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Friday MLB — Giants at Cardinals, 5 p.m., MNT-21 MLB — Rays at Athletics, 7 p.m., CSNC Arena Bowl — Tampa Bay at Spokane, 5 p.m., NFLN Little League — 10 a.m., Noon, ESPN; 3 p.m., 5 p.m., ESPN2 PGA — Wyndham Championship, Noon, TGC NFL Preseason — Eagles at Bengals, 5 p.m., FOX Sports 1B Friday August 20, 2010 Learning experience Red Bluff Rec League Softball Championships American League Heavy Hitters 31, DR 4x4 13 Central League Beer Nuts 15, LP Bayou Bombers 14 Coed 4 Championship Up in Flames 7, RB Gas 4 Ziegler working way onto roster San Francisco 49ers SANTA CLARA (AP) — After three seasons spent almost entirely on San Francisco’s practice squad, Dominique Zeigler is making his mark for the 49ers. The undrafted free agent receiver has turned heads in training camp and may have earned a spot on the active ros- ter as the fourth receiver. ‘‘Dominique’s a unique guy,’’ coach Mike Singletary said. ‘‘He doesn’t mind going across the middle, going underneath, doing some of the dirty work. He’s a guy that does everything for us and wears a lot of different hats. He can play any of the receiver positions, gives us some flexi- bility. And he’s really good on special teams as well.’’ Zeigler’s versatility became more important to the 49ers this week after the team released veteran receiver Brandon Jones, San Francisco’s top pickup in 2009 free agency. The 49ers gave Jones a five-year, $16 million deal last Daily News photo by Rich Greene Mercy defensive coordinator John Thomas instructs the Warriors at practice Thursday as linebacker Mitchell Lopez listens in. 8-MAN Mercy Warriors By RICHGREENE DN Sports Editor After one quarter of watching his Mercy Warriors take part in their first intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday, coach Paul Vietti thought he was in a for a long season. Vietti said it was “rough” and he didn’t use the word the way football coaches like to use the term. Instead he was using it to describe a team that looked timid. But as the minutes clicked on in the second quarter and surely by the third quarter, Vietti said the timid-play went away and he saw his Warriors start to get it. Running a successful football pro- gram isn’t like riding a bicycle. Even although Mercy’s absence from prep football was only for one season the Warriors are having to start from scratch in 2010. The season will be a learning expe- rience not just for players, but for coaches, parents and administration as well. Wednesday’s intrasquad scrimmage was just one of the firsts tests the War- riors needed to pass. By Thursday’s practice the lessons learned were already being applied. Vietti said the coaching staff can now work beyond basic fundamentals as was the case Thursday during what was more of a mental practice than a physical one. Vietti went through concepts, angles and route assignments and more than once questions came up that both the players and coaches worked through to find the answer. Assistant coach John Thomas said having to start from scratch is one of the reasons the coaches have decided to utilize only basic sets on offense and defense to start the season. Once players start grasping their basic assignments the coaches will then start building off what they have learned. Coaches are also learning how good their players are. Among those who stood out at the first scrimmage were nose guard and center Chris Bartlett senior Michael Escalante and junior Jordan Stasi- nowsky, who just moved to the area from South Carolina. Stasinowsky said he played 11-man football in South Carolina, so the 8- man game is new to him as well. The biggest difference, he said, is the all the extra space to cover. The Warriors’ next step in their learning process will be a four-team scrimmage on Saturday with Champi- on Christian, Elk Creek and a fourth team to be determined. Sanchez sharp, Giants avert sweep Giants 5 Philadelphia 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — This time, Jonathan Sanchez did his talking on the mound. Sanchez allowed just two hits while pitching into the ninth inning and Buster Posey lined a pair of RBI doubles, leading the San Francisco Giants over the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Thursday night. The Giants averted a sweep in a matchup of NL wild-card contenders, stop- ping their three-game slide and ending the Phillies’ four-game winning streak. ‘‘The last thing you want to do is dig yourself too big a hole. I thought this was a big game for the guys,’’ manager Bruce Bochy said. ‘‘We came out after a tough series against San Diego at home, then lost the first two here. To get this last one against a very tough pitcher is big for this club.’’ Sanchez publicly pre- dicted a sweep before the Giants faced NL West-lead- ing San Diego, but the Padres beat the left-hander in the opening game and took two of three. Sanchez (9-8) redeemed himself against the Phillies, becoming the first Giants starting pitcher to record a win in 15 games, dating to his victory over Colorado on Aug. 3. No runner reached MCT photo Juan Uribe slides into second base trying to break up a double play. second base against the lefty, who retired 15 straight after hitting Chase Utley with a pitch in the fourth. Sanchez, who was vying for his first complete game since his no-hitter against San Diego on July 10, 2009, came out to start the ninth with a 5-0 lead. He gave up a leadoff single to Shane Victorino and was pulled with a 2-0 count on Placido Polanco. Sergio Romo retired Polanco on a fly ball, but Utley singled and Mike Sweeney hit a two-out, two- run double. Bochy then went to closer Brian Wilson, who retired Raul Ibanez on a fly ball for his 34th save in 37 opportunities. Pablo Sandoval hit his ninth homer of the season and first while batting right- handed. year, but he became expendable by the emergence this sum- mer of Zeigler, who wasn’t drafted in 2007 out of Baylor. Zeigler made San Francisco’s practice squad that season and since then has seen numerous receivers come and go on the roster while he patiently waited for his opportunity. With starter Michael Crabtree sidelined with a neck sprain, Zeigler took snaps with San Francisco’s first-unit offense during team drills Wednesday. Zeigler appears to have climbed past veteran Jason Hill as the 49ers’ No. 4 receiver behind Crabtree, Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn. ‘‘I knew my time would come as long as I keep working hard,’’ Zeigler said. ‘‘And when my time comes, I just have to take grab of it with both hands.’’ Zeigler worked his way onto the 53-man roster in 2008, then onto the field over the last half of that season when he had five catches for 97 yards and contributed seven tackles on special teams. Zeigler was in competition to make the final roster last summer before he sustained a high ankle sprain in San Fran- cisco’s final exhibition game. He spent the entire 2009 sea- son on the 49ers’ practice squad. This summer, Zeigler has been one of the 49ers’ more impressive and consistent performers. He had one catch for 18 yards and returned one punt 11 yards in San Francisco’s 37-17 preseason opener at Indianapolis last week. ‘‘Dominique has had an outstanding camp,’’ offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said. ‘‘But a year ago I saw the same things. It just didn’t come to fruition because he was injured in the last exhibition game. This time, he’s stayed, he’s been healthy and he’s taken another step. Right now, it’s what you’ve seen in a pretty good performance.’’ Zeigler, who carries 185 pounds on his slender 6-foot-3 See 49ers, page 2B Award winners Courtesy photo Sam Geveden and Andrew Clawson Red Bluff athletes Sam Geveden and Andrew Clawson attended the prestigious Snow Valley Basketball Camp in Santa Barbara at the end of July and came away with three awards. Clawson won the Cutthroat Champion for the 14-15 year-old age group and Geveden won Best Defensive Play- er and First Team All-Star awards for the 12-13 year-old age group. Clawson is attending Red Bluff Union High School and is the son of Gary and Kim Clawson. Geveden is attending Berrendos Junior High and is the son of Bruce and Paulette Geveden. The Snow Valley basketball camp celebrated its 50th year and had over 1000 athletes in attendance from all over the United States and from Japan, Canada and Argentina.