HMB defense handed out another goose egg Friday night and is headed into league play @ 4-0. They have out scored their opponents a total of 188 - 13 over the four game preseason. Next up for the Cougars will be SSF.

Hope all is well.

Some of us wrote on another thread about the MEL Glory Days. When ya know that whenever, Vacaville, Vallejo, Vintage, Napa and even Fairfield & Hogan had there days. Whenever, these teams came to town you know it's gonna be a battle & a cant miss game. Now due to various reasons.....now Napa, Vacaville carry the Torch for the MEL with Wood coming on strong.

Also, the days when Benicia, Dixon, St. Patricks's, Vanden were battling it out and St. Helena & Justin Siena too were in the mix as well. How did John Swett-Crockett ever got in I am still wondering after all these years.

No longer is Vacaville a one high school town. Wood is rising from the ashes. Also of note, Vacaville Christian was challenging for Section Championships in their respectful division.

Justin Siena now competes in the NCS-MCAL with success. St. Helena is reemerging and now plays in the NCS.

Vintage is down with American Canyon now opening up with off & on success. Napa is still the team in Napa.

Fairfield ran wild in the late 80's early 90's with the Wing T, but lately hard to fill rosters there. Armijo is still Armijo. Vanden is still competing well in recent years too.

Benicia been good too as well.

Dixon having off & on years.

A tragedy for the schools in Vallejo. Hogan had some bright spots. really surprised at Vallejo.... a proud tradition and helluva football alumni....so sad...cant get the numbers & keep up? Bethel...what is going on? St. Patrick's was going good with Marion Blanton...ever since they let him go....

miss these days...hopefully they will do well soon!

Wood hosts Vintage. Gonna be a good MEL Game? Is Vintage running the Wing T? Will Wood continue on or will they be caught sleeping? Any info? Thanks

Sacramento High School Freshman team looking for games either home or away.

Please contact

Coach Michele
916 213 5080
Michele Massari

Wood lead 35 - 17 at half on thier way to a 55 - 31 victory and a 5 - 0 start.

All filled thank you

Palo Alto/Peninsula Elite 2016 post Alexis Harris has committed to San Jose State, according to Chris Roemer.

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/...ord-pitcher-davis-makes-it-back-to-the-majors

Former Stanford baseball pitcher Erik Davis, 28, had been in the Boston area, where he lives in the offseason with his fiancee, for a few days when he got a call from Washington assistant general manager Doug Harris in early September.

Davis had completed the minor league season with the Harrisburg (PA) Senators, the Double-A farm of the Nationals, after coming back from Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss all of the 2014 campaign.

"I was enjoying being at home with fiancée and my dog," noted Davis, who met his future wife when he played in the Cape Cod League while in college. "We were driving to an open house and got a call from Doug. Usually that is a good thing or a bad thing. My first instinct, since it was the offseason, was to think it was a bad thing."

After also reaching Triple-A Syracuse in 2015, Mountain View High grad Davis figured his season was over before Harris informed him that the Nationals wanted him to join the team in Miami.

The rosters expanded Sept. 1 and Washington needed some more relievers after Drew Storen, another former Stanford right-hander, broke the thumb in his pitching hand and is out for the year.

Davis arrived in Miami the evening of Sept. 12 and was in uniform the next day. Then he joined the team for a road trip to Philadelphia that began Sept. 14 and was with the team for a homestand that ended Sunday.

"It was an amazing thing. It is exciting. It is nice after all that work you put in to make it back," said Davis.

Davis joins a list of Washington pitchers, including Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, who have come back from Tommy John surgery.

"It's obviously a very difficult task, not only physically but mentally," Washington director of player development Mark Scialabba said of returning from Tommy John surgery. "You have to make sure you can see the end goal."

"I think the hardest part was mentally figuring out to trust" the process, Davis said.

Davis made his big league debut with the Nationals in 2013, five years after he was drafted by the San Diego Padres out of Stanford. He pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen for the Nationals that year and had an ERA of 3.12 with his first big league win. This year Davis appeared in 47 minor leagues at the Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A level and was 1-2 with an ERA of 3.88.

Paul Menhart was the pitching coach for Davis at Triple-A Syracuse in 2014 and at Double-A Harrisburg in 2013 before the right-hander was called up to the majors. Menhart is now the minor league pitching coordinator for the Nationals.

"I am so proud of this young man," Menhart, a former big league pitcher, said of Davis. "It is a tough road back; I had (Tommy John surgery) myself. He just grabbed the opportunity."

Menhart said that Davis has a plus change-up but had to regain the command of his fastball to get back to the majors. Davis struggled at Syracuse this year and was sent down to Harrisburg.

"At Triple-A I struggled really poorly and they sent me back to Harrisburg. That is as bad as I have pitched in my professional career," said Davis, who had an ERA of 8.49 in 11 games out of the bullpen this year for Syracuse. "At the time it was tough but, in the end, it was for the best. I was table to take a deep breath and find myself. It worked out for the best. I can't complain one bit."

The manager at Syracuse was Billy Gardner, Jr.

"I thought he handled it really well," Gardner said of Davis' return. "His stuff was always good."

Was making it back to the majors more special than the first trip?

"It is hard to say. It is always special that first time," Davis said. "That was my goal, to make it back. Before my injury I put myself into a good position (with the Nationals). Now I have to wipe the slate clean. Heading into next year I think I put myself in a good position."

The Nationals figure to lose veteran starters Zimmermann and Doug Fister to free agency. The makeup of a bullpen changes most years for nearly every team, and the Nationals should be no different.

Storen lost his closer's role to Jonathan Papelbon and there is chance the Nationals will trade Storen. And, Papelbon could be traded after he lunged for the throat of teammate Bryce Harper in the dugout during a game in Washington on Sunday.

So the bullpen could have a lot of new faces in 2016 and Davis hopes to be in the mix.

Davis, whose locker was next to Storen at Nationals Park, warmed up in the bullpen on Sunday but did not get in the game. The Nationals began a road trip Tuesday that will take them to Atlanta and New York to end the season. Washington fell to the Braves in their opener, 2-1.

Davis said he did not pick up a baseball for five months after the surgery. He did most of his rehab work in Viera, Fla., the spring training home of the Nationals, usually spending six days a week on the process.

"You don't realize how hard it is mentally to come back from it," Davis said. "You almost have to learn how to pitch again. I went 19 months between games. It is something you take for granted.

I think in the end it made me stronger."

There are a lot of good common opponents/comparison/relative strength games in NorCal this week:

Serra vs. Bellarmine (comparing Bellarmine and De La Salle)

Folsom vs. Del Oro (Bellarmine and Folsom)

De La Salle vs. Granite Bay (DLS and Folsom)

Clayton Valley Charter vs. Danville Monte Vista (Folsom and MV)



I think Bellarmine beats Serra by at least 2 TDs, Del Oro potentially beats Folsom (may be best DO offense I've ever seen), DLS handles GB by 30, and CVC beats MV by 1 score.

The game will be at the Dawg Pound or whatever they call that stadium in Folsom where visitor wins in recent history have been non existent.

While DO is 2-2 they were just a few good defensive plays away from wins in both the Punahou & Bellarmine games, two very good teams, and could easily be 4-0. Arguably DO is the best 2-2 team in NorCal.

Folsom while not the team they were last year(lot of D1 players graduated) is averaging similar rushing yards per game and only ~100 yards per game less receiving vs last year. Where Folsom is still averaging more than double the national average in receiving ypg and they are 4-0, the 100 less ypg receiving is having little to no impact on their results.

Del Oro is averaging 45ypg more receiving and 50ypg more rushing vs last year and this with as tough a pre-league as last year. While numbers only tell part of the story, having seen all of DO's games last & this year they are, overall, a better team than last year.

I've seen some great playoff games @Folsom. Most memorable game was the 2005 Rocklin vs DO section title game where DO won by a field goal. Then there was the 2009 DO vs Folsom semi-final where Dano Graves had the Dawgs up 35-7 at halftime and DO can back and won that game 43-42 thanks to, in part, a missed Folsom field goal that hit the cross bar that would have sealed the game for Folsom. And finally the 2009 Grant/Rocklin quarter final game where Rocklin had that incredible goal line stand.

While this is not a playoff game I expect Loomis to show up in force creating a playoff atmosphere. Going to be a good one. GO DO!!

Weston Ranch 2016 guards Jaelen Ragsdale and Fred Lavender have both committed to Cal State Stanislaus. Good to see players find the right spot at D2 level and commit to it early.

Crusaders get the acid test next week with the boy's from Peralta Park. Three straight road games tough way to start a season.

The two current and deserving WCAL heavyweights battle Friday. Best game of the year so far for CCS teams. I haven't hyped the Crusaders despite their fantastic start because the WCAL is a different beast. If they knock off Mitty I'll grab a handle on the bandwagon. Meanwhile, I can't wait to watch shCathedral this weekend against major contender VC. I hope all fifteen fans on their side of the stands are loud and boisterous.

Folks, I recently saw a thread discussing local junior college quarterbacks. I'm wondering what your opinions are pertaining to players of other positions? I have read some positive press on former Cal High flanker/slot receiver CJ Cornwell at DVC. Has anyone heard anything about Drew Sullivan at DVC? I heard they converted him to center, but I haven't heard how it's working out? Also, any word on CSM transfer from Utah State Karris Johnson?

Still looking for a team to fill one spot for Antioch High girls JV tourney on Dec 28th-30th.
Please contact me asap.

thanks!

Should be a fun game to watch....
http://www.paradisepost.com/sports/20150929/paradise-opens-league-against-chico-panthers-friday

We need 1 team for the inaugural "Damian Lillard Shootout" Dec. 9th-12th. This is an 8 team 3 game tournament. The team already committed St. Joe's, Branson, Bentley, Arroyo, Envision, Castlemont, Oakland High. If interested, please email me @ oaklandhighbaketball@gmail.com

Oregon wide receiver Byron Marshall is out for the year after suffering a leg injury against Utah. Tough news for him and the Ducks.

http://www.csnnw.com/ducks/oregon-wr-byron-marshall-most-likely-out-season

Pleasant Grove might still be for real after embarrassing Jesuit today. PG's defense knocked Bisharat out of the game early and forced Jesuit's qb into throwing 3 interceptions that led to touchdowns. The Delta is a tough league but PG could be ready to make some noise.

I need 1 team for our 2nd Annual New Year's Shootout on Saturday January 9th @ Pittsburg High School. Teams that are in are:

Pittsburg, Heritage, Dublin, West Campus, Berkeley, Skyline, Bradshaw Christian, Santa Rosa, Acalanes, Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove, Cardinal Newman, Eastside Prep, McClatchy, Mt. Eden.



Please contact me by phone (510) 387-3868 (a text is the fastest way) or by email garnettgivans@hotmail.com, Thank you

Coach Garnett Givans
Pittsburg High School
Varsity Asst. Coach

De La Salle tight end Devin Asiasi took an unofficial visit to Alabama this past weekend and is planning on going back for an official visit. The Crimson Tide are in a good spot for the 4-star prospect - https://norcalpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1807883

Liberty safety Shurod Thompson is nearing a decision and Oregon State looks to be in a great spot - https://norcalpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1808319

Turlock 2017 OF Tate Soderstrom committed to Arizona yesterday.

He plays with NorCal Baseball