College Sports with Michelle Gardner

San Bernardino Valley College has something special in its men's cross country team. There probably is no other sport where the athletes work harder but get less attention.

The Wolverines just won their fourth straight state title, crushing the competition in the annual meet held at Woodward Park in Fresno. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year because the Wolverines graduated five of their top seven from the team that won the third in a row.

They won by 70 points. That's like winning a soccer game 5-0, a basketball game by 40. You get the picture.

There is no such thing as rebuilding with this team. Four straight state titles is especially admirable at the junior college where you're turning over an entire team every two years.

The school's entire program appears on the upswing. Not only was there the state title by the men, but the SBVC women's soccer team improved to 18-0-4 with a first round playoff win on Saturday. They are in the midst of the best season in school history.

The men's soccer team showed marked improvement and the football team went from 0-10 in 2008 to 5-5 in 2009.

Both basketball teams won Foothill Conference titles last year and the men are currently ranked No. 1 in the state.

There is a lot to be excited about at 701 S. Mount Vernon.

 

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 2:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The San Bernardino Valley College football team turned in what may be the biggest upset in Southern California this season when it stunned previously unbeaten L.A. Harbor 29-21 Saturday night.

That makes the Wolverines 5-5. While that typically isn't a record most coaches get excited about, you have to consider where this team came from.

It took a 15-game losing streak into this season, and lost the first four this season, making it 19. Then came signs of things to come. The Wolverines reeled off four in a row. They were the games that looked like the most winnable even before the season started.Those four teams SBVC beat finished a combined 7-33.

This win was special because it came over a quality foe, one that came in unbeaten and averaging 500 yards a game and 50 points a game on offense. It looked a little suspect on defense but the gaudy statistics it put up offensively more than compensated.

Kevin Emerson did a heck of a job with this team and he wasn't hired until late July. Imagine what he can do when he has a full year!

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chaffey College has picked a new athletic director but it won't be anyone new to the local college scene.

Football coach Carl Beach has gotten the nod, replacing Bob Olivera, whose resignation takes effect on Dec. 1. He had been in education the last 41 years, 27 of that as athletic director at Chaffey.

With all that is involved in running an athletic department nowadays, few colleges have a person runnning the athletic department that also heads a sport, especially a major sport such as football.

But with the state budget crunch, Chaffey has little choice. If anyone can do it, it's Beach. Chaffey has a solid support staff and most of its head coaches have been there a decade or longer. So they don't need a lot of guidance.

The plan is to separate the jobs at some point but who knows when that will be.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been a long time since either San Bernardino Valley College or Cal State San Bernardino went into the end of a men's soccer season with much on the line. But the Wolverines and Coyotes are both having outstanding seasons.

With the quality of the area's youth soccer leagues there is really no reason the programs at both can't be successful. Their rosters are full of local products, with a few others complimenting that mix.

The Cal State men, coached by Noah Kooiman, have already clinched a spot in the CCAA Tournament. They are 14-3-1 overall and 10-3-1 in conference play. It's the third-best record in the history of the program dating back to 1984-85 and surpasses the 1993 mark of 13 wins. The all-time mark is 16 set in 1987.

The Coyotes have two regular season matches left, both against local rival Cal Poly Pomona.

At SBVC, Coach Josh Brown's hard work is starting to pay off. The men are 10-5-3, 2-2-1 in the Foothill Conference with three matches to go. The Wolverines will be hard-pressed to finish ahead of Rio Hondo, which has won 100 titles in a row. So It's only nine. But you get the picture.

But the Wolverines could still make the playoffs and that would be huge, especially considering they won just three games last year. Winning at the junior college level is also hard because there is so much turnover. But Brown's team is made up of mostly freshmen, which bodes well for next year too!

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 2:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two Victor Valley College football players will be continuing their collegiate careers together. Running back Isaac Newton and wide receiver Anthony Berry are headed to University of South Dakota.

Berry (Silverado HS) has finished his academic work at Victor Valley and has already headed to Vermillion, S.D. Newton, a native of New Orleans, will follow after this semester ends.

Newton, a first-team all-conference selection, was sixth in the state in rushing the past season with 1,145 yards, an average of 114.5 yards per game.

South Dakota will join the Great West Conference next season.

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San Bernardino Valley College has appointed two coaches, although one is not necessarily new. Tricia Rossman, 32, had been named women's volleyball coach while Kristin Hauge has been re-appointed as women's soccer coach.

Both started in their positions on Jan. 14. Hauge had been the Wolverines coach for the last four years but did so as a walk-on. The position was elevated to full-time status so she had to go through the application and interview process again.

Athletic director Dave Rubio said he was pleased with the pool of applicants for both positions.

"I am ecstatic at the quality of coaches we were able to get," he said. "They are really going to help us."

The volleyball position has experience the most turnover. Rubio had been the longtime coach but had to give up that job when he was named athletic director early in the summer. SBVC had trouble finding a successor and finally tabbed former Eisenhower coach Jafna Davies as the interim coach two weeks before the first match.

Rossman, a native of Huntington Beach, graduated from San Diego Christian where she was a two-year starter. She got her master's degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific and spent the last two years heading Fairmont Preparatory in Anaheim. She was named Express League Coach of the Year the past season.

"I have always wanted to coach at this level," she said. "They have had good teams here in the past so I hope to take the program to the next level."

Rossman said her first priority will be introducing herself to the area high school coaches and recruiting since the team had just two freshman last season.

She is not totally unfamilar with the area since she was active in club volleyball for 11 years.

Hauge, who had been teaching at Colton High School, directed the Wolverines to a playoff berth this season for the first time in school history. SBVC also recorded its first playoff win, beating Foothill conference for Victor Valley 1-0.

Rubio added that Hauge will also coach softball this season, since the previous coach bailed. Hauge has experience in that sport as well, having played it at Cal Poly Pomona where she earned her undergraduate degree.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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."

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN BERNARDINO - San Bernardino Valley College's Lewis Leonard didn't start the game on Wednesday night, but he finished it in fine fashion, boosting the Wolverines men's basketball team to a 96-93 upset of Chaffey in Foothill Conference play.

 

Leonard entered the game as the state's leading scorer at 25 points per game, but was benched in the first half by coach Gerry Wright for disciplinary reasons. He came back in the second half and scored 18 points, including a key basket in the last seconds, and then blocked a Chaffey shot to preserve the win.

"He's a great player and he knows how to get it done," Wright said. "It's not how you start the first half, it's how you finish."

San Bernardino Valley (5-11, 1-1) took its first lead, 90-89, on a pull-up jumper by Johnny Barnes with 2:41 remaining. Chaffey retook the lead and was ahead, 91-90, when Leonard scored inside with 46 seconds left to put the Wolverines up, 92-91.

On Chaffey's ensuing possession, Leonard swatted away a 15-footer by Brandon Clemons and Barnes grabbed the rebound with 30 seconds to play. The Wolverines then secured the victory at the free-throw line in the final minute.

The Wolverines got a stellar effort from freshman Jason Hurns, who had a career-high 19 points, making his first start of the season in place of Leonard. Hurns was one of five Wolverines in double figures. Barnes had a team-high 23 points with 15 rebounds, Jacob Letson had 14 points and Netsanet Hailu had 10.

Chaffey (11-7, 1-1) was led by freshman guard Jordan Block with 17 points. Troy Allen had 13, Jamal Sloan 12 and Winston Robinson 11.

"We needed this to stay in the hunt," said Wright, whose team lost its Foothill Conference opener last Saturday against Antelope Valley. "There are a lot of good teams in this conference, so every game is going to be important."

Nine of SBVC's 11 losses have been by single digits.

Chaffey came in as the top scoring team in the state at 96 points per game. They were coming off what is believed to be a school-record 133 points Saturday against Barstow.

San Bernardino Valley College will play Saturday at Mt. San Jacinto at 3 p.m. Chaffey hits the road to play College of the Desert on Saturday.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN BERNARDINO -- A slow start may have been enough for most critics to write off the San Bernardino Valley College men's basketball team. But the Wolverines showed they might not be dead yet, finishing nonconference play with a 76-59 win over visiting Long Beach City on Wednesday.

SBVC (4-10), the 2006-07 Foothill Conference champion, begins defense of its title Saturday when Antelope Valley, one of the favorites, makes a visit.

Second-year coach Gerry Wright stopped short of saying his team had turned the corner, but he was satisfied.

"I haven't quite gotten my finger on the pulse of this team yet," he said. "Just when I think they've got it, we go out the next game and we haven't got it. But some of the things I have been driving home seem to have finally gotten through."

One of those things is the importance of the supporting cast. Lewis Leonard entered the game as the state's leading scorer at 26 points a game and Johnny Barnes was 11th at 21. Both of those players held up their end with Lewis scoring 18 and Barnes 16. But it was the others that carried the team to just its fourth win in 14 tries.

Sophomore point guard Jacob Letson had a season-high 23 points, 14 of those coming in a first half in which he hit 6 of 8 field-goal attempts. He also had five rebounds, four steals and five assists.

His former Redlands East Valley High School teammate, Bo Harrison chipped in with 13 points, four steals and four assists.

"Those guys (Barnes and Leonard) are going to get theirs," Letson said. "It is up to the rest of us to contribute, too."

The Wolverines were never really challenged, something that was probably unexpected because they had lost to the same team three weeks ago, 84-75.

The game was tied at 6, but the Wolverines surged ahead with 18 of the game's next 22 points and never looked back. Lewis had seven points in that run, which also featured a three-point play by Letson and ended with a fastbreak layup by Harrison that came after a steal at midcourt.

The Wolverines led, 41-28, at the half and the Vikings (11-9) were never within single digits.

Wright's team also played smart. It had been averaging 84 points a game, but slowed the pace in the second half after Barnes picked up his fourth foul with 9:17 left and SBVC ahead, 63-48. Later, Lewis was called for his fourth foul with 5:16 to go and the Wolverines up, 67-51.

"Coach has been after me about knowing the situation and managing the game," Letson said. "That's something I have really been trying to focus on."

While the Wolverines' record is sub-par, Wright has never lost faith. Eight of their 10 losses have been by single digits.

"We have had games where we were up by seven, eight points and were racing up and down the court putting shots up," he said. "We did a much better job of playing under control tonight. I don't want to pull back the reigns altogether, but you have to understand the situation."

The Wolverines shot 58.5 percent (31 for 53) in the game, including 69 percent (18 for 26) in the opening half.

Long Beach shot 50 percent (21 for 42) in the game. Sophomore Matt Richard had a team-high 26 points and six rebounds and Wynton Johnson had 16, 10 of those from the free-throw line. Barstow native Cameron Herbert, out of Silver Valley High School, had six points and two assists.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Laura Beeman was outside Selland Arena in Fresno, talking on her cell phone moments after her Mt. San Antonio College women's basketball team won a state tournament semifinal game, seeking information on thenext opponent.

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."

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mt. SAC women's basketball coach Laura Beeman admits her team's 72-61 victory over Ventura on Nov. 25 had special meaning. It wasn't because it came in the championship game of the Ventura Tournament of Champions. It marked the 300th career victory for Beeman, in her 13th year directing the team.

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).

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Four players finished in double figures as host Riverside Community College edged the Riverside All-Stars 82-80 in first round play at the 38th annual Wells Fargo Holiday Classic Tuesday night. That game was the last of four on the day.

Other winners were Fullerton, Mt. San Jacinto and East Los Angeles. The host Tigers (8-2) advance to play East Los Angeles in the 7 p.m. game Thursday night.

RCC was led by Keiran Nunley who tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Anthony Dandy and Anthony Scott contributed 12 each with Dandy, a San Gorgonio High School graduate, also collecting five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Cajon product James Simmons aided the cause with six assists and three steals.

Treno Butler headed the effort of the all-star team with 20 points. Brian Hooks added 15 with five rebounds and four assists.

The tournament continues today with Long Beach City playing Saddleback at 1 p.m., College of the Desert squaring off with unbeaten Citrus at 3 p.m., Los Angeles Pierce looking for its first win against San Diego City at 5 p.m. and Compton playing Antelope Valley at 7 p.m.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RIVERSIDE - All season San Bernardino Valley College basketball coach Gerry Wright has been waiting for someone other than his big two to step up. He's still waiting.

Sophomores Johnny Barnes and Lewis Leonard combined for 57 points and 18 rebounds but it wasn't enough as the Wolverines (1-7) fell to East Los Angeles 88-79 in first round action at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic Tuesday at Riverside Community College.

The two came in averaging a combined 50 points but that hasn't translated to many wins.

"We're not getting enough production out of other guys," said a frustrated Wright. " They don't want to be the guys taking all the shots and they are trying to involve others but they're the only guys that have been making things happen."

The Wolverines could never get over the hump. Their only lead of the game came at 12-11 when Leonard hit a jumper from the baseline. But that lead didn't last long as the Huskies Damien Riley converted a three-point play at the other ends seconds later.

East L.A. (5-5) led by as many as 11 in the first half and was up 44-38 as Leonard and Barnes tallied 30 of those 38. The Huskies biggest lead of the second half came at 66-46 with 11:06 to go. SBVC got back within nine at 76-67 with 2:50 to play but East L.A. lived at the free-throw line the rest of the night, knocking down 13 of 14 tries.

"We're doing all we can but two people can't outplay 10 people," Barnes said. "Everyone has to bring the same heart and the same passion for us to get it done."

Barnes ended up with 34 points (15-for-32) from the field) and eight rebounds. While most of his points came in the paint, he did knock down three 3-pointers including back-to-back ones down the stretch with SBVC trying to rally.

Leonard, who played all 40 minutes, added 23 points and 10 rebounds with six assists and two steals. He went 8-for-24 but was 3-for-11 from long distance w ith some of his shots desperate attempts to make things happen.

Point guard Jacob Letson had nine points but was in foul trouble the entire game, picking up his fourth 1:11 into the second half and his fifth with 10:10 to go.

Wright said he does see potential in Sylvester Burel, who played basketball at Redlands East Valley but did not play at SBVC last season. He is just coming off football and isn't in prime basketball shape yet but still contributed four points, five rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes.

"Right now its the whopped dog syndrome. You can only take so many before you just grimace and get ready for it," Wright said. "I still think we have potential but we have to figure it out before conference starts."

East Los Angeles, which shot 56 percent (28-for-50), had six players ion double figures with 6-10 Richard Westphain netting a team-high 17.

SBVC, which shot 50.5 percent (32-for-79), will play at 2 p.m. Thursday in a consolation bracket game.

In the first two games of the day Mt. San Jacinto (7-1) defeated Palomar 87-76 and Fullerton (9-0) cruised past Pasadena City 98-70.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Citrus College men's basketball team is off to the best start in school history while San Bernardino Valley College is off to one of the worst. Both will be in the 16-team field of the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic which starts today and runs through Saturday at Riverside Community College.

San Bernardino Valley College (1-6), the defending Foothill Conference champion, will take the floor at 5 p.m. today against East Los Angeles (4-5). A win would put the Wolverines into the quarterfinals on Thursday, most likely against the host school.

Citrus (10-0), ranked fourth in Southern California and seventh in the state, faces a formidable challenge at 3 p.m. Wednesday against College of the Desert (6-1).

The event is a grind with teams playing as many as four straight days. But Owls coach Rick Croy thinks his team is ready.

"This team really is built for tournament play," he said. "I have 13 players I use and I trust all 13 of them. We plan for fatigue before it even hits us."

Sophomore guard Buchi Awaji (18.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg) heads the effort with freshman guard A.J. Gasporra (13.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg) and sophomore guard Darren Moore (13 ppg), planning to play next season at UC Irvine.
The Owls have two other players at nine points a game including sophomore forward Richard Frohlich (9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) who has already signed with Texas-San Antonio.

While the Owls have been impressive, Croy and his team know tougher tasks are ahead.

"We know there is another level of competition we haven't faced yet but I am happy with where we're at," Croy said. "Our motto is stay humble and stay hungry. So far we have been able to do that."

Meanwhile the Wolverines are looking to find their groove. But coach Gerry Wright isn't panicking. Four of the six losses have been by single digit margins (two in overtime) and the schedule has been tough. Making it tougher, all the games have been on the road with the first game at Snyder Gymnasium not coming until Jan. 3.

The Wolverines are missing some players Wright was relying on, with one going down with a season-ending knee injury and another leaving the team so he could work.

"We scrimmaged a week before the season and the next week we didn't have those guys," Wright said. "We just have to take control and go a different direction because we don't have the aces we thought we would have."

The team is led by returning starters Johnny Barnes (22.8 ppg) and Lewis Leonard (27.8 ppg). Leonard had 28 points in the most recent loss, an 88-80 setback to Los Angeles City. Wright added that he is looking for more production from the newcomers, especially at the off guard position.

"Right now we're getting points out of four or five guys. That's something we have to address," he said.
Citrus is one five teams that come in with state rankings. The others are No. 2 Fullerton (8-0), No. 6 Mt. San Jacinto (9-0), No. 12 Riverside (7-2) and No. 17 Antelope Valley (7-3). In addition Long Beach City (5-4) is ranked No. 13 in the South.

 
The Owls finished as runner-up in the event last year, losing the championship game to Riverside.

Here is today's schedule:

Palomar (3-5) vs. Mt. Sam Jacinto (9-0), 1 p.m.

Pasadena (0-6) vs. Fullerton (8-0), 3 p.m.

East Los Angeles vs. San Bernardino Valley, 5 p.m.

Riverside All-Stars vs. Riverside CC, 7 p.m.

Wednesday's games

Long Beach City (5-4) vs. Saddleback (4-5), 1 p.m.

Desert (6-1) vs. Citrus (10-0), 3 p.m.

Los Angeles Pierce (0-5) vs. San Diego City (2-6), 5 p.m.

Compton (2-9) vs. Antelope Valley (7-3), 7 p.m.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The dry confines of the Snyder Gym proved to be a relief from the downpour outside as the Wolverines pummeled the Bakersfield Renegades 77-33 in non-conference action.

Sophomore Shy Walter (Perris) led the team with 14 points, followed by sophomore Jasmine Marshall (Arroyo Valley) with 12 points and freshman Dwayanna Pullum (J.W. North) with 12 points.

The Wolverines went on a 9-0 run to start the game ending up with a 42-14 half time lead.

Renegades freshman Ashley Van Zandt (Stockdale) lead the team with 11 points and sophomore Tiffany Jones contributed 10 points in the loss.

With the win the Wolverines move to 5-1 with their next appearance will be on the road in the Rose City Tournament in Pasadena starting on December 6^th.

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The San Bernardino Valley College football team now needs an upset and a little bit of help if it is going to claim its first Foothill Conference title in a decade. Three teams headed into play last weekend without a conference loss and two went head-to head as SBVC treked to Antelope Valley, only to come up a 22-6 loser.

The task gets tougher. Saturday they will host College of the Desert, which is also unbeaten in conference play and looms as an even more fromidable foe. While Antelope Valley boasts the state's No. 1 defense, it offense only does just enough to get by. Desert (7-0) has run roughshod over everyone and looks like the clear cut favorite.

So SBVC has to win this one, then hope Desert beats Antelope Valley.

Pat Meech has done an admirable job rebuilding a program that had been in steady decline. There were a lot of long faces and obvious disappointment in the huddle when Meech addressed the team after the game. We'll see what character this team has when it takes the field this week for what now looms as a must-win

Posted by Michelle Gardner at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I ran into SBVC men's basketball coach Gerry Wright recently at a Wolverines football game and he is excited about the coming season. You might remember Wright was put in the precarious position of taking over the Wolverines in December when previous coach Derrick Pugh was relieved of his duties just as the team was leaving for an afternoon game in Riverside.

Wright did an admirable job, directing the team to a Foothill Conference title. (In a preseason poll of memeber coaches, SBVC was picked to finish fourth.) A playoff run ended with a second round loss to Saddleback. The outcome might have been different had the team's only presence in the paint not been injured in practice a few days earlier.

The interim tag was lifted and Wright was officially handed the job in April. He deserved it.

It looked like he was going to be loaded this year since most of his key players last year were freshmen. But other coaches went after his players like vultures while SBVC administrators tried to make a decision. Wright said there is no animosity between himself and the other players. Most were from out of state and Wright said they didn't have the financial means to stay here.

The only returning player is Bo Harrison, a local product out of Redlands East Valley. But that is OK with Wright who says he wants to prove you can win with local talent.

Former Coach Phil Mathews, who took the team to the state tournament in both his years here, had connections all over the country and used those when it came to recruiting. The team that played at SBVC last year was basically his.

There is nothing really wrong with that. This is college, not high school. Recruiting is part of the game. But it still seems to violate the spirit for which junior colleges were intended. Most of the local players who have played at SBVC in the past few years were nothing more than seat fillers on the bench. It could not have been easy for them to practice hard every day for their neighborhood school when they knew they were going to be pushed aside for highly touted players from across the country who probably never heard of San Bernardino.

Having the majority of players from out of state also helps add to a disconnect between the school and the community when there should be just the opposite. Let's hope Wright is successful in his mission.

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Posted by Michelle Gardner at 1:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)