The third proposal for realignment has been released. There are not many changes compared to what the leagues look like currently. There will be one more meeting with one more proposal for sure on March 12th. There will be a 5th meeting if necessary, but that one does not seem to be likely.
Here is what proposal #3 looks like (new teams in purple).
Division I (7 leagues)
Central California Conference (CCC)
Atwater
Buhach Colony (Atwater)
Golden Valley (Merced)
Merced
Pitman (Turlock)
Turlock
Note: El Capitan (Merced) is expected to join in 2016.
Delta League (DL)
Davis
Elk Grove
Franklin (Elk Grove)
Grant (Sacramento)
Jesuit (Carmichael) (all-boys school)
Monterey Trail (Elk Grove)
Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)
Sheldon (Sacramento)
St. Francis (Sacramento) (all-girls school)
Note: The Section will contract the Delta River League and the Delta Valley League to create the Delta League. These schools currently belong in one of the two leagues. DRL: Jesuit, Pleasant Grove, Sheldon, St. Francis. DVL: Davis, Elk Grove, Franklin (EG), Grant, Monterey Trail.
Modesto Metro Conference (all schools in Modesto) (MMC)
Beyer
Grace Davis
Downey
Enochs
Gregori
Johansen
Modesto
Note: Modesto Christian will join for boys/girls basketball only.
Monticello Empire League (MEL)
Armijo (Fairfield)
Napa
Rodriquez (Fairfield)
Vacaville
Vintage (Napa)
Wood (Vacaville)
San Joaquin Athletic Association (SJAA)
Lincoln (Stockton)
Lodi
St. Mary's (Stockton) (TCAL)
Tokay (Lodi) (TCAL)
Tracy
West (Tracy) (TCAL)
Sierra Foothill League (SFL)
Del Oro (Loomis)
Folsom (DRL)
Granite Bay
Nevada Union (Grass Valley)
Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) (DRL)
Rocklin
Woodcreek (Roseville)
Tri-City Athletic League (all teams in Stockton) (TCAL)
Bear Creek (SJAA)
Chavez (SJAA)
Edison
Franklin (Stockton) (SJAA)
McNair
Stagg
Division II (2 leagues)
Capital Valley Conference (CVC)
Antelope (CAL)
Bella Vista (Fair Oaks)
Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) (SVC)
Del Campo (Fair Oaks)
Oakmont (Roseville)
Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) (DRL)
Roseville (SFL)
Whitney (Rocklin) (CAL)
Solano County Athletic Conference (SCAC)
American Canyon
Benicia
Bethel (Fairfield)
Fairfield
Vallejo
Vanden (Fairfield-Travis AFB)
Division III (4 leagues)
Capital Athletic Conference (CAL)
Casa Roble (Orangevale) (CVC)
Christian Brothers (Sacramento) (CVC)
El Camino (Sacramento)
Mira Loma (Sacramento)
Rio Americano (Sacramento)
Vista del Lago (Folsom) (SVC)
Metro League (ML)
Burbank (Sacramento)
Florin (Sacramento)
Johnson (Sacramento)
Kennedy (Sacramento)
Laguna Creek (Elk Grove) (DVL)
McClatchy (Sacramento)
Sacramento
Valley (Sacramento)
Tri-County Conference (TCC)
Inderkum (Sacramento)
Pioneer (Woodland)
Rio Linda (CVC)
River City (West Sacramento) (SVC)
River Valley (Yuba City)
Woodland
Yuba City
Valley Oak League (VOL)
Central Catholic (Modesto) (WAC)
East Union (Manteca)
Kimball (Tracy)
Lathrop
Manteca
Oakdale
Sierra (Manteca)
Weston Ranch (Manteca)
Note: I expect Ripon and Sonora to remain in the VOL for swimming and water polo. I also expect Ripon to remain in the league for swimming.
Division IV (3 leagues)
Pioneer Valley League (PVL)
Bear River (Grass Valley)
Center (Antelope)
Colfax
Foothill (Sacramento)
Lincoln
Placer (Auburn)
Sierra Valley Conference (SVC)
Cordova (Rancho Cordova) (CAL)
El Dorado (Placerville)
Galt
Liberty Ranch (Galt)
Rosemont (Sacramento) (ML)
Union Mine (El Dorado)
Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Central Valley (Ceres)
Ceres
El Capitan (Merced) (new)
Livingston
Los Banos
Pacheco (Los Banos)
Patterson
Note: El Capitan is expected to leave in 2016. Grace Davis may join in 2016 if its enrollment numbers continue to decline, according to the Modesto Bee's Rich Estrada.
Division V (3 leagues)
Golden Empire League (GEL)
Capital Christian (Sacramento)
Dixon
Lindhurst (Olivehurst)
Marysville
Mesa Verde (Citrus Heights)
Natomas (Sacramento) (TCC)
West Campus (Sacramento)
Mother Lode League (MLL)
Amador (Sutter Creek)
Argonaut (Jackson)
Bret Harte (Angels Camp)
Calaveras (San Andreas)
Linden
Sonora (VOL)
Summerville (Tuolumne City)
Trans Valley League (TVL)
Escalon
Hilmar
Hughson
Modesto Christian
Mountain House (new)
Ripon
Riverbank
Note: Ripon Christian would join TVL for boys/girls basketball.
Division VI (3 leagues)
Sierra Delta League (SDL)
Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento)
Encina (Sacramento)
Golden Sierra (Garden Valley)
Highlands (North Highlands)
Rio Vista
San Juan (Citrus Heights)
Vacaville Christian
Southern League (SL)
Delhi
Denair
Gustine
Le Grand
Mariposa
Orestimba (Newman) (TVL)
Ripon Christian
Waterford
Central Valley California League (CVCL) (no football)
Delta (Clarksburg)
Forest Lake Christian (Auburn)
Foresthill
Sacramento Waldorf (Fair Oaks)
Victory Christian (Carmichael)
Woodland Christian
Note: The league does not sponsor football. The 3 teams in this league that have football play in the SMAL.
Division VII (4 leagues)
Central California Athletic Alliance (CCAA)
Big Valley (Modesto)
Brookside Christian (Stockton)
Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi)
Millennium (Tracy)
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) (all boys school)
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced)
Turlock Christian (SL)
Venture Academy (Stockton) (MVL)
Note: Venture Academy does not have football.
Sacramento Metro Athletic League (SMAL)
Buckingham Charter (Vacaville)
Cristo Rey (Sacramento) (CVCL)
Faith Christian (Yuba City)
Sacramento Advenist (Carmichael)
Sacramento Country Day
Valley Christian (Roseville)
Wilton Christian
Note: Delta, Foresthill, and Woodland Christian would remain in the SMAL for football. Buckingham Charter, Faith Christian, Sacramento Advenist, Sacramento Country Day, and Wilton Christian do not have football.
Mountain Valley League (MVL) (non-football)
Delta Charter (Tracy)
Don Pedro (La Grange)
Excel Academy (Stockton) (IND)
Holt Academy (Stockton)
Hughes Academy (Stockton)
Lodi Academy
Mountain Oaks (San Andreas)
Stockton Christian
Tioga (Groveland)
Northern Pacific Athletic Conference (NPAC) (non-football)
Freedom Christian (Fair Oaks)
Global Youth Charter (Antelope)
Lutheran (Elk Grove) (SMAL)
New Life Christian (Olivehurst)
Trinity Prep (Napa)
Western Sierra Collegiate (Rocklin) (IND)
Woodland Poly (IND)
Comments
What I like about it
The most important thing to me is that the Tracy and Lodi schools are in one league like they should be (ok, with the exception of Kimball). The section should have never split them up in the first place. I think the section finally found a way to get the competetive balance without having to make many changes. Also, with the first two proposals moving them, Placer will finally stay where it belongs. A move to the CAL made no sense to anyone outside the section office.
What needs to be changed still
Division II needs a third league. For non-enrollment based playoffs, division probably would have 8 teams, and the first round would be like a CVC vs. SCAC challenge. Not only is that boring, but teams who wouldn't deserve to make the playoffs would go. I still think that either the ML will move up or the CCC would move down. If I had to pick one, I would say the Metro League solely because of Burbank. A school of 2000 plus does not need to be dropped down to division III. If the ML stays, then they need to get Burbank out. My idea would be to move Burbank to the DL and Davis to the MEL. Finally, they need to split Lincoln (Stockton) and St. Mary's. Since most of these moves are football-based, the rest of the SJAA would basically play for 3rd place every year with the Trojans and Rams in that league. There are others, but they can't please everyone, and the rest are too minor.
What I personally would like to see
With Ripon being a good team at many sports, and offering more sports than the rest of its TVL counterparts, it might be time for the Indians to move to the WAC despite the enrollment under 1,000. The numbers are close, and I think most teams can do well in that league.
No one pays attention to the division VII schools, so I will mention something brief. The section basically has the number of leagues set in stone, but for all sports except for football, I would like the CCAA and MVL split in 2 6-team leagues and 1 5-team league. My proposal: Stockton-Lodi League: Elliot Chr., Excel Academy, Holt Academy, Hughes Academy, Lodi Academy, Stockton Chr. South Valley League: Big Valley, Brookside Chr., Delta Charter, Millennium, Turlock Chr., Venture Academy. Foothill League: Don Pedro, Mountain Oaks, Sierra Ridge/ROP, Stone Ridge Chr., Tioga
Proposal I think is best overall: #3. Central Catholic will be challenged, there is more of a competetive balance, the section keeps the most teams happy.
Proposal I think is best for Oakdale sports: #1. Personal feelings aside (I am in favor of Oakdale going to the MMC or CCC as long as the league drops to a division II league), I really do think this is the best for all programs. Proposal #1 put Oakdale in the division II MMC with Atwater, Beyer, Buhach Colony, Grace Davis, Downey, El Capitan, and Johansen. Proposal #3 works just as well for the football team (and probably wrestling and soccer), but it does not solve the problems of the other programs (nor is it actually better). Basketball will remain irrelevant (#1 gives Oakdale teams it could beat, and position well for a playoff run). Water polo will still play in a thrown-together league (VOL would probably have 4 or 5 teams, but all the schools in this MMC have water polo). Baseball and softball would still play teams that don't challenge them in the playoffs (this MMC can challenge them in league, and in the playoffs, they would play challenging, but beatable teams). I do admit girls tennis would take a hit, and boys tennis would not matter. They can't get into the playoffs, anyway. Pound-for-pound, proposal #1 is the better fit for the Oakdale program. As for my personal feelings, 1) I live near Downey, and I can see my alma mater more without having to drive. 2) I think the Modesto-area would be better served if Central Catholic and Oakdale remained in different leagues. True there would be great football games once a year, but with playing in separate leagues, they can both be embassadors for the Modesto-area. In the 2012 football season, both Central and Oakdale made it to state. That is less likely to happen if they are in the same league, and they both have the potential of going again. 3) Even if #1 and #2 weren't true, I think the section gave Oakdale a gift with the first proposal, but since it didn't come with VOL wrapping paper, the coaches, fans, nor athletic director want it.
Questions? Comments? Can't understand what I said on the last paragraph, because I wanted to get all my thoughts on there and it looks unorganized? Let me know. Thank you for reading.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
zzzzz vol. 6 (Feb. 2013)
THINGS AT CHURCH
- The King of Hearts banquet was a success. Those who attended were treated with a lasagna dinner and a comedy show. The comedian was funny. His routine included how famous people would "tweet" or "facebook" what they read in the Bible based on their famous quotes, the "language" of Starbucks, and our sports culture.
-There will be just one service on Sunday at Bethel Assembly to celebrate the grand re-opening. The service will start at 10:00 A.M.
NEWS FROM THE MODESTO BEE
-In the January 30th edition of the Modesto Bee, it was reported that the principal of Elliot High School (a continuation school in Modesto) was dismissed. However, the reasoning was not mentioned, though the school district and the Bee wanted to make a point that the principal did not do anything illegal. It was only left to speculation, though I do not want to do that. I know that some of the Modesto schools did not do well on the standardized tests. However, according to the article, the principal helped make improvments to the school academically. How can the school board let go of someone who made a school like Elliot with a horrible reputation into a half-way decent place. I encourage everyone to read the articles in the Modesto Bee. I also encourage all parents to be informed of all that is going on in their respective school districts.
OTHER NEWS
-I read an article in the Weekly Standard called "From Blessing to Curse" by Jonathan V. Last. This article talks about specific cases about parents suing doctors for "wrongful birth". Most of the beginning cases were about parents who gave birth to children with down syndrome in which doctors failed to discover while the child was in the womb. These cases involve parents who would have had an abortion if they had been notified of it at the legal abortion period. As those parents started winning cases, it got to parents suing contraceptive companies and doctors who provided contraceptives because the parents could not afford to have the kid.
Ok. I won't even bring my views of abortion in on this one. Most of the judges and juries ruled made the rulings based on "the best interest of the kid". How is the kid going to feel knowing that Mommy and Daddy suing because they were born? That has to be very damaging to their self-esteem. I don't know what's worse, the parents regretting the day the child was born or the parents trying to profit off their child's birth. Most parents are not financially ready for their kids to be born, yet, they still see their child as a blessing. These ridiculous lawsuits need to stop.
-Foxnews.com put an article about the University of Missouri asking professors to not schedule major exams on Wicca and other sect holidays. I can understand wanting to honor everyone's religious views, but they should take caution about a minute minority who would come up with any excuse not to take exams.
FIFA TOP 25 RANKINGS
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. England 5. Italy T6. Columbia T6. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Croatia 10. Russia 11. Greece T12. Cote D'Ivoire T12. Ecuador 14. Switzerland 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18. Brazil 19. Ghana 20. Belgium 21. Sweden 22. Denmark 23. Chile 24. Bosnia-Herzegovnia 25. Mali. (USA dropped 4 spots to 32). Spain's next game: March 22nd vs. Finland
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
-My awesome girlfriend and I recently went to the UC-San Diego at Stanislaus State game. Little did I know that it was Stanislaus State's homecoming. That must of given the Warriors a little extra inspiration, becuase they won 72-57. I read in the Modesto Bee that they went on to defeat Cal State-Bakersfield, the 2nd best team in the conference by record, the next night. The successful weekend puts Stanislaus State in 10th place in the league. The Warriors must finish in the top-8 in order to qualify for the conference tournament and keep the hopes for an NCAA Division II tournament bid alive.
-There are still two teams still undefeated in all of NCAA basketball, and they are both in division II. They are Metro State in Colorado and the defending NCAA division II champions, Western Washington.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
- I was not able to do my CCAA watch on basketball like I hoped. With the season ending on February 11, 2013, here are the final standings: (x=eligible for playoffs)
Team Conference Record Overall Record
x-Brookside Christian (Stockton) 10-0 25-1
x-Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 8-2 22-5
x-Millennium (Tracy) 5-5 15-12
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 4-6 10-9
Big Valley (Modesto) 3-7 8-13
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) 0-10 1-19
All 3 teams eligible for playoffs made it in division V. Millennium got the 12th and last seed, and will play at Woodland Christian on Wednesday, February 20th. On the same day, 6th seed Jim Elliot Christian will host Delta Charter of Tracy. Fourth seeded Brookside Christian earned a first-round bye, and will host the winner of the Millennium-Woodland Christian game on Friday, February 22nd.
-The second realignment meeting for the Sac-Joaquin Section took place on January 29th. You can go to the section website for the full proposal, but the second one keeps Oakdale in the VOL. In fact, the only change in the VOL would be that Sonora would leave, and the league would have seven teams. I like the first proposal better (in fact, I hate this one), but I want to look at the positive, because there are things to like about this one.
1) Oakdale remains in the VOL
Oakdale has been in this league for 70 years. It and Sonora are the only charter members remaining. Oakdale would be the last one standing, and can keep most of its league rivals.
2) Oakdale can schedule an extra non-league game in football
With the VOL having seven teams with this line-up, it enables the Mustangs to schedule an extra challenging non-league game. However, I see Oakdale scheduling Sonora for the extra non-league game.
3) Oakdale volleyball should win league now
The one sport Sonora still dominates despite the declining numbers is volleyball. Oakdale has usually finished second. With the Wildcats gone, Oakdale should win league more often.
ACADEMIC DECATHLON
-Congratulations to Oakdale for winning the Stanislaus County Academic Decathlon. The Mustangs will join these other regional champions and wildcards for the state tournament in March in Sacramento (In alphabetical order by region):
Division I
Fresno County- University (Fresno)
Los Angeles County- Beverly Hills
Los Angeles School District- Granada Hills Charter (Granada Hills)
San Bernardino County-Chaffey (Ontario)
San Diego County-Olympian (San Diego)
Wildcards (in alphabetical order by school)
Bell
Edison (Fresno)
El Camino Real Charter (Woodland Hills)
Franklin (Los Angeles)
Marshall (Los Angeles)
Division II
Contra Costa County-Campolindo (Moraga)
Kern County-Stockdale (Bakersfield)
Orange County- Westminster
Riverside County-West Valley (Hemet)
Sacramento County-Bella Vista (Fair Oaks)
Solano County- Vanden (Fairfield)
Sonoma County-Casa Grande (Petaluma)
Southern California Private Schools-Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills)
Stanislaus County- Oakdale
Wildcards
Arroyo Valley (San Bernardino)
Elsinore (Wildomar)
Keppel (Alhambra)
Rancho Cucamonga
Redlands
Redlands East Valley (Redlands)
Troy (Fullerton)
Valencia
West (Los Angeles)
Woodbridge (Irvine)
Division III
Alameda County- Dublin
Butte County-Pleasant Valley (Chico)
Calaveras County-Bret Harte (Angels Camp)
El Dorado County- Ponderosa (Shingle Springs)
Glenn County-William Finch Charter (Orland)
Imperial County-Central Union (El Centro)
Kings County- Lemoore Middle College (Lemoore)
Lake County-Kelseyville
Madera County-Yosemite (Oakhurst)
Merced County-Merced
Napa County- St. Helena
Placer County-Roseville
San Joaquin County- Tracy
Santa Clara County-Gilroy Academy (Gilroy)
Tuolumne- Summerville (Tuolumne City)
Tulare County-Harmony Magnet Academy (Porterville)
Ventura County-Westlake
Yolo County- Davis
Yuba County- Marysville
Wildcards
Edgewood (West Covina)
El Rancho (Pico Rivera)
Francis Poly (Los Angeles-Sun Valley)
Folsom
Garfield (Los Angeles)
Hamilton (Los Angeles)
Hemet
Narbonne (Los Angeles)
North Hollywood
Redondo Union (Redondo Beach)
St. Monica
South (Los Angeles)
Note: I got this information from the California Academic Decathlon website. This link shows the points each team earned. http://www.academicdecathlon.org/scores/county2013.pdf. The top qualifier was Granada Hills Charter. The final qualifier (in terms of points) went to Dublin. The final three wildcard spots went to: North Hollywood, Edgewood, and South.
IF I WERE KING OF SPORTS
I would make changes on two of the qualification spots for the World Cup of soccer. I have different reasons for each change. First, the OFC (Oceania) champion would get an automatic spot in the field of 32, instead of having to play for it. (Note: This World Cup, they play the 4th place of the North American qualifying tournament for a spot). I would make this change, because I think it is total B.S that the OFC is the only area that doesn't get an automatic spot. Maybe that would also encourage Australia to return to the OFC and not try to qualify with the Asian countries and take a spot from them. The second spot would go to a team that has never been to the World Cup before. What I would do is take all the teams in the world who have never reached the World Cup and put them in one big single-elimination, single-leg tournament. The winner would get the last spot. I call it the second chance tournament. For now, the only two rules of qualifying are that the country never played in the World Cup before, and it must also try to qualify the regular way. The normal qualifying games are played a game or two every three months. The second chance tournament games would be played a month after the latest round of qualifying games. Should the winner of the tournament also qualify via the normal route, then the tournament runner-up would get the spot. To keep the World Cup at 32 teams, the two spots I mentioned would be taken from Europe. They have 13 teams going anyway. As compensation, the 12th European team could qualify by taking the OFC's current spot and playing North America's 4th place team.
HISTORY
-I just finished reading "101 Things You Didn't Know About the Civil War" by Thomas R. Turner that my roommate got me for Christmas. I knew some of the facts, but I did learn somethings. (Like the vice president of the Confederacy once proposed that they end the Civil War, and the two sides join together to go to war with France). I will share some of these facts each month as long as zzzzz lasts. The first fact that Turner mentioned was that the war was about more than slavery (I did know that). Another major issue was federal government vs. states rights (doesn't that sound familiar?). The economies of each region were different. The North was mostly industrial, and the South was mostly agricultural. Each region tried to propose laws in its best interest. By doing so, it alienated the other side. By the way things were going, Civil War was only a matter of time.
BOOKS
I am currently reading "Jefferson's War" by Joseph Wheelan. Wheelan's argument throughout the whole book is that America's true first war of terror was in 1801-1805 when the United States was at war with Tripoli (now Libya), Algiers (now Algeria), Tunis (now Tunisia), and Morocco. These nations demanded bribes not just from the Americans, but also several European nations for peaceful trade across the Mediterrean Sea. The Americans decided to pay for the peace for a while up until it got to the point that they may as well go to war for economic reasons and for their dignity. I am currently half-way through the book. On a side note, it is nice to read a book on the Northern African wars. I was not taught about any of this in school, and now it is just a one-sentence mention in eighth grade history books. Most Americans did not know that the U.S was involved in a war before the War of 1812 (for that matter, many Americans do not know about the War of 1812, either). It is a good read, and I encourage history buffs to check it out.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
-Pizza Hut advertised their new pizza sliders. The employees must hate this. They seem like they are going to be a pain to make.
- The King of Hearts banquet was a success. Those who attended were treated with a lasagna dinner and a comedy show. The comedian was funny. His routine included how famous people would "tweet" or "facebook" what they read in the Bible based on their famous quotes, the "language" of Starbucks, and our sports culture.
-There will be just one service on Sunday at Bethel Assembly to celebrate the grand re-opening. The service will start at 10:00 A.M.
NEWS FROM THE MODESTO BEE
-In the January 30th edition of the Modesto Bee, it was reported that the principal of Elliot High School (a continuation school in Modesto) was dismissed. However, the reasoning was not mentioned, though the school district and the Bee wanted to make a point that the principal did not do anything illegal. It was only left to speculation, though I do not want to do that. I know that some of the Modesto schools did not do well on the standardized tests. However, according to the article, the principal helped make improvments to the school academically. How can the school board let go of someone who made a school like Elliot with a horrible reputation into a half-way decent place. I encourage everyone to read the articles in the Modesto Bee. I also encourage all parents to be informed of all that is going on in their respective school districts.
OTHER NEWS
-I read an article in the Weekly Standard called "From Blessing to Curse" by Jonathan V. Last. This article talks about specific cases about parents suing doctors for "wrongful birth". Most of the beginning cases were about parents who gave birth to children with down syndrome in which doctors failed to discover while the child was in the womb. These cases involve parents who would have had an abortion if they had been notified of it at the legal abortion period. As those parents started winning cases, it got to parents suing contraceptive companies and doctors who provided contraceptives because the parents could not afford to have the kid.
Ok. I won't even bring my views of abortion in on this one. Most of the judges and juries ruled made the rulings based on "the best interest of the kid". How is the kid going to feel knowing that Mommy and Daddy suing because they were born? That has to be very damaging to their self-esteem. I don't know what's worse, the parents regretting the day the child was born or the parents trying to profit off their child's birth. Most parents are not financially ready for their kids to be born, yet, they still see their child as a blessing. These ridiculous lawsuits need to stop.
-Foxnews.com put an article about the University of Missouri asking professors to not schedule major exams on Wicca and other sect holidays. I can understand wanting to honor everyone's religious views, but they should take caution about a minute minority who would come up with any excuse not to take exams.
FIFA TOP 25 RANKINGS
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. England 5. Italy T6. Columbia T6. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Croatia 10. Russia 11. Greece T12. Cote D'Ivoire T12. Ecuador 14. Switzerland 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18. Brazil 19. Ghana 20. Belgium 21. Sweden 22. Denmark 23. Chile 24. Bosnia-Herzegovnia 25. Mali. (USA dropped 4 spots to 32). Spain's next game: March 22nd vs. Finland
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
-My awesome girlfriend and I recently went to the UC-San Diego at Stanislaus State game. Little did I know that it was Stanislaus State's homecoming. That must of given the Warriors a little extra inspiration, becuase they won 72-57. I read in the Modesto Bee that they went on to defeat Cal State-Bakersfield, the 2nd best team in the conference by record, the next night. The successful weekend puts Stanislaus State in 10th place in the league. The Warriors must finish in the top-8 in order to qualify for the conference tournament and keep the hopes for an NCAA Division II tournament bid alive.
-There are still two teams still undefeated in all of NCAA basketball, and they are both in division II. They are Metro State in Colorado and the defending NCAA division II champions, Western Washington.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
- I was not able to do my CCAA watch on basketball like I hoped. With the season ending on February 11, 2013, here are the final standings: (x=eligible for playoffs)
Team Conference Record Overall Record
x-Brookside Christian (Stockton) 10-0 25-1
x-Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 8-2 22-5
x-Millennium (Tracy) 5-5 15-12
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 4-6 10-9
Big Valley (Modesto) 3-7 8-13
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) 0-10 1-19
All 3 teams eligible for playoffs made it in division V. Millennium got the 12th and last seed, and will play at Woodland Christian on Wednesday, February 20th. On the same day, 6th seed Jim Elliot Christian will host Delta Charter of Tracy. Fourth seeded Brookside Christian earned a first-round bye, and will host the winner of the Millennium-Woodland Christian game on Friday, February 22nd.
-The second realignment meeting for the Sac-Joaquin Section took place on January 29th. You can go to the section website for the full proposal, but the second one keeps Oakdale in the VOL. In fact, the only change in the VOL would be that Sonora would leave, and the league would have seven teams. I like the first proposal better (in fact, I hate this one), but I want to look at the positive, because there are things to like about this one.
1) Oakdale remains in the VOL
Oakdale has been in this league for 70 years. It and Sonora are the only charter members remaining. Oakdale would be the last one standing, and can keep most of its league rivals.
2) Oakdale can schedule an extra non-league game in football
With the VOL having seven teams with this line-up, it enables the Mustangs to schedule an extra challenging non-league game. However, I see Oakdale scheduling Sonora for the extra non-league game.
3) Oakdale volleyball should win league now
The one sport Sonora still dominates despite the declining numbers is volleyball. Oakdale has usually finished second. With the Wildcats gone, Oakdale should win league more often.
ACADEMIC DECATHLON
-Congratulations to Oakdale for winning the Stanislaus County Academic Decathlon. The Mustangs will join these other regional champions and wildcards for the state tournament in March in Sacramento (In alphabetical order by region):
Division I
Fresno County- University (Fresno)
Los Angeles County- Beverly Hills
Los Angeles School District- Granada Hills Charter (Granada Hills)
San Bernardino County-Chaffey (Ontario)
San Diego County-Olympian (San Diego)
Wildcards (in alphabetical order by school)
Bell
Edison (Fresno)
El Camino Real Charter (Woodland Hills)
Franklin (Los Angeles)
Marshall (Los Angeles)
Division II
Contra Costa County-Campolindo (Moraga)
Kern County-Stockdale (Bakersfield)
Orange County- Westminster
Riverside County-West Valley (Hemet)
Sacramento County-Bella Vista (Fair Oaks)
Solano County- Vanden (Fairfield)
Sonoma County-Casa Grande (Petaluma)
Southern California Private Schools-Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills)
Stanislaus County- Oakdale
Wildcards
Arroyo Valley (San Bernardino)
Elsinore (Wildomar)
Keppel (Alhambra)
Rancho Cucamonga
Redlands
Redlands East Valley (Redlands)
Troy (Fullerton)
Valencia
West (Los Angeles)
Woodbridge (Irvine)
Division III
Alameda County- Dublin
Butte County-Pleasant Valley (Chico)
Calaveras County-Bret Harte (Angels Camp)
El Dorado County- Ponderosa (Shingle Springs)
Glenn County-William Finch Charter (Orland)
Imperial County-Central Union (El Centro)
Kings County- Lemoore Middle College (Lemoore)
Lake County-Kelseyville
Madera County-Yosemite (Oakhurst)
Merced County-Merced
Napa County- St. Helena
Placer County-Roseville
San Joaquin County- Tracy
Santa Clara County-Gilroy Academy (Gilroy)
Tuolumne- Summerville (Tuolumne City)
Tulare County-Harmony Magnet Academy (Porterville)
Ventura County-Westlake
Yolo County- Davis
Yuba County- Marysville
Wildcards
Edgewood (West Covina)
El Rancho (Pico Rivera)
Francis Poly (Los Angeles-Sun Valley)
Folsom
Garfield (Los Angeles)
Hamilton (Los Angeles)
Hemet
Narbonne (Los Angeles)
North Hollywood
Redondo Union (Redondo Beach)
St. Monica
South (Los Angeles)
Note: I got this information from the California Academic Decathlon website. This link shows the points each team earned. http://www.academicdecathlon.org/scores/county2013.pdf. The top qualifier was Granada Hills Charter. The final qualifier (in terms of points) went to Dublin. The final three wildcard spots went to: North Hollywood, Edgewood, and South.
IF I WERE KING OF SPORTS
I would make changes on two of the qualification spots for the World Cup of soccer. I have different reasons for each change. First, the OFC (Oceania) champion would get an automatic spot in the field of 32, instead of having to play for it. (Note: This World Cup, they play the 4th place of the North American qualifying tournament for a spot). I would make this change, because I think it is total B.S that the OFC is the only area that doesn't get an automatic spot. Maybe that would also encourage Australia to return to the OFC and not try to qualify with the Asian countries and take a spot from them. The second spot would go to a team that has never been to the World Cup before. What I would do is take all the teams in the world who have never reached the World Cup and put them in one big single-elimination, single-leg tournament. The winner would get the last spot. I call it the second chance tournament. For now, the only two rules of qualifying are that the country never played in the World Cup before, and it must also try to qualify the regular way. The normal qualifying games are played a game or two every three months. The second chance tournament games would be played a month after the latest round of qualifying games. Should the winner of the tournament also qualify via the normal route, then the tournament runner-up would get the spot. To keep the World Cup at 32 teams, the two spots I mentioned would be taken from Europe. They have 13 teams going anyway. As compensation, the 12th European team could qualify by taking the OFC's current spot and playing North America's 4th place team.
HISTORY
-I just finished reading "101 Things You Didn't Know About the Civil War" by Thomas R. Turner that my roommate got me for Christmas. I knew some of the facts, but I did learn somethings. (Like the vice president of the Confederacy once proposed that they end the Civil War, and the two sides join together to go to war with France). I will share some of these facts each month as long as zzzzz lasts. The first fact that Turner mentioned was that the war was about more than slavery (I did know that). Another major issue was federal government vs. states rights (doesn't that sound familiar?). The economies of each region were different. The North was mostly industrial, and the South was mostly agricultural. Each region tried to propose laws in its best interest. By doing so, it alienated the other side. By the way things were going, Civil War was only a matter of time.
BOOKS
I am currently reading "Jefferson's War" by Joseph Wheelan. Wheelan's argument throughout the whole book is that America's true first war of terror was in 1801-1805 when the United States was at war with Tripoli (now Libya), Algiers (now Algeria), Tunis (now Tunisia), and Morocco. These nations demanded bribes not just from the Americans, but also several European nations for peaceful trade across the Mediterrean Sea. The Americans decided to pay for the peace for a while up until it got to the point that they may as well go to war for economic reasons and for their dignity. I am currently half-way through the book. On a side note, it is nice to read a book on the Northern African wars. I was not taught about any of this in school, and now it is just a one-sentence mention in eighth grade history books. Most Americans did not know that the U.S was involved in a war before the War of 1812 (for that matter, many Americans do not know about the War of 1812, either). It is a good read, and I encourage history buffs to check it out.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
-Pizza Hut advertised their new pizza sliders. The employees must hate this. They seem like they are going to be a pain to make.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sac-Joaquin Basketball playoffs
The brackets have been released, and 94 total teams have made the playoffs across 6 divisions (my alma mater, Oakdale, was not one of them). To qualify for the playoffs, a team had to do one of three things: win league, finish in the top-16 in the power rankings (top-12 for division V and top-8 VI), or have at least 15 total wins (new rule starting this year). Because of the 3rd rule, two divisions have more than 16 teams in it. I will start with division III, and then go in order.
Note: Scores in red. I got them from the Sac-Joaquin Section Website
DIVISION III
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(16) Manteca Buffaloes @ (1) Modesto Christian Crusaders (MC 56-18)
(9) Foothill Mustangs (Sacramento) @ (8) Fairfield Falcons (FAIR 68-55)
(12) Rio Americano Raiders (Sacramento) @ (5) Lincoln Fighting Zebras (RA 66-60)
(13) River Valley Falcons (Yuba City) @ (4) Weston Ranch Cougars (Stockton) (WR 70-43)
(14) East Union Lancers (Manteca) @ (3) Casa Roble Rams (Orangevale) (CR 80-60)
(11) Vanden Vikings (Fairfield) @ (6) Patterson Tigers (PAT 68-61)
(10) Inderkum Tigers (Sacramento) @ (7) Placer Hillmen (Auburn) (PLA 62-59)
(15) Ceres Bulldogs @ (2) Sierra Timberwolves (Manteca) (SIE 66-25)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013- 7:00 P.M)
(8) Fairfield @ (1) Modesto Christian (MC 79-40)
(12) Rio Americano (Sacramento) @ (4) Weston Ranch (Stockton) (WR 83-61)
(6) Patterson @ (3) Casa Roble (Orangevale) (CR 53-47)
(7) Placer (Auburn) @ (2) Sierra (Manteca) (SIE 71-51)
Semi-Finals (Tuesday February 26, 2013- @ Cosumnes River College-Sacramento)
(4) Weston Ranch (Stockton) vs. (1) Modesto Christian 5:30 P.M (MC 63-58)
(3) Casa Roble (Orangevale) vs. (2) Sierra (Manteca) 9:00 P.M. (SIE 44-39)
Championship (Friday March 1, 2013- @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(2) Sierra Timberwolves (Manteca) vs. (1) Modesto Christian Crusaders 9:00 P.M. (MC 66-54)
DIVISION I
Out-Bracket (Friday February 15, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(17) Rodriguez Mustangs (Fairfield) @ (16) Bear Creek Bruins (Stockton) (BC 68-58)
(18) West Wolf Pack (Tracy) @ (15) Armijo Indians (Fairfield) (ARM 61-52)
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(16) Bear Creek Bruins (Stockton) @ (1) Sheldon Huskies (Sacramento) (SHE 94-40)
(9) Kennedy Cougars (Sacramento) @ (8) Lodi Flames (KEN 71-59)
(12) Bethel Jaguars (Vallejo) @ (5) Granite Bay Grizzlies (BET 74-72)
(13) Oak Ridge Trojans (El Dorado Hills) @ (4) Golden Valley Cougars (Merced) (GV 50-49)
(14) Chavez Titans (Stockton) @ (3) Bella Vista Broncos (Fair Oaks) (BV 77-49)
(11) Davis Blue Devils @ (6) Lincoln Trojans (Stockton) (LIN 80-78)
(10) Turlock Bulldogs @ (7) Franklin Wildcats (Elk Grove) (FRA 67-65)
(15) Armijo Indians (Fairfield) @ (2) Pleasant Grove Eagles (Elk Grove) (PG 75-62)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(9) Kennedy (Sacramento) @ (1) Sheldon (Sacramento) (SHE 91-62)
(12) Bethel (Vallejo) @ (4) Golden Valley (Merced) (BET 75-62)
(6) Lincoln (Stockton) @ (3) Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) (BV 67-63)
(7) Franklin (Elk Grove) @ (2) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (PG 71-30)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(12) Bethel (Vallejo) vs. (1) Sheldon (Sacramento) 4:00 P.M (SHE 86-72)
(3) Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) vs. (2) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 9:00 P.M (PG 68-60)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(2) Pleasant Grove Eagles (Elk Grove) vs. (1) Sheldon Huskies (Sacramento) 8:30 P.M (SHE 60-57)
DIVISION II
Out-Bracket (Friday February 15, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(17) River City Raiders (West Sacramento) @ (16) Wood Wildcats (Vacaville) (WOOD 73-48)
(21) Vacaville Bulldogs @ (12) Buhach Colony Thunder (Atwater) (BC 78-63)
(20) Cordova Lancers (Rancho Cordova) @ (14) Johansen Vikings (Modesto) (COR 58-48)
(19) Johnson Warriors (Sacramento) @ (14) Benicia Panthers (BEN 74-69)
(22) Atwater Falcons @ (11) Gregori Jaguars (Modesto) (GRE 54-50)
(18) El Camino Eagles (Sacramento) @ (15) Roseville Tigers (EC 91-83)
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(16) Wood Wildcats (Vacaville) @ (1) Sacramento Dragons (SAC 79-45)
(9) Del Oro Golden Eagles (Loomis) @ (8) Del Campo Cougars (Fair Oaks) (DC 58-51)
(12) Buhach Colony Thunder (Atwater) @ (5) Cosumnes Oaks Wolf Pack (Elk Grove) (CO 89-88)
(20) Cordova Lancers (Rancho Cordova)@ (4) Grant Pacers (Sacramento) (GRA 59-55)
(14) Benicia Panthers @ (3) Antelope Titans (ANT 60-54)
(11) Gregori Jaguars (Modesto) @ (6) Burbank Titans (Sacramento) (BUR 76-54)
(10) Laguna Creek Cardinals (Elk Grove) @ (7) Rocklin Thunder (ROCK 62-42)
(18) El Camino Eagles (Sacramento) @ (2) St. Mary's Rams (Stockton) (EC 63-62)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(8) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) @ (1) Sacramento (SAC 86-55)
(5) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) @ (4) Grant (Sacramento) (GRA 63-59)
(6) Burbank (Sacramento) @ (3) Antelope (ANT 57-40)
(18) El Camino (Sacramento) @ (7) Rocklin (ROCK 77-65)
Semi-Finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Grant (Sacramento) vs. (1) Sacramento 5:30 P.M (GRA 72-69)
(7) Rocklin vs. (3) Antelope 7:30 P.M (ANT 55-47)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Grant Pacers (Sacramento) vs. (3) Antelope Titans 4:30 P.M. (ANT 70-63)
DIVISION IV
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(16) Hughson Huskies @ (1) Colfax Falcons (COL 75-48)
(9) Escalon Cougars @ (8) West Campus Warriors (Sacramento) (WC 73-63)
(12) Amador Buffaloes (Sutter Creek) @ (5) Mesa Verde Mavericks (Citrus Heights) (MV 69-61)
(13) Mariposa Grizzlies @ (4) Liberty Ranch Hawks (Galt) (LR 75-48)
(14) Waterford Wildcats @ (3) Riverbank Bruins (RIV 83-46)
(11) San Juan Spartans (Citrus Heights) @ (6) Bret Harte Bullfrogs (Angels Camp) (BH 72-57)
(10) Ripon Indians @ (7) Encina Bulldogs (Sacramento) (ENC 75-60)
(15) Delhi Hawks @ (2) Summerville Bears (Tuolumne City) (SUM 70-33)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(8) West Campus (Sacramento) @ (1) Colfax (COL 66-57)
(5) Mesa Verde (Citrus Heights) @ (4) Liberty Ranch (Galt) (LR 69-42)
(6) Bret Harte (Angels Camp) @ (3) Riverbank (RIV 88-65)
(7) Encina (Sacramento) @ (2) Summerville (Tuolumne City) (SUM 72-69)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Tokay High School-Lodi)
(4) Liberty Ranch (Galt) vs. (1) Colfax 7:30 P.M. (LR 64-59)
(3) Riverbank vs. (2) Summerville (Tuolumne City) 9:00 P.M. (SUM 72-55)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Liberty Ranch Hawks (Galt) vs. (2) Summerville Bears (Tuolumne City) 3:00 P.M. (SUM 63-52)
DIVISION V
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(9) Delta Saints (Clarksburg) @ (8) Buckingham Charter Knights (Vacaville) (BCC 57-50)
(12) Millennium Falcons (Tracy) @ (5) Woodland Christian Cardinals (WC 74-55)
(11) Delta Charter Dragons (Tracy) @ (6) Jim Elliot Christian Eagles (Lodi) (DC 71-64)
(10) Bradshaw Chr. Pride (Sacramento) @ (7) Forest Lake Christian Falcons (Auburn) (BRA 72-39)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(8) Buckingham Charter Knights (Vacaville) @ (1) Central Catholic Raiders (Modesto) (CC 79-28)
(5) Woodland Christian Cardinals @ (4) Brookside Christian Knights (Stockton) (BC 83-79)
(11) Delta Charter Dragons (Tracy) @ (3) Ripon Christian Knights (RC 66-47)
(10) Bradshaw Chr. Pride (Sacramento) @ (2) Capital Christian Cougars (Sacramento) (CAP 54-36)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Galt High School)
(3) Ripon Christian vs. (2) Capital Christian (Sacramento) 7:30 P.M (CAP 41-31)
(4) Brookside Christian (Stockton) vs. (1) Central Catholic (Modesto) 9:00 P.M. (BC 69-54)
Championship (Friday March 1, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Brookside Chr. (Stockton) vs. (2) Capital Chr. Cougars (Sacramento) 5:30 P.M. (CAP 40-39)
DIVISION VI
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013)
(8) Trinity Prep Crusaders (Napa) @ (1) Faith Christian Lions (Yuba City) (FC 88-54)
(5) Lodi Academy Titans @ (4) Turlock Christian Eagles (TC 70-53)
(6) Freedom Christian Eagles (Fair Oaks) @ (3) Stockton Christian Eagles (SC 81-67)
(7) Victory Chr. Vikings (Carmichael) @ (2) New Life Christian Crusaders (Olivehurst) (VC 45-44)
Semi-finals (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(4) Turlock Christian @ (1) Faith Christian (Yuba City) (FC 65-60)
(7) Victory Christian (Carmichael) @ (3) Stockton Christian (SC 67-64)
Championship (Thursday February 28, 2013 @ Galt High School
(3) Stockton Christian Eagles vs. (1) Faith Christian Lions (Yuba City) 8:00 P.M (FC 69-48)
Note: From what I understand from the section website, division VI does not go to the Northern California playoffs.
All semi-finalists in the other divisions will advance to the Northern California tournament.
QUESTIONS
I had a question on facebook so I will answer all questions the best I can.
1) Predicted champions (ok no one asked me this one). Admitedly, I did not pay enough attention this year to make an educated guess. That has never stopped me before, so here it goes. DI- Sheldon, DII-Sacramento, DIII- Sierra (upset over Modesto Christian. From what I've read, Sierra has the tools to do it). DIV- Riverbank (I saw them last year. They are good.) DV- Central Catholic (I know they won the Modesto City Tournament, a mostly division I and II tournament with a good portion of the team still playing football). DVI- New Life Christian
2) What does Oakdale have to do to be relevant in basketball.
- The last time Oakdale made the playoffs was 2003 or 2004 (I can't remember which year). I do not feel qualified to answer this question, because I do not have enough knowledge for all ends of the spectrum. However, when I am asked, I will give the answer from what is my point-of-view. I think there are 6 things that need to be done (some easily attained, others will take some work, and I admit one is a dream).
1) Make the playoffs (more importantly, keep the coach once they do)
When a team makes the playoffs, it often seems that the next team will build off what the previous team has done. (Yes, I know there are exceptions.) Sometimes, success breeds success. This new rule of having 15 wins to make the playoffs can benefit the Mustangs. For the first two years, they may have to do something that I despise. That is padding the schedule full of smaller teams to get to 10-12 non-league wins, and winning 3-5 in league. I often critize teams who do this, but Oakdale is not a strong enough program to challenge themselves. Out of the 9 total wins this year, only one was from a bigger school (by enrollment), Kimball (Tracy). Only 4 more were from schools with more than 1,000 students (Davis-Modesto, East Union, Pacheco, Sonora). The other wins were: Delhi, Denair, Hilmar, and Hughson. On a positive note, 3 of the teams are in the playoffs. Anyway, Oakdale will need to schedule more Hughsons and Delhis to reach the playoffs. Once, they are a playoff team and get playoff experience, the Mustangs can schedule tougher teams. By the way, the coach of the last Oakdale team to make the playoffs was hired by Columbia Community College of Sonora shortly after the last playoff run. Coach Jeremy Fields has a brillant basketball mind, and Oakdale needs to keep him if he makes the playoffs.
2) Hold on to leads
Many a time, I read the Oakdale Leader to see that Oakdale took leads into halftime, and even to the 4th quarter only to have the opposition to make a run. I do not think Oakdale would have reached 15 wins if it held on to all their leads, but 12 or 13 would not have been out of the question. From the outside, that tells me that defense needs to improve. However, I did not go to many games; therefore, I could be wrong. Another possibility is that the team needs to be better conditioned. Tired legs leads to bad shots late in the game. Again, I do not know what is the malady here, I am just throwing possibilities out there.
3) Improve the youth program/develop a travel team
I played youth basketball, and it was fun. However, every other sport has had it to where the best athletes play at a different level than the beginners. That might not be fair to some kids, but unfortunately, we are at an age where people are being trainned younger and younger into sports. I hear that the youth program has improved over when I was a kid, but perhaps Oakdale needs to start a traveling team for basketball. They will need exposure to how serious the play is in the area.
4) Get better athletes from within
The United States has the best athletes in the world. Why is the soccer team mediocre at best? That is because most of the best athletes in the country are not playing soccer. They are playing football and basketball. Oakdale has some of the best athletes in the Sac-Joaquin Section; however, they are not playing basketball. They are wrestling. The wrestling team is so deep, I believe the JV team could be a top-10 team in the Modesto-area...easily. Oakdale is a football, baseball, and wrestling town. I believe a few of those athletes could play basketball, and it would not affect the wrestling team. Plus, if they start early enough, they may improve the basketball team.
5) Get better athletes from the area
Let's face it, teams are not supposed to recruit, but better athletes will find a way to legally go to the best schools for their sport. It happens often in the Sacramento area. I have no doubt that it could happen down here. However, the best players in the area are going to go to Modesto Christian. The Crusaders currently have a player who would be going to Manteca had he gone to public school. David Parris, son of former 49ers, Bubba Parris, is another case. Had he gone to public school, he would have gone to Riverbank. It may be a dream to get the best basketball players, though. Another possible solution is to have a couple of the Mustang players join an AAU team. I do not know where the closest one is, though.
6) Realignment (Get out of the VOL)
Yep, you read that right. Currently, there is not a league in which Oakdale will be relevant, and I almost mean that literally. However, with a little tweaking in the league, and Oakdale has the potential for the playoffs. The VOL, is rated the second strongest league in the area behind the CCC. The first proposal from the Sac-Joaquin Section for the 2014-2015 season is to put Oakdale in the MMC with Atwater, Beyer, Buhach Colony, Davis, Downey, El Capitan (Merced), and Johansen. Oakdale could realistically finish 4th in that league, and maybe even 3rd. That is a playoff spot. Last years Oakdale 8th graders won their league tournament that featured mostly Modesto schools. If the first proposal is voted in, Oakdale would be facing those same players by the time realignment takes effect.
By the way, the second proposal keeps the VOL the way it is with the exception of Sonora leaving for the MLL. While that move keeps Oakdale in the VOL and the traditionalists happy, I don't see a program that doesn't hurt Oakdale in one way or another with this format (ok, maybe baseball, soccer, and water polo). It will not help the basketball team, because they will still be in a league that even the current freshman, as good as they are in comparison to past Oakdale teams, cannot compete in.
These are some ideas I came up with. Those more qualified than I might have more solutions, or even better ones. However, something needs to be done to make the Mustangs relevant in basketball.
Note: A day after I first published this blog, I read in the Oakdale Leader that Oakdale is currently in a youth league program, and is currently working on forming a travel team with the possibility of joining an AAU program.
Note: Scores in red. I got them from the Sac-Joaquin Section Website
DIVISION III
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(16) Manteca Buffaloes @ (1) Modesto Christian Crusaders (MC 56-18)
(9) Foothill Mustangs (Sacramento) @ (8) Fairfield Falcons (FAIR 68-55)
(12) Rio Americano Raiders (Sacramento) @ (5) Lincoln Fighting Zebras (RA 66-60)
(13) River Valley Falcons (Yuba City) @ (4) Weston Ranch Cougars (Stockton) (WR 70-43)
(14) East Union Lancers (Manteca) @ (3) Casa Roble Rams (Orangevale) (CR 80-60)
(11) Vanden Vikings (Fairfield) @ (6) Patterson Tigers (PAT 68-61)
(10) Inderkum Tigers (Sacramento) @ (7) Placer Hillmen (Auburn) (PLA 62-59)
(15) Ceres Bulldogs @ (2) Sierra Timberwolves (Manteca) (SIE 66-25)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013- 7:00 P.M)
(8) Fairfield @ (1) Modesto Christian (MC 79-40)
(12) Rio Americano (Sacramento) @ (4) Weston Ranch (Stockton) (WR 83-61)
(6) Patterson @ (3) Casa Roble (Orangevale) (CR 53-47)
(7) Placer (Auburn) @ (2) Sierra (Manteca) (SIE 71-51)
Semi-Finals (Tuesday February 26, 2013- @ Cosumnes River College-Sacramento)
(4) Weston Ranch (Stockton) vs. (1) Modesto Christian 5:30 P.M (MC 63-58)
(3) Casa Roble (Orangevale) vs. (2) Sierra (Manteca) 9:00 P.M. (SIE 44-39)
Championship (Friday March 1, 2013- @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(2) Sierra Timberwolves (Manteca) vs. (1) Modesto Christian Crusaders 9:00 P.M. (MC 66-54)
DIVISION I
Out-Bracket (Friday February 15, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(17) Rodriguez Mustangs (Fairfield) @ (16) Bear Creek Bruins (Stockton) (BC 68-58)
(18) West Wolf Pack (Tracy) @ (15) Armijo Indians (Fairfield) (ARM 61-52)
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(16) Bear Creek Bruins (Stockton) @ (1) Sheldon Huskies (Sacramento) (SHE 94-40)
(9) Kennedy Cougars (Sacramento) @ (8) Lodi Flames (KEN 71-59)
(12) Bethel Jaguars (Vallejo) @ (5) Granite Bay Grizzlies (BET 74-72)
(13) Oak Ridge Trojans (El Dorado Hills) @ (4) Golden Valley Cougars (Merced) (GV 50-49)
(14) Chavez Titans (Stockton) @ (3) Bella Vista Broncos (Fair Oaks) (BV 77-49)
(11) Davis Blue Devils @ (6) Lincoln Trojans (Stockton) (LIN 80-78)
(10) Turlock Bulldogs @ (7) Franklin Wildcats (Elk Grove) (FRA 67-65)
(15) Armijo Indians (Fairfield) @ (2) Pleasant Grove Eagles (Elk Grove) (PG 75-62)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(9) Kennedy (Sacramento) @ (1) Sheldon (Sacramento) (SHE 91-62)
(12) Bethel (Vallejo) @ (4) Golden Valley (Merced) (BET 75-62)
(6) Lincoln (Stockton) @ (3) Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) (BV 67-63)
(7) Franklin (Elk Grove) @ (2) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) (PG 71-30)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(12) Bethel (Vallejo) vs. (1) Sheldon (Sacramento) 4:00 P.M (SHE 86-72)
(3) Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) vs. (2) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 9:00 P.M (PG 68-60)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(2) Pleasant Grove Eagles (Elk Grove) vs. (1) Sheldon Huskies (Sacramento) 8:30 P.M (SHE 60-57)
DIVISION II
Out-Bracket (Friday February 15, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(17) River City Raiders (West Sacramento) @ (16) Wood Wildcats (Vacaville) (WOOD 73-48)
(21) Vacaville Bulldogs @ (12) Buhach Colony Thunder (Atwater) (BC 78-63)
(20) Cordova Lancers (Rancho Cordova) @ (14) Johansen Vikings (Modesto) (COR 58-48)
(19) Johnson Warriors (Sacramento) @ (14) Benicia Panthers (BEN 74-69)
(22) Atwater Falcons @ (11) Gregori Jaguars (Modesto) (GRE 54-50)
(18) El Camino Eagles (Sacramento) @ (15) Roseville Tigers (EC 91-83)
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(16) Wood Wildcats (Vacaville) @ (1) Sacramento Dragons (SAC 79-45)
(9) Del Oro Golden Eagles (Loomis) @ (8) Del Campo Cougars (Fair Oaks) (DC 58-51)
(12) Buhach Colony Thunder (Atwater) @ (5) Cosumnes Oaks Wolf Pack (Elk Grove) (CO 89-88)
(20) Cordova Lancers (Rancho Cordova)@ (4) Grant Pacers (Sacramento) (GRA 59-55)
(14) Benicia Panthers @ (3) Antelope Titans (ANT 60-54)
(11) Gregori Jaguars (Modesto) @ (6) Burbank Titans (Sacramento) (BUR 76-54)
(10) Laguna Creek Cardinals (Elk Grove) @ (7) Rocklin Thunder (ROCK 62-42)
(18) El Camino Eagles (Sacramento) @ (2) St. Mary's Rams (Stockton) (EC 63-62)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(8) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) @ (1) Sacramento (SAC 86-55)
(5) Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) @ (4) Grant (Sacramento) (GRA 63-59)
(6) Burbank (Sacramento) @ (3) Antelope (ANT 57-40)
(18) El Camino (Sacramento) @ (7) Rocklin (ROCK 77-65)
Semi-Finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Grant (Sacramento) vs. (1) Sacramento 5:30 P.M (GRA 72-69)
(7) Rocklin vs. (3) Antelope 7:30 P.M (ANT 55-47)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Grant Pacers (Sacramento) vs. (3) Antelope Titans 4:30 P.M. (ANT 70-63)
DIVISION IV
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(16) Hughson Huskies @ (1) Colfax Falcons (COL 75-48)
(9) Escalon Cougars @ (8) West Campus Warriors (Sacramento) (WC 73-63)
(12) Amador Buffaloes (Sutter Creek) @ (5) Mesa Verde Mavericks (Citrus Heights) (MV 69-61)
(13) Mariposa Grizzlies @ (4) Liberty Ranch Hawks (Galt) (LR 75-48)
(14) Waterford Wildcats @ (3) Riverbank Bruins (RIV 83-46)
(11) San Juan Spartans (Citrus Heights) @ (6) Bret Harte Bullfrogs (Angels Camp) (BH 72-57)
(10) Ripon Indians @ (7) Encina Bulldogs (Sacramento) (ENC 75-60)
(15) Delhi Hawks @ (2) Summerville Bears (Tuolumne City) (SUM 70-33)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013- 7:00 P.M.)
(8) West Campus (Sacramento) @ (1) Colfax (COL 66-57)
(5) Mesa Verde (Citrus Heights) @ (4) Liberty Ranch (Galt) (LR 69-42)
(6) Bret Harte (Angels Camp) @ (3) Riverbank (RIV 88-65)
(7) Encina (Sacramento) @ (2) Summerville (Tuolumne City) (SUM 72-69)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Tokay High School-Lodi)
(4) Liberty Ranch (Galt) vs. (1) Colfax 7:30 P.M. (LR 64-59)
(3) Riverbank vs. (2) Summerville (Tuolumne City) 9:00 P.M. (SUM 72-55)
Championship (Saturday March 2, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Liberty Ranch Hawks (Galt) vs. (2) Summerville Bears (Tuolumne City) 3:00 P.M. (SUM 63-52)
DIVISION V
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(9) Delta Saints (Clarksburg) @ (8) Buckingham Charter Knights (Vacaville) (BCC 57-50)
(12) Millennium Falcons (Tracy) @ (5) Woodland Christian Cardinals (WC 74-55)
(11) Delta Charter Dragons (Tracy) @ (6) Jim Elliot Christian Eagles (Lodi) (DC 71-64)
(10) Bradshaw Chr. Pride (Sacramento) @ (7) Forest Lake Christian Falcons (Auburn) (BRA 72-39)
Second Round (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(8) Buckingham Charter Knights (Vacaville) @ (1) Central Catholic Raiders (Modesto) (CC 79-28)
(5) Woodland Christian Cardinals @ (4) Brookside Christian Knights (Stockton) (BC 83-79)
(11) Delta Charter Dragons (Tracy) @ (3) Ripon Christian Knights (RC 66-47)
(10) Bradshaw Chr. Pride (Sacramento) @ (2) Capital Christian Cougars (Sacramento) (CAP 54-36)
Semi-finals (Wednesday February 27, 2013 @ Galt High School)
(3) Ripon Christian vs. (2) Capital Christian (Sacramento) 7:30 P.M (CAP 41-31)
(4) Brookside Christian (Stockton) vs. (1) Central Catholic (Modesto) 9:00 P.M. (BC 69-54)
Championship (Friday March 1, 2013 @ Sleep Train Arena-Sacramento)
(4) Brookside Chr. (Stockton) vs. (2) Capital Chr. Cougars (Sacramento) 5:30 P.M. (CAP 40-39)
DIVISION VI
First Round (Wednesday February 20, 2013)
(8) Trinity Prep Crusaders (Napa) @ (1) Faith Christian Lions (Yuba City) (FC 88-54)
(5) Lodi Academy Titans @ (4) Turlock Christian Eagles (TC 70-53)
(6) Freedom Christian Eagles (Fair Oaks) @ (3) Stockton Christian Eagles (SC 81-67)
(7) Victory Chr. Vikings (Carmichael) @ (2) New Life Christian Crusaders (Olivehurst) (VC 45-44)
Semi-finals (Friday February 22, 2013-7:00 P.M)
(4) Turlock Christian @ (1) Faith Christian (Yuba City) (FC 65-60)
(7) Victory Christian (Carmichael) @ (3) Stockton Christian (SC 67-64)
Championship (Thursday February 28, 2013 @ Galt High School
(3) Stockton Christian Eagles vs. (1) Faith Christian Lions (Yuba City) 8:00 P.M (FC 69-48)
Note: From what I understand from the section website, division VI does not go to the Northern California playoffs.
All semi-finalists in the other divisions will advance to the Northern California tournament.
QUESTIONS
I had a question on facebook so I will answer all questions the best I can.
1) Predicted champions (ok no one asked me this one). Admitedly, I did not pay enough attention this year to make an educated guess. That has never stopped me before, so here it goes. DI- Sheldon, DII-Sacramento, DIII- Sierra (upset over Modesto Christian. From what I've read, Sierra has the tools to do it). DIV- Riverbank (I saw them last year. They are good.) DV- Central Catholic (I know they won the Modesto City Tournament, a mostly division I and II tournament with a good portion of the team still playing football). DVI- New Life Christian
2) What does Oakdale have to do to be relevant in basketball.
- The last time Oakdale made the playoffs was 2003 or 2004 (I can't remember which year). I do not feel qualified to answer this question, because I do not have enough knowledge for all ends of the spectrum. However, when I am asked, I will give the answer from what is my point-of-view. I think there are 6 things that need to be done (some easily attained, others will take some work, and I admit one is a dream).
1) Make the playoffs (more importantly, keep the coach once they do)
When a team makes the playoffs, it often seems that the next team will build off what the previous team has done. (Yes, I know there are exceptions.) Sometimes, success breeds success. This new rule of having 15 wins to make the playoffs can benefit the Mustangs. For the first two years, they may have to do something that I despise. That is padding the schedule full of smaller teams to get to 10-12 non-league wins, and winning 3-5 in league. I often critize teams who do this, but Oakdale is not a strong enough program to challenge themselves. Out of the 9 total wins this year, only one was from a bigger school (by enrollment), Kimball (Tracy). Only 4 more were from schools with more than 1,000 students (Davis-Modesto, East Union, Pacheco, Sonora). The other wins were: Delhi, Denair, Hilmar, and Hughson. On a positive note, 3 of the teams are in the playoffs. Anyway, Oakdale will need to schedule more Hughsons and Delhis to reach the playoffs. Once, they are a playoff team and get playoff experience, the Mustangs can schedule tougher teams. By the way, the coach of the last Oakdale team to make the playoffs was hired by Columbia Community College of Sonora shortly after the last playoff run. Coach Jeremy Fields has a brillant basketball mind, and Oakdale needs to keep him if he makes the playoffs.
2) Hold on to leads
Many a time, I read the Oakdale Leader to see that Oakdale took leads into halftime, and even to the 4th quarter only to have the opposition to make a run. I do not think Oakdale would have reached 15 wins if it held on to all their leads, but 12 or 13 would not have been out of the question. From the outside, that tells me that defense needs to improve. However, I did not go to many games; therefore, I could be wrong. Another possibility is that the team needs to be better conditioned. Tired legs leads to bad shots late in the game. Again, I do not know what is the malady here, I am just throwing possibilities out there.
3) Improve the youth program/develop a travel team
I played youth basketball, and it was fun. However, every other sport has had it to where the best athletes play at a different level than the beginners. That might not be fair to some kids, but unfortunately, we are at an age where people are being trainned younger and younger into sports. I hear that the youth program has improved over when I was a kid, but perhaps Oakdale needs to start a traveling team for basketball. They will need exposure to how serious the play is in the area.
4) Get better athletes from within
The United States has the best athletes in the world. Why is the soccer team mediocre at best? That is because most of the best athletes in the country are not playing soccer. They are playing football and basketball. Oakdale has some of the best athletes in the Sac-Joaquin Section; however, they are not playing basketball. They are wrestling. The wrestling team is so deep, I believe the JV team could be a top-10 team in the Modesto-area...easily. Oakdale is a football, baseball, and wrestling town. I believe a few of those athletes could play basketball, and it would not affect the wrestling team. Plus, if they start early enough, they may improve the basketball team.
5) Get better athletes from the area
Let's face it, teams are not supposed to recruit, but better athletes will find a way to legally go to the best schools for their sport. It happens often in the Sacramento area. I have no doubt that it could happen down here. However, the best players in the area are going to go to Modesto Christian. The Crusaders currently have a player who would be going to Manteca had he gone to public school. David Parris, son of former 49ers, Bubba Parris, is another case. Had he gone to public school, he would have gone to Riverbank. It may be a dream to get the best basketball players, though. Another possible solution is to have a couple of the Mustang players join an AAU team. I do not know where the closest one is, though.
6) Realignment (Get out of the VOL)
Yep, you read that right. Currently, there is not a league in which Oakdale will be relevant, and I almost mean that literally. However, with a little tweaking in the league, and Oakdale has the potential for the playoffs. The VOL, is rated the second strongest league in the area behind the CCC. The first proposal from the Sac-Joaquin Section for the 2014-2015 season is to put Oakdale in the MMC with Atwater, Beyer, Buhach Colony, Davis, Downey, El Capitan (Merced), and Johansen. Oakdale could realistically finish 4th in that league, and maybe even 3rd. That is a playoff spot. Last years Oakdale 8th graders won their league tournament that featured mostly Modesto schools. If the first proposal is voted in, Oakdale would be facing those same players by the time realignment takes effect.
By the way, the second proposal keeps the VOL the way it is with the exception of Sonora leaving for the MLL. While that move keeps Oakdale in the VOL and the traditionalists happy, I don't see a program that doesn't hurt Oakdale in one way or another with this format (ok, maybe baseball, soccer, and water polo). It will not help the basketball team, because they will still be in a league that even the current freshman, as good as they are in comparison to past Oakdale teams, cannot compete in.
These are some ideas I came up with. Those more qualified than I might have more solutions, or even better ones. However, something needs to be done to make the Mustangs relevant in basketball.
Note: A day after I first published this blog, I read in the Oakdale Leader that Oakdale is currently in a youth league program, and is currently working on forming a travel team with the possibility of joining an AAU program.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A zzzzz Special- Sac-Joaquin Section Realignment Proposal #2
This is the second of four or five proposals that the section board will vote on in April 2013 for realignment effective the 2014-2015 season until the 2017-2018 season. This time, the board took the requests of the schools and leagues more under consideration. I was not at the meeting, but I followed some of the people who were there. Very few teams and leagues wanted change. Some proposals were good (putting the Lodi schools back together), some were bad (Nevada Union to the CVC), and some were laughable (Calaveras to the TVL? Really?). Only one of the proposals I put in parenthesis was approved (guess which one). Here is proposal #2. I will have fewer comments, and I will keep them short.
Division I
CCC MMC SJAA
Atwater Beyer Lincoln (Stockton)
Buhach Colony Downey Lodi
Davis (Modesto) Enochs St. Mary's
El Capitan Gregori Tokay
Golden Valley Modesto Tracy
Johansen Pitman West
Merced Turlock
Modesto Christian (basketball only)
TCAL Delta MEL SFL
Bear Creek Davis Bethel Del Oro
Chavez Elk Grove Napa Folsom
Edison Franklin (Elk Grove) Rodriguez Granite Bay
Franklin (Stockton) Grant Vacaville Nevada Union
McNair Jesuit (boys only) Vallejo Oak Ridge
Stagg Monterey Trail Vintage Rocklin
Pleasant Grove Woodcreek
Sheldon
St. Francis (girls only)
Comments: CCC- I can see the section keeping this line-up and dropping them down to division II. Mosr of the enrollments are expected to stay at 1,800 with Davis having a little less. If that happens, look for Oakdale possibly joining. The Mustangs are going to fight to stay in the VOL, and the VOL wants them to stay, but the board wants Oakdale to move up to division II. MMC- I love the line-up they have. The Turlock-Modesto rivalry would return, and Modesto Christian can save money on traveling. Plus, most of the Modesto schools, except the smallest two stay in tact. SJAA/TCAL- The Tracy and Lodi schools would be together again. What took the section so long? However, the Tracy and Lodi schools are playing for 3rd place in football. St. Mary's and Lincoln are going to play for 1st and 2nd. SFL-Both Roseville and Nevada Union wanted to go to the CVC. Roseville got its wish. As it should be. The Miners are too big and too good to drop a division.
Division II
CVC SCAC
Antelope American Canyon
Bella Vista Armijo
Cosumnes Oaks Benicia
Del Campo Fairfield
Oakmont Vanden
Ponderosa Wood
Roseville
Whitney
Comments- I have none for the individual leagues, except that most of the SCAC is too small for division II. Another reason why I believe the CCC will drop to division II is that with this proposal, the division has 2 leagues and 14 teams total. For sports that playoffs are not based on enrollment, that is too small of a playoff field and probably too "watered-down."
Division III
VOL CAL Metro TCC
East Union Casa Roble Burbank Inderkum
Kimball Christian Brothers Florin Pioneer
Lathrop El Camino Johnson Rio Linda
Manteca Placer Kennedy River City
Oakdale Rio Americano Laguna Creek River Valley
Sierra Vista del Lago McClatchy Woodland
Weston Ranch Sacramento Yuba City
Valley
Comments: VOL- Look for Patterson to ultimately end up here. The section commissioner is looking to push the Tigers to the VOL according to the Modesto Bee. Central Catholic is also being considered. Only the three schools in the Manteca City Limits (Manteca, East Union, Sierra) can nearly guarantee that they'll stay in the VOL. There can be arguments for the other 4 to leave (and there have been). CAL- I think keeping them in the PVL would be better for them. Metro: In order for the ML to be worthy of a division III placing, Burbank has got to go. A school with more than 2,000 kids is too big for the division. Either put them in the SFL (because there is nowhere else to put them) or throw all this away and start over.
Division IV
WAC PVL SVC
Central Catholic Bear River Cordova
Central Valley Center El Dorado
Ceres Colfax Galt
Livingston Foothill Liberty Ranch
Los Banos Lincoln Rosemont
Pacheco Mira Loma Union Mine
Patterson
Comments: WAC: This proposal makes no changes to the WAC, but I don't expect it to pass. I think Patterson will leave and Central Catholic may join them. I can see Lathrop or Hilmar going to the WAC. PVL: I'll say it again, put Placer back.
Division V
MLL TVL GEL
Amador Escalon Capital Christian
Argonaut Hilmar Dixon
Bret Harte Hughson Lindhurst
Calaveras Modesto Christian (except for basketball) Marysville
Linden Mountain House Mesa Verde
Sonora Ripon Natomas
Summerville Riverbank West Campus
Ripon Christian (basketball only)
Comments: MLL- How long do I have? According to the Modesto Bee, this league wanted to keep Sonora out so bad that it proposed that Calaveras would go to the TVL and it didn't care what happened to Sonora. I understand the MLL not wanting Sonora, though I think it would be good for the league. Here's my proposal if the section doesn't mind 4-team leagues. Keep Amador, Argonaut, Bret Harte, and Summerville in the MLL, move Linden to the TVL, and create a 4th division IV league with Calaveras, Lathrop, Sonora, and Weston Ranch. And if geography doesn't matter, take Mountain House with them until they are big enough to join the VOL.
TVL: Mountain House doesn't fit, but again, with an expectant enrollment of 900, where else do you put them? Also Linden needs to join. Linden, CA is a Valley city, not a Mother Lode one. With Sonora joining the MLL, there is no need for Linden to stay. Everything else works
Division VI
Southern CVCL SDL
Delhi Delta Bradshaw Chr.
Denair Forest Lake Christian Encina
Gustine Foresthill Golden Sierra
Le Grand Sacramento Waldorf Highlands
Mariposa Victory Christian Rio Vista
Orestimba Woodland Christian San Juan
Ripon Christian (except for basketball) Vacaville Chr.
Waterford
Comments: SL- This conference works. Keep an eye on Delhi. The enrollment is pushing to the point that it may be too big. However, the lack of athletic success of the Hawks may keep that team in the Southern League. CVCL: Only 3 teams have a football program: Delta, Foresthill, and Woodland Chr. I wonder if they will once again combine with the 2 football teams in the SMAL. SDL: No changes
Division VII
CCAA MVL (non-football) NPAC (non-football)
Big Valley Delta Charter Freedom Christian
Brookside Christian Don Pedro Global Youth Charter
Elliot Christian Excel Academy Lutheran
Millennium Holt Academy New Life Christian
Sierra Ridge/ROP (boys only) Hughes Academy Trinity Prep
Turlock Christian Lodi Academy Western Sierra Collegiate
Venture Academy Mountain Oaks Woodland Poly
Stockton Christian
Tioga
SMAL
Buckingham Charter
Cristo Rey
Faith Christian
Sacramento Advenist
Sacramento Country Day
Valley Christian
Wilton Christian
Note: Cristo Rey and Valley Christian are the only 2 SMAL schools with football programs.
Next meeting is February 19th. I got the information from the Sac-Joaquin Section website and the Modesto Bee. However, the comments were my own thoughts unless noted.
Division I
CCC MMC SJAA
Atwater Beyer Lincoln (Stockton)
Buhach Colony Downey Lodi
Davis (Modesto) Enochs St. Mary's
El Capitan Gregori Tokay
Golden Valley Modesto Tracy
Johansen Pitman West
Merced Turlock
Modesto Christian (basketball only)
TCAL Delta MEL SFL
Bear Creek Davis Bethel Del Oro
Chavez Elk Grove Napa Folsom
Edison Franklin (Elk Grove) Rodriguez Granite Bay
Franklin (Stockton) Grant Vacaville Nevada Union
McNair Jesuit (boys only) Vallejo Oak Ridge
Stagg Monterey Trail Vintage Rocklin
Pleasant Grove Woodcreek
Sheldon
St. Francis (girls only)
Comments: CCC- I can see the section keeping this line-up and dropping them down to division II. Mosr of the enrollments are expected to stay at 1,800 with Davis having a little less. If that happens, look for Oakdale possibly joining. The Mustangs are going to fight to stay in the VOL, and the VOL wants them to stay, but the board wants Oakdale to move up to division II. MMC- I love the line-up they have. The Turlock-Modesto rivalry would return, and Modesto Christian can save money on traveling. Plus, most of the Modesto schools, except the smallest two stay in tact. SJAA/TCAL- The Tracy and Lodi schools would be together again. What took the section so long? However, the Tracy and Lodi schools are playing for 3rd place in football. St. Mary's and Lincoln are going to play for 1st and 2nd. SFL-Both Roseville and Nevada Union wanted to go to the CVC. Roseville got its wish. As it should be. The Miners are too big and too good to drop a division.
Division II
CVC SCAC
Antelope American Canyon
Bella Vista Armijo
Cosumnes Oaks Benicia
Del Campo Fairfield
Oakmont Vanden
Ponderosa Wood
Roseville
Whitney
Comments- I have none for the individual leagues, except that most of the SCAC is too small for division II. Another reason why I believe the CCC will drop to division II is that with this proposal, the division has 2 leagues and 14 teams total. For sports that playoffs are not based on enrollment, that is too small of a playoff field and probably too "watered-down."
Division III
VOL CAL Metro TCC
East Union Casa Roble Burbank Inderkum
Kimball Christian Brothers Florin Pioneer
Lathrop El Camino Johnson Rio Linda
Manteca Placer Kennedy River City
Oakdale Rio Americano Laguna Creek River Valley
Sierra Vista del Lago McClatchy Woodland
Weston Ranch Sacramento Yuba City
Valley
Comments: VOL- Look for Patterson to ultimately end up here. The section commissioner is looking to push the Tigers to the VOL according to the Modesto Bee. Central Catholic is also being considered. Only the three schools in the Manteca City Limits (Manteca, East Union, Sierra) can nearly guarantee that they'll stay in the VOL. There can be arguments for the other 4 to leave (and there have been). CAL- I think keeping them in the PVL would be better for them. Metro: In order for the ML to be worthy of a division III placing, Burbank has got to go. A school with more than 2,000 kids is too big for the division. Either put them in the SFL (because there is nowhere else to put them) or throw all this away and start over.
Division IV
WAC PVL SVC
Central Catholic Bear River Cordova
Central Valley Center El Dorado
Ceres Colfax Galt
Livingston Foothill Liberty Ranch
Los Banos Lincoln Rosemont
Pacheco Mira Loma Union Mine
Patterson
Comments: WAC: This proposal makes no changes to the WAC, but I don't expect it to pass. I think Patterson will leave and Central Catholic may join them. I can see Lathrop or Hilmar going to the WAC. PVL: I'll say it again, put Placer back.
Division V
MLL TVL GEL
Amador Escalon Capital Christian
Argonaut Hilmar Dixon
Bret Harte Hughson Lindhurst
Calaveras Modesto Christian (except for basketball) Marysville
Linden Mountain House Mesa Verde
Sonora Ripon Natomas
Summerville Riverbank West Campus
Ripon Christian (basketball only)
Comments: MLL- How long do I have? According to the Modesto Bee, this league wanted to keep Sonora out so bad that it proposed that Calaveras would go to the TVL and it didn't care what happened to Sonora. I understand the MLL not wanting Sonora, though I think it would be good for the league. Here's my proposal if the section doesn't mind 4-team leagues. Keep Amador, Argonaut, Bret Harte, and Summerville in the MLL, move Linden to the TVL, and create a 4th division IV league with Calaveras, Lathrop, Sonora, and Weston Ranch. And if geography doesn't matter, take Mountain House with them until they are big enough to join the VOL.
TVL: Mountain House doesn't fit, but again, with an expectant enrollment of 900, where else do you put them? Also Linden needs to join. Linden, CA is a Valley city, not a Mother Lode one. With Sonora joining the MLL, there is no need for Linden to stay. Everything else works
Division VI
Southern CVCL SDL
Delhi Delta Bradshaw Chr.
Denair Forest Lake Christian Encina
Gustine Foresthill Golden Sierra
Le Grand Sacramento Waldorf Highlands
Mariposa Victory Christian Rio Vista
Orestimba Woodland Christian San Juan
Ripon Christian (except for basketball) Vacaville Chr.
Waterford
Comments: SL- This conference works. Keep an eye on Delhi. The enrollment is pushing to the point that it may be too big. However, the lack of athletic success of the Hawks may keep that team in the Southern League. CVCL: Only 3 teams have a football program: Delta, Foresthill, and Woodland Chr. I wonder if they will once again combine with the 2 football teams in the SMAL. SDL: No changes
Division VII
CCAA MVL (non-football) NPAC (non-football)
Big Valley Delta Charter Freedom Christian
Brookside Christian Don Pedro Global Youth Charter
Elliot Christian Excel Academy Lutheran
Millennium Holt Academy New Life Christian
Sierra Ridge/ROP (boys only) Hughes Academy Trinity Prep
Turlock Christian Lodi Academy Western Sierra Collegiate
Venture Academy Mountain Oaks Woodland Poly
Stockton Christian
Tioga
SMAL
Buckingham Charter
Cristo Rey
Faith Christian
Sacramento Advenist
Sacramento Country Day
Valley Christian
Wilton Christian
Note: Cristo Rey and Valley Christian are the only 2 SMAL schools with football programs.
Next meeting is February 19th. I got the information from the Sac-Joaquin Section website and the Modesto Bee. However, the comments were my own thoughts unless noted.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
zzzzz vol. 5 Jan. 2013
FIFA RANKINGS
- This month, I will post 2 sets of rankings. That is because I did not realize that in December and January, they didn't post them the first weeks of the month, and on the last issue, I missed the December Rankings.
December 2012
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Italy 5. Colombia 6. England 7. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Greece 12. Switzerland 13. Ecuador 14. Cote D'Ivoire 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18 Brazil 19. Algeria 20. Sweden 21. Belgium 22. Japan 23. Denmark 24. Norway 25. Mail (Note: The USA is ranked 28th)
December 2012 Bottom 10
1. (3 way tie) Bhutan, San Marino, Turks & Caicos Islands 4. Mauritania 5. Anguilla 6. Andorra 7. (tie) Djibouti, Mauritius 9. Cook Islands 10 (tie) Kyrgyzstan, South Sudan
January 2013
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Italy 5. Colombia 6. England 7. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Greece 12. Ecuador 13. Switzerland 14. Cote D'Ivoire 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18. Brazi 19. Sweden 20. Belgium 21. Japan 22. Algeria 23. Denmark 24. Norway 25. Mali (Note: The USA is ranked 28th)
NCAA Basketball
Cross another team off the list of those that I needed to see live. For a birthday present, my awesome girlfriend and I went to Moraga, CA to see the local St. Mary's Gaels take on the Loyola Marymount Lions. The most impressive thing that I saw that day was nothing that the players on the Gaels nor the Lions did, but during a timeout, the promotions guy from St. Mary's had a contest for two kids who couldn't be older than 12. They had to do 10 push-ups and then shoot a basketball from three-point range. The first kid did the 10 push-ups, shot the ball and made it. Two seconds later the second kid completed his push-ups, shot the ball and made it. It is hard to imagine how impressive this feat really is until you have tried it. I have tried to shoot a basketball immediately after doing push-ups. The arms feel like noodles by the time the push-ups are finished. Needless to say, my shot was nowhere near the hoop. That is what impresses me more with the fact that these kids made it. By the way, St. Mary's won 74-61. At that time, it put them at 1-0 in WCC play and 12-3 overall (I wrote this paragraph on 1/24/13, they are currently 4-1 in WCC and 15-4 overall). Loyola Marymount was 0-2 in WCC and 7-8 overall (they are now 1-5 WCC, 8-11 overall).
NCAA FOOTBALL
-The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the previously undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42-14 to win the BCS national championship. I would also like to congratulate the North Dakota State Bisons (Division I-FCS), Valdosta State Rams (Division II), and Mt. Union Purple Raiders (Division III) for winning the national championship in their respective divisions, since no one else will. They earned their championships just as much as Alabama did (if not more so). The only team to finish undefeated in Division I-FBS was Ohio State, but due to sanctions, they were ineligible to play in any bowl game.
COLLEGE SPORTS
-Within a month, both Boise State and San Diego State announced that they were going to decommit from the Big East in football and the Big West in all other sports to stay in the Mountain West conference. The original reason for their move to a conference nearly 3,000 miles away was so they could get an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game should they win their conference. With the new format in 2014, the Mountain West will have an equal footing with the Big East, making the move unnecessary. However, each team will have to pay a $5 million exit fee as part of the contract.
I am personally relieved to see both teams staying. I am saddened that division I college sports is ignoring geography just to get money. Of course, most of these moves are football-centric, but other sports suffer. Not only will these moves hurt those players who won't go pro (which is most of them), but it will hurt the minor programs that are on a shoestring budget that can barely afford to go to all the places they have to go as it is; but now they are going to have to go farther. For example, Hawai'i joined the Big West for all sports except for football. Prior to this season, the Big West consisted of only California teams. Those teams could just take a bus to all their opponents. Now those minor programs are going to have to find a way to go to Hawai'i. The islands would be great for a vacation, but having several teams in a program going to Hawai'i can cripple a budget. I think that is why Pacific will be going to the West Coast Conference next year (though I don't know that for sure.)
On another tangent, the Mountain West will have two six-team divisions for football and have a championship game, according to ESPN. How the teams will be divided has not been mentioned. Since, it hasn't, let me make a suggestion:
West (in alphabetical order): Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
East: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, Wyoming
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
-Last week, I wrote a blog on my complete thoughts on the potential realignment in the Sac-Joaquin Section. If this proposal is approved, the new MMC will be Atwater, Beyer, Buhach Colony, Davis, Downey, El Capitan, Johansen, and Oakdale. From what I have read, Oakdale coaches hate this move. Most of the reasoning has to do with tradition. Oakdale was one of the charter members of the Valley Oak League. The other charter member (Sonora) is set to leave to go to the MLL. I would like to ask all coaches who are traditionalists, if Sonora does leave, are you willing to schedule the Wildcats for a non-league game to keep the Oakdale-Sonora game alive?
I am normally a traditionalist and I hate change whether it would benefit me or not, but I am looking forward to this move; and I hope it happens. Let me rephrase that. I am saying that assuming Sonora is going to leave. If Sonora somehow stays in the VOL. I want Oakdale to stay in the VOL. In every publication I have read on the subject, I only see reasons to hate the Oakdale move to the MMC. I would like to take this opportunity to write reasons to love this move (some of which is also in my other blog.)
1.) Economic factors
I admit that this reasoning would be better if the current MMC were to stay intact and just add Oakdale, but trips to Modesto, instead of Manteca, Lathrop, and Stockton will save the district money in transportation costs, not just in football, but in all sports. Plus, two trips in the VOL take at least 45 minutes. In this MMC format, only one team has that distance (El Capitan). Plus, the Downey High School football field has similar turf to Oakdale, and most of the games against Modesto schools would be at Downey. Also, if Oakdale plays its cards right, there could be senarios where a Modesto school would need to rent the Corral (Oakdale's stadium) for a game or two, even though Gregori will have a stadium in a few years. Finally, Oakdale and Buhach Colony have been the top two ranked football teams in the area. If they were to move their game to a Saturday, they could not only get the gate fees from the Oakdale and Buhach fans, but fans and players of other teams wanting to see a great game. It is no Oakdale-Sonora in the perspective of gate receipts, but it could be close.
2) Better Teams (ok slightly)
Obviously, I mean in football, since conference changes in high school and college tend to be football-centric (though, the reasoning for Oakdale to go to the MMC is because of the record in most sports). If Oakdale is the best team in the area (as they have been rated), then Buhach is easily number two. Over time, the rivalry with the Thunder can top the one with the Buffaloes. The VOL is a two-tier league, and the MMC could suffer the same fate (Oakdale, Buhach Colony, Atwater, and Downey would be the top, while Beyer, Davis, Johansen, and El Capitan would be the bottom). Sonora is slipping in talent, so Downey would soon be able to provide more competition for the Mustangs than the Wildcats would. As a "fifth" team, Beyer, at times has the ability to crack the top-four, and give this MMC the potential to put 5 teams in the playoffs. I also think Davis is stronger than Lathrop or Weston Ranch. El Capitan is the wildcard. We probably won't know until 2015 or 2016 if the Gauchos are good. It takes tough competition to grow as a team and a program; and I think Oakdale has grown to what it is going to in the VOL. This MMC line-up would be perfect for the Mustangs. The skill level is slightly better, so Oakdale should be able to handle it. If it was put in a league that is too advanced, then it could end up being a detrement to the Mustangs. However, that would not be an issue in the MMC. Plus, if the Mustangs don't do well as expected, they could go back to the VOL in 2018.
3) Better Exposure to the Passing Game (Football)
In order to win a championship in football, teams will see a variety of systems en route to the title. Oakdale nearly got exposed for its lack of a good pass-defense when the Mustangs played both Benecia, who almost solely passes, and American Canyon, who has a great running-back to mix with the passing game. Both teams nearly controlled the tempo of the games against Oakdale, and could have defeated the Mustangs. The weakness of the current VOL is the passing game. Those teams who try do not have the talent to be a threat. There is one team in the proposed MMC that can test Oakdale's pass defense and better prepare the Mustangs for the play-offs. That team is the Downey Knights. According to maxpreps.com, quarterback, Aaron Zwahlen (who will be playing college football at Hawai'i, I believe) passed for 3,852 yards for the season and averaged 321 a game. The season total is nearly 1,400 yards more than anyone Oakdale has played prior to playoffs (2,458 total and 189.1 yards per game from the Oceanside quarterback) and more than 2,000 yards more than anyone Oakdale played in the VOL (1,626 from the Sierra-Manteca quarterback). Having Oakdale play a quarterback like Zwahlen in league play would have better prepared the Mustangs for the passing game they would face in the playoffs.
4) Sports That Enrollment Does Not Determine Divisions For Playoffs Will Be Promoted to Division II
Some of the Oakdale faithful see this as a bad thing, but I see it as a good thing. Baseball and softball have won multiple championships in division IV where in some cases, Oakdale plays teams half its size. Currently, the VOL is a division IV league. Therefore, the sports which enrollment is not a deciding factor for divisions, the Mustangs play in the division IV playoffs. In this move, the MMC would become a division II league (currently the MMC is in division I). Under this proposal, Oakdale would play teams similar in size, and some teams that are larger. That generally means better competition, and more entertaining games for fans.
5) Oakdale Would Still Play Division III For Sports in Which Enrollment Determines the Divisions for Playoffs
Currently, football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball use enrollment numbers to determine its divisions for playoffs (I believe basketball will go to the league assignment system next year). Oakdale, with 1,613 students, would fall in division III for those playoff spots. The Mustangs would play in the same division as they currently do now in football; and with a better league assignment, they would be better prepared for a section title, and a state title. Also, for the Oakdale fans, imagine playing old rivals Manteca and Sierra in the first round of the playoffs. Oakdale can still play the better teams of the VOL, and do not have to bother with those schools that are not strong in football.
6) Oakdale Football Would Finally Get a Chance to Play Davis and Atwater
When I was in high school, the football players wanted to play Davis and Atwater, and the fans wanted to see those game. The reason why is because those two teams were the best in the old CCC, and we all thought Oakdale was better than both those teams, despite the fact those two got more publicity. Thirteen years after my graduating date, Modesto gained two more schools that depleted the talent in the city, and Atwater built Buhach Colony, which got the better football talent. Davis is still struggling through their losses and now is a medium-sized school and not a large. Atwater suffered through a few bad years and is now back to a good team, and working on being a great one again. The Davis-Oakdale game was a dream match-up when I was a student, and the game would be fifteen years too late when the first game would be played. The Atwater-Oakdale game can be a classic and a nice preview for Buhach Colony.
7) Boys Basketball Will Have a Chance at the Playoffs
The one sport Oakdale continues to struggle with is basketball. The VOL is one of the better leagues in the area, and the playoffs are dominated by Weston Ranch, Sierra, East Union, and Manteca. Oakdale has the ability to beat the Modesto schools in basketball. The boys team defeated Davis for third place in the Oakdale Rotary Tournament. If Oakdale can beat at least one of the Atwater schools and El Capitan, then it could earn a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
8) Water Polo Benefits From More League Competition
Currently, only three of the VOL schools have a water polo team (Oakdale, Sonora, and Kimball). The VOL water polo team is just a four-team league (Ripon is in the VOL for water polo only, as it is the only TVL team that has water polo). I do not know if El Capitan is going to have water polo, but all the other teams in this proposed MMC do. The Mustangs can play more league games, and be better prepared for playoffs. Plus, they won't have to desperately find other teams and tournaments to play just to fill a schedule. In addition, the Mustangs have already proven that the water polo team can thrive in the MMC. When Oakdale started the water polo program, they had to play in the MMC, because Sonora and Oakdale were the only two VOL teams with the sport at the time (Sonora played in the TCAL if anyone cares). The second year of the programs existence, both the boys and girls teams advanced to the playoffs, with the boys winning the league the third year. The Mustangs showed they had what it takes to play with the big boys of the MMC, and they can do it again.
9) The Possibility for More College Scouts to See the Mustangs
The reality is that college scouts will spend more time going to games featuring big schools than small schools (yes, I know there are exceptions). Oakdale currently has two players in NCAA division I-FBS schools (Devin Combs at Nevada and Justin Martin at Wyoming). The last time a Mustangs played at that high level was in 2000 (Zach Quaccia-Stanford). Not many play at division I schools period. The number is low for a program that wins year in and year out. I believe some of the Mustang players could have had a few offers if the scouts wanted to see Zwahlen (see reason number 3) and they just happened to see the Mustangs perform well. Being in a league with larger schools could mean a better chance to be discovered.
10) Sometimes a Change is for the Best
Over the summer, I read that Sonora asked the Sac-Joaquin Section to be moved to the Mother Lode League (MLL). Once I read that the section would likely approve the move, I saw Oakdale's move to the MMC coming. Sonora's enrollment is currently at 1,108 and is projected to drop to 1,050. Plus, with Oakdale being the closest league-rival at 36 miles, it may be time for Sonora to play in a similar area to its opponents (or perhaps move to the WAC or TVL whose schools have similar enrollment numbers). Since Sonora is likely leaving, maybe it is just time for Oakdale to also leave and see better opportunities that are present. Tradition is valuable and it is nice, but going back to reason number 2, if a program is to grow, it has got to go out and play not only better competition, but different competition.
11) My own Selfish Reason
I live near Downey High School now, and I would be able to see a few Oakdale games without having to leave my neighborhood.
- This month, I will post 2 sets of rankings. That is because I did not realize that in December and January, they didn't post them the first weeks of the month, and on the last issue, I missed the December Rankings.
December 2012
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Italy 5. Colombia 6. England 7. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Greece 12. Switzerland 13. Ecuador 14. Cote D'Ivoire 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18 Brazil 19. Algeria 20. Sweden 21. Belgium 22. Japan 23. Denmark 24. Norway 25. Mail (Note: The USA is ranked 28th)
December 2012 Bottom 10
1. (3 way tie) Bhutan, San Marino, Turks & Caicos Islands 4. Mauritania 5. Anguilla 6. Andorra 7. (tie) Djibouti, Mauritius 9. Cook Islands 10 (tie) Kyrgyzstan, South Sudan
January 2013
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Italy 5. Colombia 6. England 7. Portugal 8. Netherlands 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Greece 12. Ecuador 13. Switzerland 14. Cote D'Ivoire 15. Mexico 16. Uruguay 17. France 18. Brazi 19. Sweden 20. Belgium 21. Japan 22. Algeria 23. Denmark 24. Norway 25. Mali (Note: The USA is ranked 28th)
NCAA Basketball
Cross another team off the list of those that I needed to see live. For a birthday present, my awesome girlfriend and I went to Moraga, CA to see the local St. Mary's Gaels take on the Loyola Marymount Lions. The most impressive thing that I saw that day was nothing that the players on the Gaels nor the Lions did, but during a timeout, the promotions guy from St. Mary's had a contest for two kids who couldn't be older than 12. They had to do 10 push-ups and then shoot a basketball from three-point range. The first kid did the 10 push-ups, shot the ball and made it. Two seconds later the second kid completed his push-ups, shot the ball and made it. It is hard to imagine how impressive this feat really is until you have tried it. I have tried to shoot a basketball immediately after doing push-ups. The arms feel like noodles by the time the push-ups are finished. Needless to say, my shot was nowhere near the hoop. That is what impresses me more with the fact that these kids made it. By the way, St. Mary's won 74-61. At that time, it put them at 1-0 in WCC play and 12-3 overall (I wrote this paragraph on 1/24/13, they are currently 4-1 in WCC and 15-4 overall). Loyola Marymount was 0-2 in WCC and 7-8 overall (they are now 1-5 WCC, 8-11 overall).
NCAA FOOTBALL
-The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the previously undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42-14 to win the BCS national championship. I would also like to congratulate the North Dakota State Bisons (Division I-FCS), Valdosta State Rams (Division II), and Mt. Union Purple Raiders (Division III) for winning the national championship in their respective divisions, since no one else will. They earned their championships just as much as Alabama did (if not more so). The only team to finish undefeated in Division I-FBS was Ohio State, but due to sanctions, they were ineligible to play in any bowl game.
COLLEGE SPORTS
-Within a month, both Boise State and San Diego State announced that they were going to decommit from the Big East in football and the Big West in all other sports to stay in the Mountain West conference. The original reason for their move to a conference nearly 3,000 miles away was so they could get an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game should they win their conference. With the new format in 2014, the Mountain West will have an equal footing with the Big East, making the move unnecessary. However, each team will have to pay a $5 million exit fee as part of the contract.
I am personally relieved to see both teams staying. I am saddened that division I college sports is ignoring geography just to get money. Of course, most of these moves are football-centric, but other sports suffer. Not only will these moves hurt those players who won't go pro (which is most of them), but it will hurt the minor programs that are on a shoestring budget that can barely afford to go to all the places they have to go as it is; but now they are going to have to go farther. For example, Hawai'i joined the Big West for all sports except for football. Prior to this season, the Big West consisted of only California teams. Those teams could just take a bus to all their opponents. Now those minor programs are going to have to find a way to go to Hawai'i. The islands would be great for a vacation, but having several teams in a program going to Hawai'i can cripple a budget. I think that is why Pacific will be going to the West Coast Conference next year (though I don't know that for sure.)
On another tangent, the Mountain West will have two six-team divisions for football and have a championship game, according to ESPN. How the teams will be divided has not been mentioned. Since, it hasn't, let me make a suggestion:
West (in alphabetical order): Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV
East: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State, Wyoming
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
-Last week, I wrote a blog on my complete thoughts on the potential realignment in the Sac-Joaquin Section. If this proposal is approved, the new MMC will be Atwater, Beyer, Buhach Colony, Davis, Downey, El Capitan, Johansen, and Oakdale. From what I have read, Oakdale coaches hate this move. Most of the reasoning has to do with tradition. Oakdale was one of the charter members of the Valley Oak League. The other charter member (Sonora) is set to leave to go to the MLL. I would like to ask all coaches who are traditionalists, if Sonora does leave, are you willing to schedule the Wildcats for a non-league game to keep the Oakdale-Sonora game alive?
I am normally a traditionalist and I hate change whether it would benefit me or not, but I am looking forward to this move; and I hope it happens. Let me rephrase that. I am saying that assuming Sonora is going to leave. If Sonora somehow stays in the VOL. I want Oakdale to stay in the VOL. In every publication I have read on the subject, I only see reasons to hate the Oakdale move to the MMC. I would like to take this opportunity to write reasons to love this move (some of which is also in my other blog.)
1.) Economic factors
I admit that this reasoning would be better if the current MMC were to stay intact and just add Oakdale, but trips to Modesto, instead of Manteca, Lathrop, and Stockton will save the district money in transportation costs, not just in football, but in all sports. Plus, two trips in the VOL take at least 45 minutes. In this MMC format, only one team has that distance (El Capitan). Plus, the Downey High School football field has similar turf to Oakdale, and most of the games against Modesto schools would be at Downey. Also, if Oakdale plays its cards right, there could be senarios where a Modesto school would need to rent the Corral (Oakdale's stadium) for a game or two, even though Gregori will have a stadium in a few years. Finally, Oakdale and Buhach Colony have been the top two ranked football teams in the area. If they were to move their game to a Saturday, they could not only get the gate fees from the Oakdale and Buhach fans, but fans and players of other teams wanting to see a great game. It is no Oakdale-Sonora in the perspective of gate receipts, but it could be close.
2) Better Teams (ok slightly)
Obviously, I mean in football, since conference changes in high school and college tend to be football-centric (though, the reasoning for Oakdale to go to the MMC is because of the record in most sports). If Oakdale is the best team in the area (as they have been rated), then Buhach is easily number two. Over time, the rivalry with the Thunder can top the one with the Buffaloes. The VOL is a two-tier league, and the MMC could suffer the same fate (Oakdale, Buhach Colony, Atwater, and Downey would be the top, while Beyer, Davis, Johansen, and El Capitan would be the bottom). Sonora is slipping in talent, so Downey would soon be able to provide more competition for the Mustangs than the Wildcats would. As a "fifth" team, Beyer, at times has the ability to crack the top-four, and give this MMC the potential to put 5 teams in the playoffs. I also think Davis is stronger than Lathrop or Weston Ranch. El Capitan is the wildcard. We probably won't know until 2015 or 2016 if the Gauchos are good. It takes tough competition to grow as a team and a program; and I think Oakdale has grown to what it is going to in the VOL. This MMC line-up would be perfect for the Mustangs. The skill level is slightly better, so Oakdale should be able to handle it. If it was put in a league that is too advanced, then it could end up being a detrement to the Mustangs. However, that would not be an issue in the MMC. Plus, if the Mustangs don't do well as expected, they could go back to the VOL in 2018.
3) Better Exposure to the Passing Game (Football)
In order to win a championship in football, teams will see a variety of systems en route to the title. Oakdale nearly got exposed for its lack of a good pass-defense when the Mustangs played both Benecia, who almost solely passes, and American Canyon, who has a great running-back to mix with the passing game. Both teams nearly controlled the tempo of the games against Oakdale, and could have defeated the Mustangs. The weakness of the current VOL is the passing game. Those teams who try do not have the talent to be a threat. There is one team in the proposed MMC that can test Oakdale's pass defense and better prepare the Mustangs for the play-offs. That team is the Downey Knights. According to maxpreps.com, quarterback, Aaron Zwahlen (who will be playing college football at Hawai'i, I believe) passed for 3,852 yards for the season and averaged 321 a game. The season total is nearly 1,400 yards more than anyone Oakdale has played prior to playoffs (2,458 total and 189.1 yards per game from the Oceanside quarterback) and more than 2,000 yards more than anyone Oakdale played in the VOL (1,626 from the Sierra-Manteca quarterback). Having Oakdale play a quarterback like Zwahlen in league play would have better prepared the Mustangs for the passing game they would face in the playoffs.
4) Sports That Enrollment Does Not Determine Divisions For Playoffs Will Be Promoted to Division II
Some of the Oakdale faithful see this as a bad thing, but I see it as a good thing. Baseball and softball have won multiple championships in division IV where in some cases, Oakdale plays teams half its size. Currently, the VOL is a division IV league. Therefore, the sports which enrollment is not a deciding factor for divisions, the Mustangs play in the division IV playoffs. In this move, the MMC would become a division II league (currently the MMC is in division I). Under this proposal, Oakdale would play teams similar in size, and some teams that are larger. That generally means better competition, and more entertaining games for fans.
5) Oakdale Would Still Play Division III For Sports in Which Enrollment Determines the Divisions for Playoffs
Currently, football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball use enrollment numbers to determine its divisions for playoffs (I believe basketball will go to the league assignment system next year). Oakdale, with 1,613 students, would fall in division III for those playoff spots. The Mustangs would play in the same division as they currently do now in football; and with a better league assignment, they would be better prepared for a section title, and a state title. Also, for the Oakdale fans, imagine playing old rivals Manteca and Sierra in the first round of the playoffs. Oakdale can still play the better teams of the VOL, and do not have to bother with those schools that are not strong in football.
6) Oakdale Football Would Finally Get a Chance to Play Davis and Atwater
When I was in high school, the football players wanted to play Davis and Atwater, and the fans wanted to see those game. The reason why is because those two teams were the best in the old CCC, and we all thought Oakdale was better than both those teams, despite the fact those two got more publicity. Thirteen years after my graduating date, Modesto gained two more schools that depleted the talent in the city, and Atwater built Buhach Colony, which got the better football talent. Davis is still struggling through their losses and now is a medium-sized school and not a large. Atwater suffered through a few bad years and is now back to a good team, and working on being a great one again. The Davis-Oakdale game was a dream match-up when I was a student, and the game would be fifteen years too late when the first game would be played. The Atwater-Oakdale game can be a classic and a nice preview for Buhach Colony.
7) Boys Basketball Will Have a Chance at the Playoffs
The one sport Oakdale continues to struggle with is basketball. The VOL is one of the better leagues in the area, and the playoffs are dominated by Weston Ranch, Sierra, East Union, and Manteca. Oakdale has the ability to beat the Modesto schools in basketball. The boys team defeated Davis for third place in the Oakdale Rotary Tournament. If Oakdale can beat at least one of the Atwater schools and El Capitan, then it could earn a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
8) Water Polo Benefits From More League Competition
Currently, only three of the VOL schools have a water polo team (Oakdale, Sonora, and Kimball). The VOL water polo team is just a four-team league (Ripon is in the VOL for water polo only, as it is the only TVL team that has water polo). I do not know if El Capitan is going to have water polo, but all the other teams in this proposed MMC do. The Mustangs can play more league games, and be better prepared for playoffs. Plus, they won't have to desperately find other teams and tournaments to play just to fill a schedule. In addition, the Mustangs have already proven that the water polo team can thrive in the MMC. When Oakdale started the water polo program, they had to play in the MMC, because Sonora and Oakdale were the only two VOL teams with the sport at the time (Sonora played in the TCAL if anyone cares). The second year of the programs existence, both the boys and girls teams advanced to the playoffs, with the boys winning the league the third year. The Mustangs showed they had what it takes to play with the big boys of the MMC, and they can do it again.
9) The Possibility for More College Scouts to See the Mustangs
The reality is that college scouts will spend more time going to games featuring big schools than small schools (yes, I know there are exceptions). Oakdale currently has two players in NCAA division I-FBS schools (Devin Combs at Nevada and Justin Martin at Wyoming). The last time a Mustangs played at that high level was in 2000 (Zach Quaccia-Stanford). Not many play at division I schools period. The number is low for a program that wins year in and year out. I believe some of the Mustang players could have had a few offers if the scouts wanted to see Zwahlen (see reason number 3) and they just happened to see the Mustangs perform well. Being in a league with larger schools could mean a better chance to be discovered.
10) Sometimes a Change is for the Best
Over the summer, I read that Sonora asked the Sac-Joaquin Section to be moved to the Mother Lode League (MLL). Once I read that the section would likely approve the move, I saw Oakdale's move to the MMC coming. Sonora's enrollment is currently at 1,108 and is projected to drop to 1,050. Plus, with Oakdale being the closest league-rival at 36 miles, it may be time for Sonora to play in a similar area to its opponents (or perhaps move to the WAC or TVL whose schools have similar enrollment numbers). Since Sonora is likely leaving, maybe it is just time for Oakdale to also leave and see better opportunities that are present. Tradition is valuable and it is nice, but going back to reason number 2, if a program is to grow, it has got to go out and play not only better competition, but different competition.
11) My own Selfish Reason
I live near Downey High School now, and I would be able to see a few Oakdale games without having to leave my neighborhood.
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