(Highlights) Miramonte Women's Basketball Beats Bishop O'Dowd For NCS 3-Peat

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Over the weekend, the Miramonte women's basketball team won their third straight NCS title. Led by 25 points from McDonald's All-American Sabrina Ionescu, the Mats beat Bishop O'Dowd 82-67 at McKeon Pavilion. The undefeated (29-0) ladies from Miramonte will compete in the CIF State Tournament beginning on Friday when they host Brookside Christian of Stockton at 7pm. The #2 seed Mats will likely have to get through #1 seeded St. Mary's of Stockton in order to make the state final.   

"The Sunday Section" - Selected Stories From Around The Bay

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Zach Kline Returns Home To Play For The Bears

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(Zach chats with CAL beat writer Ryan Gorcey during a high school appearance at the Oakland Coliseum) 

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

If we learned anything from watching Zach Kline play the quarterback position as a high school star in Danville, it’s that the kid is a gamer. Kline had all the tools to light up East Bay scoreboards while at San Ramon Valley, attracting the attention of QB guru Jeff Tedford enough to garner a PAC-12 scholarship in 2012. He played the game at the prep level with the type of competitiveness and excitement that players and fans alike want to be a part of. Zach Kline passed the QB1 eye test, if you will.

Today, Kline is 22-years old and has spent four years in college, on three different campuses. He redshirted his first year in Berkeley, taking time to learn Tedford’s system. The following year, Kline found himself in a heated battle for the starting quarterback job with true frosh Jared Goff. Well, despite Section925’s fearless endorsement, Goff would win that position battle and, well, Goff turned out to be pretty darn good at throwing touchdown passes in Sonny Dykes’ Air Raid operation.

So Kline did what gritty gamers do, he found a place to play starting quarterback. That quest took him up to Butte Community College in Chico, California. A campus best known for Sierra Nevada suds and a man named Aaron Rogers.

Kline used a successful season at Butte as a stepping stone back into the NCAA (FCS 1-AA) ranks where last year he suited up for the Indiana State Sycamores of the Missouri Valley Conference. Kline’s pit stop in Indiana did not exactly go as planned, as he wasn’t able to secure the starting job and only appeared in three games.

Naturally, Kline has boomeranged back to Berkeley where he hopes to find his way into a graduate school program while simultaneously suiting up for his hometown D1 team. Yes, what a long strange trip it’s been.

In order for Kline to get time as the Bears’ signal caller, all he has to do now is beat out four other capable QB’s including Chase Forrest, Luke Rubenzer, Ross Bowers, and Max Gilliam. That being said, Kline still has a shot. After all, he was highly touted across the board out of high school and went neck and neck with Goff for an entire spring. Kline also has game experience for the Bears, as he completed 43 passes with three TD’s as Goff’s backup in 2013.

No one knows what’s in store for Zach Kline over the next year in Berkeley, hell, he probably has no idea either. But we can all agree he’ll keep the journey interesting for us followers. Someway, somehow, perhaps the final destination will be the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. 

Jared Goff Shows Out at NFL Combine

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“Goff looked good. He was the standout,” said Bill Polian, an ESPN analyst who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year for his front-office expertise. Polian didn’t hold back in praising Goff.
“He rose to the occasion,” Polian added. “Everything he does is athletic. The ball came out on time. He throws a nice ball. His feet are really good. His balance is good.”

The 52-5 Warriors Clash with OKC on ABC Primetime

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(photo by Thearon W. Henderson)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Steph Curry has been playing out of his mind as of late, captivating an NBA audience that can't help but be enthralled by his every move. The Baby Faced Assassin is coming off a 51-point masterpiece in Orlando, which included a dumfounding half-court bank shot. He finished the night with ten 3-pointers, adding to what is already being considered a legendary NBA season. Saturday night in Oklahoma City, Steph and the Dubs will lock horns with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in what figures to be a 2016 Western Conference Finals preview. Below you’ll find highlights from the teams’ last meeting in Oakland. Enjoy...

"They're Just Too Magical..." - Riffing on Steph & The Dubs

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(photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Joshua Tribe | JoshTribe.wordpress.com

They're just too magical.... thank god it's the age of no hand-checking.... I don't know what else there is to say except that I think Steph is showing us what it'd have been like if Bob Dylan, Miles Davis or Henry Miller had been a basketball player instead of the artists they were/are.... what Curry and Kerr are pulling off belongs to the realm of art, not athletics....it truly, from a distance anyways, feels transcendent what they're doing--especially since, unlike MJ, Magic, Bird, Isiah, and Shaq, Steph doesn't seem to be a closet sociopath ... he shoots it like an alien, Iverson combined with Mullin, an inconceivable combo... I think I may be MORE impressed with Curry than anyone, but have no idea what to say about him other than he's really lucky not to have had to contend with Gary Payton in the old days of more physical play.... I shudder to imagine Karl Malone leveling Steph with an elbow the way he did to Isiah that one time (look up that iconic elbowing) ... I still think those '96 Bulls would destroy any other team ever assembled....but who cares about that? not me.... jesus, if Curry was doing what he's doing and the Warriors were a middle of the pack playoff team, a 4th or 6th seed, it'd STILL be incredible.... he's fucking tiny! he's fucking miniature--I know everyone sees and says it but man, man, man, it don't make him any bigger...

Shaun Livingston Rises Up To Provide Depth In Oakland

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Did someone say "depth?" (Photo by Rob Carr) 

By Kevin Calder | @KCalder3

In February of 2007, Los Angeles Clippers' guard Shaun Livingston rose toward the rim for your average NBA layup. By the time he returned to the floor, he would be an instant YouTube sensation.

His left leg was snapped, a torn ACL, PCL and sprained MCL all accompanied a dislocated patella. Amputation was a real possibility at the time of injury. A promising young point guard on a good team was facing not only the end of a basketball career but also the devastating loss of a limb. Video clips were too gruesome for many to endure. A return to his old form seemed less than doubtful.  

Fast forward eight years later. Oracle buzzes on a Saturday night in February as the Warriors continue the most dominant start the Association has ever seen. The Bay Area is alive with star power from Jay-Z and Beyonce, to Kate Hudson, Dave Chapelle, and Kendrick Lamar all filling seats in the NBA’s loudest arena.

A playoff like vibe surrounds the court as three All-Stars take turns electrifying the crowd.  The Warriors lead, once a comfortable 16 points, is dwindling as the fourth quarter begins. Now the narrow lead stands at six as Shaun Livingston enters the game and goes to work. Livingston scores six points in a minute and a half to push the Warriors lead back to 11. Utilizing his power forward length, he backs down smaller defenders and rises with a turnaround fade that he has perfected to help stabilize the Warriors bench unit. He even chips in a steal on a Westbrook pass during the productive stretch.

Heartbreak Hotel in the City of Angels

While the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green certainly deserve the lion's share of the credit for the success of the Dubs, Livingston provides them versatility and backup point guard depth that the team has desperately needed for years.

Gone are the days of heavy minutes for Steve Blake and an assortment of other backup guards where the Warriors were hanging by a thread counting down the seconds anxiously until their superstar guard was ready to check back in. Livingston’s height allows him at times to smoothly switch defensive assignments and play in the key, while also serving as an offensive spark plug for the second unit at times.

Livingston seems to shine brightly on the game’s biggest stages as well. In last year’s Western Conference Finals Game 1, Livingston poured in 18 points in 29 minutes. The Warriors, trailing by 16 points, got 10 points out of their backup in less than three minutes and cut the lead to four.  The game ended up being a four point victory for Golden State.

Granted the Warriors were the superior squad to the Rockets for the series but Livingston’s performance was huge in giving them the series lead. The game could’ve easily gone in Houston’s favor and stretched the series out to six games. The Warriors were in need of a short series as Curry and Thompson were both banged up heading into the Finals. The extra rest proved critical.

Livingston has continued to perform in big games this season including 10 points in a win over OKC, 13 points in 15 minutes versus San Antonino and 16 points on 8-9 shooting against Cleveland on Christmas Day. It's safe to say Livingston seems to bring his best game for the marquee match-ups.

In many ways Livingston is the perfect representation of the Warriors in recent years. For the longest time, a dark cloud hung over the Golden State's franchise. But much like the Livingston injury, glances of light shown on the recovery as the We Believe moments and Mark Jackson transition paved the way to eventual gold. Livingston began to re-discover his career and showed glances of the athleticism that awed Clippers' faithful early in his career. Today, Livingston stands tall as an NBA champion and an integral bench asset on (perhaps) the best team in basketball history. And for that, Dubs fans are grateful.

(photo by Jed Jacobsohn of theplayerstrbune.com)

Golden State Heads To PHX On Last Stop Before All-Star Weekend

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The Warriors Big Three are headed north of the border for All-Star Weekend in Toronto after Wednesday's game. (photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

When Michael Jordan and his '95-'96 Bulls pulled off their historic 72-10 regular season (before beating Oakland's Gary Payton in the Finals), Chicago had a total of 47 wins through their first 52 games. The Dubs will play their 52nd game of the year tonight in Phoenix, looking to secure their 48th win of the season before the well-deserved All-Star Break.

Arguably the biggest obstacle standing in Golden State's way of 72-wins is the idea of fatigue. Pippen, Rodman and Jordan were an infamous trio that never seemed to leak oil. Jordan gambling all night and playing a round of 18-holes prior to tip-off? No problem. Rodman taking in-season benders to Las Vegas? Not unheard of. Pippen hawking both ends of the floor at 100% effort night after night? You bet. Oh, and let's not forget about Steve Kerr bringing energy off the bench to rain spot up-threes. 

The Bulls might not have been as deep or as pretty as the Dubs, but their horses were built to take a beating and keep on pushing. This is not to say the youthful Warriors don't have the necessary energy levels to push through to 72, but one has to admit MJ set the bar incredibly high. The Warriors have played virtually flawless basketball this season and still only have six losses to spare as they knock on the door of the ASG. 

One of the most physically cruel aspects of an 82-game NBA schedule are road games on the back end of a back-to-back. After putting on a show for the Oracle faithful on Tuesday, the Dubs had to immediately fly out to PHX to face the Suns less than 24-hours later. Granted, Phoenix is a woeful 14-39 on the year and the Warriors are 17-point road favorites. Not to mention, Talking Stick Resort Arena is not exactly a hostile environment for visiting teams. That being said, winning on the road in the Association should never be taken for granted. 

The Suns have already had head coach Jeff Hornacek fired this year in favor of interim head coach Earl Watson. As of late, the team has been reeling, having dropped their last eight games, including a 10-point loss to Philly. 

In the other corner you have the magical Golden State Warriors who's season speaks for itself. Flame-thrower Steph Curry (29.9 ppg) dropped 35-points last night on James Harden and figures to continue his tear in Phoenix on Wednesday. If he's feeling heavy in the legs, Curry can look to the closest thing the Warriors have to Dennis Rodman (power forward Draymond Green), for a burst of trash-talk-laced intensity to help push the team through. 

Following what figures to be a Dubs romp in the Valley of the Sun, Klay Thompson, Green and Curry will happily head up to Toronto for a weekend of All-Star festivities (both Splash Brothers will appear in the 3-point contest). 72-10 will most certainly be a topic of discussion, and for that, Warriors' fans should be grateful... and energized. 

Mark Canha - Feeling Right at Home in the Bay Area

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(Click above to listen to Mark Canha's interview with Section925)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Mark Canha is not your average Major League baseball player. He’s redheaded, UC Berkeley educated, and is more interested in Michael Bauer’s latest food review than what’s happening on the latest edition of SportsCenter.

Despite a muscle-bound physique, a set of hefty sideburns and a job as a baseball player, Canha is more cultured than you might think. By now, you probably know of his comprehensive culinary micro-blog (@BigLeagueFoodie) that takes you along with Canha into the nation’s most renowned and unique restaurants. But on top of that, Canha sports a dry, witty, and original sense of humor that A’s fans have grown to love after just one year.  

“I was under the radar in high school for whatever reason. I always think it was a conspiracy because of the redhead thing,” Canha joked. “People don’t like readheads, so I like to blame it on that.”
— Mark Canha

After spending five seasons on the minor league circuit as an overlooked farmhand for the Miami Marlins, Canha made his rookie debut in an Athletics’ uniform during the first home stand of 2015. Following a mishap at first base and pop-out to the catcher, Canha managed to laugh off the rocky start to his career in the Majors and turn it into a night he’ll never forget.

Canha came up in the bottom of the third inning with the bases full and unloaded a drive to right field that was just inches from a Grand Slam. He settled for a bases-clearing double as his first Big League knock. By the end of the evening, Canha had three hits (two doubles) and four RBI.

The only thing that overshadowed Canha’s monster debut was his humorous post-game press conference in the A’s clubhouse, as he deadpanned a classic line from the iconic baseball film, Bull Durham. “Just trying to help the ball club,” Canha explained to Oakland beat writers with a smile. “Give it my best shot, and the Good Lord willing, things will work out.”

Whether or not Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner contacted Canha to congratulate the rookie on his performance is unknown, but manager Bob Melvin plugged him in the lineup the following night and off he went. By season’s end, he had played in 124 games and tallied 121 hits to go along with 22 doubles and 16 homers. In the month of August, Canha hit over .300. Not bad for a rookie that the Miami Marlins gave away.

With good speed for a power hitter, Ron Washington has no problem wheeling Canha around the bases inside the Coliseum. (photo by Thearon W. Henderson)

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Canha was born and raised in San Jose where he eventually attended Bellarmine College Prep. One of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the Bay Area, Bellarmine prides itself on offering top-notch academics to go along with some of the best athletic programs in the state of California. Canha made sure to take advantage of both, succeeding on the competitive campus both on and off the field. But even after putting up big stats for the Bells (a team that boasts 14 MLB alums), Canha was still not as heavily recruited as he would have liked. His dream was Stanford, but then hitting coach and former Phillies first-baseman Jon Zuber convinced him to come to Berkeley and play for him at CAL.

“I was under the radar in high school for whatever reason. I always think it was a conspiracy because of the redhead thing,” Canha joked. “People don’t like readheads, so I like to blame it on that. But Zuber found me.”

In Berkeley, Canha joined a star-studded roster that forced him to wait his turn as a freshman. But come sophomore year, Canha was poised to break out and he credits the work he put in with the equally dry-humored coach Zuber as a key to his success.

“Zub was instrumental in my success of my breakout sophomore season. We did a lot of work in the Fall and I saw results. You build up confidence and see results, then you get more confidence. Zub really taught me how to hit in college. I had to make some changes.”

After leading the PAC-10 with 69 RBI as a junior, Canha would leave Berkeley a year early after being selected by the Florida Marlins in the 7th round. Once in their minor league system, Canha put up solid numbers year in and year out, but still felt as though he was overlooked. “I eventually came to the realization that I wasn’t a part of the Marlins’ Big Leagues plans,” said Canha.

It was hard to tell where Canha’s baseball career was headed following his 2014 season. All he really knew was that his wife Marci (also from San Jose) wanted to pursue her architecture career in the Bay Area. That’s why the Canha’s were elated when A’s GM David Forst gave Mark a call to let him know the A’s had signed him.

“Getting a call from David Forst, it was like bedlam for us,” remembers Canha. “We were unsure where this baseball thing was taking us and the fact that it took us to the Bay Area was outstanding for us.”

From the moment Canha arrived in the A’s clubhouse he was as comfortable as he ever felt. It showed in Spring Training last year as the hungry redhead led the team in homers while down in Arizona. He was playing alongside former teammate Marcus Semien and under Bob Melvin, both of which played at CAL. Needless to say, this felt like home for Canha.

In 2015, Canha played 75 games at 1st base and 58 games in left field, as well as few appearances sprinkled in at RF and DH. Wearing Josh Donaldson’s #20, Canha did his best to fill the void of the lost right handed power bat. A self-proclaimed lover of home runs, Canha didn’t get cheated at the plate as rookie. Seemingly loading up and letting it fly each and every at-bat.

With 2016 Spring Training just weeks away, Canha has a ton to look forward to in his sophomore campaign in the Green and Gold. He figures to be a key bat in the A’s lineup this year as he moves into his prime years as a pro (Canha turns 27 on Feb. 15th). He just recently finished filming a series of Green Collar commercials in Arizona and is now hunkered down at the Baseball Rebellion training facility in North Carolina, working with his hitting guru, Chas Pippitt.

Now that he and his wife are happily settled in San Francisco, one of the only worries Canha has at the moment is what walkup song he should use at the Coliseum this year (he wants your help, btw). Other than that, Canha is thrilled to be in the food centric Bay Area, with plenty of fodder for @BigLeagueFoodie and even more at-bats in the ever-young Oakland A’s batting order.

“I went through the system for so long,” Canha told Tripper Ortman of Section925. “Really it sounds cliché, it’s very Bull Durham of me to say this, but I’m just happy to be here. Truly, I’m just happy to be in the Big Leagues. As cliché as it sounds.”

The Good Lord willing, things will work out.

Canha prides himself on being a versatile defender, splitting time between the A's infield and outfield. (photo by Thearon W. Henderson)

Rivals CAL & Stanford Meet in Shadow of The Bay's Super Weekend

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Freshman Jaylen Brown is leading the young Bears in scoring with 15.8 a game. (photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Spencer Schulman

The passion and intensity of signature rivalry games in college athletics is unmatched by any sport in this country. Marquee rivalries- OSU/Michigan, UCLA/USC Texas/Oklahoma, Duke/UNC, Kentucky/Louisville, Auburn/Alabama, and of course Stanford-Cal are all universally recognized by fans of the NCAA. Most of these rivalries originated on the football field, and Stanford/Cal most certainly falls under that category.

For most power conference schools, football is the flagship sport with the most spectators. The annual Big Game has its counterparts in other sports: the Big Row, the Big Splash, and of course today's Big Tipoff tells us that there is most certainly a mutual disdain across all sports. Today's big tipoff is merely an afterthought for most Bay Area residents.

For the next 48 hours, the Bay Area will be the world's sports capital. The Super Bowl is the most anticipated event in American sports. When it's the 50th anniversary of the game, the spectacle is even greater. In addition, Sunday's contest is most likely the world's final chance to see Peyton Manning lead a fourth quarter comeback. 

Of course, SB50 is not the only nationally-anticipated event going on in the area. The Warriors are playing, and these days Dubs games are always appointment television. On Pace to become the best regular-season team in NBA history, and the favorite to repeat as NBA world champions, the Warriors have become the pride and joy of the Bay Area. This is no ordinary game, however. The Oklahoma City Thunder  are coming to Oakland, bringing two must-see talents in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Baby Faced Assassin and The Durantula discuss the art of the jump shot while playing for Team USA this past summer. (photo by Ethan Miller)

And then there's Stanford-Cal facing off at Haas Pavilion. For many, the mere mention of the two schools evokes visions of the miraculous game-winning kickoff return and the leveled tuba player (hear from a participant of "The Play" here).

A Stanford-Cal matchup in basketball will be buried in this weekends' events, and is unlikely to be seen by a large number of people, either on TV or in person. The game is not even sold out. The Golden Bear's website currently contains an advertisement for baseline and corner seats still available for just $70. On StubHub, close to 200 tickets are available hours before gametime for as low as $25. In contrast, the WCC's St. Mary's-Gonzaga rivalry matchup in Spokane is sold out, and only 15 tickets remain on the resale website with a starting price of $195. That game is over two weeks away.

Though the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2, Maryland/Purdue and Kentucky/Florida start at the same time on ESPN and CBS respectively. Due to concurrent games featuring big-name programs the Bay Area rivalry game won't likely be watched by too many around the country. 

Of course, the fact that both teams are having rocky seasons can't be ignored. That most definitely has an impact on fan interest. On the other hand, a 2002 University of North Carolina team, who went 8-20, still packed 23,000 fans into its stadium for their game against heated rival Duke.  

The Bay Area has been the beneficiary of an almost inconceivable run of success and championships this decade alone. Three World Series titles (Giants 2010, 2012, 2014), an NBA title (with another one possibly on the way), an NFC Championship (2013 49ers), and Three Pac-12 football Championships (Stanford 2013, 2014, 2016). And please, don't forget about the SaberCats Arena Bowl title (Section925.com was in the locker room to help celebrate).

I challenge you to name a time where so many different titles in multiple sports came to such a small geographical region in such a short time (Boston perhaps?). Sports fans in the Bay Area might be exhibiting symptoms of excessive success. Basketball programs at Stanford and Cal have enjoyed no such success as of late, thus, the Big Tip has slowly become an afterthought around these parts.  

Despite the recent struggles of both teams, the history exists on both sides. Both teams have multiple final four appearances, and CAL even has a national championship banner. Additionally, the Bears' second-year coach was able to secure an inexplicably strong recruiting class. Two five-star recruits, both projected as top-10 NBA draft pick, opted to play their college ball in Berkeley.

Stanford is coming off of an NIT title and a Sweet 16 appearance the year before, and head coach Johnny Dawkins is a former Duke assistant under the legendary Mike Krzyzewski. He has won at least 23 games in three of the last four seasons. Both programs appear to be headed in good directions, and the problem isn't outright lack of success, but rather the extraordinary success achieved by other Bay Area teams.

The Bears come into tonight's contest as 8-point favorites, despite losing on The Farm earlier this year, as Cuonzo Martin's club still hasn't lost at home all year. The last time Stanford was in the East Bay, they were over the hill in Moraga, losing to the Gaels of St. Mary's. If CAL expects an invite to the Tournament in March, taking care of business at home versus their rivals is an absolute must, regardless of how full Haas Pavilion happens to be.