March 2008 Archives
BRITTANY MARTINEZ
Chaffey College
Softball
The lowdown: The freshman leads the state in homeruns with 10 and is batting over .500 for the Panthers (20-14, 7-1) who are currently second in the Foothill Conference. Starts in left field but has also been used in right and in center. Was at Chaffey in 2006-07 but did not play. Carries a 3.1 GPA.
Age: 19
Hometown: Ontario
High school: Don Lugo High School, 2006
Major: Psychology
Favorite athlete: Leah O’Brien-Amico (outfielder on three Gold-medal winning USA Olympic teams).
Favorite team: New York Yankees
Role model: My parents
Most memorable sports moment: Receiving Mt. Baldy League MVP my freshman year on the varsity team.
Most embarrassing sports moment: 1. Being intiated because I was dressed up crazy and everyone was laughing and 2. Losing my front tooth at a softball practice on Valentine’s Day.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My dad, physically and my mom, mentally.
Best advice anyone has given you: Follow your heart and everything else will fall into place.
Celebrity you most want to meet: Julia Roberts
Favorite food: Mexican food - dad’s home-cooked carne asada, rice and beans.
Can’t miss TV show: The Hills
Favorite movie: A League of Their Own
Last good book you read: Harry Potter
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Carrie Underwood
Favorite vacation spot: Rosarito, Mexico, anywhere by the beach
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Getting pumped from music and having assistant coach Justin sing international harvester with the team.
Other hobbies: Hanging out with loved ones, going to the beach.
What would you like to be doing in five years? Hopefully done with college and be a peace officer, have a home and possibly be married.
DUSTIN WILLIAMS
San Bernardino Valley College
Baseball
The lowdown: The freshman shortstop has helped the Wolverines to a 15-11 mark, serving as an offensive catalyst out of the leadoff spot. Is hitting .308 with 22 RBI, 10 doubles, three triples, a home run 20 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Earned first-team all-league honors and represented his school in the annual all-star game as a senior. Also carries a 3.0 GPA.
Age: 19
Hometown: Huntington Beach
High school: Riverside Rubidoux, 2006
Major: Business management
Favorite athlete: Jose Reyes
Favorite team: New York Yankees
Role model: Derek Jeter/Ozzie Smith
Most memorable sports moment: Hitting my first two career high school home runs in the same game against my old high Ramona.
Most embarrassing sports moment: I dove for a ball up the middle and landed on my face but it was a hrow down on a runner stealing second on ball four.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My mom.
Best advice anyone has given you: To stay focused on what I can do and not to let what anyone says affect the way I play.
Celebrity you most want to meet: Derek Jeter
Favorite food: Angel hair pasta with shrimp scampi
Can’t miss TV show: Any Yankees game
Favorite movie: The Sandlot
Last good book you read: Beowolf
What’s in your CD player/iPod: Kanye West’s Colleg Dropout
Favorite vacation spot: Lake Havasu
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Clean my cleats and listen to Kanye West.
What would you like to be doing in five years? Playing pro ball.
Chaffey College softball coach Jimmy Rodriguez was more than a little miffed last Wednesday when College of the Desert called to forfeit a game it was supposed to be play at Chaffey in two hours.
Panthers athletic director Bob Olivera forced the Roadrunners hand and refused to accept the forfeit, telling the school to pick another day, any day.
The schools originally agreed on Tuesday but Desert came up with another excuse on why that wasn’t good. The schools finally settled on April 14th.
It turns out it isn’t the first time Desert has tried that stunt. It forferited to Antelope Valley on March 5, saying it didn’t have enough players. But it was able to play three games two days later at a tournament hosted by Golden West.
What makes bailing on the games a little fishy is that Antelope Valley (26-4, 9-0) is the top team in the conference and Chaffey (20-14, 7-1) is second.
The whole season has been a difficult one for Rodriguez who has a solid team but would make the playoffs by default just because of the Foothill Conference is so weak. SBVC, Victor and Rio Hondo are a combined 17-63. Add in third place Mt. San Jacinto and it is a still-woeful 28-79. Barstow (0-27, 0-9) started the season with a team but folded. Victor Valley and San Bernardino Valley haven’t been competitive.
The former SBVC coach bailed in the fall and the only reason the Wolverines have salvaged a season is that soccer coach Kristin Hauge, who played softball at Cal Poly Pomona when it had a team, stepped in.
“It has been tough,” Rodriguez said. “We want to try and be competitive in the postseason but this makes it very difficult and our conference in losing credability.”
Rodriguez said it will be tough in the end of the season to dole out all-conference honors since Desert’s individual numbers would be misleading if it hadn’t played the top two teams.
He also thinks statistics for games against Barstow should be throw out since not everyone played them.
The Victor Valley College baseball team will play an exhibition game at 7:05 Tuesday at Stater Bros. Stadium against the High Desert Mavericks, the Seattle Mariners High-A affiliate of the California League.
Part of the proceeds will go toward the school’s baseball program. About $4,000 was raised last year.
“It's really a lot of fun,” Rams coach Bob Smith said. “Our guys enjoy playing against the pros and the kids come and have a great time. They don't know the difference. They're just having fun.”
Smith said freshman Louis Martus (Sultana HS) would probably start but he plans to use a handful of pitchers.
The Rams are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday. They are eld by sophomores Blane Lloyd and Luke Mullinax.
The Victor Valley College baseball team will play an exhibition game at 7:05 Tuesday at Stater Bros. Stadium against the High Desert Mavericks, the Seattle Mariners High-A affiliate of the California League.
Part of the proceeds will go toward the school’s baseball program. About $4,000 was raised last year.
“It's really a lot of fun,” Rams coach Bob Smith said. “Our guys enjoy playing against the pros and the kids come and have a great time. They don't know the difference. They're just having fun.”
Smith said freshman Louis Martus (Sultana HS) would probably start but he plans to use a handful of pitchers.
The Rams are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday. They are eld by sophomores Blane Lloyd and Luke Mullinax.
San Bernardino Valley College football standout Sylvester Burel (Redlands East Valley) has signed with Division II Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Burel was the top receiver for the Wolverines last season with 33 catches for 494 yards, with a long of 54 yards.
SBVC coach Pat Meech said Burel visited the school and also took a trip to the University of Hawaii but Gannon came through with a better financial package.
Just three days after winning the program’s first ever State Championship, the 2007-2008 Men’s Basketball team keeps on winning, post-season awards that is. Including State Tournament awards, Citrus received 11 individual post-season awards this year.
Both Buchi Awaji and Darren Moore top the list, as both were named Co-MVP’s of the WSC South. Moore, who averaged 17.8 points per contest in WSC South play, was also named to the All-Tournament team at the State Championships this past weekend, and to the 1st team All-State list that was released at the tournament.
Alongside him was Awaji, who scored 17.2 points per game in conference play, and became the first player under Rick Croy to top 1,000 career points with a total of 1,021 points in his two year stint with the Fighting Owls. Awaji was also named State Tournament MVP, and 1st team All-State along with Moore.
Other’s who were awarded for their play this year, were sophomore’s Virgil Buensuceso who was named a 1st All-WSC honoree and an All-Tournament selection during Citrus’ State Championship run.
Freshmen Troy Payne and A.J. Gasporra rounded out the post season honors as both earned All-WSC South Honorable Mention honors. Payne led the Fighting Owls in rebounds this season, averaging 5.5 boards per game, while Gasporra made a team high 71 three pointers, all while averaging a team high 43.3% shooting from beyond 3-point arc.
Last but certainly not least, was the honor bestowed upon head coach Rick Croy, as he was named WSC South Coach of the Year. Croy who just finished his third season with the Fighting Owls has put together an impressive resume in which he has a 73-27 won-loss record, and a Citrus program best .730 winning percentage.
KELLY JOHNSON
Citrus College
Basketball
The lowdown: The 6-foot freshman guard has helped the Owls (31-1) to their best season in school history. Is averaging 3.4 points, a team-high 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals for Citrus which takes a 19-game win streak into its playoff game Saturday against L.A. City. Has season highs of 11 points (against Compton), eight assists (against L.A. Harbor) and four steals (against Grossmont). Earned first-team Valle Vista honors in basketball three times and in football two times for the Red Devils.
Age: 19
Hometown: Pomona
High school: Pomona High School, 2006
Major: Undecided
Favorite athlete: Chris Paul
Role model: My dad
Can’t miss TV show: Heroes
Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 3-point shooting contest at the Daily Bulletin All-Star game in 2006.
Most embarrassing moment: Throwing up red Gatorade at an NJB basketball game.
Person most influential in your athletic success: My brother Korey
Favorite food: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Favorite vacation spot: Las Vegas
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Last good book you read: A Place to Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca
Worst job you ever had: Mowing lawns
Other hobbies: Movies, bowling, playing football, watching television
What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Jaime Foxx
Best advice anyone has given you: Play your hardest and always do your best.
Pre-game ritual or superstition: Pray
What do you want to be doing in five years?: Still playing basketball somewhere.
