A SMALL WONDER: Little chopper packs a whopper

BY MARLON LUMANG
Staff Writer

Noe Valencia races around on his pocket bike. PHOTOS BY CHARLES CHAN

Hurricane II Speed Racer … Harley-style Chopper … Ninja GT … these are not the names of the latest motorcycles, but rather a tiny machine called the pocket bike.

Measuring only three-by-two feet, pocket bikes follow the motorized scooter as the latest craze to hit the road.

However, pocket bikes are not your average ride-around scooter. They are high performance racing machines whose size belies their danger.

In Europe, they are sometimes used as training devices for aspiring motorcycle racers.

With their squat frame, which stands 15-18 inches high, and 49cc two-stroke gasoline engine, they can carry a person weighing 200 pounds 40-66 mph, depending on the model. Prices for low-end models manufactured in Asia start at $250, but can rise as high as $3000-4000 for European-built professional racing models.

“They are selling like hot cakes,” said David Miller, an instructor in the Motorcycle Department.

Despite their popularity, legal concerns have made it difficult to find public areas in which to ride pocket bikes.

“These bikes are not street legal. They are meant for recreational use in proper riding grounds,” said Dewayne Tully, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).

Because of this, most pocket bike enthusiasts seek out secluded places to ride them: in back of old warehouses, unused parking lots and empty elementary school grounds.

Some riders even travel great distances to satisfy their urges. While there are few places in the Bay Area to race, southern California is a virtual pocket bike heaven.

A big race is being held at Prairie City Airport on Sept. 11 and 12. The closest places in the Bay Area to race are in Fremont and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

The main reasons the SFPD and California Highway Patrol (CHP) have banned these vehicles are because they violate a code requiring all vehicles to be equipped with headlights, brake lights, and front and rear brakes. In addition, without a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), pocket bikes cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

This means pocket bikes can only be used on private property unless riders are helmeted, and have a valid driver’s license and M1 motorcycle license.

Not everyone believes pocket bikes are a menace. Damien Arman, a clerk at the ‘A and A’ Bargain Store, where pocket bikes are sold, thinks law enforcement is overreacting.

“It’s fun and good for the kids,” said Arman, a proud owner of four pocket bikes. “It helps them to stay away from the bad things they might pick up on the streets.”

National Titles: Seven - Cost of Ticket: $5 - Student Caring: Priceless

BY HUBERT HUANG
Sports Editor

NATHAN WEYLAND / GUARDSMAN

In a game City College needed to win in order to secure a seventh national title, Rams’ quarterback Joseph Ayoob threw the game-winning touchdown to Ruben Jackson with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The 95-yard drive was every bit as dramatic as anything that Joe Montana or John Elway managed during their years in the NFL.

Not that anyone was there to see it.

In a showdown between two undefeated teams ranked No. 2 and 3 in the nation, City College clawed its way to a 39-36 victory over Grossmont with less than 1,300 people in attendance.

Such has become a familiar storyline for City College. In sports, they say winning brings the crowds, but the Rams win more than any community college football program in the country and still the stands are emptier than the upper deck of a Montreal Expos game.

“For five bucks, it’s the best show in town,” said George Rush, football coach and men’s athletic director at City College.

But while City College might put out a great product, no one knows about it. Until the championship game, the San Francisco Chronicle doesn’t publish one iota dealing with Rams’ football. Although there’s a local television show that covers Bay Area high school sports, nothing like that exists for City College.

Because of this, the onus of publicity falls on City College itself. Without a marketing department, public relations division or sports information director, however, the responsibility falls unfairly to the coaches, who simply do not have time to handle the issue.

From the outside, it may appear that City College should have no attendance problems, given 110,000 students and a population base of eight million to draw from.

“The knee-jerk reaction is that in the Bay Area, people think there shouldn’t be any problem drawing crowds, but they forget the competition from high schools, four-year colleges and professional football,” said Gary Kollenborn, commissioner of the Northern California Football Association, which oversees the Coast Conference that City College competes in.

While Kollenborn concedes that attendance is generally poor throughout the conference, other schools such as Butte, and especially Fresno, have found greater success in creating an audience.

It would be staggering for City College to draw 1,000 people to a football game, yet Fresno routinely sees crowds three times that size. Fresno normally fields a strong team, but it cannot boast sending 23 players to Division One programs, as the Rams did a year ago.

“People won’t come to a game; they’ll come to an event,” said Susan Yates, Fresno City College athletic director. “They could care less about football, they want to socialize and have a good time.”

Despite having attendance which dwarfs that of any school it competes against, Fresno is still unsatisfied with their numbers.

“We’ll do anything and everything to get people to come,” said Yates.

Her claim is well substantiated. They have a homecoming game. They have planned a Halloween carnival to try and draw local families to the game. Trick dogs, local bands and gymnastics troupes are brought in for halftime entertainment.

They even have a special pancake breakfast to energize fans to cheer rowdily when the Rams visit Fresno on Sept. 18.

INSIDE THE UNIFORM: Part 2

BY MILES HARWELL
Staff Writer

NATHAN WEYLAND / GUARDSMAN

Desmond Bishop, 20, began playing football at the tender age of eight, with another Rams team - San Bruno in the Pop Warner league.

Although new to the sport, he managed to help his team to a 12-1 record. Bishop still remembers spending the night at teammates’ houses on nights before games, and waking up at 6:30 a.m. to prepare.

Bishop was first motivated to play football by the competition.

“Knowing my competitor was trying to beat me was inspiration enough,” Bishop said.

However, it wasn’t easy for Bishop. One thing he found difficult about the sport was the hitting.

“I wasn’t used to the contact, so it was hard at first,” Bishop said.

He recalls holding his hands in front of his face mask during hitting drills to minimize the impact of the blow.

“It hurt my fingers,” Bishop said.

But thanks to his own determination and his father’s coaching, pushing and teaching, Bishop stuck with football.

Bishop recalls his father being strict but fair when coaching him.

“He taught me everything I know about the game,” Bishop said. Everything included hitting, backpedaling, tackling and basic fundamentals.

By his second year, Bishop already saw himself improving, and was determined to stick with it. “If you’re good at something, why quit?” he said.

He was set to attend McAteer High School in Hunter’s Point, but when his family moved to the East Bay he ended up at Fairfield High School.

During his four years at Fairfield, Bishop evolved into a true student of the game. He worked to become bigger and faster to better equip himself for the playing conditions.

What he remembers most about high school football was the closeness between him and his teammates.

“Everyone got along,” said Bishop, while smiling.

At Fairfield, Bishop collected three team and one league MVPs. He was named to the all-state team in 2001 and helped lead his team to the championship game.

Bishop plays the same role at City College that he played on his high school team.

“To be honest with you, it hasn’t changed,” Bishop said.
The only thing he finds different is the number of talented athletes on the City College team.

“The plays I shouldn’t make, I make them now,” Bishop said.

Bishop has come a long way from the eight-year-old kid holding his hands over his facemask.

Rams' Star Performer

One college race; one win. Undaunted by neither the prospect of her first inter-collegiate race, nor the blistering 93-degree heat of the Central Valley, freshman Tara Hillier pulled away from 31 competitors to take first place by 50 meters over her closest competitor. Going out at a restrained pace, Hillier didn’t catch the leaders until the half-mile mark. However, by the two-mile point, she was alone in front and no finishing sprint, only a brisk jog, would be needed to secure the victory.

SCOREBOARD

Soccer

Although they only notched one victory in three games at the Hartnell Tourney, their one victory came against rival Fresno, which has qualified for the state final four twice in three years. Both Rams' losses were by a single goal —including one versus 2003 state and national champion Irvine Valley, where they were forced to play 60 minutes at a man disadvantage.

The team's high level of play is reflected by their 2-0-1 regular season mark. The Rams have yet to surrender a goal despite injuries to captain Luciano Fusco that have prevented him from playing an entire game. Sophomore Yuen Ma has compensated for Fusco's absence by scoring three goals in as many games. - Hubert Huang

Cross Country

With the mercury pushing 93 degrees, Rams' freshman Tara Hillier battled the heat to finish 1st overall, completing the 3.2-mile course in 19:34. Fellow freshman Angela Knowles also ran well, finishing 8th in 20:56.

With five freshman, the men’s team is adjusting to the longer distance of college cross country courses, but with a consistent team effort, they managed to finish third overall. All seven of the Rams finished between 11th and 27th, led by Gus Gibbs with a time of 23:27 and Kenny Sparks nine seconds behind.

After a year long rehabilitation from a bike injury, Sam Burkholder returned to competition, piecing together four consecutive six-minute miles to finish 21st. - Nathan Weyland

Volleyball

Coming off a third-place finish in the Northern Coast Conference last year, the Rams women's volleyball team looks to fulfill high expectations. After placing fifth in the Mendocino Tournament, the Rams proved they are prepared for the challenging season ahead.

Led by captains, Lin Pei Chin and Shelly Lim, the 13-person team is gradually learning to work together. With the highest hitting-percentage on the team, freshman Jazmin Pratt has already shown that she is one of the team's leaders. The ladies will get a gauge of their progress at the Delta Tournament, where they will compete against several top-ranked teams. - Alvina Cheah

Football

The Rams looked nearly unbeatable in two games against highly regarded opposition. In their home opener against West Valley, the Rams buried the Vikings with 21 first-quarter points en route to a 49-6 victory. Quarterback Joseph Ayoob threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while Dallas Bernstine thrashed West Valley's defense for 226 all-purpose yards.
However, their win at Fresno was even more impressive. Fresno managed to cut the final difference to 10 points, but 13 of Fresno’s points came after the outcome was decided. In what may be the Rams’ toughest game this year, their young defense stymied a powerful Fresno offense, holding them to one field goal through three quarters. - Hubert Huang