Top 10 sports stories for Tri-County region ~ 2008

Once again it's that time where we reflect on yet another year that has sped past, and the lasting memories it has left in its wake. That can only mean it's time for the Tri-County Newspapers' list of the 10 most memorable sports moments of the past year.

The following are not listed in any particular order one, because I have only been involved with sports since August, and two, because Paul Gadbois and I  loved them all! 

How many of these events did you attend?

Lady Braves spike almost all comers to win section title against East Nicolaus

There was seemingly nothing that was going to get in the way of the Hamilton volleyball team and a Northern Section title. Cutting their teeth on upper-level competition in the toughest tournaments they could find, the Braves took a few knocks early but polished up their game armor to breeze through the Mid-Valley League season without so much as a nick, with a perfect 10-0 mark.

But they weren't quite finished.

Their hard work, determination and dedication was awarded in the ultimate manner, when Hamilton knocked off East Nicolaus 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-22 to be crowned Northern Section Division V volleyball champions.

While they were ousted in the first round of the state playoffs, the 34-6 season record lost none of its considerable luster.

Hamilton defeats Willows in overtime for  Div. 3 football crown

This was quite simply a game for the ages and the type of contest a sports writer cannot wait to sit down and write about.

The Honkers and Braves met Nov. 26 in Willows to decide who would earn the right to wear the crown of the Northern Section Division III football champion, and the two squads were so evenly matched that four quarters were not enough to reveal a victor.

Deadlocked at 14-14 at the end of regulation time, the overtime period saw Hamilton quarterback Brad Lohse carry it across to give Hamilton the lead, with Oscar Pineda adding the crucial extra point.

It was then Willows' turn to see if they could match the Braves' score, but on third-and-goal from the 15, Omar Diaz leaped in front of a Will Enos pass intended for Cody Pastorino and wrapped his arms around the ball for a game-winning interception for Hamilton. The Braves completed a repeat of the previous year's section championship with the 21-14 win.

Subsequently, Hamilton also became the first school from the Northern Section to be invited to play in the CIF State Bowl Games. While the 59-7 defeat at the hands of St. Margaret's was not what they hoped for, the Braves earned the right to be chosen.

Maxwell pulls off upsets to win Div. 6 softball  championship

The Lady Panthers made some history of their own in Colusa County in the spring, as their third-place finish in the North Valley League was just a warm-up for Maxwell. The Panthers got hot at the right time and upset the top-two seeded teams to capture the Division VI crown.

After downing top-seeded Hayfork 6-0 in the semifinals, the Lady Panthers took care of No. 2 seed Champion Christian 5-3 in the championship game.

The 2008 Maxwell Panthers became the first team in school history to win a Northern Section softball title, finishing the season with a 17-8 mark.

Elk Creek volleyball repeats as Pioneer League champions

Coach Brian Close and the Lady Elks volleyball team enjoyed going undefeated in the Pioneer League so much last year that they decided to do it again in 2008, to claim their second straight league championship.

Along with going 8-0 in league the Elks were unstoppable on their own hardwood, going 7-0  in home games.

Orland boys and girls tennis squads dominate with Division II titles

It was only fitting that on the day the Orland girls' tennis team was going to be photographed at the end of the season, the tennis courts at Orland High School had been reduced to rubble.

Sure, the real reason was the many campus improvements being made, but it could just as easily have been from the collective pounding they took from both the boys and girls tennis teams, because both teams literally "tore up" the courts to claim Northern Section championships.

With the dual titles, the Trojans' tennis program has "served" notice that the road to tennis domination begins in Orland.

Cardinals rule Northern Athletic League mats for wrestling championship

The Corning wrestling team left no doubt in the minds of any of its competitors that the Cardinals meant business at the Northern Athletic League championships held in February in Cottonwood.

Corning racked up 213.5 points to easily out-distance the rest of the field, as second-place Central Valley finished with 121.

Twelve Corning wrestlers advanced to the finals, with six coming home with gold medals. Kodie Brown (114), Billy Crawford (142), Jake Zuppan (147), Jacob Brannon (173), J.T. Minto (191), and Jared Minoletti (217) each won their weight class.

The victory reaffirmed the Cards' NAL dominance, as Corning won the tourney in 2007 as well but split the league title with Anderson due to a fluke defeat in their regular-season dual.

Corning's Brown, Willows' Yang wrestle at CIF tourney

Corning's Kodie Brown and Willows' Shoua Yang each wrestled their way to the CIF state wrestling finals in Bakersfield by winning their respective weight classes in the Northern Section Masters wrestling meet in February.

Brown conquered the 114 pound class, while Yang mastered 105.

Wong ties section mark with 52 points in a game for Lady Warriors

Some basketball players talk about sometimes finding themselves "in the zone" - a magical place where seemingly every ball thrown in the general vicinity of the hoop finds its way to the bottom of the net, and the rim itself looks as big as a bushel basket.

On Dec. 19, Mercy's Allison Wong gave new definition to "the zone" when she hit for an absurd 52 points in a tournament game against Etna.

Yes, 52. And it's not like they were just throwing the ball to her so she could inflate her numbers, as Mercy needed every one of the points to secure a 72-69 win in the contest.

Suffice it to say that it is the career high for the five-foot six-inch senior guard, but it should be noted that she also scored 43 in a game on Dec. 11.

There was no statistical breakdown available as to how many of her points came from behind the three-point line.

Pierce boys net second straight Div. 3 soccer title

With a 2-1 win over Esparto in February, the Pierce Bears boys' soccer team successfully defended its title by winning the Northern Section Division III championship for the second year in a row.

The Bears were the No. 1 seed by way of their sterling 14-1-2 record, and they also captured their third straight SVL-South crown.

Colusa baseball, softball teams spearhead SVL pennants

Colusa High School had its own little field of dreams in 2008, and the dreams came true for both the baseball and softball squads as they each won the Sacramento Valley League Championship.

The baseball team finished 8-1 in league play and 18-6 in the regular season, while the softball team went 7-2 in the SVL, and was 20-7-1 for the regular season.

Honorable Mention:

• Los Molinos soccer 10-game win streak

• Corning's Tanner McIntyre finishes among state pitching leaders in strikeouts

• Corning girls tennis wins 14 straight; all six starters are named All-League 

• Maxwell baseball captures NVL pennant

• Princeton boys basketball wins league