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ByChipThompson editor@redbluffdailynews.com @editorchip on Twitter RED BLUFF Aside from the final score — Paradise 42, Red Bluff 27 — there was plenty to like about Fri- day night's Spartans season opener against the Paradise Bobcats. The Spartans moved the ball well through the air and on the ground using a good number of play mak- ers, the defense got to the ball quickly and, in the biggest change from last season, players didn't get discouraged when the game started to get away. "We competed," coach Corey Hein said. "We were handed some adver- sity, but through that they contin- ued to battle." Hein said the team needs to clean up some mistakes, with an intercep- tion and a couple of fumbles, but liked what he saw from his key play- ers, citing Conner Mckenzie, Cam- eron Ortega, Tanner Gantenbein, Kaden Pearce, Marshall Brose and Wes Clawson on offense and captain Dillon Garcia, Clawson and Brose on defense. There were some early season jit- ters on both sides. The Spartans took the opening kickoff and went four and out be- fore the Bobcats, on the legs of run- ning back Austin Garber, drove into FOOTBALL SPARTANS COME UP SHORT, SHOW PROMISE Cardsoverpowered,BulldogstakeopeneroverWeed RedBluff'sMarshalBrosedivesforextrayardageinthered zone Friday night against Paradise. PHOTOS BY CHIP THOMPSON — DAILY NEWS Red Bluff's Tanner Gantenbein runs the ball Friday night against Paradise. By Josh Dubow The Associated Press ALAMEDA After watching DeMarco Murray and Der- rick Henry run through his first-team defense with rela- tive ease during the third ex- hibition game, Oakland Raid- ers coach Jack Del Rio said he took those struggles per- sonally as a former NFL line- backer who prides himself on having a stout defense. Del Rio wasn't as outwardly concerned Monday after the team's first practice following the preseason game against Tennessee, confident that the problems of players lining up in the wrong spots, staying in their gaps and not trying to do too much will be easily fixed before the games start count- ing for real on Sept. 11 in New Orleans. "You can work on these things," Del Rio said. "You get these opportunities dur- ing the preseason to tighten these things up. I expect we'll be ready to roll when the reg- ular season gets here." The Titans had few prob- lems moving the ball on the ground against the Raiders starting defense on Satur- day night. Murray ran for 40 yards on eight carries in the first half, scoring one touch- down. He exploited the Raiders a few times with cutbacks into open lanes vacated by overag- gressive defenders. Henry, a more bruising rookie running back, also had success with 12 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Marcus Mari- ota also managed to beat the Raiders to the outside on an option run as Tennessee had three runs for more than 15 yards in their first 19 offensive plays. "We just had a lot of mis- fits, guys just wanting to do too much rather than just play within the defense," de- fensive tackle Dan Williams said. "Everyone was just try- ing to shed blocks too fast or jump gaps. DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry did a great job finding holes. When we got out of our gap, they made us pay for it." That comes after the Raid- ers allowed three long runs in the first half against Ari- zona in the exhibition opener and struggled to contain Ed- die Lacy the following week in Green Bay. After fortifying the defense in the offseason by rebuilding the secondary and adding line- backer Bruce Irvin, the Raid- ers are counting on having a defense that won't be so easily pushed around. "We're very young," Wil- liams said. "We're just learning how to play with each other. We have a lot of good pieces. Especially when you have guys from new teams you have to learn a new language." NFL Ra id er s lo ok t o sh or e up r un d ef en se ELKO, NEVADA The Los Molinos LadyBulldogsvolleyballteamwon 3 and lost 3 over the weekend in the Yerrington Invitational Tour- nement here. The Bulldogs opened the tour- nament Friday morning with a 2-1 win over the Elko Indians, 15-25, 25-22 and 15-7; then took a 2-0 win over the Whittell Warriors, 25-13 and 25-6. They lost the final match of the day 2-0 to the Dayton Dust Devils, 25-16 and 25-19. OnSaturdaytheBulldogsstarted outwitha2-0losstotheMammoth Huskies, 25-22 and 25-15; beat the Wells Leopards 25-11 and 25-15 be- fore losing their final match 2-0 to host Yerrington 25-18 and 25-13. Heather Rodriguez was named player of the match in Friday's openingwinoverElkowithanace, 2 digs and 13 assists. Henna Acevedo was named player of the match in Friday's win over Whittell, with 4 kills, 9 aces, 2 blocks and 3 digs. Kami Vandoren was named player of the match in Friday's loss to Dayton. Standouts Rachel Rogers and Liset Castillo played well through- outthetournament.Rogersracked up 42 kills and 27 digs over six matches and Castillo had 32 kills and 46 digs. The Bulldogs (6-3 overall, 0-0 league) are scheduled to visit the Corning Cardinals (0-0) for a 6:15 p.m. match Wednesday. VOLLEYBALL LadyBulldogssplitintourneyplay ALEX BRANDON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rafael Nadal, of Spain, reacts a er beating Denis Istomin, of Uzbekistan, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Monday in New York. By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press NEWYORK As Rafael Nadal stood near the net at the U.S. Open af- ter winning his first Grand Slam match in three months Mon- day, he unraveled the thick wrap of white tape protecting his all- important left wrist and then clutched at that arm with his right hand. Sure, there were matches that provided more drama or surprises on Day 1 at Flushing Meadows. There was 20th-seeded John Isner's comeback from two sets down to edge 18-year-old Fran- ces Tiafoe before a rowdy, stand- ing-room-only crowd at the new Grandstand. A first-round loss by Rio Olym- pics gold medalist Monica Puig. French Open champion Garbine Muguruza's complaints about having trouble breathing after dropping the first set of a match she would go on to win in three. Nothing, though, was as meaningful when it comes to what could go on over the next two weeks as how 14-time major champion Nadal's wrist felt dur- ing and after a relatively straight- forward 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Denis Istomin. The match was played at Ar- thur Ashe Stadium, where the new $150 million retractable roof remained open under a blue sky, but still offered some extra shade on a day when the temperature reached 90 degrees. The good news, Nadal said af- terward, is that the pain is gone from the part of his body that whips those violent, topspin- heavy forehands that are the key to his success — 14 of his 21 win- ners came off that wing. The bad news for Nadal? He still is working on feeling comfortable hitting down-the- line forehands, in particular, af- ter sitting out — not just zero real matches, but barely any practice, either — from his withdrawal at the French Open in late May to the Olympics this month. "Not easy to go 2 months out of competition, in the middle of the season, without hitting a forehand," Nadal said. "I need to have the confidence again with my wrist." Both Nadal and his coach, Un- cle Toni, described the way Rafael changed the way he hits a fore- hand during the Rio Games to try to avoid pain. Both said things are improving. But as Toni noted: "We need a little time." Istomin, who is from Uzbeki- stan and is ranked 107th, was not exactly likely to give Nadal much of a test. He entered the day 0-4 against the two-time U.S. Open champion, having dropped 10 of the 11 sets they'd played. He had lost his past 20 matches against top-10 opponents. Plus, he's been dealing with an injured right hamstring lately. So what did he think of Nadal's play Monday? "For the first set, I was feeling that he was not hitting hard," Is- tomin said. "A lot of short balls." Nadal's summation of his day: "Not very good; not very bad." Uncle Toni's take? "I hope ev- US OPEN Nadal's wrist needs 'a little more time' US OPEN PAGE 2 BEN MARGOT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio gestures toward safety Karl Joseph (42) and strong safety Nate Allen (20) sitting on the bench during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Tennessee Titans. SPARTANS PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, August 30, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1