Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/395161
ByJanieMcCauley TheAssociatedPress SANFRANCISCO Eveninhislate 30s and a year removed from a devastating ankle injury that cut short his 2013 season in Atlanta, Tim Hudson pictured himself pitching at a high level again. That's the very reason he took the leap to move back cross coun- try and join the San Francisco Giants, leaving his Georgia roots last fall and returning to his Bay Area baseball beginnings. Now, the veteran right-hander is headed to the NL Champion- ship Series in the deepest playoff run of his 16 major league sea- sons. San Francisco makes its third NLCS appearance in five years when it opens Saturday at St. Louis, playing its fourth in a row. Hudson is likely to pitch Game 3 of the best-of-seven series next Tuesday at AT&T Park. "I'm toward the end of my ca- reer here and it's the first time I've been past the first round," Hudson said Wednesday. "I don't think there's going to be anybody on the field that's going to be more emotionally involved than I am for the next series, or two series." Ryan Vogelsong wanted to pitch Hudson into the next round. Tim Lincecum enjoyed the Division Series celebration that much more knowing what it meant to the guy who shares his first name. Manager Bruce Bo- chy got a thrill watching Hudson add another accomplishment. "If you're not walking in his shoes, to take the magnitude of how many years he's played in this league and to have never been to this point, I can't really describe it for him," right fielder Hunter Pence said. "If I think in my imagination, I think of 17 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GiantveteranHudson finallyhasbigchance Inhis16thmajorleagueseason,39-year-old right-hander advances in baseball's playoffs ROBCAR—GETTYIMAGES San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Hudson throws in the first inning of Game 2of baseball's NL Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday in Washington. ALEX BRANDON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Hudson throws in the second inning of Game 2of baseball's NL Division Series against the Washington Nationals on Saturday in Washington. Staff Reports LOS MOLINOS Vanesa Cota dished out 31 assists and Los Molinos came from behind to beat county rival Mercy 18-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-18 Tuesday. Rachel Rogers and Hannah Rogers each had 10 kills for the Lady Bulldogs. Gilsa Castellon added another eight. Los Molinos got 16 aces. Dani Garman had five, Cota had four and Castellon recorded three. Castellon also blocked three shots and picked up 10 digs. Mercy was led by Madeline Flynn and C.J. Johnson, who both had nine kills. Johnson also had three as- sists. Marissa Starman blocked five shots and Flynn blocked three. Starman had 18 digs and Gil- lie Coelho recorded 12. Tasha Pimentel had 27 as- sists. Los Molinos (14-5-3) hosts Liberty Christian today. Mercy (14-10) hosts Redding Christian. PLEASANT VALLEY 3, RED BLUFF 0 Pleasant Valley beat visit- ing Red Bluff 25-12, 25-13, 25-14 Tuesday. Red Bluff (6-13, 0-4) visits En- terprise tonight. WEST VALLEY 3, CORNING 0 West Valley beat visiting Corn- ing 25-23, 25-13, 25-13 on Tues- day. It was the Northern Athletic League opener for the Lady Car- dinals. Corning (9-11, 0-1) hosts Yreka tonight. Tennis LIVE OAK 8, MERCY 1 Live Oak used three defaulted matches to beat Mercy 8-1 Tuesday at the Valley Oak Tennis Club. Mercy's win came in No. 1 singles where Mary DiMag- gio beat Yesenia Espinoza in a come-from-behind 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory. Mercy had to default at the fifth and sixth singles spots and its third doubles team. PREP ROUNDUP La dy B ul ld og s be at c ou nt y ri va l Me rc y Los Molinos drops first set before winning final three with 10 kills each by Rachel Rogers, Hannah Rogers in victory at home Saturday: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals, 5:07p.m., TV on Fox. All three Te- hama County teams lost last week, but you know what? It was a great week. Sports journal- ists aren't sup- posed to root for athletes, but there's no way you would have been able to rip the smile off my face last week when I found out Corning's Chayce Maday walked on to the Oregon football team. Along with Tyler McIntyre and Zane Petty, Corning cur- rently has three former players in Division I football. That's great, but you know what would be awesome? If we had even more kids getting to live their dream. That's why I'm issuing a chal- lenge this week to the players and the community. Parents and coaches, you're off the hook be- cause I know how much you al- ready do. Here's the challenge, let's see a dozen Tehama County stu- dent-athletes make a Division I program in the next two years. I'm talking across all sports here, which is both doable and a lofty goal. Our biggest challenges are without an in-county university and without a team going to the state playoffs, our kids are not getting on the radar of college programs. The simplest route is to do what Chayce did. Although it's in no way simple. Chayce used his brain and his hard work ethic to get into the University of Oregon. Then all he had to do was show up on tryout day and show off what he can do on the foot- ball field in front of a group of collective eyes. It's those eyeballs we need, Tehama has plenty of talented athletes. Chayce put himself in a situa- tion where he could get on that radar. Grades, grades, grades ... kids, trust everyone who's repeating that to you. But I have a backup plan as well, this is the part where I'm relying on the rest of the com- munity. There's a belief we're all con- nected by six steps. While there's no university here, we have plenty of people who went off and got a great ed- ucation and returned home. We have connections. Sure it might not be a college coach, but we know someone who knows someone. Let's keep it in our minds to promote our student-athletes to others from outside Tehama when given a chance — a name- drop here, a mention there — you never know. Will it work? I'd rather think, why wouldn't it? Obviously the route Chayce took is the one we all should be pushing for. Students, I can't be any more clear that's your best bet to play at the next level. But if you keep your grades up and maybe do some nice vol- unteer work around town, I'm going to go ahead and challenge the rest of the community to start promoting and vouching for you. Yeah, I did sneak in volunteer work, it looks good on college applications. Students, if you give back to the community, the community will have no problem doing what it can to give back to you. On to the previews: WEST VALLEY (4-1, 0-0) AT CORN- ING (3-2, 0-0), 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY WEEK 6 PREVIEWS Maday did it the right way, let's keep it up Business is picking up for rookie Aaron Lynch as a San Francisco 49ers pass rusher. The past two wins have tapped Lynch's potential as he's become their le outside linebacker on passing downs. 49ERS Lynch as pass rusher becomes important cog FULL STORY ON PAGE B2 The Red Bluff High School Athletic Booster Club's third annual Spartan Hall of Fame dinner is at 5:30p.m. Satur- day. Tickets are $25and can be purchased at ReMax Top Properties. SPARTAN HALL OF FAME Annual booster club banquet Saturday The Eastern Athletic League competes at 1p.m. today at Wilcox Oaks Golf Club. Red Bluff enters the day in first place in the season-long league standings. GOLF Lady Spartans host EAL match day President Barack Obama's former Pentagon chief is criticizing his foreign policy. Longtime political advisers are questioning his campaign strategy. And campaigning Democrats shun him. ANALYSIS Obama allies harder to find these days FULL STORY ON PAGE B4 HUDSON PAGE 2 Rich Greene GREENE PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, October 9, 2014 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1