I am posting this for two reasons. 1) Soccer is the most popular sport in the world (though this only has to do with Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto teams). 2) To show what the new model looks like. The qualification is the same (3 teams per league, with the exception of the smallest leagues. They have 2). The divisions are enrollment-based. Not league based. There are some exceptions to that rule and I will note them when I can.
The results will be in brackets and bold faced. Note: All information comes from www.cifsjs.org soccer page.
Division I (16 largest qualified schools)
First Round- Tuesday October 30, 2012
(16) Vallejo @ (1) Jesuit (Carmichael) [JES 12-1]
(9) Kennedy (Sacramento) @ (8) Woodcreek (Roseville) [WDC 2-1]
(12) Merced @ (5) Modesto [MER 1-0]
(13) Edison (Stockton) @ (4) Armijo (Fairfield) [ARM 5-2]
(14) Chavez (Stockton) @ (3) McClatchy (Sacramento) [MCC 1-0 (OT]
(11) Napa @ (6) Davis [DAV 6-0]
(10) Franklin (Stockton) @ (7) West (Tracy) [WEST 2-0]
(15) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) @ (2) Granite Bay [GB 3-0]
Second Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Woodcreek @ (1) Jesuit [JES 5-0]
(12) Merced @ (4) Armijo [MER 5-1]
(6) Davis @ (3) McClatchy [DAV 2-1]
(7) West @ (2) Granite Bay [GB 2-1]
Semifinals- Wednesday November 7, 2012
(12) Merced @ (1) Jesuit [JES 4-0]
(6) Davis @ (2) Granite Bay [GB 3-1]
Finals- Saturdal November 10, 2012
(2) Granite Bay vs. Jesuit (@ Cosumnes Oaks- Elk Grove 2:00 P.M) [JES 5-0]
Jesuit Maruders (Carmichael) are the division I section champions!
Division II (16 next largest schools Note: Del Oro was moved up to Division II)
First Round- Tuesday October 30, 2012
(16) Burbank (Sacramento) @ (1) Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) [BV 6-1]
(9) Del Oro (Loomis) @ (8) Lodi [LODI 2-0]
(12) Whitney (Rocklin) @ (5) Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) [WHI 3-2]
(13) Atwater @ (4) McNair (Stockton) [MCN 4-2]
(14) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) @ (3) Grant (Sacramento) [GRA 2-1]
(11) Folsom @ (6) Vintage (Vacaville) [FOL 1-0]
(10) Downey (Modesto) @ (7) Rio Linda [RL 3-2 (OT)]
(15) Johansen (Modesto) @ (2) Turlock [TUR 2-0]
Second Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Lodi @ (1) Bella Vista [BV 2-0]
(12) Whitney @ (4) McNair [MCN 2-1]
(11) Folsom @ (3) Grant [FOL 1-0]
(7) Rio Linda @ (2) Turlock [TUR 3-0]
Semifinals- Wednesday November 7, 2012
(4) McNair @ (1) Bella Vista [BV 10-0]
(11) Folsom @ (2) Turlock [TUR 2-1]
Finals- Saturday November 10, 2012
(2) Turlock vs. (1) Bella Vista (@ Lincoln-Stockton 4:00 P.M) [1-1 BV wins 6-5 on PK]
Bella Vista Broncos (Fair Oaks) are the division II section champions!
Division III (12 next largest schools)
First Round- Tuesday October 30, 2012
(9) Pioneer (Woodland) @ (8) Vanden (Fairfield) [VAN 2-0]
(12) Oakdale @ (5) Central Valley [CV 5-3]
(11) El Camino (Sacramento) @ (6) River Valley (Yuba City) [RV 4-0]
(10) Yuba City @ (7) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) [CO 5-0]
Second Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Vanden @ (1) Manteca [MAN 2-1]
(5) Central Valley @ (4) Benicia [CV 2-0]
(6) River Valley @ (3) Patterson [0-0, RV wins on 5-4 shootout]
(7) Cosumnes Oaks @ (2) Rio Americano (Sacramento) [RA 2-0]
Semifinals- Wednesday November 7, 2012
(5) Central Valley @ (1) Manteca [CV 1-0]
(6) River Valley @ (2) Rio Americano [1-1, RV wins shootout 5-4]
Finals- Saturday November 10, 2012
(6) River Valley vs. (5) Central Valley (@ Lincoln-Stockton 2:00 P.M) [RV 2-0]
River Valley Falcons (Yuba City) are the division III section champions!
Division IV (8 next largest schools)
First Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Ceres @ (1) Vista del Lago (Folsom) [VDL 2-0]
(5) Dixon @ (4) Lincoln [LIN 1-0]
(6) Colfax @ (3) Sierra (Manteca) [SIE 5-1]
(7) Galt @ (2) Placer (Auburn) [GALT 4-2]
Semifinals- Wednesday November 7, 2012
(4) Lincoln @ (1) Vista del Lago [VDL 1-0]
(7) Galt @ (3) Sierra [GALT 2-0]
Finals- (7) Galt vs. (1) Vista del Lago (@ Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove, Noon) [VDL 1-0]
Vista del Lago Eagles (Folsom) are the division IV section champions!
Division V (8 next largest schools)
First Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Ripon @ (1) West Campus (Sacramento) [WC 4-1]
(5) Venture Academy (Stockton) @ (4) Linden [LIN 1-0]
(6) Highlands (North Highlands) @ (3) Delhi [DEL 3-0]
(7) Bret Harte (Angels Camp) @ (2) Riverbank [RIV 4-2]
Semifinals-Wednesday November 7, 2012
(4) Linden @ (1) West Campus [WC 2-1]
(3) Delhi @ (2) Riverbank [RIV 2-1]
Finals- Saturday Novemver 10, 2012
(2) Riverbank vs. (1) West Campus (@ Lincoln-Stockton, Noon) [WC 3-1]
West Campus Warriors (Sacramento) are the division V section champions!
Division VI (8 next largest schools)
First Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Holt Academy (Stockton) @ (1) Capital Christian (Sacramento) [CAP 10-1]
(5) Hilmar @ (4) Cristo Rey (Sacramento) [4-4 CR wins 5-3 in shootout]
(6) Millennium (Tracy) @ (3) Encina (Sacramento) [ENC 4-0]
(7) Summerville (Tuoloumne City) @ (2) Gustine [GUS 2-0]
Semifinals-Wednesday November 7, 2012
(4) Cristo Rey @ (1) Capital Christian [CAP 2-0]
(3) Encina @ (2) Gustine [GUS 3-2]
Finals- Saturday November 10, 2012
(2) Gustine vs. (1) Capital Chrisitan (@ Lincoln-Stockton 10:00 A.M) [CAP 6-2]
Capital Christian Cougars (Sacramento) are the division VI section Champions!
Division VII (8 smallest qualifying schools)
First Round- Thursday November 1, 2012
(8) Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) @ (1) Sacramento Country Day [SCD 8-1]
(5) Ripon Christian @ (4) Global Youth Charter (Antelope) [RC 3-0]
(6) Vacaville Christian @ (3) Faith Christian (Yuba City) [VCH 2-0]
(7) Trinity Prep (Napa) @ (2) Victory Christian (Carmichael) [VC 3-1]
Semifinals- Wednesday November 7, 2012
(5) Ripon Christian @ (1) Sacramento Country Day [SDC 4-0]
(6) Vacaville Christian @ (2) Victory Christian [VC 3-1]
Finals- Saturday November 10, 2012
(2) Victory Christian vs. (1) Sacramento Country Day (@ Cosumnes Oaks- Elk Grove 10:00 A.M) [0-0 SCD wins 3-2 on penalty kicks]
Sacramento Country Day Cavaliers are the division VII section champions!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A zzzzz special: Week 7 High School Football Projections
On occasion, I make weekly projections of the Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs and send them to my friends that I know care. On my last projection for the year, I decided to do projections for all the sections in the state. This is done for a few reasons: 1) I have friends and other potential audience members who went to schools across the state. I want to give them a chance to see if their alma mater has a chance of making the playoffs. 2) Why not? 3) I want to see if my alma mater has a chance at Nor-Cal and state; and if so, what their potential opponents would have to go through to reach state.
Each section has its own criteria for making the playoffs, and I tried to stick to it the best I could. For those that use strength of schedule, I used opponents wins. I don't have enough knowledge of teams outside the Sac-Joaquin Section to make an accurate strength of schedule. I also tried not to put teams in the same league in the first round, but in some sections, that was impossible. I could not find the information for the Los Angeles, Southern, and San Diego Sections. Therefore, I gave league leaders an automatic berth, and did the at-large by overall wins, and calpreps.com ratings. As for the amount of teams, I used the same amount the sections did last year. I got my information from calpreps.com and section websites. All play-offs are single-elimination. Instead of bracket form, I will present them line-by-line. (Winner of line 1 plays winner of line 2. 3 plays 4, etc. in 2nd round).
Here are my projections starting with the section and division of my alma mater, Oakdale
SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION
-The section has 6 divisions. Divisions I-IV, the top 2 teams in each league are automatically in. The 24 at-large teams are based on overall wins, and opponents wins. The divisions the teams are assigned are based on enrollment (with some exceptions). Divisions V-VI, the top 2 teams in each league are in. The 4 at-large teams are based on the same criteria as Divisions I-IV. Those divisions are also enrollment-based, with no exceptions.
Division III
(16) Christian Brothers (Sacramento) @ (1) Placer (Auburn)
(9) River Valley (Yuba City) @ (8) Sacramento
(12) Benicia @ (5) Sierra (Manteca)
(13) El Camino (Sacramento) @ (4) Vista del Lago (Folsom)
(11) Patterson @ (6) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove)
(14) Pacheco (Los Banos) @ (3) Oakdale
(10) Inderkum (Sacramento) @ (7) American Canyon
(15) Manteca @ (2) Yuba City
Division I
(16) Vallejo @ (1) Franklin (Elk Grove)
(9) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) @ (8) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)
(12) Lincoln (Stockton) @ (5) Tokay (Lodi)
(13) Merced @ (4) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
(11) Granite Bay @ (6) Napa
(14) Jesuit (Carmichael) @ (3) Pitman (Turlock)
(10) Enochs (Modesto) @ (7) Bethel (Vallejo)
(15) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) @ (2) Stagg (Stockton)
Division II
(16) Del Oro (Loomis) @ (1) Folsom
(9) Tracy @ (8) Buhach Colony (Atwater)
(12) Atwater @ (5) Whitney (Rocklin)
(13) Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) @ (4) Rio Linda
(11) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) @ (6) Antelope
(14) McNair (Stockton) @ (3) Elk Grove
(10) St. Mary's (Stockton) @ (7) Downey (Modesto)
(15) Vacaville @ (2) Burbank (Sacramento)
Division IV
(16) Hughson @ (1) Ripon
(9) Bear River (Grass Valley) @ (8) Summerville (Tuoloumne City)
(5) Calaveras (San Andreas) @ (12) Central Catholic (Modesto)* Central would host because league leaders get host priority, regardless of seed
(13) Escalon @ (4) Center (Antelope)
(11) Hilmar @ (6) Dixon
(14) Orestimba (Newman) @ (3) Capital Christian (Sacramento)
(10) Amador (Sutter Creek) @ (7) Los Banos
(15) Modesto Christian @ (2) Argonaut (Jackson)
Division V
(1) Le Grand would have a bye
(5) Highlands (North Highlands) @ (4) Golden Sierra (Garden Grove)
(6) Rio Vista @ (3) Waterford
(2) Ripon Christian would have a bye
Division VI
(1) Foresthill would have a bye
(5) Vacaville Christian @ (4) Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi)
(6) Big Valley (Modesto) @ (3) Brookside Christian (Stockton)
(2) Woodland Christian would have a bye
Northern Section
League leaders are automatically in. At-large and seeding is determined by a combination of overall wins, league placing, and strength of schedule. I did a combination of a first two as the priority and opponents wins as a tie-breaker. The divisions are enrollment-based, but predetermined. If a division has 10 or more teams at the beginning of the year, then that division will have 8 teams. Otherwise, it will have 6. Eight man is the exception. Four teams from the North and four teams from the south are in. Plus, the math does not apply.
Division I
(1) Paradise would have a bye
(5) Foothill (Palo Cedro) @ (4) Shasta (Redding)
(6) Las Plumas (Oroville) @ (3) Chico
(2) Enterprise (Redding) would have a bye
Division II
(8) Live Oak @ (1) Sutter
(5) Wheatland @ (4) Central Valley (Shasta Lake)
(6) Lassen (Susanville) @ (3) Orland
(7) Yreka @ (2) West Valley (Cottonwood)
Division III
(8) Willows @ (1) Pierce (Arbuckle)
(5) East Nicolaus (Nicolaus) @ (4) Willows
(6) Trinity (Weaverville) @ (3) Hamilton City
(7) Colusa @ (2) Modoc (Alturas)
Division IV
(1) Portola would get a bye
(5) Burney @ (4) Fall River
(6) Quincy @ (3) Chester
(2) Maxwell would have a bye
Division VI (8-Man)
(South 4) Mercy (Red Bluff) @ (North 1) Dunsmuir
(North 3) Butte Valley @ (South 2) Greenville
(North 4) Big Valley (Bieber) @ (South 1) Loyalton
(South 3) Princeton @ (North 2) Redding Christian (Palo Cedro)
North Coast Section
Divisions are based on enrollment and are pre-determined. League leaders automatically get in. At large teams are based on rankings. For those divisions that get "up to" 16 teams, I only allowed those teams with a .500 winning percentage or better. Division III is the only one that has sub-.500 at-large teams.
Divsion I
(9) Pittsburg @ (8) Foothill (Pleasanton) [winner would play at (1) De La Salle (Concord]
(5) Logan (Union City) @ (4) Deer Valley (Antioch)
(6) Freedom (Oakley) @ (3) Monte Vista (Danville)
(7) Antioch @ (2) California (San Ramon)
Division II
(9) American (Fremont) @ (8) Tomales [winner would play at (1) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park)]
(5) Washington (Fremont) @ (4) Clayton Valley (Concord)
(11) Mt. Eden (Hayward) @ (6) Casa Grande (Petaluma) [winner would play at (3) Concord]
(10) Dublin @ (7) Newark Memorial (Newark) [winner would play at (2) Northgate (Concord)]
Division III
(16) Alhambra (Martinez) @ (1) El Cerrito
(9) Tamalpais (Mill Valley) @ (8) Acalanes (Lafayette)
(12) Novato @ (5) Campolindo (Moraga)
(13) Sonoma Valley (Sonoma) @ (4) Marin Catholic (Kentfield)
(11) Terra Linda (San Rafael) @ (6) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland)
(14) Petaluma @ (3) Analy (Sebastopol)
(10) Hercules @ (7) Tennyson (Hayward)
(15) Miramonte (Orinda) @ (2) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa)
Division IV
(1) St. Helena would have a bye
(9) Middletown @ (8) Piedmont
(12) Drake (San Anselmo) @ (5) Ft. Bragg
(4) Justin-Siena (Napa) would have a bye
(11) Clear Lake (Calistoga) @ (6) Valley Christian (Dublin)
(3) Salesian (Richmond) would have a bye
(10) Fortuna @ (7) Willits
(2) Arcata would have a bye
Division V
(8) Swett (Crockett) @ (1) Ferndale
(5) St. Vincent (Petaluma) @ (4) Upper Lake
(6) Calistoga @ (3) St. Bernard's (Eureka)
(7) Tomales @ (2) California School for the Deaf (Fremont)
Central Coast Section
Top 2 teams in each league are automatic. The remaining 14 teams are chosen by ranking (for this example, I used overall wins, calpreps rankings for the 14). Anyone can apply for the Open division. Should more than 8 apply, the top 8 get in. If less than 8 apply, all those who apply get in, and the highest ranked amongst the other teams will be moved up. Divisions I-IV are based on enrollment and who makes the playoffs. In this example, it will be assumed that all 40 apply for open division.
Open Division
(8) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) @ (1) Oak Grove (San Jose)
(5) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) @ (4) Milipitas
(6) Los Gatos @ (3) Bellarmine (San Jose)
(7) Serra (San Mateo) @ (2) Seaside
Division I
(8) Evergreen Valley (San Jose) @ (1) Alisal (Salinas)
(5) Monte Vista (Cupertino) @ (4) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton)
(6) Salinas @ (3) Fremont (Sunnyvale)
(7) Palo Alto @ (2) Sequoia (Redwood City)
Division II
(8) South San Francisco @ (1) Cupertino
(5) Lincoln (San Jose) @ (4) Aptos
(6) Gunn (San Jose) @ (3) Aragon (San Mateo)
(7) Sobrato (Morgan Hill) @ (2) Santa Clara
Division III
(8) Terra Nova (Pacifica) @ (1) San Jose
(5) Soledad @ (4) Live Oak (Morgan Hill)
(6) Mills (Milbrae) @ (3) Monterey
(7) San Mateo @ (2) Gunderson (San Jose)
Division IV
(8) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) @ (1) San Lorenzo Valley (Felton)
(5) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) @ (4) Menlo (Atherton)
(6) Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville) @ (3) Soquel
(7) Palma (Salinas) @ (2) Carmel
San Francisco Section
Top 4 league finishers make the playoffs
(all teams in San Francisco)
(4) Balboa @ (1) Lincoln
(3) Lowell @ (2) Mission
Oakland Section
Top 4 league finishers make the playoffs
(all teams in Oakland)
(4) Skyline @ (1) Oakland Tech
(3) McClymonds @ (2) Fremont
Central Section
Every division can have up to 16 teams except for division VI (8 teams). Any team can apply for playoffs. If there are more teams that apply than spots available, the best teams get in. Otherwise, the team will be accepted. Divisions are based on enrollment, and are pre-determined. In this example, it is assumed everyone applies. Seeding, in this example, is based on overall wins and then calpreps.com rankings
Division I
(1) Clovis North (Fresno) would get a bye)
(9) Edison (Fresno) @ (8) Stockdale (Bakersfield)
(12) Centennial (Bakersfield) @ (5) Bullard (Fresno)
(13) Clovis East (Clovis) @ (4) Bakersfield
(11) Tulare Union (Tulare) @ (6) Frontier (Bakersfield)
(14) Clovis West (Fresno) @ (3) Central (Fresno)
(10) Buchanan (Clovis) @ (7) Liberty (Bakersfield)
(2) Clovis would have a bye
Division II
(1) Garces (Bakersfield) would have a bye
(9) Monache (Porterville) @ (8) Sunnyside (Fresno)
(12) North (Bakersfield) @ (5) El Diamante (Visalia)
(13) Hoover (Fresno) @ (4) Tehachapi
(11) West (Bakersfield) @ (6) Kingsburg
(14) Reedley @ (3) Redwood (Visalia)
(10) San Joaquin Valley (Fresno) @ (7) Lemoore
(2) Sanger would have a bye
Division III
(16) East Bakersfield (Bakersfield) @ (1) Dinuba
(9) Golden Valley (Bakersfield) @ (8) Madera
(12) Golden West (Visalia) @ (5) Independence (Bakersfield)
(13) Hanford @ (4) South (Bakersfield)
(11) Highland (Bakersfield) @ (6) Delano
(14) Fresno @ (3) Mt. Whitney (Visalia)
(10) Foothill (Bakersfield) @ (7) Porterville
(15) Washington Union (Fresno) @ (2) Ridgeview (Bakersfield)
Division IV
(16) Dos Palos @ (1) Wasco
(9) Roosevelt (Fresno) @ (8) Exeter
(12) Taft @ (5) Chowchilla
(13) Selma @ (4) Bakersfield Christian
(11) Hanford West (Hanford) @ (6) Arvin
(14) Kerman @ (3) Coalinga
(10) McLane (Fresno) @ (7) Fowler
(15) Chavez (Delano) @ (2) Mission Oak (Tulare)
Division V
(1) Liberty (Madera) would have a bye
(9) Caruthers @ (8) Immanuel (Reedley)
(12) Riverdale @ (5) Woodlake
(4) Sierra (Tollhouse) would have a bye
(11) Corcoran @ (6) Firebaugh
(3) Orosi would have a bye
(10) Parlier @ (7) Lindsay
(2) Shafter would have a bye
Division VI
(8) Fresno Christian @ (1) Avenal
(5) Tranquility @ (4) Farmersville
(6) Orange Cove @ (3) Strathmore
(7) Laton @ (2) Mendota
Los Angeles Section
Not sure how this one works. Last year, 16 teams made divisions I and II playoffs and 4 teams made 8-man. In this example, league leaders were automatics; at-large and seedings were based off wins and rankings. Divisions were pre-determined.
Division I
(16) Westchester (Los Angeles) @ (1) Narborne (Harbor City)
(9) San Pedro @ (8) Birmingham (Van Nuys)
(12) Sylmar @ (5) Gardena
(13) Fairfax (Los Angeles) @ (4) Crenshaw (Los Angeles)
(11) Palisades (Pacific Palisades) @ (6) Franklin (Los Angeles)
(14) Banning (Wilmington) @ (3) Roosevelt (Los Angeles)
(10) Dorsey ( Los Angeles) @ (7) Venice (Los Angeles)
(15) Garfield (Los Angeles) @ (2) Arleta
Division II
(16) Contreras (Los Angeles) @ (1) San Fernando
(9) View Park (Los Angeles) @ (8) South Gate
(12) Granada Hills @ (5) Bell
(13) North Hollywood @ (4) South East (South Gate)
(11) Canoga Park @ (6) Bernstein (Hollywood)
(14) Washington (Los Angeles) @ (3) Lincoln (Los Angeles)
(10) Jefferson (Los Angeles) @ (7) Eagle Rock (Los Angeles)
(15) Verdugo Hills (Tujanga) @ (2) Van Nuys
8-Man
East Valley (North Hollywood) @ Amino Robinson (Los Angeles)
Annenberg (Los Angeles) @ Fulton (Van Nuys)
Southern Section
Every division had 16 teams last year, except for Division II (8-Man). It had 14. I'll use the same amount of teams. I used the same formula as I did the Los Angeles Section.
Pac-5 Division (I)
(16) Poly (Long Beach) @ (1) El Toro (Lake Forest)
(9) Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) @ (8) St. Bonaventure (Ventura)
(12) Moorpark @ (5) Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
(13) Lakewood @ (4) Crespi (Encino)
(11) Loyola (Los Angeles) @ (6) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
(14) JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) @ (3) Alemany (Mission Hills)
(10) Lutheran (Orange) @ (7) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
(15) Bishop Amat (La Puente) @ (2) Mission Viejo
Inland Division (II)
(16) Yucaipa @ (1) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)
(9) Rancho Cucamonga @ (8) Eisenhower (Rialto)
(12) Murrieta Mesa (Murrieta) @ (5) Centennial (Corona)
(13) King (Riverside) @ (4) Charter Oak (Covina)
(11) South Hills (West Covina) @ (6) Chaparral (Temecuela)
(14) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga @ (3) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta)
(10) Ayala (Chino Hills) @ (7) Redlands
(15) Chino Hills @ (2) Upland
Northern Division (III)
(16) Atascadero @ (1) Palmdale
(9) San Luis Obispo @ (8) Eastside (Lancaster)
(12) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) @ (5) Canyon (Canyon Country)
(13) Redondo (Redondo Beach) @ (4) St. Joseph (Santa Maria)
(11) Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates) @ (6) Arroyo Grande
(14) Quartz Hill @ (3) Hart (Newhall)
(10) Valencia @ (7) West (Torrance)
(15) Paso Robles @ (2) Antelope Valley (Lancaster)
Western Division (IV)
(16) Morningside (Inglewood) @ (1) Lompoc
(9) Santa Barbara @ (8) Serra (Gardena)
(12) Buena (Ventura) @ (5) Cathedral (Los Angeles)
(13) Ventura @ (4) Camarillo
(11) Santa Monica @ (6) Dos Pueblos (Goleta)
(14) Culver City @ (3) Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood)
(10) Inglewood @ (7) Templeton
(15) Morro Bay @ (2) Chaminade (West Hills)
Central Division (V)
(16) Temescal Canyon (Lake Elsinore) @ (1) Summit (Fontana)
(9) Palm Springs @ (8) Chino
(12) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) @ (5) Elsinore (Wildomar)
(13) North (Riverside) @ (4) Heritage (Romoland)
(11) Montclair @ (6) Arlington (Riverside)
(14) Poly (Riverside) @ (3) Kaider (Fontana)
(10) Colony (Ontario) @ (7) Cathedral City
(15) Chaffey (Ontario) @ (2) Paloma Valley (Menifee)
Southwest Division (VI)
(16) Brea Olinda (Brea) @ (1) Tustin
(9) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) @ (8) Yorba Linda
(12) Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) @ (5) Foothill (Santa Ana)
(13) Huntington Beach @ (4) San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano)
(11) Esperanza (Anaheim) @ (6) Los Alamitos
(14) La Habra @ (3) Villa Park
(10) Valencia (Placentia) @ (7) Laguna Hills
(15) Troy (Fullerton) @ (2) Edison (Huntington Beach)
Southeast Division (VII)
(16) Gahr (Cerritos) @ (1) California (Whittier)
(9) Burbank @ (8) Diamond Ranch (Pomona)
(12) Los Altos (Hacienda Heights) @ (5) Norwalk
(13) Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs) @ (4) Paramount
(11) Muir (Pasadena) @ (6) Rowland (Rowland Heights)
(14) Bellflower @ (3) La Serna (Whittier)
(10) Bonita (La Verne) @ (7) Downey
(15) El Rancho (Pico Rivera) @ (2) La Mirada
Eastern Division (VIII)
(16) Norte Vista (Riverside) @ (1) Citrus Hills (Perris)
(9) Moreno Valley @ (8) West Valley (Hemet)
(12) Burroughs (Ridgecrest) @ (5) Oak Hills (Hesperia)
(13) Barstow @ (4) Tahquitz (Hemet)
(11) San Jacinto @ (6) San Gorgonio (San Bernardino)
(14) Hesperia @ (3) Carter (Rialto)
(10) Arroyo Valley (San Bernardino) @ (7) Beaumont
(15) Apple Valley @ (2) Serrano (Phelan)
Southern Division (IX)
(16) Saddleback (Santa Ana) @ (1) Segerstrom (Santa Ana)
(9) Valley (Santa Ana) @ (8) Estancia (Costa Mesa)
(12) Woodbridge (Irvine) @ (5) Ketella (Anaheim)
(13) Westminster @ (4) Garden Grove
(11) Orange @ (6) Rancho Alamitos (Garden Grove)
(14) Godinez (Santa Ana) @ (3) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach)
(10) Los Amigos (Fountain Valley) @ (7) Irvine
(15) Anaheim @ (2) Laguna Beach
Northwest Division (X)
(16) Heritage Christian (North Hills) @ (1) Nordoff (Ojai)
(9) Carpinteria @ (8) Whittier Christian (La Habra)
(12) Duarte @ (5) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance)
(13) Oak Park @ (4) Gladstone (Covina)
(11) Sierra Vista (Baldwin Park) @ (6) North (Torrance)
(14) Azusa @ (3) La Salle (Pasadena)
(10) El Segundo @ (7) La Puente
(15) Village Christian (Sun Valley) @ (2) Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara)
Mid-Valley Division (XI)
(16) South Pasadena @ (1) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
(9) El Monte @ (8) Monrovia
(12) Bell Gardens @ (5) Brentwood (Los Angeles)
(13) Windward (Los Angeles) @ (4) San Dimas
(11) Montebello @ (6) Gabrielino (San Gabriel)
(14) Temple City @ (3) Paraclete (Lancaster)
(10) Northview (Corona) @ (7) Covina
(15) Arroyo (El Monte) @ (2) San Marino
East Valley Division (XII)
(16) Bretheran Christian (Huntington Beach) @ (1) Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead)
(9) Aquinas (San Bernardino) @ (8) Big Bear (Big Bear City)
(12) Jurupa Hills (Fontana) @ (5) Calvary Murrieta (Murrieta)
(13) Desert Hot Springs @ (4) St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano)
(11) Western Christian (Upland) @ (6) Fillmore
(14) Shadow Hills (Indio) @ (3) Banning
(10) Malibu @ (7) Rubidoux (Riverside)
(15) Yucca Valley @ (2) Ontario Christian
Northeast Division (XIII)
(16) Saddleback Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano) @ (1) Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo)
(9) Kern Valley (Lake Isabella) @ (8) St. Anthony (Long Beach)
(12) Santa Clarita Christian (Canyon Country) @ (5) Ribet Academy (Los Angeles)
(13) Desert (Edwards AFB) @ (4) Salesian (Los Angeles)
(11) St. Monica (Santa Monica) @ (6) Capistrano Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano)
(14) Frazier Mountain (Lebec) @ (3) Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia)
(10) St. Genevieve (Paonrama City) @ (7) Bishop
(15) Flintridge Prep (La Canada) @ (2) Boron
8-Man Division I
(16) Upland Christian (Rancho Cucamonga) @ (1) Coast Union (Cambria)
(9) Thatcher (Ojai) @ (8) Mojave
(12) Milken (Los Angeles) @ (5) Calvary Chapel (Downey)
(13) Lucerne Valley @ (4) Lancaster Baptist
(11) Dunn (Los Olivos) @ (6) Nuview Bridge (Nuevo)
(14) Bloomington Christian @ (3) Excelsior (Victorville)
(10) Pacific Lutheran (Torrance) @ (7) Cate (Carpenteria)
(15) Orcutt Academy (Orcutt) @ (2) Desert Christian (Bermuda Dunes)
8-Man Division II
(1) Avalon would have a bye
(9) St. Michael's Prep (Silverado) @ (8) Trona
(12) Calvary Baptist (La Verne) @ (5) Desert Chapel (Palm Springs)
(13) Marywood-Palm Valley (Rancho Mirage) @ (4) Hope Centre (Compton)
(11) California Lutheran (Wildomar) @ (6) Valley Christian Academy (Santa Maria)
(14) Hillcrest Christian (Thousand Oaks) @ (3) Cuyama Valley (New Cuyama)
(10) Cornerstone Christian (Wildomar) @ (7) Trinity Classical Academy (Valencia)
(2) Joshua Springs (Yucca Valley) would have a bye
San Diego Section
The criteria I used was the same as the Los Angeles Section. Last year, each division had 11 teams, so that is what I used.
Division I
(9) San Pasqual (Escondido) @ (8) El Camino (Oceanside) [winner would play at (1) Grossmont (El Cajon)]
(5) Chula Vista at (4) Calexico
(11) Carlsbad @ (6) Mission Hills (San Marcos) [winner would play at (3) Henry (San Diego)]
(10) Rancho Buena Vista (Vista) @ (7) Eastlake (Chula Vista) [winner would play at (2) Otay Ranch (Chula Vista)]
Division II
(9) San Marcos @ (8) El Capitan (Lakeside) [winner would play at (1) Oceanside]
(5) Poway @ (4) Helix (La Mesa)
(11) Hilltop (Chula Vista) @ (6) Valhalla (El Cajon) [winner would play at (3) Westview (San Diego)]
(10) Orange Glen (Valley) @ (7) San Ysidro (San Diego) [winner would play at (2) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad)]
Division III
(9) Mt. Carmel (San Diego) @ (8) Ramona (Palomar) [winner would play at (1) Olympian (Chula Vista)]
(5) Hoover (San Diego) @ (4) Point Loma (San Diego)
(11) Morse (San Diego) @ (6) West Hills (Santee) [winner would play at (3) Serra (San Diego)]
(10) Central (El Cerrito) @ (7) Lincoln (San Diego) [winner would play at (2) Cathedral (San Diego)]
Division IV
(9) Mission Bay (San Diego) @ (8) Clairemont (San Diego) [winner would play at (1) Brawley]
(5) Imperial @ (4) Valley Center
(11) Palo Valley Verde (Blythe) @ (6) Mater Dei (Chula Vista) [winner would play at (3) Madison (San Diego)
(10) Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) @ (7) Mar Vista (Imperial Beach) [winner would play @ (2) St. Augustine (San Diego)]
Division V
(9) La Jolla Country Day @ (8) San Pasqual Academy (Escondido) [winner would play at (1) Army-Navy (Carlsbad)]
(5) Horizon (San Diego) @ (4) Calvary Christian Academy (Chula Vista)
(11) Parker (San Diego) @ (6) Christian (El Cajon) [winner would play at (3) Tri-City Christian (Chula Vista)]
(10) Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) @ (7) Holtville (winner would play at (2) Calipatria]
We will see how close this is to happening as the last 3 weeks of the regular season go by.
Each section has its own criteria for making the playoffs, and I tried to stick to it the best I could. For those that use strength of schedule, I used opponents wins. I don't have enough knowledge of teams outside the Sac-Joaquin Section to make an accurate strength of schedule. I also tried not to put teams in the same league in the first round, but in some sections, that was impossible. I could not find the information for the Los Angeles, Southern, and San Diego Sections. Therefore, I gave league leaders an automatic berth, and did the at-large by overall wins, and calpreps.com ratings. As for the amount of teams, I used the same amount the sections did last year. I got my information from calpreps.com and section websites. All play-offs are single-elimination. Instead of bracket form, I will present them line-by-line. (Winner of line 1 plays winner of line 2. 3 plays 4, etc. in 2nd round).
Here are my projections starting with the section and division of my alma mater, Oakdale
SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION
-The section has 6 divisions. Divisions I-IV, the top 2 teams in each league are automatically in. The 24 at-large teams are based on overall wins, and opponents wins. The divisions the teams are assigned are based on enrollment (with some exceptions). Divisions V-VI, the top 2 teams in each league are in. The 4 at-large teams are based on the same criteria as Divisions I-IV. Those divisions are also enrollment-based, with no exceptions.
Division III
(16) Christian Brothers (Sacramento) @ (1) Placer (Auburn)
(9) River Valley (Yuba City) @ (8) Sacramento
(12) Benicia @ (5) Sierra (Manteca)
(13) El Camino (Sacramento) @ (4) Vista del Lago (Folsom)
(11) Patterson @ (6) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove)
(14) Pacheco (Los Banos) @ (3) Oakdale
(10) Inderkum (Sacramento) @ (7) American Canyon
(15) Manteca @ (2) Yuba City
Division I
(16) Vallejo @ (1) Franklin (Elk Grove)
(9) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) @ (8) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)
(12) Lincoln (Stockton) @ (5) Tokay (Lodi)
(13) Merced @ (4) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
(11) Granite Bay @ (6) Napa
(14) Jesuit (Carmichael) @ (3) Pitman (Turlock)
(10) Enochs (Modesto) @ (7) Bethel (Vallejo)
(15) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) @ (2) Stagg (Stockton)
Division II
(16) Del Oro (Loomis) @ (1) Folsom
(9) Tracy @ (8) Buhach Colony (Atwater)
(12) Atwater @ (5) Whitney (Rocklin)
(13) Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) @ (4) Rio Linda
(11) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) @ (6) Antelope
(14) McNair (Stockton) @ (3) Elk Grove
(10) St. Mary's (Stockton) @ (7) Downey (Modesto)
(15) Vacaville @ (2) Burbank (Sacramento)
Division IV
(16) Hughson @ (1) Ripon
(9) Bear River (Grass Valley) @ (8) Summerville (Tuoloumne City)
(5) Calaveras (San Andreas) @ (12) Central Catholic (Modesto)* Central would host because league leaders get host priority, regardless of seed
(13) Escalon @ (4) Center (Antelope)
(11) Hilmar @ (6) Dixon
(14) Orestimba (Newman) @ (3) Capital Christian (Sacramento)
(10) Amador (Sutter Creek) @ (7) Los Banos
(15) Modesto Christian @ (2) Argonaut (Jackson)
Division V
(1) Le Grand would have a bye
(5) Highlands (North Highlands) @ (4) Golden Sierra (Garden Grove)
(6) Rio Vista @ (3) Waterford
(2) Ripon Christian would have a bye
Division VI
(1) Foresthill would have a bye
(5) Vacaville Christian @ (4) Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi)
(6) Big Valley (Modesto) @ (3) Brookside Christian (Stockton)
(2) Woodland Christian would have a bye
Northern Section
League leaders are automatically in. At-large and seeding is determined by a combination of overall wins, league placing, and strength of schedule. I did a combination of a first two as the priority and opponents wins as a tie-breaker. The divisions are enrollment-based, but predetermined. If a division has 10 or more teams at the beginning of the year, then that division will have 8 teams. Otherwise, it will have 6. Eight man is the exception. Four teams from the North and four teams from the south are in. Plus, the math does not apply.
Division I
(1) Paradise would have a bye
(5) Foothill (Palo Cedro) @ (4) Shasta (Redding)
(6) Las Plumas (Oroville) @ (3) Chico
(2) Enterprise (Redding) would have a bye
Division II
(8) Live Oak @ (1) Sutter
(5) Wheatland @ (4) Central Valley (Shasta Lake)
(6) Lassen (Susanville) @ (3) Orland
(7) Yreka @ (2) West Valley (Cottonwood)
Division III
(8) Willows @ (1) Pierce (Arbuckle)
(5) East Nicolaus (Nicolaus) @ (4) Willows
(6) Trinity (Weaverville) @ (3) Hamilton City
(7) Colusa @ (2) Modoc (Alturas)
Division IV
(1) Portola would get a bye
(5) Burney @ (4) Fall River
(6) Quincy @ (3) Chester
(2) Maxwell would have a bye
Division VI (8-Man)
(South 4) Mercy (Red Bluff) @ (North 1) Dunsmuir
(North 3) Butte Valley @ (South 2) Greenville
(North 4) Big Valley (Bieber) @ (South 1) Loyalton
(South 3) Princeton @ (North 2) Redding Christian (Palo Cedro)
North Coast Section
Divisions are based on enrollment and are pre-determined. League leaders automatically get in. At large teams are based on rankings. For those divisions that get "up to" 16 teams, I only allowed those teams with a .500 winning percentage or better. Division III is the only one that has sub-.500 at-large teams.
Divsion I
(9) Pittsburg @ (8) Foothill (Pleasanton) [winner would play at (1) De La Salle (Concord]
(5) Logan (Union City) @ (4) Deer Valley (Antioch)
(6) Freedom (Oakley) @ (3) Monte Vista (Danville)
(7) Antioch @ (2) California (San Ramon)
Division II
(9) American (Fremont) @ (8) Tomales [winner would play at (1) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park)]
(5) Washington (Fremont) @ (4) Clayton Valley (Concord)
(11) Mt. Eden (Hayward) @ (6) Casa Grande (Petaluma) [winner would play at (3) Concord]
(10) Dublin @ (7) Newark Memorial (Newark) [winner would play at (2) Northgate (Concord)]
Division III
(16) Alhambra (Martinez) @ (1) El Cerrito
(9) Tamalpais (Mill Valley) @ (8) Acalanes (Lafayette)
(12) Novato @ (5) Campolindo (Moraga)
(13) Sonoma Valley (Sonoma) @ (4) Marin Catholic (Kentfield)
(11) Terra Linda (San Rafael) @ (6) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland)
(14) Petaluma @ (3) Analy (Sebastopol)
(10) Hercules @ (7) Tennyson (Hayward)
(15) Miramonte (Orinda) @ (2) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa)
Division IV
(1) St. Helena would have a bye
(9) Middletown @ (8) Piedmont
(12) Drake (San Anselmo) @ (5) Ft. Bragg
(4) Justin-Siena (Napa) would have a bye
(11) Clear Lake (Calistoga) @ (6) Valley Christian (Dublin)
(3) Salesian (Richmond) would have a bye
(10) Fortuna @ (7) Willits
(2) Arcata would have a bye
Division V
(8) Swett (Crockett) @ (1) Ferndale
(5) St. Vincent (Petaluma) @ (4) Upper Lake
(6) Calistoga @ (3) St. Bernard's (Eureka)
(7) Tomales @ (2) California School for the Deaf (Fremont)
Central Coast Section
Top 2 teams in each league are automatic. The remaining 14 teams are chosen by ranking (for this example, I used overall wins, calpreps rankings for the 14). Anyone can apply for the Open division. Should more than 8 apply, the top 8 get in. If less than 8 apply, all those who apply get in, and the highest ranked amongst the other teams will be moved up. Divisions I-IV are based on enrollment and who makes the playoffs. In this example, it will be assumed that all 40 apply for open division.
Open Division
(8) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) @ (1) Oak Grove (San Jose)
(5) St. Ignatius (San Francisco) @ (4) Milipitas
(6) Los Gatos @ (3) Bellarmine (San Jose)
(7) Serra (San Mateo) @ (2) Seaside
Division I
(8) Evergreen Valley (San Jose) @ (1) Alisal (Salinas)
(5) Monte Vista (Cupertino) @ (4) Menlo-Atherton (Atherton)
(6) Salinas @ (3) Fremont (Sunnyvale)
(7) Palo Alto @ (2) Sequoia (Redwood City)
Division II
(8) South San Francisco @ (1) Cupertino
(5) Lincoln (San Jose) @ (4) Aptos
(6) Gunn (San Jose) @ (3) Aragon (San Mateo)
(7) Sobrato (Morgan Hill) @ (2) Santa Clara
Division III
(8) Terra Nova (Pacifica) @ (1) San Jose
(5) Soledad @ (4) Live Oak (Morgan Hill)
(6) Mills (Milbrae) @ (3) Monterey
(7) San Mateo @ (2) Gunderson (San Jose)
Division IV
(8) King's Academy (Sunnyvale) @ (1) San Lorenzo Valley (Felton)
(5) Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) @ (4) Menlo (Atherton)
(6) Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville) @ (3) Soquel
(7) Palma (Salinas) @ (2) Carmel
San Francisco Section
Top 4 league finishers make the playoffs
(all teams in San Francisco)
(4) Balboa @ (1) Lincoln
(3) Lowell @ (2) Mission
Oakland Section
Top 4 league finishers make the playoffs
(all teams in Oakland)
(4) Skyline @ (1) Oakland Tech
(3) McClymonds @ (2) Fremont
Central Section
Every division can have up to 16 teams except for division VI (8 teams). Any team can apply for playoffs. If there are more teams that apply than spots available, the best teams get in. Otherwise, the team will be accepted. Divisions are based on enrollment, and are pre-determined. In this example, it is assumed everyone applies. Seeding, in this example, is based on overall wins and then calpreps.com rankings
Division I
(1) Clovis North (Fresno) would get a bye)
(9) Edison (Fresno) @ (8) Stockdale (Bakersfield)
(12) Centennial (Bakersfield) @ (5) Bullard (Fresno)
(13) Clovis East (Clovis) @ (4) Bakersfield
(11) Tulare Union (Tulare) @ (6) Frontier (Bakersfield)
(14) Clovis West (Fresno) @ (3) Central (Fresno)
(10) Buchanan (Clovis) @ (7) Liberty (Bakersfield)
(2) Clovis would have a bye
Division II
(1) Garces (Bakersfield) would have a bye
(9) Monache (Porterville) @ (8) Sunnyside (Fresno)
(12) North (Bakersfield) @ (5) El Diamante (Visalia)
(13) Hoover (Fresno) @ (4) Tehachapi
(11) West (Bakersfield) @ (6) Kingsburg
(14) Reedley @ (3) Redwood (Visalia)
(10) San Joaquin Valley (Fresno) @ (7) Lemoore
(2) Sanger would have a bye
Division III
(16) East Bakersfield (Bakersfield) @ (1) Dinuba
(9) Golden Valley (Bakersfield) @ (8) Madera
(12) Golden West (Visalia) @ (5) Independence (Bakersfield)
(13) Hanford @ (4) South (Bakersfield)
(11) Highland (Bakersfield) @ (6) Delano
(14) Fresno @ (3) Mt. Whitney (Visalia)
(10) Foothill (Bakersfield) @ (7) Porterville
(15) Washington Union (Fresno) @ (2) Ridgeview (Bakersfield)
Division IV
(16) Dos Palos @ (1) Wasco
(9) Roosevelt (Fresno) @ (8) Exeter
(12) Taft @ (5) Chowchilla
(13) Selma @ (4) Bakersfield Christian
(11) Hanford West (Hanford) @ (6) Arvin
(14) Kerman @ (3) Coalinga
(10) McLane (Fresno) @ (7) Fowler
(15) Chavez (Delano) @ (2) Mission Oak (Tulare)
Division V
(1) Liberty (Madera) would have a bye
(9) Caruthers @ (8) Immanuel (Reedley)
(12) Riverdale @ (5) Woodlake
(4) Sierra (Tollhouse) would have a bye
(11) Corcoran @ (6) Firebaugh
(3) Orosi would have a bye
(10) Parlier @ (7) Lindsay
(2) Shafter would have a bye
Division VI
(8) Fresno Christian @ (1) Avenal
(5) Tranquility @ (4) Farmersville
(6) Orange Cove @ (3) Strathmore
(7) Laton @ (2) Mendota
Los Angeles Section
Not sure how this one works. Last year, 16 teams made divisions I and II playoffs and 4 teams made 8-man. In this example, league leaders were automatics; at-large and seedings were based off wins and rankings. Divisions were pre-determined.
Division I
(16) Westchester (Los Angeles) @ (1) Narborne (Harbor City)
(9) San Pedro @ (8) Birmingham (Van Nuys)
(12) Sylmar @ (5) Gardena
(13) Fairfax (Los Angeles) @ (4) Crenshaw (Los Angeles)
(11) Palisades (Pacific Palisades) @ (6) Franklin (Los Angeles)
(14) Banning (Wilmington) @ (3) Roosevelt (Los Angeles)
(10) Dorsey ( Los Angeles) @ (7) Venice (Los Angeles)
(15) Garfield (Los Angeles) @ (2) Arleta
Division II
(16) Contreras (Los Angeles) @ (1) San Fernando
(9) View Park (Los Angeles) @ (8) South Gate
(12) Granada Hills @ (5) Bell
(13) North Hollywood @ (4) South East (South Gate)
(11) Canoga Park @ (6) Bernstein (Hollywood)
(14) Washington (Los Angeles) @ (3) Lincoln (Los Angeles)
(10) Jefferson (Los Angeles) @ (7) Eagle Rock (Los Angeles)
(15) Verdugo Hills (Tujanga) @ (2) Van Nuys
8-Man
East Valley (North Hollywood) @ Amino Robinson (Los Angeles)
Annenberg (Los Angeles) @ Fulton (Van Nuys)
Southern Section
Every division had 16 teams last year, except for Division II (8-Man). It had 14. I'll use the same amount of teams. I used the same formula as I did the Los Angeles Section.
Pac-5 Division (I)
(16) Poly (Long Beach) @ (1) El Toro (Lake Forest)
(9) Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) @ (8) St. Bonaventure (Ventura)
(12) Moorpark @ (5) Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
(13) Lakewood @ (4) Crespi (Encino)
(11) Loyola (Los Angeles) @ (6) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
(14) JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) @ (3) Alemany (Mission Hills)
(10) Lutheran (Orange) @ (7) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
(15) Bishop Amat (La Puente) @ (2) Mission Viejo
Inland Division (II)
(16) Yucaipa @ (1) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)
(9) Rancho Cucamonga @ (8) Eisenhower (Rialto)
(12) Murrieta Mesa (Murrieta) @ (5) Centennial (Corona)
(13) King (Riverside) @ (4) Charter Oak (Covina)
(11) South Hills (West Covina) @ (6) Chaparral (Temecuela)
(14) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga @ (3) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta)
(10) Ayala (Chino Hills) @ (7) Redlands
(15) Chino Hills @ (2) Upland
Northern Division (III)
(16) Atascadero @ (1) Palmdale
(9) San Luis Obispo @ (8) Eastside (Lancaster)
(12) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) @ (5) Canyon (Canyon Country)
(13) Redondo (Redondo Beach) @ (4) St. Joseph (Santa Maria)
(11) Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates) @ (6) Arroyo Grande
(14) Quartz Hill @ (3) Hart (Newhall)
(10) Valencia @ (7) West (Torrance)
(15) Paso Robles @ (2) Antelope Valley (Lancaster)
Western Division (IV)
(16) Morningside (Inglewood) @ (1) Lompoc
(9) Santa Barbara @ (8) Serra (Gardena)
(12) Buena (Ventura) @ (5) Cathedral (Los Angeles)
(13) Ventura @ (4) Camarillo
(11) Santa Monica @ (6) Dos Pueblos (Goleta)
(14) Culver City @ (3) Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood)
(10) Inglewood @ (7) Templeton
(15) Morro Bay @ (2) Chaminade (West Hills)
Central Division (V)
(16) Temescal Canyon (Lake Elsinore) @ (1) Summit (Fontana)
(9) Palm Springs @ (8) Chino
(12) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) @ (5) Elsinore (Wildomar)
(13) North (Riverside) @ (4) Heritage (Romoland)
(11) Montclair @ (6) Arlington (Riverside)
(14) Poly (Riverside) @ (3) Kaider (Fontana)
(10) Colony (Ontario) @ (7) Cathedral City
(15) Chaffey (Ontario) @ (2) Paloma Valley (Menifee)
Southwest Division (VI)
(16) Brea Olinda (Brea) @ (1) Tustin
(9) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) @ (8) Yorba Linda
(12) Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) @ (5) Foothill (Santa Ana)
(13) Huntington Beach @ (4) San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano)
(11) Esperanza (Anaheim) @ (6) Los Alamitos
(14) La Habra @ (3) Villa Park
(10) Valencia (Placentia) @ (7) Laguna Hills
(15) Troy (Fullerton) @ (2) Edison (Huntington Beach)
Southeast Division (VII)
(16) Gahr (Cerritos) @ (1) California (Whittier)
(9) Burbank @ (8) Diamond Ranch (Pomona)
(12) Los Altos (Hacienda Heights) @ (5) Norwalk
(13) Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs) @ (4) Paramount
(11) Muir (Pasadena) @ (6) Rowland (Rowland Heights)
(14) Bellflower @ (3) La Serna (Whittier)
(10) Bonita (La Verne) @ (7) Downey
(15) El Rancho (Pico Rivera) @ (2) La Mirada
Eastern Division (VIII)
(16) Norte Vista (Riverside) @ (1) Citrus Hills (Perris)
(9) Moreno Valley @ (8) West Valley (Hemet)
(12) Burroughs (Ridgecrest) @ (5) Oak Hills (Hesperia)
(13) Barstow @ (4) Tahquitz (Hemet)
(11) San Jacinto @ (6) San Gorgonio (San Bernardino)
(14) Hesperia @ (3) Carter (Rialto)
(10) Arroyo Valley (San Bernardino) @ (7) Beaumont
(15) Apple Valley @ (2) Serrano (Phelan)
Southern Division (IX)
(16) Saddleback (Santa Ana) @ (1) Segerstrom (Santa Ana)
(9) Valley (Santa Ana) @ (8) Estancia (Costa Mesa)
(12) Woodbridge (Irvine) @ (5) Ketella (Anaheim)
(13) Westminster @ (4) Garden Grove
(11) Orange @ (6) Rancho Alamitos (Garden Grove)
(14) Godinez (Santa Ana) @ (3) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach)
(10) Los Amigos (Fountain Valley) @ (7) Irvine
(15) Anaheim @ (2) Laguna Beach
Northwest Division (X)
(16) Heritage Christian (North Hills) @ (1) Nordoff (Ojai)
(9) Carpinteria @ (8) Whittier Christian (La Habra)
(12) Duarte @ (5) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance)
(13) Oak Park @ (4) Gladstone (Covina)
(11) Sierra Vista (Baldwin Park) @ (6) North (Torrance)
(14) Azusa @ (3) La Salle (Pasadena)
(10) El Segundo @ (7) La Puente
(15) Village Christian (Sun Valley) @ (2) Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara)
Mid-Valley Division (XI)
(16) South Pasadena @ (1) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
(9) El Monte @ (8) Monrovia
(12) Bell Gardens @ (5) Brentwood (Los Angeles)
(13) Windward (Los Angeles) @ (4) San Dimas
(11) Montebello @ (6) Gabrielino (San Gabriel)
(14) Temple City @ (3) Paraclete (Lancaster)
(10) Northview (Corona) @ (7) Covina
(15) Arroyo (El Monte) @ (2) San Marino
East Valley Division (XII)
(16) Bretheran Christian (Huntington Beach) @ (1) Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead)
(9) Aquinas (San Bernardino) @ (8) Big Bear (Big Bear City)
(12) Jurupa Hills (Fontana) @ (5) Calvary Murrieta (Murrieta)
(13) Desert Hot Springs @ (4) St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano)
(11) Western Christian (Upland) @ (6) Fillmore
(14) Shadow Hills (Indio) @ (3) Banning
(10) Malibu @ (7) Rubidoux (Riverside)
(15) Yucca Valley @ (2) Ontario Christian
Northeast Division (XIII)
(16) Saddleback Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano) @ (1) Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo)
(9) Kern Valley (Lake Isabella) @ (8) St. Anthony (Long Beach)
(12) Santa Clarita Christian (Canyon Country) @ (5) Ribet Academy (Los Angeles)
(13) Desert (Edwards AFB) @ (4) Salesian (Los Angeles)
(11) St. Monica (Santa Monica) @ (6) Capistrano Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano)
(14) Frazier Mountain (Lebec) @ (3) Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia)
(10) St. Genevieve (Paonrama City) @ (7) Bishop
(15) Flintridge Prep (La Canada) @ (2) Boron
8-Man Division I
(16) Upland Christian (Rancho Cucamonga) @ (1) Coast Union (Cambria)
(9) Thatcher (Ojai) @ (8) Mojave
(12) Milken (Los Angeles) @ (5) Calvary Chapel (Downey)
(13) Lucerne Valley @ (4) Lancaster Baptist
(11) Dunn (Los Olivos) @ (6) Nuview Bridge (Nuevo)
(14) Bloomington Christian @ (3) Excelsior (Victorville)
(10) Pacific Lutheran (Torrance) @ (7) Cate (Carpenteria)
(15) Orcutt Academy (Orcutt) @ (2) Desert Christian (Bermuda Dunes)
8-Man Division II
(1) Avalon would have a bye
(9) St. Michael's Prep (Silverado) @ (8) Trona
(12) Calvary Baptist (La Verne) @ (5) Desert Chapel (Palm Springs)
(13) Marywood-Palm Valley (Rancho Mirage) @ (4) Hope Centre (Compton)
(11) California Lutheran (Wildomar) @ (6) Valley Christian Academy (Santa Maria)
(14) Hillcrest Christian (Thousand Oaks) @ (3) Cuyama Valley (New Cuyama)
(10) Cornerstone Christian (Wildomar) @ (7) Trinity Classical Academy (Valencia)
(2) Joshua Springs (Yucca Valley) would have a bye
San Diego Section
The criteria I used was the same as the Los Angeles Section. Last year, each division had 11 teams, so that is what I used.
Division I
(9) San Pasqual (Escondido) @ (8) El Camino (Oceanside) [winner would play at (1) Grossmont (El Cajon)]
(5) Chula Vista at (4) Calexico
(11) Carlsbad @ (6) Mission Hills (San Marcos) [winner would play at (3) Henry (San Diego)]
(10) Rancho Buena Vista (Vista) @ (7) Eastlake (Chula Vista) [winner would play at (2) Otay Ranch (Chula Vista)]
Division II
(9) San Marcos @ (8) El Capitan (Lakeside) [winner would play at (1) Oceanside]
(5) Poway @ (4) Helix (La Mesa)
(11) Hilltop (Chula Vista) @ (6) Valhalla (El Cajon) [winner would play at (3) Westview (San Diego)]
(10) Orange Glen (Valley) @ (7) San Ysidro (San Diego) [winner would play at (2) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad)]
Division III
(9) Mt. Carmel (San Diego) @ (8) Ramona (Palomar) [winner would play at (1) Olympian (Chula Vista)]
(5) Hoover (San Diego) @ (4) Point Loma (San Diego)
(11) Morse (San Diego) @ (6) West Hills (Santee) [winner would play at (3) Serra (San Diego)]
(10) Central (El Cerrito) @ (7) Lincoln (San Diego) [winner would play at (2) Cathedral (San Diego)]
Division IV
(9) Mission Bay (San Diego) @ (8) Clairemont (San Diego) [winner would play at (1) Brawley]
(5) Imperial @ (4) Valley Center
(11) Palo Valley Verde (Blythe) @ (6) Mater Dei (Chula Vista) [winner would play at (3) Madison (San Diego)
(10) Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) @ (7) Mar Vista (Imperial Beach) [winner would play @ (2) St. Augustine (San Diego)]
Division V
(9) La Jolla Country Day @ (8) San Pasqual Academy (Escondido) [winner would play at (1) Army-Navy (Carlsbad)]
(5) Horizon (San Diego) @ (4) Calvary Christian Academy (Chula Vista)
(11) Parker (San Diego) @ (6) Christian (El Cajon) [winner would play at (3) Tri-City Christian (Chula Vista)]
(10) Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) @ (7) Holtville (winner would play at (2) Calipatria]
We will see how close this is to happening as the last 3 weeks of the regular season go by.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
zzzzz Vol. 2 10/4/12
by Matt Groom (10/11/12)
zzzzz (Pronounced "quintuple z") is a bunch of my random thoughts about news, sports, and other parts of life. I separate it into sections so the reader can skip over anything he or she wants to.
THINGS AT CHURCH
On Halloween, Bethel Assembly (Oakdale, CA) will be hosting something called "Trunk or Treat". It is meant as a safe alternate to trick-or-treating. What happens is when people get to the church, the kids will see trunks and truck beds full of candy, and the kids grab the candy they want. Many of the volunteers will decorate their vehicles, as well.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
-The two major candidates, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, debated on October 5th. Many people felt Romney won that debate and we won a few points with the undecided voters. The one thing many people wanted to focus on was that Mr. Romney said he would cut funding for PBS if he was elected president.
My original thoughts were that I wish he wouldn't have said that. That is not a very popular stance. After looking at it further, and looking at some of the comments people had, I have a different stance (maybe just as unpopular, but since it's my blog, I'm going to say it). It made me see just how many people are depending on the federal government to fund their daily lives. People from one point of view say it shouldn't be cut because public education television is too important. It is important, I am not going to deny that. However, we currently owe China $15 billion, and the value of our dollar is declining. Some things that the government spends money on has got to go. Other programs will have to be cut as well. That's why I am glad I am not involved in the federal government. It would be hard to determine where those cuts need to be made. Many people are going to be hurting. Sometimes the cure is as painful as the ailment, but is necessary. I don't know if Romney actually believes his model, but I think it is good for a simple model. If the thing or program is worth borrowing money from China (or anyone for that matter), it should be kept. If not, it needs to go. A year ago, the credit rating of the United States was downgraded from A+++ to A++. As I was writing this, I just heard that Spain's credit rating was downgraded to "the level of junkbonds" (heard it from CBS News). We have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of Greece and Spain and not repeat them. Now back to PBS, it is up to viewers like us to keep it going (as it should be). If you feel that PBS is that important (and to some people it is, I understand), then donate $20 (or any amount). Personally, I think the government should make that a write-off, but that would complicate the tax code. Finally, according to an article in Christian Science Monitor that was published the day after the debate, the federal government only makes up for 12% of PBS's funds. It would be painful for them not to have that money, but it would be manageable to keep great programming going like Sesame Street and the Newshour. And if they do have to get rid of a show, may I suggest Barney?
ONE OTHER THING UP FOR VOTE
-What is lost in the Presidential election, Proposition 30 in California, and other inititavies is that the citizens of Puerto Rico will vote on whether or not they would like the Atlantic island of about 8 million people to become the 51st state of the United States. This vote has been on the ballot three times before, but has been defeated all three times. The vote has been closer each time.
There are three basic ways a territory becomes a state. First, a territory must have at least 65,000 people in it. Second, it must be approved by congress. Third, the territory must ratify the Constitution. I believe this vote will fail once again, but if it does pass, I believe the move will then go to Congress.
NEWS
-There has been a lot of news lately about Bay Area cities wanting to buy water from the Central Valley. First, San Francisco wanted to buy water from the Modesto Irrigation District. A couple weeks later, it was announced that the city of Brisbane (south of San Francisco) wanted to buy water from the Oakdale Irrigation District. The San Francisco-Modesto deal did not happen. One dealbreaker was that San Francisco wanted a 50-year contract and the city would be able to back out of it at any time. Modesto was not willing to meet those terms. The Oakdale-Brisbane deal is making progress. Last week, OID Board of Directors approved to move foward with the deal 4-1. At this point, everything is non-binding, but the deal so far is for Oakdale to provide Brisbane with 2,400 acre-feet of water for about $1.2 million. (I got these stories from the Modesto Bee and Oakdale Leader.)
I am of no opinion on the Oakdale deal. I know some things need to be repaired at the Oakdale Irrigation District. Plus, I hear they are looking to expand, so that sale may be a good deal for them. I have heard arguments on both sides of the issue for Modesto. I can certainly understand Modesto not wanting San Francisco to dictate the deal. On the other side of the argument, MID was set to make nearly $115 million on the deal. San Francisco was willing to pay $700 an acre-foot; and according to the Modesto Bee, the water that would have gone to San Francisco was only one percent of what farmers currently use. I heard one argument saying that the water that would have gone to San Francisco would be lost to evaporation, anyway. I am not sure if it is true, or not; but for this moment, let's assume it is. Why lose water to evaporation when you can make over $100 million off of it. Maybe that can mean savings to customers in Modesto, or at least preventing price hikes for a while. Or maybe that money can be used to improve the facilities of MID, or possibly to hire a few more people (Usually my roommate mails the MID bill, but one day he asked me to go to the office, and when I was there, the line was long. I do not know if that happens a lot or not. A few more people could have been used for more efficiency.) I would like to hear more opinions on the subject, so if you got one, please comment.
- A school in Cranston, RI has stopped the long tradition of the father-daughter dances and mother-son baseball games due to pressure from the ACLU.
Oh, these guys again. I try to show respect for everyone when I write these things, but I have absolutely NO respect for the ACLU. This organization features the biggest bunch of hypocrites I have ever even heard about. They preach civil liberties for all, but when a white, Christian male (regardless of age) is in trouble, they are no where to be found. Yet, they will use their lawyers to stop something wholesome as the father-daughter dance just because one parent complains. If someone does not want to participate in these things, fine; but don't spoil it for everyone else. In this particular case, a single mother complained that her daughter was not allowed to attend the dance because her father was not in the picture (to be fair to the father, the article did not say whether it was because he refuses to see his kid, courts said he can't see his kid, or if he had passed away). Guess what, sometimes life sucks! I really feel bad for the girl because of it. My heart aches when a girl cannot have that much needed father-daughter time through no fault of her own. However, the mother is going to ruin everyone else's opportunity? That is not acceptable in my opinion!! True, all the other father-daughters and mother-sons can find opportunities elsewhere, but if a school wants to provide that time to encourage wholesome fun, and an opportunity to meet some of the parents; then the ACLU should back off. Go defend your NAMBLA perverts and leave these people alone! As for the girl, an uncle or grandfather should suffice to take place of the father (Note: If the girl and the mother suggested that, and the school said no, the school would be in the wrong, too.)
The ACLU has been quoted in saying (in part) "...the time has long since passed for the public school resources to encourage stereotyping from the days of Ozzie and Harriet." The only thing I will give them is that I would understand people viewing this as "stereotyping". They say not every girl wants to go to dances. First, if the girls don't want to go to dances, then don't go. Stay home, go to the mall, go to the park, or do something productive. Second, this particular girl wanted to go. There is another issue in play in this case. Third, there are some areas where we need to go back to the "Ozzie and Harriet" days. Schools were safer then, and families were closer together, partly to the credit of the father-daughter dances. Kids had more respect for adults and the crime rate was lower. The representative from the ACLU said that organizations like the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) are allowed to host and even use school facilities for these events. They should do that. Even if they don't, the school should be able to allow these events to happen. What's next? Are they going to ban prom because some guy can't get a date? It's ridiculous.
I can go farther, but in interest of space and time, I will close with this. I am sick and tired of the ACLU defending everything that is wrong with the world, and attacking either what is right with the world or people trying to do the right thing. They are currently in Stockton right now. Lincoln School District wants to start random drug testing the athletes of Lincoln High School, because 15 percent of the athletes were found to be under the influence of one form of illegal drug or another. I am not sure how I feel about this subject, but something needs to be done when 15 percent of the athletes have been caught with drugs. The ACLU is just waiting for Lincoln Unified to do something illegal, or as I see it from the ACLU, "illegal".
GRE WORD OF THE MONTH
Inundate- overwhelm; flood; submerge; deluge; swamp
Sentence- Until the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river valley every year.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY
I want to feature at least one country each month in order to educate the public on the countries of the world
This month's country: Antigua and Barbuda
Continent: North America (Caribbean islands)
Capital: St. John's
Population: 81,799 (185th largest of 195 independent nations)
Area: 170 square miles (190th in world)
Official Language: English
Currency: Caribbean Dollar
Year of Independence: 1981 (From United Kingdom)
Since I have written a lot of information on all the subjects so far, I will keep this portion brief. The islands were settled by the United Kingdom in 1632 and were held by them until 1981 (with brief interludes of French rule) (information provided by wikipedia.com). The soccer team will be playing against the United States on October 16, 2012 for World Cup Qualifying.
HISTORY
I recently saw a documentry and read about the Roman city of Pompeii before the big eruption of Mount Versuvius wiped out a big portion of the city. One thing I found interesting is how the people would use public walls and walls of businesses to communicate with the town. When one person wanted to send a message to another person, he or she would carve that message on a portion of a wall. The walls and counters were also used as a lost-and-found announcement, a showing of a record of debts, and even love messages were carved on the walls.
FIFA TOP 25 SOCCER RANKINGS FOR OCTOBER
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Portugal 4. Argentina 5. England 6. Netherlands 7. Uruguay 8. Italy 9. Columbia 10. Greece 11. Croatia 12. Russia 13. France 14. Brazil 15. Switzerland 16. Cote D'Ivoire 17. Chile 18. Denmark 19. Mexico 20. Ecuador 21. Sweden 22. Czech Republic 23. Japan 24. Algeria 25. South Korea
All 209 FIFA teams are ranked from 1 to 207 (3 teams are tied for 207th). The United States moved up one spot to 32nd. The three teams that are tied for 207th are: Bhutan, San Marino, and Turk and Caicos Islands.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25 Accroding to calpreps.com (all info as of 10/3/12)
School (City if needed) Record League
1. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 5-0 Delta River (DRL)
2. Franklin (Elk Grove) 5-0 Delta Valley (DVL)
3. Elk Grove 6-0 (DRL)
4. Placer (Auburn) 5-0 Pioneer Valley (PVL)
5. Folsom 5-0 DRL
6. Burbank (Sacramento) 5-0 Metro League (ML)
7. Granite Bay 2-3 Sierra Foothill (SFL)
8. St. Mary's (Stockton) 3-2 Tri-City Athletic (TCAL)
9. Inderkum (Sacramento) 4-1 Tri-County (TCC)
10. Buhach Colony (Atwater) 3-2 Central California (CCC)
11. Oakdale 4-1 Valley Oak (VOL)
12. Vacaville 2-3 Monticello Empire (MEL)
13. Central Catholic (Modesto) 4-2 Western Athletic (WAC)
14. Merced 3-2 (CCC)
15. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 3-2 (DRL)
16. Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) 4-1 Sierra Valley (SVC)
17. Grant (Sacramento) 2-3 (DVL)
Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 3-2 (SFL)
19. Del Oro (Loomis) 1-4 (SFL)
20. Downey (Modesto) 5-1 Modesto Metro (MMC)
21. Pitman (Turlock) 5-0 (CCC)
22. Ripon 6-0 Trans-Valley (TVL)
23. Rocklin 2-3 (SFL)
24. Jesuit (Carmichael) 4-1 (DRL)
25. Lincoln (Stockton) 2-3 (SJAA)
zzzzz Reports- Ripon Christian Knights (1-1 at time of game) at Big Valley Knights (0-2 at time of game)
I wanted to use this game to practice my writing skills. I have written a longer version of the article of this game, and if you want to read it, let me know. I also wrote about the atmosphere of the place, and was going to put that on here, but I changed my mind. However, I will say that a Big Valley game is a great way to take the family out on a Friday night on a low budget.
This is a game featuring two young football programs that were both started up less than ten years ago, with a combined enrollment of 470 (RC 279, BV 191). The Ripon Christian Knights, representing the Southern League (SL), came into this game with a record of 1-1 with a with a win against Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) and a loss against nearby rival, Ripon. Big Valley, representing the Central California Athletic Alliance (CCAA), is 0-2 giving up a total of 81 points against Delhi and Waterford while only scoring 26. The Knights are looking to rebound from a crushing 62-13 defeat by Ripon from a week ago, while Big Valley is looking for their first win.
It would become a long night for Big Valley. The score quickly became 26-0 before the Lions would see any hope. Vos fumbled the snap which would be recovered by Big Valley's Marcus Zuniga at the Ripon Christian 39-yard line. Big Valley would soon get a first down, as they marched down the field. It looked like the Lions were going to get into the game. However, the Lions could not get past the 14-yard line. Big Valley could not take advantage of the turnover.
When it was all said and done, the Knights would put 47 points on the board and force a 4th-quarter running clock (the clock would only stop for time outs and sometimes touchdowns. It's a version of high school football mercy rule). Ripon Christian quarterback, Danny Vos threw for three touchdowns and Andrew Brown ran for two. At times, Big Valley was able to put up an offense, but too many mistakes and too many dropped passes in the end-zone prevented the Lions from scoring any points.
CCAA Standings (as of 10/8/12)
Team (city) Conf. W-L Overall W-L
Brookside Christian (Stockton) 1-0 4-2
Big Valley (Modesto) 1-0 2-4
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) 1-0 2-4
Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 0-1 4-2
Millennium (Tracy) 0-1 1-5
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 0-1 1-5
Note: At the end of the regular season, the two teams with the best conference records automatically go to the playoffs. There are four wildcard spots available in Divisions V and VI. Those go to the best four overall records out of the CCAA, Southern League, Sierra Delta League, and Sacramento Metro Athletic Conference.
I do not know which game I will cover for next month's edition of zzzzz. Here is a list of games I am considering:
10/13- Big Valley vs. Millennium (@ West-Tracy)
10/13- Elliot Christian vs. Stone Ridge Christian (@ Golden Valley-Merced)
10/19- Stone Ridge Christian @ Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage
10/20- Big Valley @ Brookside Christian (@ McNair-Stockton)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Here's what my dream playoffs would look like so far as of 10/11/12
(1) Oregon (PAC-12) would have a bye
(9) Nevada (Mountain West) @ (8) Miami (FL) (ACC)
(12) UTSA (WAC) @ (5) Alabama (Wildcard) (*Not enough league games to get the SEC spot, yet)
(4) Rutgers (Big East) would get a bye
(11) Louisiana-Lafayete (Sun Belt) at (6) Michigan (Big 10)
(3) West Virginia (Big 12) would get the bye
(10) Toledo (MAC) @ (7) Tulsa (Conference USA)
(2) South Carolina (SEC) would have a bye
- I still haven't had a chance to write a blog to defend my position, but I still believe that the NCAA should adopt a conference-winner only playoff (with one wildcard to allow a top non-conference winner or independent to advance). I also believe the bowl system to remain to reward those non-conference winners who had good seasons. The above is just a model as currently some teams have played more conference games than others (That is why current #1 Alabama is just a wildcard, and therefore 5th seed in this model.) When it is all said and done, I believe Alabama will win the SEC, Florida State will win the ACC, Boise State will win the Mountain West, Louisiana-Monroe will win the Sun Belt, and South Carolina will be the wildcard.
-Alabama has establish themselves as the top team in the nation, and it pains me to say that seeing as I HATE the SEC. That defense looks unstoppable. I am already looking forward to seeing Oregon vs. Alabama in the National Championship in January. The best offense (Oregon) would play the best defense (Alabama).
-TCU's quarterback, Casey Pachall, is suspended indefinitely and off the team due to a DUI. This is the first year since the Southwest Conference broke up in 1994 that TCU is playing in a top conference (Big 12). I wondered how the Horned Frogs would do in a big conference. They looked like they had an outside chance to win the championship and making a high-paying bowl game. Now that they lost to a lack-luster Iowa State 37-23 without Pachall, I am now wondering if they'll even make a bowl game.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
-First, I must congratulate the Washington Nationals for making the playoffs. This is only the second time the Washington Nationals franchise ever made the playoffs. The only other time was in 1981 as the Montreal Expos in a strike-shortened year. They lost in the 1st round against the Los Angeles Dodgers that year. I am writing this edition of zzzzz over the course of a few days; and at the time of writing this specific portion, the Nationals are currently down 2-1 in the divisional series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- I keep reading articles and hearing opinions on the fact that some writers think the NFL and NBA owners are incorrect in saying that the leagues need a salary cap. To strengthen their argument, they look to major league baseball which has no salary cap. They say that the majority of the teams in this year's playoffs are in the bottom half of the payroll, including the Oakland Athletics who have the 2nd lowest payroll of all the teams in the Major Leagues. I personally don't know if I agree with the writers, but let me give the other side of that argument. It is true that many of the small-market teams have had a lot of success this year, but without a salary cap, it generally takes small-market teams longer to get good. Case in point, the Pittsburgh Pirates. This team just completed the 20th straight losing season (defined as winning 81 games or less). The last time this team made the playoffs was 1992. When they get good players, they'll have to trade them off in the middle of the season to get some value for them before they bolt to a big-market team with a good salary, and a better chance of making the playoffs. The Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, are among similar teams suffering the same problems. Washington was on that same boat until this year. Like the English Primier league in soccer, it is much more difficult for small-market teams to get to the top of the standing than for the giants of the league.
-Finally, I keep hearing that the umpires screwed the Atlanta Braves out of the playoffs. For those who need clarification, the Cardinals were leading 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning of a one-game playoff. The Braves had runners on 1st and 2nd bases with one out. (I didn't see that part of the game, but I saw the highlights of this play). The Braves batter (I don't remembe who it was) popped up the ball to shallow left field. Shortstop Pete Kosma called for the catch, and left-fielder, Matt Holiday called him off. It turned out that no one caught it, but the umpire called for an infield-fly rule. The Braves failed to score.
The umpires did not screw the Braves!!! Was it a bad call? I believe so (though the rules say it does not necessarily have to be hit in the infield, just that the infielder would have to be able to catch it with little effort, which that argument can be made). The Braves could have scored runs from there with one out, but they failed to do so. If the next batter were to hit into a double play, the inning is over and the point is moot. The Braves could have prevented some of the Cardinal runs, but too many mistakes allowed the Cardinals score. The Braves could have scored in the 4th inning, but their shortstop, Simmons, ran inside the base-line and by rule, he was out and the runners had to stay on base. Rarely does one mistake by the umpire determine the results of the game, and that was not the case this time. It was a bad call, but when it was all said and done, the Braves' lack of execution was more to blame for their loss than the umpires.
zzzzz (Pronounced "quintuple z") is a bunch of my random thoughts about news, sports, and other parts of life. I separate it into sections so the reader can skip over anything he or she wants to.
THINGS AT CHURCH
On Halloween, Bethel Assembly (Oakdale, CA) will be hosting something called "Trunk or Treat". It is meant as a safe alternate to trick-or-treating. What happens is when people get to the church, the kids will see trunks and truck beds full of candy, and the kids grab the candy they want. Many of the volunteers will decorate their vehicles, as well.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
-The two major candidates, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, debated on October 5th. Many people felt Romney won that debate and we won a few points with the undecided voters. The one thing many people wanted to focus on was that Mr. Romney said he would cut funding for PBS if he was elected president.
My original thoughts were that I wish he wouldn't have said that. That is not a very popular stance. After looking at it further, and looking at some of the comments people had, I have a different stance (maybe just as unpopular, but since it's my blog, I'm going to say it). It made me see just how many people are depending on the federal government to fund their daily lives. People from one point of view say it shouldn't be cut because public education television is too important. It is important, I am not going to deny that. However, we currently owe China $15 billion, and the value of our dollar is declining. Some things that the government spends money on has got to go. Other programs will have to be cut as well. That's why I am glad I am not involved in the federal government. It would be hard to determine where those cuts need to be made. Many people are going to be hurting. Sometimes the cure is as painful as the ailment, but is necessary. I don't know if Romney actually believes his model, but I think it is good for a simple model. If the thing or program is worth borrowing money from China (or anyone for that matter), it should be kept. If not, it needs to go. A year ago, the credit rating of the United States was downgraded from A+++ to A++. As I was writing this, I just heard that Spain's credit rating was downgraded to "the level of junkbonds" (heard it from CBS News). We have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of Greece and Spain and not repeat them. Now back to PBS, it is up to viewers like us to keep it going (as it should be). If you feel that PBS is that important (and to some people it is, I understand), then donate $20 (or any amount). Personally, I think the government should make that a write-off, but that would complicate the tax code. Finally, according to an article in Christian Science Monitor that was published the day after the debate, the federal government only makes up for 12% of PBS's funds. It would be painful for them not to have that money, but it would be manageable to keep great programming going like Sesame Street and the Newshour. And if they do have to get rid of a show, may I suggest Barney?
ONE OTHER THING UP FOR VOTE
-What is lost in the Presidential election, Proposition 30 in California, and other inititavies is that the citizens of Puerto Rico will vote on whether or not they would like the Atlantic island of about 8 million people to become the 51st state of the United States. This vote has been on the ballot three times before, but has been defeated all three times. The vote has been closer each time.
There are three basic ways a territory becomes a state. First, a territory must have at least 65,000 people in it. Second, it must be approved by congress. Third, the territory must ratify the Constitution. I believe this vote will fail once again, but if it does pass, I believe the move will then go to Congress.
NEWS
-There has been a lot of news lately about Bay Area cities wanting to buy water from the Central Valley. First, San Francisco wanted to buy water from the Modesto Irrigation District. A couple weeks later, it was announced that the city of Brisbane (south of San Francisco) wanted to buy water from the Oakdale Irrigation District. The San Francisco-Modesto deal did not happen. One dealbreaker was that San Francisco wanted a 50-year contract and the city would be able to back out of it at any time. Modesto was not willing to meet those terms. The Oakdale-Brisbane deal is making progress. Last week, OID Board of Directors approved to move foward with the deal 4-1. At this point, everything is non-binding, but the deal so far is for Oakdale to provide Brisbane with 2,400 acre-feet of water for about $1.2 million. (I got these stories from the Modesto Bee and Oakdale Leader.)
I am of no opinion on the Oakdale deal. I know some things need to be repaired at the Oakdale Irrigation District. Plus, I hear they are looking to expand, so that sale may be a good deal for them. I have heard arguments on both sides of the issue for Modesto. I can certainly understand Modesto not wanting San Francisco to dictate the deal. On the other side of the argument, MID was set to make nearly $115 million on the deal. San Francisco was willing to pay $700 an acre-foot; and according to the Modesto Bee, the water that would have gone to San Francisco was only one percent of what farmers currently use. I heard one argument saying that the water that would have gone to San Francisco would be lost to evaporation, anyway. I am not sure if it is true, or not; but for this moment, let's assume it is. Why lose water to evaporation when you can make over $100 million off of it. Maybe that can mean savings to customers in Modesto, or at least preventing price hikes for a while. Or maybe that money can be used to improve the facilities of MID, or possibly to hire a few more people (Usually my roommate mails the MID bill, but one day he asked me to go to the office, and when I was there, the line was long. I do not know if that happens a lot or not. A few more people could have been used for more efficiency.) I would like to hear more opinions on the subject, so if you got one, please comment.
- A school in Cranston, RI has stopped the long tradition of the father-daughter dances and mother-son baseball games due to pressure from the ACLU.
Oh, these guys again. I try to show respect for everyone when I write these things, but I have absolutely NO respect for the ACLU. This organization features the biggest bunch of hypocrites I have ever even heard about. They preach civil liberties for all, but when a white, Christian male (regardless of age) is in trouble, they are no where to be found. Yet, they will use their lawyers to stop something wholesome as the father-daughter dance just because one parent complains. If someone does not want to participate in these things, fine; but don't spoil it for everyone else. In this particular case, a single mother complained that her daughter was not allowed to attend the dance because her father was not in the picture (to be fair to the father, the article did not say whether it was because he refuses to see his kid, courts said he can't see his kid, or if he had passed away). Guess what, sometimes life sucks! I really feel bad for the girl because of it. My heart aches when a girl cannot have that much needed father-daughter time through no fault of her own. However, the mother is going to ruin everyone else's opportunity? That is not acceptable in my opinion!! True, all the other father-daughters and mother-sons can find opportunities elsewhere, but if a school wants to provide that time to encourage wholesome fun, and an opportunity to meet some of the parents; then the ACLU should back off. Go defend your NAMBLA perverts and leave these people alone! As for the girl, an uncle or grandfather should suffice to take place of the father (Note: If the girl and the mother suggested that, and the school said no, the school would be in the wrong, too.)
The ACLU has been quoted in saying (in part) "...the time has long since passed for the public school resources to encourage stereotyping from the days of Ozzie and Harriet." The only thing I will give them is that I would understand people viewing this as "stereotyping". They say not every girl wants to go to dances. First, if the girls don't want to go to dances, then don't go. Stay home, go to the mall, go to the park, or do something productive. Second, this particular girl wanted to go. There is another issue in play in this case. Third, there are some areas where we need to go back to the "Ozzie and Harriet" days. Schools were safer then, and families were closer together, partly to the credit of the father-daughter dances. Kids had more respect for adults and the crime rate was lower. The representative from the ACLU said that organizations like the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) are allowed to host and even use school facilities for these events. They should do that. Even if they don't, the school should be able to allow these events to happen. What's next? Are they going to ban prom because some guy can't get a date? It's ridiculous.
I can go farther, but in interest of space and time, I will close with this. I am sick and tired of the ACLU defending everything that is wrong with the world, and attacking either what is right with the world or people trying to do the right thing. They are currently in Stockton right now. Lincoln School District wants to start random drug testing the athletes of Lincoln High School, because 15 percent of the athletes were found to be under the influence of one form of illegal drug or another. I am not sure how I feel about this subject, but something needs to be done when 15 percent of the athletes have been caught with drugs. The ACLU is just waiting for Lincoln Unified to do something illegal, or as I see it from the ACLU, "illegal".
GRE WORD OF THE MONTH
Inundate- overwhelm; flood; submerge; deluge; swamp
Sentence- Until the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river valley every year.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY
I want to feature at least one country each month in order to educate the public on the countries of the world
This month's country: Antigua and Barbuda
Continent: North America (Caribbean islands)
Capital: St. John's
Population: 81,799 (185th largest of 195 independent nations)
Area: 170 square miles (190th in world)
Official Language: English
Currency: Caribbean Dollar
Year of Independence: 1981 (From United Kingdom)
Since I have written a lot of information on all the subjects so far, I will keep this portion brief. The islands were settled by the United Kingdom in 1632 and were held by them until 1981 (with brief interludes of French rule) (information provided by wikipedia.com). The soccer team will be playing against the United States on October 16, 2012 for World Cup Qualifying.
HISTORY
I recently saw a documentry and read about the Roman city of Pompeii before the big eruption of Mount Versuvius wiped out a big portion of the city. One thing I found interesting is how the people would use public walls and walls of businesses to communicate with the town. When one person wanted to send a message to another person, he or she would carve that message on a portion of a wall. The walls and counters were also used as a lost-and-found announcement, a showing of a record of debts, and even love messages were carved on the walls.
FIFA TOP 25 SOCCER RANKINGS FOR OCTOBER
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Portugal 4. Argentina 5. England 6. Netherlands 7. Uruguay 8. Italy 9. Columbia 10. Greece 11. Croatia 12. Russia 13. France 14. Brazil 15. Switzerland 16. Cote D'Ivoire 17. Chile 18. Denmark 19. Mexico 20. Ecuador 21. Sweden 22. Czech Republic 23. Japan 24. Algeria 25. South Korea
All 209 FIFA teams are ranked from 1 to 207 (3 teams are tied for 207th). The United States moved up one spot to 32nd. The three teams that are tied for 207th are: Bhutan, San Marino, and Turk and Caicos Islands.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Sac-Joaquin Section Top 25 Accroding to calpreps.com (all info as of 10/3/12)
School (City if needed) Record League
1. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 5-0 Delta River (DRL)
2. Franklin (Elk Grove) 5-0 Delta Valley (DVL)
3. Elk Grove 6-0 (DRL)
4. Placer (Auburn) 5-0 Pioneer Valley (PVL)
5. Folsom 5-0 DRL
6. Burbank (Sacramento) 5-0 Metro League (ML)
7. Granite Bay 2-3 Sierra Foothill (SFL)
8. St. Mary's (Stockton) 3-2 Tri-City Athletic (TCAL)
9. Inderkum (Sacramento) 4-1 Tri-County (TCC)
10. Buhach Colony (Atwater) 3-2 Central California (CCC)
11. Oakdale 4-1 Valley Oak (VOL)
12. Vacaville 2-3 Monticello Empire (MEL)
13. Central Catholic (Modesto) 4-2 Western Athletic (WAC)
14. Merced 3-2 (CCC)
15. Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 3-2 (DRL)
16. Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) 4-1 Sierra Valley (SVC)
17. Grant (Sacramento) 2-3 (DVL)
Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 3-2 (SFL)
19. Del Oro (Loomis) 1-4 (SFL)
20. Downey (Modesto) 5-1 Modesto Metro (MMC)
21. Pitman (Turlock) 5-0 (CCC)
22. Ripon 6-0 Trans-Valley (TVL)
23. Rocklin 2-3 (SFL)
24. Jesuit (Carmichael) 4-1 (DRL)
25. Lincoln (Stockton) 2-3 (SJAA)
zzzzz Reports- Ripon Christian Knights (1-1 at time of game) at Big Valley Knights (0-2 at time of game)
I wanted to use this game to practice my writing skills. I have written a longer version of the article of this game, and if you want to read it, let me know. I also wrote about the atmosphere of the place, and was going to put that on here, but I changed my mind. However, I will say that a Big Valley game is a great way to take the family out on a Friday night on a low budget.
This is a game featuring two young football programs that were both started up less than ten years ago, with a combined enrollment of 470 (RC 279, BV 191). The Ripon Christian Knights, representing the Southern League (SL), came into this game with a record of 1-1 with a with a win against Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) and a loss against nearby rival, Ripon. Big Valley, representing the Central California Athletic Alliance (CCAA), is 0-2 giving up a total of 81 points against Delhi and Waterford while only scoring 26. The Knights are looking to rebound from a crushing 62-13 defeat by Ripon from a week ago, while Big Valley is looking for their first win.
It would become a long night for Big Valley. The score quickly became 26-0 before the Lions would see any hope. Vos fumbled the snap which would be recovered by Big Valley's Marcus Zuniga at the Ripon Christian 39-yard line. Big Valley would soon get a first down, as they marched down the field. It looked like the Lions were going to get into the game. However, the Lions could not get past the 14-yard line. Big Valley could not take advantage of the turnover.
When it was all said and done, the Knights would put 47 points on the board and force a 4th-quarter running clock (the clock would only stop for time outs and sometimes touchdowns. It's a version of high school football mercy rule). Ripon Christian quarterback, Danny Vos threw for three touchdowns and Andrew Brown ran for two. At times, Big Valley was able to put up an offense, but too many mistakes and too many dropped passes in the end-zone prevented the Lions from scoring any points.
CCAA Standings (as of 10/8/12)
Team (city) Conf. W-L Overall W-L
Brookside Christian (Stockton) 1-0 4-2
Big Valley (Modesto) 1-0 2-4
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) 1-0 2-4
Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 0-1 4-2
Millennium (Tracy) 0-1 1-5
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 0-1 1-5
Note: At the end of the regular season, the two teams with the best conference records automatically go to the playoffs. There are four wildcard spots available in Divisions V and VI. Those go to the best four overall records out of the CCAA, Southern League, Sierra Delta League, and Sacramento Metro Athletic Conference.
I do not know which game I will cover for next month's edition of zzzzz. Here is a list of games I am considering:
10/13- Big Valley vs. Millennium (@ West-Tracy)
10/13- Elliot Christian vs. Stone Ridge Christian (@ Golden Valley-Merced)
10/19- Stone Ridge Christian @ Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage
10/20- Big Valley @ Brookside Christian (@ McNair-Stockton)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Here's what my dream playoffs would look like so far as of 10/11/12
(1) Oregon (PAC-12) would have a bye
(9) Nevada (Mountain West) @ (8) Miami (FL) (ACC)
(12) UTSA (WAC) @ (5) Alabama (Wildcard) (*Not enough league games to get the SEC spot, yet)
(4) Rutgers (Big East) would get a bye
(11) Louisiana-Lafayete (Sun Belt) at (6) Michigan (Big 10)
(3) West Virginia (Big 12) would get the bye
(10) Toledo (MAC) @ (7) Tulsa (Conference USA)
(2) South Carolina (SEC) would have a bye
- I still haven't had a chance to write a blog to defend my position, but I still believe that the NCAA should adopt a conference-winner only playoff (with one wildcard to allow a top non-conference winner or independent to advance). I also believe the bowl system to remain to reward those non-conference winners who had good seasons. The above is just a model as currently some teams have played more conference games than others (That is why current #1 Alabama is just a wildcard, and therefore 5th seed in this model.) When it is all said and done, I believe Alabama will win the SEC, Florida State will win the ACC, Boise State will win the Mountain West, Louisiana-Monroe will win the Sun Belt, and South Carolina will be the wildcard.
-Alabama has establish themselves as the top team in the nation, and it pains me to say that seeing as I HATE the SEC. That defense looks unstoppable. I am already looking forward to seeing Oregon vs. Alabama in the National Championship in January. The best offense (Oregon) would play the best defense (Alabama).
-TCU's quarterback, Casey Pachall, is suspended indefinitely and off the team due to a DUI. This is the first year since the Southwest Conference broke up in 1994 that TCU is playing in a top conference (Big 12). I wondered how the Horned Frogs would do in a big conference. They looked like they had an outside chance to win the championship and making a high-paying bowl game. Now that they lost to a lack-luster Iowa State 37-23 without Pachall, I am now wondering if they'll even make a bowl game.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
-First, I must congratulate the Washington Nationals for making the playoffs. This is only the second time the Washington Nationals franchise ever made the playoffs. The only other time was in 1981 as the Montreal Expos in a strike-shortened year. They lost in the 1st round against the Los Angeles Dodgers that year. I am writing this edition of zzzzz over the course of a few days; and at the time of writing this specific portion, the Nationals are currently down 2-1 in the divisional series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- I keep reading articles and hearing opinions on the fact that some writers think the NFL and NBA owners are incorrect in saying that the leagues need a salary cap. To strengthen their argument, they look to major league baseball which has no salary cap. They say that the majority of the teams in this year's playoffs are in the bottom half of the payroll, including the Oakland Athletics who have the 2nd lowest payroll of all the teams in the Major Leagues. I personally don't know if I agree with the writers, but let me give the other side of that argument. It is true that many of the small-market teams have had a lot of success this year, but without a salary cap, it generally takes small-market teams longer to get good. Case in point, the Pittsburgh Pirates. This team just completed the 20th straight losing season (defined as winning 81 games or less). The last time this team made the playoffs was 1992. When they get good players, they'll have to trade them off in the middle of the season to get some value for them before they bolt to a big-market team with a good salary, and a better chance of making the playoffs. The Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, are among similar teams suffering the same problems. Washington was on that same boat until this year. Like the English Primier league in soccer, it is much more difficult for small-market teams to get to the top of the standing than for the giants of the league.
-Finally, I keep hearing that the umpires screwed the Atlanta Braves out of the playoffs. For those who need clarification, the Cardinals were leading 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning of a one-game playoff. The Braves had runners on 1st and 2nd bases with one out. (I didn't see that part of the game, but I saw the highlights of this play). The Braves batter (I don't remembe who it was) popped up the ball to shallow left field. Shortstop Pete Kosma called for the catch, and left-fielder, Matt Holiday called him off. It turned out that no one caught it, but the umpire called for an infield-fly rule. The Braves failed to score.
The umpires did not screw the Braves!!! Was it a bad call? I believe so (though the rules say it does not necessarily have to be hit in the infield, just that the infielder would have to be able to catch it with little effort, which that argument can be made). The Braves could have scored runs from there with one out, but they failed to do so. If the next batter were to hit into a double play, the inning is over and the point is moot. The Braves could have prevented some of the Cardinal runs, but too many mistakes allowed the Cardinals score. The Braves could have scored in the 4th inning, but their shortstop, Simmons, ran inside the base-line and by rule, he was out and the runners had to stay on base. Rarely does one mistake by the umpire determine the results of the game, and that was not the case this time. It was a bad call, but when it was all said and done, the Braves' lack of execution was more to blame for their loss than the umpires.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
zzzzz (Relaunch edition-Volume 1)
by Matt Groom 9/5/12
To old and new readers: zzzzz (Pronounced "Quintuple-z") is a blog about my random thoughts. Most of them are my reactions to what is happening, while others are just random thoughts. This whole thing came about when myspace was popular. I got bored one night and put all my thoughts in a blog. I came up with the title, zzzzz, because I got bored trying to come up with a title for the blog. Since a group of z's can represent sleep, I decided to come up with that. I thought I would just do it once and never write one again. However, there was some popularity in the blog, and I went to write more. I would say about five people were crushed when I decided to stop writing them.
Anyway, what made me decide to bring this back is that I am at a crossroads in my life. I went to school to become a teacher, and I came one step short (pointless California teaching regulations). Anyway, I can't afford to wait for teaching to work out. So, I am wondering what I am supposed to do with my life. One of the things I've been thinking about is becoming a sports writer. (Other things I've been considering will appear later in this blog.) I decided it would be in my best interest to relaunch this blog in order to get some writing practice. Since my main passion is sports, I will be writing mostly about sports. However, in zzzzz, I will be covering other topics as well. (There will be other blogs in which will be solely about sports topics).
I am not completely sure of what I want to get out of this blog. The thought of taking this to a national publication (though just a dream at this point) sounds appealing, but I may have to compromise who I am, in order to accomplish that. I might also want to use this and other blogs as a portfolio in case I want to send my resume in to a local paper such as the Oakdale Leader, Turlock Journal, or Modesto Bee. I have no idea how long this version of zzzzz will last, but it's my project regardless of its longevity.
This version will be a lengthy read to be honest. I'm going to spend some time introducing some of the topics. Plus, I have a lot of thoughts before I start writing, and I create a lot more as I am going through the process of writing. I will categorize the topics so if one is not of any interest to you, you can skip it. Sports topics will be title by the sport I am writing about and not simply, "sports". Zzzzz will occur anywhere between the first and second Wednesday of the month, depending on when I have time. Other blogs will be written as I see fit. I am also considering writing two versions of zzzzz a month, one for sports and one for other topics. I would like to read your thoughts about it.
Here we go...
THINGS AT CHURCH
I attend Bethel Assembly of God in Oakdale, California. As in the past, I will plug events and other news about my church. I am also willing to advertise events of other churches if I hear about them.
- On Tuesday, September 11, the church will go around the city of Oakdale and provide lunches to police officers, fire fighters, and city officials. This tradition started when Pastor Dave took over the church, I believe 5 years ago. He calls it "Bethel Remembers".
- On September 29, 2012, there will be a service called "Love Oakdale". The volunteers will meet at Wood Park (Corner of A and 1st streets in Oakdale). They will be working on various projects in the city. It will last from 9:00 A.M-noon. The churches in Modesto will have a similar day for that city. For more information, go to www.loveoakdale.com for Oakdale and www.lovemodesto.com for Modesto.
POLITICS
The Republican Convention happened last week and the Democratic Convention is happening this week. I wanted to do a report on both, but I am getting worked up over politics this year and decided to omit them from my blog. I want to spend the first few editions of zzzzz writing objectively, and I cannot do that right now. Therefore, I think it is best to skip it. I have my opinions on who I think would make the better president, and I'll leave it at that. Those who know me know where I stand.
HISTORY
I have been reading some of my old college textbooks for a couple reasons. Either I will go back to pursuing my teaching credential, and I will need to keep history fresh in my mind. I am also thinking of getting a master's degree in history. I will need to stay sharp if I decide to do that. I am relearning some things; and I am finding things out for the first time, either because I didn't catch something the first time, or in the case of my Western Civilization class, I didn't really read the book the first time. I learned something interesting recently. I had no idea that the Greeks had colonies as far away as modern-day Spain, at the height of their power. (I also found from another source that they have also had influence in Libya.) These colonies were created to encourage trade, but political problems soon occurred and Greece soon lost these colonies.
GRE WORD OF THE MONTH
As stated earlier, I am considering going for a master's degree in history. Many schools require a prospective candidate to take the GRE. The GRE is like the SAT for the master's program, but the material is more advanced. One area where I may struggle is the vocabulary. So, in order to help me study, I will present a word, definition and use it in a sentence.
Today's word: inchoate- not fully formed, incipient (yep, I'll need a dictionary to find out some of the definitions of the definitions); rudimentary, underdeveloped; lacking order.
The night that Julia Ward Howe composed "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," she woke before dawn with a rudimentary, inchoate idea of what she wanted to say. (ok, I copied it from a flash card.)
FIFA TOP 25 (men's soccer national teams)
(In order to save room, I won't write it like an up-and-down list: 1. Spain, 2. Germany 3. England 4. Portugal 5: Uruguay 6. Italy 7. Argentina 8. Netherlands 9. Croatia 10. Denmark 11. Greece 12. Brazil 13. Russia 14. Chile 15. France 16. Cote D'Ivoire 17. Ecuador 18. Sweden 19. Czech Republic 20. Switzerland 21. Mexico 22. Columbia 23. Japan 24. Slovenia 25. Australia
I don't see how England is 3, Portugal is 4, how Brazil can be dropped to 12, how Australia is 25, and how the United States isn't even in the top-30 (33)
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
I will mostly be talking about the Sac-Joaquin Section in California since I live in that area and most (if not all) my audience lives in.
Top 25 teams regardless of size (according to calpreps.com) 1. Elk Grove (2-0) 2. Vacaville (1-0) 3. Del Oro-Loomis (0-2) 4. Franklin-Elk Grove (2-0) 5. Folsom (2-0) 6. Lincoln-Stockton (1-1) 7. Granite Bay (0-2) 8. Nevada Union-Grass Valley (2-0) 9. Oakdale (1-1) 10. St. Mary's-Stockton (2-0) 11. Buhach Colony-Atwater (2-0) 12. Placer-Auburn (1-0) 13. Grant-Sacramento (1-1) 14. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (1-1) 15. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (2-0) 16. Inderkum-Sacramento (1-0) 17. Merced (2-0) 18. Los Banos (2-0) 19. Atwater (1-0) 20. Whitney-Rocklin (2-0) 21. Pitman-Turlock (2-0) 22. Turlock (1-1) 23. Hilmar (2-0) 24. Woodcreek-Roseville (1-1) 25. Antelope (2-0)
-My awesome girlfriend gave me some wise advice to cover something that no one else covers and I have an opportunity to do that with a local team. The publications lack to cover Big Valley and the rest of the Central California Athletic Alliance. Granted, the conference is geographically widespread. From north to south, it goes from Lodi to Merced. From east to west, it goes from San Andreas to Tracy. So, here is my take on the conference. So far, no team has a win (every team is playing a few non-conference games before conference season starts). That is shocking. Millennium of Tracy won the conference, Sierra Ridge/ROP (San Andreas) and Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) were playoff teams last year, and Brookside Christian (Stockton) is only two years removed from a state bowl berth. (One of only five Stockton/Modesto area schools to do so. Others were Central Catholic, Modesto Christian, Escalon, and Le Grand). Elliot Christian has the best shot of getting a win this coming week as the Eagles take on Turlock Christian Saturday at Hilmar High School. I will be at the Ripon Christian-Big Valley game on the 14th. I won't necessarily be doing any reporting, but the next edition of zzzzz will have my reactions to the game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The start of college football was this past weekend. Alabama is defending their national championship (that I will say to this day they didn't deserve) and are off to a great start. With a 41-14 win over Michigan, I think they look even better this year than last year. Also 4 teams will join Division I-A (Massachusetts, South Alabama, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State). Eight teams who were already in the division switched conferences (Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC), (TCU and West Virginia to the Big 12),(Temple to Big East), (Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada to the Mountain West), and four teams are bowl ineligible for various reasons (North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, and UCF).
In 2014, the BCS will be dumped and a four-team playoff will happen. Before that was decided, all experts had their own opinions of how many teams and who should be in the playoffs. I will offer my opinions.
- Twelve teams would be in the playoffs under my proposal.
- Eleven must be conference winners and one wildcard.
- Rankings will be determined by ratings (A wildcard team may not have a top-four seeding unless it has a better record than the remaining conference leaders, regardless of conference),
- Higher seeding has home game until finals (will be at neutral site). Top four seeds have a first round bye,
- Remaining 6-6 or better teams will be in a bowl game.
Here's what it looks like after week 1:
(1) USC-Bye; (9) Texas St. @ (8) Nevada; (12) Ball State @ (5) Alabama (At this point they get the wildcard, because they have not played a conference game, yet. As the season goes on, they'll get a higher seeding.); (4) Michigan St.-Bye; (11) East Carolina @ (6) Virginia Tech; (3) South Carolina-Bye; (10) Louisiana-Lafayette @ (7) Louisville; (2) Oklahoma-Bye
There are pros and cons to my proposal; but in interest of length, I will save them until I write the blog "If I was King of Sports."
RANDOM THOUGHT
I have seen top 10, 20, 100 lists of One-hit wonders in the music world. Someone should do a list for country music only. I have some proposals to put on that list:
Vicki Lawrence- "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (Yes, she played Mama on Mama's Family).
Boy Howdy- "She'd Give Anything"
Ken Mellons- "Jukebox Junkie"
Shane Minor- "Slave to the Habit"
Billy Gilman- "One Voice" (Remember the 11-year kid who was a hit for a while?)
If you want to add others, let me know.
OTHER TOPICS CONSIDERED, BUT NOT COVERED: News in Oakdale (Though I must congratulate my former 8th grade English/Literature teacher, Gillian Wegener, for becoming something called the Poet Laureate. Sorry, I have no idea what that is. I'll read the story later.), Geography, Vice President Joe Biden, Education in the United States, Baseball playoff picture, Olympics, the Honeybadger, more random thoughts, what I am reading.
Sorry it was so long. I cut the list the best I could; however, there was a lot I wanted to say. I welcome comments. I will do my best to respond if they are written respectfully. If you are still willing to read more versions after this, I'll see you next month.
To old and new readers: zzzzz (Pronounced "Quintuple-z") is a blog about my random thoughts. Most of them are my reactions to what is happening, while others are just random thoughts. This whole thing came about when myspace was popular. I got bored one night and put all my thoughts in a blog. I came up with the title, zzzzz, because I got bored trying to come up with a title for the blog. Since a group of z's can represent sleep, I decided to come up with that. I thought I would just do it once and never write one again. However, there was some popularity in the blog, and I went to write more. I would say about five people were crushed when I decided to stop writing them.
Anyway, what made me decide to bring this back is that I am at a crossroads in my life. I went to school to become a teacher, and I came one step short (pointless California teaching regulations). Anyway, I can't afford to wait for teaching to work out. So, I am wondering what I am supposed to do with my life. One of the things I've been thinking about is becoming a sports writer. (Other things I've been considering will appear later in this blog.) I decided it would be in my best interest to relaunch this blog in order to get some writing practice. Since my main passion is sports, I will be writing mostly about sports. However, in zzzzz, I will be covering other topics as well. (There will be other blogs in which will be solely about sports topics).
I am not completely sure of what I want to get out of this blog. The thought of taking this to a national publication (though just a dream at this point) sounds appealing, but I may have to compromise who I am, in order to accomplish that. I might also want to use this and other blogs as a portfolio in case I want to send my resume in to a local paper such as the Oakdale Leader, Turlock Journal, or Modesto Bee. I have no idea how long this version of zzzzz will last, but it's my project regardless of its longevity.
This version will be a lengthy read to be honest. I'm going to spend some time introducing some of the topics. Plus, I have a lot of thoughts before I start writing, and I create a lot more as I am going through the process of writing. I will categorize the topics so if one is not of any interest to you, you can skip it. Sports topics will be title by the sport I am writing about and not simply, "sports". Zzzzz will occur anywhere between the first and second Wednesday of the month, depending on when I have time. Other blogs will be written as I see fit. I am also considering writing two versions of zzzzz a month, one for sports and one for other topics. I would like to read your thoughts about it.
Here we go...
THINGS AT CHURCH
I attend Bethel Assembly of God in Oakdale, California. As in the past, I will plug events and other news about my church. I am also willing to advertise events of other churches if I hear about them.
- On Tuesday, September 11, the church will go around the city of Oakdale and provide lunches to police officers, fire fighters, and city officials. This tradition started when Pastor Dave took over the church, I believe 5 years ago. He calls it "Bethel Remembers".
- On September 29, 2012, there will be a service called "Love Oakdale". The volunteers will meet at Wood Park (Corner of A and 1st streets in Oakdale). They will be working on various projects in the city. It will last from 9:00 A.M-noon. The churches in Modesto will have a similar day for that city. For more information, go to www.loveoakdale.com for Oakdale and www.lovemodesto.com for Modesto.
POLITICS
The Republican Convention happened last week and the Democratic Convention is happening this week. I wanted to do a report on both, but I am getting worked up over politics this year and decided to omit them from my blog. I want to spend the first few editions of zzzzz writing objectively, and I cannot do that right now. Therefore, I think it is best to skip it. I have my opinions on who I think would make the better president, and I'll leave it at that. Those who know me know where I stand.
HISTORY
I have been reading some of my old college textbooks for a couple reasons. Either I will go back to pursuing my teaching credential, and I will need to keep history fresh in my mind. I am also thinking of getting a master's degree in history. I will need to stay sharp if I decide to do that. I am relearning some things; and I am finding things out for the first time, either because I didn't catch something the first time, or in the case of my Western Civilization class, I didn't really read the book the first time. I learned something interesting recently. I had no idea that the Greeks had colonies as far away as modern-day Spain, at the height of their power. (I also found from another source that they have also had influence in Libya.) These colonies were created to encourage trade, but political problems soon occurred and Greece soon lost these colonies.
GRE WORD OF THE MONTH
As stated earlier, I am considering going for a master's degree in history. Many schools require a prospective candidate to take the GRE. The GRE is like the SAT for the master's program, but the material is more advanced. One area where I may struggle is the vocabulary. So, in order to help me study, I will present a word, definition and use it in a sentence.
Today's word: inchoate- not fully formed, incipient (yep, I'll need a dictionary to find out some of the definitions of the definitions); rudimentary, underdeveloped; lacking order.
The night that Julia Ward Howe composed "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," she woke before dawn with a rudimentary, inchoate idea of what she wanted to say. (ok, I copied it from a flash card.)
FIFA TOP 25 (men's soccer national teams)
(In order to save room, I won't write it like an up-and-down list: 1. Spain, 2. Germany 3. England 4. Portugal 5: Uruguay 6. Italy 7. Argentina 8. Netherlands 9. Croatia 10. Denmark 11. Greece 12. Brazil 13. Russia 14. Chile 15. France 16. Cote D'Ivoire 17. Ecuador 18. Sweden 19. Czech Republic 20. Switzerland 21. Mexico 22. Columbia 23. Japan 24. Slovenia 25. Australia
I don't see how England is 3, Portugal is 4, how Brazil can be dropped to 12, how Australia is 25, and how the United States isn't even in the top-30 (33)
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
I will mostly be talking about the Sac-Joaquin Section in California since I live in that area and most (if not all) my audience lives in.
Top 25 teams regardless of size (according to calpreps.com) 1. Elk Grove (2-0) 2. Vacaville (1-0) 3. Del Oro-Loomis (0-2) 4. Franklin-Elk Grove (2-0) 5. Folsom (2-0) 6. Lincoln-Stockton (1-1) 7. Granite Bay (0-2) 8. Nevada Union-Grass Valley (2-0) 9. Oakdale (1-1) 10. St. Mary's-Stockton (2-0) 11. Buhach Colony-Atwater (2-0) 12. Placer-Auburn (1-0) 13. Grant-Sacramento (1-1) 14. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (1-1) 15. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (2-0) 16. Inderkum-Sacramento (1-0) 17. Merced (2-0) 18. Los Banos (2-0) 19. Atwater (1-0) 20. Whitney-Rocklin (2-0) 21. Pitman-Turlock (2-0) 22. Turlock (1-1) 23. Hilmar (2-0) 24. Woodcreek-Roseville (1-1) 25. Antelope (2-0)
-My awesome girlfriend gave me some wise advice to cover something that no one else covers and I have an opportunity to do that with a local team. The publications lack to cover Big Valley and the rest of the Central California Athletic Alliance. Granted, the conference is geographically widespread. From north to south, it goes from Lodi to Merced. From east to west, it goes from San Andreas to Tracy. So, here is my take on the conference. So far, no team has a win (every team is playing a few non-conference games before conference season starts). That is shocking. Millennium of Tracy won the conference, Sierra Ridge/ROP (San Andreas) and Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) were playoff teams last year, and Brookside Christian (Stockton) is only two years removed from a state bowl berth. (One of only five Stockton/Modesto area schools to do so. Others were Central Catholic, Modesto Christian, Escalon, and Le Grand). Elliot Christian has the best shot of getting a win this coming week as the Eagles take on Turlock Christian Saturday at Hilmar High School. I will be at the Ripon Christian-Big Valley game on the 14th. I won't necessarily be doing any reporting, but the next edition of zzzzz will have my reactions to the game.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The start of college football was this past weekend. Alabama is defending their national championship (that I will say to this day they didn't deserve) and are off to a great start. With a 41-14 win over Michigan, I think they look even better this year than last year. Also 4 teams will join Division I-A (Massachusetts, South Alabama, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State). Eight teams who were already in the division switched conferences (Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC), (TCU and West Virginia to the Big 12),(Temple to Big East), (Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada to the Mountain West), and four teams are bowl ineligible for various reasons (North Carolina, Ohio State, Penn State, and UCF).
In 2014, the BCS will be dumped and a four-team playoff will happen. Before that was decided, all experts had their own opinions of how many teams and who should be in the playoffs. I will offer my opinions.
- Twelve teams would be in the playoffs under my proposal.
- Eleven must be conference winners and one wildcard.
- Rankings will be determined by ratings (A wildcard team may not have a top-four seeding unless it has a better record than the remaining conference leaders, regardless of conference),
- Higher seeding has home game until finals (will be at neutral site). Top four seeds have a first round bye,
- Remaining 6-6 or better teams will be in a bowl game.
Here's what it looks like after week 1:
(1) USC-Bye; (9) Texas St. @ (8) Nevada; (12) Ball State @ (5) Alabama (At this point they get the wildcard, because they have not played a conference game, yet. As the season goes on, they'll get a higher seeding.); (4) Michigan St.-Bye; (11) East Carolina @ (6) Virginia Tech; (3) South Carolina-Bye; (10) Louisiana-Lafayette @ (7) Louisville; (2) Oklahoma-Bye
There are pros and cons to my proposal; but in interest of length, I will save them until I write the blog "If I was King of Sports."
RANDOM THOUGHT
I have seen top 10, 20, 100 lists of One-hit wonders in the music world. Someone should do a list for country music only. I have some proposals to put on that list:
Vicki Lawrence- "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (Yes, she played Mama on Mama's Family).
Boy Howdy- "She'd Give Anything"
Ken Mellons- "Jukebox Junkie"
Shane Minor- "Slave to the Habit"
Billy Gilman- "One Voice" (Remember the 11-year kid who was a hit for a while?)
If you want to add others, let me know.
OTHER TOPICS CONSIDERED, BUT NOT COVERED: News in Oakdale (Though I must congratulate my former 8th grade English/Literature teacher, Gillian Wegener, for becoming something called the Poet Laureate. Sorry, I have no idea what that is. I'll read the story later.), Geography, Vice President Joe Biden, Education in the United States, Baseball playoff picture, Olympics, the Honeybadger, more random thoughts, what I am reading.
Sorry it was so long. I cut the list the best I could; however, there was a lot I wanted to say. I welcome comments. I will do my best to respond if they are written respectfully. If you are still willing to read more versions after this, I'll see you next month.
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