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B1Wednesday, March 11, 2015 theorion.com/sports
ONLINE:The Chico State baseball team describes the experience of playing
on a semipro field in Sacramento at the Capital City Clash.
BASKETBALL
Pursuing History
Julie OrtegaStaff Writer
In its 100th season, the Chico State men’s basketball team has made the NCAA Cham-pionship Tournament for the fourth time in a row.
The Wildcats’ success this season has set the team’s bar high for expectations. Before clinching a spot in the playoffs, the team went on a 10-game winning streak — one of the longest since 2003.
The team’s focus on defending has trans-lated into winning games, said Greg Clink, head coach.
On Friday, the Wildcats won their first semifinal game against Cal State Stanis-laus, 72-60. Sophomore guard Robert Dun-can led the team with 23 points.
The team faced Cal Poly Pomona the next day and was defeated in overtime, 57-62.
It was the fourth time in a row that Chico State lost the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament. Duncan was the top scorer of the night with 20 points.
The ’Cats could get the chance to play against Cal Poly Pomona again in this week’s NCAA Tournament West Regional. Cal Poly Pomona is ranked No. 6 and Chico State entered No. 5 in the West.
Three graduating seniors will be leaving the team this spring, but they are leaving behind a name for themselves. They are the first class in the history of the program to reach the NCAA Championship four times in a row.
With this being their last season playing, Jordan Barton, Mike Rosaroso and Jordan Semple all have one goal in common — to win.
“I want to win it all,” Rosaroso said.Semple leads the team defensively with
the most blocked shots and rebounds in the program’s history and is the only senior on the team who will have made four consecu-tive trips to the championship.
Taking over Semple’s position will be first-year forward Isaiah Ellis, who is cur-rently averaging 5.7 points per game.
Ellis will have big shoes to fill, as he is expected to step in and play up to Semple’s defensive level.
One of the key returners for next season is Duncan, who has been averaging 20 points per game, while shooting 55 percent from the field.
Making it to the playoffs has been a huge accomplishment for him, Duncan said.
“It would be great to make it back to (Indiana),” he said. “(To be) the National Champion would be like a cherry on top.”
Duncan will be replacing senior guard Rosaroso for the upcoming fall season.
This season, Rosaroso led the WIldcats with a career best of 15 points. As a gradu-ating senior, he wants to end his career as a winner.
Rosaroso’s motto for playing is taking it one game at a time and letting everything play out for itself, he said.
“(Clink) always tells us that if we play defense for 40 minutes, everything will take care of itself,” he said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We still have a long way to go.”
Junior center Tanner Giddings, standing 6 feet 10 inches tall, transferred from Fresno State this past year. Coming to Chico State, he had his mind set on reaching the NCAA Tourna-ment and winning, he said.
In the fall, Giddings will come in as a senior and will potentially be taking over for Barton, the third athlete who will be graduating.
Last season, Barton led the team in field goal percentage and is currently ranked second on the team for 26 offensive re-
bounds in his final season.Defensively, the team has done a great
job, but there’s not enough pressure when it comes to playing offense, Clink said. He will have to prepare his team the same way he has been, if not better, to win the championship.
Clink wants to focus on strengthening offense, he said. The team lacks consistency and has room for improvement.
Every week the team tries to find one or two things that they need to get better at
and focus on it, Clink said.
The quality of the defense is what matters, Duncan said. The emphasis is not so much on offense because the team has players who can make shots.
“We’re going to continue to try improve de-
fensively,” Clink said. “We’re going to try to continue to improve offensively in terms of executing offense and taking great shots.”
Julie Ortega can be reached at
[email protected] or @julieOrtega_ on Twitter.
100 Years of Wildcat basketballChico State
20conference
titles
Chico State
1520-win seasons
Caio Calado/The OrionPhoto Illustration by Dariush Azmoudeh/The Orion
In their fourth consecutive NCAA championship appearance, Wildcats are on the prowl for glory
This season in Wildcat basketball
Chico State Rosaroso, Barton, Semple
First Class in Wildcat Basketball history to reach
NCAA Tournament4 times in a row
won last 14 of 15games to
claim CCAA#1 seed
Field goalpercentage
.477Steals
194BLOCKS
84POINTS-PER-GAME
69.2
I want to win it all.
- Mike RosarosoChico State basketball player
THIRD TIME IN LAST FOUR YEARS
B1Wednesday, February 4, 2015 theorion.com/sports
ONLINE:Full recap of the weekend’s games for
both Chico State basketball teams.
BASKETBALL
Lars Gustafson and Nick MartinezStaff Writers
Senior guards Hannah Womack and Annie Ward have made the sound of the net swooshing a common occurrence in Acker Gym.
According to Ward, her relationship with Womack started when Womack transferred from New Mexico State in 2012.
“Since we have played together for so long, we know where each other (is at on the court),” Ward said. “It’s a sixth sense.”
The two guards have great basketball chemistry and create mismatches for their opposition on the offensive side of the court.
“It’s awesome,” Womack said. “I love playing with her because they can’t guard both of us. When me and Annie are both hot, it’s crazy.”
As the second half of the season gets underway, Womack shows no signs of slowing down. She leads the team in points per game, free throws, steals and minutes.
Womack’s 14.8 points per game leads all Wildcat scorers. She has been the most consistent player since day one, which can be attributed to her nonstop work ethic, said head coach Brian Fogel.
“I don’t think Han-nah has lost a line drill since I’ve been here to be honest,” Fogel said.
While Womack continu-ously drives to the bas-ket, Ward is much more of a perim-eter shooter. Ward is second on the team in 3-pointers, along with leading the team in assists and sits in fourth for points per game.
Ward, who is normally a solid shooter beyond the arc, had a tough start to the season. She was 9-43 on her 3-point
attempts since November, but recent success could get her back on track, Fogel said.
Ward averaged 18.5 points per game against Cal State East Bay and Cal State
Monterey Bay two weekends ago. She also connected on nine 3-point-ers on just 14 attempts during the road trip.
“She was frustrated that her shots weren’t falling at the beginning of the season,”
Brooke Bowen, junior forward, said. “But we kept telling her to keep shooting, and her shots have finally started to fall.”
According to Ward, the team looks to her and Womack to lead a relatively young group on a late playoff push, as they sit 7-9 in the conference.
“They understand the culture we want to have within our program,” Fogel said. “They’re extremely hard working and lead by example.”
Bowen said that the two teammates have grown close both on and off the court during the past three seasons.
According to Ward and Womack, when they set each other up for a shot that goes in, they point at each other as they run down the court. The tradition started last year when they won the league title against Cal State Monterey Bay, Womack said.
“She pointed at me, and I pointed at her, and a timeout was called,” Ward said. “We jumped on each other and went crazy. That shows how much we both care about the sport, each other and the program. That chemistry has evolved into something great. I think that’s something special that not every player gets to expe-rience.”
Sports writers can be reached [email protected] or
@theorion_sports on Twitter.
Malik Payton/The Orion
Hannah Womack, left, and Annie Ward partner together on the basketball court harmoniously, playing off of each other in a way that prevents the opposition team from guarding them. Both said that they are able to communicate wordlessly on the court to achieve maximum effectivness for their team.
Senior pair creates seamless synergy
Since we have played together for so long, we know where each other (is at on the court). It’s a sixth sense.
- Annie WardChico State basketball player
Annie Ward
264 Points35 3-pointers
45 assists
Hannah Womack
146 Points 27 3-pointers46 assists
B1Wednesday, January 21, 2015 theorion.com/sports
ONLINE:Chico State women’s basketball team
bounces back from a five-game losing streak.
BASKETBALL
Lars GustafsonStaff Writer
By the end of Chico State’s 2014 men’s basketball season, the record books are going to be rewritten because of senior forward Jordan Semple, who is now the all-time leader in blocked shots and rebounds in the program’s history.
Semple chose Chico State over multiple full-ride scholarship offers in 2011 and has been a big factor in the men’s basketball team’s success since he stepped on the court.
“I felt like this program was going in the right direction, even though they weren’t too good when I first came here record-wise,” Semple said.
During his tenure as a Wildcat, Semple has transformed into one of the premier defensive players in the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference.
“I’ve definitely become a more defensive-minded player. Instead of just focusing on scoring, I get the rebounds, blocks and steals — things that are very over looked,” he said. “I focus on those three things every year, and I make sure I’m on the top of those catego-ries in the league and points will naturally come.”
With the all-time Chico State men’s basket-ball team’s blocked shot and rebound records under his belt, Semple said that his personal
mindset, basketball awareness, timing and jumping ability were key to how he was able to break records.
“When you put those three together with the mindset, you can get something special. You can have all three and a lot of people do, but if you don’t have that initial mind-set then you might as well not be playing,”
Semple said.Semple has a chance to have
a record-breaking triple-crown season with 13 games left to play. He is currently sitting fourth in the all-time leaders for steals.
Last year, as a junior, Semple broke the program’s blocking record.
“In regards to the blocking record, I got to make sure no one catches up to it. Every game, I’m thinking about blocking shots,” he said.
Semple is now the all-time leader in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 blocks a game.
However, this season, Semple’s aggressive and tough defensive play has gotten him into foul trouble in a few games.
“If I don’t have any fouls in the first half, then I’m pretty aggressive and I’m taking a couple chances. When you do get the first foul in the first half, that’s when you got to be careful but not let my man go right past me,” Semple said.
Greg Clink, Chico State’s men’s baskeball head coach has contributed to Semple’s growth as a basketball player since redshirt-
ing his freshman year.“He’s very consistent with his rebounds.
He’s very consistent defensively. He’s a very good offensive player, but he’s equally good defensively and has the ability to guard sev-eral different positions,” Clink said.
When Semple is on the court, he is one of the fiercest competitors and leaders, Clink said.
According to Clink, Semple is one of the biggest com-petitors he has ever coached. Semple has been one of the people responsible for all the success that the men’s basketball team has had the past few years, he said.
“His biggest attribute is his competitive level. He’s very competitive and doesn’t accept losing,” he said.
Semple credits his personal mindset and his teammates believing in him for his consistently high level of play on both sides of the court.
“My teammates believing in me, staying very aggressive and it comes down to tim-ing and basketball IQ,” he said.
This season, Semple has also been a threat on the offensive side of the court, averaging 12.5 points per game and having
a .526 field goal percentage.“Semple is very efficient. He scores a lot
of his points ten feet and in. He’s very good at driving to (the) basket, and very good at finishing around the basket. He scores a lot of points from the free-throw line. He does a good job of getting to where he needs to get and finishing around the bas-
ket,” Clink said.
Semple is not only a great team-mate but a coach on the court as well, said Mike Ro-saroso, senior point guard.
“Jordan Semple is a great leader.
He does everything we expect out of him. He’s a hard worker and competes everyday in practice. He does a great job of leading everybody and helping the younger guys work harder in practice,” Rosaroso said.
Semple is already on top of two all-time men’s basketball records at Chico State and only time will tell if he will have the triple crown of broken records at the be-ginning of the tournament this March.
Lars Gustafson can be reached [email protected] or
@larsonsports on Twitter.
All-time Leader in Blocked Shots and Rebounds in Chico State History
4th All-time leader in steals in Chico State history
First Team All-CCAA Selection
Eureka Times-Standard and Humboldt-del Norte Big 5 Conference MVP
Keeping it Semple
12.5 Pointsper game
.526 Field GoalPercentage
8.2 ReboundsPer Game
1.9 Blocksper game
1.2 Stealsper game
JORDANSEMPLE
Instead of just focusing on scoring, I get the rebounds, blocks and steals — things that are very overlooked.
Wildcat shatters records for rebounds, blocks
-Jordan SempleChico State basketball player
Gustavo Ornelas/The Orion
Jordan Semple, Chico State basketball player, pushes through defenders from Sonoma State to attempt a dunk on Jan. 16.
SAM ATTAL / THE ADVOCATE
Proud stance — Defensive end Niko Aumua and point guard Jamie Capoot have been named as The Advocate’s Athletes of the Year for their superior game play during the 2010-11 year. Aumua will transfer to Washington State University while Capoot is looking forward to her sophomore season with the Comets.
Respected Comet holds season intact
THE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011C4 SPORTS WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011 l THE ADVOCATE C5
HONORABLE MENTIONS
‘Hot head’ grows into true leader
Football
NIKO AUMUA#18 DEFENSIVE END
Women’s basketball
JAMIE CAPOOTGUARD
#10
By Malcolm LastraSPORTS EDITOR
People with positive attitudes tend to build strong connections with others and get ahead in life, while those who possess poor charac-ter traits are more than likely to have limited opportunities.
However, people with character flaws can eventually change their ways through matura-tion, motivation and self discipline.
For sophomore Comet defensive end and The Advocate’s Male Athlete of the Year Niko Aumua, that developing character has been something he experienced in his two years at Contra Costa College — going from a short-tempered athlete in 2009 to a mature and humble player in 2010 with the help of football coach Alonzo Carter.
“I was a hot head back in the day,” Aumua said. “I never had a coach who really cared about me and what I did on and off the field.”
The 22-year-old San Jose native came to CCC in 2009 after taking a year off after gradu-ating from Alameda High School in 2008, where he played wide receiver.
While Aumua possessed talent from the receiver position with his tall 6 foot 6 inch frame, he failed to gain any recognition at CCC from four-year colleges due to his poor on-the-field behavior.
In fact, during his freshman season at CCC he was suspended for the remainder of the year by coaches when he was involved in a physical altercation with an opposing player from Hartnell College.
“I remember me and the other player exchanged some words and he challenged me to a fight,” Aumua said. “I refused to back down from it and the fight resulted in the cops coming onto the field and escorting me from the game.”
Aumua said that part of the blame for his bad behavior was the fact that the team was generally undisciplined and was experiencing a frustrating year, finishing 1-9.
Things began to change for Aumua upon the arrival of Carter, the former Berkeley and McClymonds high school football coach who motivated the athlete to change his conduct.
“(Prior to coaching the Comets) I knew Niko was a wild guy, but I told him to recon-cile his issues with (Athletic Director) John Wade,” Carter said. “His bad attitude needed to be fixed because he couldn’t continue to head in that direction.”
Another change Carter presented to
Team captain tackles, fixes attitude problem
Aumua was his playing position, moving him to the other side of the ball placing by him at defensive end.
Aumua took the coach’s challenge head on and became a gym rat over the summer, bulk-ing up his muscle for his new position.
“I coached against Niko when I was at Berkeley and he was at Alameda,” Carter said. “(Although he was a good receiver) he was tough on us on the defensive side of the ball too and I wanted him to get back to that same level of aggression he had (on defense).”
Responsibility began to set in for Aumua as he was also named a team captain.
“I knew this year wouldn’t be a bad one,” Aumua said. “We (as a team) erased our past and looked at the season as a rebirth of the CCC football program.”
Aumua responded well at his defensive end position and the other roles Carter placed on him as he was consistently all over the field rushing opposing quarterbacks, catching touchdown passes as a receiver, chasing down kick returners on special teams and even hik-ing the ball to the punter.
“I knew he would be able to dominate on defense, but he exceeded everyone’s expecta-tions of him,” Carter said. “He does so much and is a very versatile player.”
The sophomore finished the year leading the team in tackles (63), interceptions (three), sacks (12) and fumble recoveries (two). His sack total and tackles for losses (25) led the Bay Valley Conference.
“He was our best defensive lineman but he still worked hard like the rest of the team,” freshman defensive lineman Floyd Pellom said. “He always set a good example for us.”
Through his hard work Aumua was named Bay Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and the BVC First Defensive Team.
Despite all his success on the field, Aumua’s biggest reward came in the form a full ride athletic scholarship to Washington State University.
“Before this year I never had a Division I school come to any of my practices,” Aumua said. “When Carter came to CCC he made football a reality to me.”
Aumua was described by teammates as an inspiration and a humble person.
“He was the most laid back captain, but he always came through when we needed him, whether it be catching a touchdown pass or hiking the ball,” freshman kicker Jose Munguia said. “He wasn’t the type to put us freshman players through first-year hazing like most sophomores would.”
Other players agreed.“He was older than most of us but he never
caused a scene when the team got out of line,” freshman defensive back Alonzo Cudjo said. “He was a cool teammate to have.”
While Aumua has his hopes set on reach-ing the NFL some day, he said the greatest accomplishment he achieved at CCC was his maturity as a player and person.
“(Niko) is a great kid. He bought into my program and followed the script,” Carter said. “If he stays on course, things will work out for him.”
By Rodney WoodsonSTAFF WRITER
The women’s basketball team’s pre-sea-son schedule was rough during 2010-11. The squad struggled and only managed to win four out of 14 games, including a 56-point beat down at the hands of highly-rated Fullerton College.
However, Contra Costa College turned things around at the start of conference play and finished with a Bay Valley Conference record of 9-3, good enough for second place in the conference, just one game out of first and a 13-14 overall record.
The turnabout was due in large part to the improved quality of play from 20-year-old freshman guard, and The Advocate’s 2010-11 Female Athlete of the Year, Jamie Capoot.
“When I heard that I was the Female Athlete of the Year I was surprised,” Capoot said. “There are great athletes here at CCC. It feels good to be recognized. I feel honored.”
Her hard work during practice paid dividends in games as she led the team in points and assists, as well as being second on the team in rebounds and steals. She was named to the All-BVC First Team.
“She is a fascinating player,” Comet forward Monay Ray said. “She works hard in practice and plays hard in games constantly. She makes the team want to play hard and just watching her encour-ages me to bring my “A” game and compete.”
Comet forward Allessandra Jefferson said, “I really look up to her skills and game-play.” She also said that she has known Capoot for three years and that she is a very determined, hard working person who never gives up.
Capoot’s play is not only held in high opin-ion by teammates but by her coach as well.
CCC women’s basketball coach Paul DeBolt said, “She was our glue. She held us together at both ends of the court. She han-dled the opponents’ pressure, ran our offense and did a great job defensively.”
On the court, the 5-foot-10-inch guard is well respected for her determination and skills, in and off the court she is adored by her peers for her enjoyable personality.
“She is a ‘ride-or-die’ teammate and friend,” Ray said as she laughed about her comment. “She is a very funny and reason-able person. I enjoy being around her. She’s a cool friend.”
Jefferson said, “She’s goofy and fun to be around. She is the type of person who makes you want to be around her because she will
Freshman helps spirit, encourages teammates
keep a smile on your face. That’s why I keep her in my circle.”
After a loss to Laney College in the first game of conference play, the Comets ran off four straight wins. But after breaking her nose in a 66-64 overtime loss at Los Medanos College, Capoot had to sit out the next game and watch her team lose by 20 points to Solano Community College.
“It really was tough not being able to get out there and play when I was hurt,” she said. The hardest part about being sidelined and reduced to cheerleading was watching her team lose.
“We win as a team and we lose as a team,” she said.
Jefferson said, “Without her we weren’t where we needed to be as a team. Once a team builds together it’s hard to play well when someone is missing and she is one of our best players.”
DeBolt said, ”When she was hurt we were a different team. She was a good, all around, solid player and a good worker. We lost both games with her out of the lineup.”
Capoot was the starting point guard and when she went down, the squad had trouble advancing the ball up the court. With her gone CCC particularly struggled against a full-
court-press defense and turned the ball over often.
Capoot said she is more comfortable playing shoot-ing guard or small forward, but the point guard position is nothing new to her.
At Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville she was a varsity level starter at point guard for four years.
She was the Monticello Empire League MVP in her sophomore year and she also earned All-League honors throughout high school.
Playing point guard at the junior college level was
a bit difficult for her in the beginning, but she said she became more comfortable with it as the season progressed.
Basketball has been a part of Capoot’s life since she was a young girl.
“I’ve been playing basketball since I was about 9 years old when I played for the Vacaville Vengeance,” Capoot said.
The Vacaville Vengeance is a girl’s bas-ketball program that operates out of Solano County.
Capoot said, “I’ve grown up with basket-ball, I love the intensity involved with it and I love the pace of the game.”
Capoot said before coming to CCC she went to Solano Community College for one year where she didn’t play basketball for the first time since she was a child.
“I felt like a different person when I didn’t play basketball. It took a mental and physical toll on me. Not playing made me realize how much love I have for the game.”
In regards to her future, Capoot said she plans on transferring to a four-year college as long as she is close to her family and attend-ing a good college. As for basketball, Capoot said she will play for as long as she can.
“(Capoot) works hard in practice and plays hard in games con-
stantly. She makes the team want to play hard and just watching her
encourages me to bring my ‘A’ game and com-
pete.”
Monay Ray,women’s basketball team forward
MEN’S SOCCER
#11
Kenneth HenryForward
The freshman striker was able to establish himself as an important member of the men’s soccer team in 2010.
Henry improved his game after coach Nikki Ferguson took over the team with the leave of absence by coach Rudy Zeller. Henry displayed his solid dribbling skills and quickness to slash through the field to connect on goals.
FOOTBALL
#16
Jeffery AndersonQuarterback
The freshman quarterback was a sparkplug for the football team as he was named to the BVC’s Offensive First Team.
Anderson led the Comet offense throwing for 18 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards for the year. Anderson hopes he can continue his contributions to help take his team to a bowl game next season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
#24
Bobby WardGuard
Ward finished first on the team in scoring and managed to record two 30-point games. His best performance of the season was the season finale against College of Marin in the Gymnasium.
The sophomore guard scored a season high 32 points and his clutch 3-point shooting helped to seal the Marin win in double overtime.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
#00
Monay RayForward
Ray managed to hold her own for the wom-en’s basketball team as she led the Comets and the BVC in rebounds (11.4) per game.
The sophomore forward, who transferred from Ohlone College, finished fourth on the team in scoring (10.8 per game). Ray provided veteran leadership to her young teammates and was named First Team All-BVC.
BASEBALL
#19
Chris LovejoyPitcher
The freshman pitcher showed his durability during the season pitching a total of 98 innings, second most in the Bay Valley Conference.
While Lovejoy was inconsistent in some games as evidenced by his 6-6 record and 3.77 ERA (earned run average), he managed to make First Team All-BVC.
PAGE DESIGN BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
Profile
Capoot scored a season high 22 points in two games this season. Her most impressive game statistically was against Mendocino College when she dominated on both ends of the floor totaling 22 points, 11 assists, 16 rebounds (14 defensive) and four steals.
This was one of the two triple-double games she had this season, both of them against Mendocino. In the other triple-double game she finished with 12 points, 11 assists, four steals and a season-high of 21 rebounds.
She was named to the All-BVC First Team.
Profile
The 2010 Bay Valley Conference Defensive MVP showed his versatility this season and helped renew the football program into a threat in the BVC.
Aumua led the Comets in sacks with 12, tied for first on the team with one defensive touchdown, was fourth on the squad with three interceptions and he also led the team with 25 tackles for loss.
Aumua had three fumble recoveries, five passes defensed, caught three offensive touch-downs and earned All-BVC First Team honors.
“I knew (Aumua)
would be able to dominate on
defense, but he exceeded everyone’s
expectations of him.”
Alonzo Carter,football coach
Height: 6 feet 6 inches Position: Defensive lineman Year: Sophomore High School: Alameda High School Home Town: San Jose
Height: 5 feet 10 inches Position: Guard Year: Freshman High School: Will C. Wood High School Home Town: Vacaville
THE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2010C8 SPORTS
South Africa, being the weakest team in the group, will try to use the advantage of being the home team to lead it through the Cup. While Mexico and Uruguay look to be equally matched, a game between them will define who will go on to the next round. France will face some challenges against the other teams but will likely advance.
By Dariush AzmoudehSPORTS EDITOR
With time narrowing down, soon the eyes of the world will be set on South Africa as 32 teams fight for the FIFA World Cup, as well as global bragging rights for the next four years.
The World Cup is not merely a soccer tournament, however.
It is a global spectacle that unites fans of all nations to cheer for their country, turning the players in the tournaments into national icons.
And if those players triumph in their quest for the Cup, they will become heroes or even legends in their country.
Countries bloom with the colors of their nations, as fans wear whatever they can to show their patriotism as the tournament draws closer.
Sometimes, the streets are drowned with colors of the flag.
Certain countries even largely cease work on game days, just so their people can get to a television to cheer for their team.
The 2010 World Cup will kick off on June 11 at 7 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, when host country South Africa plays against Mexico in Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
Four years ago, the world saw the tourna-ment hosted by Germany, where the home team was one of the favorites to win but fell in the semi-finals to Italy. Italy eventu-ally won the Cup against France in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
This left the Italian team celebrating in the middle of the field as confetti rained down, with captain Fabio Cannavaro clutch-ing the world’s most prestigious trophy in his hands, not only for his team, but also for his country.
The game was one to remember for not only being a nailbiter that went down to pen-alty kicks, but for one of the most shocking moments in sports history as well.
French attacking midfielder Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest, which escalated when Materazzi insulted Zidane. The action sent off Zidane on a red card during extra time, and it proved costly, as France was left without its captain for the remainder of the defeat.
From Germany to South Africa, this World Cup will mark the first time that the tournament is being played in Africa.
It was only eight years ago in 2002, that the World Cup was held in the con-tinent of Asia for the first time, with Japan and South Korea taking the honor of co-host-ing the cup.
The World Cup dates back to 1930, when the first tour-nament was held in Uruguay, where only 13 teams participated, and the tournament was won by the host country.
Since then, the World Cup has been held every four years, except for the 1942 and 1946 editions of the tourna-ment, which were not held due to World War II.
A total of 18 World Cup tournaments have been played, with the only team to partici-pate in every one of them being Brazil.
Brazil’s history at the World Cup has been a glorious one that exemplifies the country’s pride in the sport.
In addition to participat-ing in every World Cup held, the country holds the record for most championships, five, and holds many other World Cup records.
Brazil was also the first to win three champion-ships and thus awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy for being the first team to accomplish such a task.
While Brazil has always been known for its strong offense as well as legend-ary goalscorers such as Ronaldo, Romario
and Pelé, this year Brazil’s greatest strength is its defense.
With Internazionale’s duo of goalkeeper Julio Cesar,
defender Lucio, and Roma’s defender Juan
playing in the back field, its defense has proven to be tough during the quali-fiers, as it allowed only 11 goals in 18 games.
Spain is anoth-er team to watch
out for.After winning the
UEFA EURO 2008, the Spaniards rose to No. 1 in the FIFA
ranking for 17 out of the 22 months since
then.In addition, the team
swept through qualifi-cation without losing one game.
Spain’s offense is led by David Villa and Fernando Torres, two forwards who know how to get the ball to the back of the net.
With Brazil and Spain being some of the favorites
to win the World Cup, one team that cannot be excluded is the defending champion Italy.
One of the key returning players to the Italian team is goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
In 2006, he only allowed only two goals in the entire
tournament.But one question
remains: Is Italy the same team it was in 2006?
The road to the World Cup has not been easy for many
teams, players and coaches, as many saw
their dreams shatter.More than 200 teams fought for a spot to
get into the World Cup, with qualifications beginning as early as August 2007.
To get to the World Cup, teams need to put their best 11 on the field during qualifi-cation or it could cost them.
Being on the same team, players must work as a team while still competing with their teammates for the chance to be in the final 23-man roster that travels to the World Cup.
While playing a qualifying match, a team must play as perfectly as it can, because one mistake can be costly. The closer a team gets to qualifying, the tougher it is.
Ireland, for instance, probably had one of the hardest defeats to France during a two-leg playoff for a spot to the World Cup.
In the second game, Ireland was able to net the goal to tie the series and send it into extra time.
During extra time, however, French strik-er Theirry Henry prevented a ball from going out of bounds by using his hand.
He crossed the ball to William Gallas, who headed the ball into the goal, which eventually gave France the win and spot in the World Cup.
Right after the goal, the Irish team ran up to the referee to signal him about the hand-ball, which he did not see.
After the game, Henry admitted that he used his hand to handle the ball.
Ireland filed a complaint to FIFA, asking to replay the match and then asking to be allowed to the Cup as the 33rd team, but it was denied both times.
Similarly, many dreams to compete in the World Cup have been shattered due to injuries.
Players such as England’s David Beckham and the United States’ Charlie Davies unfor-tunately will be sidelined from the tourna-ment.
The World Cup always brings emotion, excitement and passion to players and fans.
But it also brings surprises, where under-dogs rise up and surprise millions around the globe, as seen by Turkey and South Korea in 2002.
In the end, no matter who wins, it will surely be a month to remember for fans all over the world.
Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at [email protected].
Athletes and teams to watch during the tournament
FIFA World Cup: South Africa 2010
Playing in his first World Cup, Luis Fabiano is Brazil’s go-to guy when a goal is needed. As well as a great goalscorer, he has proven to be clutch when needed. Since being called up to the national team by coach Dunga, he scored 19 goals in 21 games.
The Argentine striker has been shown to be a powerful force while playing for his club team, Barcelona. He not only leads his team, but also the entire Spanish league, in goals scored with 34. He is the current FIFA World Player of the Year.
Leading the English attack, Rooney is prepared to tackle the 2010 World Cup following a poor performance in 2006. He played on an injured foot and went score-less in the tournament. He led England during qualification with nine goals in 10 games.
The Liverpool striker looks to compete with Spanish teammate David Villa to lead the team in scoring. Torres had knee surgery in April and has missed the rest of the English Premier League, but he looks to bounce back and fight for the scoring title.
Predictions— 1st: France 2nd: Uruguay
Despite a fairly balanced group, Argentina is the team that sticks out as the strongest. With Messi and Tevez on offense, other teams will find it hard to keep Argentina from the goal. Nigeria, South Korea and Greece will battle with one another to get the second spot. South Korea’s experience might be enough to give the edge it needs to get to the next round.Predictions — 1st: Argentina 2nd: South Korea
Despite England missing David Beckham on its ros-ter due to injury, it still has the fire power to not only get past the first round but to continue strongly. The United States will look to work on the momentum it gained in last summer’s Confederations Cup and a talented roster to take it into the competition’s sec-ond round. Predictions — 1st: England 2nd: United States
Ever since the last World Cup, Australia has shown that it’s a country that is about more than rugby. The team is playing in its second straight World Cup and has shown improvement since 2006. While Germany currently faces problems with inexperienced goal-keeping, its overall experience on the field can pro-vide the power it needs in the tournament.Predictions — 1st: Germany 2nd: Australia
Passing through all its qualifying matches without losing a game, the Netherlands is poised to lead the group. Second place in the group looks to be a toss-up between the three other teams. On one end, Cameroon’s offense, led by Samuel Eto’o, might have what it takes to continue. But Japan and Denmark’s tactics should not be underestimated.Predictions — 1st: Netherlands 2nd: Cameroon
Defending champion Italy looks toward its defend-ing and goalkeeping to shut down its opponents’ offense, but it might have a challenge when it faces Paraguay’s attacking power. Slovakia could prove to be a threat on offense as well. While New Zealand looks like a small team, it could be the surprise team in this World Cup.Predictions — 1st: Italy 2nd: Paraguay
This collective is known as this World Cup’s “Group of Death” with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal. The underdog North Korea looks like it will make an early exit, while Brazil will be the team to qualify in first. Ivory Coast and Portugal will battle for the second spot in the group, beginning in the decisive opening match when the two teams play each other.Predictions — 1st: Brazil 2nd: Portugal
One of the favorites to win the tournament, Spain is set to breeze through the first round without much challenge. The other teams, however, will continue to put up a fight for the second spot. Honduras will not have enough fire power to get through, so it will end up being between Chile and Switzerland. And the Swiss defense will likely get it past Chile.Predictions — 1st: Spain 2nd: Switzerland
PAGE DESIGN BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
By Malcolm LastraSPORTS EDITOR
With a new coach, a strong recruiting class and a newfound hunger to win, the Contra Costa College football team looks eager to change its reputation and improve on last season’s 1-9 record.
Alonzo Carter enters his first season as coach with hopes of changing the reputa-tion of the football program and moving his players on to four-year colleges.
“My biggest goal is for 95 percent of my sophomores to graduate this (upcom-ing) spring,” Carter said. “I’m trying to move these kids to four-year schools, and if I can mesh the winning with that it would be good.”
The former McClymonds and Berkeley high school coach took over the Comets coaching position in January, replacing interim coach David Johnson.
When first coming to CCC, Carter said he wanted to reshape, rejuvenate and put life back into a football program that has not claimed first place in the Bay Valley Conference for 10 years.
“I want to shake off last season’s skel-etons and try to move this team forward,” Carter said. “I’m selling these kids a new Comet football era and I’m challenging them to create a new history.”
History is something that the Comets want to move on from after suffering a gloomy 2009 season when they managed only one win.
CCC was blown out in nearly every game last year as it struggled to establish any offensive control, forcing the defense to stay on the field for the majority of the games.
“Last year wasn’t the best of times,” sophomore linebacker Josh Richardson said. “Obviously we had a bad record but (we didn’t play as) a team. Everybody played as individuals.”
Chemistry and discipline also played huge factors in CCC’s one-win season last year as many players seemed apathetic toward their responsibilities, as was wit-nessed by players giving up during several games when trailing by a large margin.
“I knew it would be a tough challenge to come here to change the team,” Carter said. “One of the advantages I have is that I was going to school here while last
season’s football team would be practicing so I got to see the team’s work ethic and practice preparation before I actually got the job.”
Carter hit the offseason well by reeling in several freshmen recruits and bringing back many sophomore players to help deliver a winning spirit to the squad.
“I have three players who played on the 0-10 team (in 2008) who want to come out and win,” Carter said. “All the sophomores have accepted the challenge I offered them in changing this program and have embraced the freshman well.”
Players see the change that Carter has brought to the Comets as they are excited on what the season holds for them.
“Coach McDermott and coach Johnson did not demand perfection from us and gave us (little) discipline. Everything was chaotic,” sophomore linebacker Noah Coogler (who played in the 0-10 season in 2008) said. “With coach Carter, he actu-ally demands perfection and discipline from us and he also is strict on us during practice.”
“He definitely changed the work ethic of this team,” freshman defensive back Alonzo Cudjo said. “We have to play hard and stay hungry if we want to win.”
The Comets responded well to Carter’s demands as they won their first game of the season 32-18 against Monterey Peninsula College on Sept. 11.
Many players on the young squad said that their main goal is to win the BVC championship and make it to a bowl game.
“If we can compete at a high level, we can play more than 10 games this year,” freshman quarterback Jeffery Anderson said. “I feel that once we are at our apex we will be unstoppable.”
Despite losing Friday’s game against Diablo Valley College 27-20, the Comets continue to have their heads held high and look to improve during the course of the season.
“Anything can happen in a season so you have to be prepared for any chal-lenge,” Carter said. “Every team wants to be undefeated but I just want to win the conference and be in the hunt for a bowl game.”
Contact Malcolm Lastra at [email protected].
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE 7
Last season by the numbers
Overall record1-9
Conference record0-4
Conference finishfifth
Schedule
Sept. 11 vs. Monterey Peninsula32-18 W
Sept. 17 at Diablo Valley27-20 L
Saturday vs. Los Medanos1 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Mendocino1 p.m.
Oct. 9 vs. Gavilan1 p.m.
Oct. 16 vs. Redwoods1 p.m.
Oct. 23 at American River1 p.m.
Oct. 30 vs. Solano1 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Shasta5 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Yuba1 p.m.
CCC looks forward to new beginnings
Green
First-year running back brings tough-ness and power to the Comets’ running game.
Key players
Coogler
Coogler brings solid tackling and ball hawking skills to the Comets as a first-year defensive back.
Anderson
Freshman quarter-back displays lead-ership and throwing power as he begins his CCC career.
Aum
ua
The sophomore for-mer receiver brings size and speed to his new position at defensive end.
Coach Carter hopes to erase squad’s ugly past, program expecting positive change
Football Preview | 2010
Roster1 Najee Lovett wide receiver freshman2 Jordan Morrow wide receiver freshman3 Demarion Keyes quarterback sophomore4 Cameron Fuller defensive back sophomore5 Kenneth Green wide receiver sophomore6 Cloridion Kennedy defensive back freshman7 Devin Brown defensive back freshman8 Keenan Coogler defensive back freshman9 Isaac Goins wide receiver freshman10 Anthony Harrold-Taylor defensive back freshman11 Noah Coogler linebacker sophomore12 Kyle Tobler kicker/quarterback freshman13 Kevin Aguirre wide receiver freshman14 Anthony Beaver defensive back freshman 15 James Zeigler defensive back sophomore16 Jeffery Anderson quarterback freshman 17 Antoine Williams wide receiver freshman 18 Niko Aumua defensive end sophomore19 Quntarius Moultrie defensive back freshman 20 Jovontae Johnson defensive back freshman 21 Arthur Boado linebacker freshman 22 William Hartfield- Peoples running back sophomore23 Keon Burden fullback sophomore 24 Sherard Allen running back sophomore 25 Carl Yates running back freshman 26 Leroy Green running back freshman 27 Phillip Henderson defensive back freshman 28 Keith Bryant running back sophomore29 Adrian Pyles defensive back freshman 30 Jamier Malone linebacker freshman31 Tate Mustin running back freshman33 Anthony Arguello linebacker freshman34 James Hines running back freshman 35 Ori Onn kicker/punter freshman 38 Alonzo Cudjo defensive back freshman 40 Javarri Fifer defensive back freshman 41 Donald Hogan linebacker sophomore 42 Emmanuel Reed running back sophomore44 Reggie Glover tight end freshman45 Stephon Cox-Gilmore linebacker sophomore46 Jonathan Shipley linebacker freshman47 Marcelo Magdaleno-Medina linebacker sophomore 50 Hudari Murray Jr. offensive line freshman51 Adewale Kehinde linebacker sophomore52 Antoine Perkins defensive line freshman 53 Mark Alvarado offensive line freshman54 Marcus McClarty offensive line freshman55 Jerry Smith defensive end freshman 56 Floyd Pellom defensive line freshman58 Husani Burton linebacker freshman59 Lloyd Pellom offensive line freshman61 Edgar Vega offensive line sophomore 62 Juan Hernandez offensive line sophomore 69 Justin Morrow defensive line sophomore79 DeAndre Ward offensive line freshman80 Kevin Hal tight end freshman81 Michael Glover wide receiver freshman82 Tyler Thomas wide receiver freshman83 Jose Munguia kicker freshman85 Jeffery Deavers tight end freshman86 Octavius Jackson linebacker freshman88 Kenyon Walden offensive line freshman90 Michael Montgomery defensive line sophomore91 Alexander Hamilton defensive end freshman93 Carlos Garcia-Navarrete defensive line freshman94 Chukwueb Denchukwu defensive line sophomore 95 Jamaal White defensive line sophomore98 Kameuren Spencer defensive line freshman99 Cardelleous Snell defensive line freshman
Coach Alonzo Carter enters his first year as coach of the Comets with hopes of chang-
ing the program’s los-ing reputation. Carter
brings a winning men-tality to CCC and he
led the Comets to their first win in their season
opener.
Carter
Coach’s profile
Assistant coachesGeorge Pye Damon Nails Vince BordelonKeith Higgins Charles Smith Anthony Jackson Ondine Kilker Alfonzo Tucker Scott Glicsberg Marcus Webb Jason Walton Courtney Anderson
Next film to finish, thrill
THE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010B8 SCENE
By Cassidy GoodingOPINION EDITOR
In the penultimate release of the staggering Harry Potter saga, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” longtime fans of the series are taken on an intense journey through parts of the magical world never glimpsed before. Harry, Ron and Hermione, after facing Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters in a series of close calls, take off into the countryside and forsake the comforts of Hogwarts.
Released Nov. 19, the seventh installation of the saga has already brought in more than $300 mil-lion worldwide, cementing Harry Potter as one of the most lucrative franchises in history.
Newcomers deciding to jump on the bandwagon at this last minute by flock-ing to theaters without any prior knowledge have been somewhat lost in the fray of the new battle
raging in the magical world, as director David Yates dives right into the plot without stopping to baby the audience by reiterat-ing anything from past movies. Therefore, one should definitely take the opportunity to catch up with a Harry Potter movie mara-thon before making the trek and shelling out the cash for a ticket.
For the avid movie fans who are strictly cinema-goers and have not read the books, “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” picks up right
where “The Half-Blood Prince” left off. The first scene opens with a message from the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, setting per-fectly the dark mood that has crept over the wizard-ing world since Professor Dumbledore’s death and Voldemort’s subsequent rise to power.
Similar to the last two movies — “HBP” and “The Order of the Phoenix” — the coloring of the scenes is muted and the overall feel is generally
ominous. As for diehard fans of both
the books and movies, “Part 1” plays like a dream. A well crafted, almost totally true-to-the-book dream that makes two and a half hours fly by like a thestral.
From the very beginning, how-ever, those who know the story in and out will either squirm uncom-fortably or chuckle derisively as Harry is introduced to characters he should have known for years, such as Mundungus Fletcher, Bill Weasley and Xenophilius Lovegood. Other than these and scattered minor discrepancies, the story unfolds exactly as author J. K. Rowling painted it on paper.
After the first half hour, when Harry, Ron and Hermione escape from danger and begin their search for the items called horcruxes by camping out in
random locations throughout Europe, the movie becomes an intimate setting for just the audi-ence and the trio.
Extra characters are scant and unimportant, lending watchers much more isolated character development that’s only ever been glanced at in the films before. The constant fear, ebbing hope and mounting overwhelmed mania between the friends are palpable and contagious as each step for-ward seems just to unravel more puzzles to solve.
For example, hearts go out to Harry’s stirring experience at his parent’s grave site in Godric’s Hollow, and the following scene with Bathilda Bagshot is so haunt-ingly chilling the only thing that would have made it better would have been 3-D effects.
With the explosion of 3-D movies recently, coupled with the fact that the last 20 minutes of “OOTP” and first 20 of “HBP” could be viewed in the special effect, it’s very surprising Warner Brothers didn’t spring for more of the same with this release.
One can only imagine how much more involved the audience would have been had it felt more like viewers were standing in the forests or the Malfoy Mansion or the Ministry of Magic.
As it is, however, “The Deathly Hallows: Part 1” has captivated a plethora of viewers. After nine years of watching, it has become increasingly easy to root for Harry, Ron and Hermione, and as fans await the end of an era, the trio has become so familiar and endearing that many feel as though they’re watching their own friends on screen.
“Part 1” ends at a sublime cliff-hanger that has left millions of people with no choice but to hold their breath until July, when “Part 2” is released.
Contact Cassidy Gooding at [email protected].
By Janit SaechaoSTAFF WRITER
After its first movie release in 2001, the Harry Potter series is finally coming to a close. With the release of “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” part two is soon to follow with its release date set for July 15, 2011.
While many say the part one of “The Deathly Hallows” is action packed, the second is expected to be even more exciting with the inclusion of the most epic battle in the saga’s history.
In the recent release, Harry, Hermione and Ron journey to destroy the objects called horcruxes in which Lord Voldemort has placed pieces of his soul. In the process, they learn about the three fabled tems, known as the deathly hallows, which promise their owner immortality.
Harry, since the sixth installation of the series, has made it his goal to destroy all of the horcruxes, and
in this first part of “The Deathly Hallows,” he only succeeds in eliminating one, making the current score three out of seven horcruxes down.
The last and final movie of the Harry Potter series would logically consist of Harry completing his unfin-ished business with the help of Ron and Hermione. They will search for and destroy what’s left of the remaining horcruxes and Harry will ultimately fight the battle he’s been waiting for his entire life against Voldemort.
After years of many casualties, mysteries and dan-gers, Harry will be able to overcome his fears and have the chance to defeat him. If successful, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, along with the whole wizarding world, shall finally know peace. Harry will be able to let go of his past and move onto a better future. After all, it was much deserved and every story should have a happy ending.
Contact Janit Saechao at [email protected].
Ravenclaw’s Diadem Before his death, Dumbledore con-fided to Harry that Voldemort must have found and hidden something of Ravenclaw’s inside of Hogwarts.
“Harry Potter
and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 1”
★★★★★Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma WatsonDirected by: David YatesGenre: Fantasy
moviereview
‘Hallows’ follows book, trio’s feats
Nagini the Snake Dumbledore presented the possibility that Nagini, Voldemort’s eerily intelligent and obedient pet snake, could be a host for one of the pieces of the Dark Lord’s soul.
Slytherin’s Locket The charmed lock-et once owned by Slytherin had to be stolen from Dolores Umbridge and worn by the trio for weeks before Ron finally defeated it with the sword of Gryffindor.
Hufflepuff’s Goblet Glimpsed in book 6, Voldemort murdered a col-lector of treasures for the valuable goblet and cre-ated a horcrux out of it as a show of his devo-tion to power and the founders of Hogwarts.
Tom Riddle’s Diary In “The Chamber of Secrets,” the enchanted diary possessed Ginny Weasley before Harry impaled and mangled it with a basilisk fang.
Slytherin’s Ring Dumbledore was seen wearing this ring before he was killed, and told Harry he had destroyed the soul inside. The ring’s whereabouts are now unknown.
The seven horcruxes
The Seventh Horcrux At the close of “Half-Blood Prince,” Harry is under the impression the final horcrux is something of Gryffindor’s. However, he has yet to find proof.
?PAGE DESIGN BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
Paul SmeltzerSPORTS WRITER
After competing in the first semifi-nal tournament in the program’s history last year, the women’s soccer team kicks off this season with a No. 4 ranking in the National Soccer Coaches Associa-tion preseason rankings.
Twelve players return this season from last year’s championship-con-tending team, including starter Shelby Dunlap and National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-Region pick Denni Jo Berger.
“Last season, we really exceeded everyone’s expectations coming out of such a tough conference,” Dunlap said. “It’s a pretty big deal to make the top four.”
The ’Cats went 13-6-6 last season and made their way to the Final Four, where they lost on penalty kicks to Michigan’s
Grand Valley State in one of the program’s best seasons.
The team accomplished its annual goal of winning the California Col-legiate Athletic Association North Division, women’s soccer coach Kim Sut-ton said.
“Our mission for this season remains consis-tent with the past: focus on each phase of the season – preseason, non-confer-ence, CCAA matches, CCAA tournament and then National Collegiate Athletic Association,” she said.
Every moment as a senior is bittersweet, Dunlap said, so she’s embracing every prac-tice and game to recreate the passion and cohesive team chemistry that brought the players to the Final Four.
Veterans won’t be the only ones playing large roles, however, as there are 16 incom-ing freshmen players. Teamwork will be required to set the bar as high as it was last season, Dunlap said.
“We are a young team, so there will be improvements to be made day-in and day-out throughout the season,” Berger said.
After redshirt-ing last season because of a knee injury, Berger is ecstatic to be on the fi eld again, she said. She felt fortunate to be able to travel to see her team play in the Final Four,
an experience that was the result of hard work, dedication and heart.
“This season I look forward to play-ing with my teammates, along with the journey we’ll endure to hopefully accomplish our ultimate goal, a national championship,” Berger said.
The ’Cats start the season at home against Western Washington at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at University Stadium.
“As a team, our focus is to just concen-trate on one game at a time,” Berger said.
Paul Smeltzer can be reached at
Jake MartinSTAFF WRITER
Getting a job right out of college can be difficult, but becoming a professional ath-lete is nearly unheard of. Former Chico State basket-ball guard Jay Flores managed to do both by playing for a pro-fessional basketball team in Mexico.
Following gradu-ation in May, fellow alumnus and Legacy Sports Group, Inc. founder and agent Rick Perez contacted Flores. Perez told him of the basketball league known as Liga Nacional de Balon-cesto Profesional, or the LNBP, and helped Flores schedule a try-out with the Soles de Mexicali, a team in the league.
There was initial concern about Flores’ roster spot, as a league rule limits each team
to three spots for non-Mexi-can citizens.
His parents, Jesse and Doris Flores, were born in Mexico, which gave Jay Flores dual citizenship and a better shot with the Soles.
Flores was able to join the Soles for the com-ing season and started two pre-season games as point guard earlier this month.
The transition to Mexico has been less of a struggle than he had origi-nally expected, Jay Flores said.
“I think the hard-est thing for me has actually been Span-ish,” Flores said.
“Speaking it for me is still a work in progress. It’s actu-ally been an easy transition, because many people speak English so I just work hard and play basketball.”
The alumnus feels at home
with the large number of Americans staying in Mex-ico, including some former California Collegiate Ath-letic Association athletes that Flores played against at Chico State.
“That’s how surprisingly familiar it’s been,” he said.
A support system of friends who have stayed in touch has helped Flores, and vis-its from his parents keep him grounded.
When Damario Sims, Flores’ former teammate and current Wildcat guard, heard his friend had an opportu-nity to play professionally, he simply told him to enjoy the experience and that he deserved it.
“What makes him great is his focus, work ethic with no complaints and the fact that he just loves basketball,” Sims said. “That’s what makes him a good player now; that’s what will make him a good coach later on.”
Flores speaks fondly of his
former Wildcat coach, Greg Clink, who also made an impact on Flores’ success.
“He’s a stud — he’s been so active and eager to help me any way he can,” Flores said of Clink. “He’s eas-ily been one of my biggest supporters.”
Flores understands that it’s rare to get an opportunity to play professional sports anywhere, so he feels fortu-nate, he said.
“I know it doesn’t last for-ever, but I’d like to stay close to the game and my ultimate goal is eventually to become a coach,” Flores said. “For now I’m just going to play hard, enjoy myself and see where it takes me.”
The Soles’ season begins on Sept. 4, and games can be watched on LNBT.com. Those interested can keep up with Flores’ experiences at flo-flo10.blogspot.mx.
Jake Martin can be reached at
sports all week at theorion.com
SPORTSChico State’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1975
WILDCAT OF THE WEEK B2
STAT ’CAT B2
GAME SCHEDULE B2
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29, 2012
Men’s soccerhopes to keep winning ways
Women move forward after historic season
Isaac BrambilaSTAFF WRITER
The clock was ticking with fewer than five minutes to go as worried faces slowly faded into resignation when forward Tyson Crim jumped up and headed the ball past the keeper to steal the massive crowd’s collective breath.
The story didn’t end there, as within two minutes, midfielder Zach Bradford drove a powerful shot from long range into the bot-tom right corner and brought the crowd into complete ecstasy, giving the Wildcats their first appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s soccer quarterfi-nals since 2003.
This was in November 2010, and although the ’Cats went on to lose in the quarterfi-nals, that season began to shape the successful future of the men’s soccer team.
With a solid base of returning players, including current senior Crim, the ’Cats continue to work on a project that began to come together in 2010.
With two consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association North Division titles under their belt, the players have hopes of reliving days like that glory-filled November Sunday. Added is the CCAA coaches’ selec-tion of the team as the favorite to win the title once again and the National Soccer Coaches Association’s ranking of the ’Cats as 23rd in the nation.
Even with the attention of other teams, coach Felipe Restrepo does not believe there will be added pressure on the players, he said.
“I think it’s more of a compliment to the work we have been doing,” Restrepo said.
Crim thinks the older players are leading the team well, he said.
“We have good chemistry, we have a lot of returning guys, now we just have to get the freshmen used to the system, the way we play,” Crim said.
The problem for the Wildcats this season, however, may rest with their offense. The team lost two of its three top scorers from last year to graduation. Ferid Celosmanovic and Chris Akwaja combined for 16 of the team’s 34 goals last season.
Some of the goal-scoring responsibility may now fall on the third top scorer from last season, sophomore Octavio Guzman.
“I feel like I need to step up, do my job,” Guzman said, “but we have a lot of good play-ers, too.”
Adjustments have to be made for this sea-son, Restrepo said, but it is also a part of the progression and maturity that the team is hoping to reach in Restrepo’s fifth season as head coach.
“I like to play to my team’s strengths,” he said. “That’s what’s beautiful about soccer, there’s so many different ways to play.”
The new strategy, as the ’Cats have dis-played in scrimmages and preseason games, may rely on a stronger hustle on the ball in the midfield and more ball possession.
Crim and Micah Miranda are two seniors that may help fill the voids left by Akwaja and Celosmanovic.
Two underclassmen, Adam Black and Cody Levar, showed promise last season and may have a chance to make an impact on the field this season. Black scored two goals in his first year as a Wildcat in 12 games.
Attack in greater numbers may also be part of the new style of play, as opposed to the long balls and lone striker strategies that Restrepo implemented when Akwaja and Celosmanovic were around.
Despite the adjustments and loss of vet-eran players, the team is displaying better ball-handling with more skillful footwork in traffic, quicker passes and improved game awareness than in previous years.
The Wildcats are scheduled to open their season against Western Washington at 7 p.m. Thursday at University Stadium. The CCAA opener squares them off Sept. 7 with Cal State L.A., a great rematch after the Golden Eagles knocked the ’Cats out of both the CCAA and NCAA playoffs in the 2011 season.
“They’ve got a couple ones on us that I’d like to get them back for,” Crim said. “It’s going to be a hard-fought game, we just have to grind it out.”
Isaac Brambila can be reached at
’Cats shift strategy to fi t new team’s strengths
Team gears up for season with 16 new players, 12 veterans
JAY FLORESThe former ’Cat had the third most assists in Chico State history.
Grad finds opportunity to play basketball in Latin league
“I feel like I need to step up, do my job, but we have a lot of good
players, too.”
OCTAVIO GUZMAN
sophomore forward
“We are a young team, so there will be improvements to be made
day-in and day-out throughout the season.”
DENNI JO BERGER
women’s soccer midfi elder
THE ORION •PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DARIUSH DIAS AZMOUDEH AND KEVIN LEE
KICKOFF Sophomore forward Octavio Guzman, left, senior forward Shelby Dunlap, right, and their respective Wildcat soccer teams are aim-ing to build off the success of last year’s teams as the 2012 season begins. Both teams play this Thursday against Western Washington.
sports all week at theorion.com
SPORTSChico State’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1975
WILDCAT OF THE WEEK B2
STAT ’CAT B2
UPCOMING GAMES B2
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2012
Isaac BrambilaSTAFF WRITER
Strength, speed and skill can take a player far, but a powerful mind can often trump all of that. Concentration can change everything.
The belief that one can perform a certain task can be more valuable than just self-confi dence for athletes, said Joel Minden, a professor of psychology and a certifi ed strength and conditioning specialist.
The belief in ability is diff erent in every athlete and some have more than others, but it can potentially diff er-entiate great athletes from the rest. The unseen game: trash talk and provocation
Pushing, kicking, throwing elbows and a little trash talk in between are all parts of the game that sometimes go unnoticed — the psychological game.
Trash talking and other provocations can be very pow-erful, Minden said. These things can distract players, intimidate them and stop them from focusing on the task at hand, decreasing their self effi cacy, or their belief in their ability.
Senior basketball guard Damario Sims knows this strategy well, he said. Through studying an opponent’s weaknesses and verbally attacking them, he gains belief in his own ability while also distracting the opposing player.
Words can be used as weapons.“You ain’t gonna shoot the three. You ain’t got that
shot. You can’t make it, and I’ve seen your numbers.”
These are some of the things Sims says to distract opposing players.
Sims remembers a game when his teammate, senior Jake Lovisolo, won a psychological match with Cal State Stanislaus’ best player, he said.
“Jake was just in his head talking trash the entire time,” Sims said. “I don’t think he had two points that game. He was entirely out of the game.”
It’s important for athletes to stay on top of the psycho-
logical game in order to be successful.Luis Martinez, a junior soccer midfi elder and forward,
stands at 5 feet 5 inches tall and is usually a target for fouls, he said.
“It’s a little frustrating,” Martinez said. “I just give them a stare that lets them know, ‘I’m gonna get you back.’”
If the player follows his or her usual routine it’s not usually a problem, but trash talk can sometimes be a dis-traction, Minden said.
Motivation: home games and momentum shiftsThere are a lot of variables that can shape the course of
a game. The crowd and diff erent circumstances during a game can shift an athlete’s emotional state.
While the adrenaline caused by a supportive crowd or a come-from-behind goal can increase an athlete’s self effi cacy and enhance his or her performance, balancing that adrenaline with a high level of concentration is cru-cial, Minden said.
Martinez remembers a championship soccer game in high school in which his team was losing 2-1 before Mar-tinez tallied two goals to win the championship. The 5-foot-5-inch attacker jumped higher than every other player and scored the ball from a corner kick to give his team the victory.
“I just felt something in me, something in my legs that made me get that high,” Martinez said.
While some adrenaline may be benefi cial, too much can be harmful to an athlete’s performance, Minden said.
“Players can get so pumped that all they think about is, ‘I have to win,’ and they stop thinking about how to play the game,” Minden said.
The best things to focus on are individual parts of the game, he said. Players should forget about the score.
Sims identifi es with that strategy. “My thing is same routine every time: Catch it, set my
feet, shoot and follow through,” he said.
Isaac Brambila can be reached at
Getting to opponents’ mentally vital in sports
“I just give them a stare that lets them know, ‘I’m gonna get you back.’”
LUIS MARTINEZ
men’s soccer player
Born: Aug. 5, 1989Height: 6 feetWeight: 175 poundsSport: BasketballPosition: GuardSecret weapon: Speed and dribble penetration moves
eorion.com ChCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ico State’s Indepe
The Scrapper
THE TRASH TALKERDamario Sims
Born: Feb. 9, 1990Height: 5 feet 5 inches
Weight: 135 poundsSport: Soccer
Position: Midfi elder/forwardSecret weapon: Shielding the ball and
keeping possession
Luis Martinez
SPORTS SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY
TWITTERFor live game updates, follow The Orion’s sports Twitter@theorion_sports
There is a psychological aspect that comes with playing competitive sports, and athletes have to concentrate in order to stay on top.
THE BREAKDOWN OF A PITCHThe Fastball
The Curveball
The Knuckleball
-Arm reaches full extension on throw-Spins from rolling off the fi ngertips-Four-seam pitch used for velocity, two-seam for movement
-Break on a curve typically drops from 12 to six o’clock-Forward spin is put on the ball from the grip to create necessary movement
-Grip: knuckles arched about an inch above the ball, lacks spin-“The movement of a knuckleball is impossible to predict,” Wildcat pitcher Troy Neiman said.
Paul SmeltzerSPORTS WRITER
From a physicist’s point of view, pitching for the major leagues boils down to two determining
forces: the force of gravity and the force air has on the ball.
As the ball is launched toward the batter, the way the seams interact with the air is integral to what type of pitch is thrown, phys-ics professor David Kagan said.
“The pitcher can’t do anything about the force of gravity, but the pitcher can change the force that the air exerts by changing the spin on the ball,” Kagan said.
The grip on the ball is also a medium that manipulates the spin before a pitch is released.
There isn’t just one set grip to each type of pitch, Wildcat pitcher Troy Neiman said.
“Amongst the 12 diff erent pitch-ers at Chico State, most of the pitches that each of us throw are held with a unique grip,” he said.
When a pitcher wants grip, he or she will sometimes put their
fi ngers on the seams. When a pitcher wants movement, he or she usually won’t place their fi n-gers on the seams.
“They’re just choosing a dif-ferent axis to spin the ball about, and it’s the spin of the ball that causes the air to exert forces on it,” Kagan said.
Paul Smeltzer can be reached at
“The pitcher can’t do anything about the
force of gravity, but the pitcher can change the force that the air exerts by changing the spin
on the ball.”DAVID KAGAN
physics professsor
SPORTS SCIENCE: PHYSICS
How the ball is gripped determines the kind of velocity and movement that can be put on any pitch thrown.
THE ORION •PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH AND ANNIE MAIZE
sports all week at theorion.com
SPORTSChico State’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1975
WILDCAT OF THE WEEK B2STAT ’CAT B2
GAMES SCHEDULE B2
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 2012
TWITTERFor live game updates, follow The Orion’s sports Twitter@theorion_sports
Trevor Platt ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
With five games left in her collegiate volleyball career, senior setter Sable Villaescusa is on the verge of making Chico State history.
The English major is on her way to her fourth 1,000-assist season, and she is only 137 assists shy of breaking the uni-versity’s all-time career assist record of 4,440.
Although it has always seemed far off , making history in this way has been a goal for her, Villaescusa said. Now that she’s so close, everything seems surreal.
Along with the possibility of breaking the assists record set by Erica Brick in 2008, Villaescusa will also be the sec-ond player in Chico State history to average 1,000-assist seasons for all four years of eligibility.
“The reason I like the assist record so much is because it shows that I contribute to this team,” she said. “It’s not just for me. If we are getting that many assists then that means we are getting that many kills.”
Senior psychology major Jordan Bambas met Villaescusa when the two were freshmen. They played on the volleyball team together for the two years that Bambas played, and the two are currently roommates.
Bambas has seen Villaescusa mature both on and off the court.
“She was that girl who couldn’t boil water her freshman year,” Bambas said. “Now she is one of the leaders of the team, and it has forced her to grow.”
One thing that no one can ever question about Villaes-cusa is her commitment to the game, Bambas said. She is the player who dives around benches or over the announc-er’s box to get to the ball.
Sacrifi cing her body in games is almost second nature, Villaescusa said. Learning to balance school and volleyball, however, has been a tough, confi dence-building experience.
“I’ve defi nitely changed a lot,” she said. “When I fi rst came here I was really shy and quiet, but being respected by the coaches and the girls on the team as a leader on the court has helped me mature and become more confi dent in myself.”
Villaescusa has also become more outspoken on the court.
“I worried a lot about letting the older girls down my fresh-man year, but now I know my skills can help the team win,” she said.
Before making her way to Chico State, Villaescusa didn’t exactly plan to play volleyball.
“It was all kind of an accident,” she said.She missed sign-ups for the soccer team in high school
and needed something else to keep busy, so she switched gears and began playing volleyball.
After changing sports, she immediately fell in love with the game, she said. The Rancho Cucamonga native played both club and high school volleyball before being approached by Chico State volleyball head coach Cody Hein.
She seriously considered a total of six or seven schools but fi nally narrowed it down to one.
“It was the offi cial visit that did it for me,” Villaescusa said. “I love the campus, I really liked the way the program was run and there was great team camaraderie.”
With the season wrapping up, Villaescusa is not entirely sure what she is going to do upon graduation.
She is currently taking time to focus on winning and making it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament, she said.
Villaescusa will end her volleyball career at Chico State proud of the things she has accomplished.
“I will know everything that I’ve done I’ve worked hard for and earned,” Villaescusa said. “And I’ll take that later on in life and know that I am capable of reaching my goals.”
Trevor Platt can be reached at
Senior aims to set
“The reason I like the assist record so much is because it shows that I
contribute to this team. ”
SABLE VILLAESCUSA
senior volleyball setter
137The number of assists Sable Villaescusa needs over the next five matches to break the Chico State career assist record set by Erica Brick in 2008.
SOURCE • CHICOWILDCATS.COM
39.6Average number of assists per set in this season’s 24 matches. If Villaescusa keeps this pace, she will break the Chico State career assist record.
SOURCE • CHICOWILDCATS.COM
107Of her 112 matches played as a Wildcat, Villaescusa has had at least 20 assists in 107 of them. She has only missed this mark five times in four years.
SOURCE • CHICOWILDCATS.COM
SABLEVILLAESCUSA
Total 112 78 298 4,303 878
2010 28 21 58 1,095 2142009 32 20 90 1,195 249
2012 24 17 81 951 208 2011 28 20 69 1,062 207
Year Matches Aces Kills Assists Digs
THE ORION •ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTOGRAPH BY BRETT EDWARDS
school record
