The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/107347
Sports February 1, 2013 Page 7 Varsity boys improve game by game Veronica Smith Staff Writer The Red Bluff Varsity boys' basketball team has been working hard and getting better towards the end of their season. Since the Holiday Classic tournament in Red Bluff, the Spartan boys have been getting a lot better and they are also more confident now as team. "Everybody plays hard and works on the little things that make us better," Coach Twitchell explains. Some returning players from years before are now practicing with the team and BLUFFER/Ryan Fisher they pick up the intensity level making it better practices for Red Bluffʼs varsity basketball team standing in line during the National Anthem against Enterprise High School. them. "Our practices are just need to make sure they which was what we have been can reach their goals and end incredible," Twitchell says. don't go back to some of their planning to do," junior Sean the season off with great turn One major goal for the bad habits that they have been Freeny says. outs. boys is that they hope to beat working on such as fouls. With their record being 9As the boys are working Foothill at Red Bluff since "I think we have been 10 they work even harder than hard at practice they have they are a strong team. They improving game by game they have to make sure they been building chemistry within the team and getting closer than before which makes them perform better at their games. Down the strecth the teams biggest goal is to beat Foothill. On January 22nd, the Spartans erased a fifteen point defict and pushed the game into overtime. the team eventually lost by 6 but felt like they could've won the game if it wasn't for a few mistakes. "We missed several free throws down the stretch that really hurt us," said Myke Nichols, senior. They have worked super hard these past few weeks to build effort and strength so they will succeed at this goal. The Red Bluff Spartans will be playing tonight against one of their biggest rivals, Central Valley at 7:30 p.m.. The team hopes to have a huge black out crowd out at tonights game and cheer on the team to victory. S partan ound off Do you want the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl? Socorro Harris Towne (9) "49ers because me my dad like them." Boys soccer hasn't met their expectations Mitch Fox Staff Writer Although the Red Bluff Boys varsity Soccer Team has only won one game thus far, the team is still trying their best to enjoy their season according to the players. "It's been a rebuilding season but everyone is starting to come together and cooperate and it is starting to show on the field", said junior center-midfielder Garrett Ward. Garrett would like nothing more than for his team to end this season with a winning streak of some sort. Although there chance of playoffs have been lost, Ward says he wants to go out with a "bang". According to Ward, a lot of first year players have stepped up and helped this year like their leading scorer junior forward Mike Stone, or "Mad Mike", as his team members like to call him. When asking about what it was like to be a first year player and then be the leading score Stone said he likes to do anything to help his team out, and that he couldn't of done it without his assists. Despite Stone's scoring ability he says that the strengths of the team are defense, "Fredy and Marcos are animals", said Stone. Mike Stone compared the team's defenders Fredy and Marcos to a brick wall, nothing gets past them. On the flipside Stone says the team needs to "It's sometimes scary, but it's overall fun." -Garrett Ortiz work on their communication on the field. Mike's goal for the rest of the season is to beat Shasta who has only one loss and one tie. Senior second year player Garrett Ortiz is taking up the role of goal keeper this season and when asking him about how just one mistake of his can make or break the entire game for him he said, "It's sometimes scary, but it's overall fun". Ortiz likes the pressure of the position and wants to finish this game out with as many wins as possible. This is one of the Spartans top defenders, Marcos Ramirez, first year back after not playing last year and it is very exciting to be back on the team. "It feels good to be on the team after not going to this school last year, it just feels good playing soccer again", said Ramirez. "We have been struggling, but starting to click", again said Ramirez who also says for in order for the team to get better they all need to be more aggressive and attack more. The Spartans are 1-7 in league. The only team that they have beaten is Foothill two weeks prior. They surged to a surprising upset by dominating ball possesion and with a flurry of shots on goal. This victory brought new life to the team and motivated them to finish the season strong. With nothing to lose, the Spartans face the Enterprise Hornets today at 4:30 on the Hornet's home turf. Freshman boys basketball hopes JV boys basketball to finish on top of their league begins league evenly Owen Ritter Staff Writer Red Bluff High School's frosh boys' basketball team is looking forward to the rest of the season, especially concerning league. "To win league is the most important," says Joey Knight. All players are enthusiastic and believe that they can overcome the challenges they face. Ryan Henderson explained their practice consists of "layups, shots, and the three man weave to work on the teams fast break attack." Players feel like the frosh Spartans have improved a lot since their first game, they practice hard and are all friends, although the players think they need to run more. The team feels they have progressed their experience on the court tremendously since the beginning of the season. Friendships old and new have helped form the team and furthered the journey, these young freshmen are undertaking. While they grow up and expand their young minds, performance on the court will "Passing the ball more, more talk on defense, and bring more intensity to games." -Ryan Henderson increase. Most of the players will play sophomore year, so their skill will carry on into next season. When asked how the team can improve, most players interviewed had something to say. Ryan commented, "Passing the ball more, more talk on defense, and bring more intensity to games." It also appears players should make better, more strategic decisions during games. Smarter choices on the court will produce more triumphs and reason for celebration which will boost confidence throughout the team. Each individual player contributes his own amount of strengths and weaknesses, for example, most of the team seems to be good at scoring. Some players are better at setting up shots, or rebounds and setting up shots for other players are better at layups or even the three man weave. All in all the frosh Spartans basketball team is definitively looking forward to league and will do all that they can to achieve their goal of winning league. Mark Criss Staff Writer Red Bluff High School's jr. varsity boys basketball team has jumped into the season with a shower of wins and loses 0According to Max Preps, Red Bluff's jv basketball team is 116 overall and 1-2 in Sac River play. While observing one of the Red Bluff's jv basketball team practices it is easy to say that they have a well earned talent in the areas of handling the ball while getting it around through out the team, having little to no hesitation on making in game decisions, defending the ball carrier while pursuing the rebound and making up close basket shots. All those attributes put together make Red Bluff's team a formidable foe for any opponent. Whether or not today will bump them up with a win or not is a whole new story, however. Regardless of the outcome of the game, tonight's match it will not affect the jv players league stats . That is do to the game not even being a league game, "It's a little bit of a break they're not league opponents", said Head Coach Dave Micheal. Even though it is not a league game ,Red Bluff's JV players are not over looking it in the least bit. According to Coach Micheal Central Valley's team has good guards. The solution Red Bluff has for that is to make they're guards uncomfortable during the game hopefully making it a harder game for Central Valley. Red Bluff's jv players have also been improving the classic team work that every good team strives to have. While improving they're team work Red Bluff's jv team has also shot for an improvement in handling pressure. Another bonus to be added to Red Bluff's confidence are some Super Bowl Fun Facts *8 Million pounds of avocados will be eaten on Super Bowl Sunday. *28% of the American work force will call in sick on the Monday after the Super Bowl. *48 million pizzas will be delivered. *72 Footballs will be on hand for use during the game. *1.5 million TVs are sold the week before the Super Bowl. Fun Facts/Garrett Sandow and Ryan Fisher *1.25 Billion pounds of chicken wings will be consumed on super sunday. *51.7 million cases of brew will be puchased. *1.25 Billion pounds of chicken wings will be consumed on sunday. *10 Billion dollars will be wagered on the Super Bowl. Jay Boone (10) "Ravens because I am not a part of the band wagon." Morgan James (11) "49erʼs because they are the local team." Romero Cox (12) "49erʼs because they are my favorite team." Ms. Phillips (Teacher) "49erʼs because they are my favorite team." Mr. Gleason (Teacher) "Ravens because I believe in destiny." Sound Off/CLaire Samay of the Wi and th it is e baske great to the place