Category Archives: School sports

Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Fairfield-Suisun school board will hear a presentation Thursday on the California Interscholastic Federation Multi-School Agreement that could allow students at private and charter schools to compete on public school athletic teams.

A CIF agreement such as this is between two schools and allows students from a school that does not have an athletic program to participate in their “resident school’s” athletic program.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement

Vanden High’s Tristin Castro ready to fight back cancer diagnosis – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Corey Kirk

Sitting in NorthBay’s VacaValley Hospital Emergency Room with his parents, 16-year-old Tristin Castro waiting anxiously for doctors to enter.

On the cusp of joining his friends on the Vanden Vikings varsity baseball team, Tristin originally had his sights set on another high school baseball season. However, those plans were dashed after he heard the three-word phrase no one could prepare for.

Source: Vanden High’s Tristin Castro ready to fight back cancer diagnosis – The Vacaville Reporter

FSUSD Special Olympics track and field event marks triumphant return – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

Although the Winter Olympics and Paralympics have concluded for 2022, the time to honor athletes of all abilities never ceases.

Case in point: Thursday morning at Rodriguez High School, where the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District once again partnered with the Special Olympics of Northern California for its annual assortment of track and field activities that give special education students a chance to participate in athletics, build physical strength and socialize with others.

What made this event especially momentous is that it was the first of its kind in three years. The most recent track and field event was 2019, and adaptive PE specialist Matt Miller said it was scheduled again for 2020, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Source: FSUSD Special Olympics track and field event marks triumphant return – The Vacaville Reporter

A parade fit for champions: Vanden High football team – The Vacaville Reporter

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Lined up in front of the confines of Vanden High School, patrons decked in black, green and gold lined up the sidewalk with posters, confetti poppers and smiles from ear to ear waiting for the Vanden High football team to embark on De Ronde Road.

“I could watch it over and over again, I love seeing them enjoy the moment and they worked so hard,” said Sandra Null, the mom of junior Orion Null. “They deserve this and so much more.”

Source: A parade fit for champions: Vanden High football team – The Vacaville Reporter

Supervisors honor champion Vanden High football team – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn on Tuesday painted a gridiron picture of the Vanden High football team’s final drive to the 2021 Division 3-AA state championship.

Those final minutes, however, represented what was later described as the “resilience, perseverance, preparation and grit” of a team that overcame adversaries throughout the season – and even prior to the first practice.

The team lost two coaches and a teammate before the fall season even started.

Source: Supervisors honor champion Vanden High football team

More postponements for Vallejo-area sports this week – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

High school and college sports continue to be on hold for many programs in the area.

With the omicron variant wave on the rise in January, most teams in the Tri-County Athletic League have postponed events for the week. Vallejo, Jesse Bethel and St. Patrick-St. Vincent high schools are all part of the league.

Many schools in the TCAL are from the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which closed its schools for two days due to a surge in staff absences and student COVID-19 cases. Those campuses re-opened Tuesday with new masking requirements in place, according to Bay Area News Group.

Source: COVID: More postponements for Vallejo-area sports this week – Times-Herald

Some local schools on pause this week for winter sports – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

California has gone through some cold temperatures lately but a number of athletic programs are in the deep freeze this week.

The rise in COVID-19 cases across California and in Solano County continues to have an impact — as some high school and college sporting events were recently postponed.

Jesse Bethel, Vallejo and St. Patrick-St. Vincent high schools, all part of the Tri-County Athletic League, are on pause.

Source: Some local schools on pause this week for winter sports – Times-Herald

Vanden captures state crown in comeback win over Aquinas – Daily Republic

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By Nick DeCicco

Valhalla, they are coming.

The Vanden High Vikings drove their ships to new lands Saturday night with a come-from-behind, fourth-quarter rally to win the California Interscholastic Federation Division 3-AA State Championship Game, 14-13, over visiting Aquinas of San Bernardino at George A. Gammon Field.

To fight the visiting Falcons horde, Vanden called on the resilience that has been the wellspring of the Vikings’ success throughout the year for a team inspired to succeed after the deaths of teammate Daniel Hughes and coaches Dan Gardner and Michael Belk Sr.

Source: Vanden captures state crown in comeback win over Aquinas

Special Olympics basketball event brings 4 Fairfield high schools together – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

For special education students, every day is a reminder of the phrase “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

This goes for excelling in the same classes intended for general education students or — as Thursday at Armijo High School demonstrated — playing a game of basketball.

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District’s adaptive PE department, in conjunction with Special Olympics Northern California, hosted its 4th annual Special Olympics high school basketball event, which brought special education students from four different district high schools together to bounce basketballs and shoot hoops with not as much emphasis on winning. There certainly was a competitive aspect, but more of a focus on having fun and building athleticism in a supportive environment. It is one of several events the adaptive PE department put on each year, including soccer, golf, bowling and track & field matches and even an annual prom.

Source: Special Olympics basketball event brings 4 Fairfield high schools together – The Vacaville Reporter

Vanden High School football team grabs first section crown since 1995 – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Matt O’Donnell

After waiting 26 years for a Sac-Joaquin Section crown, all the Vanden High School football team had to do was turn East.

The Vikings traveled East toward Stockton’s St. Mary’s High on Saturday afternoon to face Merced in the Division IV title game. Vanden also veered the championship contest in the direction of wide receiver/defensive back Jamai East.

East caught three touchdowns from quarterback Tre Dimes and had two back-breaking interceptions — including a 24-yard pick-six early in the fourth quarter. The rest of his teammates did the rest is a convincing 49-21 win.

Source: Vanden High School football team grabs first section crown since 1995 with triumph over Merced – The Vacaville Reporter

5 Rodriguez student-athletes sign national letters of intent – Daily Republic

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By Matt Miller

Rodriguez High School celebrated five of its student-athletes Wednesday afternoon in a ceremony on campus as they signed their national letters of intent.

Camryn Washington will be headed to Cal State East Bay in Hayward to join the women’s basketball program.

Kate Tobola and Julianna Roxas will play softball at Dominican University of California in San Rafael; Desirae Bally will do the same at Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado; and Janaiya Terrones is headed to San Diego Christian College to join the Hawks softball program.

“Those are my girls. I love them,” softball head coach and athletic director Tracy Lopez said of her softball players. “I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re all good girls. I can’t wait for our full season this year and I can’t wait to see what they do in their futures.”

Source: 5 Rodriguez student-athletes sign national letters of intent

Runners post record middle school times in All City Cross Country races – Daily Republic

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Course record times were turned in Wednesday among the boys and girls winners of the All City Cross Country Championships, featuring seven middle schools competing on the 1.5-mile course at B. Gale Wilson TK-8 School.

Artemio Perez of Sheldon won the boys race in a course record time of 8 minutes, 53 seconds, edging Jonathan Ortega of B. Gale Wilson at the tape (8:54). Ortega’s time tied the previous record.

The rest of the boys top 10 included Logan McKemie of Green Valley (9:38), Sebastian Ortega of B. Gale Wilson (9:39), Jay Scott of Green Valley (9:44), Aaden Muohall of B. Gale Wilson (9:48), Peyton Eagan of Green Valley (9:52), Kyle Durano of Crystal (9:53), Ethan Rigley of B. Gale Wilson (10:06) and Miles Wiley of B. Gale Wilson (10).

Source: Runners post record middle school times in All City Cross Country races

Jesse Bethel High School football team expected to begin season this week – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

The fall football season for Jesse Bethel High hasn’t yet been determined by wins, losses or even ties.

The Jaguars’ biggest obstacle hasn’t been a lack of depth or beefy defensive linemen on the other side of the ball. It’s been uncertainty.

Bethel’s season opener against Fairfield last Friday was cancelled due to positive COVID-19 tests. The players were tested again on Monday and the team was cleared to practice Wednesday afternoon.

Source: Jesse Bethel High School football team expected to begin season this week – Times-Herald

Jesse Bethel High football program on pause due to positive COVID tests – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

The Jesse Bethel High School football team, which played just one game in the spring, has had at least one game canceled in the fall.

Principal Kirsten Wollenwever announced on Tuesday that all football players — varsity and junior varsity — must not come to campus for instruction or practice for the remainder of the week due to positive COVID-19 tests.

Source: Jesse Bethel High football program on pause due to positive COVID tests – Times-Herald

Local high school football teams get back to work – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

For the first time in the history of the school, Jesse Bethel High football players were welcomed to official practice on Monday by a different voice.

It was no longer from the stern and wise-cracking Jeff Turner. Instead, the instructions and expectations came from cerebral new head coach Daniel Martinez.

Martinez was officially hired in June to replace Turner, the Jaguars’ first and only head coach since the school opened its doors in 1998. Turner stepped down after his team beat Vallejo 14-7 in the Mayor’s Cup on April 17.

Source: Local high school football teams get back to work – Times-Herald

Local high schools to begin practicing Monday with some COVID guidelines in place – Times-Herald

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BY Matt O’Donnell

When coaches and athletes left fields and gyms in June, many figured that August would be different when it came to COVID-19 protocols.

However, for many school districts, it’s still a wait-and-see scenario. Schedules are not exactly written in pencil. But they’re not scrolled in permanent marker either.

With the Delta variant spreading across California, school districts are planning on in-person instruction and athletic events but moving forward with caution. That includes the Vallejo City Unified School District.

Source: Local high schools to begin practicing Monday with some COVID guidelines in place – Times-Herald

Solano, Rodriguez grad Lindsey McLaughlin signs to play for Humboldt State – Daily Republic

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By Paul Farmer

Having suffered a torn ACL in 2017, Lindsey McLaughlin already knew what it was like to miss time in volleyball when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

It wound up costing the Rodriguez High graduate her sophomore season with the Solano Community College volleyball team.

That sophomore season will now be played with Humboldt State University after McLaughlin recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Lumberjacks.

Source: Solano, Rodriguez grad Lindsey McLaughlin signs to play for Humboldt State

Benicia High graduate Olivia Mackey helps Southern Oregon go back-to-back – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

Benicia High School graduate Olivia Mackey says she felt great that she was able to recently end her college softball career with a bang. And by “bang” she means a clutch triple off her bat that helped lead Southern Oregon to another NAIA Softball World Series title.

Although it was the second time in three years (there was no winner in 2020), Southern Oregon won the second of its back-to-back titles last week with a pair of same-day wins over Oregon Tech. Southern Oregon won the first game 3-2 in Georgia to force a second game, which it took 7-5 behind Mackey’s two-out RBI triple for a valuable insurance run in the ninth inning.

“I was getting thrown outside pitches all game but I was still hitting the ball to left,” Mackey said. “That final at-bat, I kept looking for an outside pitch to drive to the opposite field and I finally got one that seemed like a gift. When I got to third base I was so juiced up because we needed to score that huge insurance run. Words can’t describe how super dramatic that was for me.”

Source: Benicia High graduate Olivia Mackey helps Southern Oregon go back-to-back – Times-Herald

Wood alum gets bird’s-eye view of St. Louis Cardinals – Daily Republic

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By Matt Miller

Katie Woo might have trouble connecting on a major league curveball like most of us, but she has no problem connecting with baseball fans thanks to her quick Twitter thumbs and ability to pound out game stories and features in no time at all.

The 2014 Will C. Wood High School graduate joined the staff of The Athletic, the national sports writing website, just in time to become the new 2021 beat reporter for the St. Louis Cardinals. Her dream was to have a life following Major League Baseball and she was able to achieve it faster than most ballplayers toiling in the minor leagues.

Source: Wood alum gets bird’s-eye view of St. Louis Cardinals

Vallejo High wrestler Maylin Reyes signs with Elmira College – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

Like most of her fellow classmates, Vallejo High senior wrestler Maylin Reyes did not have the typical prep career due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Reyes, however, also did not have the quintessential four years due to a serious eye injury.

The 17-year-old put all those obstacles in the past on Saturday when she signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Elmira College in New York. She signed her letter in front of family, coaches and friends in an emotional ceremony in the Bottari Gym lobby.

Source: Vallejo High wrestler Maylin Reyes signs with Elmira College – Times-Herald