DEFEAT DESTROYS PERFECT SEASON

BY MILES HARWELL AND DAN VEREL
Staff Writer and Editor

Against the Butte Roadrunners, Tyreece Jacks rushed for 69 yards on 17 carries despite facing coverage from multiple defenders. PHOTO BY FELIPE JUNQUEIRA / GUARDSMAN

The Rams’ quest for perfection was flatly rejected by 11th ranked Foothill on Nov. 12. The Owls won the final regular season game 21-14.

“It’s pretty simple: they just played harder than us,” Rams head coach George Rush said. Foothill’s victory marked the first time the Rams lost at home since 1993, and only their second loss in three years.

For the past three seasons, Foothill has come painfully close to beating their rivals, and on this day, they finally got what they were looking for.

“For so many years we lost to ‘Frisco,’” Owls defensive lineman Andre Robinson said. “We’ve gained integrity from this game, it’s a good feeling.”

The Rams scored first on a 22-yard pass from quarterback Jimmy Collins to receiver Roberto McBean early in the first quarter to put the Rams up 7-0.  But that would be the Rams’ sole lead of the game.

The Owls quickly countered on the ensuing drive, marching up the field to tie the score on a three-yard run by Jacob French.
Foothill scored again one possession later on a fourth and goal run to take a 14-7 lead into half-time.

In the second half, the Rams fought back with impressive drives.  But costly turnovers plagued the Rams throughout the game, at the most critical moments.

Despite completing 15 of 25 passes for 247 yards, Collins threw four interceptions.  Running back Tyreece Jacks fumbled the ball inside the Rams’ 10-yard line. 

“Offense just made too many mistakes,” offensive lineman Tony Matteucci said. “I don’t want to point any fingers, but you can’t win with three or four turnovers.”

The Rams committed six turnovers.

Foothill’s offensive line frustrated the Rams, allowing the Owls to convert four fourth downs.

Time of possession was lopsided.  The Owls offense carried the ball for nearly the entire first half.  The Rams, in comparison, had only three possessions in the half.  Foothill ran a total of 84 plays in the game versus 42 for the Rams.

“We stopped ourselves,” said a visibly perturbed Rush after the game.

“Our guys took it for granted they would win this game,” he added. “Nobody’s invincible.”

For most of the second half, the Rams’ defense was able to contain the Owls, nullifying seven of 11 Foothill drives.

Linebacker Larry Grant led the Rams’ defense with 12 tackles. Free safety Matt Harper collected 10 tackles, with eight yards off one interception.

But the Owls would strike yet again, scoring on third and goal late in the fourth quarter to take a convincing 21-7 lead with just over five minutes remaining. 

With 1:11 left in the fourth, Collins connected with McBean again, who ran 83 yards for a touchdown. The Rams then attempted
an on-side kick. Foothill recovered, sealing the victory.

Despite the loss, the Rams look to continue their mostly winning ways, as they face No. 1 ranked Reedley in the Hawaiian Punch Bowl on Dec. 3.

“Tomorrow is another day,” linebacker Devin Bishop said. “We just need to keep our heads up and come out smoking in the state championship.”

The Rams finished the season with a 10-1 overall record.

e-mail: mharwell@theguardsman.com and sports@theguardsman.com

GOLDEN GLOVES CAHMPION SEEKS GREATER GLORY: Female boxer knocks out challenges in and out of the ring

BY COLIN ASHER
Contributing Writer

Boxer Lizzy Cole jabs at Anna Julaton during the Diamond Belt competition. PHOTOS BY LESLIE HICKS

Lizzy Cole is a top student, an athlete and a humble champion.

Cole, 18, a full-time City College student, works part-time and is also an amateur boxer. She became the 132-pound Golden Gloves champion in April 2004, a fact she mentions to few people.

“My friends know nothing about this,” Cole said. “If you asked any of my teachers about my fighting they would think you were talking about someone else.”

“I tell more people than she does,” said Cole’s mother, Carol Sloan.

Though Cole is humble, her accomplishments are not.

After training for only two months, Cole had her first official fight at the 2004 Golden Gloves championship where she fought against more experienced opponents for two consecutive nights.

“I was so nervous I came in underweight,” Cole said. The first night she weighed in at 125 pounds and the second at only 123 pounds; each of her competitors weighed in at 132 pounds.

Despite the size disadvantage, Cole persevered.

“All odds were against me — it was one of those Hollywood stories,” Cole said.

Before her last fight, San Francisco’s Diamond Belt, Cole trained six days a week for a total of 15 hours.  Each day began with a 3-mile run at 5 a.m. 

In addition to her exhausting schedule of physical preparation, Cole followed a heavy regimen of mental exercises.

“I’m getting real mentally ready. I’m getting myself into hating her,” Cole said of her opponent.

The Diamond Belt championship, held at Kezar Pavilion, was Cole’s first fight since her win at the Golden Gloves. As attendees filtered onto the floor seats and into the worn wooden stands, Cole threw combinations of soft punches against a friend’s shoulder and milled around the ring chatting with other fighters.

Trainer Simon Redmond passionately implores Cole to be more aggressive during the second round.

Cole’s fight was the eighth of the evening, scheduled directly after the main event. It was the only female fight of the night, and if judged solely by crowd noise level, it was the second most exciting.

During Cole’s fight, no one ventured out to the Pavilion’s concession area — all eyes were on the fighters.

“When Lizzy fights, everyone watches. It’s always a good fight,” Sloan said.

Her opponent, Anna Julaton, was more experienced and in no hurry to discover how well Cole fought. The opening round saw the fighters avoiding each other. Cole threw several combinations that connected only with air. Julaton seemed more than content to avoid any contact.

The two boxers continued to study each other through the second and third rounds. Julaton threw fewer but more accurate punches while Cole darted in and out of her opponent’s shorter reach.

Julaton proved to be the better student. In a split decision, she defeated Cole to become the new Diamond Belt champion at 123 pounds.

Despite the blemish on her record, Cole seemed unaffected.

“I’m all good. Losing assisted me in getting over myself,” Cole said.

Whatever the outcome of her next few fights, Cole said she never intends to become a professional.

“When you take something you love and turn it into a profession, you can ruin it.”

Cole also has more intellectual ambitions. A third generation San Franciscan, she plans to attend San Francisco State University as a psychology major and then join the San Francisco Police Department.

Cole also teaches an introductory boxing class at Third Street Gym.

The gym’s owners were concerned that other fighters would not take her seriously because of her age, Simon Redmond, Cole’s trainer said. “But people respect her because she’s a Golden Gloves champ, and she knows her stuff.”

Cole is training to defend her Golden Gloves title this April.

CROSS COUNTRY TEAM LOOKS TO FINISH STRONG: Solid outings at Coast and NorCal bode well for Rams

BY DAN SANKEY
Staff Writer

Francis Gadayan leads the Rams at a recent practice in preparation for the upcoming state championships in Fresno. FELIPE JUNQUEIRA / GUARDSMAN

Early in the season, the City College cross country team looked as if it would lag through the year with only decent performances.

But the Rams had their best outing yet as hosts for the Coast Conference Championship at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 26.

With the men taking second and the women placing fourth, the team used the momentum for a solid run at the NorCal Championships in Salinas on Nov. 5.

The men qualified for the state championship with their sixth-place finish at the NorCal Championship.

Sophomore Kenny Sparks led the team with a 17th-place finish, finishing in 21 minutes, 23 seconds.

Diane Gooding recorded her best time at the Coast Conference Championship at 19:46. Her second-place finish was the best showing for the men and the women, just five seconds and footsteps behind Hartnell’s Grecia Garcia.

Gooding also ran well at NorCal with a 22nd-place finish, but the 11th-place finish for the women’s team was one shy of qualifying for the state championship.

At the Coast Championship, the men were led by freshman Anthony Tablizo’s fifth-place finish and time of 21:15, claiming second place behind powerhouse Hartnell.

“We focused on Hartnell, but we weren’t able to stay with them,” Tablizo said.

Hartnell dominated with six of the top 10 finishes, including one through four. But the Rams weren’t too far behind, placing five runners in the top 20 for the men.

“At [Coast] Conference, Hartnell is the only school we have to worry about,” City College runner Eloise Connolly said.  “But at NorCal and State, there are a lot more teams.”

Hartnell hosted the NorCal Championships and won despite their top runner freshman Nick Shea finishing eighth.

Jose Pelay sprang back from an injury to finish seventh with a time of 21:23 at the Coast Championship. He and freshman Amanuel Gebremicha showed promise for next season with the second and third best times for the men at NorCal.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” coach Tony Kauke said. “Jose Pelay ran really well, an outstanding job in his first race this season coming back from an injury.”

The men’s team average of 21:33 was actually better than Hartnell’s at the Coast Championship but the total time for Hartnell of 1:44:35 seconds was just over three minutes faster than the Rams’.

Gooding qualified as an individual for the state championship in Fresno on Nov. 19, continuing the season for the women.

e-mail: dsankey@theguardsman.com

COA BARS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FROM ATTENDING RECRUITING EVENT

BY ALEX K. FONG AND DAN VEREL
Editors

Coach Jamie Wong and her players expressed disappointment over a ruling made by the Coast Conference Commissioner. FELIPE JUNQUEIRA / GUARDSMAN

Over 221 female basketball players from the 17 member schools of the Coast Conference, which includes City College, were barred from attending this year’s California Jamboree.

The Jamboree is a recruiting and education event sponsored by the NCAA along with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

A ruling made by Coast Conference Commissioner Dale Murray stated that no schools from his conference could attend the event on Oct. 1. He was the only commissioner among 12 in the Commission on Athletics to make this decision.

City College coaches and administrators said they were given no specific explanation for Murray’s decision, but speculated that it was based on his interpretation of rules detailed in the COA constitution.

Repeated attempts to contact Murray via phone and e-mail were unsuccessful.

“It kind of sucked,” said Rams center Ramona Vae, who plans to pursue basketball upon transferring. “We were really looking forward to getting the exposure … we totally missed out on that recruiting.”

Missing the Jamboree is problematic because NCAA recruiters are only permitted a certain amount of days during a specific range of time to scout talent, said Ned Mircetic, co-director of the Jamboree with Robin Hester. Losing an opportunity to get seen during the off-season means junior college athletes will stand less of a chance of getting tracked by recruiters during the season.

“We’re kind of a second-class citizen,” said Mircetic, who also coaches women’s basketball at Ventura College with Hester. “If you can get a good high school kid for four years instead of a good community college kid for two years, is that better? College coaches think so.”

About 12 four-year colleges sent recruiters to the jamboree held at Ventura College and Buena High School. The recruiters scouted about 350 students from 32 different California junior colleges during officiated games. The students represented themselves, not their schools.

According to bylaw three of the COA constitution, athletes may not represent their colleges during out-of-season competitions. But no bylaw prevents students from participating in other leagues or events for independent teams during the off-season.

“None of the teams come to the Jamboree in school vans, in school colors or identify themselves as being from any school,” Mircetic said.

Article 5.4.2 of the constitution grants Murray and other conference commissioners the ability to make rulings about the application of the constitution in their own conference.

But article 5.4.4 states, “The executive director coordinates the work of the conference commissioners to ensure that the ‘Constitution’ is consistently applied throughout the state.”

Athletic administrators and coaches at City College said this is not happening.

“Our concern as a staff is, why is the commissioner out-of-sync with other conferences?” Peg Grady, women’s athletic director, asked.

“If other conferences have the same rules and can go, something is wrong,” women’s basketball coach Jamie Wong said.

David Eadie, COA media director, said members of the conference are currently appealing the decision. It is the COA’s policy to not discuss cases undergoing appeal, he said.

Hester said he and Mircetic followed all COA guidelines while organizing the Jamboree and insiste d participating athletes do so as well.

Grady thought City College met those guidelines. She said the commissioner’s ruling had “glaring inconsistencies” with other COA rulings and differed with her own interpretation of the bylaws.

“[Students] are missing an opportunity to move on in terms of athletics and education,” Grady said.

e-mail: managingeditor@theguardsman.com and sports@theguardsman.com

SCOREBOARD

Men's Basketball

In the season opener, the Rams thrashed Gavilan College 94-74. Ron Manigault led the charge with 19 points and four rebounds. Dave McSwain added 13 points, five rebounds and four steals. Four other Rams scored in double figures. The Rams then won the Santa Rosa Tournament. The Rams mauled American River in the first contest 75-49, with McSwain scoring 20 points. The Rams followed this with an 81-72 win over Santa Rosa. Manigault, Marcio Lassiter and Patrick Dreith scored 17 points each. — Miles Harwell

Women's Basketball

The Rams started their season by defeating Ohlone 68-53. The Rams then went on to play in the Pasadena Tournament. In the first round, the Rams trounced Taft 73-43. In the semifinals, they narrowly defeated Moorpark 57-53. In the final, the Rams hope’s were dashed by host Pasadena, losing 63-55. Rams standout Pernisha Battle was held to just two points in the final. Center Ramona Vae was named to the All-Tournament Team. — Dan Verel

Men's Soccer

The Rams dismal season is finally drawing to a close. Coach Adam Lucarelli did not mince words on his team’s unimpressive record of 4-12-3. “We suck. Really bad,” he said. This past week, the Rams lost four games. De Anza beat the Rams 2-1, with Yuen San Klopatowski scoring the goal. Cabrillo also beat the Rams 2-1, with Kentaro Futushima scoring the goal. Canada and Chabot blanked the Rams 1-0. But the Rams did manage a quality win over conference rival Hartnell, winning 1-0 on a goal by Erimas Kassaye. — Dan Verel

Women's Soccer

The first season of women’s soccer ended on Tuesday, but the Rams’ record was far from monumental at 3-12-4. Last week, the Rams’ struggles were exacerbated, getting shut out in four consecutive games. Cabrillo won handedly, 8-0. Hartnell blanked the Rams 4-0, and Contra Costa and De Anza both defeated the Rams 5-0. Despite the tumultuous inaugural season, coach Cunningham remains pleased with her team’s slow, but steady improvement. “The girls should really be proud. I don’t think a lot them realize this is pretty historic,” she said. — Dan Verel