Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/25408
Friday Boys Hoops— Biggs at Los Molinos, 5:30 p.m. Boys Hoops — Corning at Yreka, 7:30 p.m. Boys Hoops — Las Plumas at Red Bluff, 7:30 p.m. Boys Hoops — University Prep at Mercy, 7:30 p.m. Girls Hoops — University Prep at Mercy, 6 p.m. Girls Hoops — Yreka at Corning, 7:30 p.m. Worth repeating My friend Eddie called me a few weeks ago in pretty rough shape. He told me a tumor had been discovered on his sister’s brain. He was pretty choked up about the whole thing. I was speechless. Not because of the tragedy, but just out of pure ignorance to the situation. Seems for most of my life when the word cancer comes up, I bob my head up-and-down and wait for the topic to change. After all it hasn’t affected me nor anyone in my immediate fam- ily. I understood it’s a big deal, but like hungry kids in third world countries I’ve always felt like, whatever, someone else will figure this out. If I have to deal with it, I’ll deal with it then. Of course that selfish, lazy approach sure left me feel- ing like a poor friend when Eddie poured his heart out to me and I had to go with the same sympathy spiel Iwould have used if he told me his cat had died. Thankfully, there’s a group of kids at Red Bluff Union High School who don’t want to live in a world filled with a bunch of people like myself. Spurned on by their own heart-felt emotions, these students have decided making people aware of cancer is a worthwhile cause. They believe it’s a message worth repeating. So the Lady Spartans varsity, junior varsity and fresh- men basketball teams wore pink shirts all season long with the words “Fight Back” printed on them. They dedicated their seasons to the cause of raising cancer awareness and on Tuesday with their rival Pleas- ant Valley visiting, they invited the community to join them in their efforts in what was dubbed the Pink Out. I believe it’s an event worth repeating. There were many things I liked about the Pink Out, enough I’d like to see it become an annual event held on the girls’ basketball game falling closest to Valentine’s Day. I liked the crowds it brought to see not just varsity girls basketball, but junior varsity and freshmen teams as well. The players and coaches sure liked that too. I liked they weren’t shelling out for money. Sure if a few bucks were raised in the process that doesn’t hurt, but the students were aiming for a simple message — make people aware of something that is bound to effect their lives. It worked. I know it did on me. Granted, it’s in my job description to at least become a little bit aware of whatever it is I’m writing about, but wouldn’t you know it — somehow I learned a few things about cancer while writing an article previewing the event. After talking to the kids involved in the Pink Out, I felt I should. If the idea was to raise awareness — those kids got me. And chances are if you read my article Monday, they got you too as a result. I think what I liked best about the event was that it was something that came from the students themselves. It didn’t seem forced. It wasn’t an assignment or a celebrity preaching in an over-produced commercial with sad music. It was students in the midst of dealing with some seri- ous problems. They wanted to do something to help and used the few resources a teenager has at their disposal — the ability to get grown-ups to wonder why their wear- ing something and their mouth. Maybe that’s why I responded to it. All I know is after I wrote my article I called Eddie and finally had a talk a good friend would have with him. Sure it’s not a conversation I wish to repeat again, but at least I’m more aware now of what his family is going through and chances are what mine will eventually go through at some point as well. ******************** So how can the Pink Out become an even better event in the years to come. First I challenge the Class of 2014, this year’s fresh- men, to make it their priority to push this thing their next three years at the school. If incoming students see how excited and dedicated the upperclassmen are to the event, the tradition will carry on well after they graduate. Second idea. Stick with the awareness angle. There was a booth with information about Ride For Life outside of the gym — a good start. But, how about next year multiple booths are set up with all sorts of information about cancer from diagno- sis to treatment to fundraising efforts. Third idea. This one’s not needed, but sure would make a lasting visual impact on the community — pink jerseys. Wearing the pink jersey would be something each Lady Spartan could look forward to every year and sure would do the job of getting people to at least find out what was going on. And thus get socked upside the head with a nice cancer awareness message as a result. I know of at least one school administrator who is hoping for the pink jerseys next year. There are rules against sponsorships on high school jerseys, but I’m willing to bet there would be a lot of great word of mouth around town if a local business stepped up and made this a reality next year. I know of at least one newspaper guy who would say nice things about them. Daily News Sports Editor Rich Pinke typically goes by the name Rich Greene, but he was willing to change his byline for a day to make his point. He can reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or by e-mail at sports@redbluffdailynews.com. Daily News photo by Rich Greene Corning’s Nicole Mason chips a shot past a sliding Las Plumas defender,Thursday. SOCCER Las Plumas 1 Corning 4 By RICH GREENE DN Sports Editor CORNING—The beautiful game looked anything but, Thursday afternoon. The Lady Cardinals overcame rain, mud, puddles, wind, and even more rain to knock off Las Plumas 4- 1 and finally give Corning girls’ soc- cer a Northern Section playoff victo- ry. The win sends Corning (11-2-2) to the semifinals and a Tuesday encounter at Sutter (15-2). Las Plumas came into Thursday’s first round match with Corning, with just one win on the season and hardly threatened the Cardinals’ half of the field, let alone their net. Corning went on the board in the eighth minute when Magdelina Ramirez deflected a clearance into the net as she charged the Thunder- birds’ goalie. In the 29th minute a Corning cross missed everybody and landed in the soaked field around the 18-yard line. Carolina Carillo raced onto the dead ball and booted it over the goalie’s head for a 2-0 lead. Las Plumas beat Corning’s defense in the 33rd minute to pull within 2-1 and the Cardinals missed a penalty kick as time expired in the first half to keep some suspense head- ed into halftime. However, Corning didn’t waste much time in putting the game away in the second half as in the 44th minute a Carillo cross plopped into the mud and Nicole Mason sent it into the back of the net for a 3-1 lead. In the 58th minute the Cardinals sealed the game as Carillo scored her second goal of the game when the Thunderbirds defense failed several times to clear the ball amidst severe Corning pressure on the net. Saturday’s mat glance Division I Championships Pleasant Valley High School, Noon Division I schools: Chico, Corn- ing, Enterprise, Foothill, Las Plumas, Oroville, Paradise, Pleasant Valley, Red Bluff, Shasta 2010 recap: Chico ran away with the D-I title with 225.5 points. Red Bluff was second with 180 points fol- lowed by Foothill in third with 165. Corning placed sixth with 100.5 points. Corning’s Thomas Marshall won the 217-pound title. Underclassmen Nashon Garrett, Mason Sauseda, Blaine Shaw, Nick Morelli, Chase Boontjer and Ross Longnecker won titles. Corning’s Tanner Johnson (121) and Nick Johnson (142) finished as runners-up along with Red Bluff’s Sultan Beardsley (132) and Dillon Reid (154). Wrestlers to watch (weight classes may change): 105: Jaxon Fitzgerald, Foothill; Marco Gonzales; Sam Parmen- Division III/IV Championships Willows High School, 9 a.m. Division III schools: Biggs, Colusa, Durham, Modoc, Mt. Shasta, Portola, Quincy, Trinity, University Prep, Willows Division IV schools: Big Valley, Burney, Chester, Etna, Fall River, Los Molinos, Redding Christian, Tule- lake, Weed, Westwood 2010 recap: Richie Lakin won the 154-pound title for Los Molinos and Bulldogs Jacob Haley (121) and Trevor Chamberlain (142) finished in fifth place. Lucas Gaith, Aron Garcia, Jared Stine and Alex Sohnrey all won titles tier, Oroville; Matt Smull, Shasta 114: Zeke Andrade, Foothill; Jon Craig, Oroville; Nashon Gar- rett, Chico, Martin Solano, Corn- ing; Dan St. John, Red Bluff 121: Nate Fultz, Corning; Jor- dan McManus, Red Bluff; Michael Ripley, Oroville; Mason Sauseda, Chico 127: Isaiah Boles, Enterprise; Lake Gee, Oroville, Efren Rodriguez, Chico, Blaine Shaw, Paradise 132: Matt Boles, Corning; Jesse Chambers, Chico; Joseph Holcomb, Shasta 137: Matthew Buchannan, Shasta; Sean Lowe; Corning; Nick Morelli, Paradise; Derek Tenckhoff, Pleasant Valley as underclass- men and will be looking to defend them this Saturday. Wrestlers to watch (weight classes may change): 105: Clayton Buchanan, Chester 114: Lucas Gaith, Durham 121: Ben Bevil, Modoc, Josh Plotzke, Trinity 127: Tyler Moser, Weed 132: Aron Garcia, Willows; Dylan Ruffer, Chester 137: Daniel Garcia, Willows; 142: Chase Boontjer, Foothill; Pang Lee, Chico; Tanner Meyers, Paradise 147: Kyle Case, Red Bluff; Mike Bland, Shasta; Dallas Pos- ton, Foothill; 154: Eric Anderson, Red Bluff, Ryan Pickering, Pleasant Valley; Jason Powell, Paradise, Cordero Rios, Chico 162: AJ Curtis, Shasta; Patrick McCampbell, Chico; Calvin Meister, Corning; Cody Parmen- tier, Oroville; Dillon Reid, Red Bluff 173: Bryce Eggert, Red Bluff; Calem Fiolka, Paradise; Gary Hemmingson, Pleasant Valley, Parker Johnson, Corning 191: Jariah Booker, Las Plumas; Ross Longnecker, Chico; Josh O’Coy, Red Bluff, Daniel Welborn, Corning 217: Joe Jones, Foothill; Mark Jorgenson, Chico; Erik Miranda, Corning; Jeff Skaggs, Red Bluff 287: Mike Davis, Chico; Josh O’Dell, Shasta Rocklin Loranger, Chester; Brandon Waltz, Durham 142: Tyler Cadotte, Durham 147: Bradley Hall, Durham; Con- nor Ritz, Trinity 154: 162: Westley Ruffer, Chester; Ethan Herman, Tulelake 173: Jared Stine, Willows 191: 217: Trevor Candelaria, Willows, Alex Sohnrey, Durham 287: Jeremy Brandsted, Modoc; Jacob Candelaria Rich Pinke Sports 1B Scoring in the rain Friday February 18, 2011