IV
                Liberty (Madera) vs. Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton)

Game 21: Central Section Division VI vs. San Diego Division V
                 Mendota vs. Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach)

Game 22: Northern Section Division III vs. Sac-Joaquin Division V
                 Willows vs. Le Grand

Game 23: Northern Section Division IV vs. North Coast Division V
                Portola vs. Ferndale

Game 24: Sac-Joaquin Division VI vs. Northeast XIII (Southern)
                 Brookside Christian vs. Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia)

Step 2: After determining the games.  It would turn out that this year, 12 teams would not have opponents.  Therefore, the committee would make 6 games out of the 12 teams.  Here's what I would propose:

1) Lincoln (San Francisco) vs. Lincoln (San Diego)
2) St. Francis (Mountain View) vs. Eastlake (Chula Vista)
3) San Benito (Hollister) vs. Ridgeview (Bakersfield)
4) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) vs. Wasco
5) Justin-Siena (Napa) vs. Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead)
6) Mendota vs. Brookside Christian (Stockton)

The CIF doesn't have to follow these models, they could come up with something on their own that is completely different, but I would like to see all section champions rewarded with an extra game.  Let me know if you have any thoughts.

zzzzz debate #2- Northern Illinois

by Matt Groom

I wanted to cover the MLS during this debate, but that can be done anytime.  A new debate in the sports world popped up, and I think it is a good one. 

Argument: There is no way Northern Illinois belongs in the Orange Bowl!!

Background
     This debate was inspired by the comments some fans gave on espn.com regarding this issue.  According to the BCS rules, if a champion from a non-automatic qualifying conference (Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Western Athletic) finishes in the top 16 of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings and finishes ahead of an automatic qualifier (AQ) (Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Pac-12, Southeastern), then that team will get a berth in a BCS Bowl game.  In the final BCS Standings, Northern Illinois finished 15th, while Louisville finished 21st and Wisconsin finished unranked.  That guaranteed Northern Illinois a spot in a BCS Bowl (which ended up being the Orange Bowl), and many think that took Oklahoma out to play in a non-BCS Cotton Bowl.

Arguments Against Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl
     Flat out, Northern Illinois doesn't deserve it.  These voters who voted them in the top 25 have no idea what they are doing.  This rule is stupid.  There is another rule that made it impossible for Georgia or Texas A&M to get a BCS bowl, but you're going to leave out Oklahoma and Clemson in favor of a team whose strongest competition is Kent State, Iowa, and Kansas?  Also in their conference are Massachusetts and Eastern Michigan who are the two of the worst teams in college football.  Their schedule is WEAK, plain and simple. 

     This team lost to Iowa.  Iowa! A team that finished 4-8 and is one of the worst in the Big 10.  What is Florida State going to do to these guys?  The Seminoles are going to beat them by at least 40.  I keep hearing about a quarterback that the Huskies have, but who do they have besides him.  Also, the NIU hasn't seen a team this fast.  It will be a track meet, and the Seminoles are going to win it.

     If that wasn't bad enough, the now former coach for Northern Illinois will not be coaching the game.  He accepted a job at North Carolina State (which is another ACC school).  The Huskies are going to have to hope that their offensive coordinator does a decent enough job to at least make it close.  The last time a coach bolted a team that made a BCS bowl, the Brian Kelly-less, undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats got blown out by Florida.

     Finally, this game is going to get low ratings.  There is a reason all the other BCS bowls passed them over.  Nobody wants to see this game, nobody wants to see this team.  They should be content playing in the Little Caesar's Bowl where their students can see this game on ESPN 2 in the middle of the week, and the rest of us don't have to be bothered with it.  I'll be checking the guide on my satellite system to find out what else is on that night.  Maybe I can catch an episode of "Dancing With the Stars" or anything on Lifetime.  I don't like those shows, but it beats the hell out of watching Northern Illinois.

     I will close with a paraphrase of ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit quote.  "Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl? This has got to be a joke!"

ARGUMENTS FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS IN THE SUGAR BOWL
     The most important reason why Northern Illinois belong in the Sugar Bowl is becuase the rules say if they finished in the top-16 of the BCS and finish ahead of an AQ team, they go to a BCS bowl.  Both those things happened.  In fact, they started last week at number 21 and had to jump 6 teams to do it.  They did it.  They finished ahead of Louisville and Wisconsin.  How come no one is complaining that a 10-2 Louisville and an 8-5 Wisconsin are in a BCS Bowl game?  If you don't like a rule, then change it.  Don't complain that a small school got in by following the rules.

      The biggest fallacy in college football is that the deserving teams get a BCS bowl.  There are five games in the BCS, ten teams get in.  There are six spots that go to automatic qualifiers.  After that, the at-large teams are basically a popularity contest.  Remember that Boise State finished 7th in the BCS last year?  They got the Las Vegas Bowl.  Even if you believe non-AQ schools are not deserving of a BCS game, Kansas State and Baylor were more deserving than two of the teams that got in, Michigan and Virginia Tech.  Those two schools got in, becuase they are the most popular; not because they are the most deserving.  If these bowls completely had it their way, no non-AQ schools would get in, and half of the AQ schools wouldn't get in, either.  Finally in this point, does Oklahoma really deserve to be in after two losses (one being by blowout)?

     Non-AQ schools in the BCS are 4-1 against BCS teams.  Everyone outside of Boise, ID (except for Matt Groom) thought Oklahoma was going to blow out Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.  What happened? Boise jumped up to a 14-0 lead, and ultimately won in overtime.  In 2008, everyone outside of Salt Lake City, UT (again, except for Matt Groom) thought that Alabama was going to blow out Utah.  What happened? There was a blow-out, but it was the other way around.  Utah blew out Alabama.  TCU beat Wisconsin in last year's Rose Bowl.  That is probably the reason why the BCS bowl coordinators were gutless the year both Boise State and TCU made a BCS bowl and made them play against each other.  It is only one game, and Northern Illinois could create another BCS upset.

     About the Cincinnati loss, I just have one thing to say about it.  Cincinnati, with or without Brian Kelly, was overmatched by Florida.  Their undefeated season was a product of their weak schedule.  Granted, Northern Illinois's 12-1 mark could be a product of the MAC schedule, but they really could be the 15th best team in the NCAA, and just had a bad game against Iowa.  The Huskies deserve a chance to find out which one is the truth.  Amd as for low ratings, who wouldn't want to see another possibility of seeing David once again defeating Goliath?

     I could go on, but I'll close with this.  Kirk Herbstreit also said, "I can't wait until the BCS is gone and we get a playoff."  I have some news for Mr. Herbstreit.  College football will still have a system like this in addition to the four-team playoff.  They're going to have another championship series.  Under the new system, the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC winners will each get a spot.  The sixth automatic spot goes to the top-ranked winner of the rest of the conferences.  Guess who that spot would go to this year.  That's right...Northern Illinois.

OBSERVATIONS
     I do not think that Northern Illinois deserves to be in the Orange Bowl.  However, it is not always about who deserves to go.  The NCAA, especially the BCS needs to do a better job of rewarding teams who have great seasons regardless of the conference the teams are in.  This rule that allowed Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl is necessary, because in the past, deserving non-AQ teams were left out, becuase they are not big names.  A more deserving non-AQ team got passed over last year in favor of a big name.  I personally believe that if the BCS coordinators allowed more deserving AQ and non-AQ teams in equally, then this rule may not have needed to be made; and possibly, Oklahoma would be in the Sugar Bowl (Louisville being in the Orange Bowl).  Also, maybe for next year (being the BCS's final year), they should keep the rule, but make it the top 12 or top 14, instead of the top-16.

     There is no need to cry over Oklahoma.  The Sooners are in a bowl game.  They are in a good bowl game, the Cotton Bowl against former Big 12 rival, Texas A&M.  It is a good game, and will get great ratings.  The team to cry over is Middle Tennessee State.  I am always appauled when an 8-4 team is passed over so the 9th Big 12 or SEC team that finished 6-6 can get in a bowl game.  If you turn down an invitation (Louisiana Tech), that is one thing.  If you finish 8-4 and don't get a bowl game, because you decide the last minute to be a I-A team and pad your schedule of I-AA and Division II teams (Texas-San Antonio) and not get an invite, I'm ok with that, too.  The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders finished 8-4 and got no invitation.  There used to be a rule that no 6-6 team could get a bowl game until all 7-5 or better teams got an opportunity to get an invitation.  That rule NEEDS to come back.  The NCAA changed it, because power conferences complained that it is harder to finish 6-6 in the SEC or Big 10.  That's crap.  What most (not all) power conference teams do is stack their non-conference schedule with I-AA teams and teams from the Sun Belt Conference or the weak MAC teams to get 4 of the 6 needed wins and ride out the tough teams to get to the two winnable games (Duke and the mid-SEC east teams are great examples).  I have noticed that a sign of a good non-AQ team is that if the SEC and good Big 10 teams duck you to play weaker competition (unless ESPN bribes them).   That describes Northern Illinois.

     Finally, Kirk Herbstreit hates the rule that limit conferences to two teams in the BCS bowls.  Six of the top-10 BCS teams come from the SEC (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina).  This is a good rule.  It prevents bias first of all.  I always believe that at least two of those teams are not top-10 teams and the Big 12 always provides a tougher schedule, but that is not important, other than the fact I had to state that.  He probably wanted all six teams in a BCS game, and if he didn't, people in the SEC states do.  However, the BCS and NCAA are profit organizations, and are businesses.  If it is an all-SEC affair, or close; then they run the risk of being a monopoly or could break other business practices and/or laws.  There are people who accuse the BCS of being too monopolistic.  I have accused them of robbing Boise State of millions of dollars by passing them over, even if they are deserving.  Also, not many people outside of "SEC-Country" wants to see an all-SEC affair.  Those who do can watch their regular season.  The SEC might have some of the best teams in the country; but in a world of business, there comes a point where the NCAA cannot abandon the rest of the country in favor of one region.

     I went off on a couple tangents in my observations, but my point in all of it is that Northern Illinois got into the Orange Bowl on a necessary rule.  Who, besides me, cried when a deserving small school, like Boise State got passed over in favor of a less-deserving big-name school.  Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the criers come in droves.  Everyone needs to play by the rules, and if one year, that means a non-deserving small school gets in a big game, then so be it.

Note: The National Championship game, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl are BCS Bowl Games.

Next month's debate will be whether or not the MLS needs to ditch the playoff system.

zzzzz Vol. 4 December 2012

For new readers: zzzzz (Pronounced "Quintuple z") is a blog about my thoughts about various stories and sporting events. Most of it is in the Modesto, CA area, but if I see a national story worth talking about, I'll talk about it, too. I also talk about geography and history, because those are my interests.





STUFF AT MY CHURCH (From the Bethel Assembly (Oakdale, CA) Bulletin
-My favorite church service of the year is coming up.  On Christmas Eve, Bethel Assembly will be holding the annual Candlelight Service.  We will be singing hymns and Pastor Dave will be giving a short message.  The service is Monday, December 24, 2012 at 7:00 P.M

-On Sunday, December 23, the Childrens' Church will be performing a play during both the 9:00 A.M and 11:00 A.M service.  It is part of the annual Christmas Special at Bethel Assembly.  My awesome girlfriend's kids will have parts in it.  Everyone is invited to attend.  The address of the church is 105 East G St. Oakdale, CA 95361


NEWS (From the Modesto Bee)
-On the November 9th edition of the Modesto Bee, it talks about a committee discussing what to do with Salida.  According to the Bee, this committee is made up of officials from Salida, Modesto, and Stanislaus County.  There are three main options to discuss about Salida.  The town can either become a city, officially become part of Modesto, or remain a town.  The mayor of Modesto, Gerrard Marsh, had a goal of annexing Salida in his first term.
 -I have no personal opinion about the issue.  I do not live in Salida, nor do I plan on living there.  I can understand both sides of the issue when it comes to annexation, though.  There is a lot of benefit to Salida becoming part of Modesto since city services would extend there.  Plus, there are parts to that town that need a lot of improvement, especially downtown.  Modesto has more funds to make the improvements than Salida.  On the other hand, I would imagine the citizens of Salida do not want to lose their autonomy.  I come from a small town and I would hate "the big city" making decisions that would impact my community.  There is a lot of sentimental value in that. 
  What would Modesto have to gain from adding Salida to the city?  The town sits on Highway 99 just south of the Stanislaus-San Joaquin county line.  The city would have more access to the freeway in which it could do business.  Also, I could see them wanting tax money directly and indirectly if they make improvements to the area and make it attractive to those who commute to the Bay Area.  The Salida area would make it a shorter drive for those folks.
   Final thought on this issue.  The difference between a city and a town is a misconception.  Many think it is the population that determines the difference.  However, that is not correct.  The difference is a post office and who provides services for the community.  The community provides the services (police, fire, etc.) if it is a city.  The county provides the services if it is a town.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Division VI Championship

(2) Brookside Christian Knights 60, (1) Foresthill Wildfires 26

At Lodi, CA... Even though Brookside Christian (Stockton) was the lower seed, calpreps.com predicted the Knights to win by 20; and they played like it in the second half.  At halftime, Brookside Christian (champions of the CCAA) clung to a 20-18 lead over the Foresthill Wildfires (champions of the SMAL).  Darius Henton scored two touchdowns for Brookside Christian in the 3rd quarter, and the Knights scored 20 unanswered points to widen the gap and pull away from a tired Foresthill team. 
     Henton scored three total touchdowns, while quarterback Austin Caldron passed for three more touchdowns. On the defensive side, Anthony Castro intercepted three passes from Wildfires quarterback Tommy Sawyer.  Great athleticism for the Knights and poor tackling from the Wildfires (great mascot, by the way) contributed to this blowout victory.
     Foresthill did not go away quietly, Sawyer passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more to try to keep his team in the game.
     Foresthill dropped its record to 8-0 SMAL, 10-2 overall; and their season is definitely over.  Brookside improved to 5-0 CCAA, 10-2 overall.  The Knights are eligible to be chosen to compete in the division IV Nor-Cal regional bowl game.  However, their chances of being chosen by the 10 section commisioners are not very likely.  Calhisports.com has Brookside Christian ranked sixth in their division in Northern California.  McClymonds (Oakland) has won their section and ranked second.  Therefore, they are likely to be one of the teams chosen.  The Knights would have to hope they are chosen, too. (Note: I wasn't at the game.  I saw it on www.cifsacjoaquin.tv.  Also, this part was written on November 24, 2012.)

Scores by quarter
Team                                 1       2       3      4       Total
Brookside Christian         6       14     18    22       60
Foresthill                          6       12      0      8       26

Scoring summary
1st quarter
BC- Jacob Matuska 1-yard TD run (2 point try failed) (6-0 BC)
FOR- Tommy Sawyer 57-yard TD pass to Ryan Corkrean (2 point try failed) (6-6)
2nd quarter
FOR- Sawyer 2-yard TD run (2 point try failed) (12-6 FOR)
BC- Austin Caldron 6-yard TD pass to Edrico Oliver, Jr. (2-pt. try failed) (12-12)
BC- Cameron Chew 10-yd. TD run (Caldron run for 2 pts.) (20-12 BC)
FOR- Sawyer 60-yd. TD pass to Connor McCann (2-pt. try failed) (20-18 BC)
3rd quarter
BC- TD from Darius Henton (2-pt. try failed) (26-18 BC)
BC- Caldron 54-yard TD pass to Oliver, Jr. (2-pt. try failed) (32-18 BC)
BC- Henton 6-yd. TD run (2-pt. try failed) (38-18 BC)
4th quarter
BC- Henton 16-yd. TD run (Caldron pass to Chew for 2 pts.) (46-18 BC)
FOR- Sawyer 2-yd TD run (Wes Archbold run for 2 pts.) (46-26 BC)
BC- Caldron 5-yd TD pass to Blake Smallie (2-pt. try failed) (52-26 BC)
BC- Lee Johnson 44-yd. TD run (Caldron to Matuska for 2-pts) (60-26 BC)

Other CCAA playoff scores for Division VI tournament (CCAA teams in team color)
1st round
(4) Ripon Christian 42, (5) Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 22
(6) Big Valley (Modesto) 19, (3) Woodland Christian 12
Semifinals
(2) Brookside Christian 52, (6) Big Valley 0

IF I WAS KING OF SPORTS
The California High School football playoffs has expanded one round starting this year.  The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) will choose two teams for each division to play for the Northern California Championships and do the same for the Southern California Championships.  The winners of the North and South will play each other in the state bowl game.  For those interested, divisions I-IV are mostly based on enrollment (with exceptions I will not talk about) and an Open division that puts the two best teams in each region regardless of enrollment.  In order to be qualified to be selected, a team must win its section championship.  I will link a follow-up blog that shows what those game will be.  If I was king of sports, in an effort to reward all section champions and so no teams practice in vein, I would find a way to have all section champions who want to to play an extra week.  I will give a link to explain my proposal.

http://groomy95361.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-high-school-football-proposal.html

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Other than the NCAA tournament, one of my favorite parts of the college basketball season is the ESPN's tip-off marathon.  I get to see a variety of games, no matter what time I am awake.  Plus, ESPN airs teams one may never see again, unless they see those teams live.  Here was the line-up this year. (Note: The tip-off marathon was Tuesday, November 13th from midnight EST.  However the times I will post are on PST, since I am western-centric.)

9:00 P.M (11/12) West Virginia @ Gonzaga (GON 84-50)
11.00 P.M (11/12) Davidson @ New Mexico (UNM 86-81)
1:00 A.M Houston Baptist @ Hawai'i (HAW 73-60)
3:00 A.M Stony Brook @ Rider (SB 54-46)
5:00 A.M Northern Illinois @ Valparaiso (VAL 69-46)
7:00 A.M Harvard @ Massachusetts (UMASS 67-64)
9:00 A.M Temple @ Kent St. (TEM 80-66)
11:00 A.M Detroit @ St. John's (SJU 77-74)
1:00 P.M Butler @ Xavier (XAV 62-47)
3:00 P.M Kentucky @ Baylor (Women's Game) (BAY 85-51)
4:00 P.M Michigan St. vs. Kansas (@ Atlanta, GA) (MSU 67-64)
                Wichita St. @ VCU (WSU 53-51)
5:00 P.M Cleveland St. @ Michigan (MICH 77-47)
6:00 P.M Duke vs. Kentucky (@ Atlanta, GA) (DUKE 75-68)
                Lehigh @ Pittsburgh (PITT 78-53)
7:00 P.M Alabama-Huntsville @ Kansas St. (KSU 87-26)

The team I was actually the most impressed with out of this line-up was a team that ended up losing its contest.  That team would be the Davidson Wildcats.  They had to travel from Davidson, NC to Albuquerque, NM and start the game at midnight local time.  For Davidson, that is 2:00 A.M to them.  The only thing I want to do at 2:00 A.M is sleep.  I don't want to be starting a basketball game, and I really love the sport.  They got a half-time lead over a very good New Mexico team, and built that lead into double-digits (I can't remember the exact number).  Ultimately, I think fatigue got the best of the players and New Mexico was able to catch up.  At the end of the day, it is still a loss, but I could not help but to be impressed with them.

-Ever since I was 17, I had a goal of going to at least one home game of every single NCAA Division I team from the big teams to the small ones.  This goal combined my love of traveling with my love of sports.  I know that unless I either A) Win the lottery B) Get a job with a company like Associated Press or ESPN or C) zzzzz becomes so big that it will allow me to travel, this goal will never become a reality.  I have accepted this reality for two reasons A) there are other things in my life that are becoming more and more important every day and B) there are schools moving up nearly every year (Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Kentucky moved up this year; and Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon, and Incarnate Word are set to move up next year).  However, I do plan on going to as many as possible, and I believe I can at least accomplish the goal in California.  So far I have gone to: Pacific, San Jose State, Sacramento State, Loyola Marymount, Stanford, UC-Davis, and Cal Poly.

Last month, I did not go to a division I game, however, I did go to NAIA UC-Merced at Division II Stanislaus State.  I noticed the biggest difference as far as players go with Division II/NAIA and Division I is the size and speed of players.  UC-Merced's "big man" was 6'4".  If he were to go to a Division I school, he better learn how to dribble a basketball, because he would be a guard or maybe a small forward.  Anyway, UC-Merced looked like they would pull off the upset early.  The Bobcats were ahead after the 1st break, but the Stanislaus State Warriors quickly pulled away after that and won 105-57. 

NFL
-Nearly every football fan now knows that there is somewhat of a quarterback controversy for the 49ers between Alex Smith and Turlock's Colin Kaepernick.  The controversy started when Smith got a concussion in a game against the St. Louis Rams on November 11, 2012.  Kaepernick performed well as a back-up; and since Smith was not cleared by doctors to play, Kaepernick played against the Chicago Bears where he excelled.  He has been named the starter for every game since.
-I am one of the few who have advocated for Alex Smith, and I still advocate for him.  The only thing this guy did to lose his job is to get a concussion.  Prior to the injury, he was the 3rd rated quarterback in the NFL, and he's benched?  I will concede that there are things that Kaepernick can do better than Smith, but Smith makes better decisions and is a better game manager.  Plus, he is talented enough to take the 49ers to the Super Bowl.  Smith has had a tough career with the 49ers.  Due to the fact the 49ers changed offensive coordinators nearly every year, the 49ers failed Smith as much as Smith failed the 49ers.  Now the 49ers have failed Smith even more than he failed them.  I hope next year, he finds a play-off worthy team that needs a good quarterback.  I still like him as a player; and I want him to do well. 
Finally, I saw ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption", and one of the hosts, Tony Kornheiser, made a good observation.  He asked, "With Smith losing his job because of a concussion, will players be less likely to report concussions in fear of being benched?" That is something to think about in interest of player safety.

NBA
 -The San Antonio Spurs sent their top 4 scorers home instead of taking them on the trip to Miami to play the Heat on Thursday November 29, 2012.  That angered NBA commisioner, David Stern, and some fans.  Stern fined the Spurs $250,000 the next day.
 -I was originally angered by Stern's actions.  Though I am no longer angry, I still think Stern is in the wrong here.  He apologized to the fans for what the Spurs did, now he needs to apologize to the Spurs for what he did to them.  He has no right to tell Spurs coach, Greg Popovich (a.k.a Pop) how to run his team.  I understand that the Spurs played a grueling schedule the past few days and he wanted to rest his players, but frankly, it does not matter why Pop did it.  That is his team to run, and his responsibility to run it as he sees fit. 
  I have other issues with this ruling, too.  Will Stern tell the NBA coaches how many minutes each star player has to play? These people are not robots.  They get injured.  They get fatigued.  They need their rest.  They can do more athletically than you and I can, but still, they can only do so much.  Often coaches will do this towards the end of the season, and fans have a problem with it.  Let me bring one issue I have not heard anyone bring up.  What if somehow the star player gets injured in the playoffs?  It would be a nigthmare for the team to have to start the back-up player.  By sitting the star player a game or two, you give the back-up player the practice, experience, and maybe even the confidence of starting a game and playing major minutes. 
  What other message is Stern sending?  If you're the 11th or 12th player on the roster, then don't count on any playing time, because we are going to forbid it?  Maybe the message is, "We want you to bust your a** in practice, but you're not going to play."  Either way, it is ridiculous.  I am not advocating to give the back-up major playing time, but they deserve some time.  And by the way, the Spurs nearly beat the Heat with their second string. 
  This fine is a load of crap.  That word is nicest, cleanest way I can accurately describe it.  I also think that Stern is being a hypocrite.  If the game was not on national tv, or if the opponent was the Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, or the Charlotte Bobcats, then I don't think Stern would have cared.  However, since the game was on TNT, and more importantly, the opponent was the Miami Heat, then it was dealt like a tragedy.  If I am correct in my assessment, then he is as bad as ESPN. 
   I was watching Jawan Howard on ESPN, and most of his points against the Spurs seemed petty compared to the reasons why Pop wanted to rest his players; but there was one point he made that made me come around a little (read: if my level of agitation was "100" before, it dropped to "98" after listening to him).  All the players, including the Spurs, are also employees of the NBA.  Pop could have at least brought those players to Miami and put them in street clothes if he did not want them to play.  The media could have talked to them, or the kids in Miami could have gotten a Tim Duncan autograph.  I once thought the fine was $250,000 more than it should have been.  I am now willing to say it was $245,000 more than it should have been.

P.S. There is a conspiracy theory out there that I don't agree with, but I still think is interesting.  If you want to know what it is, let me know.

GRE WORD OF THE MONTH
Perfidious- Disloyal; teeacherous; faithless; deceitful; traitouous

When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend.

HISTORY
I just recently read about Christianity becoming the main religion of the Roman Empire.  It was anything but an easy process.  Many emperors struggled with the fact that Christians were not (and still not) allowed to worship any other deities.  Other religions allowed for joint worship of various gods.  Many emporers used this as an excuse to persecute the Christians in the Roman Empire.  However, as time went along, Christianity was at least being tolerated.  There were many factors that lead to the conversion to Christianity.  One factor I never read and never thought about was that in 311, the Emperor Galerius permitted Christianity, because his wife was Christian.  I am sure my girlfriend would like to hear that a leader's wife became a positive influence of religion in an empire.

If you have any comments, please feel free to let me know.  There was some information I omitted, because this blog was too long as it was.

zzzzz Debate #1- Alabama vs. the NFL

by Matt Groom 11/21/12

I have decided that each month, I would take a sports debate that was either created by those in the sports industry, fans, or one that I made up myself.  The first debate will be Alabama vs. the NFL.

Argument: Alabama can beat some NFL teams if they were just playing one game.

How this argument got started:
In a radio show, South Carolina football coach, Steve Spurrier said that the University of Alabama football team can beat some of the poor quality National Football League teams (i.e. Chiefs, Jaguars, Browns, Panthers).  His argument is that the defense of the Alabama Crimson Tide is of NFL quality.  Most of those in the sports media believe Spurrier said this to hype up the Southeastern Conference (SEC).  That did not stop those shows from giving their point of view.  While most people believe that the NFL team (whoever it would be) would win by 50, 60, or even 70; I decided I would take this time to argue both cases.  In this make-believe game, we will say that Alabama would play the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO; since they are thought to be the worst team in the NFL right now. 

Note: When I decided to write about this argument, Alabama was still undefeated.  Therefore, their 29-25 loss to Texas A&M on November 10, 2012 will not be used as an argument for or against an Alabama win in this debate.

Arguments for an Alabama win
You don't have to be ahead by a big number to win, you just have to have one more point than the other team when the game is over.  To achieve that, you need great defense and great coaching; and Alabama has that.  The defense is not only the best one in the SEC, but it is the best one in the nation.  Only in two games have they given up more than 14 points.  The defensive line is as big, if not bigger than, some of the teams in the NFL.  As for coaching, Nick Saban is one of the best in the NCAA.  Year after year, he has taken the talent that comes to Tuscaloosa and have turned them into champions.  Let's not forget that he coached in the NFL.  He is used to that style. 

Alabama has 20 members on that roster that could play in the NFL.  That includes the defense, quarterback A.J. McCarron, and center Barrett Jones.  That roster is tough to beat, and they beat everyone's best time-after-time, and they do it in the best conference in college football. 

If the Crimson Tide had to test their ability against the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs are a good matchup.  They have a decent running back in Jamaal Charles, but after him, who do they have?  Matt Cassel hasn't been great in Kansas City.  Brady Quinn has been a bust, and he's hurt.  They might as well play that kid from Iowa, Ricky Stanzi.  This is also an offense that has scored 13 touchdowns in ten games.  That is not one or two players combined.  That is the ENTIRE TEAM.  That Alabama defense would tear them up.  Finally, this is an offense that had never led at all in regulation until recently.  Their only win came in overtime, after they came back to tie it up against the Saints.

Finally, there are times that occasionally a lower-level team beats the big guys.  Soccer sees it frequently.  Every couple of years, a minor league baseball team beats their major league counterparts in the preseason.  Thirty years ago, Chaminade, a NAIA school at the time, beat the mighty, undefeated Virginia with Ralph Sampson, which was ranked number one.  The NFL all-stars used to play the college all-stars annualy, and there were a couple of times that the college players won.  We're not arguing that we could beat the NFL guys all the time, but we do believe that we can beat them once.  Like Rick Moranis said in the movie "Little Giants", they can beat you 99 times out of 100, but that still leaves one time.

Arguments for a Kansas City win
Seriously? Alabama? No, really, who would this fake matchup be with? Anyone from the Canadian Football League or even the Arena Football League would be more credible.  Bring on the Toronto Argonauts! Bring on the San Jose Sabercats!  If an Alabama-Kansas City game were to happen, Kansas City would win by at least 50.  If for no other reason, the simple fact that the Chiefs are grown men and some of the Crimson Tide Players are just a few months removed from high school should be enough.  The earliest a person is allowed to enter the NFL is after the 3rd year of graduating high school.  Therefore, there is no hope that anyone on the team is actually as young as the Alabama players.

As good as Alabama is at the college level, the NFL is a different ball game.  The players are bigger at most positions.  If they are not bigger, they are definitely stronger, faster, and football-smarter than the Alabama boys.  Nothing against them in this regard, but the Chiefs all have experience playing at a high level week-after-week.  There is no taking a week off to play a Sun Belt or a I-AA team like they like to do in the SEC.  The Chiefs get the best players and best teams in all of football weekly.  It was mentioned that Alabama has 20 guys who can play in the NFL.  That may be true, but guess what.  Kansas City has all 53 who can play in the NFL.  These are the 53 made it out of 90 plus that tried out from the beginning of the offseason. 

Alabama's offense is not that great.  It is just adequate for the SEC.  Even if their offense is actually better than I think, they better play flawlessly in this game.  Those little mistakes that happen in the college game will turn into interceptions and fumbles against an NFL team.  That line that ESPN boasted as being as big as an NFL team better be as fast as one, or any running back that gets the ball won't be going far.  Those receivers should take ballet, gymnastics, or even yoga and learn to pirouette, because you must have both feet in bounds for a reception or a touchdown in the NFL unlike the college game.  By the way, if you miss a tackle against Jamaal Charles, you might as well join the fans in watching him run in the end zone.  These Bama boys are just clearly overmatched.

Finally, let's talk about your coach and the NFL rule differences (I will connect the two).  Nick Saban failed as a coach with the Dolphins.  Pure and simple, he is a great college coach, but a horrible NFL coach.  He will have to deal with some of the rule changes as a coach.  Let's say he believes an official made a mistake on a play.  Instead of the replay official buzzing the referee to review the play, he has to determine if it is worth using one of the two challenges (a third if he is correct on the other two) on that play, or if it is worth costing a time-out if he is wrong (of course, the rules with less than two minutes left in a half are similar to college rules on replays).   If somehow Alabama is close at the end of the game, can Saban, McCarron, and the rest of the Alabama offense run a NFL two-minute drill?  The clock doesn't stop in the NFL on a first down to reset the chains.  You have to go, go, go; and you have to be in shape doing it.  They would need to learn to call a few plays at a time.  For the record, the Chiefs could run a college two-minute drill.  They've all done it (maybe except for Cassel).  Good luck with the adjustment.

My thoughts
Of course, anything is possible.  However, do I think it is likely that Alabama would beat the Chiefs? No.  I do not think that game would even be close.  The days that it was probable that college could beat the NFL are long gone.  Those NCAA victories over the NFL were in the 1920's, 30's, 40's (and maybe 50's, I'm not sure).  NFL players can train all day now, and not have to worry about their paycheck or their team going bankrupt.  The NFL players are so much bigger now than they were years ago.  However, I would like to see this game for one reason.  I doubt anyone on the Alabama roster knows how it feels to be Western Carolina.  A lower-level team that is sent to be a confidence-builder, or a team for the back-ups to get experience time against.

Those are my thoughts.  If you have any of your own, or an argument I never considered, please comment.  You can comment about this topic, or if you have any arguments for next month's topic.  That topic is "Should the MLS dump the playoffs in favor of a single-table?"  Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.

NCAA Soccer Tournament

Here is the Men's Soccer Tournament.  I would do predictions, but I know next to nothing about college soccer.  (Note: Unlike basketball, not every team is seeded.  Only the top 16 of the 48 teams are seeded.)

Part 1
First Round- Thursday November 15 (all times Pacific)

Cleveland St. Vikings vs. Michigan St. Spartans 10:00 A.M (MSU 2-1)
Xavier Musketeers vs. Kentucky Wildcats 4:00 P.M (XAV 1-0)
Maryland-Baltimore County Retreivers vs. Old Dominion Monarchs 4:00 P.M (0-0 UMBC advances on PK)
Farleigh Dickinson Knights vs. St. John's Red Storm 4:00 P.M (FDU 1-0)

Second Round- Sunday November 18 (all times Pacific)

Michigan St. vs. (1) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 11:00 A.M (ND 3-0)
Xavier vs. (16) Indiana Hoosiers 10:00 A.M (IND 4-1)
Maryland-Baltimore County vs. (9) North Carolina Tar Heels 2:00 P.M (0-0, UNC advances on PK)
Farleigh Dickinson vs. (8) St. Louis Bilikins Noon (FDU 2-1 (OT))

Third Round- Sunday November 25 (all times Pacific)

(16) Indiana vs. (1) Notre Dame TBA (IND 2-1)
Farleigh Dickinson vs. (9) North Carolina TBA (UNC 1-0)

Quarter-Final- Friday November 30
(16) Indiana vs. (9) North Carolina 3:00 P.M. PST (IND 1-0)

Part 4
First Round- Thursday November 15 (all times Pacific)

Niagara Purple Eagles vs. Michigan Wolverines 4:00 P.M (MICH 3-1)
Air Force Falcons vs. Washington Huskies 7:00 P.M (WSH 1-0)
Lafayette Leopards vs. Virginia Cavaliers 10:30 A.M (VIR 1-0)
Boston College Eagles vs. Northeastern Huskies 3:00 P.M (NE 1-0)

Second Round- Sunday November 18 (all times Pacific)

Michigan vs. (5) Akron Zips 1:30 P.M (AKR 2-1)
Washington vs. (12) Creighton Blue Jays 3:00 P.M (CRE 4-2)
Virginia vs. (13) New Mexico Lobos 6:00 P.M (UNM 3-1)
Northeastern vs. (4) Connecticut Huskies 10:00 A.M (CON 1-0)

Third Round- Sunday November 25 (all times Pacific)

(12) Creighton vs. (5) Akron 1:30 P.M (1-1, CRE advances on PK)
(13) New Mexico vs. (4) Connecticut 10:00 A.M (CON 2-1)

Quarter-Final- Sunday December 2
(12) Creighton vs. (4) Connecticut 10:00 A.M PST (CRE 1-0)

Part 2
First Round- Thursday November 15 (all times Pacific)

UAB Blazers vs. Charlotte 49ers 4:00 P.M (UNCC 3-2)
Syracuse Orange vs. Connecticut Huskies 4:00 P.M (SYR 1-0)
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles vs. South Florida Bulls 4:00 P.M (0-0 USF advances by PK)
San Diego Torreros vs. Northridge St. Matadores 7:00 P.M (USD 2-1)

Second Round- Sunday November 18 (all times Pacific)

Charlotte vs. (3) Georgetown Hoyas 10:00 A.M (GTN 1-0)
Syracuse vs. (14) VCU Rams 4:00 P.M (SYR 3-2 (OT))
South Florida vs. (11) Tulsa Golden Hurricane 3:00 P.M (TUL 1-0 (OT))
San Diego vs. (6) UCLA Bruins 5:00 P.M (USD 5-2)

Third Round- Sunday November 25 (all times Pacific)

Syracuse vs. (3) Georgetown 10:00 A.M (1-1, GTN advances on PK)
San Diego vs. (6) Tulsa TBA (USD 2-1)

Quarter-Final- Saturday December 1
San Diego vs. (3) Georgetown 10:00 A.M PST (GEO 3-1)

Part 3
First Round- Thursday November 15 (all times Pacific)

Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. Northwestern Wildcats 5:00 P.M (NW 1-0)
Winthrop Eagles vs. SMU Mustangs 5:00 P.M (1-1 WIN advances by PK)
Elon Phoenix vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 4:00 P.M (CCU 3-0)
Brown Bears vs. Drexel Dragons 1:00 P.M (BRO 2-0)

Second Round- Sunday November 18 (all times Pacific)

Northwestern vs. (7) Marquette Golden Eagles 2:00 P.M (NW 1-0)
Winthrop vs. (10) Louisville Cardinals 4:00 P.M (LOU 5-0)
Coastal Carolina vs. (15) Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2:00 P.M (CCU 2-1 (OT))
Brown vs. (2) Maryland Terrapins 2:00 P.M (MAR 2-1)

Third Round- Sunday November 25 (all times Pacific)

Northwestern vs. (10) Louisville TBA (LOU 2-1)
Coastal Carolina vs. (2) Maryland TBA (MAR 5-1)

Quarter-Final- Saturday December 1
(10) Louisville vs. (2) Maryland 2:00 P.M. PST (MAR 3-1)

Semi-Finals
Friday December 7 (all times Pacific)
(16) Indiana vs. (12) Creighton 4:30 P.M. (IND 1-0)
(3) Georgetown vs. (2) Maryland 2:00 P.M (4-4 GEO wins 4-3 on PK)

Finals
Sunday December 9
(16) Indiana vs. (3) Georgetown 11:00 A.M (PST) (IND 1-0)

My finals prediction (based on nothing)

(1) Notre Dame vs. (15) Wake Forest

Winner: Notre Dame

zzzzz Vol. 3 November 2012

For new readers: zzzzz (Pronounced "Quintuple z") is a blog about my thoughts about various stories and sporting events. Most of it is in the Modesto, CA area, but if I see a national story worth talking about, I'll talk about it, too. I also talk about geography and history, because those are my interests.







THINGS AT CHURCH
- On Sunday, November 11, Bethel Assembly will be hosting a turkey dinner at 5:00 P.M.

NEWS
-The Oakdale Joint Unified School District became the first School District in Stanislaus County to break the API barrier of 800 as a district. (from The Oakdale Leader)

I assume that meant that all the schools in the district averaged 800. The elememtary schools generally do the best on these tests. I was told Sierra View Elementary got a 861. I know Fair Oaks scored in the 820's and I believe Oakdale Junior High got 795. I do not know how the other schools did. For those unfamiliar with the schools in the district, there are two more elementary schools: Cloverland and Magnolia; Oakdale High School, East Stanislaus High School (continuation school), Oakdale Charter, and I believe the independent study school, Valley Oak, is included in the measure, too. Personally, I feel standardized tests are a waste of time, but I do not want my personal feelings to take away the accomplishment of the teachers and students. They all did a wonderful job and deserve to be applauded. It is great seeing all this work pay off, and as a product of Oakdale schools, I hope this trend continues to climb over the years.

POLITICS
-President Barack Obama won reelection over former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney.
 I would like to say congratulations to President Obama.  Now that I've said it, WE'RE SCREWED! I 
 heard one Democratic analyst say that the president will work more with Republicans in Congress.  I doubt that.  He wouldn't work with them (and to be fair, the Republicans in turn wouldn't work with him.)  I seriously doubt that.  He wouldn't compromise with them when reelection was on the line.  Why would we start now when he has nothing to lose?  It makes no sense to me.  If the country is better in four years, I will be the first to apologize. But I doubt I will have to.

-Statehood won the election in Puerto Rico.  Now the vote has to go through Congress, but if the Republicans in the House pass it, it will undoubtingly (not sure if it is a word, but it is now) die with Harry Reid and the Senate.  (I have more faith in Obama than I do in Reid).  It will be interesting to see a new state in my lifetime.

FIFA RANKINGS FOR NOVEMBER (Top 25)
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Portugal 5. Italy 6. England 7. Netherlands 8. Columbia 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Uruguay 12. Greece 13. Brazil 14. Mexico 15. Cote D'Ivoire 16. Switzerland 17. Ecuador 18. France 19. Algeria 20. Belgium 21. Chile 22. Denamrk 23. Sweden 24. Japan 25. Czech Republic (USA jumped to 27)
-Biggest jump: St. Lucia (from 185 to 147)
-Biggest fall: Congo (from 94 to 115)

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Final CCAA Standings
Team                                                            Conf W-L        Overall W-L

Brookside Christian (Stockton)                     5-0                      8-2
Big Valley (Modesto)                                    4-1                      5-5
Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi)                             3-2                     7-3
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced)                    2-3                      3-7
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 1-4                      2-8
Millennium (Tracy)                                       0-5                      1-9


-I was not able to make it to a CCAA game this month, but here were last week's scores:
Brookside Chr. 72- Millennium 0
Jim Elliot Chrisitan 27- Sierra Ridge/ROP 14
Big Valley 22-Stone Ridge Christian 8

-Three CCAA teams made the playoffs this year (all division VI)
Jim Elliot will play Ripon Christian at Modesto Christian
Big Valley will play at Woodland Christian
Brookside Christian has a bye

(I likely will not be able to attend any game this month, either; but I will post scores of all playoff games on the next zzzzz.)      

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Here is the latest update of the postseason if I had it my way:
(9) Kent St. (MAC) at (8) Rutgers (Big East) winner would play (1) Kansas St. (Big 12)
(12) Arkansas St. (Sun Belt) at (5) Florida St. (ACC) winner would play (4) Georgia (SEC)
(11) Fresno St. (Mountain West) at (6) Louisiana Tech (WAC) winner would play (3) Notre Dame (Independent, Wildcard)
(10) UCF (Conference USA) at (7) Michigan (Big 10) winner would play at (2) Oregon (PAC-12)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Last week, the college basketball season opened.  Three hundred forty-seven teams are playing for one goal...a championship (some of those teams are ineligible because they have not been in division I long enough, therefore that championship would have to come in the CIT).  Indiana is the favorite among those in the media, while Kentucky is the defending champions and look as strong as ever.  Two teams join division I (Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Kentucky). There have been many teams that have changed conferences this year from both big and small schools.  Here is the list...

Belmont (from Atlantic Sun to Ohio Valley)

Butler (from Horizon to Atlantic 10)
Denver (from Sun Belt to WAC)
Fresno St. (from WAC to Mountain West)
Hawai'i (from WAC to Big West)
Longwood (from Independent to Big South)
Missouri (from Big 12 to SEC)
Nevada (from WAC to Mountain West)
North Dakota (from Great West to Big Sky)
Oral Roberts (from Summit to Southland)
Seattle (from Independent to WAC)
Southern Utah (from Summit to Big Sky)
TCU (from Mountain West to Big 12)
Texas A&M (from Big 12 to SEC)
Texas-Arlington (from Southland to WAC)
Texas St. (from Southland to WAC)
UTSA (from Southland to WAC)
VCU (from Colonial to Atlantic 10)
West Virginia (from Big East to Big 12)

Nebraska-Omaha joins the Summit League
Northern Kentucky joins the Atlantic Sun Conference

For some reason, blogger is being a pain again, and it won't let me skip lines.  So I am going to end this month's zzzzz here.  What missed the cut was: the MLS playoffs, start of the NBA season, my take in the high school state bowls (predicting who would make it),   a high school football coach wins career #600, geography, history, GRE word of the month, and toddler gets a ticket. I will see you all next month. (Now that I published it, it is letting me skip lines.  I will still end it here.)
Matt Groom 11/7/2012         

Sac-Joaquin Section Football Playoffs

The brackets have been released for football.  I have debated on the amount of information I wanted to put on here.  I will put the teams, how they got to the playoffs, and my game-by-game predictions and predictions for the championship for each division. Some of my predictions are based on intelligent football thought.  Others are based on nothing. Since this blog is Oakdale-centric, we'll start with division III. (Note: All games are Fridays at 7:00 P.M unless otherwise noted.)

Division III
1st round- November 9th (My predictions in italics) (results in red)
(16) Pacheco Panthers (Los Banos) @ (1) Oakdale Mustangs (OAK 63-7)
        (At large WAC)                                   (1st VOL)
(9) Benicia Panthers @ (8) Patterson Tigers (BEN 27-24)
      (2nd SCAC)                   (At large WAC)
(12) Christian Brothers Falcons (Sacramento) @ (5) Cosumnes Oaks Wolfpack (Elk Grove)(CO 19-10)
         (At large CVC)                                                    (2nd SVC)
(13) River Valley Falcons (Yuba City) @ (4) American Canyon Wolves (AC 37-8)
         (At large TCC)                                         (1st SCAC)
(14) Rosemont Wolverines (Sacramento) @ (3) Sierra Timberwolves (Manteca) (SIE 28-8)
        (At large ML)                                            (2nd VOL)
(11) Manteca Buffaloes @ (6) Inderkum Tigers (Sacramento) (IND 30-21)
        (At large VOL)                 (2nd TCC)
(10) El Camino Eagles (Sacramento) @ (7) Sacramento Dragons (EC 39-14)
        (At large CAL)                                       (2nd ML)
(15) Lincoln Fighting Zebras @ (2) Vista del Lago Eagles (Folsom) (VDL 44-0)
        (At large PVL)                           (1st SVC)

Note: The Christian Brothers-Cosumnes Oaks game is Saturday, November 10th at 7:00 P.M. The Lincoln-Vista del Lago game is at Folsom High School the day of the game has been switched to Thursday, November 8th at 7:00 P.M.

2nd Round- November 16th (My predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(9) Benicia @ (1) Oakdale (OAK 35-12)
(5) Cosumnes Oaks @ (4) American Canyon (AC 28-20)
(6) Inderkum @ (3) Sierra (IND 69-47)
(10) El Camino @ (2) Vista del Lago (VDL 35-31)

Note: The El Camino-Vista del Lago game will be played at Folsom High School.

Semi-Finals- November 23rd (My predictions in blue) (results in green)
(4) American Canyon @ (1) Oakdale (OAK 42-19)
(6) Inderkum @ (2) Vista del Lago (VDL 28-21)

Note: The Inderkum-Vista del Lago game will be played Saturday at Folsom High School.

Finals- Friday November 30th (prediction in blue) (result in fuchia)
(2) Vista del Lago vs. (1) Oakdale (@ Lincoln-Stockton) 7:30 P.M (OAK 22-9)

Still in line for a possible Division II State Bowl Bid (in alphabetical order): Oakdale (Likelyhood in my opinion: Almost guaranteed) Likely opponent if OHS is chosen: Clayton Valley (Concord) Other possibilities: Enterprise (Redding), St. Francis (Mountain View)

Division I
1st round Friday November 9th (my predictions in italics)
(16) Nevada Union Miners (Grass Valley) @ (1) Franklin Wildcats (Elk Grove) (FRA 35-14)
         (At large SFL)                                              (1st DVL)
(9) Merced Bears @ (8) Lincoln Trojans (Stockton) (LIN 52-7)
      (2nd CCC)                (1st SJAA)
(12) Napa Indians @ (5) Granite Bay Grizzlies (GB 52-0)
        (2nd MEL)               (1st SFL)
(13) Bethel Jaguars (Vallejo) @ (4) Downey Knights (Modesto) (DOW 41-6)
        (At large SCAC)                         (1st MMC)
(14) Enochs Eagles (Modesto) @ (3) Oak Ridge Trojans (El Dorado Hills) (OR 49-21)
        (2nd MMC)                                 (2nd DRL)
(11) Tokay Tigers (Lodi) @ (6) Pitman Pride (Turlock) (PIT 49-19)
        (At large TCAL)                 (At large CCC)
(10) Pleasant Grove Eagles (Elk Grove) @ (7) Stagg Delta Kings (Stockton) (PG 22-21)
        (At large DRL)                                           (2nd TCAL)
(15) Grant Pacers (Sacramento) @ (2) Burbank Titans (Sacramento) (BUR 26-19)
        (At large DVL)                               (1st ML)

Note: The Nevada Union-Franklin (EG) game is at Cosumnes Oaks High School (Elk Grove).  The Tokay-Pitman game is at Turlock High School.

2nd Round- November 16th (predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(8) Lincoln-Stockton @ (1) Franklin-Elk Grove (FRA 42-6)
(5) Granite Bay @ (4) Downey (GB 56-20)
(6) Pitman @ (3) Oak Ridge (OR 17-16)
(10) Pleasant Grove @ (2) Burbank (BUR 32-27)

Note: The Lincoln-Franklin game will be played at Cosumnes Oaks High School (Elk Grove). The Pleasant Grove-Oak Ridge game will be Saturday at 1:00 P.M

Semi-Finals- November 23rd (predictions in blue) (results in green)
(5) Granite Bay @ (1) Franklin-Elk Grove (GB 37-7)
(3) Oak Ridge @ (2) Burbank (OR 24-6)

Final- Friday November 30th (prediction in blue) (result in fuchia)
(5) Granite Bay vs. (3) Oak Ridge (@ Sacramento State University) 7:30 P.M (GB 35-23)

Still in line for a possible Open or Division I State Bowl Bid: Granite Bay, (Likelyhood in my opinion: Good chance for Division I, Very Little chance for Open Division) Likely opponent if GB is chosen: St. Ignatius (San Francisco) Other possibilities: None

Division II
1st round- Friday November 9th (my predictions in italics)
(16) Atwater Falcons @ (1) Folsom Bulldogs (FOL 59-12)
        (At large CCC)             (1st DRL)
(8) Rio Linda Knights @ (9) Vacaville Bulldogs (VAC 35-21)
      (2nd CVC)                       (1st MEL)
(12) McNair Eagles (Stockton) @ (5) Buhach Colony Thunder (Atwater) (BC 59-22)
        (At large TCAL)                          (1st CCC)
(13) Rocklin Thunder @ (4) Antelope Titans (ANT 31-24)
       (At large SFL)                (1st CAL)
(14) Ponderosa Bruins (Shingle Springs) @ (3) Elk Grove Thundering Herd (EG 41-0)
       (At large DRL)                                             (2nd DVL)
(11) Whitney Wildcats (Rocklin) @ (6) Del Campo Cougars (Fair Oaks) (DC 34-27)
         (2nd CAL)                                      (1st CVC)
(10) Tracy Bulldogs @ (7) St. Mary's Rams (Stockton) (STM 34-6)
        (2nd SJAA)                 (1st TCAL)
(15) Del Oro Golden Eagles (Loomis) @ (2) Yuba City Honkers (DO 45-21)
        (2nd SFL)                                                 (1st TCC)

Note: Ninth seed Vacaville gets home game over 8th seed Rio Linda, because in the first round only, league champions get priority of home game, regardless of seed. 
The McNair-Buhach Colony game will be at Atwater High School

2nd Round- November 16th (my predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(9) Vacaville @ (1) Folsom (FOL 49-13)
(5) Buhach Colony @ (4) Antelope (BC 35-28)
(6) Del Campo @ (3) Elk Grove (EG 35-14)
(15) Del Oro @ (7) St. Mary's (DO 21-14)

Note: The Vacaville-Folsom game will be played on Saturday at 7:00 P.M.

Semi-Finals- November 23rd (my predictions in blue) (results in green)
(5) Buhach Colony @ (1) Folsom (FOL 49-22)
(15) Del Oro @ (3) Elk Grove (EG 35-32)

Finals- Saturday December 1st (my prediction in blue) (result in fuchia)
(3) Elk Grove vs. (1) Folsom (@ Sacramento State University) 7:30 P.M. (FOL 44-18)

Still in line for a possible Open or Division I State Bowl Bid: Folsom. (Likelyhood Folsom gets chosen: Almost Guaranteed). Likely Opponent if Folsom gets chosen: De La Salle (Concord) Other possibilities: None (Although, St. Ignatius could be chosen to play in the Open Division.  If that happens, then the Division I Nor-Cal game will be an all-Sac-Joaquin section game between Folsom and Granite Bay.)

Division IV
1st round Friday November 9th (my predictions in italics)
(16) Hilmar Yellowjackets @ (1) Placer Hillmen (Auburn) (PLA 59-3)
        (At large TVL)                      (1st PVL)
(9) Calaveras Redskins (San Andreas) @ (8) Escalon Cougars (ESC 44-14)
      (2nd MLL)                                                 (2nd TVL)
(12) Summerville Bears (Tuoloumne City) @ (5) Los Banos Tigers (LB 41-18)
        (At large MLL)                                               (2nd WAC)
(13) Modesto Christian Crusaders @ (4) Capital Christian Cougars (Sacramento) (CAP 41-0)
        (At large TVL)                                  (1st GEL)
(14) Amador Buffaloes (Sutter Creek) @ (3) Ripon Indians (RIP 40-0)
        (At large MLL)                                        (1st TVL)
(11) Bear River Bruins (Grass Valley) @ (6) Central Catholic Raiders (Modesto) (CC 63-20)
        (At large PVL)                                         (1st WAC)
(10) Center Cougars (Antelope) @ (7) Dixon Rams (CEN 42-0)
        (2nd PVL)                                      (2nd GEL)
(15) Hughson Huskies @ (2) Argonaut Mustangs (Jackson) (ARG 42-14)
        (At large TVL)               (1st MLL)

2nd Round- Friday November 16th (my predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(8) Escalon @ (1) Placer (ESC 27-26)
(5) Los Banos @ (4) Capital Christian (LB 42-14)
(6) Central Catholic @ (3) Ripon (CC 40-21)
(10) Center @ (2) Argonaut (CEN 19-14)

Note: One of the few reasons why I do round-by-round predictions along with predictions before the playoffs start is because sometimes teams will show me something they haven't shown me before.  After Placer's amazing game last night, they now have me convinced they'll beat Escalon.  I also forgot that I originally picked Center to beat Argonaut.

Semi-Finals- Friday November 23rd (my predictions in blue) (results in green)
(8) Escalon @ (5) Los Banos (ESC 42-35 (4OT))
(10) Center @ (6) Central Catholic (CC 34-13)

Finals- Saturday December 1st (my prediction in blue)
(8) Escalon vs. (6) Central Catholic (@ Lincoln-Stockton) 1:00 P.M

Still in line for a possible Division III state bowl bid: None
Division IV bid: Central Catholic (Likelyhood: Guaranteed) Likely opponent: McClymonds (Oakland) Other possibilities: Ferndale, Portola, Le Grand

Division V
1st round Friday November 9th (my predictions in italics)
(5) Bradshaw Christian Pride (Sacramento) @ (4) Highlands Scots (North Highlands) (HIGH 60-41)
      (At large SDL)                                                   (2nd SDL)
(6) Rio Vista Rams @ (3) Le Grand Bulldogs (LEG 50-12)
      (At large SDL)            (At large SL)

(1) Waterford Wildcats and (2) Golden Sierra Grizzlies (Garden Valley) have 1st round byes
      (1st  SL)                                (1st SDL)

2nd round Friday November 16th (predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(4) Highlands @ (1) Waterford (WAT 28-12)
(3) Le Grand @ (2) Golden Sierra (LEG 24-22)

Final- Saturday November 24th (prediction in blue) (result in green)
(3) Le Grand vs. (1) Waterford (at Lodi Grape Bowl) 6:00 P.M (LEG 30-12)

Still in line for possible Division IV bid: Le Grand (Likelyhood: Not likely)

Division VI
1st round Friday November 9th (my predictions in italics)
(5) Jim Elliot Christian Eagles (Lodi) @ (4) Ripon Christian Knights (RC 42-22)
      (At large CCAA)                                      (2nd SL)
(6) Big Valley Lions (Modesto) @ (3) Woodland Christian Cardinals (BV 19-12)
      (2nd CCAA)                                    (At large SMAL)

(1) Foresthill Wildfire and (2) Brookside Christian Knights (Stockton) have 1st round byes
      (1st SMAL)                        (1st CCAA)

Note: Since Ripon Christian normally plays at Ripon High School, and both teams made the playoffs, the Jim Elliot Christian-Ripon Christian game has been moved to Modesto Christian High School.

2nd Round Friday November 16th (predictions in blue) (results in orange)
(4) Ripon Christian @ (1) Foresthill (FOR 32-26)
(6) Big Valley @ (2) Brookside Christian (BC 52-0)

Final Saturday November 24th (prediction in blue) (result in green)
(2) Brookside Christian vs. (1) Foresthill (@ Lodi Grape Bowl) 1:00 P.M (BC 60-26)

Still in line for possible Division IV bid: Brookside Chrisitan (Likelyhood: None)

League Abbreviations

CAL- Capital Athletic League                                                                     
CVC- Capital Valley Conference
CCAA- Central California Athletic Association
CCC- Central California Conference
DRL- Delta River League
DVL- Delta Valley League
GEL- Golden Empire League
ML- Metro League
MMC- Modesto Metro Conference
MEL- Monticello Empire League
MLL- Mother Lode League
PVL- Pioneer Valley League
SMAL- Sacramento Metro Athletic League
SDL- Sierra Delta League
SFL- Sierra Foothill League
SJAA- San Joaquin Athletic Association
SVC- Sierra Valley Conference
SCAC- Solano County Athletic Conference
SL- Southern League
TVL- Trans Valley League
TCAL- Tri-City Athletic League
TCC- Tri-Valley Conference
VOL- Valley Oak League
WAC- Western Athletic Conference


My Playoff Predictions

Note: These predictions will start from the 2nd round.  First round predictions are stated in the 1st part of the blog. These matchups are, of course, if I correctly predict the first round winners.
Division III
Benicia @ Oakdale-Oakdale
Cosumnes Oaks @ American Canyon- Cosumnes Oaks
Inderkum @ Sierra- Sierra
Sacramento @ Vista del Lago- Vista del Lago
Semifinals
Cosumnes Oaks @ Oakdale- Oakdale
Sierra @ Vista del Lago- Sierra
Finals
Sierra vs. Oakdale- Oakdale

Division I-2nd round
Lincoln (Stockton) @ Franklin (Elk Grove)- Franklin (EG)
Granite Bay @ Downey- Granite Bay
Pitman @ Oak Ridge- Oak Ridge
Pleasant Grove @ Burbank- Pleasant Grove
Semifinals
Granite Bay @ Franklin (EG)-Franklin (EG)
Pleasant Grove @ Oak Ridge- Oak Ridge
Finals
Oak Ridge vs. Franklin (EG)- Franklin (EG)

Division II- 2nd round
Vacaville @ Folsom- Folsom
Buhach Colony @ Antelope- Buhach Colony
Whitney @ Elk Grove- Elk Grove
Del Oro @ St. Mary's- Del Oro
Semifinals
Buhach Colony @ Folsom-Folsom
Del Oro @ Elk Grove- Elk Grove
Finals
Elk Grove vs. Folsom- Elk Grove

Division IV-2nd round
Escalon @ Placer- Escalon
Modesto Christian @ Los Banos-Los Banos
Central Catholic @ Ripon- Central Catholic
Center @ Argonaut- Center
Semifinals
Escalon @ Los Banos- Escalon
Center @ Central Catholic- Central Catholic
Finals
Escalon vs. Central Catholic- Central Catholic

Division V-Semifinals
Highlands @ Waterford- Highlands
Le Grand @ Golden Sierra- Le Grand
Finals
Highlands vs. Le Grand- Highlands

Division VI- Semifinals
Ripon Christian @ Foresthill-Foresthill
Woodland Christian @ Brookside Christian-Brookside Christian
Finals
Brookside Christian vs. Foresthill-Foresthill

If you guys have questions, comments, or a different opinion on predictions, feel free to leave a comment.

All information came from www.cifsjs.org, www.calpreps.com, and my own brain.