Long Beach State’s hire of Eric Valenzuela as the new coach of the Dirtbags brought a lot of reactions across our phones. The university was as confident as could be that they’d gotten their guy. Recruits were clearly thrilled — kids have been committing to the program while those who’d been committed to Valenzuela’s old […]
Column
COLUMN: Long Beach State Doesn’t Need A Mascot
The ancient tale of Siddhartha is about a man who sacrifices materialistic pursuits in order to find a more sustainable spiritually, and he ends up succeeding by finding peace in nothingness. Long Beach State needs to apply that lesson to its search for a new mascot. After years of phasing out the 49ers mascot, and […]
COLUMN: Cabrillo, Jordan Baseball Making Things Interesting
There have been plenty of Moore League baseball seasons where half the schedule was skippable–this year is not one of those years. Thanks to excellent, dedicated coaching from Cabrillo’s Pedro Torres and Jordan’s Bryan Whitfield, the Jaguars and Panthers have been pushing the best teams in the Moore League this season. Last week in a […]
COLUMN: Cabrillo Boys’ Soccer Bounce Back Is One For The Ages
Sports, at its very core, is about getting knocked down and getting back up again. But I might have a new standard for a resilient comeback thanks to a group of soccer players on the Westside. If a Disney princess is the patron saint of underdogs, then Cabrillo boys’ soccer carries the banner for bounce-back […]
COLUMN: Cabrillo Boys’ Soccer Victims Of A Beautifully Cruel Game
Soccer can be the cruelest sport on the planet. It is lovingly referred to as “the beautiful game” that celebrates spontaneous creativity. However, it doesn’t always reward quality, and ultimately only cares about one thing: goals scored. The Cabrillo boys’ soccer program knows this all too well. I can’t count how many times I’ve covered […]
COLUMN: In Appreciation Of Ray Porter
Ray Porter is not one to celebrate himself. A 1973 graduate of Long Beach Poly, he’s spent the last 34 years working as a locker room attendant and campus security officer at his alma mater. In that time, the people who’ve worked with him have never heard him brag about himself or take credit for […]
COLUMN: Amateur Sports Needs Students To Survive
If prep sports get more serious every year, then why are the crowds shrinking? Not that long ago we saw the Long Beach Poly and Lakewood football game almost sell out Veterans Memorial Stadium. We didn’t see a football sellout this season. Not even close. It wasn’t that long ago we saw the Walter Pyramid […]
All-Moore League: Boys’ And Girls’ Cross Country
We’ve got the full All-Moore League lists for boys’ and girls’ cross country. Stay tuned all week as we post the Fall All-Moore League lists. 18girlscrosscountry 18boyscrosscountry
COLUMN: Real Season Starts Now For Long Beach Poly Football
Long Beach Poly won’t play a football game this Friday–the Jackrabbits have a bye and are waiting for Sunday morning, when the CIF Southern Section football playoff brackets will be released. For Poly and it’s notoriously win-hungry fans, Sunday morning starts the only season that matters anyway. Yes, the Jackrabbits easily beat Lakewood last week […]
Column: Let’s Hear It For The Band (And The Cheerleaders, And…)
I’ll be perfectly blunt: usually when I go to a football game, I’m there for the football game. Yes, I recognize the value of pageantry in sports and especially in football. I make sure to include the marching band, the drumline, and the cheerleaders in my highlight videos and I enjoy having some music in […]