This season we made an “All-Valley Team” and we felt a few of these players deserved extra attention for their performances on the football season this year. 

We’d like to announce the five winners of the First Annual HSJ Chronicle Sports Awards

Asaiah Aguilar-Clutch Performance
We gave Asaiah Aguilar (Hemet High) the “Clutch Performance” award for his performance against Citrus Hill High School. Prior to this year, Aguilar never played football. Never.  This wasn’t because he didn’t want to, but due to the fact that his parents wanted him to be safe in order to prolong his soccer career.

Aguilar is a great student who gets very good grades, respects his parents, and honors his teachers. He was able to convince his mom to allow him to play this season, with the contingency that he could only play Kicker. She was reluctant at first, but grew to enjoy watching her son’s exploits on the football field. Aguilar proved to be a “go to” football player in a “do or die” situation against Citrus Hills in the Bulldog’s first league game of the year. With only a minute left in the game, Aguilar drilled a 35-yard field goal that gave the Bulldogs the lead and ultimately the win in the game. Aguilar will go down in Bulldog history as the kicker who gave the Bulldogs their first victory over Citrus Hills and handing Citrus Hills their first league loss in nine years.

Sheldon Newton-Game Changer
We gave Sheldon Newton (San Jacinto High School) the “Game Changer” award. The Game Changer award is pretty self-explanatory: it’s all about how much of an effect one player has on the game. Sheldon Newton is a different kind of animal and high schools around Southern California had no idea how to prepare for him. This could be due to Coach Cogdill (San Jacinto Defensive Coordinator) and Coach Galliano’s (San Jacinto Head Coach) creative ways of getting him involved all over the field. Newton was dominant every time his cleats touched the field. Coach Cogdill often rotated him around the defensive line, challenging him to play Defensive end, Defensive Tackle, and Nose Gaurd. Which really allowed the team to be creative with their linebackers and defensive backs. Sheldon Newton missed one game this season and you could definitely tell that the lack of his presence was felt. Not to mention Newton caught two passes this season both good for touchdowns.

(First Sports Awards)

Marcos Flores-Sportsman of the Year
Marcos Flores (West Valley High School) earned the “Sportsman of the year” Award because of his actions on the field. His senior season was full of adversity, with a brand new head coach at a school that hasn’t put together a true winning season in quite a few years. Flores always kept his composure and never gave up: he played every snap like it was his last, and at times he looked ready to die on that field. The final game of his high school career was cut short when a bench-clearing brawl took place between the two teams. In the midst of chaos, Marcos’ true character shined through as he took a knee and waited for the referees to separate the two teams. Unfortunately for Marcos, he wouldn’t be allowed to play the last six minutes of his final game. Marcos Flores is the epitome of what a Student-Athlete should strive to be and for that, he deserves this award.

Arturo Ojeda Jr-Lineman Award
Arturo Ojeda Jr (San Jacinto High School) has been a monster on the offensive line all year long. His nickname is “The Bodyguard”: he is a team captain at San Jacinto and he plays left tackle. The left tackle spot is one of the most important positions on the football field. They make sure that the offensive line is in check and working as a concise unit. Ojeda does a lot more than just protect his quarterback’s blindside. He helps him identify blitz packages and signals to the rest of his line who they should pick up. He plays with intense energy and prides himself when he gets a “pancake”. He is a proud member of the “Trench Gang” and was easily the most dominant lineman in the league this year. San Jacinto is going to have a tough time replacing him next year. Ojeda is leaving some huge shoes to fill.

Kajiya Hollowayne-Most Valuable Player
Our Most Valuable Player goes to Kajiya Hollowayne (San Jacinto High School). Hollowayne plays quarterback.  He already has multiple division 1 college offers including offers from UCLA, Nevada, and Kansas. Hollawayne is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback and can throw the deep ball or take it on the ground. Hollowayne finished the season with over 2,300 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for over 900 yards and added 13 touchdowns on the ground. At times it looked like Hollowayne was playing a video game while everyone else was stuck in real life. He is only going to be better in his senior year and it seems he has already put the league on notice. Get your popcorn ready, because next year will be quite a show.

We’d like to thank all of the winners, their families and the staff at Applebee’s for making our first Awards banquet an outstanding success.

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Greetings from the Hemet Car Guy,

Ok, Football season is here, and my favorite team won their season opener Monday night by a field goal in the last seconds of the game. 

Who Dat You say?

Whether your team is winning tail gaiting is fun. No not when you are driving but when you are parked. If you haven’t ever tailgated here is what you need. The Car Guy is going to help you out and show you how to combine your passion for cars, football, and fun. Just add food, drinks, and good friends, and pre-game just may become the best part of game day. Many football fans are experts at this and Jeff, Rolando and I have seen evidence of this when we took the Cops4Kids and Communities kids to the Chargers vs. Saints preseason game last month (yep Saints won that game too).

Here are things you need for a great pre-game tailgate party:

Folding Chairs

You’re likely going to set up shop three or four hours before game time, so you’ll need plenty of comfortable places to sit. Why not choose a folding chair with your favorite car logo–Mopar, Camaro, Mustang, or of course your team! 

Folding Table

The best part of tailgating is eating. You need to have a place to set your food and drink, so we recommend a fold-up table with the car logo of your choice. 

Power Inverter

Want music in your tailgating area? Hoping to catch some of the pre-game coverage on TV? There are lots of reasons to have electricity available in your tailgating spot, and a power inverter can make it happen. 

Outdoor Grill

Part of the fun of tailgating is clogging your arteries with brats and red meat. And the only thing more manly than grilling out in a parking lot is doing it with a grill that looks cool like a toolbox.

Vintage or Team Cooler

Bring a little old school to the party with a vintage automotive, Coca-Cola cooler or a Tommy Bahama cooler. You can also keep your choice of drinks cold and tailgate with style.

Can Koozie – Assorted colors, of course, that way you don’t drink someone else’s drink. There are manlier options to keep your beverages cold. They’ve also got car-themed tumblers and mugs for all your beverage-consumption needs.

Toolbox  – I’ve seen fishermen use toolboxes for tackle boxes why not use a toolbox to organize your tailgating essentials–bottle openers, trash bags, spatulas, wood skewers, hand sanitizer, or whatever.

Part cart or wagon

Our detailer uses them on the lot; heck bring one to the game.

You can use your part totes to transport your tailgating gear to and from the stadium and then store it in between events.

Bean Bag toss Games

Some people throw the pigskin around. Others play corn hole. Nothing wrong with that if that’s your thing, but look for fun skill games to toss around.

The key is to have fun enjoy the moment; in fact, practice in your driveway; let me know how it goes even if the neighbors think you are weird.

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