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December 30 -- January 5, 2025
Issue No. 570
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College Football
Playoffs Carousel
(Part V)
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Headed into the Quarter Finals, three (3) of my Final Four (4) teams remain on the Carousel. Oregon, the new kid in the Big-10 and ranked #1 in the country, Boise State, with the best runner in the country, Ashton Jeanty, and Georgia, with their clutch replacement QB. Only Clemson failed to advance as Texas was too much for the Tigers.
First up is the FIESTA BOWL, aka the Ashton Jeanty Bowl, Tuesday, 12/31, at 4:30. With Jeanty, the nation's best runner, the Boise State Broncos will outsmart their opponent and heavy favorite, Penn State, in this CFP Shocker! 'C 'Ya! NOTE: THIS GAME IS TUESDAY, 12/31. All other games are on Wednesday, January 1st. (All games are on ESPN
-- local (PST) times).
Texas now faces the great unknown, Arizona State, in the PEACH BOWL. Texas is a heavy favorite, but with a chance to showcase their potent offense, ASU will HUMBLE the Longhorns. Wednesday, January 1st, 10 A.M.
Oregon faces Ohio State, which crushed Tennessee, in the ROSE BOWL, at 2 PM. Not exactly a reward for the #1 ranked team, and OSU is a two-point favorite! Regardless of the odds, Oregon's creativity will be the difference and the Ducks will move on.
For La Creme de la Creme, it's the SUGAR BOWL, Georgia vs. Notre Dame (5:45 PM). It will be the Bulldogs' defense and their understudy QB vs. the Irish' crafty QB, Riley Leonard and ND's potent offense. The Bulldogs will be ready with some surprises of their own to win this one. The appropriately named Gunner Stockton, the redshirt sophomore replacement for GA's injured QB, will start and "The Understudy" will seize the opportunity.
Carpe Diem!
LUDI INCIPE: (Let the Games Begin)
Robert A. Moselle, Esq.
https://www.cce-mcle.com
Marketing Director, Sports Today
Fan Mail
I was so glad to see the many terrific tributes to Ricky Henderson in your last issue (Issue #569). Such sweet reflections of an amazing man and player.
Thank you!
Penny Matson
Nevada City, CA
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Contents
Features & Commentary
Merton Hanks, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
Newsletter, Image, Likeness, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Purdy Pens The Complete 49ers Book, by Dave Newhouse
Some Reflections on Winning, Losing and Pain, by Howard Pearlstein
Organizations
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A's
Bay Area Falcons
Bay Area Panthers
Bay FC
Cal Bears
Cal State University East Bay
Golden State Warriors
Oakland Ballers
Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Soul SC
Oakland Spiders
Saint Mary's College Gaels
San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Nighthawks
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Santa Clara Broncos
SF City
Sonoma Raceway
St. Francis Yacht Club
Stanford Cardinal
UC Davis Aggies
University of Pacific Tigers
USF Dons
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca
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Purdy Pens
The Complete
49ers Book
by Dave Newhouse
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Three months. Three months to write a book, a coffee-table-sized book, no less. A literary mission impossible, but Mark Purdy gamely accepted the daunting challenge.
As a seasoned journalist, Purdy was used to difficult deadlines.
But a book on 49ers history dating back to the 1940s for a Midwesterner? In three months?
“You just do it,” he reflected on his ordeal.
The book is titled: The San Francisco 49ers: An Illustrated Timeline. And although it was published October 5th, it’s already scheduled for a second printing. Nevertheless, three months.
“I’d get up in the middle of the night, walk around, have a glass of milk or a soda, then get back to writing,” he said. "You just do it, right?”
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The front cover five: John Brodie, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice,
Steve Young and George Kittle
Tight deadlines are a sportswriter’s bane of existence, and Purdy was a nationally regarded columnist for the San Jose Mercury News before his 2017 retirement. Yet his writing a column in 30 minutes after a Monday night 49er game was no less difficult than producing a 166-page book of the 49ers' existence, which led to many sleepless nights.
Purdy was grateful to have Jeff Suess, a Modesto native and San Francisco State alumnus, join him as co-creator. Suess procured 49er-related photographs actually stretching back to the 1920s, plus he wrote photo captions and determined how many chapters the book needed.
The end result is a classic. There have been numerous books on the 49ers, but Purdy’s and Suess’ collaboration is the most complete, plus beautifully written with Purdy’s clever prose. The front cover, designed by Suess, is timeless, featuring John Brodie, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young and George Kittle. Brodie saw the 49ers play in the 1940s while growing up in Oakland. Young also provided the book’s introduction.
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Gordy Soltau confers with head coach Frankie Albert while
Y.A. Tittle heaves a pass to R.C. Owens
Purdy didn’t come to the Bay Area from Ohio until 1984, with the Bill Walsh era in full swing. Purdy caught up quickly — he had to — and then forged ahead as true professionals do.
Why only three months? Reedy Press publisher Josh Stevens phoned Purdy a year ago around the Christmas holiday, and after laying out the book’s direction, gave him an April 1st deadline. That quick. Yikes!
“For three months I was locked in, staying up to 4 a.m. some nights,” Purdy said. “And it rained a lot, but you get it in your mindset that I’ve got to get it done. So you just do it.”
Outside of a three-day respite in Bodega Bay with wife Barb, Purdy was, indeed, locked in, thinking “what can I do to make the reader go to the next page?” because “the toughest thing is not writing the same thing on every page.”
Repitition is a writer’s curse in attempting to keep every page fresh and new to the reader. Purdy came through beautifully, making the reader feel as if the author had lived here when Frankie Albert was the franchise’s first quarterback in 1946.
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Frank Gore breaks a tackle on his way to a touchdown in
Super Bowl XLVII and a fourth-down pass to Michael Crabtree
is just out of reach in the final moments
“The left-hander was not your typical quarterback,” Purdy wrote of Albert. “At 5-foot-9, he was not physically imposing. But he was the most deceptive weapon in the sport.”
Albert’s naked bootleg runs around end disappeared, along with Albert, when Y.A. Tittle arrived. “Tittle had a much more potent arm and an ability to stand in the pocket and deliver rocket balls while absorbing punishment if necessary,” Purdy wrote.
Then emerged the 49ers’ “Million Dollar Backfield” of Y.A. Tittle, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson and Joe Perry, all future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, quickly followed up by the skyward Tittle to R.C. Owens "Alley Oop” touchdown passes.
Though the 49ers won zero league titles for three decades after joining the NFL in 1950, there was a momentary grip on glory with the “Shotgun” offense of the early 1960s. “Just like that,” Purdy capsulized, "as quickly as it had exploded, the shotgun was blunted.”
The Morabitos, Tony and Vic, were the team’s early owners, but after both passed away, the new owners were their widows, Josephine and Jane. President Lou Spadia ran the team with the ladies' approval, then after he hired coach Dick Nolan, the 49ers finally won their first division championship in 1970, followed up by two more NFL West titles in ’71 and ’72. “Nolan more than deserved a merit badge,” praised Purdy.
Finally, the 49ers moved on from a 6-foot-9 PFHOF raw-meat-eating tackle, Bob St. Clair, to a 6-foot-2 PFHOF coach, Bill Walsh, who devoured opponents. “Walsh had concocted a new method of playing football — using the pass to set up the run, rather than vice-versa, with short throws that were essentially long handoffs,” Purdy penned.
Walsh drafted Montana in the third round in 1979, and the 49ers were about to catch fire. “Progress was apparent,” Purdy wrote. “With the decade of the Seventies mercifully over, the man in the No. 16 jersey would make sure that the Eighties unspooled more joyfully.”
To the current Forty-Niner Faithful, everything 1980 and onward is more easily identified. But to Purdy, it’s roughly half a book.
“I wanted the book to be a cultural history,” he said in this column interview, “starting from how that first roster came together, to when (49er halfback) Dave Kopay became the league’s first gay player, and to when the Hippies and Kezar Stadium were part of the San Francisco attitude: We’ll watch the 49ers while the Hippies are smoking dope in the park.”
And so when Montana was passing for touchdowns, the Hippies were passing the pipe.
This is one cool book, dude.
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The San Francisco 49ers: An Illustrated Timeline,
may be ordered HERE.
Dave Newhouse's journalism career spans more than half a century, including 45 years at the Oakland Tribune before his retirement in November 2011. Newhouse is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland, is available in bookstores and from Triumph Books. Dave grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from San Jose State, and has radio and television experience, in addition to his work as an award-winning sportswriter and columnist. For earlier articles by Dave published in Sports Today, click HERE.
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Or call (510) 414-5394
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San Francisco Giants infielder LaMonte Wade Jr. against the Cincinnati Reds on May 12, 2024. Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Giants need more out of first base in '25 -- how will they get it?
Maria Guardado / @mi_guardado
This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat
newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe
to get it regularly in your inbox.
The left side of the Giants’ infield is set, with third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames poised to form one of the best all-around duos in the game through the end of the decade. Second base appears covered, too, with Tyler Fitzgerald expected to move off short and slide over to the other side of the bag to accommodate Adames.
The infield picture is nearly complete, but there’s still some uncertainty surrounding first base, which remains one of the Giants’ biggest questions heading into 2025. LaMonte Wade Jr. is entering his final year of arbitration and was tendered a contract last month, but the Giants could still look to upgrade at the position this winter.
Wade, 30, has been an above-average hitter in three of his four seasons with the Giants and recorded a robust .380 on-base percentage over 117 games in 2024, which was tied for eighth among Major League players with at least 400 plate appearances. Still, he’s dealt with persistent lower-body issues in recent years and saw a notable dip in his power numbers, with his home runs falling from 17 in 2023 to eight this past season.
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www.sfgiants.com
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"Join us for Great Food, Great Beer and a Great Time."
We are located one block from the Moscone Convention Center, only a short walk from many of downtown San Francisco's familiar hotels, attractions, and diverse businesses. Open Monday through Thursday 4pm. Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12pm. Come by and raise a glass with us. Sláinte!
www.thechieftain.com
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Lawrence Butler slides into third base against the Houston Astros on July 23, 2024. Photo by Darren Yamashita | |
Youthful A's eye step forward --
can they make it a leap?
Martín Gallegos @MartinJGallegos
This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
In a stark change from the past few years, the Athletics have been one of the more aggressive teams in baseball early in the offseason when it comes to making moves to improve their roster, having already added veterans such as Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs on the pitching side and third baseman Gio Urshela.
That shift in approach stems from the belief within the organization that the A’s are a young team on the rise. They sure looked the part at the end of last season, putting together a 39-37 record over the final 76 games of 2024. The momentum generated from that successful run has led the A’s to look to supplement their young core with the proper reinforcements that can help this team be much more competitive in 2025.
But just how competitive can the A’s be next season? Yes, they improved upon their 2023 win total by 19 games. However, going from 69 wins to competing for a spot in the playoffs is a large task, especially considering that most of the pressure will lie on the young group of talented players like Lawrence Butler, No. 1 prospect Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers, Mason Miller, JJ Bleday, Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom – all of whom have flashed their skills at different times over the last two years – to perform over a full season as a collective unit.
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Martín Gallegos covers the A's for MLB.com
www.oaklandas.com
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2025 Schedule Announced
The Oakland Ballers announce their schedule for the 2025 Pioneer League season. Coming off a second-half championship, the 96-game regular season commences on Tuesday, May 20 with Opening Night against the Ogden Raptors, whom they will face for the first time in franchise history. The Ballers will face nine of the other 11 Pioneer League teams, including three for the first time with Ogden, Grand Junction, and Missoula.
Oakland will also face their regional rivals the High Wheelers in their new home in Yuba-Sutter. The two Northern California teams will face off 18 times in the 2025 season with six games at Raimondi Park and 12 games at Bryant Field in Marysville, CA.
Fans will be able to catch a different team each week at Raimondi, with eight different teams traveling to Oakland to face off against the Ballers.
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www.oaklandballers.com
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Oakland Roots Sign Oakland Born and Raised Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh
Oakland, CA - Oakland Roots announce the addition of Oakland’s own Kendall McIntosh ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season. The goalkeeper was born and raised in Oakland, growing up playing youth soccer right here in The Town. The seven-year MLS veteran played college soccer at Santa Clara University in the Bay Area for four years before turning professional.
“Kendall comes to us with experience at the highest level of our game here in the United States,” said Head Coach Gavin Glinton. “His experience, work ethic and connection to this city makes him a great fit for our Club.”
McIntosh got his professional start in Portland with Timbers 2 when they were part of the USL Championship in 2016. In 2017, he signed a contract with the first team in MLS while continuing to play for the reserve side. In total, he spent four seasons in Portland, amassing over 50 USL Championship appearances.
In 2020, McIntosh was selected in the MLS re-entry draft by New York Red Bulls, where he spent one season before being selected by Sporting Kansas City in the 2021 re-entry draft. While with Sporting, McIntosh played for both the first and second teams, earning more than 16 MLS appearances in 2023, while also representing Sporting II, including in a match against Oakland Roots at Laney in 2021.
“A lot of who I am comes from growing up in Oakland and Northern California,” said Kendall McIntosh. “Getting the opportunity to return home and play in a stadium I grew up attending is nothing short of special and a true full circle moment for me and my family.”
Following his time in MLS, McIntosh spent the 2024 season with San Antonio FC. He had previously played in USL League Two in 2014 and 2015 for FC Tucson and Portland Timbers U23.
Welcome Home, Kendall!
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Earthquakes’ Luciano Fusco to Accept Assistant Coach Position with San Diego FC
Veteran coach’s tenure concludes after six seasons rising through all levels of San Jose’s player development pathway to the first team
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that Assistant Coach Luciano Fusco has departed the club to accept a position on the San Diego Football Club coaching staff ahead of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.
Fusco joined the Earthquakes in 2018 and held roles as Quakes Academy head coach and assistant coach of Quakes II (now The Town FC) in MLS NEXT Pro. Following the departure of first-team Head Coach Matias Almeyda in April 2022, Fusco began serving as Earthquakes assistant coach under interim head coach Alex Covelo and has remained on the staff for the Quakes’ top team through this past season.
“We are incredibly grateful for Luciano’s dedication to the Earthquakes these past six seasons,” said Earthquakes General Manager Chris Leitch. “During his time here, he showed an impressive work ethic and was an integral part of our player development pathway, from the Quakes Academy, to our MLS NEXT Pro team and up to our first team. We wish him all the best on his future endeavors.”
Prior to joining San Jose in 2018, Fusco served as a head coach in the Los Angeles Football Club Academy and as an assistant coach for the UCLA men's soccer team. In the latter role, he worked with future Quakes captain and United States Men’s National Team midfielder Jackson Yueill. Fusco also earned four coaching invites with the U.S. Under-16 Youth National Team.
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www.sjearthquakes.com
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WE MADE HISTORY ON AND OFF THE PITCH
LOOK BACK AT AN UNFORGETTABLE 2024
11 WINS
We secured the most regular-season victories ever by an expansion team in NWSL history, including a record-setting six wins on the road. Our resilience and determination shined through in every match, laying the foundation for a bright future
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SOLD OUT HOME OPENER MATCH
Our inaugural home match against the Houston Dash brought a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans to PayPal Park, filling the stadium with electric energy. With our loyal supporters, PayPal Park has become one of the hardest stadiums to play in across the NWSL. That night was more than a game—it was a celebration of soccer in the Bay Area and a glimpse of what's to come.
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NEW TRAINING & LOCKER ROOM FACILITY
With the help of Devcon Construction, Inc., our players now have state-of-the-art facilities at PayPal Park. Designed to match our ambition, it stands as a symbol of Bay FC’s commitment to excellence on and off the field
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Some Reflections on Winning,
Losing and Pain
by Howard Pearlstein
I didn’t write a Sports Precis for the last edition, spent some time a couple weeks ago being painfully reminded of the adage: “Getting old is not for the faint of heart.” Always thought it was just a cliché, something we all sometimes say but never really think about.
A cliche becomes an adage when it happens to you. I remembered learning that reading Tomas Paine’s The Age of Reason, how there was a difference between things experienced and things only told about, hearsay or rumor. (He got in a lot of trouble when he explained religion that way.)
Anyway, it was painful but not fatal or even long-term, unless “doing something stupid” is a terminal condition. The older you get, the higher the price for that. It was one of those days when you wake up and your body feels like a shirt with the buttons in the wrong buttonholes. Just slightly out of whack, things not quite right. I think of it as some sort of neuro-muscular dyslexia.
We’ve all had them, days when it’s smartest to stay at home. Do NOT get in the car. Do not drive on the freeway. If you can’t pour a cup of tea without spilling it, you don’t want the Bad Thing that happens at 70 mph. It can wait. Ice your aching feet, elevate them. Just snooze and watch tv.
I did, watched the Dubs have that same day against the Grizzlies -- less embarrassing to get mauled by an actual grizzly, unless it was something stupid, like playing with her cub. Total ineptitude, like the Washington Generals playing the Globetrotters, except without the fun. Is neuro-muscular dyslexia a new disease? I can see the ads: “End those embarrassing moments!"
Stamp out clumsy! Donate to find a cure for NMD!
I mean, it happens, but at least I don’t do it in front of 10,000 people right there, sitting in seats they paid for and either hooting and cheering or cringing in horror. When I trip over my own feet, I’ll give whoever’s near a sheepish grin, wag my eyebrows, shrug my shoulders to make them smile.
But how bad is it for guys whose lives are hard work towards more and more excellence when several million people are watching them on tv having one of the worst fumble-f—ing day of their lives right out there in front of god and everyone in the world.
Here’s where you find out about empathy, pain for their situation, knowing they feel the same disappointment you do, only more intensely. The only question, is it ok to change the channel out of kindness? Is that abandoning them in this terrible time?
Since then, they’ve been playing well. Not winning yet, but playing more solid games. I was delighted to hear they were getting Schroeder. The past couple years, any time the Dubs were playing one of his teams, the big pre-game question was: “Who have we got to handle Schroeder?” Better him inside the tent scoring against the other team than… etc. Of course, there’s always some learning curve with a new guy.
But it’s working. The Clippers game even shocked their announcers, how tight and close the Dubs played, even without Draymond or Steph or GPII, the Dubs kept the score close. OK, considering “keeping close” as a win is not good, but it’s no secret they’ve got to improve their shooting. Still, their defense is making the case. There are a few months left to the season. Not optimistic, but hopeful for them.
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Howard Pearlstein has been a few places and done a few things.
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Merton Hanks -- from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee | |
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Former San Francisco 49er safety Merton Hanks made a special meet-and-greet appearance at Sears in San Francisco to sign autographs for fans. Because Merton was a current 49er and the event was free, the line was long to meet him. When I got to him he shook my hand, signed this photo for me and I had a quick moment to chat with him. Merton Hanks played with the 49ers from 1991 to 1998 and was a Super Bowl XXIX champion.
Rich Yee, Sports Today Photographer
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 112: What A Wild Ride For Former JUCO Athletes Who Now Get At Least 1 More Year To Compete And Sign NIL Deals | |
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by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Founder of Heitnerlegal -- Sports, Entertainment, Trademarks, Copyrights, Business, Litigation, Arbitration
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
Last week, many players and agents contacted me asking whether the preliminary injunction order issued by a federal judge that will allow Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to play during the 2025-26 college football season is likely to extend to other players whose time spent at Junior College(s) counted toward the four years that they could participate at the Division I level.
I didn't have a good answer for them. The NCAA had been silent. We didn't know whether the NCAA would appeal the ruling (spoiler: an appeal is forthcoming) and/or if the NCAA would, in the meantime, allow others similarly situated to Pavia to enjoy extra eligibility for the upcoming season (spoiler #2: the NCAA came through, but it took a while).
I was on a cruise with my family, but still felt the itch to do something to push the envelope for players who craved extra eligibility and, at least in my view, shouldn't have been denied the opportunity to keep playing solely because they spent some time at a JUCO.
My friend Joe Hernandez pitched me on working with his client Malik Benson, a wide receiver at FSU who was previously at Alabama for a year and played for a couple of years at a JUCO before that. Malik was the top player coming out of JUCO when he signed with Alabama and, while he could enter his name into the upcoming NFL Draft, it made more sense for him to spend another year and show off his talents. But, from my point of view, the Pavia decision didn't extend past Pavia.
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Unveils New Website Ahead of Action-Packed 2025 Season;
Tickets on Sale
Friends of Laguna Seca today launched a revitalized and reimagined website for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca designed to engage and entertain fans.
The redesigned site, launched to coincide with the “On Sale” date of 2025 season tickets Wednesday, December 4, enhances the fan experience with ease of use, intuitive navigation, an interactive event calendar, and exciting new features such as interactive videos and responsive design for seamless use across mobile devices and tablets.
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www.weathertechraceway.com
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Bay Area Entertainers wanted for 2025 Sonoma Raceway Events
Anthem singers and musical
acts apply now!
SONOMA, Calif. (December 18, 2024) – Sonoma Raceway is pleased to announce that online applications are now being accepted for National Anthem singers as well as bands and singers who wish to perform at the 2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR weekend July 11-13, 2025. Anthem singers can choose to apply for Friday, Saturday or Sunday’s race. Bands will have the opportunity to play the Echo Park Speedway Experience Stage or as roaming entertainment throughout the Fan Zone all weekend.
Please visit the Entertainment Booking page to apply. Interested Anthem singer applicants can fill out the online form with contact information, as well as submit a YouTube video/link showing the individual singing the National Anthem a cappella style. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 28, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. If selected, acts will be notified via email no later than Friday, March 28, 2025.
The 2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR weekend is July 11-13, 2025. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok: @RaceSonoma. Tickets and camping for select Sonoma Raceway events are available now at SonomaRaceway.com
For more information, contact:
Brandy Falconer
Director of Communications
BFalconer@SonomaRaceway.com
O: 707-933-3981 | C: 707-231-6005
SonomaRaceway.com/Media/News
Social media: @racesonoma
Sonoma Raceway is a 2.52-mile and 12-turn road course and quarter-mile drag strip located at Sears Point in Sonoma County, California. Built in 1968 the track is carved into rolling hills with 160 ft of total elevation change. It is host to the only NASCAR Cup Series race in California and one of the few that are run on road courses. It is one of the world’s busiest racing facilities, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. A complete and versatile motorsports complex, it is home to one of the nation’s only high-performance automotive industrial parks, with approximately 70 tenants.
www.sonomaraceway.com
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At 13-1, the Bears have now matched their best start since
2016-17 when they also opened 13-1
No. 24 Cal Rolls In Raising The B.A.R. Championship Game
Bears Defeat Temple; Krimili, Twidale Drain Six 3-Pointers Each
BERKELEY – Even after the No. 24 California women's basketball team nailed 10 3-pointers in the first half, the Golden Bears only led by five at the break against Temple, but they turned up the defense in the second half limiting the Owls to just 32.4% from the field to come away with an 89-63 win and the Raising The B.A.R. Invitational title at Haas Pavilion on Sunday evening. Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale had six triples each to help Cal (13-1, 1-0 ACC) knock down 16 (on 45.7% shooting) for the game, while holding Temple (6-5) to just six from downtown. Krimil totaled 11 triples over the tournament and was named the MVP while Twidale was named to the all-tournament team.
The top 3-point shooting duo in the country, Twidale now has three games with five or more 3-pointers, while Krimili has two. Krimili was ranked sixth in the country in made 3-pointers and Twidale was ranked eighth coming into tonight's contest and were the only duo in the top 20. They finished with 20 points each with Kayla Williams adding 17 and Michelle Onyiah chipping in with 12.
With the win, Cal is now off to its best start of the season since 2016-17 when it opened the season at 13-1.
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Photo: Kelley L Cox/KLC fotos
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Spartans Fall in Five Overtimes Against South Florida in The Hawai'i Bowl Presented by Habbas Law
and CEFCU
HONOLULU - Matthew Coleman set career-highs in receptions as well as receiving yards, Lamar Radcliffe scored the first touchdown of his career while setting career-highs in rushes and yards, and Noah McNeal-Franklin recorded his first career sack while also grabbing his first career interception to lead San José State football (7-6, 3-4 MW) in a 41-39 five-overtime loss against South Florida (7-6, 4-4 AAC ) in The Hawai’i Bowl presented by Habbas Law and CEFCU on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, from Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the campus of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
- After five overtime periods, this was the longest FBS bowl/postseason game since overtime was established in 1996.
- Coleman finished with 12 receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown reception in this game.
- Coleman also caught the two-point conversion to force a fourth overtime.
- Coleman set new career highs in receptions and receiving yards.
- Coleman’s touchdown reception is his second of the season and his career.
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Lamar Radcliffe led the Spartans in rushing this game with 15 rushes for 65 yards and one rushing touchdown.
- Radcliffe’s 18-yard run in the first quarter set a new career long for the freshman.
- Radcliffe set career highs in rushes and rushing yards in this game.
- Radcliffe’s rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter is his first of the season and his career.
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Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
Luke Barrett: 20 points (Career-High), 10 rebounds (4th Career Double-Double), 5 assists (Career-High)
MBB | Luke Barrett’s Career Night Leads Gaels to Conference Opening Victory Over Pacific
MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's Gaels (11-3, 1-0 WCC) cruised to their WCC opening victory over the Pacific Tigers (5-10, 0-1 WCC), never trailing in the 70-60 win. The Gaels would take a double-digit lead at the 2:50 mark of the first half, and would keep that lead at double figures for the remainder of the contest, as every time the Tigers would gain some momentum, SMC would respond to curtail it. This is the Gaels third consecutive conference opening victory, their longest streak since they won 10 in a row between the 2007-08 and the 2016-17 seasons.
Saint Mary's never trailed in half one, and doubled up on the Tigers of Pacific by halftime, 34-17. The Tigers kept things tight for the first 13 minutes of the half, but Saint Mary's responded with a 17-2 run to close out the half and take their largest halftime lead into the break against a DI foe this season. Luke Barrett had the biggest impact of any Gael in the first half, with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block while not leaving the floor. Paulius Murauskas was the only Gael with more rebounds than Barrett, ripping down eight, while Augustas Marciulionis, like Barrett, didn't leave the floor in the first half and recorded a team-high four assists. After a 7-28 start from the field, the Gaels settled in to connect on four of their final seven field goal attempts. Saint Mary's also demonstrated excellent ball control, with just three turnovers, and no points allowed off of those turnovers.
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Photo: Tod Fierner
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Defense Shines as Dons Down Lions to Begin Conference Play
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Taking care of business to begin conference play, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (11-3, 1-0 WCC) shined with a strong defensive performance on Saturday night as the Dons downed LMU (8-5, 0-1 WCC), 70-55, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
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Getting things rolling with the first basket of the evening, Junjie Wang converted on his opening attempt as the forward knocked down a hook shot at 18:25 for the game's first points.
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After Wang nailed another shot at 17:13 for an early five points, San Francisco struggled to find the bottom of the net over the next six plus minutes as the Dons did not score again until a Malik Thomas three-pointer at 10:43. Remaining close using the strength of their defense, the green and gold trailed by just two, 10-8, after Thomas' triple.
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Keeping steady, back-to-back buckets from Wang and Marcus Williams helped USF stay within two points, 14-12, at 9:09.
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Following another scoreless stretch, this time from both teams, Ryan Beasley cashed in on a three-pointer at 6:32 to put San Francisco back on top, 15-14.
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Despite LMU fighting back to regain the lead, Beasley then finished off a three-point play with 4:36 left in the half to put the Dons in control, 20-18. Hitting their stride, a pair of three throws from Veniamin Abosi at 2:39 capped off a 10-0 run from the green and gold as USF led 26-18.
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Wrapping up the first twenty minutes of action, Malik Thomas dazzled by sinking a layup with just over two seconds left as San Francisco held a six-point advantage, 31-25, at the halftime break.
- Coming out of the locker room, LMU punched first as the Lions used a 9-0 run to take a 33-31 lead at 16:18. However, Thomas would respond in short order for the Dons as the guard buried another three at 15:45 to put the green and gold in front, 34-33.
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Continuing his streak as the half moved along, Thomas knocked down three straight free throws at 13:11 to push it to an eight-point game in favor of San Francisco, 41-33. With 11:04 remaining in regulation, a dunk from Tyrone Riley IV gave the Dons their first double-digit advantage of the night, 46-36.
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Maintaining this distance for the remainder of the contest, USF did not let LMU come closer than eight points for the rest of the night. Playing together as a unit in the final minutes, a tip-in basket from Carlton Linguard Jr. with 1:13 remaining gave San Francisco its largest lead of the game at 17 points, 68-51.
- Experiencing little resistance to close things out, San Francisco went on to secure a 70-55 victory over LMU to open West Coast Conference action.
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Photo: Christina Leung
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Tyeree Bryan scored a season-high 18 points and made three 3-pointers Saturday versus Pepperdine
Broncos Top Waves to Win WCC Opener, Extend Win Streak
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University men's basketball team kept its holiday hot streak going Saturday, winning its sixth game in a row and eighth consecutive West Coast Conference opener by beating visiting Pepperdine, 91-80, at the Leavey Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
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Five Broncos scored in double digits to help Santa Clara (9-5, 1-0 WCC) score 90 or more points for the fourth time this season and third time in a row. The Broncos hit a season-high 15 3-pointers, with eight different players hitting at least one long ball. Adama-Alpha Bal led Santa Clara with 19 points and Tyeree Bryan was right behind him with 18. Johnny O'Neil and Carlos Stewart both poured in 11 points, and Christoph Tilly chipped in 10.
- Pepperdine (6-8, 0-1 WCC) was led by a game-high 25 points from Stefan Todorovic. Boubacar Coulibaly pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Moe Odum dished a game-leading nine assists while scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds.
- The Broncos jumped on Pepperdine early in both halves. They went on a 14-4 run in the first five minutes of the game to take an early 12-point lead at 18-6. And they went on what was a 10-0 run to both end the first and start the second half, pushing their lead to 16 2 1/2 minutes after halftime.
- Pepperdine cut its deficit down to single digits twice in the second half, but the Broncos' offense was too overwhelming. Santa Clara finally put the Waves away for good with a 14-2 run that started at the 8:56 mark. It was bookended by a 3-pointer and a dunk from Bryan, and gave SCU its largest lead at 86-69. Five different Broncos scored during the run, and the points came from layups, 3-pointers, a dunk, and a free throw, proving the diversity of Santa Clara's offense.
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Photo: Santa Clara Athletics
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University of Pacific Tigers | |
Pacific Athletics celebrates academic success in fall 2024
STOCKTON, Calif. -- Nearly 75% of all student-athletes at University of the Pacific tallied a grade point average above 3.0 in the 2024 fall semester as the average GPA of the department grew to a 3.37.
The successful fall semester raised the cumulative GPA of the department to a 3.32. Pacific posted a 3.27 in spring 2024 and a 3.26 in fall 2023.
“Since I have been here, this is the highest GPA I have seen in a semester and cumulatively,” said Director of Student-Athlete Development Justine Brown-Dacosta, who joined the staff in Dec. 2022. “Our student-athletes worked hard for this achievement. We saw an increase in the student-athletes’ advocacy for themselves, especially their academics.”
Brown-Dacosta credits some of the success to the implementation of Teamworks, a communication tool app that connects student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
“It has not only streamlined communication between us and campus partners,” she said of the tool, “but also allowed student-athletes to receive information in a timely manner, such as academic support resources and scheduling changes. This empowered them to take more control of their academic journey here at Pacific.”
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Johnson's Double-Double Highlights Aggies' Dominant Win Over
Cal Maritime
Score: UC Davis 109, Cal Maritime 46
Location: Davis, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 8-5 (2-0), Cal Maritime 3-8 (0-0)
The Short Story: TY Johnson notched his second career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, helping UC Davis to a dominating 109-46 victory over Cal Maritime at home. This marked the Aggies' seventh time scoring 100 or more points in the Division I era and the 32nd all-time in program history.
Court Side:
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Johnson led the Aggies with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, his second career double-double, and his first game with 10 or more rebounds
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Pablo Tamba contributed 13 points on a perfect 6-6 showing from the field, his second time shooting 100% from the field this year
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Carl Daughtery Jr. added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench
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Every Aggie scored in the game, with five players reaching double figures, including Jac Mani with 11 points off the bench in his season debut
- This was the second time this year that five or more Aggies reached double figures in the same game, the last effort being in the Big West opener against Cal Poly
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Sione Losé led in assists with five, while Nils Cooper had four
- Cooper was also one of the most efficient Aggies on the night, scoring eight points and hauling in seven rebounds along with his four assists
- UC Davis' defense held Cal Maritime to 28.1% shooting from the field and limited Jake Matteson to 2-of-12 shooting and eight points
- UC Davis controlled the boards with a 60-25 rebounding advantage, including 33 defensive rebounds, led by Johnson and Daughtery Jr. who each had seven on the defensive side
- UC Davis recorded 21 total assists while turning the ball over only seven times
- The UC Davis bench added 52 points to the scoring output
- The Aggies committed to their defensive effort, forcing 19 Cal Maritime turnovers.
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Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
Baseball/Softball Fan Fest
DETAILS
World Series Champion and Pioneer Alumni, Alex Vesia, is coming home to help introduce our 2025 baseball and softball teams! Hear about his unforgettable experience pitching in the World Series and get the chance to take a photo with him. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet a true champion and celebrate the future of our teams!
PARKING
The best place to park for the gym is parking lot A or along West Loop Road. Parking permits are required at Cal State East Bay when students, faculty, staff, or visitors are parking their vehicles on campus Mondays -Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Fridays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can pay for parking at the parking pay station in Lot A.
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Watch any program on CCE's YouTube channel, or, for attorneys, earn MCLE credits online, economically, with "The Best in Topics and Talent."
Center for Continuing Education, Monterey, CA is a State Bar of California MCLE approved Provider, #8450
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, December 30, through
Sunday, January 5, 2025
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Monday, December 30
San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions, 5:15 p.m.
Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 31
Golden State Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, January 1
Sacramento Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 2
San Jose Sharks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 3
Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 4
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 5:30 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. New Jersey Devils, 1 p.m.
Sunday, January 5
Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings, 5:30 p.m.
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Publisher: Christopher Weills
Marketing Director: Robert Moselle
Director of Sales: Ann Cooke; Representative: Ayiko Konopaski
Contributors: Steve Chain, Harvey Cohen, Andy Dolich, Pete Elman, Rob Flammia, Bruce Macgowan, Robert Moselle, Dave Newhouse, Howard Pearlstein, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, T. Buff, Shelia Young
Staff Photographers: Jeff Bayer, Alex Ho, Ed Jay, James Molgaard,
Ron Sellers, Darren Yamashita, Rich Yee, Kenny Karst (retired).
Social Media & Production: Jenny Kim, Ammar Bhaiji
Website: www.UltimateSportsGuide.net
Contact us at: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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FIELD OF PLAY
For the past 60 years, Michael Zagaris has taken his camera behind the scenes of the NFL, capturing the moments that define America’s game.
To order: https://www.zagarisbook.com/
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LOL, Loss of Logo: What’s Your Next Move? was written for sports professionals by Andy Dolich and Jack Hirschman and offers valuable takeaways for everyone chasing the fancy logo and corner office. | |
The Emerald Mile: The epic and award-winning story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon, by Kevin Fedarko. A thrilling true tale during the legendary flood of 1983. | |
More than a cookbook, this culinary delight was written to preserve a great chef's traditional family recipes and stories of her childhood for her far-flung grandchildren. Author Leonie Samuel-Hool recounts stories of a vanished society and legends of the gods and goddesses that protect and sometimes make mischief in Indonesian homes, fields and foods. The recipes are explicitly presented. | |
The absolute greatest Yankees were the 1949-1953 pinstripers, winners of an unprecedented five consecutive World Series. "The Yankee Way," Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa writes in the book's foreword, is "full of Yankee winning keys, star-studded competition, and insights about one of baseball's historically fascinating periods." By Charlie Silvera with Dave Newhouse (Author). | |
To Order: $15 hardcover, $10 paperback, plus $4.95 shipping. Send check/M.O. to Christopher Weills, P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704 | | |
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The Ultimate Sports Guide is very appreciative to the ongoing contributions made by former staff photographer Kenny Karst and Robert Moselle. Mr. Karst, now retired, continues to contribute helpful ideas and his archives.
Mr. Moselle, Esq., is now lending his extensive editorial experience and marketing savvy to the publication.
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