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1B Sports Thursday November 7, 2013 Hayden feels 49ers' Crabtree, Manningham blessed year make strides to return after near-fatal injury ALAMEDA (AP) — As soon as D.J. Hayden woke up, he flashed back one year to the day he almost died in a practice collision. Hayden got an encouraging text message from his mother Wednesday morning and he said he just felt blessed to be living after undergoing emergency heart surgery last Nov. 6. After battling his way back from a near-death experience, Hayden's growing pains as a rookie cornerback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders appear like minor impediments rather than shaking his confidence after a rough outing last week against Philadelphia. ''I'm just truly blessed,'' he said. ''Truly blessed to be living right now. Truly blessed to be in the NFL right now. I'm just truly blessed.'' Hayden collided with a teammate in practice at Houston one year ago, tearing a blood vessel off the back of his heart. He was rushed into immediate surgery for a tear of the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from the lower half of the body to the heart. The injury is 95 percent fatal in the field, according to doctors, and is most commonly associated with high-speed motor vehicle accidents. Hayden didn't know if he'd ever be able to walk again, much less play football. But he eventually recovered and worked his way back to get drafted 12th overall in April by the Raiders. After a setback in May when he had to undergo surgery to repair an abdominal scar, Hayden was finally cleared for contact midway through training camp and has played all eight games so far this season. ''Nothing in football can compare to what he had to go through and the type of mental toughness that it takes to battle through the injury that he battled through and to be able to come back like he's been able to come back,'' coach Dennis Allen said. ''I have no doubt that he will be able to respond, he'll be able to come back and he'll perform at a high level. Not a lot of people have gone through the things that he had to go through.'' Hayden has played about two-thirds of Oakland's defensive snaps as the nickel cornerback and has had an up-anddown campaign so far. He struggled at the start of the season but showed signs of improvement with an interception against San Diego on Oct. 6 and a forced fumble the following game in Kansas City. But he is coming off a disastrous performance against the Eagles. The rough day started when he stopped in the middle of the end zone as Riley Cooper ran past him to make a 17-yard touchdown catch. On Philadelphia's next offensive play, Hayden lost his footing a bit to lead to a 63yard TD pass from Nick Foles to Cooper. ''This past game I gave up two touchdowns and it's something I've got to put past me. I've got to keep going on to the next play and getting better,'' he said. ''It's about how you respond to it. I could have made both plays, I've just got to finish the play. If I'd have finished the play, who knows what the outcome would have been.'' Hayden later had tight coverage on DeSean Jackson's 59-yard catch but was unable to make a play on the ball. That has been a recurring issue for Hayden this season as he has often been in position but just unable to get his hands on the ball to break up a pass or make an interception. ''He was in position,'' teammate Charles Woodson said. ''He was in position to make plays. Those are plays he's going to have to make going forward. I know he'll replay those plays in his mind every second of the day going forward and he'll figure out what he needs to do to make those plays.'' For the season, Hayden has allowed 26 catches on 40 throws with him in coverage for 376 yards and three touchdowns. He has the one interception and has allowed a 110 passer rating against. Wrestling sign-ups The Top Fuelers Wrestling team will hold its 2013-14 season sign-ups from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Round Table Pizza in Red Bluff. Wrestlers in kindergarten through third grade are $40, and wrestlers in fourth grade through eighth grade are $60. For more information call Zeno Blanchard at 736-5665. SANTA CLARA (AP) — At last, Mario Manningham is back in game-week mode. And that has a far better ring to it than rehab mode given the countless hours he has spent for much of the last year nursing himself back to health following major knee surgery. Manningham walked through the locker room Wednesday, binder in hand and headed for meetings with the expectation that he will play for the San Francisco 49ers (6-2) in Sunday's game against Carolina (5-3), even if coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to formally say so. ''Mario, he's a receiver who's easy to throw to, so it's not going to take much time for him to get back up to speed,'' quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. Manningham is on the active roster again nearly 11 months after a knee injury derailed his season and forced him to the sidelines long before the Super Bowl run. Michael Crabtree is back on the practice field six months after he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon that also sent him to surgery. Kaepernick credits both of his star wideouts for returning to their former explosive selves so soon. Such compliments go a long way. ''It's important when it comes from your teammates,'' Manningham said. ''I know I can get better, everybody can always get better. I'm trying to take it step by step and do what I can do to make my team look better. I'm practicing like I'm playing, just trying to make plays and come out with a 'W.''' At the start of practice, the first full session for Crabtree since he was medically cleared Tuesday, he planted hard with his healthy right foot to cut inside on a short route. Between drills, he shuffled his feet in a little jive as Bruce Springsteen's ''Born in the U.S.A.'' blared from the sound system. Harbaugh wandered over for a glimpse of the receivers doing their position work. ''Good to have him back, 15 reporting eligible,'' Harbaugh said earlier, referencing Crabtree's uniform number. ''Everybody kind of watches out of the cor- AP file photo San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) runs against the Chicago Bears during the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco. Manningham is back on the active roster nearly 11 months after major knee surgery derailed his season and forced him to the sidelines for the Super Bowl. ner of their eyes doing their drills. It's neat to see any player who comes back from a serious injury, understanding the grueling rehab that's taken place, the mental toughness grinding through those rehab sessions. ... He'll be on a pitch count.'' Just imagine what San Francisco's 32nd-ranked passing game might look like down the stretch with these two back in the offensive mix for Kaepernick to complement Anquan Boldin. Suddenly, San Francisco's players will allow themselves to think about the added big-play potential for a unit already on a nice roll and riding a five-game winning streak in which the team has scored at least 30 points in each victory. ''It'll be crazy,'' running back Frank Gore said. ''Looking back the way guys were playing, Youth basketball sign-ups The Cornerstone Youth Basketball League is holding its annual winter sign-ups at Red Bluff Cornerstone Bank now until Nov. 15. The instructional and recreational league is for first graders through sixth graders. First and second graders will learn fundamentals from high school coaches and varsity basketball players, and third through sixth graders will play in games each week after learning new skills. Coaches are also needed. Tehama Tracker Today's Schedule CROSS COUNTRY Sacramento River League Championships at Foothill, 2 p.m.; Corning at West Valley VOLLEYBALL Red Bluff at Enterprise, 7 p.m.; Willows at Corning, 7 p.m.; Liberty Christian at Los Molinos, 6 p.m.; Redding Christian at Mercy, 6:30 p.m. Sports on TV AUTO RACING 4 p.m. ESPN2 — Global Rallycross Championship, at Las Vegas COLLEGE FOOTBALL 4:30 p.m. FS1 — Oklahoma at Baylor 6 p.m. ESPN — Oregon at Stanford GOLF 10 a.m. TGC — PGA Tour, The McGladrey Classic, first round, at St. Simons Island, Ga. 1 a.m. TGC — European PGA Tour, Turkish Airlines Open, second round, at Antalya, Turkey NBA BASKETBALL 4 p.m. TNT — L.A. Clippers at Miami 6:30 p.m. TNT — L.A. Lakers at Houston NFL FOOTBALL 5 p.m. NFL — Washington at Minnesota SOCCER 9 a.m. FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Swansea City at Kuban Noon FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Sheriff at Tottenham 6 p.m. ESPN2 — MLS, playoffs, conference semifinals, leg 2, Los Angeles at Real Salt Lake 8 p.m. NBCSN — MLS, playoffs, conference semifinals, leg 2, Seattle at Portland TENNIS Noon ESPN2 — ATP World Tour Finals, round robin, at London especially with Kap and Crab on the field last year and how they were so used to breaking a lot of plays down the field, the running game will be getting easier. That's big for the team. A lot of teams are playing us with a lot of people in the box. With those guys back out there making plays, with the people who are already making plays — Vernon (Davis), Anquan Boldin, adding Crab, Mario, that's big.'' Before his injury last December, Manningham had 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown in 12 games and 10 starts. He injured his left knee in a loss at Seattle Dec. 23 then underwent reconstructive surgery to repair torn anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments. Crabtree, the team's 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Texas Tech, established career highs last season with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. Then Crabtree sustained the injury during 7-on-7 drills in an organized team activity May 21. Manningham is likely to make his season debut for the 49ers in Sunday's home game against Carolina. Crabtree shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks behind him. In Crabtree's case, the 49ers have slightly less than three weeks before they must activate him. ''I had the math since the surgery, five months, 27 days as of Sunday, so five months, 30 days, today,'' Harbaugh said. ''Surprised? I don't know the surprise there, I guess because you watch them day to day. Successful surgery, on track at every point, doing everything he was asked to do by the doctors. All reports were really good.'' PREP ROUNDUP VOLLEYBALL FIELD HOCKEY The Los Molinos Lady Bulldogs (35-8, 10-1 Five Star League) earned a straight game road victory over the Mercy Warriors Tuesday, 25-19, 25-8, 25-18. Los Molinos was led by Clarivel Castillo 14 kills, three aces and 17 digs. Kaitlyn Seaman notched 24 assists and five aces. And Emily Bailey put up 11 kills, 14 digs and two blocks. Mercy (17-10, 9-2 FSL) had 16 kills from Jessica Curl, and 11 from Breana Kemp. Los Molinos next hosts Liberty Christian at 6 p.m. today. Mercy hosts Redding Christian at 6:30 p.m. today. The games mark the regular season closers for both squads. The Corning Lady Cardinals field hockey team announced the recipients of its end-of-year awards. Most improved: Kaitlyn Cox and Melissa Vasquez Team Captain: Jessica Beckley and Kaitlyn Huntley Best Offensive: Maria Diaz and Bailey Jennings Best Defensive: Alexis Saavedra and Rachel Silva Fighting Cardinal: Sarah Boone Huntley, Beckley and Jennings also earned All Eastern Athletic League honors. Courtesy photo by Larry Long