Bellator MMA | Contributed

On January 23rd, BELLATOR officials announced that a pivotal heavyweight bout between No. 7-ranked Marcelo Golm (10-3) and No. 8-ranked Daniel James (14-6-1) has been booked to headline the promotion’s Friday, March 31 return to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. for Bellator 293.

In the card’s co-main event, San Diego’s top-ranked Cat Zingano (13-4) returns to featherweight action against the No. 4-ranked Leah McCourt (7-2) of Ireland. Additionally, a middleweight contest between No. 4-ranked John Salter (18-6) and No. 6-ranked Aaron Jeffrey (13-3) is official for the main card, as well as a 170-pound tilt showcasing No. 10-ranked Jaleel Willis (16-4) against 13-fight UFC veteran Rustam Khabilov (24-4), who will be making his BELLATOR MMA debut.

The main card of BELLATOR 293: Golm vs. James will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Friday, March 31 on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

A special ticket presale for the event will take place between Tuesday, January 24 – Thursday, January 26, while the general public on sale begins Thursday, January 26 at 3 p.m. PT. Tickets will be available at the Pechanga box office, as well as Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and Pechanga.com.

The preliminary card is also taking shape, with the addition of a marquee clash between two undefeated 155-pounders, when Archie Colgan(6-0) takes on Justin Montalvo (5-0). Also, at lightweight, “Magic” Mike Hamel (9-5) faces “Nyquil” Nick Browne (13-2) and Jay-Jay Wilson (9-1) fights Mandel Nallo (9-2, 1 NC). These along with more soon to be announced bouts will air live at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV.

Brazil’s Marcelo Golm sports a well-earned reputation among fight fans as a punishing finisher, boasting a remarkable 100% stoppage rate replete with seven knockouts and three submissions. He has demonstrated that fight-ending ability in spades since joining BELLATOR, scoring a first-round knockout of Billy Swanson in his promotional debut before submitting Davion Franklin with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their thrilling BELLATOR 283 scrap. The win over Franklin catapulted the 30-year-old into title contention, and at BELLATOR 293, Golm will look to solidify his status as a top contender in the division with an emphatic victory over fellow behemoth Daniel James.

Nicknamed “The American Predator,” Daniel James stunned the MMA world at BELLATOR 288 with a thunderous, come-from-behind knockout of then-No. 5-ranked Tyrell Fortune in the second round of their heavyweight clash. The hulking James, 41, continues to prove that age is just a number; the win over Fortune was James’ fourth straight victory, all four of which came by way of knockout. Proudly representing Chicago, James will get the opportunity to prove that the result of his first BELLATOR fight in eight years was no fluke and assert himself as a veritable title contender when the cage door closes behind him and Golm in Temecula on March 31.

“Alpha” Cat Zingano is one of mixed martial arts’ pioneering female fighters, but she has no plans on closing the book on her impressive résumé just yet. Zingano, 40, became a standout in wrestling before transitioning to MMA; she was a multi-time All-American wrestler at the NCAA Division III level, where she also became a national champion. The jiu-jitsu black belt has continued achieving success since joining BELLATOR in 2020, rattling off three straight wins in dominant fashion over Gabrielle Holloway, Olivia Parker, and Pam Sorenson. Ranked first in the women’s featherweight division and as BELLATOR’s No. 4 pound-for-pound female talent, Zingano will look to set up a showdown with champion Cris Cyborg with a highlight-reel victory over McCourt this March.

One of BELLATOR’s fastest-rising stars, Ireland’s Leah “The Curse” McCourt will face her toughest test to date in this compelling old school vs. new school matchup between top featherweight contenders. McCourt, a former amateur world champion and a judo black belt, has won seven of her last eight fights including a unanimous decision over Dayana Silva in front of a raucous Dublin crowd at BELLATOR 285. The 30-year-old is the No. 4-ranked contender in the division over which she one day hopes to reign, and she will look to move up from her place at eighth in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings by defeating a living legend in Zingano.

In a clash of top-five middleweight contenders, Canadian star Aaron Jeffery will look to continue his impressive start to his BELLATOR tenure against perennial contender John Salter. The mullet-donning 30-year-old has scored two emphatic knockouts in his first two BELLATOR outings, including a first-round finish of former title challenger Austin Vanderford. Meanwhile, Salter aims to return to the win column after coming up just short to champion Johnny Eblen and ex-titlist Gegard Mousasi in successive outings.

Fresh off of a thrilling defeat of standout wrestler Kyle Crutchmer, Memphis’ Jaleel “The Realest” Willis will look to continue his upward momentum in the welterweight division by welcoming Russia’s Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov to the BELLATOR cage. Willis, 30, has won three of his five BELLATOR fights and looked much-improved against Crutchmer thanks to his time training at Kill Cliff FC. Dagestan’s Khabilov has different plans for his promotional debut, and he aims to establish himself as an immediate contender for the title with a dominant performance against Willis. The well-credentialed and well-rounded 36-year-old has been there and done then, sporting victories over Jorge Masvidal, Yancy Medeiros, and Chris Wade among his admirable resumé.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Seven top-ten ranked Bellator athletes set to compete at newly-announced Bellator 293 on Friday, March 31 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Social media stardom came unexpectedly to Haley and Hanna Cavinder. A way to pass time during the pandemic now has Fresno State’s twin sister basketball stars positioned to be among the most successful college-athlete entrepreneurs as soon as the rules allow it.

Ohio State lacrosse player Mitchell Pehlke has been cultivating his online following for years. When NCAA athletes are finally able to monetize their fame without compromising their eligibility, Pehlke is ready to restart the business of his brand.

A new era in college sports dawns Thursday when, for the first time, athletes at the highest levels of college sports will be permitted to be compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness. They can earn money based on their celebrity or fame without running afoul of school, conference or NCAA rules.

The transition has been anything but smooth. More than a half-dozen states have laws set to go into effect Thursday designed to open up the market for athletes and bar the NCAA from interfering. The NCAA is on board with the idea of reforming its NIL rules, but change has come slowly and awkwardly. At some point Congress is expected to step in and provide a law that brings uniformity across the country.

Despite the uncertainty, the doors to the college athlete market are about to swing open and some of them are prepared to cash in immediately.

“I’m going to do as much as I can on that first day and just kind of keep the train going,” said Pehlke, whose YouTube channel has more than 14,600 subscribers. “But I think right now it’s figuring out what I want to do and then drawing it out with my compliance contact to see if that’s all OK, and then get everything prepared for July 1, and then just hit the ground running.”

The Cavinders are 5-foot-6 identical twins who posted similar stat lines for Fresno State as sophomores last season. Haley was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer at 19.8 points per game while Hanna averaged 17. Haley was the Mountain West player of the year.

The Cavinders are good enough to think about possible pro careers, but they are also the perfect example of how the NIL market will be a boon for way more than just star quarterbacks and point guards at high-profile schools.

Athletic accomplishment is only a small piece of the puzzle. In a world where anybody with a smart phone can be a content creator, the Cavinders’ TikTok videos that often combine dancing and basketball have really caught on.

As the views and followers started piling up into the millions, Haley and Hanna found out their videos could have value way beyond family bonding during quarantine. Icon Source, a company that connects brands and athletes through an app, said wireless communications brand Boost Mobile plans to offer a deal to the Cavinders on Thursday.

“We have discovered you can, like, monetize all your accounts and you can create a profit off them, and then partnering with brands is really a cool, eye-opening thing,” Hanna said over a Zoom call from their home in Gilbert, Arizona.

“We never knew that could be a thing,” Haley added.

Blake Lawrence is the CEO of Opendorse, one of a handful of companies working with dozens of schools on NIL programming and education. He said the estimated value of a social media account can be determined by followers. A tweet, for example, can garner $10 per 1,000 followers for the account that posts it.

Instagram is closer to $20 per follower, according to Lawrence. TikTok followers are worth $3-$4 and YouTube followers range from $4-$7. Actual value is ultimately determined by engagement with the post, which companies can measure by likes, comments, retweets and shares.

The Cavinders said companies have been in touch but they are cautious.

“A lot of brands have reached out, but we obviously cannot work with them because of the rules and eligibility,” Hanna said.

The NCAA is close to a stopgap plan that will allow all athletes to be compensated for NIL usage. It is considering waiving its rules against such payments, schools would follow state NIL laws where applicable, and schools would set their own policies in states with no NIL law.

All the uncertainty has been a source of worry for the Cavinders’ parents, who fear an eager move by the twins could cost them eligibility.

“I know the girls keep saying, ‘Oh, July 1’ and they’re excited, but we still are just like, ‘OK, put on the brakes for a little bit until we make sure that it does get passed,’” Katie Cavinder said.

Pehlke also said he is proceeding cautiously with guidance from Ohio State and Opendorse, but expects to ramp up the business he had to shut down when he became a college athlete in 2020.

Pehlke has been a YouTuber since high school. Not only was he already monetizing his posts, but he was selling merchandise like T-shirts and Pop Sockets to his fans. Between the two, Pehlke said, the revenue could get into the “thousands” of dollars.

“But obviously with the (NIL) rules not in place, I had to turn it all down,” Pehlke said. “And that was just kind of devastating to me just because you put in so much work and I’m not a guy in this industry that’s just making viral videos. Like, this is going to be my life.”

Knowing the rules would change, Pehlke kept pumping out content. He treats it like a job, coming third behind school and lacrosse on his list of responsibilities.

“My friends will be there. They know I set strict boundaries with them where I don’t see them until Friday nights and Saturday nights because I know this is all going to pay off in the long run,” Pehlke said.

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez isn’t a big social media guy, but he started thinking about ways to take advantage of the changes last fall. He started a podcast called Athletes Unfiltered with NIL in mind. He’s got some other ideas, too, such as putting his name on football camps or maybe signing autographs for money.

“The opportunity is too good to pass up and thankfully we have great people here at Nebraska that have helped me kind of get outside my comfort zone and become somewhat of a content creator,” Martinez said.

The Cavinders don’t know what their online stardom will lead to. They are passionate about health and fitness, so maybe the following they have built can someday help lead to a career in that field?

“We still think of ourselves as just basketball players,” Haley said.

Soon, though, they will likely be paid to be influencers.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post NCAA’s NIL era arrives, some athletes are ready to cash in appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Transgender women and girls couldn’t play on girls and women’s school sports teams under a bill passed by a Florida House committee on Wednesday.

The bill, called the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, would require that anyone participating in girls and women’s sports at the K-12 and college level be biologically eligible to do so. If challenged, they would have to get confirmation from a health care provider that they are female. That could include a doctor examining their genitals.

“The act is pro-women and pro-girls and only acknowledges the biological differences between men and women,” said Republican Rep. Kaylee Tuck, the bill’s sponsor.

But Democrats slammed the proposal, calling it discriminatory against transgender girls and women.

Republicans in Congress and more than 20 state legislatures are pushing for similar bans, though supporters, including Tuck, largely haven’t been able to cite examples of transgender students’ participation causing problems.

The House Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee voted 13-4 to approve the bill, with all “no” votes cast by Democrats. The measure is based on an Idaho law that has been blocked by a federal court while a lawsuit challenging its legality proceeds.

Tuck used Allyson Felix as an example. Felix is the only woman to win six track and field gold medals in the Olympics.

“Allyson Felix is the fastest woman in the world… but yet the personal best in the 400 meters can be beaten by hundreds of high school boys,” Tuck said. “If we allow biological males to compete in athletic events against biological females, we may never see another Allyson Felix again.”

Democrats who opposed the bill said there wasn’t an existing problem in Florida, and Tuck acknowledged she was unaware of any disputes about transgender students participating in female athletics.

Democratic Rep. Marie Paule Woodson said the bill is a dangerous piece of legislation that could lead to an attack on a group that is already vulnerable.

“Transgender have been ridiculed, they have been bullied, they are hated by so many, and if we’re talking about love — loving each other — it should not be based on condition of who you are,” Woodson said. “This bill will only marginalize and demonize the transgender community.”

Conservatives lawmakers across the nation are responding to an executive order by Democratic President Joe Biden that bans discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere, which he signed the day he took office. Mississippi became the first state this year to enact such a ban when the state’s governor signed it into law last week.

The Florida bill has two more committee stops in the House. A similar Senate bill hasn’t received its first hearing.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Florida bill seeks to block trans athletes from girls teams appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“It’s always the hope and desire of the Athletic Department here at SJHS to not only see our students further their education after graduation, but to also further their athletic careers as well,” said Amanda Galliano, SJHS’s Athletic Director. “It is with a tremendous amount of pride that we get to do just that for these athletes in our football and softball programs,” she noted.

Kajiya Hollawayne signed his intent letter for UCLA, located in Los Angeles, California for football. Lea Iribe made her commitment to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, located in Prescott, Arizona for softball.

Principal Courtney Hall shared her pride in the athletes, noting they are all role models on campus. “Thank you to our coaches for their time and guidance, and a special thank you to parents for supporting these students who have spent so much time in the sport their child loves,” said Hall.

When Athletic Director Galliano asked the students to share their future plans and who’d they like to thank, both seniors were all smiles and quick to answer. “I’m going to major in Kinesiology,” said Kajiya Hollawayne “I like to thank my mom, dad, brothers, sisters as well as my coaches, and I’m happy that football gave me an opportunity for college,” he continued.

“I plan to study Forensic Biology,” explained Lea Iribe. “I like to thank my parents, travel ball team and coaches, and I’m truly grateful that softball has given me an opportunity to attend such an amazing college,” she continued.

-Dawn Lawrence • SJUDS Coordinator

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post San Jacinto High School Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent for College appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Spring Baseball is around the corner for High School Athletes

Spring sports are around the corner and you know what that means: baseball season is here. Let’s take a look at how the teams finished last year, and make some way-to-early-but-interesting predictions on how they may place this season. Last year Tahquitz finished at the top of the league with a 17-8-1 record. They outscored their opponents 147 runs to 74. They made it into the playoffs but lost in the first round against Santa Margarita 7-1. Tahquitz graduated six seniors at the end of the season including their catcher and four pitchers. This means that coming into this season they will have an entirely new pitching staff as well as a new catcher. It will be interesting to see how Coach Savage was able to fill those spots and rebuild his roster. Last year Dylan Plutner, Ezra Farmer and Jacob Hyde are the only returning pitchers from last year’s CIF roster. This season’s Tahquitz roster is carrying seven seniors, so there is definitely veteran leadership, especially from Travis Booth who comes from the football team. 

Citrus Hill also made it into the playoffs last year with a 17-11 record, but there glory was short-lived: they had a first round exit against Moreno Valley. They graduated six seniors of their 25 man roster which means they have plenty of new talent on this season’s team. Expect them to be very competitive against the other teams in the league. 

San Jacinto was in third place in the Mountain Pass League with a 15-11 record. They were outscored by their opponents 125-109 and went on a horrendous five game losing streak to close out the season. They only graduated five seniors. Even being third in the league, they still made it into the playoffs, but lost in the first round against Ramona. The Tigers will be aiming to finish the season in the top three again this year. They have their work cut out for them. 

The Bulldogs went 12-13-1 on the season and missed a CIF berth. They only graduated four seniors, so they have virtually the same exact team coming back, but with the addition of four new players. Best case scenario is that the Bulldogs will experience addition by subtraction this season and the four replacement players will come in and play better than the four they lost. Otherwise the Bulldogs are looking at a similar finish as last year hovering around .500. 

West Valley finished their season last year with a 9-13 record, what is odd is they outscored their opponents 107 runs to 83. The runs just didn’t come at the right time. They have a new coach this season and some new faces on the team. They only graduated two seniors last season. This season they will dress nine seniors. 

Beaumont finished the season 9-17 last season, they graduated six seniors. Don’t expect much to change from the Cougars, unless they have a secret weapon they have been hiding in their farm system (JV/Freshman Teams). 

Notable Returning Players According To The Numbers:    Last season’s best hitter, Marty Munoz (Citrus Hills) will return.  He posted a .447 BA on the year. Jacob Mcmillon and Ethan Leonard from Hemet were both top five in home runs last season at 59 & 58 respectively, and they are ready to lead the Bulldogs offense this year. West Valley returns the two leaders in steals from last season Gabe Castro (12) and Issac Sandoval (11). Issac Sandoval is also last year’s strikeout leader (68) and banked in one no hitter. 

Our “Way-to-early-but-intersting”  power rankings:
1-Citrus Hill

2-Tahquitz

3-Hemet

4-San Jacinto

5- West Valley

6- Beaumont

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: It’s Time to, PLAY BALL!

The post It’s Time to, PLAY BALL! appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Occasionally a journalist stumbles onto something important that he never knew of previously. That happened to me when a member of the San Jacinto Lions Club (Also Alumni representative of the San Jacinto Educational Organization, phoned me and asked would if I be interested in doing a story on the Edward Hyatt Hall of Fame presentations for this past year.

Of course I said give it to me and off to the races, so to speak, we sped full speed ahead.
The San Jacinto Educational Organization was founded in 2004 and in 2007 they decided that they wanted to recognize outstanding athletes in all San Jacinto High School sports. According to Reed the event will take place at a banquet held on January 25th in the Douglas A. Brown Memorial Gymnasium at San Jacinto High School.

Seven outstanding athletes were chosen for awards this year. From the Class of 1973, Hansel Conrad Marruffo (Hansel) – football and baseball; Rodger Martin (Marty) Marsh , baseball, wrestling and track and field; Class of 1995, Christina Lee “Divine” Adams – track and basketball; Class of 2002, Gregory S. Davis-football, basketball and track and field; Class of 2008, Rene Marmolejo – football and wrestling. Ryan Dannewitz – football; Class of 2009 – Melisa “ Escamilla” Roberts – soccer.

Reed continues, “In the beginning we selected twelve athletes but after a couple of years we cut it down to 7 which continues.”
Who was Edward Hyatt?
The San Jacinto Education Foundation/Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Frame bears his name. He first brought education and athletics to San Jacinto in 1884.

He was the first te4acher and principal in San Jacinto and was insistent upon a well-rounded curriculum. Hyatt included physical education as part of the course of studies and fielded a championship football team. He also brought tennis to San Jacinto after seeing it played in San Diego.

The rivalry with Hemet traces its roots to the year Hemet became a town in 1920. Ata that time San Jacinto students were required to attend Hemet High School but refused. Hyatt taught them in his home and his students excelled academically and surpassed Hemet apathetically. Several of his students attended Stanford University as did his children, both boys and girls.

Hyatt was a member of the San Diego County Board of Education; and,, after Riverside became a county, became Superintendent of Schools for Riverside County. Edward Hyatt went on to become California Superintendent of outposts of California. His impact on education in the State is still felt today.
It is a well known fact that one doesn’t excel at universities simply because their parents have money – although it was seen as to help until the recent Hollywood Educational Scandals.

As for the San Jacinto Education Foundation, it was founded in the early 2000s to enhance the educational experience of students in our community.
More information regarding the upcoming banquet and awards ceremony can be obtained by calling 951-929-7700 ext. 4530 or 951-927–7142
Bet you didn’t know all of this, did you? I now am well-informed and hope you are, too.
Just sayin.’

rustystrait@gmail.com

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Foundation honors 7 athletes

The post SAN JACINTO EDUCATION FOUNDATION HONORS 7 ATHLETES appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Are We Putting Too Much Pressure On Young Athletes?

Are we putting too much “Performance Pressure” on young athletes? A lot of parents start their kids off in sports at a very young age, with intentions of giving the kids a chance to; burn off energy, make friends, learn respect for authority, and engage in a healthy lifestyle. The very moment a young athlete starts to show abilities that separates them from the rest of the pack is the moment when the fun ends and the pressure begins. We expect these kids to; score a touchdown every time they touch the ball, hit a home run at every at-bat, and make every shot they take on the basketball court. Parents forget that no athlete is perfect, not even the professionals…and that these are just kids. They don’t deserve, nor are they ready to have the weight of the world to carry on their shoulders like a bunch of young Atlas’s. We begin to value winning more than fun, and we force kids to train like professionals, robbing kids of their childhood and replacing it with a vigorous training schedule in preparation for their hoped-for future career.

Not every kid is going to make it to the Major Leagues, and that’s okay. Athletics teach kids many great life lessons; how to fight through adversity, how to give something you’re all, how to make friends, how to work hard, and many other things. You don’t have to force the dream of becoming a professional athlete on kids in order for them to get something out of sports. Some kids just play because they love it. There is no hidden motive.  Psychologytoday.com says, “over 75% of kids quit playing sports before middle school, due to unrealistic expectations and pressure applied to them by coaches and parents.”

Some Pressure Is Good
As a parent to an athlete, and also a coach, I know there is a fine line between too much and not enough pressure. Too much pressure and kids start to shut down. They don’t respond to criticism and completely ignore correction. Not enough pressure and kids will not hold themselves accountable for their actions. They will enjoy messing around instead of playing the game. It’s okay for parents and coaches to apply the correct amount of pressure to each individual kid, but that’s just it: each kid is different and each responds differently. They deserve to be treated as such. There are some kids who will go outside and work on the same layup for three hours straight on their own and never get bored. There are others that have to be begged just to play catch with you for 10-15 minutes. 

Realistic vs Un-Realistic Expectations
When young athletes start to shine, coaches and parents instantly begin to label them a “future pro” in hopes of encouraging them to make it to the top level of their respective sport. This can actually do more harm than good says www.healthychildren.org  “You may think that you are encouraging your athlete, but it is more likely that you are causing more damage. Many young athletes who are told they are the ‘next big thing’ have no idea what to do when they don’t make it. Their whole lives have been dedicated to their respective sport, training, playing, and learning. Now, in the blink of an eye, it is all gone. They feel like they have let everyone down around them, who told them they could make it and have no idea where to go from here. If your athlete shows flashes of greatness and you believe that they could one day make it, try to refocus your expectations from professional athlete to college graduate. Let them know, if they work hard enough they can earn a scholarship to a school and get their bachelor’s degree paid for. Have them take courses in college that interests them and could potentially lead to picking a career. There is a very limited amount of professional athletes. But there are thousands of athletic scholarships to go around every year. Focus their expectations on earning one of those. Instead of maybe one day making it to the pros.”

As the new year approaches so does another wave of sports. I encourage you this year to take your athletes back to their roots, remind them why they fell in love with the game and remind them to have fun!

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: The Pressure To Perform

The post The Pressure To Perform Can Often Be Overwhelming & Discouraging. appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Two Hometown Kids, Dominating The Southern-California Wrestling Scene

Wrestling has been a big deal in the valley for many many years. Many athletes have spent time on the wrestling mats ether as training for other sports or just because they love it so much. Local wrestling programs have produced professional mixed martial artists (Jared Vanderaa and Alberto Romo) a numerous amount of college wrestlers and coaches. Coaches like Officer Nacua and Ed Mendivil have been involved in the wrestling scene for years and have positively impacted many lives. Throughout the years many wrestlers have come and gone throughout the San Jacinto Valley, but two of the most promising prospects ever are wrestling right now. 

Arturo Ojeda Jr (San Jacinto High School) is returning for his senior season. Ojeda earned himself an impressive resume last season winning in County, League, and CIF. Ojeda finished his Junior season with an impressive 34-6 record and won five tournaments. He is an imposing wrestler and prides himself on his grit and tenacity. In the fall, Arturo spends his time on the football field, but his passion is on the mat. He hopes to return to San Jacinto later in life and become a wrestling coach. Coming into his senior season, Ojeda is ranked as the 11th heavyweight in the state. His first tournament this year was the Rim of the World Invitational last weekend. Ojeda was just one of a great many heavyweights, but he was listed as the favorite coming into the tournament. Ojeda pinned all five of his opponents and dominated the whole tournament. Ojeda is back in action this weekend at Citrus Hills High School for his next tournament.                                                                  
Karson Martin, who grew up in the valley and attended River Springs Charter School, is now a student at Chaparral High School. Karson’s roots run deep in San Jacinto. Both his older sister and brother graduated from San Jacinto High School and his mom was the principal there for many years. Martin also just finished his football season and is now ready for what the mat has to offer him. Martin was set up to have a breakout season last year. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a devastating injury suffered in the practice room: Martin suffered a snapped tibia and ankle, ultimately ending his season before it ever got started. However, Martin is back for his junior season and is ready to make up for the lost time. 

(Wrestling Runs)

This past weekend Martin entered the La Costa Canyon Hamada Classic tournament as an underdog. He was un-ranked and wasn’t expected to win. This is largely due to him not being able to wrestle last season.

Martin shot out the gate like a raging bull who was tired of being caged. He quickly pinned his first opponent and continued the momentum through the tournament finishing as the champion. Many of the other wrestlers/coaches were stunned, but Karson Martin knew he had what it took and wanted to take the opportunity to show everyone what he is about. These two young men both have what it takes to put the valley on the map as a wrestling powerhouse. Both boys are positioned to make deep runs in the CIF’s and can potentially win the state championship. Good luck boys! The Inland Empire Sports Connection/Hemet San Jacinto Chronicle will be watching. 

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Wrestling Runs

The post Wrestling Runs Deep In the San Jacinto Valley appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Student Body Section Was “Lit” As The Mustangs Dominated The Rams

It was a long night for Desert Mirage’s defense trying to keep up with West Valley’s skill players. Most of West Valley’s starters didn’t even see the field in the second half and were cheering on their teammates from the sidelines. West Valley scored two touchdowns in the very beginning of the game, one after receiving the ball at kick-off and the other after forcing a turnover (via fumble) and making Desert Mirage pay for the mistake by turning Tyrone Jackson Jr. (#3) loose for a 60 yard run, the game was quickly getting out of hand for the Rams and the Mustangs rushing game looked dominate.

Tyrone Jackson Jr wasn’t the only player who got to see the end zone last Friday night. Alfred Jones scored two times, once through the air and once on the ground. Tyrone Jackson Jr banked in two rushing touchdowns total and over 100 yards. Their performances made it hard to choose one of them for player of the week, so The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle decided that they both would share player of the week honors for this game. However, the Mustangs offense was feeling generous and four other players were able to get into the end zone. 

The student body section was screaming, dancing, and cheering their team on all game long. Many of the students came down and congratulated the team on their blowout victory, many of them looked like they were on the field with the team for the last two hours. That’s how hard they were cheering on their fellow Mustangs. The final score of the game was 55-0. The Mustangs put on a dominant showing in all phases of the game and looked like they might be ready to move up to a more competitive division like they were in the past. 

Coach Perez had this to say to the team after the game, “You guys enjoy this win, it was a big win and this is the first time West Valley has been 2-0 since 2014, however, get it all out of your system tonight because we are back here at 9:00 in the morning for film and Temecula Valley isn’t going to let us run all around the field on them like we did tonight, so we have to start preparing immediately. You understand? Celebrate until 9:00 tomorrow morning, and I want you guys in the film room ready to start preparing for next week.”

Coach Perez want them to enjoy their victory, but wanted them to understand that they need to start looking at next week’s matchup, Temecula Valley has an excellent program and is coming off a victory against Elsinore High. A matchup against them will help West Valley see what they need to tighten up before league games against Beaumont, Hemet, San Jacinto, and Citrus Hills. As of right now, the league play looks like it’s going to be tight. 

In other Mountain Pass League Games; Tahquitz edged out Indo 14-13, Hemet recorded their first win of the year against Vista Del Lago 35-21, San Jacinto fell to Woodrow High School 27-13, Beaumont was impressive in their week two victory over pacific 56-14, and Citrus Hill won their first game of the season 27-19 against Palm Springs. Pictures of the game will be available on my personal Facebook page @AuthorKyleRaeHeadlee

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: West Valley Defends Their Field

The post West Valley Defends Their Field appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

San Jacinto Needs To Make A Statement Coming Off A Loss

The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle is taking you to San Jacinto High School this week for the Game of the Week. This week San Jacinto High is welcoming Murrieta Mesa into “The Jungle” as the two teams look to show the rest of Southern California that they are serious contenders. San Jacinto started the season off with a huge win against Great Oaks showing dominance in every phase of the game, but their winning streak was quickly brought to an end when they traveled to Long Beach last week to play Woodrow High School. San Jacinto lost this matchup, causing them to drop from the 94th ranked school in California to the 144th ranked school. 

The team (lead by Junior Quarterback Kajiya Hollawayne) will be looking to come out hot and put a lot of points on the board tonight in order to make a statement to the rest of the division, “Just because we took one L doesn’t mean we are out of it.” Ryan Cogdil (Defensive Coordinator of the Tigers) isn’t happy that the team lost, but believes it could be good for them; now they can come together as a team and show everyone that they are a serious threat this year. 

Murrieta Mesa is ranked 302 in California. They are starting non-league play 0-2; their first game was a blowout loss to La Serna and last week they were involved in an offensive dog fight losing to Etiwanda High School in overtime 42-35. On paper San Jacinto should be able to control this game; they have the talent to do so. It all comes down to the players trusting their coaches play calls and sticking to their assignments. Football is as much of a chess match as it is a physical contest and it takes both Players and Coaches to trust each other and be in sync in order for the team to find success. 

San Jacinto needs to use this week to find their identity again and remember that they only went as far as they did last year by play as one team that fired on all cylinders. Coach Galliano and Kajiya Hollawayne will do everything in their power to get that high pace offense working as it should be, this week. Ryan Cogdill needs one of his defensive playmakers to step up and be a leader on the field after losing one of his captains to injury last week. Who on the defensive side of the ball is going to step up and become the leader in his absence?

Other Mountain Pass League Matchups tonight include: Beaumont vs. Perris, Hemet vs. Banning, Tahquitz vs. Lakeside, West Valley vs. Temecula Valley, and Citrus Hill vs. Pacific. You can see the winners and losers of this game in next week’s paper, but why wait? Subscribe to The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle Facebook/Youtube for faster updates on local sports news. Pictures of the game will be available on my personal Facebook page @AuthorKyleRaeHeadlee.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: San Jacinto Welcomes Murrieta Mesa

The post San Jacinto Welcomes Murrieta Mesa appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.