The Nosebleed Section

"Mount finished the grueling tournament with an 8-1 mark that included seven straight wins in the consolation bracket and five pins. He is the first Panther to medal since Ben Cockburn took third in 1999 at 215, and he just missed the medal podium by one match last year. Bergstedt was 6-1 with four pins, making him 56-1 this season with 44 pins. Both are seniors and can close the book on their storied prep careers."

March 4, 2007
By LEE GORDON-Special to the E-R

BAKERSFIELD — It was all about coming back from adversity this weekend for Chico High's Joseph Mount and Paradise's Kyle Bergstedt at the CIF state wrestling championships. While both were ranked in the top two in the state coming in, neither was able to make it to the finals at Rabobank Arena and instead they are Butte County's bronze bombshells. Ask either one of them, or their coaches, and you'll hear just how difficult it is to become the overall victor in a state that doesn't divide championships by school size. Toss in the fact that the last Northern Section state champ won in 1997, and the chances seem even smaller.

Chico coach Keith Rollins said Mount's performance at 160 pounds was one that will have a lasting effect on the Panthers program.

"One of my biggest things I preach is mental toughness and for Joseph to lose in that second round (Friday), it was all about everything we've built our program around this year," Rollins said.

Bergstedt (189) had cruised through the competition Friday with four wins but his path to the state title match was blocked by Oakdale's Rudi Burtschi in Saturday's semifinals. Burtschi pulled another upset in the final, winning the state crown over Palo Alto's John Hall.

The Sac-Joaquin Section champ recorded a takedown in the first period and turned Bergstedt to his back in the second for a 3-point nearfall with a barbed wire hold. But Paradise's lone representative roared back with an escape and caught Burtschi in a bad position, which led to a takedown and 2-point nearfall, tying the match at five apiece.

Burtschi chose neutral to begin the third and capitalized with an arm drag to a single-leg takedown. Bergstedt escaped with 13 seconds remaining but still lost the match 6-5, sending him to consolation.

"I just couldn't get my shot off and he finished his shots so good," Bergstedt said after the loss. "He's a good wrestler."

Mount finished the grueling tournament with an 8-1 mark that included seven straight wins in the consolation bracket and five pins. He is the first Panther to medal since Ben Cockburn took third in 1999 at 215, and he just missed the medal podium by one match last year. Bergstedt was 6-1 with four pins, making him 56-1 this season with 44 pins. Both are seniors and can close the book on their storied prep careers.

Mount's day started just like the previous one ended: with his back against the wall, trying to stave off elimination. He guaranteed himself a spot on the medal podium with a 6-0 win over Buchanan of Fresno's Craig West. West got deep on a double-leg shot but Mount used leverage with a whizzer and avoided the takedown. Then Mount collected a takedown right before the buzzer with a go-behind and his lead grew to 4-0 in the second with a 2-point nearfall created by a banana split move.

After pinning Joshua Rodriguez of Canyon Springs in 3:38, Mount did the same to Evan Coles of Laguna Hills, the Southern Section's No. 3 finisher, in 3:54.

He used a go-behind for the only scoring of the first period and after Mount chose down for the second, Coles locked him into a cradle. But just when Mount's back was in nearfall criteria, he used an explosive burst and kicked out of the hold. Soon after, he took Coles down and locked up a cradle of his own — unlike Coles, Mount held on to his for three nearfall points. He used another cradle later to get the fall.

In the match to decide third and fourth places, Mount escaped six seconds into the second period and then hit a go-behind after holding a front headlock. His 3-0 lead stood through the end of the second and the third periods, making his tournament performance as a whole easier to swallow.

"It's cool to have a strong comeback," Mount said before medal ceremonies. "I was disappointed with that one match (Friday's loss). But I kind of had to move on."

Bergstedt went back to his dominant ways after his loss to Burtschi, first besting Folsom's Cody Wilcox 7-4 and then seizing the bronze with a 9-1 triumph over Jesse Bethel's Matt Gibson. In the match against Wilcox, Bergstedt trailed 2-1 after two periods but locked his opponent in a cradle for three nearfall points and then again for two more.

The third-place match was somewhat of a yawner, as Bergstedt took Gibson down in each of the first two periods and Gibson escaped with 30 seconds left in the match. Capping off an amazing reign at Paradise, Bergstedt took Gibson down and got three nearfall points with a cradle to ice the win.

Bergstedt said winning the state title was a dream for him, more important than an unblemished record for the season. While disappointed that he didn't get to vie for the title in the end, Bergstedt said his 2007 performance was better than his 2005 finish.

"It's better than fourth place," which is what he won as a sophomore. Bergstedt missed all of last season with a knee injury.

The two Butte County award winners drew lots of attention over the weekend from college coaches watching the tournament. So even though their high school legacies are complete, there is likely more success in store for the two at a higher level.

Rollins said Mount hasn't hit his peak yet, and that should make college coaches even more interested.

"When college coaches look for a wrestler, more than talent, more than what they did in high school, (coaches) look for a kid who is mentally tough," he said. "What Joseph did here this weekend proves that he is mentally tough enough.

"Whoever gets him for their college has truly got one of California's hidden secrets. I think he's gonna go way beyond what he did in high school."

The Northern Section had a banner year, bringing home eight medals for 28 participants, which is the most medals ever in a state tournament. Anderson placed two wrestlers and Foothill of Palo Cedro placed four, including Mike Vassar's third place finish at 140. Foothill placed ninth in the team scoring with 54.5 points while Anderson was 16th.

"Green's demise may have been that he was simply too fast for the rest of the competition. The race leader was held back by Chico's Robbie Whitchurch and was unable to pass on the lower edge of the track. While Green tagged behind Whitchurch and the other slower drivers, Allard chipped away and closed the gap gradually."

July 5, 2007
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

On a night where fans were celebrating America's independence from England, it was an Australian who claimed his independence from the rest of the pack in the 410 winged sprints main feature Wednesday. Only a miraculous pass on the final lap and some help from lapped traffic was going to beat Trevor Green, and that's exactly what Chico's Stephen Allard got, as he won the showcase race to claim his third victory of the season and put the trophy in American hands. Allard took the high road on turn 3 of the 25th lap and looped around a blob of lapped traffic to sprint to the checkered flag. That same blob was just cumbersome enough to slow Green and allow Allard to claim the triumph on a brutally hot summer night.

"It held him up a little bit but he was out there to a pretty big lead," Allard said right before the fireworks show commenced. "I didn't think I was going to catch him but lapped traffic played into my part."

Two Marysville drivers were the other victors before a crowd of 3,560 at Silver Dollar Speedway during the 14th edition of the Feather Falls Casino Friday night points series. Charlie Marrs won his heat and the main event in the wingless sprints competition while Ryan McDaniel topped a small field to take the dirt modifieds trophy.

Green's demise may have been that he was simply too fast for the rest of the competition. The race leader was held back by Chico's Robbie Whitchurch and was unable to pass on the lower edge of the track. While Green tagged behind Whitchurch and the other slower drivers, Allard chipped away and closed the gap gradually. By the 20th lap Green's lead had evaporated and the two battled amongst a group of lead-lap cars and lapped cars.

Then Allard went for the top on the third turn, and that was all the difference.

"That was the only way I was gonna be able to pass him because he was holding his line too good and the bottom was actually the fastest way around," Allard said. "I was just able to get a little momentum coming out of (turn) two and that lapped car bobbled him just for a second."

Marrs' ascent to the front of the field in the wingless sprints was fueled more by other drivers' mishaps and bad luck than by his own success. Two yellow flags and one red flag marred the action before a lap was even completed and both cars that started in the front row had bowed out of the race temporarily. Marrs started in the third row and was able to hold off Grass Valley's Matt Streeter for his second feature victory in eight tries this season.

The 20-lap jaunt had five yellow caution flags and one red flag in the first six laps, and just 12 out of 20 cars completed the whole race.

McDaniel's victory in the dirt modifieds was a lesson in domination, as he passed Chico's Darin Ruley on the second lap and didn't look back the rest of the way. Points leader Richard Papenhausen had to pull out of the main feature but his gigantic points lead isn't likely to shrink, and Marysville's Randy McDaniel won the only heat race in dirt modifieds.

Allard said Green is a good racer and is very capable of winning main features at Silver Dollar. Just don't think that Allard is going to let him win easily.

"He's had a little bit of bad luck and it would be nice to see him get one maybe, but I'll take it from him any time," Allard said.

"The teams were toe-to-toe all night long, and the stats show why a Chico missed extra point in the second quarter was the difference. Chico's offense rolled up 250 yards and PV tallied 248 and neither ever manhandled the opposition. It went back-and-forth all night long ..."

October 13, 2007
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

For some Chico High fans, players and coaches, it was like a funeral. For others it was a celebration of life, one of those events where people look at the bright side after facing adversity. For all, it was an amazing crosstown rivalry football game that featured every ingredient required to create an epic Eastern Athletic League battle. Pleasant Valley triumphed in Almond Bowl XXXVII by a 13-12 score and a surging mob of navy blue and white stormed the thrashed University Stadium playing surface after PV extended its record to 7-0, 4-0 in the EAL. With two minutes left in the game, though, it was Panther nation that thought it would be celebrating in the mud and relegating Viking players to stunned faces and disappointment.

PV receiver Sean Reynolds only caught one pass all night from quarterback Eric Hoffman, and he made the most of his opportunity when he caught a pass near the line of scrimmage, juked the cornerback and sprinted furiously for the end zone from 48 yards away. It was a clutch play on a comeback drive to win a huge game, and Reynolds only had one thing on his mind as he zoomed to paydirt with two minutes left.

"Don't slip, don't slip, don't slip," the senior receiver said he remembered thinking as he raced down the right sideline. "It's amazing. I'm so happy we won."

For as much elation as there was on the PV side, there was an equal amount of deflation on the Chico side. But that's not to say that Panther players and coaches considered the tense loss reflective of a lack of desire, talent or anything else.

"That was a great high school football game, the kids played their guts out," Chico coach Mike Cooper said after the game. "What I told them, they're a 5-2 football team and they're a very good football team. Hopefully this is great motivation to go throughout the last three games."

Chico is now 2-2 in the EAL.

Each team had opportunities to win the game and each team had opportunities to lose the game. PV suffered from a case of the fumbles and gave the rock to Chico three different times, including twice in the third quarter. Chico seized a 12-7 lead on a Nate Anderson 1-yard run after PV running back Evan Busby coughed up the ball and the Panthers went 65 yards in a little more than seven minutes after Andrew Medearis made the recovery. Brandon Nickas was stripped of the ball on PV's next drive and Chico took it all the way to the 6-yard line on 10 plays.

But Chico failed to convert a fourth-and-3 from the 6, and then got the ball back in stellar field position after a shanked punt but went four-and-out on the next drive.

That's when the momentum shifted to the Vikings and their faithful.

Hoffman took over with 2:50 left and found Busby for 13 yards and Brett McMurray for 20 before Reynolds' heroics. PV coach Bill Haley made sure first to say how much he admired Chico's effort, and then said he wasn't convinced that Reynolds was going to score.

"I thought he was going to get knocked out at the 10-yard line," Haley said. "My hat's off to Chico. They've got some guys who are warriors. I hope we see each other in the playoffs."

The teams were toe-to-toe all night long, and the stats show why a Chico missed extra point in the second quarter was the difference. Chico's offense rolled up 250 yards and PV tallied 248 and neither ever manhandled the opposition. It went back-and-forth all night long, leaving Chico defensive lineman Tanner Wakefield to simply say, "It just didn't work out for us. I'm sure we're all a little angry right now."

It did work out for Busby and the Vikings, as the senior led his team with 119 yards on 16 carries. He scored the first touchdown of the game on the final play of the first quarter when he used a block from Reynolds to burn his way 56 yards to the end zone, which was dwarfed by a giant television screen standing nearby.

"I've never lost an Almond Bowl before. This is the best feeling I've ever had," said Busby, the three-year varsity player.

Chico's Kayhan Karatekeli scored from a yard away in the second quarter after Chico put together a nine-play drive to move 80 yards, but Kyle Nichols' fateful extra point was wide right. Karatekeli led his team with 79 yards on 19 carries.

Haley's happy his team is still undefeated, but he also knows just how close Chico was to beating his Vikings. It may take a while for the reality of the situation to set in for him.

"It just didn't turn out for them," he said. "Sometimes as a coach you don't enjoy it like you should because you're alw

"The fourth quarter was a deadlock, though each team had to make a defensive stand to persevere. The Braves' Joey Von Houtte picked off Enos to get his team the ball but Willows also stood firm on defense late. Hamilton had a fourth-and-1 from the Willows 5 and went for it, but Diaz was millimeters short after a stand that included a tense measurement by the chain crew."

November 27, 2008
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

WILLOWS — Epic. That's the word that best describes the Northern Section Division III championship game Wednesday night. No. 2 seed Hamilton emerged victorious 21-14 over No. 1 Willows in overtime and it was a night that lived up to everything a title game is billed up to be. It came down to the last play, when Hamilton's Omar Diaz stepped in front of Will Enos' pass to end any chance of the Honkers (10-2) forcing a second overtime and it elicited a furious tsunami of blue-and-yellow-clad players and fans onto the field to celebrate the school's second straight section title.

Braves coach Mark Cooley got an ice bath right about then, and loved every second of it.

"Defense wins championships, and we just knew that," he said. "This is so much better than last year it's not even funny."

Considering that Hamilton (10-2) won last year's title 7-0 in Live Oak, it's a testament to how close Wednesday's battle was. Braves quarterback Brad Lohse scored what turned out to be the game-winner on a 9-yard keeper that started out as an option play to the right on second-and-goal from the 9. Oscar Pineda drilled the point after.

Each team starts overtime with the ball on the 10-yard line and Hamilton had gone first.

Lohse's diving effort put the Honkers' backs against the wall and the Hamilton defense came out strong. Fabian Gutierrez was dropped by Lohse for a 4-yard loss on first down and Enos got no gain on a keeper on second down. His third-down pass hung in the air long enough for Diaz to pick it off and end the season.

"I knew it was going to come down to the last play," Diaz said while being mobbed by Hamilton fans. "We just had a better team and we wanted it more."

It almost didn't come to overtime.

Pineda attempted a 37-yard field goal with 6 seconds left but Travis Taylor blocked it to send the game to extra plays. Two Willows coaches were well onto the field signaling timeout before the ball was snapped but the extreme roar coming from both teams' bleachers allowed the ball to be snapped without officials hearing the request.

"It stinks because someone has to lose the last game of their career," Willows coach Jim Ward said somberly. "We fought to the bitter end. Our kids played hard and that's all I could ask of them."

Neither team ever had complete control of the game. Hamilton did outgain Willows 356 to 253 on offense while the Honkers pounced on two wayward Braves fumbles. And Hamilton managed to pick Enos off four times — twice by Diaz — to shift momentum to its end.

"What can you say? He's done it all year long," Cooley said of Diaz, his junior running back and defensive back.

The Braves drew first blood when Lohse snuck the ball in from three yards out with 1:51 left in the first. The ball barely made the goal line and it took an officials' conference before the points were awarded to the chagrin of Honkers fans. It came after Willows fumbled on the Braves' 8 and Peter Knight fell on the ball.

The Honkers retorted with a clutch drive to close out the half. They went 59 yards and cashed in on a perfectly executed 16-yard post-corner touchdown pass from Enos to Cody Pastorino, who led the team with three catches for 66 yards.

Willows lost the ball on downs in the third quarter and the Braves marched 86 yards on 10 plays before Diaz went off-tackle on the right side to score and make it 14-7. Willows answered right back with a 60-yard drive after an onside kick. Enos hit Michael Chappell with a 13-yard seam pass to even the score with the addition of Fabian Reynosa's extra point.

The fourth quarter was a deadlock, though each team had to make a defensive stand to persevere. The Braves' Joey Von Houtte picked off Enos to get his team the ball but Willows also stood firm on defense late. Hamilton had a fourth-and-1 from the Willows 5 and went for it, but Diaz was millimeters short after a stand that included a tense measurement by the chain crew.

Diaz led all rushers with 144 yards on 26 carries and senior Tyler Kormos was Willows' top rusher with 80 yards on just seven carries.

Lohse was solid behind center for the Braves with 7-of-10 passing for 85 yards. Enos completed seven of his 19 attempts for 120 yards.

"Even more amazing is that Smith, Poliquin and Loustale played the entire game. Simmons has frequently been using one player off the bench and his five new starters have shown they have the physical endurance to play the whole game. And win it."

January 11, 2009
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

OROVILLE — Within a six-day span, the Chico High boys basketball team had to deal with the death of a fellow student, the suspension of seven players and a 21-point blowout loss at home to Red Bluff to open league play. And that's what makes the Panthers' accomplishment Saturday at Oroville High that much more mind-blowing. Chico dominated Eastern Athletic League foe Foothill 57-36 to win the championship trophy from the 16th Dennis Burnum Classic and it came from an effort that left both coaches raving about how well the Panthers played over the three-day tourney.

They used just six players Saturday and never trailed in the rout after spending most of the day at Nick Garber's funeral in Chico. It was another emotionally trying day in a week already full of them, and Sam Simmons' players did everything it took to record a convincing win over a dangerous team.

"I just told them after the game that if someone were to write this script, no one would believe it," Simmons said. "This is something we're still working through. It's one of those things where you say to yourself 'How did I get here,' and then the secret to that is working your way out with class and dignity."

Shooting the ball at a 52.2 percent mark sure helps. The combination of hot Chico shooting and a not-so-hot Cougar effort told the whole story on the floor. Foothill (6-6) was just 13 for 46, which is 28.2 percent.

Seven players or not, this Chico team (9-2) is playing great basketball right now, Foothill coach Bill Elliott said.

"I don't know if we could've done anything. I wouldn't say we played that bad, I would say Chico played that good. There aren't many other teams in the section that can beat them when they play that well, with that seven or any seven," Elliott said, adding that you can't take any Chico team lightly. "Not against a Simmons-coached team. We want the game to be sped up and Chico was so patient. They really worked the ball however long in the shot clock and made us play defense that long."

They shared it well and that was exhibited in the scoring column. Senior Kevin Loustale led the way with 13 points, and he was followed in double digits by Sterling Smith and Bryce Poliquin with 12 apiece. Jordan Kenoyer added 11.

Even more amazing is that Smith, Poliquin and Loustale played the entire game. Simmons has frequently been using one player off the bench and his five new starters have shown they have the physical endurance to play the whole game. And win it.

"We were doing what we wanted to do so I didn't want to disrupt that," Simmons said. "We were controlling the tempo. After watching Foothill press for two nights and making the opposing team turn the ball over, I was worried about getting the ball past halfcourt to be honest."

Loustale said he was pleasantly surprised with how little being tired played a role.

"I expected that I would feel some fatigue in the third game but I feel pretty good today," Loustale said, championship trophy in his hand. "We've improved a lot since we started with the seven guys we have. We're getting used to each other."

They are, and it showed early. A 7-0 spurt that made it 13-5 included a short jumper from Poliquin, superior ball movement to set up a Kenoyer 3-pointer and then a clever inbounds pass that Smith scored from. After it got to 24-16 midway through the second, the Panthers closed out the half with two buckets both set up by Smith's passing. The sophomore drove hard and then dished out to Chris Barr, who rattled home a jumper, and then his baseline drive set up a subsequent pass to Poliquin, who knocked down a long 2-point jumper to make it 28-16.

"Sterling has a nose for the ball, as we say," Simmons said. "He goes where the ball is and his biggest asset is that he allows us to coach him."

Smith said the day's events made it more difficult to focus, however, the camaraderie is what pulled the Panthers through it all.

"It's tough losing a classmate. I pretty much went straight from the funeral to here," he said. "Even the guys who weren't playing helped out and we won as a team. We came together and won the championship."

Patience keyed the title run. Chico engaged in lower-scoring games than it had played in December and was very cognizant of taking care of the ball. That will come in key as the Panthers start the full-fledged EAL schedule on Tuesday at Enterprise. They've got four games in the books now, and Simmons said he's already noticing the marked improvement.

"(Last) Tuesday night they were scared. It was their first time and they were frightened to death," Simmons said. "To keep their composure and to take direction so well, it's a testament to the people who are raising them."

Jay Pearce was Foothill's leading scorer with 16 points. Nobody else scored in double-figures for a Cougars team that set a season-low for points scored with 36.

"Biggs struck a low dribbling shot that Chico goalie Lydia North dove head-first to stop, yet right as North appeared to get her hands on the ball, Summer Kemp-Jennings knocked it away from North's grasp and tapped it in despite a forceful attempt by the Chico defenders to keep the ball out. Chico's defenders shoved a Viking player into the goal post, but their efforts failed and the Vikings looked well on their way to the big win."

March 28, 2008
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

CHICO — Pleasant Valley High goalkeeper Lindsay Smith said she had butterflies in her stomach as the final minutes were ticking away Thursday afternoon on the pitch at PV. The senior was playing intracity rival and Eastern Athletic League power Chico and her Vikings were protecting a lead against a team that hadn't lost an EAL game in her high school career.

It was unfamiliar territory, to say the least, as the past seven battles saw the Panthers outscore PV 25-1 and win six times along with a scoreless tie. But after the Vikings fought off a feverish Panther push in the waning minutes to win 2-1, there was exuberance and excitement for the home team, and some tears for the girls in red.

"We're proud of our reputation and we don't like to lose," said Kealan Cronin, who scored for Chico (4-4, 3-1). "This year, they played offensive. They played to win and they did."

Prior to Thursday's triumph, which could easily be defined as an upset, all PV had to take solace in was a scoreless tie last year. The Vikings (5-6-4, 3-0) didn't play for the tie this time, and their aggressiveness paid off. It all began when freshman Nicole Biggs made a nifty move against three Panther defenders at the top of the goal box and whacked a perfectly placed shot with her right foot that dribbled to the back of the net in the 31st minute.

"It calmed us down," Biggs said. "We were playing scared and timid but that goal pumped us up."

It was a microcosm of PV's strategy in the first half, as the wind kept the ball in the Panthers' end for most of the 40 minutes. PV coach Wally Leese said his team's emphasis on the attacking area, plus the breeze, were huge for his squad.

"We cut the field in thirds, and when we get in that attacking area we turn it up," he said. "I told them before the game they can't chicken out, they have to be strong."

And they really had to be strong in the second half, when the Panthers had the wind in their favor and the sting of trailing at the half in front of a crowd that stretched from end to end along the sideline. The PV defense managed to stifle Chico's scoring opportunities but not in dominating fashion.

"Having the wind is always an advantage. We were hoping to maybe get some shots on target," Chico coach Antonio Isern. "We had our chances."

In the 70th minute, Chico appeared to have the equalizer after Smith jumped high to swat away a ball that had been headed after a loft shot. Right as the ball emerged from a flurry of players and trickled into the net, a foul was called on a Panthers player for bumping Smith on the save.

That play wasn't a momentum killer for Chico, but what transpired a minute later was.

Biggs struck a low dribbling shot that Chico goalie Lydia North dove head-first to stop, yet right as North appeared to get her hands on the ball, Summer Kemp-Jennings knocked it away from North's grasp and tapped it in despite a forceful attempt by the Chico defenders to keep the ball out. Chico's defenders shoved a Viking player into the goal post, but their efforts failed and the Vikings looked well on their way to the big win.

Chico came right back and had great chances, mostly thanks to corner kicks from Karly Brown. One in the 71st minute was deflected and looked destined for the net, however PV freshman Annika Kemp used her head to knock the shot away. The Panthers finally hit paydirt in the 72nd minute when Brown's corner found Cronin's head and went in.

But the frenetic charge was too little too late for Chico, and now PV is atop the EAL standings, even if it is still early.

Maybe the guard is changing in the EAL, or maybe Thursday was an aberration. Either way, PV showed that this year is becoming much different than years past.

"We're better than we were last year, but Chico is still the strongest team in the league on paper," Leese said. "We can't get complacent, we have to work really hard to stay on top."

"There were 2 seconds left on the clock after the stoppage of activity, and had Berry come back out to wrestle, Davis would have won and the Panthers would have won the dual."

January 29, 2009
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

CHICO — The word "safely" caused quite the stir late on Wednesday night in Varley Gym, where Pleasant Valley's wrestling team edged Chico High 32-26 on a final-match pin by heavyweight Ken Young. With a chance to seal the Eastern Athletic League dual meet victory in the 215-pound division, Chico's Michael Davis held a 14-9 lead over PV's Rod Berry with 5 seconds left and lifted him off the mat in an effort to return him flat. He was called for an illegal slam, and when Berry failed to rise up after a 2-minute timed break, the match was forfeited in Berry's favor. What that did was pull PV even at 26, and gave Young the opportunity to be a hero.

Davis was penalized for not returning Berry to the mat safely, as the rulebook defines. If you ask both coaching staffs, one saw it safe and the other didn't. Regardless of whether it was, the call took away what was destined to be a CHS (3-1 EAL) victory and gave PV (3-1 EAL) a chance, something Young seized on against Luke Haight, who had beaten him 1-0 over the weekend at a tournament in Sacramento.

"On Saturday he beat me so I just came out today and wanted to win it for the team," a jubilant Young said while being mobbed by teammates. "This is probably the best feeling ever. It's amazing."

He got that chance because of the slam call, which Chico coach Keith Rollins said he didn't agree with.

"I did not think it was a slam, it would be questionable," he said afterwards. "(Safely) is a very gray word."

The PV side saw it as a definite slam, though head coach Joe Rios was occupied with another wrestler during the call.

"I was with my heavyweight but my assistant said he could see it and our kid was knocked out. I looked at his eyes and they were dilated so I told him to take the full 2 minutes," Rios said. "I'm not going to take a chance on my kid going out there regardless of how much time is left."

There were 2 seconds left on the clock after the stoppage of activity, and had Berry come back out to wrestle, Davis would have won and the Panthers would have won the dual.

"I don't know that I would do it as a coach but it's not saying that it's against the rules to do," Rollins said. "(This) morning we'll be in practice and we'll be fine. Hopefully we get a chance to meet these guys at league and division and masters and come out ahead."

Chico dominated early but PV roared back into the dual with a string of victories.

With four matches left the teams were tied at 20 with the Vikings erasing a 20-3 disadvantage in the middle weights. Ryan Pickering (140) started the run with a 9-0 handling of Chico's Justin Vaught, Matt Henry (145) took a 5-1 decision over Matt McGowen and Desi Rios (152) continued it with a pin of Alex Campos that only took 1 minute, 26 seconds. Quest Cummings' dominant 10-1 major decision over Mark Jorgensen (160) finished the run.

Ross Longnecker (171) got Chico back ahead 23-20 after holding Jackson Matheson in check for a 6-0 decision and Jessen Cole (189) got three more Chico points by using a late takedown to beat Will Castillo 5-0. All that set the stage for the final two matches of the night.

"I thought Ross Longnecker came up big tonight," Rollins said.

Chico built its 20-3 lead in the light weights with big wins from big names. The first match of the night was the premier matchup as the top-ranked competitors in the Northern Section's 103-pound division renewed their rivalry that began last Saturday in Sacramento. Chico's Nahshon Garrett and PV's Thomas Ocegueda battled last weekend for the last match of the medal rounds and Garrett pulled off a last-second comeback on his way to a medal while Ocegueda had to go home.

Ranked No. 1 by www.thecaliforniawrestler.com, Garrett won again this time but with less suspense. He used a double-leg takedown 30 seconds in to get control and then a double arm bar tilt to get three more nearfall points. That 5-0 lead turned into an 8-2 advantage and despite allowing a penalty point and a late escape, Garrett won 8-4 for three team points.

PV evened it on the next match after No. 6 Derek Tenckhoff (112) shut out No. 5 Mason Sauseda 5-0 for a minor upset. Tenckhoff recorded takedowns in the first two periods and withstood Sauseda's attempts in the final round to turn him to his back.

The 119-pound tilt exhibited a comeback attempt by Chico's Jesse Silva. The youngster who placed second at last year's Northern Section Masters meet is attempting to come back from a recurring shoulder injury and his match Wednesday, his first of the season, went well for him. Silva yielded a reversal to PV's Brenden Green with 28 seconds left in the match and a 7-3 lead. Rather that finish out the final seconds, Silva hit a fierce Peterson roll that got him two reversal points and then a two-point nearfall at the buzzer for a 11-3 major decision.

"It's a dislocated shoulder. I did it a couple years ago and popping it in has made it worse. I don't know if it will stay in the rest of the season," Silva said. "On the Peterson, I just saw his leg and his arm and went for it."

Chico's Jake Bolen (125) beat Bryant Wood 8-4, Panther Efren Rodriguez (130) pinned Casey Rubinoff and Phong Lee (135) whooped Tim Duntsch with an 18-4 major decision as well.

"Bohmann was the most noticeable player of the game for many reasons, the first being his clutch bucket, the second his 6-foot-7 frame and the third being the massive tape job done to the junior's right hand. Despite having his pinkie and ring fingers taped together in a contraption that also held his thumb, Bohmann led all scorers with 20 points and was a major force down low in the Huskies' attack. He shot 8-for-12 from the field with eight rebounds."

March 7, 2009
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

CHICO — The buzzer-beater basket can be as equally debilitating as it is exhilarating, and the top-seeded Corning High boys basketball team found it out the hard way Friday night at Acker Gym in the Northern Section Division IV title game. The Cardinals' Tanner McIntyre nailed a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game with 10 seconds left but Sutter's Leseck Ratajczak pushed the ball upcourt after the inbound and dished it off to Isaiah Bohmann for a layin with 1.5 seconds remaining. The last-second bucket secured a 53-51 triumph for the No. 2 seed Huskies and it forced a host of Cardinals players to leave the Chico State floor with stunned looks on their faces and the runner-up plaque.

"They had set up a play for me, I took one dribble and was open, and when I made it, I was thinking overtime," McIntyre said. "Then I tried to take a charge on the first guy on defense and I saw Bohmann put it in."

Bohmann was the most noticeable player of the game for many reasons, the first being his clutch bucket, the second his 6-foot-7 frame and the third being the massive tape job done to the junior's right hand. Despite having his pinkie and ring fingers taped together in a contraption that also held his thumb, Bohmann led all scorers with 20 points and was a major force down low in the Huskies' attack. He shot 8-for-12 from the field with eight rebounds.

"Once I got that pass I knew it was my time to put it in, it's a dream right now," said Bohmann amongst a crowd of cheering Sutter students at halfcourt. "I've always dreamed of making a game-winner."

McIntyre's big 3-pointer represented the first time the game was tied after it was 7-7 in the first five minutes of the game. His two free throws after a Matt Barr offensive rebound made it 49-48 with 38 seconds left as well.

Those free throw attempts went in, but many others didn't. Corning (23-6) shot just 5-for-11 from the line, and coach Bill Mache said that was what hurt his team, normally a consistent one from that spot.

"We didn't make free throws, that was the story of the game," Mache said. "That was something we could control."

The final-minute theatrics wouldn't have happened had the Cardinals not done a solid job of battling back into the game in the late minutes. Sutter (22-5) led by nine at 41-32 with 4:57 remaining before Corning bursted out on an 8-0 run that elicited the raucous cheering section to come to life, and just like how the Cardinals reached the title game, it came with balance.

Barr connected on a 3-pointer to make it 41-35, and Tyler McIntyre knocked down a mid-range jumper on the next possession. A Bohmann travel gave Corning the ball back and Tanner McIntyre canned one of his four 3-pointers, making it a 41-40 contest with 3:10 left.

Corning outscored the Huskies 23-19 in the fourth quarter. But the Cardinals just didn't have enough time, Mache said.

"If the game goes another quarter I think we could've got by them," Mache said. "But there's only four quarters. We just had a tough time scoring. Give Sutter credit, (Bohmann) played an exceptional game."

Cameron Nye was a big contributor for the Cardinals with 10 points, including the team's first two buckets of the fourth quarter. Barr added eight points and eight rebounds.

Sutter led 19-14 after a fast-paced first quarter and 25-21 at the half. The pace was bogged considerably in the third quarter as well, with Sutter holding a 9-7 scoring advantage.

"I'd say the early turnovers hurt us," Tanner McIntyre said. "They put us in a hole."

Corning's latest lead was 10-9 halfway through the first quarter.

"PV had to fight to the end Saturday to get past Red Bluff by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-27, 25-14, 15-8, and it was actually adversity — something the Vikings (36-9) rarely dealt with this year — that propelled them to the victory. It was looking like the No. 2 Spartans (35-16) had finally done what no team besides PV had done since 1999: win the whole thing."

November 18, 2007
By LELAND GORDON-Sports Writer

PALO CEDRO — It was familiar territory for the Pleasant Valley High volleyball team to be the top seed and playing in the Northern Section Division II title game. What wasn't familiar, the Foothill High gymnasium and having to battle back from a deficit, proved only to be a minor hindrance in the drive for an eighth straight title. PV had to fight to the end Saturday to get past Red Bluff by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-27, 25-14, 15-8, and it was actually adversity — something the Vikings (36-9) rarely dealt with this year — that propelled them to the victory. It was looking like the No. 2 Spartans (35-16) had finally done what no team besides PV had done since 1999: win the whole thing.

Somehow, trailing and being slightly humbled was what drove PV to the triumph.

"We've been down before but never that late in a match," said PV coach Dave Davis, who won his fifth section title. "We just weren't ourselves and they just gained momentum. Once they got that momentum, we just couldn't take it from them. It was looking a little shaky there."

Red Bluff's deadly duo of Jaklyn Wheeler and Carolyn Jenkins made things shaky for PV metaphorically, and their thunderous kills may have shaken the gym floor a bit. The two terrorized PV's defense throughout the night, especially in the second and third games. PV only led once in the second game and the Spartans kept the heat on in the third by leaping ahead 16-10. The Vikings clawed back into contention in that third game, and even though they came up short 27-25, it was a positive because the team was playing at the level it's used to, said Anna Becker.

"Our attitude changed. We got the momentum at the end of game three," said Becker, who claimed her third title and led with 19 digs. "As a team we've never been forced to come back like that. Man, they put up a fight."

Those pesky Spartans made the Vikings earn it all night long, though PV did its usual domination in its wins. PV went ahead 20-15 in the opening game and used a pair of kills from Emily Drews to ice the victory. In the fifth and deciding game, it was Camille Miller who provided the big lift with three aces to make it 6-3. Then Raquel Royers and Drews took care of two kills and Red Bluff shot itself in the proverbial foot with two errors.

The PV bench stormed the court after the final point, and Drews wasn't shy about how excited she was to secure her fourth section title as a prep volleyballer.

"This is my last one, I just wanted it so bad," said Drews, who led PV with 23 kills. "Each year it gets better and better. So this is the best of all of them."

Red Bluff coach Kim Wheeler said afterwards that her team probably should have won the match, but the Spartans had problems at the service line, where they committed 16 errors. Tongue-in-cheek, she said that the Vikings need to be dethroned.

"I'm tired of it. It's time to knock them off and I thought tonight I had a good shot at it," she said. "(PV) sure held their composure."

By holding their composure, the Vikings earned a home game for Tuesday's opening round of the CIF Northern California Championships. PV's opponent will be named today, but no matter what, Davis said it will be a huge test for his team playing against out-of-area squads on the journey to the state title. And just like his team did Saturday, he's hoping last year's loss to St. Francis of Mountain View in the NorCal opening round will catapult it to a victory in this year's bracket.

"Last year was the first year where we took a step forward," Davis said. "I think we really showed that we can compete with those other schools. I think this is going to give us some confidence."

In the Division III final, West Valley beat Enterprise 3-0 by scores of 25-12, 25-17, 25-6.

"Becky Louber was downright dominant from the pitching rubber, as the left-hander allowed only six Indians batters to put the ball in play. She surrendered three hits, walked one and hit one batter, but all of the hits were on balls that weren't hit well. Her fastball was too fast for the Indians and her changeup too tricky and slow.

It was one of those changeups that makes batters look absolutely silly, although Becky Louber's fastball didn't make the Indians look too good either."

May 16, 2007
By LEE GORDON-Special to the E-R

The Champion Christian softball squad entered Tuesday's tussle with Happy Camp having outscored opponents 272-77 this season on the way to a 22-2 record, so it was quite a shock when the game entered the bottom of the sixth with a scant 1-0 Mustangs advantage. But pitcher Becky Louber made the Champion faithful forget all about the anemic offensive effort with a whopping 17 strikeouts, and the Mustangs created just enough offense to win 4-0 in the first round of the Northern Section Division VI playoffs at Rex Murphy Field. The win extends Champion's string of victories to 14.

It wasn't pretty on the offensive end, said coach Dennis Louber, but it's amazing what 17 strikeouts on the pitching end can do for a team struggling to make things happen on the basepaths. The only offensive star for Champion was Kayla Mansfield, who knocked in the first two runs of the game with consecutive RBI singles.

"If you went and asked our girls to a person, down the line why they couldn't hit, they would just shake their heads. We just weren't that selective," he said. "I was really surprised we didn't hit the ball better but we got a good pitching performance from Becky, so we'll just take the 'W' and move on."

The North Valley League champs and top seed in the bracket will indeed move on, hosting league foe and No. 4 seed Hayfork (15-6) on Thursday in the semifinals. The Timberjacks beat Mansfield 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader earlier this season but fell in the nightcap to Becky Louber, 5-2.

Becky Louber was downright dominant from the pitching rubber, as the left-hander allowed only six Indians batters to put the ball in play. She surrendered three hits, walked one and hit one batter, but all of the hits were on balls that weren't hit well. Her fastball was too fast for the Indians and her changeup too tricky and slow.

It was one of those changeups that makes batters look absolutely silly, although Becky Louber's fastball didn't make the Indians look too good either.

"It has really been way more developed toward the end of the season," Becky Louber said of her changeup, with a smirk on her face. "It's really come up big."

Happy Camp hurler Cassidy Hammon was hardly impressive or overpowering — or deceptive for that matter — but she held the Champion offense in check long enough to give her team a chance to win, as she went six innings, allowing seven hits and four walks to complement four runs. That chance was thwarted in the bottom of the sixth when Champion finally took advantage of opportunities and busted the game wide open with three runs. And like she was on the rubber, Becky Louber was a thorn in the Indians' side at the plate late in the game.

With a mighty grunt, she obliterated Hammon's offering to the opposite-field gap and collected a hard-earned triple. Mansfield and Becky Louber had a case of deja vu next when the junior third baseman singled up the middle to knock in a run, just like what happened in the third inning. Mansfield scored during Karlee Burns' at-bat after Happy Camp's shortstop threw over the first baseman's head trying to get the freshman at first. A triple from Natalie Crippa down the third-base line plated Burns and sealed the fate of the Indians, who traveled more than four hours one-way to get to the game.

Mansfield said after the game that Hammon's stuff wasn't outstanding, but her windup was unique and the team had seen a lot of power pitchers recently. Why the offense struggled was beyond Becky Louber, but she said she is pretty excited about the bats getting back on track.

"We came today, and we played, but I know we didn't bring everything we've got and I know that there's so much more we can bring," she said. "I can't wait to see what these girls are gonna do when they bring everything — it's gonna be fun."

Coach Louber, Becky's father, said he wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of facing a league opponent in the playoffs, saying he prefers the mystery of playing a team like Happy Camp, one that was not on the regular season schedule. But when you have a pitcher who is capable of striking out 17, 12 of the first 14 batters and eight of them looking, it's hard to imagine fearing any team.

"The teams that bother me are the teams that we played during the year that have hung around," he said. "I don't like the idea of them coming back here with the idea that they can play with us."