PLEASANT VALLEY FOOTBALL SUPRISES EVERYONE.....

BUT THEMSELVES

BY: Mike Baca

     Six weeks ago it wasn't even a contest. The Chico High Panthers Football team dominated the line of scrimmage, handed the ball to their all-everything running back Dion Coleman and dismantled Pleasant Valley in the Almond Bowl 35-0.  

     Saturday night that regular season loss turned into a footnote when telling the story of the 2023 football season.

     Pleasant Valley grinded their way to a 28-19 win over Chico using a punishing running game, creative play-calling and bend-but-don't-break defense to capture another section title.

     The turn-around from October 13th is astonishing when you consider the chasm that we witnessed in the first installment of the Almond Bowl. Coleman rushed for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns as the Viking defense appeared to be completely overwhelmed.

     While the Vikings didn't completely shut down Coleman on Saturday, they minimized the damage. He did score on a long touchdown run and had a receiving score. Instead of being a stake through the heart of the Vikings, he was, instead an irritant. It was something that the Vikings could overcome.

     Something the Vikings didn't have in the Almond Bowl was a healthy Lucas Benson. The Junior running back separated his shoulder late in the 1st quarter of the Almond Bowl and PV was left looking for answers in their 35 point loss. Benson has been dominant in the Vikings two playoff wins scoring four touchdowns against Shasta and FOUR MORE in PV's win over Chico on Saturday. Benson had 24 carries for 104 yards and four scores.

     Everyone knows PV Head Coach Mark Cooley is a great a coach. But this may have been his greatest sell job to one of his teams. To go from a running clock in a blow out loss at home against your rival to a playoff win six weeks later on their home field is stuff of legend.

     All credit goes to Pleasant Valley and their program. The continual greatness of the Pleasant Valley football teams is a testament to their culture that Cooley has instilled and cultivated. PV preaches the "circle" how everyone on the team and at the school is connected. That connection was on full display in something that seemed improbable, but in retrospect, was inevitable. 

Last year the Chico State Volleyball team won three matches all year. This weekend they won three of four at the Stanislaus State Invitational and are off to a great start for the 2023 season.

The Wildcats completed a fantastic weekend with a sweep of Western New Mexico on Saturday moving to 3-1 on the season.

The Cats will begin conference play on September 15th when they take on CSLA in Los Angeles.

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It is a great start to the season for the Chico State men's soccer team. The Wildcats beat the Western Washington Vikings on Saturday by a score of 2-0. The Cats beat Seattle Pacific on Thursday by that same score.....Miles Rice was back in the scoring column assisting on a Noah Ross goal in the 8th minutes and then scoring his 3rd goal of the season in the 13th minute.

Chico gets two important regional wins in the first weekend of the regular season.

Chico will travel to British Columbia to take on Simon Fraser and St. Martins this coming weekend

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After a thrilling win on Friday against Regis University in their season opener 2-1....the Chico State Women's Soccer team was overwhelmed by Colorado School of the Mines on Sunday. The Orediggers scored in the 28th, 31st and 43rd minutes of the 1st half to beat Chico State 4-0.

Mines outshot 14-2 in the 1st half and 25-7 for the contest. Chico moves to 1-1 and will host Central Washington on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday in big regional match-ups.....both matches begin at 7pm at University Stadium 

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High School Football Scores.......Week 2

PV 35-0 Yuba City

Chico 42-14 River Valley

Shasta 45-6 Paradise

Biggs 33-0 Redding Christian

Live Oak 61-7 Oroville

Wheatland 14-7 Gridley

Orland 32-7 West Valley

Williams 21-19 Durham

Red Bluff 35-13 Lassen

Enterprise 32-7 Las Plumas

Colusa 12-6 Yreka 

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The college football season is in full swing with a number of top-25 teams being upset in Week One.  On Sunday night, number-eight Florida State dominated number-five LSU 45-24 in the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando.  Number-24 Texas Tech was also upset in its season opener.  The Red Raiders fell 35-33 to the Wyoming Cowboys in double-overtime.  Deion Sanders put the nation on notice in his head coaching debut for Colorado.  The Buffaloes spoiled number-16 TCU's home opener with a 45-42 victory in Fort Worth.  Week One of the college football season wraps up on Monday night when number-nine Clemson visits Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Boston Red Sox 7, Kansas City Royals 3

Detroit Tigers 3, Chicago White Sox 2

Texas Rangers 6, Minnesota Twins 5

Oakland Athletics 10, Los Angeles Angels 6

Tampa Bay Rays 6, Cleveland Guardians 2

New York Yankees 6, Houston Astros 1

MLB National League

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Chicago Cubs 15, Cincinnati Reds 7

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Milwaukee Brewers 2

Miami Marlins 6, Washington Nationals 4

St. Louis Cardinals 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 4

Los Angeles Dodgers 3, Atlanta Braves 1

San Diego Padres 4, San Francisco Giants 0

MLB Interleague

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New York Mets 6, Seattle Mariners 3

Toronto Blue Jays 7, Colorado Rockies 5

Baltimore Orioles 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 5

CFB Top 25 (Coaches Poll)

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#18 Oregon State 42, San Jose State 17

#8 Florida State 45, #5 LSU 24

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Seth Brown and Ryan Noda notched two-run homers in the sixth inning to erase a three-run deficit and propel the Athletics to a 10-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels at the Oakland Coliseum.  Tony Kemp and Shea Langeliers also totaled two RBI as Oakland swept a team for just the third time this season.  Francisco Perez earned his first win in relief, while Trevor May recorded his 17th save.  The A's have won three straight to improve to 42-and-95.  Angels reliever Jose Soriano was charged with his first loss after he allowed six runs, four earned, in just one-third of an inning.  Eduardo Escobar and Luis Rengifo [[ ren-HEE-fo ]] homered as LA fell to 64-and-73.  

-Yuba City @ Pleasant Valley 7pm

-Chico @ River Valley (Yuba City) 7:15pm

-Red Bluff @ Lassen 7:30pm 

-University Prep @ Corning 7:30pm

-West Valley @ Orland 7:30pm

-Gridley vs Wheatland @ Yuba City High School 7:30pm 

-Paradise @ Shasta 7pm

-Las Plumas @ Enterprise 730pm 

-Berean Christian @ Hamilton 5:30pm

-Redding Christian @ Biggs 7pm

-Durham @ Williams 7pm

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     Durham falls to Gridley in girls volleyball in a 5-set battle

Gridley wins 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13

     Durham's Peyton Santos with 16 kills while Hayden

Poyner had 10 digs.

     Gridley led by Junior Charlee Sormano with 19 kills

Durham now 4-4 on the season Gridley is now 3-5

-Yuba City @ PV 5PM

-Chico (15-1) @ Reno Tournament 

-Orland bests Yuba City in 5 sets to move to 6-2 on the season

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     The Chico State men's soccer team wins their season opener 

in front of the home crowd at University Stadium last night.

Junior Miles Rice scored in the 6th and 89th minutes while

the Wildcats were getting solid goal keeping behind

a stingy aggressive defense giving Chico a 2-0 win.

     Chico out-shot Seattle Pacific 12-7. The Wildcats will 

host Western Washington at University Stadium on Saturday

with game time at 7pm

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      Great start to the 2023 season for the Chico State Volleyball

team as they knock off Academy of Art on day one of the Stanislaus

State Invitational. The Wildcats win the match in five sets. Chico

won the first two sets.....dropped the next two before digging deep

and claiming the fifth and decisive set 15-11.

     Zoe Dinardo led Chico with 14 kills and 10 digs to lead Chico

The Wildcats move to 1-0 and will play two matches today...

9am versus Fresno Pacific and then at 4:30pm against 

Western Oregon

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    Chico State Women's Soccer opens their season today

in Colorado against Regis University at 6pm tonight....they will

play Colorado School of the Mines on Sunday to finish up their

Colorado road trip

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     Butte College Roadrunners open up their 2023 campaign 

against the College of Sequoias. It's the third straight year 

the Roadrunners have opened the season against Sequoias.

Two years ago Butte won on a long kick-off return but fell 

last year

     Butte turns to Oregon product and red-shirt 

Reigar Sayre at quarterback. 

Mike Wessels has the play-by-play at 11am on 

Saturday with the pre-game at 10:35am from Visalia

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The San Francisco Giants used a six-run third inning to propel themselves to a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.  Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski [[ yuh-STREM-skee ]] homered for the 12th time and finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.  Sean Manaea earned his fifth win after allowing one earned run through three-and-a-third innings of relief.  The Giants have won four of five to improve to 70-and-64.  Padres starter Pedro Avila was charged with the loss after he allowed six runs, one earned, through three frames.  Garrett Cooper and Ha-Seong Kim [[ HA-song ]] each drove in a run as San Diego slipped to 62-and-73.  

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The action continues at the 2023 US Open.  Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz rolled into the third round with a straight set victory.  Michael Mmoh eliminated fellow American John Isner, who retired after a 17-year career in professional tennis.  Isner notably won the longest match in professional tennis history after beating Nicolas Mahut in an 11-hour showdown at Wimbledon in 2010.  On the women's side, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded Jessica Pegula each rolled to straight set victories.  Madison Keys and Peyton Stearns both advanced to the third round, while fellow American Sofia Kenin was ousted from the tournament.  

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The Kings are adding a veteran center to their frontcourt.  ESPN reports Sacramento is signing JaVale McGee to a one-year guaranteed minimum contract.  McGee joins the Kings after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.  The 35-year-old had averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games last season.  McGee is a three-time NBA champion after winning two titles with the Warriors and most recently one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.  

(Henderson, NV)  --  The Raiders made more changes to their roster.  Las Vegas signed wide receiver Marquez Callaway, linebacker Isaac Darkangelo, offensive guard Vitaliy Gurman and defensive end Janarius Robinson to its practice squad on Thursday.  The Raiders released wide receiver Devin Ross from the practice squad in a corresponding move.  Las Vegas visits the Broncos in its season opener next Sunday afternoon in Denver.  

Team USA is continuing its run towards a FIBA World Cup title.  The U.S. will take on Nikola Vucevic [[ KNEE-coal-uh VOOCH-uh-vitch ]] and Montenegro to open the second round in Manila.  The game will tip-off at 4:30 A.M. Eastern today.  The U.S. advanced to the second round after big wins over Greece, Jordan and New Zealand in the first round.  Anthony Edwards is coming off a 22-point performance in a 110-62 victory over Jordan on Wednesday.  The U.S. will return to the court on Saturday morning against Jonas Valanciunas [[ YO-nahs vah-lahn-CHEW-nas ]] and Lithuania.  

(Eagan, MN)  --  The Vikings are making T.J. Hockenson the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.  Hockenson has agreed to a four-year contract extension with Minnesota that will pay him up to 68.5-million-dollars.  The deal includes 42.5-million guaranteed and holds an average annual value of 17.125-million, both of which are the highest for a tight end in league history.  Minnesota acquired Hockenson in a trade with the Detroit Lions last November.  In 10 games with the Vikings, he recorded 60 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns.

(Thousand Oaks, CA)  --  The Rams might be without Cooper Kupp for their season opener.  Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay said on Thursday that the wide receiver suffered a setback in his return from a hamstring injury.  Kupp was injured on August 1st and is day-to-day after the setback, according to McVay.  The 30-year-old wideout notably missed eight games last season with a high ankle sprain.  Kupp still lead the Rams with 75 catches for 812 yards and six touchdowns.

(Frisco, TX)  --  A Hall of Fame former NFL executive who is credited with changing the way players are scouted has died.  The Dallas Cowboys announced Gil Brandt passed away Thursday morning at the age of 91.  Brandt introduced computers to scouting and player evaluation.  He served as vice president of player personnel for the franchise from 1960 until 1988 and drafted players such as Roger Staubach and Herschel Walker.  Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called Brandt "a true icon and pioneer of our sport."

(Foxboro, MA)  --  The Patriots are adding another quarterback to their 53-man roster.  New England has claimed former Carolina Panthers signal caller Matt Corral off waivers.  Corral was released by the Panthers on Wednesday.  Carolina selected the 24-year-old in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.  The Pats re-signed second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe and undrafted rookie free agent QB Malik Cunningham to the team's practice squad on Wednesday after both were waived Tuesday.  

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Ronald Acuna Jr. mashed a grand slam in the second inning as the Braves edged the Dodgers 8-7 in Los Angeles.  Acuna cleared the bases with his 30th home run of the year and became the first player in MLB history with 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a season.  Austin Riley and Michael Harris the Second also went deep for Atlanta, which improved to 88-and-45.  Lance Lynn was charged the loss after giving up seven runs in less than five frames.  Mookie Betts homered twice and Max Muncy also went deep for Los Angeles, which fell to 83-and-50.  

(Cleveland, OH)  --  The Cleveland Guardians are taking advantage of the Los Angeles Angels' fire sale.  The team claimed starter Lucas Giolito off waivers on Thursday.  The former Chicago White Sox pitcher was traded to the Angels along with reliever Reynaldo Lopez at the deadline for top catching prospect Edgar Quero.  Cleveland was also awarded Lopez along with reliever Matt Moore.  Giolito went 1-and-5 in LA with a 6.89 ERA after posting a 3.79 earned run average with Chicago earlier this season.  

(Cincinnati, OH)  --  The Cincinnati Reds have acquired reinforcements for their lineup.  The team was awarded Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe on the waiver wire Thursday afternoon.  Bader was waived by the New York Yankees earlier this week after hitting .240 with seven home runs in 80 games this season.  Renfroe was part of five Los Angeles Angels players claimed on waivers and is hitting .242 this season with 19 home runs and 56 RBI.  

(Queens, NY)  --  The action continues at the 2023 US Open.  Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz rolled into the third round with a straight set victory.  Michael Mmoh eliminated fellow American John Isner, who retired after a 17-year career in professional tennis.  Isner notably won the longest match in professional tennis history after beating Nicolas Mahut in an 11-hour showdown at Wimbledon in 2010.  On the women's side, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded Jessica Pegula each rolled to straight set victories.  Madison Keys and Peyton Stearns both advanced to the third round, while fellow American Sofia Kenin was ousted from the tournament.  

Christian Encarnacion-Strand powered the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-1 takedown of the San Francisco Giants in their series finale at Oracle Park.  The rookie first baseman finished the game 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to help Cincy avoid the three-game sweep.  Reds starter Hunter Greene earned his third win, while Alexis Diaz notched his 35th save as Cincinnati improved to 69-and-66.  Giants starter Logan Webb was charged his 11th loss of the year after he let up two earned runs through six innings of work.  San Fran went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the loss.  The Giants had a three-game win streak snapped to slip to 69-and-64.  

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     J.P. Crawford knocked in two go-ahead runs in the seventh inning as the Mariners defeated the Athletics 5-4 in Seattle.  Crawford put Seattle ahead for good after the team trailed 4-3 in the top of the seventh.  Teoscar Hernandez mashed a three-run home run in the third for the Mariners, who set a franchise record with 21 wins in August.  Justin Topa earned the win in relief, while Andres Munoz collected his 11th save.  Seattle improved to 76-and-57.  Kirby Snead was charged the loss in relief for Oakland, which fell to 39-and-95.  Lawrence Butler launched his second homer of the season in the loss.  

     The 49ers aren't planning to trade away their star defensive end.  San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch both said on Wednesday that the team doesn't plan to trade Nick Bosa amid his contract holdout.  The duo added that Bosa will sign a lucrative contract extension once the sides come to an agreement.  Bosa didn't report to training camp and missed all of the Niners' preseason games.  The 25-year-old pass rusher led the NFL with 18-and-a-half sacks last season.  

      Utah is likely to be without its star quarterback for Thursday night's season opener.  ESPN is reporting that Utah QB Cam Rising is doubtful for the game against the Florida Gators.  Rising has gone 18-and-6 as a starter while leading the Utes to two straight Pac-12 championships.  He is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered during last season's Rose Bowl loss to Penn State.  Junior Bryson Barnes is expected to start the season opener in Rising's absence, with redshirt freshman Nate Johnson also expected to see snaps behind center. 

     Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is now dealing with a second formal complaint that he was engaged in a relationship with a minor.  ESPN reports a special prosecutor in the Dominican Republic is investigating Franco after three girls alleged they had relationships with the 22-year-old as minors.  A third girl has yet to speak formally with authorities.  Major League Baseball placed Franco on paid administrative leave on August 22nd after social media posts emerged claiming the inappropriate relationships.  Franco signed an 11-year, 182-million dollar contract with the Rays in 2021.  

     More top seeds are falling at the 2023 US Open.  Fifth-seeded Casper Ruud and seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas [[ seet-see-paas ]] each suffered upset losses in the second round.  Second-seeded Novak Djokovic [[ jow-kuh-vuhch ]] collected another straight set victory to advance.  Americans Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton also moved on to the third round.  On the women's side, top-seeded Iga Swiatek [[ shvee-AWN-teck ]] and sixth-seeded Coco Gauff each rolled with straight set wins.  Taylor Townsend, Jennifer Brady and Bernarda Pera earned victories, while fellow Americans Danielle Collins and Lauren Davis were ousted from the tournament.  

      Team USA put together a dominant performance en route to a 48-point win in their FIBA World Cup first round finale.  The U.S. defeated Jordan 110-62 at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines.  Anthony Edwards erupted for 22 points and eight rebounds while shooting 50-percent from the field.  Bobby Portis came off the bench to contribute 13 points and six boards.  The U.S. played strong defense, limiting Jordan to a 23.8-percent clip from beyond the arc.  The U.S. now advances to the 16-team second round.  The Americans are matched up against Greece, Lithuania and Montenegro in Group J.  Team USA will open up the second round against Nikola Vucevic [[ VOOCH-uh-vitch ]] and Montenegro on Friday morning.

     (Lincoln, NE)  --  The University of Nebraska's women's volleyball team has broken a world record.  A total of 92-thousand-and-3 fans witnessed the five-time national champion Huskers take down Omaha inside Memorial Stadium on Wednesday night.  The former record of 91-thousand-648 fans was set in 2022 when the FC Barcelona women's soccer team played Wolfsburg in Barcelona, Spain.  The official capacity of Memorial Stadium is just over 85-thousand seats but extra seats and standing room were added on to the field.  

      (Undated)  --  Week One of the college football season is here.  The Florida Gators are in Salt Lake City squaring off against number-14 Utah tonight.  Utes quarterback Cam Rising is expected to miss the opener after recovering from a torn ACL in last season's Rose Bowl game against Penn State.  Bryson Barnes is in line to get the start under center.  Several other matchups kick off tonight including Elon at Wake Forest, UConn hosting NC State and Nebraska dueling Minnesota in Minneapolis.  The slate continues on Friday with Michigan State, Miami and Stanford all in action.

      (Undated)  --  Jonathan Taylor nearly ended up in Titletown.  According to ESPN, the Green Bay Packers were one of the teams that talked with the Colts and had legitimate interest in trading for the star running back.  A source said there is still trade interest in Taylor and that he would welcome a trade.  The NFL's trade deadline is October 31st.  The Miami Dolphins were also in talks with the Colts and discussed several possible deals.  Dolphins general manager Chris Grier confirmed Wednesday that he had "exploratory talks" with Colts GM Chris Ballard, but added there were "no exchange of offers" from the two sides.

      (Kansas City, MO)  --  The defending Super Bowl champions are holding out hope that their star defensive tackle returns for their season opener next week.  Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said that the team is "certainly hopeful" that Chris Jones will be "in the lineup" and "ready to go" next Thursday night against the Detroit Lions.  Jones has held strong that he will continue his contract holdout into the regular season.  The 29-year-old is entering the final year of a four-year, 80-million-dollar deal that he signed in 2020.  Veach said that KC is "going to keep working" on getting to a contract resolution with Jones.

      (Santa Clara, CA)  --  The 49ers aren't planning to trade away their star defensive end.  San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch both said on Wednesday that the team doesn't plan to trade Nick Bosa amid his contract holdout.  The duo added that Bosa will sign a lucrative contract extension once the sides come to an agreement.  Bosa didn't report to training camp and missed all of the Niners' preseason games.  The 25-year-old pass rusher led the NFL with 18-and-a-half sacks last season.

      (Cincinnati, OH)  --  The Cincinnati Bengals are welcoming back their star quarterback.  Joe Burrow practiced for the first time on Wednesday since suffering a calf strain early in training camp.  Wide receiver Tee Higgins said, "It felt good, just to see him out there, see the big smile on his face."  The gunslinger was out of action for over a month.  In other news, the team signed Will Grier to the practice squad after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys.  The quarterback will serve as the third option behind backup Jake Browning.

      (Pittsburgh, PA)  --  A two-time Stanley Cup champion is hanging up his skates for good.  Carl Hagelin announced on Wednesday he's retiring from the NHL.  The 35-year-old hasn't played since taking a high stick to the eye in March of 2022.  The Washington Capitals were concerned about the winger's quality of life outside of hockey following the injury.  Hagelin won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and '17.  He was originally selected by the New York Rangers in the sixth round of the 2007 draft and also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.  

      (Queens, NY)  --  More top seeds are falling at the 2023 US Open.  Fifth-seeded Casper Ruud and seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas [[ seet-see-paas ]] each suffered upset losses in the second round.  Second-seeded Novak Djokovic [[ jow-kuh-vuhch ]] collected another straight set victory to advance.  Americans Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton also moved on to the third round.  On the women's side, top-seeded Iga Swiatek [[ shvee-AWN-teck ]] and sixth-seeded Coco Gauff each rolled with straight set wins.  Taylor Townsend, Jennifer Brady and Bernarda Pera earned victories, while fellow Americans Danielle Collins and Lauren Davis were ousted from the tournament.

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      The Chico High Panthers girls volleyball team now winners of NINE in a row after a straight sets win over Yuba City last night. The Panther girls win by scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-20. The Panthers are now 15-1 on the season. Tomorrow they begin play at a Reno Tournament in Nevada where they play two days of matches....

     The Orland girls were a straight sets winner over Red Bluff winning by scores of 18-9-18 The Trojan girls now 5-2 on the season. Meghan Nooras 10 kills and Alyssa Radisch with 11 digs in the win. Orland travels to Yuba City tonight for a 6pm match while Red Bluff will host Corning at 6pm

      Las Plumas falls to Marysville in straight sets 22-10-11. The TBirds are back in action tonight traveling to Lindhurst for a 6pm match

TONIGHT.....Oroville hosts Quincy at 630pm......Durham hosts Gridley at 630pm

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       SEASON OPENER for the Chico State Volleyball team today as the Wildcats travel to the Stanislaus State Invitational in Turlock.

     The Wildcats are looking to bounce back from a rough 3-22 season. Chico plays single match this afternoon at 3pm against Academy of Art then plays two matches tomorrow....9am against Fresno Pacific and then later in the afternoon at 4:30 against Western Oregon.

     They will wrap up play on Saturday against Western New Mexico at 11:30am

     The Chico State Men's Soccer team opens the season with a big regional tangle versus Seattle Pacific. The match begins at 7pm at University Soccer Stadium. The Wildcat men went 7-5-8 last year and narrowly missed a big to the NCAA West Regional. The men will host another west region power in Western Washington on Saturday. The Cats travel to British Columbia next week to play Simon Fraser University from Canada (D-II opponent from GNAC) and the Saint Martin's Saints (Lacey, WA) 

      The Chico State Women's Soccer team starts their season tomorrow in Colorado 

against two teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference against Regis University 

and Colorado School of the Mines....

     The Chico State Wildcats finally break their longest conference losing streak in modern history. It had been 22 days since the Wildcats had won a conference game hitting a collective slump that saw the team drop 12 straight conference and dropping from 3rd to 10th in the CCAA.

     Sunday the Wildcats roughed up one of the best pitchers in the CCAA in San Bernardino's Austyn Coleman Chico scored 6 runs on 8 hits over 4 innings against Coleman led by Elijah Jackson's 4 hit game. Jackson went 10-for-15 in the series raising his season batting average nearly 100 points to .319. Reserve outfielder Andrew Crane went 2-for-3 with a home run and 5 RBI's and Dylan Day pitched 5 innings allowing only one run. 

     With the win the Cats are 16-21 overall and 10-17 in the CCAA. While mathematically alive for the CCAA tournament....Chico may need to win their final eight games and get some help to get in the postseason.

     The Chico State Softball team is only one game out of the final CCAA tournament spot. They will travel to Cal State East Bay for a four game series.....while the team they are chasing SF State heads to 2nd place San Bernardino. Chico split their four game series with SF this weekend at home remaining one game back of the playoff spot.

     he Butte College Baseball team takes two of three from Lassen over the weekend.....winning on Friday 20-3.....but dropped game one of DH 9-7.....while bouncing back in game two winning 9-7. Butte is now 32-5 overall and 20-3 in GVC.....they take on Feather River this Thursday and Friday to wrap up the regular season....Thursday's game is a home game at 2pm.

     The Butte College Softball team finishes their regular season with two blowout wins over the College of the Siskiyous. The Roadrunners move to 30-9 overall and 17-3 in the GVC with a 12-0 and 9-1 wins.....the Roadrunner women had a tough start to the

weekend dropping a pair of games on the road against Feather River 6-4 and 6-5. 

Playoffs are next......

     The Warriors used a big third quarter to even their opening round playoff series with the Kings.  The team sunk 37 points coming out of halftime in a 126-125 victory in San Francisco.  Steph Curry led Golden State with 32 points while Klay Thompson sunk 26 of his own.  Draymond Green came back from suspension and tallied a double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.  De'Aaron Fox scored 38 points for Sacramento and was one rebound shy of a double-double.  The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 heading back to Sacramento.  Game Five tips off Wednesday night.

     The San Francisco Giants had a clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth to beat the New York Mets 5-4 at Oracle Park.  Mike Yastrzemski [[ yuh-STREM-skee ]] doubled in Joc Pederson in the frame to put the Giants up for good.  Thairo Estrada added a home run in the victory.  Scott Alexander earned the win in relief, and Camilo Doval picked up his second save.  San Francisco has won its last two games.  Francisco Alvarez hit his first home run in the losing effort, and Drew Smith was charged with the loss out of the pen.  The Mets are on a two-game losing streak. 

     Three teams are on the brink of elimination in the NBA playoffs.  The Timberwolves avoided a four-game sweep by pulling out a 114-108 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets in Minneapolis.  The Knicks edged closer to a series win after defeating the Cavaliers 102-93 to take a 3-1 series lead.  The Celtics are in a similar position after knocking off the Atlanta Hawks 129-121 to take a 3-1 lead.  The defending NBA champion Warriors responded with another big win, defeating the Sacramento Kings 126-125 to even the series at two games apiece.  The NBA playoffs continue today, with the Lakers hosting the Memphis Grizzlies for Game Four and the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Heat for Game Four.  Los Angeles and Miami both lead their respective series 2-1. 

(Atlanta, GA)  --  The NBA is investigating Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.  According to ESPN, Murray appeared to make contact with a referee as he was walking off the court at the end of Atlanta's 129-121 loss to the Boston Celtics.  He then turned back and pointed and yelled at someone before exiting the court.  The Hawks did not make Murray available for interviews after the game.  Murray was fined 20-thousand-dollars, while with the Spurs last season, after he was ejected from a game for throwing a ball off the legs of a referee. 

(Milwaukee, WI)  --  The Bucks are hoping their star player will be ready for Game Four of the opening round playoff series against the Heat in Miami.  Giannis Antetokounmpo [[ ah-dedo-KOON-bo ]] was able to work out individually in Miami on Sunday.  However, coach Mike Budenholzer said the team will continue to monitor him and, "See how he wakes up tomorrow."  The All-Star forward has missed two straight games after suffering a back contusion in Game One.  Milwaukee is down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. 

(New York, NY)  --  One of the Knicks' top players is still dealing with an injury.  Head coach Tom Thibodeau said after New York's Game Four win that forward Julius Randle is still playing through a left ankle injury he suffered at the end of the regular season.  Randle did not play the during the fourth quarter of the Knicks' recent victory.  The 28-year-old sprained his ankle during a win over the Miami Heat on March 29th, but was able to suit up for Game One of the first round.  He was not in the locker room by the time the media was allowed to enter following Sunday's game.

(Green Bay, WI)  --  The Packers and Jets are resuming the Aaron Rodgers trade discussions.  Ian Rapoport with NFL Media reports the two sides have, "Recently re-engaged, but a deal is not imminent."  Rapoport went on to say, "The two sides are at least talking - with hopes a deal can (finally) be done this week."  Many believe this Friday was always the deadline as the Jets have two consecutive second-round picks in the draft.  One is expected to be used in a deal for Rodgers, but Green Bay has been trying to get a first rounder from New York.  Round one of the draft begins Thursday night.

(Undated)  --  A pair of Eastern Conference teams are one win away from the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  The Hurricanes edged the Islanders 5-2 in Elmont and are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading back to Raleigh.  The Bruins blew out the Panthers 6-2 in Sunrise and also have a chance to advance with Game Five taking place in Boston.  Meanwhile out west, the Stars evened their series with the Wild at two games apiece following a 3-2 victory in Minneapolis.  The Oilers are also knotted up with the Kings after a 5-4 overtime win in LA.  Four games are on the slate today.  The Devils hope to even their series at 2-2 against the Rangers in New York while the Lightning are looking to do the same in Tampa against the Maple Leafs.  The Jets host the Golden Knights for a chance to go up 3-1 in their series while the Avalanche aim to put a similar stranglehold on the Kraken in Seattle. 

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans are adding a major piece to their defensive line.  Former Georgia defensive lineman Bear Alexander announced on Sunday that he is transferring to USC.  Alexander helped the Bulldogs win the National Championship as a true freshman and finished the season with nine tackles, two sacks and two pass deflections.  The defensive lineman entered the portal earlier this month and received offers from Texas, Oregon and several other schools.

(Fresno, CA)  --  Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes is stable and showing signs of improvement after being hospitalized for a "medical event."  The university said that Barnes continues to receive care at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California.  Barnes experienced a medical event on Saturday night when attending an awards ceremony in Fresno.  He has been able to communicate with family members since being hospitalized.  The 60-year-old Barnes has served as Oregon State's AD since 2016. 

(Lincoln, AL)  --  Kyle Busch is taking home the checkered flag at Talladega in the GEICO 500 from Lincoln.  The number-8 car survived a late wreck and won the race under caution during the second overtime.  Busch won his second race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, with the first coming at the Pala Casino 400 back in February.  Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five finishers.  The drivers head to Dover for the Wurth 400 next Sunday.

(Avondale, LA)  --  Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are celebrating a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.  The team of Hardy/Riley shot a 65 in the final round of the tournament to finish atop the leaderboard a record 30 under par.  It's the first PGA Tour win for both players.  Riley earned his first Tour win in his 59th start and Hardy picked up his first victory in his 51st Tour start.  The pairing of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin shot a 63 in round four to finish the tournament second at 28 under par.  Beau Hossler and Wyndham Clark finished in third place at 27 under par.

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The Warriors used a big third quarter to even their opening round playoff series with the Kings.  The team scored 37 points coming out of halftime in a 126-125 victory in San Francisco.  Steph Curry led Golden State with 32 points while Klay Thompson sunk 26 of his own.  Draymond Green came back from suspension and tallied a double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.  De'Aaron Fox scored 38 points for Sacramento and was one rebound shy of a double-double.  The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 heading back to Sacramento.  Game Five tips off on Wednesday night. 

(San Francisco, CA)  --  The Giants had a clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth to beat the New York Mets 5-4 at Oracle Park.  Mike Yastrzemski doubled in Joc Pederson in the frame to put the Giants up for good.  Thairo Estrada added a home run in the victory.  Scott Alexander earned the win in relief, and Camilo Doval picked up his second save.  San Francisco improved to 8-and-13.  The Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals tonight and send right-hander Alex Cobb to the mound for the series opener. 

(Arlington, TX)  --  The Athletics dropped their road series finale.  Oakland fell 5-2 to the Texas Rangers in Arlington.  Kyle Muller was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs in five innings of work.  The A's were limited to five hits and struck out 15 times in the loss.  Shea Langeliers went deep as Oakland dropped to 4-and-18.  The A's have yet to win a series this season.  Oakland stays on the road to face the Los Angeles Angels tonight.  The team sends left-hander Ken Waldichuk to the hill. 

(Sandy, UT)  --  The Quakes suffered a loss over the weekend.  San Jose fell 3-1 to Real Salt Lake on Saturday at America First Field.  Cristian Espinoza scored the lone goal for the Quakes in the 49th minute.  San Jose dropped to fifth in the Western Conference with 14 points.  The Quakes are set to visit Monterey Bay FC tomorrow night in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.  The match will be played at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, California. 

VIKING GIRLS ROLL WHILE CHICO HIGH RALLIES WITH SEASON ON LINE 

SETTING UP SECTION TITLE MATCH-UP FRIDAY NIGHT

     The Chico High Girls Basketball team saw the end of their season flash before their eyes. Trailing by eight with just over five minutes left, the would close the game on a 15-5 run spurred by Sophomore Josie Carlos who would hit the Panthers first two three's of the game and hit a big free throw giving Chico a 54-52 win over Foothill.

     The win sets up a rematch for the Division III Section Title on Friday night against Pleasant Valley.

     The Vikings easily outdistanced Shasta High 76-40. The game was close after one quarter but the Vikings would push the lead to double digits in the second quarter and would never look back.

      The top-seeded Vikings beat Chico twice this year and look to make it three in a row for the Section Championship, while Chico looks to sting their cross-town rival in the biggest match-up of the season. Game time from Cowan Gym on the Butte College campus will be at 7:45pm

PV AND CHICO HAVE WORK TO DO BEFORE MEETING FOR SECTION TITLE

     The top-seeded Pleasant Vikings would love to play for another section title, but first they need to beat the Enterprise Hornets at Varley Gym on Wednesday night. If the Vikings can pull it out, they might see a familiar foe.

     The Chico High Panthers would love nothing more than to get another shot at PV, but to set up that match-up they need to beat Shasta at The Pit on the Chico High campus Wednesday night at 7pm. 

      If both teams can take care of their business, they would be this Firday night for the Division III North Section Championship game at 6pm at Butte College....preceeding the girls PV/CHICO match-up. It could be quite a night of rivalry hoops......

      But, as both coaches will tell you, there is still work to be done

      They may not be be playing but the Butte College Women's Basketball team will be interested observers in a CCCAA NorCal State Playoff game being played between Hartnell and Merced. The Roadrunner women will host the winner on Saturday at 6pm. The Butte College Women are the top seed in the Northern California with a record of 24-3 and have won nine straight heading into the post-season.

     The Butte College men (14-13) will be on the road to start the playoffs as they travel to Ohlone College. Game time is at 7pm. With a win the Roadrunners would get a date with the NorCal's top seed San Francisco City on Saturday.

      The Pleasant Valley Girls get a 1-0 win over Chico High to capture the girls Division III North Section Championship.

      The Chico boys pull out a 3-2 win over Pleasant Valley to capture the Division III Boys North Section Championship. 

     Chico State softball splits a four game series with Monterey Bay to open their CCAA play thrilling win in the series finale as the Cats score two in the bottom of the 7th to beat the Otters 4-3. Chico Softball now 7-5 overall and 2-2 in CCAA. They will host Humboldt this Friday and Saturday resuming CCAA play. 

     Chico State Baseball takes game one of a three game series with national power

Colorado Mesa. The Wildcats bang out 15 hits in beating Mesa who swept West powerhouse Azusa Pacific in Colorado last week. Chico's heart of the order Cameron Mahaffy, Sha-vee E-parra-gear-ray and Jacob Jablonski combined for 9 hits and 6 RBI's and 7 runs scored.

     Freshman right-hander from Colusa Ethan Lay pitched 5 gutty innings scattering 4 hits to pick up the win....Double-header today at Nettleton Stadium at 12 noon with

our pregame at 11:45am.

     Chico State Golf in the Bay Area Invitational today as they tee it up at 10am

Chico State joined by Sonoma, Cal State LA, East Bay, Acad of Art

Taylor Stewart will attempt to pick up where she left off in the fall—the junior is averaging 74.7 strokes per round on the season while racking up a pair of top five tournament finishes.   Trinity Hernandez (80.8 strokes per round in three fall tournaments) was a top 30 finisher at the  October 3–4 Sonoma State Fall Invitational

*****************************

     Butte College men's hoops is in the state playoffs on Weds they travel to the Bay Area to take on Ohlone College. Butte is the 17 seed in NorCal playoffs went 14-13 on the season and was 6-4 in the GVC With a win they would get a shot at top seed SF City on Saturday

     Butte College women are the NUMBER ONE SEED in the NorCal Community College Playoffs The 24-3 Roadrunner women will play on Saturday and take on the winner of Merced and Hartnell on Wednesday night. 

     Eight straight wins for the Butte College Baseball team as they sweep American River over the weekend. The Roadrunners blitzed ARC 28-2 in a three game sweep. Butte will host Siskiyous this Friday and Saturday 

     It's been a fantastic two weeks for the Butte College Softball team. After sweeping double-headers on the road against Mendocino College and Santa Rosa on Feb 10th and 11th.....the Roadrunners swept Folsom Lake on the road on Friday winning 3-2 and 6-3. Butte also swept West Valley at home on Saturday 6-3 and 2-1

They have won eight straight and now sit at 10-5 overall......Butte softball has their double-header against Delta College postponed  to be played at a later date

They will host Solano in a noon double-header on Saturday

*********************************************

      Aaron Rodgers' days with the Green Bay Packers are numbered.  That's according to Bob McGinn, who joined Tyler Dunn on the Go-Long-TD podcast.  The veteran Packers reporter said, "They are done with Rodgers.  He's not coming back.  I mean, they're disgusted with him, and they're done with him."  McGinn was speaking on information he gathered from "discussions with someone who has first-hand knowledge" of the Packers.  Rodgers is wrapping up a four-day darkness retreat and expects to have a clearer decision on his NFL future once he emerges.

       Team Giannis [[ YAHN-iss ]] defeated Team LeBron 184-175 in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.  Jayson Tatum set a new All-Star game record with 55 points to lead Team Giannis to his first win over Team LeBron in three tries.  Donovan Mitchell recorded 40 points and 10 assists, while Damian Lillard came off the bench to notch 26 points for Team Giannis.  Jaylen Brown came off the bench to pace Team LeBron with 35 points.  Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving totaled 32 points apiece in the losing effort.  Giannis scored two points before leaving the game after 20 seconds with a wrist injury he sustained last week.  LeBron did not return for the second half after injuring his finger by hitting the rim in the second quarter.  The NBA's all-time leading scorer is now 5-and-1 as an All-Star game captain. 

CHICO STATE WOMEN RALLY FROM 20 DOWN 

TO WIN THEIR 7TH STRAIGHT

By MIKE BACA

     It didn't look good for the Chico State women's basketball team after one quarter of basketball on Saturday. Humboldt couldn't miss. They went 12-of-18 from the field and 7-of-10 from three point range to jump out to a 36-16 lead. 

     Then the game completely flipped...........

     Humboldt would go nearly eight-and-a-half minutes and wouldn't score a point going 0-for-13 from the field. In the meantime the Wildcats would grind their way back into the game, cutting the deficit to seven by halftime. Mid-way through the 3rd quarter the Cats had surged to the lead and would beat Humboldt going away 79-66. Brandy Huffhines led the Cats with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and going 5-for-6 from three-point range. Zhane Duckett had a tremendous overall floor game scoring 7 points dishing off 5 assists and pulling a team-high 12 rebounds.

     After surrendering 36 points in their first ten minutes of the game the Wildcats would give up only 30 points over the final 30 minutes of the contest. The win was the Wildcats seventh in a row and they remain in a tie for third in the CCAA with Cal State Los Angeles.

     The Chico State men saw a 13-point second half lead slip away as they fell to the Humboldt State Lumberjacks 71-67. The loss drops the Cats to 5th in the CCAA.

Both the Chico State men and women travel to San Marcos and Cal State Los Angeles next weekend for a pivotal two-game road trip.

CHICO'S BATS WAKE UP 

RALLY FOR FIRST WIN OF 2023 SEASON

     The first twelve innings of baseball for the Chico State Wildcats in this 2023  were forgettable. Chico was beaten soundly on Friday by Arkansas Tech 5-0. The Wildcats set a school record by striking out 17 times while their pitchers walked seven batters. But, the Wildcats would respond on Saturday in their second match-up against Flagler University (Flagler) as part of the Houstin Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

     With Chico trailing 4-0 in the 4th inning the Wildcats would respond with a four-spot of their own. Senior returner Jacob Jablonski would hit a solo home run into the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid getting Chico on the board. three straight singles would follow with Jarret Lindsay driving in a pair with a two run single. Chico tied it in the 4th on an RBI ground out by Ernie Arambula. 

     Chico would grab the lead on a wild pitch in the fifth and add to the lead with a safety squeeze bunt for a run by Lindsay in the 7th. Aside from  four Flagler runs in the 1st inning, the Wildcats pitchers would shut the Saints down. Left-handed reliever Cody Gentry would pitch two and two-thirds innings of shut-out relief to pick up the win. Newcomer Marco Ibarra was superb in relief pitching three-and-a-third innings of shut-out relief to pick up the save.

     The Wildcats close out their three-day stay in Houston with a match-up against the defending Division-II National Champions North Greenville from South Carolina. Greenville beat host Central Missouri 12-1 on Friday and on Saturday night rallied from a late deficit to beat Arkansas Tech 11-9.

     First pitch from Texas comes your way at 8:00am with our pregame on KpaySports 1290am and 102.9 FM at 7:50am. Don't forget to listen to Chico State baseball on the KpaySports app that you can download for free in the App Store.

Chico State Basketball closes out four game road swing 

at Dominguez Hills for a Saturday showdown

              The Chico State women's basketball is riding a four-game win streak but they will face their most difficult task of this 2022-23 season on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Dominguez Hills Toros in Carson.

              Dominguez is 19-0 including a 13-0 CCAA mark. They beat Chico a month at Acker Gym 72-50 without their best player Dawnyel Lair. Lair is the elder states-woman on a team that is filled with freshmen and sophomores. Lair averages better than 14 point and 8 boards a game.

              During Chico's four-game winning streak they have taken care of business against teams in the bottom half of the standings. They will have to play one of their best games of the season Saturday to extend their streak to five.

             The recent winning streak by Chico has seen them climb into a 3rd place tie with Cal State Los Angeles and Cal Poly Pomona. Two teams the Wildcats will play on the road over the next month. Chico and Dominguez will play Saturday afternoon at 1pm with the pregame at 12:35pm

             The Chico State men are looking for answers as they have seen their record slip to 8-10 overall and 6-7 in the CCAA. The Wildcats have lost four in a row and one glaring weakness continues to plague the Cats.

             Chico's inability to get stops continues to cost them. The staple for Chico State over the last decade has been consistent lock-down defense, but this year the Wildcats are giving up 75 points a game with opponents shooting 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. During the losing streak the Wildcats have struggled to get stops at the pivotal points in the game. 

             Despite the slide if the season ended today the Wildcats would be in the playoff mix. Chico is in a tie for sixth in the CCAA with Stanislaus State with the top six getting into the conference tournament in March. Considering this team's youth and inexperience, a trip to the CCAA Tournament would be a nice accomplishment for a team with so many new and young faces. Chico closes out this road trip with a 3pm match-up against Dominguez Hills. You can hear it exclusively on KpaySports 1290 and 102.9 FM. You can also listen right here and on the the KpaySports app that you can download for free in the app store. Listeners can also tune-in through Amazon Alexa.....

NFC & AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES EXCLUSIVELY ON KPAYSPORTS 1290 SUNDAY

             At 11am on Sunday coverage begins for the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.....immediately following the Niners and Eagles we bring you the AFC title tilt with the Cincinnati Bengals traveling to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs......tune in Sunday at 11am

CHICO STATE MEN KNOCK OFF POMONA WITH SECOND HALF SURGE

WOMEN COUGH UP HUGE LEAD STUMBLE VERSUS POMONA 

     The Chico State men's basketball clamped down in the 2nd half against Cal Poly Pomona and cruised to an 81-64 win over the Broncos last night.

     Chico held the Broncos to 28 2nd half points while outscoring Pomona by 17-points. Brendan Wheeler had a career game for Chico scoring 22 points and grabbing a career best 8 boards. Kelvin Wright had 14 points 8 boards and 3 assists and JoJo Murphy scored 20.

     Chico has now won the first three games of their four-game homestand and will

take on nemesis San Bernardino on Saturday. San Bern lost at Stanislaus last night

but still sits in 1st place in CCAA at 6-1.

With the win Chico is now 8-6 overall and 6-3 in CCAA tied with Sonoma

and San Marcos for 3rd 

     The Chico State women were controlling their game against Pomona....

until they weren't.

     Chico didn't score a point for 8 minutes and 50 seconds bridging the

2nd and 3rd quarters and that allowed Pomona to come back from

16 points down....going on an 18-0 run. Chico falls 68-63.

Myli Martinez led Chico with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

     The Wildcat women are now 9-6 overall and 5-4 in the CCAA. They host 

San Bernardino tomorrow at 1pm at Acker Gym.

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     The Chico High Panthers boys basketball team moves to 14-4 

and 3-0 in the EAL as they beat Red Bluff on the road 75-48.

     The Pleasant Valley Vikings won the league home opener

with a 58-54 win over Enterprise. The Vikings are now 17-3 overall

and 3-0 in the EAL. 

Pleasant Valley girls (15-3) 1-0 EAL at Enterprise 3-14 7:30pm Friday night 

Chico High girls (16-2) 2-0 EAL hosting Red Bluff 6-9 7:30pm Friday night

Butte College men's and women's basketball teams on the road this Saturday as they travel to College of the Redwoods. The men (8-10) will play at 1pm while the (15-3) women take the 

court at 3pm 

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NFL PLAYOFF BROADCAST SCHEDULE 

KPAYSPORTS 1290AM AND 102.9FM

SATURDAY

CHARGERS VS JACKSONVILLE  5PM

SUNDAY

DOLPHINS VS BILLS 10AM

NYGIANTS VS VIKINGS 1:15PM

RAVENS VS BENGALS 5PM 

      Wild Card weekend in the NFL is here as the opening round of the playoffs officially kicks off on Saturday.  The Seahawks travel to San Francisco for an NFC West showdown with the 49ers.  The Chargers are also on the road playing the Jaguars for the night game.  LA quarterback Justin Herbert and Jacksonville signal caller Trevor Lawrence are both making their playoff debuts. 

     On Sunday, the Dolphins head to Orchard Park to square off against the AFC East rival Buffalo Bulls.  Meanwhile, the Giants travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings later in the day.  The nightcap features an AFC North clash between the Bengals and Ravens in Cincinnati.  Baltimore is expected to start Tyler Huntley at quarterback as Lamar Jackson sits out due to a knee injury. 

     The wild weekend concludes Monday night when the Cowboys head to Tampa for a marquee matchup with the Buccaneers.  Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady will begin his quest for an eighth Super Bowl ring.

(Owings Mills, MD)  --  The Ravens are going to be without Lamar Jackson for the start of the playoffs.  Baltimore's starting quarterback tweeted Thursday night that he has "suffered a PCL Grade Two sprain, on the borderline of a strain three" and will not be playing in Sunday night's Wild Card game at the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Ravens initially described his return as "week to week," but hasn't suited up for the last 39 days.  With Jackson out, the Ravens will start either Tyler Huntley or Anthony Brown.  Huntley, who has tendinitis in his right shoulder, resumed throwing at Thursday's practice.

(Costa Mesa, CA)  --  The Chargers might be missing one of their top wide outs for their Wild Card game against the Jaguars.  Wide receiver Mike Williams is officially questionable to play on Saturday night as he deals with a back contusion.  Williams suffered the injury in Los Angeles' Week 18 loss to the Broncos.  The 28-year-old already missed four games during the regular season with a high ankle sprain.  The Chargers visit Jacksonville on Saturday in their first playoff game since the 2018 season. 

(Undated)  --  LeBron James is still leading the field in the latest NBA All-Star voting update.  James has received the most votes with over 4.8-million and is on pace to match Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record 19 career All-Star appearances.  Kevin Durant is still second with 4.5-million votes and leads all Eastern Conference players.  James is trailed by Steph Curry, Luka Doncic [[ DON-chitch ]], Nikola Jokic [[ yo-kitch ]] and Anthony Davis in the Western Conference.  Just behind Durant in the East are Giannis Antetokounmpo [[ ah-dedo-KOON-bo ]], Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving.

(Undated)  --  Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is set to miss a week or two with a right adductor strain.  Brown is coming off a 41-point performance against the Pelicans on Wednesday night.  The 26-year-old star told reporters following the game that he had tweaked his groin and would have it evaluated.  Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said that he is "not sure what the timeline is" and that the team would know more in the coming days.  Brown is averaging a career-high 27.2 points per game this season for the first-place Celtics.

(Undated)  --  Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined for the next two weeks with a pair of injuries.  The 22-year-old has been diagnosed with a left elbow sprain and mild left knee bone contusion that he sustained in Wednesday's loss to the Knicks.  Haliburton underwent an MRI on Thursday that the team is awaiting additional opinions on.  He is currently leading the NBA with 10.2 assists per game.  Haliburton is also averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game with Indiana this season.  The Pacers are currently 23-and-19.

(Boston, MA)  --  The Kraken handed Boston its first regulation home loss of the season after a 3-0 victory over the Bruins.  Brandon Tanev opened the scoring in the first period while Eeli Tolvanen netted a goal with about 40 seconds left in the second.  Jaden Schwartz buried an empty netter to secure the two points for Seattle.  Martin Jones stopped 27 shots to earn the shutout victory for the Kraken, who have won seven straight games.  Seattle improved to 25-12-and-4 and are third in the Pacific with 52 points.  Linus Ullmark made 28 saves for the B's, who are now 19-1-and-3 on the season at home.  The Bruins still lead the NHL with 68 points.

(Honolulu, HI)  --  Three golfers are tied atop the leaderboard after play was suspended during the first round of the Sony Open in Honolulu.  Chris Kirk, Jordan Spieth and Taylor Montgomery all finished the opening round six under par.  Several other players are tied for fourth place after shooting five under par.  Hideki Matsuyama appears to still be in contention to defend his title.  Matsuyama finished round one tied for 41st at two under par. 

The Pleasant Valley Vikings capturing their 5th North Section Title in the last seven full seasons and 9th overall.....

The Vikings embarked on what was known as The Great Revenge Tour. The had lost earlier this year 38-20 to 

Enterprise easily handled the Hornets last week.....earlier this season they lost to Foothill 35-7 only to turn the tables

on Saturday 10-3. The Vikings now get ready for the State Playoff Semis in the 4AA bracket as they take on Escalon 

on the road at 7:30pm on Friday night.

The Orland Trojans complete an undefeated regular season and run through the North Section playoffs as

they captured the Division III North Section Title beating University Prep from Redding 33-19.

Grant Foster ran for four TD's in the win that secured the Trojans their first Section Title in 13 years.

With the Title and an undefeated 13-0  record Orland secures a home game taking on Clear Lake in a 5A State Playoff

Semifinal 

The Chico State men's and women's basketball opens CCAA play with impressive wins on Saturday.

The women put up 85 points and shot a blistering 52 percent as they took down Stanislaus 85-70. Chico

had struggled scoring all year, but that wasn't a problem in their CCAA opener. Chico was 10-of-21 from

three point range. They will take on Cal State LA on Thursday at Acker Gym....

The Chico State men found their defensive footing in shutting down Stanislaus 64-55.

The Cats were giving up 80 points through their first four games, three of which were losses,

but Chico shut down the Warriors....holding them to 36 percent shooting. Chico also dominated

the board 50-38. True freshman JoJo Murphy continued to shine with 17 points and 8 rebounds...

Cats move to 2-3 on season 1-0 CCAA

The 49ers handed the Saints their first shutout since 2001 with a 13-0 victory in Santa Clara.  It snaps the longest active scoring streak in the NFL of 332 straight games, which ranks fourth all-time.  The Saints' last scoreless game was also against the 49ers 21 years ago.  Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 222 yards and a touchdown for the Niners, who have won four straight and now sit alone atop the NFC West at 7-and-4.  Seattle is a game back at 6-and-5 after losing to the Raiders on Sunday.  Andy Dalton finished 18-of-29 for 204 yards for New Orleans, which slipped to 4-and-8 with the loss.  Alvin Kamara was held to just 13 rushing yards and lost two fumbles in the setback. 

 Jacobs capped off a dominant game with the longest run of his career and finished with 229 yards and a pair of scores.  Derek Carr helped send the game to OT after connecting with Foster Moreau on a five-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes left in regulation.  Las Vegas improved to 4-and-7.  Geno Smith threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted twice and fumbled in the loss.  Rookie Kenneth Walker the Third rushed for a pair of scores as Seattle dropped to 6-and-5.  The Seahawks are now one game behind the 49ers for first place in the NFC West.

The United States is hoping to advance to the round of 16 at the World Cup on Tuesday in Qatar.  After ending each of its first two games in a draw, the US needs to beat Iran in order to get out of the group stage.  The US is third in Group B with two points after playing Wales to a 2-2 draw and England to a scoreless draw.  Timothy Weah leads the team with one goal.  Iran is coming off a 2-0 win over Wales and has three points. 

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 The Chiefs, Dolphins and 49ers all extended their winning streaks during Week 12 action on Sunday.  KC cruised past the Rams 26-10 for its fifth straight victory.  The Chiefs continue to lead the AFC at 9-and-2.  Miami also won its fifth straight after beating Houston 30-15 at home.  The Dolphins and Bills are tied atop the AFC East at 8-and-3, but Miami currently holds the tiebreaker.  Out west, the 49ers handed the Saints their first shutout loss since 2001 with a 13-0 victory in Santa Clara.  The Eagles moved to 10-and-1 with a 40-33 win over the Packers on Sunday Night Football. 

(Indianapolis, IN)  --  Two of the NFL's most historic franchises are set to face one another when the Indianapolis Colts host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.  The Colts are coming off a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to fall to 4-6-and-1.  The Steelers will be looking to bounce back from their recent loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.  Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett leads the team with over 14-hundred yards passing and three touchdowns, but has also thrown eight interceptions.  Pittsburgh is currently last in the AFC North at 3-and-7.

(Kansas City, MO)  --  The Rams are taking another hit to their depleted offense.  Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay said Sunday that wide receiver Allen Robinson the Second suffered a season-ending foot injury and will need surgery.  Robinson missed the team's loss to the Chiefs with the injury and McVay announced he will miss the rest of the season as a result.  The Rams are already playing without top wideout Cooper Kupp and have been missing quarterback Matthew Stafford for several games. 

(Miami, FL)  --  NFL star Odell Beckham Junior is making headlines after he was escorted off an American Airlines flight in Miami on Sunday.  Police said the flight crew tried to wake him as he appeared "to be coming in and out of consciousness."  A statement added Beckham was initially asked several times to exit the aircraft and fasten his seatbelt, which he refused.  The plane was evacuated and Beckham eventually got off the plane when asked by officers.  The wide receiver is currently a free agent after winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams last season.

(Undated)  --  Several changes are coming when the penultimate College Football Playoff Rankings are released on Tuesday.  Four top-10 teams lost over the weekend including two in the top-five.  Second-ranked Ohio State is sure to fall after getting blown out by rival and third-ranked Michigan 45-23 in Columbus.  TCU will likely climb to third behind the Wolverines, while USC is poised to jump into the top-four.  Eighth-ranked Clemson and ninth-ranked Oregon were also upset.  The next CFP Rankings will be released on Tuesday with Selection Sunday set for December 4th.

(Madison, WI)  --  The Wisconsin Badgers are finding their replacement at head coach.  Athletic director Chris McIntosh announced Sunday that the University is hiring Luke Fickell as its new football head coach.  Fickell had led Cincinnati over the past six seasons and helped the team reach the College Football Playoff last season.  This year, the Bearcats went 9-and-3 in the regular season.  Fickell replaces Paul Chryst, who was fired by Wisconsin in the middle of the season.

(Tempe, AZ)  --  Phoenix product Kenny Dillingham is returning to Arizona State.  The 32-year-old has been named the new head football coach at ASU.  Dillingham replaces Herm Edwards, who was fired during this season.  He takes over a Sun Devils team that just finished 3-and-9 on the year.  Dillingham spent this season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon.  He also coached under Mike Norvell at both Memphis and Florida State after the two worked together previously at ASU. 

(Undated)  --  Saturday's college football rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan is setting new TV records.  "The Game" in Columbus, Ohio drew more than 17 million viewers on FOX, making it the most-watched college football game of the season.  It's also the sport's most-watched regular-season game in eleven years.  Michigan beat Ohio State 45-to-23, the second straight win over its Big Ten rival. 

(Chicago, IL)  --  The Chicago White Sox are bolstering their starting rotation.  Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the team has signed right-handed starter Mike Clevinger.  The deal is a one-year contract worth at least eight-million dollars.  The 31-year-old missed all of 2021 after having Tommy John surgery in November of 2020, but he went 7-and-7 with a 4.33 ERA in 22 starts with the San Diego Padres last season.

(Qatar)  --  The United States is hoping to advance to the round of 16 at the World Cup on Tuesday in Qatar.  After ending each of its first two games in a draw, the US needs to beat Iran in order to get out of the group stage.  The US is third in Group B with two points after playing Wales to a 2-2 draw and England to a scoreless draw.  Timothy Weah leads the team with one goal.  Iran is coming off a 2-0 win over Wales and has three points.

The Sharks are in Seattle to take on the Kraken tonight. Puck drops at 6:30pm

Warriors host Clippers. We will have the game on DELAY at 10pm

Both games on KpaySports 1290

The Chico State Women knock off Holy Names 71-52. Chico moves to 3-2 and will host Stanislaus on Saturday. Women at 1 with the men playing at 3.

NFL TRIPLE-HEADER ON THANKSGIVING

9:30am Buffalo vs Detroit

1:30pm NyGiants vs Dallas

5:20pm New England vs Minnesota

The Chico State Volleyball team has their home opener as they continue conference play this weekend.....They host Dominguez Hills tomorrow late afternoon

at 5pm and CSLA at 2pm on Saturday.

Chico looking to catch fire as they sit 2-7 overall and 0-2 in CCAA play.

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Big night at Chico State's Soccer Stadium on Saturday as the Wildcat men's and women's soccer teams are part of a docu-series produced by LG Electronics for the NCAA Championship Channel as both the men's and women's teams take on Humboldt State. 

A documentary film crew spent Monday through Wednesday on campus at Cal Poly Humboldt and will film at Chico State beginning Thursday morning through the end of Saturday night's matches. They will capture the history, characters, and current student-athletes that make up this great rivalry between California's northernmost state schools.

Women are 2-1-2 play at 430pm while the men are 3-2-1 play at 7pm

The Chico State women enter Saturday's contest with a record of 2-1-2, while the men are 3-2-1. Chico State's women are 20-9-6 all-time against Cal Poly Humboldt, having won seven straight against the Lumberjacks at home. Ironically, Wildcats head coach Kim Sutton has coached in all 35 of those matches. She was the head coach at Humboldt during that program's first six years of existence, from 1995-99, before making the move to Chico State.

Fans are encouraged to be equally generous and bring nutritious food items, hygiene items, and/or can openers, or to make a monetary donation to Chico State's Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, the front door to the Basic Needs Project. A table will be set up near the entrance to the stadium to accept donations with information about how to give online as well.

The Chiefs are welcoming the Chargers to town for an AFC West clash.  Kansas City hosts Los Angeles tonight at Arrowhead Stadium.  The Chiefs are looking to improve to 2-and-oh after running past the Cardinals 44-21 in Week One.  Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns in the victory.  Meanwhile, the Chargers opened the season with a tight 24-19 win over the Raiders.  Khalil Mack stepped up with a strip sack of Derek Carr to secure the win for Los Angeles.  The Chargers ruled out wide receiver Keenan Allen for tonight after he suffered a hamstring injury against Las Vegas.  Cornerback J.C. Jackson could make his debut for the team as he's listed questionable to play. 

 The 49ers are hosting a divisional rival in their home opener.  San Francisco takes on the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium.  The Niners opened the season with a 19-10 loss to the Bears.  On Wednesday, San Francisco placed defensive lineman Jordan Willis on the injured reserve and promoted defensive lineman Kemoko Turay to the active roster.  The 49ers also signed running back Marlon Mack, wide receiver Willie Snead the Fourth and cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. to the practice squad. 

>>Raiders Host Cardinals In Home Opener

(Henderson, NV)  --  The Raiders are looking to bounce back as they near their home opener.  Las Vegas hosts the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.  The Raiders lost to the Chargers 24-19 in Week One.  On Wednesday, Las Vegas signed wide receiver Keelan Cole to the active roster and placed wideout DJ Turner on the injured reserve.  The Raiders also signed center Billy Price and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to the practice squad. 

     The Chiefs are welcoming the Chargers to town for an AFC West clash.  Kansas City hosts Los Angeles tonight at Arrowhead Stadium.  The Chiefs are looking to improve to 2-and-oh after running past the Cardinals 44-21 in Week One.  Meanwhile, the Chargers opened the season with a tight 24-19 win over the Raiders.  The Chargers ruled out wide receiver Keenan Allen for tonight after he suffered a hamstring injury against Las Vegas.  Cornerback J.C. Jackson could make his debut for the team as he's listed questionable to play.

       The Chargers and Chiefs are each missing a starter for their divisional clash.  Los Angeles ruled out wide receiver Keenan Allen on Wednesday after he suffered a hamstring injury in Week One.  Allen had caught four passes for 66 yards against the Raiders, but exited the game in second quarter.  Meanwhile, Kansas City ruled out starting kicker Harrison Butker with an ankle injury.  Butker had injured his left ankle during a kickoff against the Cardinals.  Matt Ammendola is expected to be activated from the practice squad to handle kicking duties. 

       The Broncos are losing their leader in the secondary.  Denver placed star safety Justin Simmons on injured reserve due to a quad injury.  Simmons suffered the injury in Monday night's 17-16 loss to the Seahawks and will miss the next four games for the Broncos.  In a corresponding move, Denver signed cornerback Essang Bassey to the active roster and signed safety Anthony Harris to the practice squad.  Simmons had only missed six defensive snaps since the start of the 2018 season.

       One of the NBA's premier voices is weighing in on the league's punishment given to Phoenix Suns' owner Robert Sarver over toxic workplace culture.  In a tweet Wednesday, LeBron James said the league got it wrong.  Sarver was handed a one-year suspension and a ten-million-dollar fine after an investigation showed he used racial slurs, made sexual-related comments to women in the workplace, and engaged in harsh treatment of employees during his 18-year tenure.  James added there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior.

        Julio Rodriguez is joining some rare company as he continues his rookie campaign.  The Mariners outfielder stole his 25th base of the season on Wednesday, making him the third rookie in MLB history to reach 25 steals and 25 home runs.  The 21-year-old matched Chris Young, who did it with the Diamondbacks in 2007 and Mike Trout, who did it with the Angels in 2012.  Rodriguez also homered in the win over the Padres, upping his season total to 26 long balls.  

      Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina have made history.  The Cardinals starting pitcher and catcher started their 325th game together on Wednesday, breaking the MLB record for most games started by a battery pairing.  Wainwright and Molina passed former Tigers Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan, who made 324 starts together between 1963 and 1975.  The Cardinals pairing made their first start together in April of 2007.

      Nestor Cortes picked up his 10th win of the season as the Yankees swept their two-game set with the Red Sox.  New York came away with a 5-3 victory in Boston.  Gleyber Torres led the way at the plate for the Yanks after going three-for-five with an RBI.  Brayan Bello was charged with the loss after allowing three unearned runs over five innings of work.  Connor Wong went one-for-two with an RBI double for the Sox, who fell to 69-and-74.  The Yankees improved to 87-and-56 and remain atop the AL East. 

Max Muncy homered twice and drove in three as the Dodgers doubled up the Giants 6-3 in Los Angeles. Joey Gallo added a three-run homer for the Dodgers, who improved to 11-and-4 against the rival Giants this season. Tyler Anderson tossed seven innings of three-run ball as he moved to 14-and-3. Craig Kimbrel closed it out for his 22nd save. Lewis Brinson homered to lead off the game and Brandon Crawford also went deep for San Francisco, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. Jarlin Garcia suffered the loss. The Atlanta Braves racked up 13 hits in a 10-9 win over the A's in Oakland. Vaughn Grissom had four hits and two RBI, while Matt Olson homered and drove in three. Jesse Chavez earned his third win out of the bullpen, and Kenley Jansen picked up save number 32. The Braves are tied with the Mets for first place in the NL East. Oakland hit three home runs in the losing effort, and Joel Payamps was charged with his fourth loss. The A's have dropped five of their last six. The Steelers are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception with a special ceremony. During halftime of the December 24th game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh will retire the number-32 jersey of Franco Harris. The former running back is only the third Steeler to have his number retired, joining Ernie Stautner's number-70 and Joe Greene's number-75. Team president Art Rooney the Second said "the Immaculate Reception marked the turning point in franchise history." (Lake Forest, IL) -- The Chicago Bears are moving forward with their plan to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. The team released conceptual plans for a potential domed stadium in the Chicago suburb on Tuesday. The plans include a 326-acre development that would include restaurants, hotels, and office spaces, among other amenities. The Bears are promising to not seek public funding for the stadium itself, but are looking for help with the rest of the development. Chicago can end its lease at Soldier Field as early as 2026. (Washington, DC) -- Former Washington general manager and team president Bruce Allen testified before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday. An NFL spokesperson released a statement saying "The Committee is continuing to investigate the decades-long workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders and the NFL's failure to address it." Mr. Allen's testimony is "important for the Committee to fully understand these serious issues and advance reforms to protect workers in the future." (Undated) -- The Alabama Crimson Tide are still the number one team in the nation according to the latest coaches poll. Alabama received 57 first place votes after winning its first game of the year. Georgia and Ohio State swapped places in the rankings. The Bulldogs are now second and the Buckeyes are third. Clemson remains fourth in the country, while Michigan climbed one spot in the rankings to round out the top five. (Undated) -- The 76ers are adding a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year to their frontcourt. ESPN reports Philadelphia is signing center Montrezl Harrell [[ mon-TREZ ]] to a two-year, 5.2-million dollar deal, with a player option for the second year. Harrell joins the Sixers after splitting last season between the Wizards and Hornets. The 28-year-old averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds through 71 games. (El Segundo, CA) -- Patrick Beverley is settling some concerns about playing next to Russell Westbrook. After being recently traded to the Lakers, Beverley said Tuesday that he is "super excited" to play with Westbrook. The two have notably had their conflicts in years past, with Beverley colliding and injuring Westbrook's knee during the 2013 NBA playoffs. Now, Beverley says he's looking forward to being teammates with someone who plays with a similar "competitive spirit" and grit to his game. (Undated) -- The defending NBA champions are looking to fill some roster spots ahead of training camp. The Athletic reports Golden State are bringing in several free agents for workouts this week. Among that group are Ben McLemore, Elfrid Payton, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Kenneth Faried. Those players could earn an invitational to training camp with a chance to make the team's roster. (Seattle, WA) -- Sue Bird's basketball career is coming to an end after the Storm were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs. Seattle lost to the Las Vegas Aces 97-92 in Game Four of their semifinals series. Bird provided eight points and eight assists in her final game in the league. The 41-year-old won four WNBA titles and finished as the league's all-time leader in assists and games played. Bird spent her entire WNBA career with the Storm. (San Diego, CA) -- The Padres are giving an update on their suspended star shortstop. San Diego announced Tuesday that Fernando Tatis Jr. underwent a successful surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. The 23-year-old is expected to recover in 4-to-6 months, but that won't factor into his return to the Padres. Tatis is serving his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. (Queens, NY) -- The Semifinals are shaping up at the US Open. On the men's side, fifth-seeded Casper Ruud make quick work of Matteo Berrettini in a three-set victory. Nick Kyrgios [[ KEER-ee-oss ]] was ousted in a five-set thriller against Karen Khachanov [[ ka-chuh-naav ]]. Ruud and Khachanov are set to meet in the semis. On the women's side, American Coco Gauff was ousted in straight sets by Caroline Garcia. Fifth-seeded Ons Jabeur continued her strong run with a straight-set win over Ajla Tomljanovic [[ EYE-la ]]. Garcia and Jabeur will square off in the semis.

     Freddie Freeman knocked in two runs as the Dodgers beat the Giants 8-2 in San Francisco.  Freeman went 3-for-5 at the plate and mashed his 36th double of the season.  Max Muncy and Trea Turner each homered for Los Angeles, which improved to 69-and-33.  Caleb Ferguson got the win in relief after starter Andrew Heaney allowed one run over four frames.  Logan Webb took the loss after surrendering six runs over five innings of work.  Wilmer Flores went deep for San Francisco, which fell to 51-and-52. 

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 The MLB Trade Deadline is this afternoon.  It will be the final chance for teams to buy and sell as playoff pushes and visions of the future occur.  The big name rumored in discussions is Nationals outfielder Juan Soto.  The Dodgers, Padres, and Cardinals are reportedly interested in the All-Star.  Trading has already begun in the MLB, as the Padres acquired All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Brewers.

(Undated)  --  The Astros are making some moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline.  Houston acquired first baseman Trey Mancini in a three-team trade with the Orioles and Rays.  The Astros dealt outfielder Jose Siri to Tampa Bay and got back minor league pitcher Jayden Murray.  Houston also sent pitcher Chayce McDermott to Baltimore.  ESPN reports the Astros are also trading for catcher Christian Vazquez in a deal with the Boston Red Sox.

(Oakland, CA) -- The Oakland A's are sending starting pitcher Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees in a six-player trade.  The A's are also including relief pitcher Lou Trivino.  New York is giving up four prospects including left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk.  Pitchers Luis Medina and JP Sears along with infielder Cooper Bowman are heading to the A's.  Team officials say Waldichuk and Sears will start out in Triple-A Las Vegas.  Montas has 109 strikeouts in 104 and two-thirds innings pitched so far this season.

(Undated)  -  Cleveland Browns' new quarterback Deshaun Watson is being suspended for six games by a federal judge over sexual misconduct allegations.  NFL Network reports a U.S. District Judge issued the ruling this morning over violations of the league's personal conduct policy.  The judge was appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association as an independent arbiter in the case.  More than two-dozen women filed lawsuits against Watson claiming harassment and assault.

(Oxnard, CA)  --  The Cowboys are taking a hit to their receivers room.  ESPN reports wide receiver James Washington will undergo surgery after fracturing his right foot in training camp.  Washington is expected to miss 6-to-10 weeks due to the injury.  Dallas is already short-handed in camp as receiver Michael Gallup is on the physically unable to perform list.  Washington had signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys this offseason after spending the past four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

(Undated)  --  The NBA is looking deeper into the Knicks pursuit of free agent guard Jalen Brunson.  According to ESPN, the league is investigating possible tampering charges involving New York's signing of the former Dallas Maverick.  Teams were not allowed to make contract with an agent or a player to discuss a deal prior to 6pm Eastern on June 30th.  Brunson agreed to a four-year, 104-million-dollar deal with the Knicks that night.  The NBA increased the penalties for tampering in 2019 by raising the maximum fine for teams to 10-million-dollars, suspending team executives, forfeiting draft picks, and possibly voiding contracts. 

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     LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman says Tiger Woods turned down an offer between 700 and 800-million-dollars to join the controversial Saudi-backed tour. 

     Norman told Fox News that Woods is a needle mover.  Woods has been outspoken about his support of the PGA Tour and has been critical of players leaving to join LIV Golf.  Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka [[ KEP-kuh ]] are among the big names to make the move.

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     Deebo Samuel is officially signing a three-year contract extension with the 49ers.  NBC Sports Bay Area says the deal could be worth more than 73-million-dollars with incentives, and keeps Samuel in Santa Clara through the 2025 season.  Samuel had a breakout 2021 season with 77 catches for more than 14-hundred yards and 365 rushing yards.  He scored a combined 14 touchdowns rushing and receiving.  Both the Niners and Raiders continue training camp this week.

(Undated)  --  The 49ers are among the NFL's most valuable teams.  That's according to a new ranking from Sportico that lists the Dallas Cowboys as the most valuable team in the league at 7.64 billion dollars.  The average NFL team is worth 4.65-billion dollars according to Sportico.  The ranking lists the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants and 49ers as the rest of the top five most valuable franchises. 

(Anaheim, CA)  --  The Athletics are taking on a division foe as they continue their road trip.  Oakland faces the Angels tonight in Anaheim.  The A's come off a series loss to the White Sox, but have won four of their last six games.  The club sends southpaw Cole Irvin to the mound for the series opener.  Opposite him is right-hander Noah Syndergaard for Los Angeles.  The A's sit last in the AL West at 39-and-65. 

(Sacramento, CA)  --  The NBA world is mourning after the loss of one of its historical figures and pillars for the league.  Bill Russell passed away on Sunday at the age of 88.  The Sacramento Kings released a statement after his passing saying that Russell was a storied champion and a fierce advocate for civil rights and social justice.  In the 1987-88 season, Russell had a brief stint with the Kings as the team's head coach.  He initially signed a seven-year contract, but both sides parted ways after 58 games.  After that, he had another short period as the franchise's general manager.

POSTSEASON IS HERE AS CHICO STATE GEARS UP

FOR BIGGEST GAMES OF THE YEAR

     The Chico State Wildcat baseball team will host Cal State Dominguez Hills on Wednesday afternoon in what is, in essence a play-in game in the opening round of the CCAA Tournament. 

     This new format is single elimination in the first round with Chico hosting the Toros at 3pm (2:45pm pre-game on KpaySports 1290 and the KpaySports app) with the night-cap pitting 4th-seed Sonoma State against Cal State San Bernardino.

     The winner of the Chico and Dominguez match-up will take on Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday at 3pm. The winner of the Sonoma and San Bernardino game will play the top-seed and regular season champion Monterey Bay at 11am tomorrow morning.

     Chico State comes into the conference tourney winners of five-in-a-row after a 5-game losing skid. The Wildcats have one of the most potent offenses they have ever assembled with a team batting average of .344 and on-base percentage of .444, the best numbers in the CCAA. The Wildcats have uncharacteristically struggled defensively this year and come into the tournament with the worst fielding percentage in the field. 

     The Wildcats and Toros split their four-game series at Nettleton Stadium a month ago with the Wildcats salvaging a split with a thrilling 14-11 walk-off win after scoring six runs in the 9th capped off by a Jacob Jablonski three-run blast to center.

     Chico feels they are in a good position to punch their ticket next week to the West Regional Tournament, but a loss on Wednesday to the Toros would leave their fate up to a regional committee and to other West Region conference tournaments, hoping there aren't huge upsets. You can watch all the CCAA Tournament games on the CCAA Network with KpaySports Mike Baca calling the play-by-play for every game.

WILDCAT SOFTBALL OPENS REGIONAL PLAY ON THURSDAY

     For the sixth straight year the Chico State Softball team has advanced to the West Regional. The Cats look to make a run through the tournament and give themselvels a chance to play for a National Championship in Denver, Colorado. The sub-regional pits the Wildcats versus Dominguez Hills. Chico split their regular season series versus the Toros, but was eliminated the CCAA Tournament last week by Dominguez in a 6-5 loss.

     The other teams on Chico's side of the eight-team regional bracket are Concordia and Azusa Pacific. Chico suffered narrow losses against both teams this year. The Wildcats at 36-15 are making their 9th trip to the Regional since Angel Shamblin took over the program in 2010. You can follow all the action on the Chico State Athletics website which will provide links to live stats and live video of the games. 

GIANTS POUND ROCKIES

(AP) — Alex Wood pitched into the sixth inning and didn’t allow an earned run, Brandon Belt had an RBI double in his return to the lineup and the San Francisco Giants won their ninth straight against the Colorado Rockies, 9-2 on Tuesday night.

Curt Casali added three hits and two RBIs for San Francisco, which has won four straight since losing five in a row.

“Promising last couple of games,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “You can see how valuable it is to have very competitive at-bats at the bottom of the lineup to turn the lineup over.”

Wood (3-2) lost his previous two starts. He got into jam in the first inning before getting Elias Díaz to strike out looking, and the left-hander also fanned Garrett Hampson looking to end the fourth with a runner on second after the Rockies scored an unearned run.

Wood allowed seven hits and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings while throwing 104 pitches – more than he threw in any game last season.

“It felt really good to hit that mark,” Wood said. “My slider is usually a good groundball pitch for me typically and to be heater dominant and changeup dominant and have that many groundball outs and not allow extra-base hits was really nice.”

A'S AND TIGERS SPLIT ODD DOUBLE-DIP

Tarik Skubal was planning to head to the mound for the day’s first pitch. Then he realized the Detroit Tigers were the visiting team at Comerica Park and Oakland’s Frankie Montas would be on the rubber.

“Thank God someone mentioned it before the game, because I almost ran out there for the top of the first inning,” Skubal said. “Montas and I would have both been on the mound. It was weird, but that’s baseball.”

Skubal led the Tigers to a 6-0 win in the opener of a unique doubleheader Tuesday caused by Major League Baseball’s lockout. With the Athletics as the visiting team in the second game, 25-year-old Adrian Martinez pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings to win his major league debut, a 4-1 Oakland victory.

In a matchup of last-place teams, Detroit ended a 27-inning scoreless streak in the opener. Oakland (12-19) then won for the second time in 12 games and sent the Tigers (9-21) to their seventh loss in eight games.

Miguel Cabrera singled in the ninth inning of the second game, tying Wade Boggs for 30th with 3,010 hits.

Skubal (2-2) allowed three hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked three. Jonathan Schoop homered and scored twice on a day he raised his batting average from .139 to .157.

“It felt good to win,” Skubal said. “Their guy was really good, so I was just trying to give us a chance to stay in the game and get some late offense.”

Under MLB’s original schedule announced last year, Detroit was to have played three games at Oakland from April 4-6 in its second series of the season. But the first week was postponed by the lockout, and MLB rescheduled one of the games as part of a doubleheader at Comerica Park while keeping Oakland as the home team. The other games are to be played as a doubleheader at the Oakland Coliseum on July 21, what was to have been an off-day during the All-Star break.

Detroit wore its white home uniforms despite batting first, while the A’s wore green tops and gray pants. The Tigers reverted to the home team in the second game.

In the first game, Montas (2-3) allowed four runs, six hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.

A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus and left fielder Chad Pinder collided in the fifth while trying for Willi Castro’s shallow fly ball. Both players required attention from athletic trainers and remained in the game.

“It’s scary when you are running out there, because you have the worst-case scenario running through your head,” Kotsay said. “Luckily, Elvis’ shin — the one that hasn’t needed surgery — just grazed Chad’s temple. Our trainers took every precaution, and Chad passed all the concussion tests.”

Castro reached on the single to put runners on first and second with no outs, and Tucker Barnhart’s bunt single loaded the bases. Derek Hill’s sacrifice fly ended Detroit’s scoreless streak, and Robbie Grossman beat out a potential double-play grounder as Castro scored.

Schoop homered to make it 3-0 in the sixth, and Jeimer Candelario hit a three-run double in the seventh off Kirby Snead.

“I thought I was pretty good, to be honest,” Montas said. “That’s still a lineup of major league hitters. No bad hitters get to this level.”

In the second game, Alex Faedo (0-1) gave up two runs and four hits over five innings in his second major leage start. Jed Lowrie hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Kevin Smith had an RBI single. Cristian Pache added an RBI single in the seventh and Luis Barrera a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Martinez (1-0) struck out Javy Baez in the first inning and retired Cabera in the second.

“I knew I was in the big leagues when I was facing players like that,” Martinez said through a translator. “You know they are in the lineup, but it is different when they are in the batter’s box.”

Martinez struck out three and walked none.

“That was just a great performance by Adrian,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “He comes up here for his first major league start and attacks the zone right away. That’s what you want to see from a kid.”

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Lou Trivino . Eric Haase struck out, Robbie Grossman forced in a run with a walk and Austin Meadows popped out.

“We need today to be encouraging and we’re going to make it encouraging,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “We had a really good first game and we gave ourselves a chance in the second one. We can’t ask for much more than that.”

You can listen to the Tigers and A's game on DELAY tonight at 11pm on KpaySports 1290 and 102.9 FM 

WARRIORS LOOK TO OUST MEMPHIS AND MOVE ON TO WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Memphis’ chances of staving off elimination are even tougher now.

The Golden State Warriors put the Grizzlies on the brink of the offseason after they rallied late in Game 4 on Monday night to grab a 3-1 series lead as Memphis star Ja Morant sat out with a sore right knee.

Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the postseason after an MRI and further evaluation revealed a bone bruise on his injured knee, the team announced Tuesday night. The NBA’s Most Improved Player winner and All-Star guard had been averaging 38.3 points a game.

The Warriors now head to Memphis needing one victory to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2019 — when they lost in the NBA Finals before missing the last two postseasons.

That’s been a long wait for a franchise that won three championships in the last decade.

“Wednesday is going to be the hardest one yet,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “It always is, the closeout. We have to put this behind us and put together a good game plan.”

Even without Morant, Memphis still led for all but 45.7 seconds of Game 4 before Golden State rallied for a 101-98 victory. It was the first time Memphis had been held under 100 points this postseason.

“We’re back home,” Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “We’ve got our fans. It’s going to be loud, so we’re excited to get back home and go play again, man. We have another chance to play. They’re a good team. We obviously know how the game went. Yeah, we get another chance at it.”

And that “it” is pushing this series back to San Francisco for Game 6 on Friday.

KPAYSPORTS 1290 and 102.9 FM will carry tonight's GAME 5 immediately after the conclusion of Chico State Playoff baseball at 6:45pm tonight.....

  The Georgia Bulldogs are national champions after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in Indianapolis.  Kelee Ringo returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown to seal the deal for the Bulldogs.  Stetson Bennett threw two touchdowns, including a go-ahead score to Adonai Mitchell to give Georgia the lead for good.  It's the first national championship for the Bulldogs since 1980.  Bryce Young threw a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.  Cameron Latu caught a touchdown for Alabama, which was unsuccessful in its defense of last year's national title.

-The Warriors head to Memphis tonight as Klay Thompson's return continues. Warriors come in with a record of 30-9. You can hear the game on KpaySports 1290 at 4:30pm with the pregame and 5pm tip-off from Memphis 

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  The Minnesota Vikings are undergoing major changes.  According to multiple reports, the team is parting ways with General Manager Rick Spielman and Head Coach Mike Zimmer.  Zimmer was hired in 2014 and helped the Vikings reach the postseason three times in his tenure.  Spielman was hired by Minnesota in 2006 and eventually promoted to general manager in 2012.  The Vikings finished the season with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs.

(Chicago, IL)  --  The Chicago Bears are parting ways with Head Coach Matt Nagy and General Manager Ryan Pace.  Multiple reports confirmed the team will move in a different direction after the Nagy and Pace-led Bears finished the season with a 6-11 record.  Nagy was hired in 2018 after serving as offense coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs the year before.  Pace was hired as general manager in 2015 and was the youngest general manager in the NFL at the time.

(Miami, FL)  --  The owner of the Miami Dolphins is taking personal responsibility for firing the team's head coach.  Stephen Ross said he made the decision to let Brian Flores go.  Flores went 24 and 25 in three seasons with the team.  Ross said "key dynamics of our football organization weren't functioning at a level" where they needed to be.  He added the move to get rid of Flores was "in the best interest" of the team.

(East Rutherford, NJ)  --  Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman is announcing his retirement, after four seasons with the team.  The announcement comes a day after the Giants finished 4-14 this season.  Gettlelman issued a statement saying "We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing."  Meantime, the fate of the team's head coach Joe Judge has yet to be determined, while there are reports he is expected to stay put. 

(King County, WA)  --  Seahawks backup quarterback Geno Smith is in some hot water.  Smith was arrested for suspicion of DUI early Monday morning, according to King County District Court records.  He was arrested around 2 a.m. and was released at around 9:30 a.m after posting bail.  Smith started three games for the Seahawks this season when Russell Wilson was injured.  He led Seattle to a 1-and-2 record over that span. 

(Indianapolis, IN)  --  The College Football Playoff is staying at four teams, for now.  Leaders of the CFP failed to reach an agreement about expanding the field beyond the current setup of four teams.  The possibility of more teams being added is not totally out of the picture yet, as things could be agreed upon before the end of the current 12-year contract, which is set to expire in 2025.  Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby says that the 10 FBS commissioners voted, but did not come "close to unanimity." 

(Tampa, FL)  --  Tom Brady's head coach wants him to take home some hardware.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said it would be a "travesty" if Brady doesn't win MVP.  The 44-year-old Brady has thrown for a league-leading 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  As a result, Brady led the Buccaneers to 13-and-4 record and an NFC South Division title.  He also set an NFL record with 485 completions this season. 

(Undated)  --  Another top quarterback is entering the transfer portal.  USC QB Jaxson Dart entered the portal on Monday, becoming the latest collegiate star to possibly be on the move before next season.  Dart split time under center with Kedon Slovis last season for the Trojans.  He threw for 1,353 yards, nine touchdowns and five picks over six games of action.  The decision comes after Caleb Williams entered the portal last week and could possibly reunite with Lincoln Riley at USC.  ESPN reports the Trojans are among the top schools under consideration for the Oklahoma QB. 

(Irving, TX)  --  The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame are announcing the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame class.  The class consisted of 18 players and three coaches selected from a national ballot of players and coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, divisional ranks and NFF Veterans Committee.  Players elected include Champ Bailey, LaVar Arrington and Andrew Luck.  The three coaches selected were John Luckhardt, Billy Jack Murphy and Gary Pinkel.  The group will be officially inducted on December 6th during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner.

--It's the 50th installment of the Almond Bowl tonight as the Chico High Panthers take on the Pleasant Valley Vikings. So many memorable match-ups and great games....tonight should be another. Chico is 6-1 while PV is 4-3. LISTEN LIVE tonight at 7:30pm on KpaySports 1290 !

     The Chico State men's and women's soccer teams hosting two matches this weekend of old CCAA foes. San Francisco State is in town today

as the women play at 4:30 while the men take the pitch at 7pm. On Sunday Both the Wildcat squads will host Sonoma State, BUT because of the

downpour that is expected the matches will be played at Pleasant Valley High School's turf field. It will also be Senior Day for the Wildcats as the men's and women's  teams honor their seniors.....

     The women enter the weekend 7-3-2 overall and 3-1-2 in the CCAA while the men are 4-8 overall and 3-3 in the CCAA.

     The CCAA Cross Country Championships are in San Marcos tomorrow as the nationally ranked men's and women's teams look to keep one of 

the most amazing and longest streaks of success going.....The women have won 13 straight conferenece titles while the men have won 19 in a row.

Their dominance is a true dynasty in collegiate running as the Wildcats look to springboard to the West Regionals in Monmouth, Oregon in two weeks.....

     The Los Angeles Dodgers are still alive in the NL Championship Series after snapping out of their hitting funk while getting an outstanding performance from six relievers.

     Chris Taylor slammed three home runs and drove in six as the Dodgers clobbered the Braves, 11-2 in Game 5, sending the series back to Atlanta. Taylor belted two-run homers in the second and fifth innings before delivering a solo shot. He overshadowed teammate AJ Pollock, who provided a solo shot and a three-run blast.

     Taylor had four of the Dodgers’ 17 hits, while Pollock, Trea Turner and Cody Bellinger had three apiece.

     The LA bullpen limited Atlanta to three runs while striking out nine over 8 1/3 innings. Dodgers relievers allowed their team to rebound after starter Joe Kelly left with an injury in the first inning, shortly after giving up a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman.

     Losing pitcher Max Fried (freed) was lifted with two out in the fifth, charged with five runs and eight hits.

     Game 6 is Saturday in Atlanta.

     Braves slugger Jorge Soler (soh-LEHR’) struck out as a pinch-hitter after being cleared for COVID-19.

     Dodgers infielder Justin Turner is done for the season following a hamstring injury sustained in Wednesday’s loss.

ALCS-ASTROS/RED SOX

HOUSTON (AP) — It will be Luis Garcia starting for the Astros against Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL’-dee) in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Friday.

Astros manager Dusty Baker announced his pitching selection Thursday afternoon as his team holds a three-games-to-two lead in the series. García started Game 2 and gave up a grand slam in the first inning before leaving with no outs in the second because of discomfort in his right knee.

 Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 56.8 seconds remaining as part of his 45-point performance in the Warriors' 115-113 triumph over the Clippers. Damion Lee hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:55 remaining and scored 11 points off the bench for Golden State. Paul George had 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the Clippers’ season opener.

The Chico State men's and women's Cross Country teams make their way to Bellingham, Washington for their final tune up race before

CCAA action begins. The women are ranked 2nd in the West and 14th in the Nation. The race gives the Wildcat women a second bite of the apple against

Simon Fraser who out-distanced them at the SF State Invite a few weeks ago. It also gives Head Coach Gary Towne a final look at his runners and who will carry the mantle in conference meets.....

For the Chico State men a great barometer as they take on a tough Simon Fraser squad as well......the perrenial power in Chico State is ranked number one in the West and 5th in the country.

  Two-time All-American Wyatt Baxter will make his season debut for Chico State after missing the first two races with an injury; and the team will be covering 10 kilometers after opening the season with consecutive 8k races. 

*********************************

The Chico State Volleyball will host two CCAA squads from Southern California. CSLA is in town tonight with Dominguez Hills tomorrow.

The matches at Acker Gym begin at 5pm. Chico is 5-9 overall and 1-5 CCAA. Fans are welcome to the event.

-Venue capacity is limited to 50% of the listed capacity for each facility.

-Spectators must follow campus health and safety guidelines: symptom check and mask indoors; mask outdoors where physical distancing cannot be achieved.

-Spectators will be limited to seating areas (bleachers and stands).

-At the end of the competition, spectators are asked to leave the venue immediately and wait outside the venue to greet participants.

No spectators are allowed in team areas, including the playing area, bench, hallways, athletic training room, locker rooms, etc.

**********************************

After breaking a 6 match losing skid with a thrilling 1-0 win last Sunday the Chico State men's soccer team  hits the road for a couple of big

matches this weekend. Chico takes on Monterey Bay in Seaside today at 4:30pm. Chico enters the match 2-6 overall  and 1-1 CCAA.

The Chico State women feeling good hitting the road as well taking on the Otters of Monterey at 7pm tonight. Chico is off to a great start

in their 2021 campaign with a record of 5-1-2 overall and 1-0-1 in CCAA action.

Both teams will head to Dominguez Hills for matches on Sunday

**************************************

Butte College Football has a bye this weekend......they resume play next week when they play at Santa Rosa next Saturday afternoon....

-Enterprise (5-0) @ PLEASANT VALLEY (2-3)   LOST Rancho Cotate 46-33

-Chico (4-1) @ Red Bluff (3-2)  WON 57-25 Yuba City Dion Coleman 8 touchdowns !

-East Nicolaus (1-3) @ Paradise (3-1)  WON 21-13 Durham 

-Colusa (5-1) @ Durham (2-3)  LOST 21-13 Paradise

-Orland (4-1) @ Lassen (0-4) WON Corning 30-0 

-Oroville (0-4) @ Corning (0-5) LOST 30-0 Orland 

-Gridley (2-2) @ Sutter (4-1) WON Live Oak 49-0 

-Las Plumas BYE 

(AP) — The San Francisco Giants finally won the NL West without needing to wait for the rival Dodgers' result on the season’s final day, pounding the San Diego Padres 11-4 for a franchise-record 107th victory to top the 1904 New York team. Logan Webb did it all in leading San Francisco to its first division crown since 2012. Buster Posey had an incredible day, too. Webb walked off to a standing ovation when replaced in the eighth after allowing three straight singles. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter while pitching seven-plus stellar innings, and also hit a two-run homer in the fifth to clear the fences for his first time in his career.

(AP) — Russell Wilson overcame a shaky start to throw for two touchdowns and run for a third and the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from back-to-back losses by beating the San Francisco 49ers 28-21. The Seahawks went three-and-out on their first five drives of the game and appeared in danger of their first three-game losing streak in a season in nine seasons with Wilson at quarterback before he found his groove. Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left with a calf injury at halftime and rookie Trey Lance threw two TD passes in relief in the second half.

     The Chico State Men's Soccer team with a thrilling win on Sunday breaking a six-match losing streak with a goal with 35 seconds left in regulation

to beat Cal State San Marcos 1-0.

Chico's losing streak stretched to six after a 3-0 loss to San Bernardino on Friday night. After some lineup changes the Cats played much 

better but were still struggling to find the back of the net. Miles Rice changed that in the final minute on Sunday.....he took a deflected pass about

15 yards from the right post and ripped a left-footed rocket past a defender and goal keeper

Chico takes on Monterey Bay and Dominguez Hills on the road next weekend.

     Chico State Women's Soccer celebrated head coach Kim Sutton's 250th career win on Friday with a 2-1 win over San Bernardino.....goals and

glory tougher to come by on Sunday against San Marcos as both teams fired off shots against each other but played to a scoreless draw.

Chico had 23 shots....10 on goal....while San Marcos had 12 shots. The Cats are 5-1-2 overal and 1-0-1 in CCAA play.....Chico will play their 

next three CCAA matches on the road.

     The Chico State Women's Golf team wraps up a furious 4 week stretch with their fourth tournament as they play in the Sonoma State Invitational.

The Cats got off to a great start at the RJGA Shootout in Arizona......stumbled on the final day and finished 12th. The Cats look to finish out fall portion

of the scheudule with two great rounds against CCAA and Great Northwest Conference squads.....

     The Chico State Vollebyall dropped a pair of CCAA match-ups on the road this weekend. The Cats fall to San Marcos on Friday in four sets and Cal State East Bay in four sets on Saturday. Chico is now 5-9 overall and 1-5 in CCAA play. Chico will host Cal State LA and Dominguez Hills this weekend

     Chico High Panthers move to 4-1 with a 57-25 win over Yuba City on Friday night. It was a night that Sophomore Dion Coleman will not soon forget.

Coleman added to his already incredible touchdown tally with EIGHT touchdowns in the blowout win. Coleman now has 18 touchdowns through four games. He missed the Panthers first game due to COVID exposure. 

Paradise gets a big win on the road versus Durham....beating the Trojans 21-13.

• Two Night Stay at the Westgate Resort Las Vegas. Legendary. Vegas. Fun.
• Dinner for two at Edge Steakhouse
• Round of golf for two
• Roundtrip airfare from Frontier Airlines

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, a legendary world-class destination, offers a unique blend of amenities and excitement with all your favorite table games, hottest slots on the market, incredible restaurants, endless entertainment, more than 225,000 square feet of meeting space and the world's largest Race & Sports SuperBook®, which is home to Nevada’s largest wagering system and more than 4,488 square feet of state-of-the-art HD video screens, in a comfortable, smoke-free environment. Westgate Las Vegas provides a range of culinary adventures with eight restaurants, including the world-famous Benihana, the award-winning Edge Steakhouse and the newest addition Fresco Italiano. 

      The Chico State men's golf team sitting in third place entering the final round of the Sonoma State Invitational at the Valley of the Moon Golf Club in Santa Rosa.
The Wildcats shot two rounds of 288 and are 16-over par as a team only 
one shot back of Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State San Marcos.
Christopher Colla is tied for 8th at -1 for the tournment.
Wildcats play their final round today....

     The Chico State women are sitting in 6th place 13 shots off the lead as they
get ready for today's final round of the Sea Lion Invitational in San Diego.
One of the great stories for Chico State is true freshman Trinity 
Hernandez who shot a 74....two over par and is only one shot off the lead
tied with four others going into today's final round.
Acadaemy of Art sits atop of the leader board with a two stroke lead.

     It was a dominant performance by the Chico State women's soccer team
as they trounce Holy Names 10-1 at University Soccer Stadium
yesterday afternoon. The Cats outshot Holy Names by an amazing 36-2
margin. Amanda Nunes and Emily Billena each scored two goals as eight
different Wildcats scored goals. Chico moves to 3-1 on the season and 
will play at Dominican University in San Rafael on Thursday.

     The CCAA has announced that Chico State freshman Cross Country
runner Brayden McLaughlin is the CCAA Runner of the Week.
McLaughlin helped lead the Wildcats to an easy win over the field
in the Chico State's first meet of the year in San Francisco this past 
weekend. McLaughlin covered the eight-kilometer course through Speedway 
Meadows in Golden Gate Park in 24:37.9, finishing behind only Simon Fraser's 
Aaron Ahl while leading a dominant winning effort by Chico State.

     (AP)--Ten players were within two shots of the lead in the final round of the U.S. Open when a game of musical chairs broke out. Suddenly, everybody started missing — except Jon Rahm. The 26-year-old Spaniard, the only player who didn’t drop a shot on the back nine, zoomed up the leaderboard as major champions and can't-miss prospects were squeezed by Torrey Pines' toughened up South Course. “You see all those great names,” Rahm said, “and to myself I thought whoever wins this one is going to be the one who won a U.S. Open with a star-packed leaderboard.” 

     (AP) — None of the chaos that unfolded Sunday at the U.S. Open was going to make anyone forget the putt Tiger Woods made on the 18th hole to force a playoff he won on a broken leg the first time the event was held at Torrey Pines in 2008. But this one was memorable for reasons of it’s own, including the two sloping left-to-right putts Jon Rahm made for birdie on the final two holes to win his first major championship. Torrey was so tough it took karma _ and a lot of it _ to crown this new champion.

     SAN DIEGO (AP) — Louis Oosthuizen has repeatedly put himself in contention at majors with his syrupy swing and easygoing nature. The South African did it again at this year's U.S. Open, building a two-shot lead after a birdie at the 10th hole. When Jon Rahm birdied his final two holes, Oosthuizen needed a birdie in his final two to tie. Instead, he bogeyed the 17th hole after pulling his tee shot left into a canyon and came up a shot short. Oosthuizen finished second in a major for the sixth time since winning the 2010 British Open.

     PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker had 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double and the Phoenix Suns overcame Chris Paul’s absence to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Paul sat out because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his third straight game because of a sprained right knee. Deandre Ayton had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Suns. Cameron Payne started for Paul and had 11 points and nine assists to help the Suns win their eighth straight game. Paul George had 34 points for Los Angeles. Game 2 is on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

     PHOENIX (AP) — Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer and passed Mel Ott for 14th on the career runs list, and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended the Arizona Diamondbacks’ losing streak to 17 games with a 9-8 victory. Arizona trailed 9-2 before closing with six runs in the eighth, when Josh Rojas’ inning-ending groundout against Victor Gonzalez stranded runners at the corners. Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save. Arizona is approaching the longest losing streak of the wild card era, 19 games by the Kansas City Royals in 2005.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his sixth homer in six games for the Angels, but Daz Cameron hit a two-run single in the 10th inning and the Detroit Tigers avoided a four-game series sweep with a 5-3 victory over Los Angeles. Ohtani’s career-best 23rd homer, a two-run shot in the fifth, tied him with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead. Miguel Cabrera had a two-run single in the fifth for the Tigers, who finished their road trip at 4-3. Michael Fulmer pitched the 10th for his sixth save, walking Ohtani with two outs before striking out Taylor Ward.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Wilmer Flores had four hits, including two of San Francisco’s four home runs, and the Giants routed the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2. Brandon Crawford hit his 16th homer and Mike Yastrzemski combined with Flores for consecutive homers in the first off Zach Eflin. San Francisco has 107 home runs, tied with Toronto for the major league lead. Sammy Long, a 25-year-old left-hander who debuted June 9, won his first major league start. Long allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk. He retired 10 of his final 11 batters.

     (AP) — The New York Yankees turned their third triple play of the season to strand the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, bailing out closer Aroldis Chapman in a shaky outing and closing down a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. Gary Sánchez spoiled Sean Manaea’s gem with a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning, and Jonathan Loaisiga and Lucas Luetge turned a 2-1 lead over to Chapman in the ninth. Chapman walked Jed Lowrie and Chad Pinder on nine pitches but got a hard grounder to third from Sean Murphy for the 5-4-3 triple play.

     (AP) — All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard has a right knee injury that may keep him out of the Los Angeles Clippers’ lineup for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Leonard’s status hinges on what he and the Clippers learn after additional examination and treatment, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not divulged the injury.

Leonard was not listed on the injury report that the Clippers filed with the league Tuesday night. That report is scheduled to be updated Wednesday.

ESPN first reported that Leonard is dealing with the knee injury.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, is averaging 30.4 points on 57% shooting in the playoffs.

The injury appeared to occur with about 5:20 left in Game 4 of the series against Utah on Monday night, when he was fouled on a drive by Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic (BOY’-ahn bahg-DAH’-noh-vich).

     — Phoenix guard Chris Paul has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and it is unclear whether he’ll be available for the start of the Western Conference finals next week, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person told The Associated Press that the Suns are not certain exactly how long Paul will have to be away from the team. A second person told the AP that Paul has been vaccinated against COVID-19. That may mean that Paul, if he has tested positive, could be cleared to return more quickly than those who tested positive earlier this season before vaccines were readily available. The earliest the West finals would begin is Sunday. It depends on how long the other West semifinal series between Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers lasts.

     — A person familiar with the situation says Stan Van Gundy is out as Pelicans coach following just one season at the helm. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the move has not been publicly announced. Van Gundy was hired last October about two months before the start of a pandemic-delayed and shortened season. He coached a Pelicans squad led by All-Star Zion Williamson to a 31-41 record and New Orleans missed the playoffs. The move means Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin will be hiring his second coach in as many season after firing Alvin Gentry last summer.

      (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks have each won two games in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series heading into Game 5 Wednesday in Philadelphia. The Sixers have to try to win the series with Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) playing with torn cartilage in his right knee. Embiid missed all 12 shots in the second half of a Game 4 loss. Ben Simmons also continues to struggle for the 76ers. Simmons went 1-for-5 from the free-throw line in Game 4 and is just 18-for-52 in the playoffs.

     The Western Conference semifinal series between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers is also tied 2-2. The Jazz return to Salt Lake City with their young star Donovan Mitchell dealing with a sore right ankle. Mitchell has hit at least five 3-pointers in five straight games. The top-seeded Jazz have lost back-to-back playoff games.

     The Clippers have confidence and a winning streak, but it’s not clear if they’ll have Kawhi Leonard. He and Paul George have each scored at least 20 points in all 11 games this postseason. They are just the third duo in NBA history to do that in a team’s first 11 playoff games and the first since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers in 2003.

     (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and the Utah Jazz forced nine straight misses down the stretch to outlast the Los Angeles Clippers 117-111 and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. Mitchell clinched the game with a driving shot with 43 seconds remaining but then appeared to hurt his leg slightly on a foul by Paul George with 10 seconds to play. He made one of two free throws after hobbling to the line. The guard is the first Jazz player with at least 35 points in back-to-back playoff games since Karl Malone in 1988.

(AP) — Jrue Holiday made a go-ahead driving layup with 11.4 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Brooklyn Nets 86-83 in Game 3 after two blowout losses in New York. Kevin Durant’s 3-point attempt to tie bounced off the rim as the horn sounded. He scored the Nets’ last nine points and finished with 30. Game 4 of the second-round series is Sunday in Milwaukee. Khris Middleton scored 35 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 33 for the Bucks. They won after blowing a 21-point lead.

(AP) — Jorge Soler and Andrew Benintendi homered to help back Mike Minor, and the Kansas City Royals snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Oakland Athletics 6-1. The Royals finally got to Frankie Montas, who was crisp into the seventh with eight strikeouts and no walks. He was tagged for three runs — two earned — on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Minor struck out eight and walked one while allowing three hits and one earned run over seven strong innings. Hunter Dozier hit a tying double in the seventh then Kelvin Gutiérrez followed with a go-ahead, two-run single.

Giants and Nationals were rained out and will make the game up as part of a double-header on Saturday