The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/104305
January 18, 2013 Page 7 Sports V Basketball hopes to keep winning Mitchell Fox Staff Writer The Red Bluff boys basketball players have gained a lot of momentum in the last couple games according to a few of their players with a big win over the Paradise Bobcats last Friday night out scoring them 64-30. Although the Spartans are on a roll, senior small forward Evan Sinclair says they still have some stuff to work on. "We need to start executing our half court sets more often and with more authority," said Sinclair. Sinclair's goal for the team this year is that he wants the team to be playing their best, "ball", by the end the of the season heading into the playoffs in late February. According to senior guard Michael Nichols, the team strengths are that they are very deep in their line-up. Sinclair adds that to compete with his dad Twitchell said, "Having a coach as my dad doesn't conf lict with my home life." Currently updated on January 11, 2013, the Spartans are just below .500 with an 8-9 record, but have been on an uprising ever since they placed last in the home tournament Holiday Classic playing .710 basketball with a record of 5-2. The Spartan's only losses since then being to Corning and Casa Roble, a school out of Sacremento. With the Spartan Boys Basketball Team currently trending up the goals of Evan Sinclair are looking promising. The Spartans Shelby Keeler/BLUFFER open up Sac River league play tonight against West Valley (8-7,0-1 in league) Senior big man in the middle, Lucas Burns, plays defense against Orovilleʼs leading scorer Justin York. at 7:30. The Eagles are led in league they need to box out his defensive skills. This year the team this year according by junior Danny Vietti, and and run the court. he wants his team to go, "real to Michael Nichols and has seniors Eric Young and Dylan He also says they lack size. deep," in the playoffs. hopes of becoming all-league Rosen. Nichols is a good shooter with The Spartans 6 foot at the end of the season. a soft touch on the ball, but he 3 leading scorer, Curtis When asking about his says he still needs to work on Twitchell, is a, "banger", for father/coach relationship S partan ound off How do you feel about zero players being inducted into baseballʼs hall of fame? Felicity Joy (9) "I think the ones that cheated shouldnʼt get credit, but the ones that are honest should." The JV team begins league today Hunter Latham Staff Writer The Red Bluff JV Boys basketball team has had a pretty good year. According to Head Coach. Dave Michael, he is very much pleased with how the team is getting better. "They are getting better every day, which is all I can really ask for," said Dave Michael. The team is currently wrapping up preseason. Currently they are (10-5). They start league play January 18. Earlier in the season. November 30 December 1, 2012, they went to the "Argonaught tournament in Jackson California. It was the team's first tournament and they won. Their last game against Red Bluff's long time rival, the Corning Cardinals, was a 5639 win for the JV Spartans. "We came out slow, but finished really strong," said Emilio Soto, Guard/Wing. The team opens up Sac River league play against West Valley. The team already played West Valley this year in a tournament, "They are a good team and hopefully we can play well against them," said Dave Michael. The team also gets along pretty good, helping them to work as a team. "It seems like everyone gets along well with each other. Everyone stayed positive through the ups and downs," said Michael. It is also true that when people set their own personal goals for themselves that they tend to "Everyone stayed positive through the ups and downs." -Dave Michael improve. In order to improve they are setting some perosnal goals for themselves. KJ Hinkston, Wing/Post, shared Alpine teams dry land practice hopefully improves performance Sam Rodriguez Staff Writer Red Bluff High's Alpine team is starting out a new season with high hopes. With new and old faces, the team is planning to do their very best and most of all have fun. The team has dry land practice every Wednesday and Thursday, where they focus on running and full body work outs to build the strength that they need to do their best in their races. They also practice in the snow every Sunday where they get to practice runs. Returning veteran, Blake Villa, senior, placed first in the men's division last year and is planning to keep up his hard work. The team has spent the last two weeks in Shasta practicing to prepare themselves for upcoming races. "Conditioning is pretty easy, but I've gotten pretty use to it." -Walker davidson When asked what they plan on doing to improve their skills as a snow boarder, Casey Gannon, senior, answered, "I plan to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully get better by practicing, but more Mac's Driving School DMV# -Driver's Ed-Driver's Training- Online Courses- Traffic School- START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT BY GETTING YOUR LICENCE! For details call 529-2828. Steer your furture in the right direction by booking today. importantly to remember that no matter how badly I get hurt, I will never give up." The team also does a lot of conditioning before and at the begining of the season to prepare themselves not only physically but mentally too. "Conditioning is pretty easy, but I've gotten pretty use to it, and I think that it's pretty important to stay fit and exercise. It helps a lot so you do better", said Walker Davidson, sophomore, snow boarder. The team is planning to work hard and improve their skills not only as individuals but as a team too. The team's next race will be on January 22. With their winning attitudes and determination to win, they will be sure to try their best and give it all they've got to complete yet another great season with many acomplishments. that one of his goals is to "get better and develop my own personal skills," said Hinkston. Head Coach Michael's goal for the team is to "continue to compete and get better every day". Emilio Soto's' favorite part of the season was getting to know his teammates, who he described as "nice people". The Head Coach's favorite part of the season is "just watching the team come together and improve at practice, we are much better now than at the begging of the season. Looking forward to a strong finish to the season," said Michael. As demonstrated by the players and coach, they appear to be having a lot of fun im- proving at the sport they love. The coach isn't the only one who is please with how the team is doing. What impressed wing and post KJ Hinkston the most about this season is how well his team is doing this season. Hinkston believes that his team is in fact doing well right now. As previously mentioned they are playing this Friday January 18 against West Valley, who they previously played against and won at the Argonaught tournament in Jacksonville, California. This game will start league play for the JV Boys Basketball team against West Valley, Friday night. The freshmen boys prepare for W.V. Mark Criss Staff Writer Red Bluff High School's freshman basketball team has begun their season with an even start leaving them standing in the middle of the score boards. The freshman team's current record for the season is 9-7. As for the upcoming game tonight, Red Bluff's freshman team is highly confident in a victory towards West Valley. As for key players that need to be looked out for, West Valley's post raises the eyes of Red Bluffs freshman team. According to Swarthout, he has height and great foot work. Coach Sinclair said that West Valley is a well coached, physical team, but also stated that, "we are going to do what we have done all year." However, the little strength that West Valley does have is not scaring the freshman team for an instant. They are smoothing all the sharpened edges of their worried thoughts by working on some key factors in the team. Some of the ideas that Coach Sinclair is stressing about for his team is having good team work and getting the ball around more. As for the future plans of the team, they're very confident. "We can beat any team and with that we can win league," said team mate Joey Knight. Coach Sinclair knows that it will be a hard road to travel, but is still an achievable goal. Sinclair believes that the league is "tough". Even with all the little advantages of West Valley Red Bluff high schools freshman basketball team are still pumped and ready for another solid win. The team opens Sac River leage play tonight at 4:30. Will Macdonald (10) "I feel that it was the right thing to do because they were accused of using drugs." Kayla MacCoshum (11) "I feel that the people that didnʼt cheat shouldnʼt get punished for other peopleʼs actions." Dylan Hoskins(12) "Itʼs stupid: the good players should get known for what they do." Ms. Ferran(Teacher) Spartans "I thought it was a shame because every era has its cheaters and we already have people on the hall of fame who we know cheated." Player of the issue Lucas Burns Varsity Basketball " This is the season I've waited my whole life for, I'm not going to waste a minute of it and [I will] work my hardest until the very end." Player of the Issue/Garrett Sandow Mr. Sanders (Teacher) "Home runs saved baseball and now they wonʼt get those home run hitters in the hall of fame?" Sound Off/CLaire Samay