‘Nova advances in finals

Wildcats girls’ hoops beat Kern Valley, 42-30

By Mike Miller
After earning a first-round bye, the Lady Wildcats of Villanova (18-7, 10-0) got their first taste of play-off basketball last Saturday when they played host to the Kern Valley Broncs (17-7, 6-4) and came away with a 42-30 win.
Despite being a low-scoring affair, the game was exciting and was closer than the final score would show. VPS set the tone early in the game with their defense and did not allow the Broncs to get many good looks at the basket. Freshman Hannah Kolbeck paced the Lady Wildcats early with seven first-half points, and she controlled the inside game for VPS.
After the first quarter, VPS had a 10-4 lead and they were able to stretch that to 23-13 at halftime thanks in large part to the play of Kaitilin Reilley and Maryrose Vigorita, who along with Kolbeck scored all but two of the Wildcats’ first half points.
The Broncs, who play in the High Desert League, came out in the second half behind the shooting of guard Lupita Anzaldo and proved that they would be worthy opponents. Late in the third quarter, Kern Valley cut the VPS lead to seven points and appeared to be on the verge of making a run at the Wildcats.
Those hopes were dashed when freshman Madison Harwell hit two big second half shots and grabbed a few key rebounds to slam the door on Kern Valley’s momentum.
Kolbeck led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points, followed by Reilley, who scored 10. Anzaldo led all scorers with 16 points in a losing effort.
With the win, the Lady Wildcats have advanced to the quarterfinals tonight against Rosamond at 7:30 p.m. The Roadrunners come to town with a 23-3, 10-0 record and they are riding a 14-game win streak, just one shy of the Lady Wildcat’s 15-game streak.
The winner will take on the winner of the La Reina vs. Whittier Christian game in the semifinals on Saturday. Check ojaivalleynews.com for tonight’s play-offs updates.

Toads win thriller, 47-46

Final-seconds' three-pointer by Chris Thomas against Newbury Park Adventist advances Thacher in basketball play-offs

By Mike Miller
Thacher head coach Jason Carney called his team’s second-round play-off win against Newbury Park Adventist, “One of the most exciting sporting events that I have ever been around.” The Toads extended their play-off run last Friday night with an epic win on a deep three-point basket by senior Chris Thomas with only 15 seconds left in the game, giving Thacher the 47-46 win.
The Toads were down, but not out, late in the game. Trailing by 11 points with less than five minutes to play in the game, Thacher got down to business as they chipped away at the 11-point deficit. They were led by Thomas, who scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Due to an injury and illness, Josh Jackson was asked to step up and he delivered in a big way with nine points and nine rebounds.
Jackson gave the Toads valuable minutes down the stretch and gave his team a one-point lead with 58 seconds to play. Newbury Park Adventist scored again, giving them the 46-44 lead. Carney said, “We called time with 30 seconds left and set up a play for Trevor (Currie); they double-teamed him and he calmly hit Chris (Thomas) for the game winner.”
“Our kids showed so much heart down the stretch and gutted out an enormous victory. Unbelievable,” added Carney.
With the win, the Toads earned another shot at the Rosamond Roadrunners. Rosamond bounced Thacher out of the play-offs last season with a 47-26 win in the semifinals. Rosamond comes into this matchup as the No. 1 seed this year and they have an impressive 22-5 record on the season.
Carney said, “They have everyone back except for one guy and they have once again earned the No. 1 seed. It will be an extremely tall order for us, but the guys are thrilled to have the opportunity to play a team of this caliber and will be up for the challenge.”
The game was played last night at Rosamond.

Thacher Boys Win First Round Contest

Chris Thomas and Austin Krause both scored 14 points as the Toads kicked off their 2008 play-off run in style by beating the California Military Institute, 56-41. Thacher used a 24-2 run in the first half to take a 31-15 lead into half time and they never looked back from there. See Friday's edition of the OVN for details and stats from tonight's big win for the Toads.

Tip Off Time Changed In Thacher Game

The Thacher boys' basketball team will tip off at 6:30pm tonight against the California Military Institute rather than the standard CIF play-off time of 7:30pm. The game will be played at Thacher.

Ojai Valley Basketball Teams Headed To Post Season

Three local teams have earned the right to extend their seasons in hopes of winning a CIF-SS title. The Thacher boys' team will play first. They will host the California Military Academy on Wed., Feb. 13. The Thacher girls' squad will also host their first round play-off game when they welcome Victor Valley Christian on Thurs., Feb. 14.

The Villanova Lady Wildcats earned a bye in the first round due to their number four seed. VPS will play the winner of Kern Valley and Newbury Park Adventist. Villanova will host the second round game on Sat., Feb. 16. All games are slated to start at 7:30pm unless agreed upon by the two schools. See Wednesday's OVN for more information on these match-ups.

Villanova girls’ hoops win league title

43-38 win over Carpinteria earns ‘Cats’ basketball play-off berth

By Mike Miller
One statement can sum up the seniors on the Villanova girls’ basketball team; they are winners. With their 43-38 win at Carpinteria last Tuesday night, the Lady Wildcats were crowned Frontier League champions. This latest title is the fourth for the trio of Maryrose Vigorita, Kaitlin Reilley and Hannah Hoffman, in their four years as varsity players.
With the win against Carpinteria, the Lady Wildcats have stretched their winning streak to an impressive 12 games. VPS played La Reina last night as they attempted to go undefeated in Frontier League play. With the Wildcats being on such a torrid streak, you can bet that not many teams will be happy to see them in their CIF play-off bracket when the post season tips off next week.
The current seniors are sporting some impressive credentials. Vigorita has averaged 6.1 points per game, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals a game in league play. Off the court she is a member of the California Scholarship Federation, was awarded the Coach’s Award and Wildcat Award in tennis this year, and received All-League Honorable Mention honors last year in basketball. She has earned a GPA of 3.7 while at Villanova and plans to pursue a career in early childhood development. She has already been accepted to Cal Lutheran, Whittier College, and San Francisco State.
Hoffman has also been solid in league play for head coach Sarah Angell. She has averaged 7.4 points, five rebounds and four assists per contest. Hoffman received an All-League Honorable Mention honors in volleyball this year and was a member of the All Academic Team. Last year in basketball, she received First Team All-League honors in basketball and was named to the Second Team All-CIF. Hoffman has earned a GPA of 4.1 while at Villanova. She plans to pursue a career in communications and has already been accepted to University of San Francisco, San Francisco State, and St. Mary’s College.
Reilley has been the anchor for the Lady Wildcats this year, averaging 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per Frontier League contest. She has earned First Team All-League honors in volleyball, track and basketball and was selected to First Team All-CIF last year in basketball. Reilly plans to pursue a career in psychology and has already been accepted to San Francisco State but her top choices include Santa Clara University and St. Mary’s College.
Check the OVN web site next week for updates and to see who the Wildcats will play in the first round of the play-offs along with a complete breakdown of their play-off game.

VPS Girls Earn Frontier League Title

With their narrow win over Carpinteria last night, the Lady Wildcats earned the title of league champions as they improved their overall record to 16-7 and 9-0 in league. VPS will look to go undefeated in league play tomorrow night when they travel to La Reina to play their regular season finale. This league title is the fourth in the last four years for Villanova's senior class. See Friday's OVN for a run-down of the three seniors.

Thacher Beats 'Nova By 19 Points

It was cold and wet outside this evening, but inside the Thacher gym things were heating up between Thacher and Villanova as the two school’s boys’ basketball teams faced off. Thacher used a 19-6 third quarter burst to defeat the Wildcats, 59-40. The Toads led by three going into halftime, but they used their inside dominance and defense to break the game open. Chris Thomas led the Toads with 12 points and Todd Robie scored eight points for the Wildcats, but he did most of his damage on the defense end of the court. See Wednesday’s OVN for more details of Thacher’s big win.

Nordhoff Falls To Carpinteria, 39-36

The Nordhoff Rangers boys' basketball team gave the favored Carpinteria Warriors all they could handle tonight in their Tri-Valley League opener. The Rangers battled back from a double-digit deficit and had an opportunity to tie the game twice on three point attempts by Nick Colburn and Jonathan Bower with only seconds to play, but both shots came up just short. NHS was led by junior Matt Smith and his eight points. Garrett Graham hit two huge three point buckets to help close the gap late in the game. The Rangers did a great job on Carpinteria's Jacob Ranger, holding him to only 11 points. Ranger had been averaging over 26 points per contest. See Wednesday's OVN for more stats and quotes from head coach Mike Probyn.

Oaks Christian Crushes Rangers, 52-7

The Nordhoff Rangers were beaten 52-7 Friday night in the Northwest Division CIF Final game played in Newbury Park. Read what Coach Farrar and some players had to say in Wednesday's Ojai Valley News.

Rangers Advance To CIF Finals

By Mike Miller
The Nordhoff Rangers continued their epic season Saturday night with a 35-21 victory over the St. Bernard Vikings in the CIF Northwest Division semi-final game. With the win, the Rangers have earned the right to take on their Tri-Valley League rivals, Oaks Christian next Friday night for the CIF championship. The Rangers were led by Damian Kaiser (three touchdowns) and Chris Gibson (two touchdowns) and their defense. The defense was able to force two early turnovers and the offense turned both into points which allowed NHS to jump out to a 21-0 first-half lead. See Wednesday's OVN for details on the Rangers incredible win and quotes from coach Farrar on his team's performance.

NHS To Host Semi Final Game

The Ojai Valley will play host to the CIF-SS Northwest Division semi-final game as Nordhoff faces off against St. Bernard of the Del Ray League next Saturday night. The winner of the NHS versus St. Bernard games will face the winner of the Oak Park versus Oaks Christian match up on Dec. 7. Get out and support the Rangers next weekend as they look to advance to the finals.

Nordhoff Advances Again After Another OT Battle

Damian Kaiser was once again the hero for the Rangers in tonight's 42-41 victory. The Rangers played the Centennial Apaches in what turned out to be an epic double overtime victory for NHS. After a back and forth regulation period, the two teams continued to battle in OT until Cliff Farrar and his crew decided to go for the win. With the Rangers' season in his hands, Kaiser took the ball from Garrett Graham as he attempted to score the winning two point conversion, but the Centennial defense stuffed him short of the goal line. See Wednesday's OVN to see the exciting details of what Kaiser did to win the game and extend the Rangers' season.

Early indications are that Morro Bay was defeated by St. Bernard which would mean that Nordhoff would host the semi-final game next Saturday. Final play-off match ups will be posted when they are final.

Rangers Win OT Thriller

The Nordhoff Rangers lived on the edge all night long, but lived to see another day as they beat the Nipomo Titans in a thrilling 23-20 play-off game. The Rangers were leading the game 20-13 until the Titans tied the score when they scored with only 27 seconds to play. David Brown kicked the game winning 37 yard field goal in overtime. See Wednesday's OVN for the full story and quotes from star running back/linebacker Damian Kaiser and head coach Cliff Farrar. Also see who NHS will play in next week's play-off match up.

Rangers Draw Nipomo In First Round

The Nordhoff Rangers (6-3-1, 4-1) are the top seed in the Tri-Valley League which means that they earned the right to play a number three seed in the first round of the CIF-SS play-offs. They will face the Nipomo Titons (5-5, 4-3) of the Los Padres League. The game will be held at Nordhoff on Friday night.

Thacher Loses Close Play-off Contest

The Thacher Toads traveled to Catalina Island to play Avalon in the first round of the CIF-SS play-offs this afternoon, but lost 38-36. Avalon outscored Thacher 21-16 in the second half which was the difference in the game. See Wednesday's OVN for more details and stats on this game.

Rangers Are Tri-Valley League Champions!

The Nordhoff Rangers beat Grace Brethren 31-6 on the road tonight to claim the top spot in the Tri-Valley League. Damian Kaiser led the way with two touchdowns and the defense played well, holding the Lancers to only one score on the night. This is the Rangers' first league title since the 2003 season. The Rangers will host a play-off game next week. Stay tuned to the OVN Sports Blog to see who the Rangers' first round opponent will be.

Thacher Wins, 'Nova Falls In Close Game

Saturday was a big day in the Ojai Valley for high school football fans and both Thacher and Villanova were in action at home. The Thacher Toads hosted the Dunn Earwigs and the home team strolled to an easy 75-46 win. The Toads were able to get some of their freshmen and reserves some well deserved playing time in their victory.

Villanova was also in action tonight as they hosted the Malibu Sharks. The Wildcats had a chance to win the game with less that 30 seconds to play, but the Sharks forced a turnover to preserve the victory. See Wednesday's OVN for more details on both games.

Nordhoff Hammered

The Oaks Christian Lions came to town tonight and ran all over the Rangers in a key Tri-Valley League match up, 42-6. Chris Potter scored four touchdowns and Malcolm Jones added two for Oaks Christian. The lone highlight for the Rangers was a four yard score by running back Damian Kaiser. The Rangers are now 3-1 in league play and must win next week at Grace Brethren if they want a share of the Tri-Valley League title. See Wednesday's OVN for more on tonight's game.

Thacher Wins Easily

When the Thacher Toads needed a win, they were able to rise to the occasion as they rolled over Laguna Blanca 47-15 this afternoon. Thacher got a major boost from quarterback Griffin Tripplett, who scored five touchdowns on the ground. With the win, the Toads are virtually guaranteed of a spot in the playoffs. See Wednesday's OVN for stats and quotes from today's game.

WOW!!!

The Nordhoff Rangers pulled off a huge Tri-Valley League upset tonight by defeating the Oak Park Eagles 24-21. The Rangers jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and then held on for dear life as the Eagles attempted a comeback. Chris Gibson scored all three touchdowns for the Rangers and David Brown kicked a 47-yard field goal. Check the OVN on Wednesday for stats, quotes and league standings. The Rangers host Oaks Christian next week.

Toads Stopped By Rams

On a perfect afternoon for football, the Thacher Toads traveled to take on the Cate Rams in a huge Condor League match up. Despite playing their best football of the season and a huge game by quarterback Griffin Triplett, the Toads lost 49-39. Triplett was stellar on the day, throwing for a touchdown and running for three more. See Wednesday's OVN for the whole story and quotes from coach Hooper.

Rangers Win Homecoming On Last Second FG

Nordhoff Ranger fans were treated to a wild Tri-Valley League contest tonight as the Rangers beat the upset minded Carpinteria Warriors on a last second David Brown field goal, 32-29. Garrett Graham threw for three touchdowns on the night and Damian Kaiser rushed for a score late in the game. With the win, the Rangers improve to 4-2-1, 2-0. See Wednesday's OVN for stats and quote from Coach Farrar, Graham and Mireles.

Rangers Win League Opener

The Nordhoff Rangers defeated the Santa Paula 38-0 in their Tri-Valley League opener tonight on a wet, sloppy Santa Paula field. The Rangers' defense was excellent and Damian Kaiser scored two touchdowns on the ground. See Wednesday's OVN for all the stats and details of the Rangers' big victory.

Rangers Play To 17-17 Tie

The Rangers traveled to San Luis Obispo for a non-league match up and over came the 14 point deficit to tie the Tigers 17-17. Both programs elected to settle for the tie rather than play the overtime with league play starting next week. The Rangers will travel to play a surprising Santa Paula team on Friday. See Wednesday's OVN for stats on quotes on the Ranger's performance.

Wildcats Blank Mariners

The Villanova Wildcats defeated the Santa Monica Mariners 35-0 on Friday night. With the win, the Wildcats improve to 2-4 as they head into Frontier League play next week when they host league power Bishop Diego. Cian Lenehan recovered from an injury suffered in last week's game to score three touchdowns in the Wildcat victory. See Wednesday's OVN for additional details of the Wildcats win.

Toads Fall 44-14

Thacher was defeated by Windward, 44-14 this afternoon. According to head coach Jeff Hooper, the Toads could not stop the Wildcats through the air. Windward quarterback John Manoogian threw four touchdown passes in the game. Harry Hoffman and Chris Thomas both scored for the Toads. See Wednesday's OVN for additional information and stats from today's game.

Rangers Drop Game To Rio Mesa

Jerrel Thomas ran all over the Nordhoff defense tonight as Rio Mesa beat the Rangers 33-20. Thomas scored four touchdowns and rushed for 275 yards in the game. NHS played well at times and saw a 48-yard field goal from David Brown, but Thomas proved to be too much. With the loss, the Rangers drop to 2-2 on the season. Nordhoff will travel to San Luis Obispo next week. See Wednesday's OVN for more information and stats on tonight's game.

Toads Even Record At 1-1

The Thacher Toads defeated Montclair Prep in a thrilling 22-16 game that was not decided until the final moments of the fourth quarter. Chris Thomas scored from 38 yards out to seal the win for Thacher. With the win, the Toads improve to 1-1 on the season. Thacher will play Windard next week. See Wednesday's OVN for more information on Thacher's big win.

Rangers Lose On Final Play Of Game

The Nordhoff Rangers appeared to be well on their way to a 3-0 start until the Pacifica Tritons scored on a last second Hail Mary play as time expired, giving them the 23-20 victory. The Rangers made several big plays on the night including a 96-yard run by Chris Gibson and two long field goals from David brown from 45 and 50 yards. The loss makes the Rangers 2-1 on the season. See Wednesday's edition of the OVN for the heart breaking details, stats and quotes.

'Nova Thumped

The Villanova football team lost their third consecutive game Thursday night when they were defeated by Viewpoint 49-13. Viewpoint was able to rack up 340 yards on the ground and had huge 21-point outbursts in the second and fourth quarters. The loss makes the Wildcats 1-3 on the season.

Rangers Climbing Polls

The 2-0 Norhoff Rangers are the third Tri-Valley League team to claim a spot in the Top 10 Rankins this week (behind Oaks Christian and Oak Park): The Rangers will play Pacifica (1-1) on Friday night.

NORTHWEST DIVISION
RK. LW SCHOOL (LEAGUE) W/L RESULT NEXT
1. 1. Oaks Christian (Tri-Valley) 2-0 Bye @ St. Bonaventure
2. 2. Oak Park (Tri-Valley) 2-0 def. Royal, 35-0 Newbury Park
3. 3. Harvard/Westlake (Del Rey) 3-0 def. Burroughs/Burbank, 27-15 Bye
4. 4. Morro Bay (Los Padres) 2-0 Bye @ Wasco
5. 5. South Torrance (Pioneer) 2-0 def. Bishop Montgomery, 44-17 Warren
6. 6. Templeton (Los Padres) 3-0 def. Orosi (CS), 57-10 Bye
7. 7. Serra (Del Rey) 2-0 def. North Torrance, 35-0 @ Torrance
8. 8. Pioneer Valley (Los Padres) 2-1 def. Eastside, 35-8 Cabrillo/Lompoc
9. 9. San Dimas (Valle Vista) 3-0 def. Montclair, 42-9 Ontario
10. UR Nordhoff (Tri-Valley) 2-0 def. Santa Ynez, 10-6 @ Pacifica/OxnardOthers Receiving Votes: Cathedral (Del Rey), 1-1; St. Joseph/SM (Los Padres), 1-1.

Nordhoff Game Changed To Friday Night

The Nordhoff Rangers will take on the Pacifica Tritons on Friday night starting with the junior varsity at 4pm and then the 2-0 varsity squad will take the field at 7pm. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday night, but it was move to the traditional Friday night slot.

Thacher Falls, OVS Losing Late In Game

Saturday was a tough day of the eight-man football squads that make the Ojai Valley their home. Thacher fell to Hillcrest Christian 32-14. The Toads were outmatched in the game, however, they played hard as they always do. Late in the game, the Ojai Valley School Spuds were down 30-3, but they did score their first ever points as a football program. Check the OVN for details on both games.

Rangers Win Wild Contest

The Nordhoff Rangers defeated Santa Ynez 10-6 on Friday in what turned out to be wild, heart stopping contest that could have gone either way. The lone touchdown for the Rangers came on a fourth and goal from the six-inch line by Chris Gibson. David Brown added a field goal to conclude the scoring for the Rangers. The Pirates scored on a fake punt that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Senior Eric Banks blocked the extra point, which would turn out to be a huge play for the Rangers. Garrett Graham played well for the Rangers, as did Albert Mireles.
The story of the game was the Rangers defense, which played hard and stopped the Pirates all night long. The Rangers improve to 2-0 on the season. See Wednesday's edition for the exciting details and quotes from the Rangers.

Villanova Football Falls To 1-1

Villanova head coach John Muller warned that despite beating Desert Christian 23-0 last year, his team would need to play well to beat the Knights. Villanova Traveled to Lancaster to take on Desert Christian on Saturday night, and fell 20-6. See Wednesday's OVN for the highlights, stats and quotes. The Wildcats travel to Santa Paula next week and will look to get back to their winning ways.

Rangers Win Big In Opener

The Nordhoff Rangers kicked their 2007 season off in style with a huge 31-13 win over St. Joseph high school. The Rangers exploded for 14 first quarter points, and took the 14-13 lead into the half. The second half belonged to the Rangers as they outscored the Knights 17-0.

Touchdowns were scored by Tyler Wadsworth, Matt Smith, Damian Kaiser and Albert Mireles and kicker David Brown was perfect on extra points and added a field goal. The NHS defense lived up to the pre-season hype and shut down the Knights. See Wednesday’s OVN for the full story, stats, and quotes from Coach Farrar on the Rangers’ first win of the season.

'Nova Wins Thriller

The Villanova Wildcats got their season going int style as they went on the road to play Western Christian. Western Christian came out throwing the football and accumulated 278 passing yards against the Wildcat defense. With the game tied at 20-20 and less that one minute to play, Cian Lenehan scored from 6-yards out to give the Wildcats the 27-20 win. See Wednesday's edition for more stats and quotes from the dramatic win.

NHS Impresses In Scrimmage

The Ranger football hosted Oxnard in their annual scrimmage on a sizzling Friday evening and the Rangers proved that good things are to come. The two teams exchanged 10 play series and then played one live quarter. NHS scored two touchdowns and held the Yellow Jackets scoreless. See Wednesday's edition for Coach Farrar's thoughts and see who stood out in the scrimmage.

It's On! The High School Football Season Starts

Ojai Valley high school football fans can finally stop reading about their teams and go watch them as football teams across the state will get underway this weekend. The Villanova Wildcats will hit the road when they take on Western Christian of Covina on Sept. 1.
If you are not looking to drive this holiday weekend, the Nordhoff Rangers will hold their annual scrimmage on Friday night. The Rangers will host the Oxnard Yellow Jackets on Aug. 31. See the Friday edition of the OVN for additional details on both contests.

In Depth Football Previews Are Coming

Are you wondering how your favorite Ojai Valley high school football team will do this year? Who are the returning lettermen? Who will step up from the junior varsity to earn playing time? What do the coaches have to say? What are the team's strengths and areas of concern? Check future editions of the OVN for Mike Miller's analysis of the Nordhoff Rangers, Thacher Toads and Villanova Wildcats.

2007 Nordhoff Football Schedule

2007 Schedule:

Sept. 7
St. Joseph

Sept. 14
at Santa Ynez

Sept. 20
at Pacifica

Sept. 28
Rio Mesa

Oct. 5
at San Luis Obispo

Oct. 12
at Santa Paula

Oct. 19
Carpinteria

Oct. 26
at Oak Park

Nov. 2
Oaks Christian

Nov. 11
at Grace Brethren

Wondering Who Your Football Team Is Playing?

If you are a high school football fan and you are wondering who your favorite team will be playing and when and what the "can't miss" games of 2007 will be, check next week's OVN Sports Section for in depth analysis.

Upcoming NHS Ranger Football Profiles

The senior class is going to be pivotal in the upcoming 2007 season if the Rangers are going to challenge Oaks Christian for the Tri-Valley League title. You have already met wide out Albert Mireles, now watch for profiles on lineman Kacy Reed and star running back and linebacker Damian Kaiser in upcoming editions.

NHS Football Summer Practice Begins

The Ranger football squad is gearing up for the 2007 season which promises to be an exciting one for the Rangers and their fans. Check out the OVN in the coming weeks for profiles on some of the key returners from last year's team as well as quotes and analysis from head coach Cliff Farrar.

Shirck Places Sixth

Brandon Shirck represented Ojai and Nordhoff well as he placed sixth in the CIF 1600 meter finals tonight. See Wednesday's edition for more information and quotes from the NHS senior.

Finals 1 Hudson Andrews 12 Royal/ss 4:07.59 10 2 Mac Fleet 10 Univers C/Sd 4:08.09 8 3 Fawad Khan 12 Palos Verdes 4:11.38 6 4 Brian Cole 12 St Helena/nc 4:11.74 4 5 Austin Jett 12 Eastlake/sd 4:12.09 2 6 Brandon Shirck 12 Nordhoff/ss 4:12.50 1 7 Chad Hall 12 Big Bear/ss 4:13.16 8 Dylan Knight 12 La Sierra/ss 4:16.42 9 Spencer Knight 12 La Sierra/ss 4:20.62

Shirck Makes Finals

Brandon Shirck continued his quest for a CIF championship as he qualified for tonight's final in the 1600 meter run. Check back for results of the 1600 meter final.

Event 4 Boys 1600 Meter Run================================================================ Name Year School Prelims ================================================================Preliminaries 1 Mac Fleet 10 Univers C/Sd 4:10.35Q 2 Brandon Shirck 12 Nordhoff/ss 4:12.98Q 3 Hudson Andrews 12 Royal/ss 4:10.60Q 4 Chad Hall 12 Big Bear/ss 4:13.26Q 5 Dylan Knight 12 La Sierra/ss 4:10.67Q 6 Spencer Knight 12 La Sierra/ss 4:13.26Q 7 Austin Jett 12 Eastlake/sd 4:11.69q 8 Fawad Khan 12 Palos Verdes 4:13.52q 9 Brian Cole 12 St Helena/nc 4:14.00q 10 Adam Cunningham 11 Milken Community 4:14.07 11 Brad Surh 11 Carlmont/cc 4:15.27 12 Rylan Hunt 10 Aptos/cc 4:16.13 13 Jonathan Petersen 12 Clovis/ce 4:16.50 14 James Attarian 11 Dublin /nc 4:18.38 15 Matt Maldanado 11 Modesto/sj 4:18.76 16 Bret Hasvold 11 Fallbrook/sd 4:19.23 17 Andy Peabody 12 Cllg Prk/nc 4:20.68 18 Johnathan Shawel 11 Troy /ss 4:21.93 19 Josh Arrieta SR Oak Ridge/sj 4:22.18 20 Douglas Whichard 12 Grandaa/nc 4:22.22 21 Eric Battles Clovis W/Ce 4:22.67 22 Abdow Haji 12 El Toro /ss 4:22.68 23 Marcos Corona 12 Willow Glen 4:23.93 24 Jonathan 10 Buchanan/ce 4:24.07 25 Timothy Scott 12 Cr dl Mar/ss 4:25.44 26 Weir Walker 10 Lowell/sf 4:25.60 27 Steve Calise 12 San Pedro/la 4:27.72 28 Nick Rebol Sr Red Bluff/no 4:27.93 29 Jorge Rojas SR Garfield/la 4:30.06 30 Cameron Mitchell Jr Woodcreek/sj 4:34.65 31 Angel Peralta 12 Granada H/La 4:39.91

Shirck Continues To Roll, Sacramento Next

Nordhoff High School senior Brandon Shirck continued what he defined as an "amazing pace" at Friday night's CIF-Southern Section Masters Track and Field competition at Norwalk Cerritos College.
The Tri Valley League 1600-meter champion finished with a time of 4:12.24, good for fifth place overall out of the entire 564-school Southern Section, but more importantly, good enough to advance to Friday's prelims in Sacramento.
"I was so nervous out there I could hear my heart beat," Shirck said. "This is the best feeling ever. I could hear people around me dying and I just started to push harder."
Shirck either needed to hit the state qualifying mark of 4:16.62 or finish in the top five. The senior also set a personal record.

Ojai's Lowry Becoming Giants' Ace

By Mike Miller
The Ojai Valley’s favorite major league baseball player is quietly in the midst of putting together the finest season of his young professional career. Noah Lowry is currently 5-4 with an impressive 2.69 ERA over nine starts this season. Lowry has recovered after a tumultuous season last year that saw him battle through injury after injury to become one of the leaders on the San Francisco Giants pitching staff early in the 2007 season. Last season Lowry went 7-10 with a 4.74 ERA after spending a month on the disabled list. He focused on a new and improved strength and conditioning program in the off-season and by the looks of his first nine starts, it is paying dividends.
When asked about the injuries last year, Lowry told the OVN Tuesday, “When you get hurt and battle through injuries, your mechanics are out of whack because you are overcompensating. I was forced to change my pitching motion which made me to use muscles that I typically did not use, and that resulted in some injuries. My strength program addressed those weak areas and my body is feeling really good right now. I am confident that I will be ready to go every fifth day now.” Lowry is best known for his wicked off-speed pitches and according to his peers, has one of the best breaking balls in all of the major leagues. “Consistency has been the key (to his fast start), I have had a mix of good control and I have been able to throw my off-speed stuff at any point in the count with a lot of confidence. When I have command of my breaking ball and I can pinpoint my fastball, I will be effective,” said Lowry. The word is getting out that the Giants hurler is becoming a force in the National League. The Houston Astro’s team leader and future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio was recently quoted by CBS Sportsline.com as saying, “He (Lowry) doesn’t miss. He’s put it together. He pitches us tough.”
The 2005 Roberto Clemente Award recipient has also undergone a change in managers this season with the arrival of Bruce Bochy in San Francisco. “Bochy is a great manager. He is a good communicator and he really does a great job with the pitching staff,” added Lowry. A key moment between pitcher and manager occurred on May 16, when the Giants were playing the Astros. “It was late in the game and I had just walked Brad Ausmus. Bochy came out and could have pulled me, but he stuck with me. That means a lot to me and shows that he has confidence in me. He wants us all to be successful as players and guys like that,” said Lowry.
The Giants will return to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers July 31 for a three-game set. Check the OVN Sports Section to get a weekly update on Lowry’s progress.

Thacher Beat In Opening Round Of CIF

The Thacher baseball team knew that Daniel Campos was going to be a tough nut to crack in their first round CIF-SS match-up against Maricopa yesterday. They were right as Campos limited the Toads to only two hits over seven innings. To add to Thacher's troubles, Campos struck out 16 batters. Maricopa went on to win the game 4-0 when they scored four runs in the bottom of the second. See Wednesday's edition for more information on the game.