Photos by Richard Allan

The Etna Lions boys team and the Tulelake Honkers girls team won the NSCIF D-IV track and field championship held at West Valley High School on Friday. The Tulelake and Fall River boys tied for 2nd, and the Weed girls were 2nd.

Boys individual event results (top three)

100 Meters

1. John Westlund: 11.84a, Fall River
2. Josh Rodgers: 11.86a, Weed
3. John Levesque: 12.06a, Butte Valley

200 Meters

1. Michael Peters: 23.17a, Fall River
2. Dylan Miller: 23.81a, Tulelake
3. Jonathon Pierson: 24.01a, Paradise Adventist Academy

400 Meters

1. Michael Peters: 52.84a, Fall River
2. Dylan Miller: 53.34a, Tulelake
3. Cody Beaumont: 53.91a, Redding Christian (more…)

The Shasta College Knights (40-7) won the first game of the CCCAA State Softball Championship in Bakersfield on Friday night. With former Mt. Shasta star Kayla Spini in the circle, the North two-seed Knights defeated the South one-seed Riverside Tigers 4-3.

The Tigers (42-5) were first on the board on a run largely manufactured by lead off hitter Natalie Barrios in the bottom of the first inning. Barrios walked, stole second, stole third, and scored on an error on her swipe of third base.

Shasta answered in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Racie Carrel singled and stole second base. Carrel found her way home on a single by Noelle Blake, tying the game 1-1.

Alexus Daniels reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the third for Riverside, and went to second on a wild pitch. Barrios walked. With one-out, Courtney Brown doubled in Daniels and Barrios, regaining the lead for the Tigers, 3-1.

Shasta took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Number-nine hitter Andrea Davis led off with a single. DJ Foster, former Weed HS standout, doubled to put Knights on second and third base. With one out, Carrel walked, loading the bases. There were two outs when Ally Wimer singled to center field. The ball was misplayed and Davis, Foster, and Carrel crossed the plate, putting the Knights on top 4-3. (more…)

Higher quality video is at end of story (Vimeo may be blocked at your school)

Opinion by Ray Wolf

As I was setting up my video equipment in the orchard above the Etna softball field on Tuesday, I took a moment to watch and listen to the Lady Lion player introductions before their playoff game against Quincy. I had been aware of it all season, yet I was still struck by just how young the Etna team is.

The pitcher and catcher, Izzy Duerr and Sage Gomes are sophomores. At third base, Molly Schaefer is a freshman, as is Dani Eiler at shortstop. At second base is sophomore Renee Finley. In right field, frosh Kortni Bennett, and in left is junior Kelsey Eastlick. Designated hitter? Sophomore Mariya Whittaker. Even the coach, Harold Bennett, is only in his second varsity season.

Of the 10 players to start the game, only two are seniors. Jessie Eiler at first base, and Jasmine Bigham in center field.

The youth of the team isn’t a big surprise. It often happens in small school softball. What is pretty special is that this team of mainly freshman and sophomores are the Shasta Cascade League co-champions at 11-1. And, they were the three-seed in the NSCIF D-V playoffs–one win from being the two-seed. Even more impressive is that the young players more than did their part.

Stats for the team aren’t completely up to date, but if you went to MaxPreps you would see Gomes led the team in batting at .545 with 31 runs, 31 RBIs and 2 home runs. Schaefer .471, 30 runs, 21 RBIs and a dinger. Kortni Bennett .471, 19 runs, 22 RBIs. I’m not going to list ever player, but suffice it to say that the team batted .403, with 11 out of the 14 players on the roster batting .353 or better. Five players hit at least one home run. Four hit two or more. (more…)

Article and photos by Richard Allan

The second-seeded Shasta Lady Knights remained unscathed in the Nor-Cal Super Regional softball playoff after a 4-3 win over six-seed Sierra at Shasta College on Saturday.

Sierra took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, but Shasta responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Racie Carrel reached on an error, and scored on a triple by Noelle Blake. Blake found her way home on a double by Ally Wimer, tying the game 2-2. Taylor Gerhardt plated Wimer with a base hit, giving the Lady Knights a 3-2 lead.

Shasta tacked on a run in the fifth inning, which proved to be vital. Megan McColpin reached on a fielder’s choice and went to third on Carrel’s single to center field. Carrel advanced to second on the throw to third. Freshman hurler Kayla Spini came to the plate with two outs and hit a single up the middle to score McCoplin. Carrel tried to score on the play but was cut down at home ending the inning with Shasta up, 4-2. (more…)

The first time the Etna Lions and Weed Cougars met this season, Etna crushed Weed, 10-0. However, the Cougars turned right around and bit the Lions in game-two of the Shasta Cascade League double dip, 5-4. A loss that made Lion coach Collin Krueger less than happy. Determined not to have a repeat of history, the 3rd seeded Lions played near flawless defense in their 5-0 win over six-seed Weed in the first round of the NSCIF D-IV playoffs on Friday.

With a large home crowd, and plenty of Cougar faithful as well, Etna took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Tyler Murphy singled, and stole second base. Preston Munson took a two-out walk. Trevor Stacher singled down the third base line, driving in Murphy, and moving Chris Sutter to third base. Sutter was courtesy running for Munson. Stacher went to second on a the throw. Sutter and Stacher scored when Alex Berry reached on an error.

It looked like Weed had something going in the top of the second inning, when Carlos Sanchez led off with a base hit, and Aidan Hagarty was hit by a pitch. However, Munson fanned the next three batters to thwart the threat. (more…)

The North Section released the 2013 Softball Playoff brackets on Saturday morning. Playoffs start on Tuesday.

Divison-IV

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Etna baseball coach Collin Krueger’s pick for the Scott Valley Real Estate Baseball Player of the Week is Tyler Murphy.

Murphy was 6/9 with 5 runs scored, 4 RBIs, and a pair of doubles in Etna’s double header sweep of Mt. Shasta last Friday.

Tyler, “hit the ‘doo doo’ out of the ball last week,” said Krueger (more…)

The Shasta Cascade League held its track & field finals at the College of the Siskiyous on Wednesday. Etna won both the boys and girls team events. The Weed girls were 2nd, and the Fall River boys were runner up. The top three individual finishers in each event received medals.

Boys event results

100 Meters

1. Michael Peters: 11.39, Fall River
2. John Westlund: 11.40, Fall River
3. Josh Rodgers: 11.42, Weed

200 Meters

1. Michael Peters: 23.8, Fall River
2. John Westlund: 23.9, Fall River
3. Sebastian Magnia: 24.13, Burney (more…)

The North Section released the 2013 baseball playoff seedings and brackets on Wednesday. Round-one is on Friday, May 10; semi-finals on Tuesday, May 14; and championship games on Saturday, May 18. Preliminary Games are scheduled for 4:00 pm at the higher seed, but times may be changed by mutual consent. Championship games are at a central venue.

Division-I

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Etna varsity softball coach Harold Bennett has selected Kortni Bennett for the Happy Toes Etna Lady Lions Softball Player of the Week.

In the double header against Mt. Shasta last week, Bennett went 2/3, was hit by a pitch 3 times, walked twice, scored, and drove in a pair of runs. She also robbed a batter of a base hit by throwing her out at first base from right field. (more…)

The North Section released the 2013 baseball playoff seedings on Wednesday morning. All games are scheduled for 4:00 pm at higher seed. Times are subject to change.

Division-II

Yreka (3) v Central Valley (6)

Division-III

Mt. Shasta (7) @ Winters (2)

Division-IV

Etna (3) v Weed (6) (more…)

The Dave Allan Twilight Invitational was held on Friday, May 3 at Mt. Shasta High School.

Top five varsity boys in each event

100 Meters
1. 12 Jeremiah Emershy: 10.99a, Anderson
2. 11 Eli Chapman : 11.08a, Mt Shasta
3. 10 John Westlund: 11.54a, Fall River
4. 12 Connor McCone: 11.55a, Anderson
5. 12 Levi Girardot: 11.71a, Cascade Christian

200 Meters
1. 11 Eli Chapman : 22.60a, Mt Shasta
2. 12 Dylan Miller: 23.94a, Tulelake
3. 11 Jake Brown: 24.19a, Cascade Christian
4. 10 Daniel Benham: 24.44a, Mt Shasta
5. 10 John Westlund: 24.46a, Fall River (more…)

The Modoc Lady Braves, at 11-1, know they have at least a piece of the Shasta Cascade League title. The Etna Lady Lions are two wins away from claiming their share of the crown. Etna swept the defending SCL champion Mt. Shasta Lady Bears on Friday in Etna, winning game-one 10-5, and game-two 16-13. Mt. Shasta had been the SCL champion the past four years. Etna last won the SCL in 2008. Etna (9-1, 19-15) goes to Burney (4-4, 7-13) for a double header on Tuesday to close out the regular season.

In game-one on Friday, Mt. Shasta was first on the board with a pair of runs in the opening frame. With two outs, Blakeley Bryan singled. Alex Peruzzi singled, moving Bryan to second. Kelsi Pelletier was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bryan and Perruzi scored when Mary Taylor reached on an error.

Etna cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first. Sage Gomes singled with one down, and stole second base. A two-out base hit from Mariya Whittaker plated Gomes, making the score 2-1.

Etna tied the game, 2-2, in the second inning. With one out, Kelsey Eastlick was hit by a pitch. A two-out single by Kortni Bennett, followed by an error on the play put Lady Lions on second and third. Eastlick scored on a passed ball. (more…)

Submitted photo

Morgan Moran of Fort Jones competed in the Inaugural Nike Women Half Marathon last weekend, in Washington D.C. The 13.1 mile race is a benefit for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Moran finished the race in 52nd place overall…out of nearly 15,000 competitors. Her time of 1:31:40 was 15th best in the 20-24 year-old division (2,215 runners in division).

Samia Akbar of Alexandria, VA won the race at 1:19:32. (more…)

Etna varsity softball coach Harold Bennett has selected Mariya Whittaker for the Happy Toes Etna Lady Lions Softball Player of the Week.

Whittaker went 9/16 last week from the plate, with a grand slam, 8 runs scored, 5 RBIs, and a pair of steals. (more…)

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The North Section released the first 2013 baseball playoff points rankings on Monday. Keep in mind that the accuracy of the rankings depends on coaches posting game results to MaxpPreps. Missing game results can skew the rankings. The top eight teams in each division make playoffs, except D-VI which has only six teams.

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