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6:59 MercedSunStar : Let the games begin. Shawn Jansen and I, your trusty sports editor James Burns, are here courtside at the Merced-Golden Valley boys basketball game. Feel free to ask questions. I'll do my best to answer them -- while giving up-to-the-moment coverage of the game. Stay tuned for a pregame scouting report. 7:01 MercedSunStar :
More...Central California Confernece boys basketball teams shoud think twice before sending Golden Valley's Donte Scott and Alex Fletcher to the charity stripe. The senior duo put on a shooting display in Wednesday night's 100-90 win over Buhach Colony. Scott and Fletcher combined to go a perfect 21 for 21 from the free-throw line. Fletcher made 10 of 10 and only one shot hit the rim.
More...I've come to understand over the years that an excellent barometer for how big an athlete is can be gauged by whether my wife has heard of them or not. Simply put, if the athlete is a big enough deal to make it on to her radar, it probably means that athlete has transcended his of her sport. Or they just look good in their underwear Beckham style.
More...It appears the Merced High football team will open the 2009 season against Fresno Bullard. Merced coach Rob Scheidt said nothing is official, yet. But the two teams have reached an agreement to play next year. Merced was forced to scramble for a game after Madera decided to drop Merced from its schedule a couple weeks ago. Merced talked to Central Catholic about a possible matchup.
More...Jon Schaefer couldn't hide his excitement. He had to show somebody. "Come check these out," Merced's Associate Principal said, opening the door to the gymnasium storage room. "Look at these rings." Merced honored its boys soccer team with Sac-Joaquin Section championship rings during a halftime ceremony on Friday, Jan.
More...By now most people have probably heard about this. Heat related deaths and hospitalizations have become an all too regular occurrence in all levels of sports, but the ramifications of this story could change everything. Here’s a story from CNN.com that summarizes the case.
More...According to Merced College athletic director Steve Cassady, the search for Tony Lewis' replacement is underway. I've been told the job can be found on Monster.com and according to Cassady the applications are already rolling in. Cassady said MC will accept applications until the middle of February -- during which time a panel will be pieced together to interview the candidates.
More...Guard play failed Merced College (0-3 CVC, 4-15) in a loss to West Hills on Saturday. If the Blue Devils wish to avoid sole possession of last place in the CVC, they’re going to have to fix the problem against a Columbia team that’s led by a trio of freshmen guards.
More...Two games into the Central Valley Conference season, the class of the League has already began to distinguish itself. Merced College, Fresno and Porterville all sit atop the standings at 2-0 while COS, Reedley and Taft have started 0-2. Merced will have its first big conference test tonight when it travels to Porterville. With defending champion NorCal No.
More...Here's what a scout has to say about Merced guard Allen Huddleston, who, according to ESPN, is the 108th-ranked point guard in the nation: " July, 2008: Huddleston is not a pure point guard just yet, but after monitoring his progress at Double Pump #2 he appears to be heading in that direction. Huddleston has ideal size for the 1 and he possesses great quickness and speed as well.
More...As many of you may know, or not, the Tour of California has added a couple of new starts and stops to its format this year. Stage 4 of the country's premier cycling event will start in Merced and end in Clovis on Feb. 18. The stage will feature a "King of the Mountain" points competition as riders make their way down Highway 140, Highway 49 and Crane Valley Road.
More...Tickets for Wednesday's Merced-Golden Valley boys basketball game went on sale this morning at both schools. Only 600 tickets will be sold at the two student body offices combined. That's all they can cram into the Merced High gym. Unfortunately, many people will miss out on what should be an entertaining game between two of the top teams in the Central California Conference.
More...Having spent a couple years covering athletes on the cusp of making the big time, I know just how off putting someone who believes their own hype can be. Guys that can't answer a single question about the team without bringing up how their own contributions make it great.
More...When your team is going through a cold streak like Allen Huddleston’s Merced College women’s basketball team, the last thing you want to run into is a team that can points up on the board in bunches. Unfortunately for Huddleston, that’s just what the Lady Devils have drawn in their Central Valley Conference opener against College of the Sequoias (11-8). COS’
More...Let the debate begin. Lewis' resignation of the post came on last Thursday morning. The MC coach has taken quite a beating from our Sun-Star online following this season. A number of people even frequently called for Lewis' head. So I was curious as to whom the populous thought should replace the 31-year legend.
More...It's official: Allen Huddleston's life has gone public. In a very big way. The Merced point guard has scored more than 30 points in all but two games this season. His fast start has caught the eye of two marquee Web sites for prep sports. For starters, Huddleston might be the first Merced-area athlete to be featured on the home page of MaxPreps ( www.maxpreps.com ).
More...Quite easily the most shocking revelation of 2008. Read on. I was taking a look at a list of the Sun-Star's most-viewed online stories of 2008 and three things hit me: 1. People here in this part of the Valley love them some murder, mayhem and molestation. Of the top-400 stories in 2008, I'd venture to say that 90 percent of them were heinous crime stories. So-and-so murdered.
More...There are superintendents like Scott Scambray, an advocate of after-school activities; a guy who still believes whole-heartedly that sports and band are sacred during these hard economic times. And then there's this guy. Bob Nunez, superintendent of the East Side Union High School District, recently unveiled a budget that includes, among other things, cutting out athletics.
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