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Former Cal State San Bernardino basketball standout Laura Beeman, a long-time resident of the Inland Empire, has landed her first head coaching job at the Division I level, being named to that position last week at the University of Hawaii.
Beeman led the Mt. SAC women's program to prominence in her 15 years there. She led the Mounties to 10 conference championships and four California Community College State Championships--including a string of three straight from 2006-08.
Beeman was selected conference Coach of the Year four times and was voted the district and regional coach of the year in 2001. She led Mt. SAC to a school-best 37-1 record in both the 2007 and 2008 season. During her tenure with the Mounties, she produced 80 all-conference selections, 24 all-state selections, and 10 all-region selections. Beeman posted a 390-110 (.780) record during her tenure at Mt. SAC.
As a player, Beeman was an All-American guard at Cal State San Bernardino where she set the career, season and game assist records. She graduated in 1992 with a degree in business administration from CS San Bernardino and later earned a master's degree in education with an emphasis on counseling from the University of Redlands.
She earned a second master's degree in education with an emphasis in physical education from Azuza Pacific University.
Beeman was an assistant with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks before accepting an assistant position at USC where she worked with Michael Cooper. Cooper also heads the Sparks and had her on his staff there.
Beeman, 43, is the eighth head coach since the program's inception in 1974 and the third female head coach in its history.
Three local JuCo teams are stil in the hunt for state championships.
San Bernardino Valley has both its men's and women's team alive while the Chaffey women are still in the hunt. Several other inland Empire teams are in the mix as well.
No. 19 Riverside pulled off the biggest surprise of the last round, upending No. 3 Mt. San Jacinto 79-76 in overtime on Saturday. Good for the still-homeless Tigers directed by John Smith.
No. 15 El Camino also pulled a stunner, beating No. 2 Mt. SAC.
So here's what's up in third round play on Wednesday . . .
MEN
No. 9 Cuesta (24-7) at No. 1 Citrus (26-1)
No. 12 Ventura (19-11) at No. 4 San Bernardino Valley (24-5)
No. 15. El Camino (18-9) at No. 7 Antelope Valley (22-7)
No. 19 Riverside (16-10) at No. 6 Saddleback (20-8)
WOMEN
No. 8 Chaffey (24-6) at No. 1 Mt. SAC (27-3)
No. 5 Cerritos (23-7) at No. 4 East Los Angeles (23-6)
No. 19 Cypress (21-9) at No. 2 Ventura (30-1)
No. 11 Mt. San Jacinto (23-7) at No. 3 San Bernardino Valley (27-3)
The California Community College poll is loaded with Inland Empire teams.
San Bernardino Valley split games last week but it's win over then-No. 3 Mt. San Jacinto was more impressive than its loss to now No. 19-Chaffey was disappointing because the Wolverines moved up two spots.
Chaffey was in the rankings much opf the year but dropped out after a loss to Victor Valley two weeks ago. Two wins last week, including the one over SBVC, were enough to propel the Panthers back in.
Here it is:
1. San Francisco
2. Citrus
3. Yuba
4. Mt.San Jacinto
5.Santa Rosa
6. San Bernardino Valley
7. Fresno
tie Mt.San Antonio
9. Diablo Valley
10. Antelope Valley
11. Imperial Valley
12. Cabrillo
13. Sierra
14. Saddleback
15. Los Angeles Southwest
16. Foothill
17. San Diego City
18. Ohlone
19. Chaffey
20. Las Positas
Southern California
1. Citrus
2. Mt.SanJacinto
3. SanBernardinoValley
4. Mt.SanAntonio
5. Antelope Valley
6. Imperial Valley
7.Saddleback
8. Los Angeles Southwest
9. San Diego City
10. Chaffey
11. Cuesta
12. Ventura
13. Riverside City
14. Allan Hancock
15. tie, Ventura and Los Angeles Valley
All Foothill-Conference honors have been handed out in men's and women's basketball. The biggest awards went to the most deserving. Some conferences and leagues water down the honors by naming a first and a second team as well as honorable mention. Some even name a third team.
But this conference does it right, just a first team, although the women have honorable mention. It's a tough, deep conference so being named is truly an honor.
Here's the complete list
MEN
Player of the Year - Keon Pledger, So., San Bernardino
Coach of the Year - Jeff Klein, Chaffey
All-Conference selections
Shelton Boykin,Fr., Antelope Valley
Deondre Brodie, So., Chaffey
Daquan Brown, So., Barstow
Dakota Downs, So., Mt. San Jacinto
Donte Godlock, So., Chaffey
Da'Shawn Gomez, So., Antelope Valley
Thair Heath, Fr., San Bernardino
Eric Lawton, So., Mt. San Jacinto
Aaron Moore, Fr., San Bernardino
Steffon Neal, So., Chaffey
LaVanne Pennington, So., Barstow
WOMEN
Player of the Year - Paige Haynes, So., 5-7, San Bernardino Valley
Coach of the Year - Sue Crebbin, San Bernardino Valley
All-Conference selections
Nisha Barrett, Fr., Barstow
Yvette Bennett, Fr., Antelope Valley
Darshae Burnside, Fr., San Bernardino
Amber Chavez, So., Victor Valley
Daniella Cooper, Fr., Mt. San Jacinto
Vanessa Gutierrez, So., Rio Hondo
Stephanie Hoskin, Fr., Cerro Coso
Brittani Jefferson, So., Antelope Valley
Tiana Jones, Fr., Chaffey
Janelle Junior, So., San Bernardino
Arione Nabors, So., Chaffey
Jasmine Ray, Fr., San Bernardino
Danielle Reed, So., Mt. San Jacinto
Missy Spoesltra, Fr., Desert
Honorable mention
[
Rosalind Barnes, So., Chaffey
Malika Jackson, Fr., Antelope Valley
Mechel'La Logan, So., Barstow
Ebony Mease, Fr., Victor Valley
Ashley Milan, Fr., Desert
Jeanette Ramirez, So., Rio Hondo
Terri Todecheeene, So, Mt. San Jacinto
Latosha Trainor, Fr., Cerro Coso
Jennifer Young, So., San Bernardino
The race for a community college state title is on. And there are five area teams still in contention. That group is led by the Chaffey College men and the San Bernardino Valley College women, both of whom won Foothill Conference titles this season.
Here is the complete rundown . . .
MEN
Wednesday's games
No. 17 Long Beach (14-11) at No. 14, Glendale (18-10)\]
No. 20 Oxnard (15-10) at No. 12 Antelope Valley (19-9)
No. 18 L.A. Southwest (16-12) at No. 15 Compton (16-10)
No. 19 Allan Hancock (14-13) at No. 16. L.A. Harbor (14-12)
Friday's games
No. 9 San Bernardino (17-11) at No. 8 Irvine Valley (21-7)
No. 13 L.A. Trade Tech (18-9) at No. 5 Chaffey (19-7)
No. 10 Barstow (22-6) at No. 7 Saddleback (24-6)
No. 11 Mt. San Jacinto (19-8) at No. 6 Riverside (19-10)
Saturday's games
Glendale-Long Beach winner at No. 1 Mt. SAC (21-5)
Oxnard-Antelope winner at No. 4 Citrus (23-5)
Southwest-Compton winner at No. 2 Southwestern (23-2)
Harbor-Hancock winner at No. 3 Santa Monica (20-7)
WOMEN
Wednesday's games
No. 18 Los Angeles Pierce (18-10) at No. 16 Chaffey (18-10)
No. 18 L.A. Trade Tech (15-11) at No. 15 Santa Barbara (20-10)
Friday's games
No. 9 Cypress (18-10) at No. 8 Antelope Valley (21-9)
No. 13 Riverside (17-12) at No. 4 Cerritos (23-6)
No. 10 Mt. San Jacinto (20-8) at No. 7 Canyons (22-7)
No. 14 Moorpark (18-8) at Mt. SAC (26-3)
Saturday's games
Chaffey-Pierce winner at No. 1 Fullerton (27-2)
No. 12 Southwestern (20-5) at No. 5 Orange Coast (22-8)
Santa Barbara-Trade Tech winner at No. 2 San Bernardino (26-2)
No. 11 Ventura (123-6) at No. 6 Pasadena (23-4).
There aren't a lot of games to pick from if you want to take in a local college football game this weeekend.
The University of La Verne (0-1) and San Bernardino Valley College (0-2) are idle and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-0), Pomona-Pitzer (0-1) and Chaffey College (2-0) will all be on the road.
The University of Redlands (1-0) will host Whitworth, Wash. (1-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Ted Runner Stadium. The Bulldogs opened their season with a 21-10 win at East Texas Baptist last week. That looks like a good win given that team's big win the previous week.
This will be the second straight week the Bulldogs will be defending a star player. Not that you want to focus and entire game plan on one player, but Whitworth does rely on all-everything back Adam Anderson much the way East Texas revolved around its quarterback Sed Harris.
Redlands has the benefit of a solid quarterback and leader in Dan Selway, who is finally exhausting his eligibilty - foes in the SCIAC wil be happy to know. The Bulldogs do need to develop a running game, something coach Mike Maynard says has been a focal point in practice this week.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is going up to Pacific (Ore.) for a 1:30 p.m. game. That team is probably worse than the Lewis & Clark team it beat last week. Expect the Stags to move to 2-0. How good they are is still anybody's guess given the level of competition.
Pomona-Pitzer, which lost to Whitworth 35-7 last week, goes up to Lewis & Clark. So the Sagehens and quarterback Jacob Caron have a good shot at win No. 1.
In the junior college ranks Victor Valley (0-2) will be at Riverside (1-0) for a 6 p.m. showdown. The schedule makers did the Rams no favors. Don't get coach Dave Hoover started on that subject!
Chaffey (2-0) is off to an impressive start too but will face a tough task in marching down to Mission Viejo to square off against Saddleback, the No. 14 team in the state.
Don't look now but it is already time for the area junior colleges to kick off their football seasons. All will be playing their season openers this Saturday. It will be Chaffey (4-6) heading to San Bernardino Valley College (5-5) for a 6 p.m. showdown and Mt. SAC (12-1) heading up the hill to square off against Victor Valley (6-4) in a 1 p.m. tussle.
It should be a very interesting season. At Chaffey, veteran coach Carl Beach has had his hands full. Not just because heading a football program is a time-consuming job. He has the added burden of serving as interim athletic director which gives one a handful of other headaches. Then there's the renovation of the old gym which had housed the football offices, meeting area and weight room. For now things are pretty spread out.
Beach is more confident in his quarterback situation than he has been the last few years. The struggles of the offense were the main reason for the subpar showing recently.
Meanwhile Kevin Emerson worked some magic at SBVC in his debut in 2009, turning a 0-10 team into a more than respectable 5-5 one. The Wolverines won four of their last five games, topped off by a huge upset of then-unbeaten LA Harbor in the regular season finale. That says it all about where this program could be headed if it gets the proper administrative support. And that's a big IF given what seems to be a lack of commitment to athletics in recent years.
Then there is Mr. intensity up at Victor Valley in Dave Hoover. The Rams are always going to play hard and be competitive. Numbers are up and Hoover said he has more depth and quality depth than he has had before in his 10-year tenure. He had problems with a lot of his out-of-state players last year but has weeded out the undesirables, That can only help.
More on all the local teams coming up this week with separate previews of each school.
The pairings and seedings are out for the community college playoffs. It should be no surprise that San Bernardino Valley is No. 1 The Wolverines will have a bye and play on Saturday against the winner of Wednesday's game between Los Angeles Pierce and Moorpark.
SBVC (28-2) ran the table in the Foothill Conference and that's not easy to do. It has won 18 straight games with the last loss coming more than two months ago.
Chaffey drew the No. 11 seed and will be on the road Friday at No. 6 Saddleback. Don't count out Coach Jeff Klein's Panthers.
On the women's side SBVC got the No. 7 seed and drew a home game on Friday with Palomar. Coach Sue Crebbin's team played the Comets in the first game of the season on a neutral floor and won.
Here is the rundown . . .
MEN
Wednesday's games
No. 17 Moorpark at No. 16 Los Angeles Pierce
No. 20 Miramar at No. 13 Antelope Valley
No. 19 Mira Costa at No. 14 Los Angeles Valley
No. 20 Santa Ana at No. 15 L.A. Trade Tech
Friday's games
No. 9 Southwestern at No. 8 Bakersfield
No. 12 Cerritos at No. 5 Mt. SAC
No. 11 Chaffey at No. 6 Saddleback
No. 10 Mt. San Jacinto at No. 7 Cuesta
Saturday's games
Moorpark-L.A. Pierce winner at San Bernardino Valley
Santa Ana-LA Trade tech winner at No. 2 Citrus
Mira Costa-L.A. Valley winner at No. 3 Riverside
Miramar-Antelope winner at No. 4 Irvine Valley
WOMEN
Wednesday's games
No. 17 Los Angeles Southwest at No. 16 Santa Barbara
No. 18 Cypress at No. 15 Santa Monica
Friday's games
No. 9 Antelope Valley at No. 8 Grossmont
No. 10 Palomar at No. 7 San Bernardino Valley
No. 14 Mt. San Jacinto at No. 3 Mt. SAC
No. 13 Irvine Valley at No. 4 Pasadena
Saturday's games
LA Southwest-Santa Barbabra winner at No. 1 Fullerton
Cypress-Santa Monica winner at No. 2 Ventura
No. 11 Canyons at No. 6 Los Angeles Trade Tech
As expected the SBVC men's basketball team dropped from its perch of No. 1 in the state poll released on Monday.
The Wolverines (9-1) suffered their first loss last week against Mt. SAC in the Wells Fargo Classic at Riverside. They bounced back with two nice wins after that, including a heart-stopping 71-70 win over Antelope Valley in which the difference was a buzzer-beater by Syndey Hall.
SBVC fell to No. 3 with Riverside, which won the tournament, inheriting the top spot.There is lots of local representation in the top 10 with Citrus at No. 4 and Mt. SAC at No. 6.
In the South Region, SBVC is No. 2, Citrus No. 3, Mt. SAC No. 4, Chaffey No. 11 and Barstow No. 15.
On the women's side SBVC (7-2) jumped tow places to No. 7. It losses have been to No. 1 Ventura and No. 5 Mt. SAC.
So much for being undefeated and being ranked No. 1 in the state.
The San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team lost to No. 10 Mt. SAC 88-83 at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic tonight at Riverside Community College.
Coach Quincy Brewer said he saw it coming. Apparently his Wolverines practiced all week like they were a little full of themselves and believing a little too much in their press clippings. That happens, especially at the junior college level.
Mt SAC shot 57.1 percent from the field, scoring 54 points in the paint. It beat SBVC up and down the court all night, turning many of its 27 turnovers into easy points at the other end.
SBVC shot a still solid 55.2 percent but the 27 turnovers to 16 assists tells the story. It was also outrebounded 88-83.
SBVC had the game in reach with six minutes to play but its shot selection left a lot to be desired. Jacking up ill-advised 3-point tries early in the shot clock is a sign of panic.
The Wolverines didn't know what it was like to be in a close game because they had pretty much cruised through their previous seven. This was a good loss because it is one the players can learn from before they get into conference play.
SBVC clealry has the talent to go all the way. It just needs to be a bit more disciplined and a bit more focused.
Nate Roth led SBVC with 20 points, seven assists and five steals. Tre Brewer added 16 and Maurice McGee 13.
Mt. SAC got 25 from Antonio Biglow and 14 from Demarkus Isomjones. Three others had 11 including Laquenten Jones who also had 12 assists,
First-year San Bernardino Valley College coach Quincy Brewer led his team to a Foothill Conference championship. That accomplishment was recognized by his peers as Brewer was named Coach of the Year.
Brewer took a team with 12 newcomers and led it to a 25-8 record, despite playing in what is the strongest conference in the state. Five teams are competing in the playoffs with the Wolverines opening play at home on Saturday.
Mt. San Jacinto sophomore point guard Melvin Goins was named Player of the Year. He averaged 17.1 points in leading the Eagles to a second-place showing.
SBVC had three first team selections - forward Orlando Brazier, point guard Nate Roth and forward Maurice McGee. It also had two honorable mentions in warren Fuselier, the lone sophomore on the team, and freshman forward Aaron Edwards.
Chaffey, third in the conference, placed Winston sophomores Winston Robinson and Nick Turner and first team and Anthony Cammon and Lamar Williams on second team.
The first team also included sophomore Dwight Gordon of Victor Valley. The Los Osos High School product led the conference in scoring (21.3 ppg) and helped the Rams qualify for the playoffs for the first time in at least a decade.
Player of the Year - Melvin Goins, Mt. San Jacinto
Coach of the Year - Quincy Brewer, SBVC
Other first team selections - Dwight Gordon, Victor Valley, So.; Orlando Brazier, San Bernardino Valley, Fr.; Nate Roth, San Bernardino Valley, Fr.; Mark Williams, Mt. San Jacinto, So.; Jeffrey West, Mt. San Jacinto, Fr.; Winston Robinson, Chaffey, So.; Nick Turner, Chaffey, So.; Rod Singleton, Antelope Valley, Fr.; Maurice McGee, San Bernardino Valley, Fr.; Maurice Cole, Rio Hondo, Fr.; Kyisean Reed, Antelope Valley Fr.;
Honorable Mention
Galander Abdelrahman, Barstow, Fr.; Warren Fuselier, San Bernardino Valley, So.; Aaron Edwards, San Bernardino Valley, Fr.; Darryl Alexander, Rio Hondo Fr.; Dusty Simcox, Rio Hondo, So.; Curtis Bush, Mt. San Jacinto, So.; Terrance Williams, Mt. San Jacinto, Fr.; Anthony Cammon, Chaffey, Fr.; Lamar Williams, Chaffey, So.; Jerome Moton, Antelope Valley. So.; Raymond Cody, Antelope Valley, So.; Deanard Crouch, Victor Valley, So.; Tory Dudgeon, Victor Valley, So.; Andrew Avalos, Desert, So.; Patrick Rochell, Desert, So.
Chaffey College sophomore soccer standout Tyler Mitchell was named to the NSCAA/Adidas Junior College All-American first team.
Mitchell, out of Upland High School, was the Panthers' team captain for two years. He also earned first-team All-Foothill Conference honors both seasons, leading the Panthers (15-5-2) to their best season in school history.
Among the other 25 players chosen nationwide was Mt. SAC freshman defender Ivan Armenta, an Ontario High School product who led the Mounties to a state runner-up finish.
The All-America selections will be recognized at the annual All-America Luncheon, to held in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 17, as part of the 2009 NSCAA Convention.
Butte enters the game at 11-0 on the season and is the sole remaining undefeated team in the nation. Mt. SAC heads to the title game having lost only once during the season, a 44-38 triple-overtime setback to Cerritos College (7-4) in week nine of the season. San Antonio snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday night when they took a one-point lead with 10 seconds to play in defeating previous No. 1 College of the Canyons to claim the Southern California championship. The Roadrunners from Butte will have had two weeks to prepare for the game after defeating Reedley College, 24-20, on November 22.
The NJCAA final had an entertaining finish over the weekend as No. 3 El Dorado (KS) Butler County College defeated No. 5 Ephraim (UT) Snow College, 37-30, in double overtime. Butler led 20-7 at halftime and 23-9 heading into the fourth quarter when Snow mounted a big comeback to send the game into overtime. In the second overtime, the Butler offense stalled at the 11-yard, and the Grizzlies lined up for a Logan Ortiz field goal. The kick was partially blocked and squirted into the end zone. A Snow player tried to recover the ball, but could not, allowing Butler's Demonte Hill to fall on the ball. The officials conferred before ruling that since a Snow player had touched the ball first, it was again a live ball, and awarded the Hill and the Grizzlies the touchdown. Snow would still have its turn on offense, and on the very first play, quarterback Jon Eastman threw a pass that was bobbled by receiver Regan Buck. Butler linebacker Forlando Johnson grabbed the ball out of the air for an interception, ending the game and sending the Grizzlies sprinting to the middle of the field to celebrate the NJCAA national title.
Previous Dirty 30 national champions include Glendale College (AZ) in 2005; Blinn College (TX) in 2006, while 2007 had co-national champions with Butler County (KS) and Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 Rankings (12/8/08)
1. Butte (Calif.) 11-0
2. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 12-1
3. Butler (KS) 10-1
4. Canyons (Calif.) 12-1
5. Snow (UT) 10-1
6. El Camino (Calif.) 10-2
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 10-2
8. Navarro (TX) 10-1
9. Mississippi Gulf Coast 10-2
10. Harper (IL) 10-1
11. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 8-3
12. Fort Scott (KS) 8-2
13. Reedley (Calif.) 7-4
14. Sierra (Calif.) 9-2
15. Blinn (TX) 8-3
16. Saddleback (Calif.) 7-4
17. Eastern Arizona 6-3
18. East Mississippi 8-2
19. Foothill (Calif.) 8-3
20. Palomar (Calif.) 8-3
21. San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 8-3
22. Cerritos (Calif.) 7-4
23. Kilgore (TX) 6-4
24. Jones County (MS) 7-2
25. Phoenix (AZ) 7-4
26. Glendale (AZ) 7-2
27. San Francisco (Calif.) 7-4
28. Georgia Military 7-2
29. Iowa Central 7-3
30. Hutchinson (KS) 6-4
Others on the bubble: Ellsworth (IA) 8-2, Pearl River (MS) 8-3, Allan Hancock (Calif.) 7-4, Pasadena City (Calif.) 7-4, Trinity Valley (TX) 5-4, Rochester (MN) 8-2, Modesto (Calif.) 8-3, Dean (MA) 6-1, Sequoias (Calif.) 5-5, Shasta (Calif.) 9-2
San Bernardino Valley College football coach Pat Meech knows his school lacks the resources to compete weekly against the more traditional powers in Southern California. Now he doesn't have to do so.
The junior college season will kick off this week and the entire conference structure and playoff format has been reworked. The Foothill Conference no longer exists. Adios Mission Conference. Sayonara Western State Conference.
The sport will now be governed under the umbrella of the Southern California Football Association.
Teams are separated into two divisions - the National and American. The National is subdivided into three seven-team conferences (Northern, Central, Southern) while the American has two eight-team conferences (Mountain, Pacific).
The National Division, the power conference, includes perennial title contenders such as Mt. SAC, Bakersfield and former Foothill Conference juggernaut Grossmont. Chaffey, Riverside and Citrus are among the other entrants.
SBVC and Victor Valley factor into the weaker American Divsion. But Meech doesn't mind being lumped into the also-ran category.
"Am I afraid of those schools? No. I would like to play them," he said. "But it would be crazy to think we can go head-to-head with those teams week after week after week."
Veteran Chaffey coach Carl Beach, who was on the committee that developed the new alignment, isn't quite sure his team is ready to battle the big boys, citing resources and enrollment but admits past success is the reason his school has been put in with the stronger teams.
"It's more about what we have done in the past. I'm not so sure we belong there but we'll see," he said.
The alignments will be reviewed every two years with some teams moving up or down depending on competitive balance.
A similar format has been used in the Northern part of the state for several years and received a favorable review.
When it comes to picking a field for the playoffs, eight teams will be chosen. Each of the three National Division conference will be given two spots for a total of six teams.
The American Division would qualify the winner of each conference for the final two spots, provided those teams finish with winning records. If a conference winner is not above .500, a wild-card would be chosen based on state power ranking.
There will be three additional bowl games for teams not making the playoffs to be awarded based on state ranking.
The original plan called for four teams to make the playoffs with all of those coming from the power division. The lesser schools balked at that idea so the current format was a compromise.
Beach said the committee wanted to get the new system in place. This one primarily divided teams based on their competitive history.
When the alignment is addressed again in two years he said more emphasis will be placed on enrollment, particularly a school's ability to draw out-of-state athletes. Resources and facilities will also be issues.
"I think it's fair," Meech added. "It will be good for us to play teams more like us."
Teams in the American Division will have seven conference games, then fill out their schedule with three games against the National Division, giving them a chance to boost their power ranking and see if they are competitive against those teams.
SBVC's nonconference foes will be Riverside, College of the Desert and Saddleback. The Wolverines have played Riverside 68 times, the first coming in 1926 but haven't faced the Tigers since 2002.
Victor Valley's opponents will be Riverside, Palomar and Mt. SAC.
Rams coach Dave Hoover was alright with the division of the teams but isn't happy with his brutal nonconference schedule.
"Not only are we probably playing the three best teams, we're playing the three most physical teams," he said. "It was a nice idea having the big dogs play the big dogs. It all makes sense. But their nonconference games should be against the teams in their divison in the other conferences."
Chaffey and the other teams in the National Division have six conference games and four non-conference contests.
The Panthers will square off against Mt. San Jacinto, Southwestern, Antelope Valley and Grossmont - all significantly longer trips than treking 20 minutes to SBVC.
While SBVC is excited about renewing its rivalry with Riverside, it is mystified why Chaffey wasn't included on the non-conference schedule since rivalries were also supposed to be kept in tact. That also baffles Beach.
Coaches were allowed to submit a list of three teams they wanted to keep games with and both SBVC and Chaffey listed the other as their top choice.
"It doesn't make sense. We have to pass them by to go to all out other games," Beach said.
Hoover asked to keep Antelope Valley, Desert and Chaffey and got none of those.
NATIONAL DIVISION
Northern Conference: Allan Hancock, Bakersfield, College of the Canyons, Glendale, Moopark, Pasadena City, Ventura
Central Conference: Cerritos,Chaffey, Citrus, College of the Desert, El Camino, Mt. SAC, Riverside
Southern Conference: Fullerton, Grossmont, Long Beach City, Orange Coast, Palomar, Saddleback, Santa Ana
AMERICAN DIVISION
Mountain Conference: Compton, Golden West, L.A. Harbor, Mt. San Jacinto, San Bernardino Valley,San Diego Mesa, Southwestern, Victor Valley
Pacific Conference: Antelope Valley, East Los Angeles, L.A. Pierce, L.A. Southwest, L.A. Valley,Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles
Staff Writer
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - One wouldn't blame Marcus Austin if he were a
little bitter. The former Etiwanda High School standout was 47-1 as a
senior and about to finish off a wrestling match that would have
qualified him for the prestigious state championship meet.
Then the unthinkable - his left knee buckled. He knew it was bad.
``The first time I tried to stand up, I couldn't. It just wasn't
happening,'' he recalled.
Not only was Austin's dream of a state championship gone. So was
the possibility of an athletic scholarship. Now all he had to look
forward to was surgery and several grueling months of physical
therapy. Instead of sulking about it, he took it in stride.
``Stuff happens,'' he said. ``You can't worry about it. You have
to move on. It doesn't mean you can't be successful in whatever else
you do.''
So Austin, a 6-foot-1, 285-pounder, is appreciative of another
chance to compete. Sixteen months later he is back on the playing
field as a freshman defensive tackle at Chaffey College which opens
the 2008 campaign at 6 p.m. Saturday against Mt. San Jacinto at
Grigsby Field.
Austin, 19, says he took his cue from Dan Doughty, an assistant
wrestling coach at Etiwanda who suffered a less severe knee injury
during the district finals in Washington his senior year. He is part
of the reason Austin says he would like to pursue coaching or
teaching when his competitive days are over.
``I look at him and he is a good coach and he is successful in life
and has a great family,'' Austin said. ``There is life after sports.
That's why you have to have something to fall back on. Just in case.''
``His actually was a lot worse than mine. It was reeally bad,''
Doughty said. ``He had another knee injury two years before that and
came back. He has always been one of the most positive and upbeat
kids with a can-do attitude. So I had no doubt that he could come
back again.''
Austin spent his first football season on the freshman team but
was a three-year varsity starter after that. He was encouraged to
wrestle to keep in shape by Larry Cuthbert, the Eagles defensive
coordinator and the school's head wrestling coach. He starred for
four years in that sport in the heavyweight division.
That he excels in sports should be no surprise. Father Derrick
played football growing up in Alabama while mother Patty played on
the boys water polo team at Walnut High School and went on to compete
in track at Mt. SAC, excelling in the heptathlon.
Marcus considered other local schools including Mt. SAC but felt
most comfortable at Chaffey because of the coaching staff. He
attended all the home games last season, even though he couldn't play
but was healthy enough to take part in all the spring drills. He was
a little apprehensive at first but that didn't hold him back long.
``When you're worried about getting hurt, that's usually when you
get hurt,'' he said. ``You can't let that hold you back.''
The ironies of Austin's wrestling injury are many. The athlete
he was wrestling in that match happened to be David Williams of
Miller, who ended up finishing fourth in the state. He now lines up
next to Austin on the defensive front.
Beach was at that Masters meet at Carter High School. He was one
of many coaches hoping to land Austin who was also being courted by
several four-year schools. But the injury secured Beach's chances of
keeping the two-sport standout close to home.
``Coming off an injury like that, no one was going to touch
him,'' Beach said. ``He is going to have to go out this season and
show he is completely healthy. If he does that, he'll have another
shot because he has potential.''
Beach has been most impressed with Austin's goal-oriented attitude.
``He has a good head on his shoulders,'' Beach said. ``He's not
one of those kids putting all his eggs in one basket. He has done a
good job developing other life skills.''
Fresno City College topped all other junior college athletic programs and has been named winner of the National Alliance of Two-Year Colleges Athletic Administrator's Cup for the 2007-2008 school year.
Fresno totaled 164 points as the top four schools were within seven points. It was followed by Cerritos (160), Sierra (159) and Mt. SAC (157).
Riverside Community College was sixth (139.5).
Other local schools finished in the middle portion of the 103 school rankings.
Chaffey was 41st with 40 points, getting all its points in the pool. The Panthers got 15.5 points in women's water polo, 14.5 in men's swimming and 10 in women's swimming.
San Bernardino Valley College was 47th (28.5), with 20 coming for its state championship in men's cross country and the other 8.5 coming in women's soccer which finished as the Foothill Conference runner-up.
straight state title. Now the 5-foot-11 forward is on to bigger
things, signing with Division I Long Beach State, Mounties coach
Laura Beeman confirmed.
Brown, a graduate of Etiwanda High School, averaged 8.4 points and
6.8 rebounds in helping the Mounties to a 37-1 record the past
season, that lone loss coming in the season opener.
Her season high of 19 points came against Los Angeles City. She also
reached double figures in 13 other games and had a season best of 18
rebounds against Taft.
Brown, who earned first-team All-South Coast Conference honors, is
the third Mt. SAC player to declare for a Division I school following
Jazlyn Davis (Arizona State) and Kendra Calvin (Cal).
Beeman added that guard Zsa Zsa Lawson will attend Division II
Brigham Young-Hawaii.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
When the Chaffey College women’s basketball team takes the court Friday in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs, it will be facing a team that plays much the same style.
The No. 9 seeded Panthers (24-7) will play at No. 8 Cerritos (24-8) at 7 p.m. Not only are the teams similar, they have played before. If that game is any indication of things to come the playoff game should be tightly contested.
The Falcons won the first game at a tournament hosted by Orange Coast 71-61. That game went to overtime as the teams ended regulation tied at 57.
“They are very much like us,” third-year Chaffey coach Gary Plunkett said. “They like to run and we like to run.
Both of us play a motion offense where we like to spread the floor. It should be a great game. Our girls were excited about getting another chance at them.”
The winner of the game will advance to face No. 2 seed Orange Coast (29-3).
The Panthers finished tied for third in the Foothill Conference. They have only two sophomores, one of them starting forward Christina Warren (13.5 ppg, 5 rpg) who netted 23 points the first time the teams played.
Joining her in the starting lineup are four freshmen - guards Tamesha Jackson (13.2 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Keisha Mackall (11.9 ppg, 3.6 apg), forward Aundria Anderson (10 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and 6-foot-1 center Johnshunay Parson (4.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg).
Zipporah Brown (5.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg), another freshman, has been a steady performer off the bench.
Cerritos, the first place team out of the South Division of the South Coast Conference, has four players averaging double figures led by sophomore guard Maltresa Neely (13.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg). The Falcons are ranked sixth in Southern California and 12th in the state. Plunkett is also quite familiar with the Falcons coaching staff.
Assistant Steve Johnson went to Alta Loma High School and coached in youth leagues in Rancho Cucamonga. He was also an assistant at Dominguez Hills at the same time Plunkett was there.
Cerritos head coach Karen Welliver is in her 25th year and has won more than 500 games. Plunkett recruited many of her players when he was with Dominguez Hills.
“Knowing them so well will make it that much more fun,” he said. “I a looking forward to it.”
Defending state champion Mt. SAC (32-1) begins defense of its title on Saturday. Coach Laura Beeman’s Mounties will host Santa Ana (18-13), which defeated Cuesta 65-56 Wednesday night in a play-in game.
Mt. SAC has won 32 straight games since dropping its season opener to Orange Coast and is led by conference player of the year Jazlyn Davis (18.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a bounceback from USC.
Other key players include 6-2 sophomore center Carmen Deal (15.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg), sophomore guard Sahfiya Brown (8.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and freshman guard Blaire Edgardo (9.1 ppg).
Citrus (30-1) is the lone area representative still left on the men’s side. The top-seeded Owls open play against Imperial Valley (21-10) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The teams have not played this season.
Citrus is coming off its first Western States Conference title in 25 years and enters riding an 18-game win streak. Its last loss came to Antelope Valley in quarterfinal play at a tournament in Riverside in December.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Mt. San Antonio College women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman had a feeling her team’s lone loss of the season might come back to haunt her, even though it came in the first game.
She was right.
The Mounties will head into the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed despite a 32-game win streak. Orange Empire champion Orange Coast (29-3), which defeated Mt. SAC 63-57 on Nov. 9, is the top seed.
There were different sets of criteria used. While three-time and defending state champion Mt. SAC boasted the best record and a higher winning percentage, Orange Coast had a higher strength of schedule both in and out of conference.
Orange Coast had 20 quality wins, Mt. SAC 19. A win by the Mounties in the head-to-head would have flipped that number.
“I said it to my assistant (Brian Crichlow) that night,” Beeman recalled. “I knew we weren’t going to seem them again so we wouldn’t have a chance to avenge that loss. It just goes to show every game does mean something.”
Beeman, rounding out her 13th year as coach, said that might not necessarily affect the Mounties in the Southern California Regional since they will still get two home games but it would come into play at the eight-team state tournament.
The Mounties open play on Saturday at home against the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between No. 15 Santa Ana (17-13) and No. 18 Cuesta (21-9).
“This time you can’t take anyone lightly because it’s one and done if you lose, no second chances,” she said.
Chaffey also made it into the 18-team women’s field. The Foothill Conference got four teams in the draw. The others are champion San Bernardino Valley (26-5), runner-up Mt. San Jacinto (21-10) and Antelope Valley (18-13).
The Panthers tied Antelope for the No. 3 spot in the conference but lost the head-to-head with the Marauders, meaning they were relegated to the fourth seed out of the conference.
Coach Gary Plunkett thought his team might get left out but its strength of schedule payed off. The Panthers are seeded No. 9 and will play at No. 8 Cerritos (24-8) on Friday.
“I went from thinking we had a good chance to thinking we probably wouldn’t get in,” he said. “So I am just thrilled we made it. I knew there was pretty much no chance of a home game.”
Area representation on the men’s side is even lighter but it will be a quality team left carrying the banner as Citrus (30-1) was awarded the top seed.
The Owls are riding an 18-game win streak, their last and only loss of the season coming to Antelope Valley 78-70 in the quarterfinals of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic at Riverside Community College in December.
The overall record and perfect 12-0 in Western States Conference play set school records and the conference title is also a first.
Coach Rick Croy’s team has a first-round bye and will face the winner of Wednesday’s play-in between No. 16 El Camino (20-10) and No. 17 Imperial Valley (20-10) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Chaffey (17-13) did not make the 20-team field. The Panthers finished fifth in the Foothill Conference and could not make the draw ahead of fourth-place San Bernardino Valley (13-15) which was done in by a 4-10 showing in nonconference play.
While the Panthers beat four 20-win teams, they also lost to two conference teams that finished a combined 20 games under .500. They also lost twice to SBVC which is missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
“We were young and inconsistent. That’s the bottom line,” Coach Jeff Klein said.
The close games have been few and far between for the No. 1 Mt. SAC women's basketball team. But the Mounties should be tested tonight as conference rival Pasadena City (20-3) comes in for a 5:30 p.m. showdown.
The Lancers are ranked sixth in the state and have seven players averaging double figures including local product Kinyada Johnson (Diamond Ranch), a freshman point guard.
Defending state champion Mt. SAC (22-1) has won 22 straight since dropping its season opener to Orange Coast. Sophomores Jazlyn Davis (17.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Carmen Deal (14.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg) have led the charge. Three others players are close to double figures - Etiwanda High graduate Safiyah Brown (9.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg), Blaire Edgardo (8.9 ppg) and Alexis Brown (8.2 ppg).
Mt. SAC is averaging 76 points a game and is giving up an average of only 51.7, further evidence of lopsided wins.
"We're really looking forward to it," coach Laura Beeman said. "It will be great to play with that kind of energy and atmosphere because we haven't had a lot of close games. It will be nice to be really tested."
Beeman added that the rivalry has developed over the last five years. It intensified in 2004 when the Mounties beat the Lancers in a state championship game between conference foes.
Pasadena is one of the few teams that has been able to compete with Mt. SAC. The teams split games last season with the Lancers winning the first meeting 70-63 and the Mounties the second 69-56.
Beeman added that at least eight Division I colleges will be represented at the game, most notably Auburn, Arizona State and California-Berkeley.
The battle in the post is expected to be the key with the Mt. SAC women having their hands full with the sister tandem of Keisha Phelps and Florence Wilson.
"There will be a lot of great players on the floor, especially in the post," Beeman added. "It's a great chance not just for the coaches to see some good players but see them against other great players."
She was approached by 6-foot-2 Carmen Deal, a freshman at Pasadena City College, who wanted to transfer.
Beeman knew Deal well, having played against her twice in the 2006-07 season. Beeman told the player she needed to talk to her coach about leaving and enroll at Mt. SAC before she could speak with her.
Deal did that and showed up in the fall, bringing with her an attitude other coaches had warned Beeman about. But Beeman didn't turn the player away. She welcomed the chance to make a difference.
It has paid off again as Deal has transformed into a solid team player on and off the court.
"That's my specialty," said Beeman. "I like taking these kids that are considered problems and working with them. You give them your soul, they'll give you theirs back."
Beeman's caring, tough-love approach has worked. The San Bernardino native is in her 13th year heading the Mt. SAC program. She has 307 career wins, four 30-win seasons and eight 20-win seasons, highlighted by three state titles in the last four years.
The Mounties (15-1) face San Bernardino Valley College (7-2) at 5:30 tonight.
While she is pleased with the wins, it is the graduation rate and her success advancing players that she is most proud of. Lauren Ervin, the cornerstone of the state title team in 2006, is the leading scorer at Arkansas and hasn't forgotten her first conversation with Beeman.
"She told me not to expect any special treatment just because I had athletic ability. If I didn't plan on going to class or working hard, I better go play somewhere else," Ervin said. "A lot of coaches say that, but they don't mean it. I knew better than to test her because if you get in her doghouse it's hard to get out."
Beeman, 39, lives in Huntington Beach but hasn't forgotten her roots. Parents Jerry and Judy still live in San Bernardino and are regulars at most games along with her 92-year-old grandmother Lois.
Brother Bobby took over the the pharmacy business which still bears the family name. Laura also has two sisters, Lisa and Cheryl.
She admits she doesn't get back as often as she would like, especially during the season but did return last week to help decorate the family Christmas tree.
Beeman attended San Gorgonio High School as a freshman, then transferred to San Bernardino High School where she played for three years.
She signed early with Division I Weber State but a serious knee injury derailed that plan. Instead she played close to home at UC Riverside, then coached by Nancy Simpson, who later spent 12 years at Cal State San Bernardino.
Beeman decided to end her playing career for good after a second knee injury that season but Darryl Smith, an assistant coach at Cal State, tracked her down at the mall where she was working and convinced her to give it one last shot.
"I really had no intention of playing again," Beeman said. "Two knee injuries had me convinced basketball was not going to be part of my future."
Beeman relented and played two years for the Coyotes, helping them to a 24-4 mark and West Regional final in 1990. She is second in career assists (379 in her two years and also has the second and third-best numbers for assists in a season, 203 (1989-90) and 176 (1990-91.
She finished her degree in business marketing but opted not to play as a senior.
"I just lost my love of the game," she said. "I didn't want to play if my heart wasn't totally in it. I don't like taking on something unless I am going to give it my absolute best."
After graduating she took a job in marketing and promotions with the High Desert Mavericks baseball team in its inaugural season.
But she was back in the game a year later when an assistant at the University of Redlands asked her to work for the women's team as a graduate assistant. She did that for two years while pursuing a masters.
She first applied for the Mt. SAC job when it opened in 1994. It was given to Sherry Stevenson but Beeman was asked to stay on as an assistant. A year later the school opened the job again and Beeman was given the nod.
She had a five-year plan in place, with her biggest adjustment the classroom environment. The team went a respectable 17-12 her first year.
"I wasn't new to basketball but I was new to the academic scene," she said. "I had never taught in high school, forget college."
Beeman said a turning point came in 1999 when she brought in Brian Crichlow as her lead assistant. He had been serving as the head girls coach at Pomona and became familar with Beeman when she started recruiting some of his players.
Crichlow said Beeman's work ethic is contagious.
"You come in here and she has a practice plan laid out, a scouting report on the next opponent. She is watching film," he said. "It makes you want to dive right in too because you can see how much work she has already put in before you even get there."
Beeman has accomplished everything she can at the community college level and admits she would never count out moving on to a four-year institution, but isn't actively seeking the opportunity.
She won't consider a move unless it's the perfect job for her.
"If it were the right time, the right place and the right situation and I knew I was going to have complete control of the program, yes, I would absolutely think about it," Beeman said. "But I can also see myself being a Mountie the rest of my life."
School adminstrators surprised the veteran coach with a bouquet of flowers and a cake at the team's next practice. The original plan was to honor her at the next home game but that was three weeks off.
Beeman shrugged off the individual accomplishment and passed along praise to her coaching staff. Top assistant Brian Crichlow has been with her for nine years.
"It really is a group accomplishment," she said. "As the head coach you're on the chopping block if you're not winning and you get all the praise if you do things right. But I see us developing players and building a strong program as a coaching staff."
The Mounties, ranked first in the state, should make a strong bid for their third consecutive state title and fourth in five years. They are off to a 12-1 start, the lone loss coming to Orange Coast 63-57 in the season opener, the school's first loss at home in more than two years.
Beeman chalks up that loss primarily to the fact that it was the Mounties first game with 11 newcomers on her 15-player roster. She doesn't worry much about a loss.
"We're about graduating our players and getting them to the next level," she said. "And we want to have a winning program. You graduate your players and win a state title and no one is going to remember how many games you lost."
The team is led by sophomore guard Jazlyn Davis (16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 apg), 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Carmen Deal (15.4 ppg, 11 rpg 2.4 bpg) and freshman guard Blaire Egardo (15 ppg, 4 rpg).
About Michelle
Michelle Gardner has been a staff writer for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2002 and has covered the local college sports scene since 2004. She ventured West after working at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale for eight years and is a graduate of the University of Florida.
E-mail Michelle here.
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