Opinion

I’ve been meaning to write this for years. Yes, literally “years.” Finally, I’ve had enough with the North Section CIF system for football playoff ranking. The North Section’s way of determining football playoff teams is seriously flawed. It rewards mediocrity and it often denies good teams a fair shot at making the playoffs or being ranked as high as they should be in playoff points. If you want to skip all the explanation and just get to my proposed formula, click “more” and scroll down.

For a concrete example of a team in this year’s playoffs that greatly benefited from this bogus system, we can look at Gridley (4-6) in Division-II.

What did Gridley, a team with a losing record, do to merit not just being a playoff team, but a 5-seed? Well, they went 0-2 against D-III teams. They were 2-3 against D-II teams. Of course they were 2-1 against D-I schools—D-I schools with a combined 8-22 (.364) record , including that 0-10 powerhouse Las Plumas. They did not beat a single team with a winning record.

On the other hand, there were two 5-5 teams left out, Central Valley and Yreka. Let’s compare.

Central Valley was 1-0 against D-III teams, 3-3 against D-II teams, and 1-2 against D-I teams. CV’s D-I opponents were a combined 17-13 (.567), including 8-2 Enterprise and 8-2 West Valley. While the Falcons didn’t beat a team with a winning record, they did beat Gridley, 32-15, in Gridley…that’s a pretty decisive road win.

So, how about Yreka. Hmm, Yreka was 1-1 against D-III opponents, 4-3 against D-II opponents, and 0-1 against D-I. Yreka’s D-I opponent was 8-2.They beat Central Valley, 21-6, in CV, during the Falcons’ homecoming none the less. Oh, and they had that win over some pretty good team. Now, who was that? Oh ya, number-1 ranked, 9-1 Orland—a team that beat Gridley 42-7! So, the team that handed the top team it’s only defeat, has a better winning percentage than Gridley, both overall and in division, doesn’t make the playoffs?

Can you maybe see why I refer to the North Sections’ playoff ranking formula as “flawed.” (more…)

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HAPPY CAMP – Coming into Friday night’s game, the Happy Camp Indians (4-2, 5-3) had won four straight. The Butte Valley Bulldogs (6-0, 8-0) hadn’t lost since the final game of last season. On paper, it looked like it would be a tight contest, and it was for about a quarter and a half.

The Indians got the first break of the game, when Sean McDowell recovered a fumble at the Bulldog 36-yard line. However, Butte Valley’s defense forced a turnover on downs, and the Bulldog offense went to work from its own 33-yard-line.

This time, the Dogs took care of the ball, and went 67 yards to pay dirt. Fifty-seven of the yards were covered on a Colten Struble to Will Gentry TD pass. Struble then threw to Bobby Vaughan for a 2-point conversion, giving the Bulldogs an 8-0 lead, with 8:19 left in the first quarter.

About seven minutes later, Gustavo Lopez rushed 24 yards for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving Butte Valley with a 14-0 lead.

Eleven seconds into the second quarter, Happy Camp answered. Charley Reed connected with James Simmons for a 45-yard TD pass. Justin Wright powered in for the 2-point conversion, making the score 14-8. (more…)

Former Butte Valley Lady Bulldog Kady Porterfield has been named Fighting Tiger Athlete of the Week at Division-III SUNY Cobleskill University in New York.

According to the Fighting Tigers’ website, “The freshman outside/middle hitter (Porterfield) was named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2011 Continental Classic hosted by Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. over the weekend after averaging 1.9 kills and 2.8 digs per contest in 12 tournament appearances.”

Her performance in the tournament led to Porterfield’s selection as the Fighting Tiger Athlete of the Week. (more…)

DUNSMUIR – The showdown between the undefeated Dunsmuir Tigers and the undefeated Butte Valley Bulldogs at Dunsmuir City Park was pure Friday night smash-mouth football, 8-man style. Whoever said there’s no defense in 8-man football would have gone into cardiac arrest watching the heavy hitting on display by arguably the North Section’s two best defenses, and two best teams.

Back and forth the squads went, moving the ball a bit, but unable to find pay dirt for the first eight and a half minutes of the first quarter—a time frame that’s the equivalent of a light-year in 8-man football.

Fittingly, it was the Bulldog defense that drew first blood, when Will Gentery flashed across the field in front of a seemingly open Tiger receiver, picked off the pass, and then sprinted nearly uncontested for 25 yards to the end zone. The 2-point attempt failed, but the Dogs had the lead 6-0, with 3:36 to play in the first quarter.

With the portal to offense opened, it took the Tigers just two minutes to answer. A long run by Justin DeClusin set Dunsmuir up with a first-and-goal at about the Bulldog 5-yard-line. Two plays later, Jake Mekeel blasted in from a yard out. The Tigers’ 2-point try also failed, leaving the combatants tied 6-6, with 1:27 to go in the opening frame. The teams would stay knotted up for nearly 12 minutes.

With 1:43 to go before half, after Gentery had pulled down another interception to give Butte Valley possession, Bulldog Colten Struble raced 50 yards for a TD, giving the Dogs the lead, 12-6, going into the intermission. (more…)

It’s not often that we have two unbeaten local teams meeting in a showdown that has major implications for a league championship, playoff seeding, and ultimately a possible section title. But, that’s exactly what’s going down this Friday in Dunsmuir, when the Dunsmuir Tigers (3-0, 5-0) host the Butte Valley Bulldogs (3-0, 4-0).

Dunsmuir is fresh off a 59-30 thumping of last season’s section champion, the Hayfork Timberjacks (2-1, 3-2) in Hayfork. Butte Valley, last season’s section runner-up, dismantled Mercy (0-2, 1-3) 64-18 last Friday.

The Tigers are averaging 55.6 points per game. The Bulldogs are at 49.8 points per game.

Dunsmuir has allowed 17.2 points per game. Butte Valley has allowed 11 points per game.

I’d go into player stats and who to watch, but Butte Valley hasn’t posted stats for any game this season, and I haven’t seen the Dogs play yet.

What I can tell you is that both teams have a tradition of being well coached, being disciplined, and having a ton of heart. (more…)

The Butte Valley Lady Bulldogs took third place at the Burney Invitational Volleyball tournament last weekend.

In pool play, Butte Valley beat Hayfork 2-0 (25-11, 25-18), split with Burney 1-1 (25-21, 23-25), and lost to Big Valley 0-2 (13-25, 23-25).

In bracket play, the lady Bulldogs fell to Burney 2-1 (11-25, 25-19, 12-15), and then defeated Hayfork 2-0 (25-13, 25-12) to grab third place. (more…)

The Weed Lady Cougars opened their 2011 volleyball season with a 3-0 win over the Butte Valley Bulldogs (0-3). Set scores were 25-14, 25-22, 25-18. (more…)

ETNA – The Etna Lady Lions opened their 2011 volleyball campaign with a 3-0 win over the Butte Valley Lady Bulldogs (0-2), on Thursday night.

The first two sets of the match were competitive, with Etna winning the first set 25-16, and the second set 25-18. Butte Valley held a 3-0 advantage early in the second set, and after briefly losing the lead, went back on top again at 7-6. Etna eventually built a sizable 15-8 lead, but the resilient Lady Bulldogs battled back to within a single point at 17-16. However, that was as close as they would come, as the Lady Lions went on an 8-2 run to finish the second set with a 25-18 win.

The Lady Lions found themselves down 2-0 to start the final set, but after that it was all Etna. The Lady Lions outscored Butte Valley 25-6 the rest of the way for a 25-8 set win, and a 3-0 match victory. (more…)

COTTONWOOD – The NSCIF Track and Field Championships were held at West Valley High School on Friday. Yreka High School produced two section champions—senior Tyler Wolf in the Shot Put, and frosh Jena Turner in the 300m Hurdles.

Etna High School brought home three second place medals—sophomore John Whelan in the 3200m, and senior Emily Loogman in the 100m Hurdles and 300m Hurdles.

Austin Herrick was third in the Long Jump and John Holst was third in the Pole Vault for Mt. Shasta’s top finishes.

Siskiyou County medalists (top 5)

Yreka

Boys

Tyler Wolf: 1^st Shot Put (53-00.50), 3^rd Discus (149-09)

Dillon Dow: 2^nd 400m (50.27) , 2^nd Pole Vault (13-03.0)

Sarome Eng: 2^nd Triple Jump (43-06.00), 3^rd Long Jump (21-01.00), 3^rd 100m (11.29)

Timmy Williams: 2^nd 800m (1:58.47) (more…)

The NSCIF Division-IV Track and Field Championships were held at West Valley High School on Friday, May 20.

Siskyou County Varsity Team Results

Boys
1. Tulelake
2. Butte Valley
4. Etna
6. Weed

Girls
1. Etna
3. Tulelake
5. Dunsmuir
7. Weed
11. Butte Valley (more…)

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High School track and field league championships will be held this week at various locations. Below is how Siskiyou County athletes look going into the meets.

Yreka – NAL

The Northern Athletic League championships will be held at West Valley this Friday, May 13 beginning at noon.

The Yreka varsity boys ran the table in NAL dual meets and are the favorite to win the NAL team championship.

Yreka athletes that have turned in the best times or marks in specific events this season in the NAL:

Dillon Dow – 100m, 200m, 400m, High Jump, Pole Vault

Timmy Williams – 1600m, 3200m

Eric Neill – 800m

Boys 4×100m Relay Team

Tyler Wolf – Shot Put, Discus

Sarome Eng – Long Jump, Triple Jump

Jenna Turner- 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles

Eva Heintz – Discus

Mt. Shasta – SVL

The Sacramento Valley League championships will be held on Thursday, May 12 in Chico, starting at 11:30 am.

Info for Mt. Shasta doesn’t appear to be fully updated, but it does appear that the Bears have several championship contenders. (more…)

The North Section CIF announced it’s Scholar Athlete scholarship recipients on Friday, with four of six awards going to Siskiyou County athletes.

Adamson Scholarship – Austen Struble, Butte Valley High, and Kady Porterfield, Butte Valley High

LeMaster Scholarship – Emily Loogman, Etna High, and Jacob West, Weed High

Hendrix Scholarship – Breanna Mackie, Central Valley High, and Stephen Batchelder, Orland High (more…)

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All photos by Janine Turner

The Yreka Miners boys and girls track teams both took first place in the 47th annual Lions Invitational Track and Field meet last Friday.

On Saturday, Yreka and Etna athletes competed at the Grants Pass Rotary Invitational, with Timmy Williams winning the 1500m in 4:06.73–the 6th fastest time ever for a Miner in the event.

Top Siskiyou County performers at Lions Invitational

Yreka

Dillon Dow: 1st in 400m & Pole Vault

Tyler Wolf: 1st in Discus, 2nd Shot Put

Clayton Bunn: 1st in 3200m

Sarome Eng: 2nd in 100m, Long Jump, and Triple Jump

Eric Neill: 2nd in 800m

Timmy Williams: 2nd in 1600m

Jenna Turner: 1st in 100m Hurdles, 2nd in High Jump, 3rd in 300m Hurdles

Eva Heintz: 1st in Shot Put, 2nd in Discus

Alexis Yaple: 2nd in Long Jump (more…)