girls basketball

No, we didn't forget the girls projected finishes for league play. But I'm glad you cared enough to express concern.
Starting with the Monterey Bay League.
1. Seaside: Arguably the most impressive team in the area. How Seaside plays in the clutch has them on track for another undefeated league season.
2. Monterey: Expect a track meet when facing the much-improved Toreadores, who will run at will.
3. North County: There is enough experience for the Condors to be considered a threat in the MBL.
4. Watsonville: The Wildcatz might have made the most improvement in the preseason.
5. Monte Vista: New coach Steve Blaser led North Salinas to a pair of boys CCS titles in the late 1980's. This won't be as easy.
6. Pajaro Valley: The second year program will be better.

new football coach at North County

Great move for North County in keeping it in the house and hiring coordinator Mike Phillips as their new head football coach.
Phillips, who served as a defensive coordinator last year, moved over to North County this past fall after helping resurrect Alisal as a coordinator.
Phillips is bright, insightful, calm under pressure and a perfect fit for a program that has had remarkable success over 29 years.
The thought process when Phillips came over was that he was being groomed for the head coaching job, as Bobby Cobarruvias had pretty much decided before the season started that he was going to retire after 10 years as the schools football coach.
Last year Cobarruvias guided North County to the postseason.
Don't be surprised to see North County make a move in the standings next fall.

MTAL hoops

Projected finishes are nothing more than an opinion.
But in phase three of our basketball previews, here is a look at the boys MTAL.
1. Pacific Grove: It usually takes the Breakers the entire preseason to hone their basketball skills for league play. Plus Kyle Neely is the best players in the MTAL.
2. Stevenson: The makeup of this team looks like a champion. But it will go 18 days between games and closed the preseason with a three-game losing streak.
3. Carmel: This is an athletic group that could make noise if it develops chemistry.
4. King City: If you're looking for a darkhorse in the MTAL, the Mustangs could sneak up on opponents.
5. Soledad: Two years removed from a share of the programs first league title, the Aztecs will took to rebound from an horrific preseason.
6. Gonzales: A program that has struggled in the past could be on the mend.
7. Greenfield: Having Aaron Zamora knocking down jump shots will at least make the Bruins entertaining.
8. Anzar: Three players did average double digits in scoring in the preseason.

TCAL Hoops

We gave you a projected finish of the Monterey Bay League Thursday.
Today, we breakdown the boys Tri County Athletic League.
1. Palma: No doubt, this isn't the same team that went 29-3 last year. In fact, it's already suffered more losses than last year (5). That being said, Palma is still the team to beat behind 6-foot-8 Clark Fox and sharpshooter John Bonano.
2. Gilroy: Some of that size it possessed last year has graduated. With it went the sour attitudes.
3. Alisal: Bump the Trojans up a notch if they can get their entire team intact for the start of TCAL play.
4. North Salinas: A 5-0 start to open the Alan Green coaching era wasn't a fluke. But losing Salvador Moran to an injury for a large part of the season does hurt.
5. Don't look now, but Salinas coach Joe Chappell is approaching 1,000 games as a coach. His youthful squad will make some noise in the second half.
6. San Benito: The Balers are a program that will find a way to ruin someones season.
7. Alvarez: Everyone expected Alvarez to fall a part after losing its two best players for various reason. Didn't happened in the preseason.

projected hoop finishes

With league play in boys basketball closing in like the new year, today begins a series of projected finishes, starting with the Monterey Bay League boys

1. Watsonville: Averaged over 70 points a game in the preseason.
2. North County: Possesses one of the best 3-point shooters in the county in Reuben Damasco.
3. Monterey: How good would this team have been had Harvey Todd been given clearance by the CCS?
4. Seaside: Athleticism alone will keep the defending champions in the hunt. A scoring threat is needed.
5. Monte Vista: A few years ago this program was a basketball power.
6. Pajaro Valley: It takes more than two years to build a program.

gasperson on NFL roster

After two serious knee surgeries in college - one that kept him away from the game for 18 months - and nearly three years on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, Michael Gasperson was added to the Eagles 53-man roster for the final two games of the season.
Gasperson, who prepped at Palma, has not played in a regular season game since 2004 when the receiver was at the University of San Diego.
The 6-foot-4 Gasperson has spent the last three years practicing weekly with the Eagles scout team. Apparently he made enough of an impression to be added to the 53-man roster, where his salary will double.
Gasperson is one of three players from Monterey County on an NFL roster, joining Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis (Seaside) and San Diego special teams demon Kassim Osgood (North Salinas).

Speaking of Osgood, he was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team as a special teams player for the second straight year.
A backup receiver for the AFC Western Division champion Chargers, Osgood is just the second player from Monterey County to become a Pro Bowler, joining current Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards.

Osgood a Pro Bowler

He changed colleges, changed positions.
A relative unknown coming out of college four years ago, Kassim Osgood is an NFL pro bowler for the second straight year for the San Diego Chargers.
The former North Salinas three-sport standout was voted to the Pro Bowl as a special teams demon. A backup receiver, Osgood has also done some acting in the off-season.
Osgood is only the second player from Monterey County to earn a Pro Bowl invitation. Former Eagles defensive back and current Kansas City Chiefs coach Herman Edwards was the other.

Orlando Johnson

One thing Orlando Johnson did last year while at Palma was spoil us with his talent.
We probably didn't realize how gifted he was until this year, where the 6-foot-6 forward is on pace to break the freshman scoring record at Loyola-Marymount.
How many freshman make impacts in their first years at the Division I level?
His 25-point, 8-rebound effort last week helped Johnson gather co-West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors.
Johnson is just tipping into his talents. He's finally playing a position that he's better suited for. He'll improve his dribbling and shooting skills. He'll get quicker. His defense will improve.
Watching him develop over the next four years in college will be a treat.

update

Just a reminder that Prep Nation (the video) will take a two-week break during the holiday's. It will return the second week of January, providing insight on prep basketball with talk of soccer and wrestling as well.
While we're absent, circle three basketball tournaments on your calender.
The North Salinas Steinbach Classic and Condor Christmas Classic at North County will both take place Dec. 27-29. A total of 16 boys teams will compete and sharpen their skills prior to league play.
And the Seaside Sweet 16 Holiday Classic will showcase 16 girls teams, including one from Austin, Texas and Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The tournament has become one of the largest in California.

earning their scholarships

Sometimes we don't realize or appreciate how good our local athletes are.
Scholarships are great for the one percent of athletes that receive them. But how often do those athletes show glimpses of what they did in high school at the college level?
Well, at least four of them in college football have turned heads this year, including one-time North Salinas standout Carl Nicks, who has been invited to compete in the Senior Bowl for the University of Nebraska.
At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Nicks and his size 17-shoes are likely bound for the NFL, where he has already been projected as a fourth round pick as an offensive tackle.
A decision not to redshirt Mason Foster this year at the University of Washington proved to be a smart move after the Seaside product was named to the Rivals.com Freshman All-Pac team.
Foster started the final four games for Washington at linebacker, recording 25 tackles, five tackles for losses and two fumble recoveries.
One-time Salinas graduate Christian Taylor is headed to the Las Vegas Bowl with UCLA. The senior linebacker called all the defensive signals this year, finishing third on the team in tackles with 74.
Luke Lippincott is also bowl bound for the University of Nevada, who will face New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl. Lippincott, a Palma product, rushed for 1,380 yards, scoring 18 touchdown this year

preseason girls elite

Before the season even gets into high gear, two of the best girls basketball players in the county are lost for the year to knee injuries in King City's Carolyn Madson and Salinas' Mia Musones.
While it hurts both teams, it doesn't deplete the talent pool in Monterey County.
Again, three months from now, things will change.
But as of December, here is The Herald's preseason All-County basketball team.
Marea Goodman, Stevenson: A three-year starter that can score from anywhere on the court.
Kendall Keith, Stevenson: A 3-point artist that will run a potent offense.
Taylor Fox, Santa Catalina: You will know about this sophomore by the end of the season.
Pauline Ferrall, Carmel: Averging over 21 points and a dozen boards in the preseason.
Edthel Lugo, North Salinas: Aspirations of repeating as league champions fall on Lugo's shoulders.
Nathalie Godoy, Notre Dame: This time last year, Godoy wasn't even a starter.
Natasha Ray, Seaside: A role player last year, Ray's role this winter is to score.
Breana Warnars, North County: Her leadership values and 10 points a game are key.
Hannah Larick, Salinas: With Musones out, more points will be expected from the 6-foot junior.
Dominique Dinner, Monterey: When you average 19 points a game, you get my attention.

preseasonallcountyhoops

A lot will change over the next two months as we get closer to the start of league play. Someone will rise above others and land on The Herald's All-County team.
For now, here's The Herald's preseason boys All-County team.
Deionte Gordon, Seaside: Explosive off the dribble.
Kyle Neely, Pacific Grove: The 6-foot-7 guard will create matchup problems.
Jonathan Sosa, Alisal: The 6-foot-3 sophomore could average 18 to 20 points a game.
Reuben Damasco, North County: You don't here much about him. But the shooting guard lead the Condors in scoring last year and in 3-point goals.
Connor Hale, Stevenson: Produced double digits in scoring in eight of the Pirates first nine games this year.
Clark Fox, Palma: If the Chieftains are to make another CCS title run, Fox will have to control the paint
Anthony Lopez, Monterey: Averaging 15 plus points a game in the preseason.
Aaron Zamora, Greenfield: You don't know much about him and the Bruins will struggle. But he's a player.
A girls preview will come later in the week

Concern for Salinas hoops

An MRI will be performed today on Salinas guard Mia Musones on her injured knee to see if surgery will be needed.
A four-year starter for Salinas, Musones led the team to the Central Coast Section Division I semifinals last year, leading them in scoring and assists.
Musones was averaging 15.1 points a game before injurying her knee Thursday.
Her loss would be crippling for a team trying to take the next step in its development.


There are no undefeated teams left in Monterey County in girls basketball, in part because Notre Dame and Stevenson found themselves in tournaments against two powers from other sections.
Stevenson (6-1) fell to highly touted North Coast Section power Berkeley while Notre Dame (5-1) was handed a 42-point beating by Northgate of Walnut.
Games like these in the preseason are learning tools to build upon. Both will benefit because neither will face anyone better in their respective leagues.

lost in transition

Getting used to playing without Orlando Johnson will take more than a couple of games for Palma.
It's trial by fire and on-the-job training for the Chieftains, whose first two opponents are a combined 12-1.
Look, no one expected Palma to come out and dominate opponents. Johnson, now the starting forward at Loyola-Marymount, was indeed a rare talent seen in Monterey County.
Plus I'm not sure head coach Paul Alioto has settled on a starting lineup. What Palma lacks more than a scorer is a leader. That will have to come from one of the holdovers.
Because when games are tight, teammates will follow a leader on the court.

eligibility issues

Harvey Todd might be the most dynamic basketball player in the county. He led the area in scoring last year, not to mention a resurgence at Alvarez.
But for the third straight year, Todd has transferred to another school, going back to Monterey for his senior year, which is where he started.
Of course, when you transfer, you need proper paper work to get clearance from the Central Coast Section.
Apparently, a red flag has gone up because the CCS has said NO.
Meaning Todd may have to spend his senior year with a clipboard on the bench instead of lighting up opponents and chasing a scholarship.
I don't believe Todd was transferring back to Monterey for basketball reasons. But you can't go back because you're unhappy at the school or you want to live with a guardian instead of a parent.
This decision should have been thought out more carefully because this is a year Todd will never be able to get back.

public debate

How many times have you heard the complaint that the Private schools have an unfair advantage in sports?
You know, I used to believe there was some merit to that.
But if you take a look at this years Central Coast Section finals in football, three of the four divisional champions were public schools.
To add to the debate, the four runner-ups in the finals were all public schools.
Now you could look at this as an aberration.
Accept last year seven of the eight teams that competed in the CCS divisional finals in football were also public schools.
Here's a theory for what it's worth. When you build a program, provide stability and have success, kids tend to stay put. Plan and simple.

A look at 2008

To early to look towards the fall of 2008?
Not at all.
I expect a changing of the guard in the Mission Trail Athletic League.
I know Pacific Grove has won five straight MTAL titles and 30 consecutive league games.
But Carmel's time has come. Quarterback Ken Johnston and his 2,800 passing yards and 1,000 yard tailback Andrew Keyser will be back.
So to will be four of the five offensive lineman for the Padres.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not writing off Pacific Grove completely. Not as long as Buck Roggeman is still coaching this team. Graduation, though, will gut them at the skilled positions.

Seaside's failure to get out of the first round will serve as incentive. More than 30 kids are already in the weight room. And the season is still eight months off. This team will be back to make a run at a fifth straight Monterey Bay League crown.

It appears that Palma will have Cardinal-Newman of Santa Rosa on its schedule next fall along with Del La Salle.
Both went to the State finals in their respective divisions in 2006. While I applaud the Chieftains for beefing up their schedule, at some point they will have to take a look at their yearly battle with De La Salle.
The last two games have been blowouts. And four of the five have been decided by 14 points or more. Cardinal-Newman will be a better assessment of whether Palma is a state caliber team.

pg football

I suppose you could look back at the two fourth quarter turnovers as significant for Pacific Grove.
After all, Santa Cruz did score the go-ahead touchdown on one and ran out the clock with the other.
But the bottom line is Santa Cruz played better and deserved to win the game. That might have been the best defense I've seen this year.
Remember this was the same Santa Cruz team that knocked off defending CCS champion Seaside in the first round and the only unbeaten, untied team in the CCS in Del Mar last week.
Yeah, I know, Pacific Grove lost its third straight CCS title game. But let me ask you this. How many teams and coaches do you think would trade places with them just for the shot at playing for a title?
That's what I thought.
Pacific Grove was the last team in Monterey County still practicing last week. It was one of only eight in the CCS still playing.
Eight out of 75 plus teams. I'll take that.