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1B Sports Tuesday January 7, 2014 49ers face rematch Florida State snaps SEC streak with Panthers by winning national title SANTA CLARA (AP) — Bring on Carolina once more, and another cross-country playoff flight. The San Francisco 49ers are all for a rematch with the Panthers, even if it means hitting the road again this week to keep their latest postseason run going. ''Onward now,'' coach Jim Harbaugh said. The Panthers shut down San Francisco and quarterback Colin Kaepernick 10-9 at Candlestick Park on Nov. 10, snapping the Niners' five-game winning streak. The 49ers lost the following week at New Orleans for their second two-game skid of the season, but have been on an impressive unbeaten roll in seven games since then after a 23-20 wild-card win Sunday at bitterly cold Green Bay. Now, the 49ers (13-4) get a second chance at Cam Newton and Co. in the NFC divisional playoffs Sunday. Now, they have a healthy, playmaking Michael Crabtree in the receiving corps. And true to his normal, succinct nature, Kaepernick offered this on Carolina: ''We owe 'em.'' Added rookie linebacker Nick Moody on Twitter: ''Rematch against Carolina next week.'' Kaepernick went 11 for 22 for 91 yards with an interception and was sacked six times for a 42.0 passer rating in a rare poor performance. Both Kaepernick and Panthers quarterback Newton — drafted No. 1 overall in 2011 while Kaepernick was the sixth QB selected — will be eager to have much better games on the postseason stage. Newton went 16 of 32 for 169 yards, an interception and four sacks for a 52.7 rating. The Niners needed every ounce out of Kaepernick to get past Green Bay for the fourth straight time and second playoff victory in as many Januarys. ''We've got a good bad-weather quarterback. I think we've established that,'' Harbaugh said Monday. ''Being able to throw a ball that pierces through the elements, the wind. He's shown that in the rain, bad weather, footing, or elements of precipitation. He can pierce a defense with velocity and tightness of the spiral.'' Not to mention with his long legs. Kaepernick's 11-yard run on third-and-8 set up Phil Dawson's winning 33-yard field goal as time expired at Lambeau Field. No sleeves necessary for the tattooed quarterback playing in subzero temperatures, a Wisconsin native to the bone. And that No. 5 seed for the NFC West runner-ups? No matter. Kaepernick connected with a couple of his favorite playoff targets Sunday, completing eight passes for 125 yards to Crabtree and a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis in the fourth quarter against the Packers. Dawson deserved his share of the credit, too. On a day when no kick was a gimme, he came through with three field goals and the game-winner. Biggest kick ever? ''It is right now,'' Dawson said. ''I've waited a long time to win a playoff game.'' Harbaugh said he shared a special moment afterward with the kicker, looking at the joy in Dawson's eyes — ''You could tell he's just happier maybe than he'll ever be and he'll remember that for many years to come.'' Harbaugh, who brought in wrestler Ric Flair for an animated pep talk, became the first coach since 1970 to win 13 or more games, including the postseason, in each of his first three years. By the end of a fun flight home, he had turned his focus to the Panthers. In the last game against Carolina, the 49ers lost a pair of key players on either side of the ball to concussions — tight end Vernon Davis and rookie safety Eric Reid. And Kaepernick has come a long way since that loss two months ago that followed the bye week. ''He's a tough guy, and a quarterback like that, you'll do whatever for him,'' running back Frank Gore said. Having Crabtree back in the mix sure helps. The team's top wideout from 2012 returned for the final five games of the regular season after recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon that required surgery in May. ''More dangerous,'' Harbaugh said. ''Michael Crabtree was not there for that game and Vernon was out of the game early with a concussion.'' Notes: Harbaugh said teams — he wouldn't specify which ones — have reached out seeking to interview offensive coordinator Greg Roman, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula. Harbaugh expects to lose one of them to head coaching jobs, if not all three. ''I imagine there will be some interviews taking place in the coming week or weeks. It's smart on their part,'' Harbaugh said. ''Those guys are great coaches. All of them. There's nobody that's got a better staff, in my humble opinion, than we do here. ... It would be a surprise if somebody is not hired. Or two. Or three.'' ... The ''Levi's Stadium'' sign has gone up at the new stadium. Tehama Tracker Today's schedule BOYS BASKETBALL Corning at Red Bluff, 7:30 p.m. Hayfork at Los Molinos, 7:30 p.m. Mercy at University Prep, 7:30 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL Red Bluff at Corning, 7:30 p.m. Hayfork at Los Molinos, 7:30 p.m. Mercy at University Prep, 6 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Durham at Los Molinos, 3:15 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Corning at Red Bluff, 6 p.m. NBA Golden State at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. Portland at Sacramento, 7 p.m. NHL San Jose at Nashville, 5 p.m. Sports on TV MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL • 4 p.m., ESPN — Tennessee at LSU • 4 p.m., ESPN2 — Baylor at Iowa St. • 6 p.m., ESPN — Ohio St. at Michigan St. • 6 p.m., FS1 — Creighton at DePaul NBA • 5 p.m., CSNB — Golden State at Milwaukee • 5 p.m., WGN — Phoenix at Chicago • 7 p.m., CSNC — Portland at Sacramento NHL • 4:30 p.m., NBCSN — Philadelphia at New Jersey • 5 p.m., CSNC — San Jose at Nashville AP photo Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher kisses The Coaches' Trophy Monday night. PASADENA (AP) — Jameis Winston threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left and No. 1 Florida State beat No. 2 Auburn 34-31 to win the last BCS national championship game on Monday night. Winston struggled much of the night but was near perfect when the Seminoles (14-0) needed it most, going 6 for 7 for 77 yards on the game-winning 80-yard drive. A pass interference penalty on Auburn's Chris Davis gave Florida State a first-and-goal at the 2 and on the next play Winston hit his big receiver for the touchdown. ''I said this from Day 1 in spring ball. These kids are special,'' coach Jimbo Fisher said. ''This group never faltered. They wanted to be elite. They wanted to go to the top and there's so much character in this group.'' Tre Mason had given Auburn (12-2) a 31-27 lead with a 37-yard touchdown run with 1:19 left after Kermit Whitfield had put Florida State in the lead for the first time since the first quarter with a 100-yard kickoff return to make it 27-24 with 4:31 left. Mason ran for 195 yards. Winston was 20 for 35 for 237 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. Nick Marshall ran for a touchdown and threw scoring passes to Mason and Melvin Ray in the first half, and Auburn led 21-13 after three quarters. All-America kicker Roberto Aguayo's second field goal of the night accounted for the only third-quarter points for either team as both defenses took charge after a frenetic first half. The powerful Seminoles trailed by 18 points in the second quarter and 2110 at halftime, but picked up momentum in the third quarter with solid defensive play and improvements by Winston, who was fighting a case of big-game jitters. The Heisman Trophy-winning freshman went 6 for 15 for 62 yards in the first half on his 20th birthday, with a key fumble setting up Marshall's 4yard TD run 5:01 before halftime. Winston also led a 66-yard scoring drive late in the first half and consistently moved Florida State in the third quarter — but with only three points to show for it. After trailing for the first time in any game since Sept. 28, Florida State needed a big finish to become the first team to rally from a halftime deficit to win the BCS title game. Marshall, Winston's relatively unheralded counterpart, looked sharp in the Auburn backfield. Auburn was the nation's top rushing team, but coach Gus Malzahn showed the SEC champs can fling it as well while racking up 232 yards of offense in the first half. Mason caught a 12-yard TD screen pass in the first quarter, and Ray ran alone down the middle with a 50-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Devonta Freeman had a 3-yard scoring run with 1:28 left in the half for Florida State, which faced its largest deficit and first halftime deficit of the season. Auburn's 85-yard drive early in the second quarter ended with a TD catch for Ray, the former minor league baseball player from Tallahassee who had just four receptions in the regular season. Florida State's Jalen Ramsey failed to pick up Ray all alone down the middle. Ray juked a defender near the goal line and scored as the Tigers' fans rocked the Rose Bowl stands with cheers. Auburn's Angelo Blackson then swatted the ball out of Winston's hand on a run moments after the Tigers missed a field goal, and Marshall finished the drive by turning the corner on Florida State's defense for a score. A successful fake punt finally sparked the Seminoles moments later. Winston made a 21-yard run complete with a vicious stiff-arm to Auburn's Kris Frost, and Freeman scored on the next play, trimming Auburn's halftime lead to 21-10. Auburn was making its second BCS championship game appearance after beating Oregon for the title four years ago behind Heisman winner Cam Newton. The Tigers went 3-9 last season, but Malzahn quickly returned them to the national spotlight. Lady Warriors win 3rd tournament PREP ROUNDUP Girls Basketball Mercy The Lady Warriors claimed their third tournament championship of the season capturing the 19th annual American Christian Academy Classic over the weekend. Mercy defeated Dunsmuir 63-29 in Saturday's championship game at Simpson University. Jessica Curl was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year, but it was Marissa Starman who shined in the final win. Starman had a career high 27 points to go along with three assists, four rebounds, a block and two steals. "The offense went through Marissa today," coach Steve Shellabarger said. "She stepped up and showed what it takes to be a leader." Starman and Curl's chemistry was another key in the win. "When these two work together, it's a lot of fun to watch," Shellabarger said. Curl finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Cheyanne Johnson had seven rebounds and five steals. Mercy opened the tournament with a 44-28 win over Big Valley. Curl had 18 points and 12 rebounds and four blocks. Johnson had 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Starman chipped in with nine points. Mercy beat the host American Christian Academy 49-30 in the semifinals. Curl had 15 points and 19 rebounds and four blocks. Starman had 10 points. Michelle Jaramillo and Julia Misslin each pulled down eight rebounds. Corning T h e Lady Cardinals finished as the runner-up at the Lady Hornet Classic in Redding. Corning lost to host Enterprise 51-39 in Saturday's championship game. The Lady Cardinals opened the tournament with a 38-24 win over Mt. Shasta. Corning beat Yreka 5236 in the semifinals. Boys Basketball Mercy T h e Wa r r i o r s had a strong performance at the American Christian Academy Classic beating the hosts 6641 and Dunsmuir 61-38 in a Saturday doubleheader. Against ACA the Warriors had a balanced scoring attack. Teddy Ranberg had 18 points, Reid Gardner 13, Adil Syed 11 and Brandon Gorden 10. Ranberg's 18 points came on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Coach Steve Shellabarger said the key to the game was Mercy's passing. "If we continue to play like this we will be competitive the rest of the season," he said. The strong passing continued in the night cap against Dunsmuir. Ranberg finished with 15 points, Syed had 14 and Gardner 11. Gorden and Tommy Garcia each had eight points. Garcia also pulled down 13 rebounds and made five steals. Gardner and Syed were named to the All-Tournament team. Wrestling Red Bluff Ben Ziegler won the 196p o u n d championship at Anderson's Nor Cal Beast of the North tournament. Ziegler won his first match by a 6-2 decision then proceeded to win his remaining three matches with pins. Ziegler pinned Monterey Trail's Austin Nguyen in the third period. Corning The Cardinals finished 20th with 47.5 points at the inaugural Joe Rios Memorial in Chico. Del Oro won the meet with 259.5 points.