Notebook: Big Valley Christian to play for NorCal Title; MJC defensive back commits to DI school
Of the five Stanislaus District volleyball teams to qualify for the state tournament in Divisions I-VI, only one remains.
With its 25-10, 25-15, 25-15 sweep of Anderson Valley in the NorCal Regional Semifinals, second seed Big Valley Christian advances to the NorCal Championship.
On Tuesday, the Lions (27-11) will drive nearly five hours to McArthur, in Shasta County, to take on top seeded Fall River (15-4) at 6 p.m.
Freshman Jordan Beers finished with 27 assists and five aces, both team highs, and senior Alexis Roest led the team with 13 kills.
The Lions finished out the regular season with 10 league wins, extending the school’s streak of 10 or more league wins to 15 straight seasons, not counting the season shortened due to COVID.
Big Valley made its first appearance in the Sac-Joaquin Section championship since 2017 and beat Forest Lake Christian 25-17, 25-18, 25-17 to secure the first title in school history.
Water polo teams advancing to NorCal Regionals: The Ripon High boys water polo team ended 2021 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs as the last team standing after coming from behind to beat No. 1 Dixon, 8-7 to secure the title. In addition to the blue banner, the Indians were rewarded with a trip to the CIF State NorCal Regional Championships.
They earned the sixth seed and play No. 3 Ponderosa at Oakdale High School on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The girls’ team fell to No. 1 Dixon in a nail-biter in the Division III final, 4-3. Despite the heartbreaking loss, they still qualified for the NorCal Regional Championships, earning a No. 6 seed, playing third-ranked Lodi at 4 p.m. at Tokay High School.
Girls team tennis wrap: Central Catholic advanced the furthest of any Modesto school, going all the way to the Division III team tennis section final.
The top-seeded Raiders beat Buhach Colony and Merced in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, but fell to second overall Vanden, 6-3 in the final.
MJC football player commits: After just one season as a Pirate, defensive back Zelmar Vedder (East Union) has committed to play at the next level. The 6-foot-3 freshman announced on Twitter that he has committed to Sacramento State. The commitment comes six days after receiving the offer, his first from a Division I school.
In eight games, Vedder has 13 tackles, three interceptions and a pass breakup. His best game came on the road against Butte where he had one tackle and two interceptions, one of them a pick-six.
Modesto teams take All-League Awards: As football season begins to wind down, leagues have announced their All-League recipients. Modesto teams took home a few major awards in the Central California Athletic League and Western Athletic Conference.
Conner Stoddard – Downey – CCAL MVP
Jeremy Plaa – Downey – CCAL Coach of the Year
Tim Garcia – Davis – WAC Coach of the Year
