http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGPOLgzdAM Highlanders handle Titans to make season-opening statement CHULA VISTA – In its season opener at Eastlake on Friday night, top-ranked Helix made a solid first impression. The defending state champion Highlanders stifled the eighth-ranked Titans on their home turf …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/31/30621/ There have been a lot of questions surrounding the purchase of the San Diego Padres from John Moores by a group that includes Kevin and Brian O'Malley, Peter and Tom Seidler, and Ron Fowler. On Tuesday that purchase was …

Week 1 Scoreboard Aug. 31 Top 10 No. 1 Helix 28 at No. 8 Eastlake 6 No. 2 Oceanside 34 vs. Oakdale 14 (at Westlake High) No. 3 Poway 42 at Scripps Ranch 7 No. 4 Cathedral Catholic 35 at …

Season Preview: Mission Hills Grizzlies Last Year: 7-4-1 (1st in Avocado East, lost in D-II semifinals) Returning Starters: 7 on offense/5 on defense Top Players: CB/WR Devin Holiday (Sr., Arizona), QB Connor Wynn (Jr.), LB/RB Ricky Liuchan (Jr.), WR/DB Nate …

While most media seemed to concentrate on the new ownership group of the Padres, including a morning press conference covered by a host of local and some national media, Eric Stults (pictured) was concerned with other matters. There was a …

Which teams changing divisions will have the biggest impact in the 2012 season? While defending Division I champion Poway’s move to Division II has grabbed the attention of most of the section, two other teams changing divisions could have just …

Season Preview: Helix Highlanders Last Year: 13-1 (1st in Grossmont Hills, D-II section/state champions) Returning Starters: 4 on offense/3 on defense Top Players: OL/DL Amu Milo (Sr.), LB Rocky Fuga (Sr.), WR/DB Kendal Keys (Sr.), RB Michael Adkins (Sr.), WR/DB …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/29/30490/ The San Diego Padres can't seem to figure out Atlanta Braves pitcher Kris Medlen. Just less than two weeks prior to Tuesday's game, Medlen shut out the Padres 6-0, and on Tuesday Medlen again held the Padres without a …

Game of the Week No. 1 Helix at No. 8 Eastlake Friday 7 p.m. Defending Division II state champion Helix opens the season in the South Bay against Eastlake in the Game of the Week. The Highlanders face an uphill …

Oceanside senior quarterback Tofi Paopao (pictured) is starting on varsity for the third straight season Season Preview: Oceanside Pirates Last Year: 9-3-1 (2nd in Avocado West, lost in D-II finals) Top Players: QB Tofi Paopao (Sr.), LB/FB William Gulley (Sr.), …

Casey Kelly did on Monday night what a lot of baseball scouts thought he would do when called up to the big leagues. With a well-located fastball that sinks, a very good curve ball, and an improved change-up, Kelly held …

Season Preview: Vista Panthers Last Year: 7-6 (2nd in Avocado East, lost in D-I finals) Returning Starters: 4 on offense/6 on defense Top Players: QB Anthony Pabloff (Sr.), RB/DB Jacob Bedford (Sr.), RB Chad Richardson (Sr.), OL/DL Sia Satele (Jr.) …

Season Preview: La Costa Canyon Mavericks Last Year: 9-3 (1st in Avocado West, lost in D-II semifinals) Top Players: OL/DL Scott Quessenberry (Sr.), QB Jake Sesti (Sr.), RB Deon Dickey (Sr.), LB Ty Toolson (Sr.), LB/FB Shayne Davern (Sr.), DB …

If not for the blockbuster trade the Dodgers and Red Sox just pulled off, the San Diego Padres would be making national news right now, as it seems that they are the hottest team in baseball. A sweep of the …

Poway senior cornerback Derek Babiash (pictured) is one of 11 returning starters for the Titans this season Season Preview: Poway Titans Last Year: 12-0-1 (1st in Palomar, Division I champions) Returning Starters: 6 on offense/5 on defense Top Players: CB …

Pictured: Cathedral Catholic senior quarterback Garrett Bogart returns as a three-year varsity starter Season Preview: Cathedral Catholic Dons Last Year: 12-1 (1st in Eastern, D-III champions) Top Players: QB Garrett Bogart (Sr.), LB Toshaun Poumele (Sr.), DL Kyle Davis (Jr.), …

Eastlake running back Aaron Baltazar (pictured) will be the main playmaker in the Titans' Wing-T offense this season Season Preview: Eastlake Titans Last year: 8-4 (2nd in Metro Mesa, lost in D-I semifinals) Top Players: RB/S Aaron Baltazar (Sr., Boise …

Steele Canyon named longtime varsity assistant Scott Longerbone (pictured) head coach in the offseason after Ron Boehmke stepped down Season Preview: Steele Canyon Cougars Last Year: 8-4 (2nd in Grossmont Hills, lost in D-II quarterfinals) Returning Starters: 6 on offense/3 …

Let's get this straight. So, all you have to do is to call up some minor league pitcher that most people have never heard of and start him against a team that is contending for a play-off spot. Then, plug …

Pictured: Valley Center senior receiver Michael McInerny Season Preview: Valley Center Jaguars Last Year: 12-1 (1st in Valley, D-IV Champs) Top Players: QB Ryan Kleiman (Sr.), WR Michael McInerny (Sr.), DB/WR Anthony Ricks (Sr.), WR Cody Gearhart (Sr.) Newcomers to …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/22/30142/ The only play more decisive in baseball than a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, is a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth. Chase Headley found a change-up thrown by Pirates reliever …

Pictured: Christian senior running back/safety Rayvon Owens Season Preview: Christian Patriots Last Year: 9-3 (2nd in Coastal, D-V Champs) Top Players: RB/S Rayvon Owens (Sr.), OL/DL Tyler Leslie (Sr.), TE/LB Trenton Sauls (Jr.) Newcomers to Watch: QB Michael Carrillo (Jr.), …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/21/30056/ Baseball is a game of what have you done for me lately. Your last four outings as a pitcher will be easily forgotten if you simply dazzle us tonight. This is what happens. And on Monday, Edinson Volquez dazzled. …

Pictured: Sophomore quarterback Kareem Coles makes his varsity debut for Madison this season Season Preview: Madison Warhawks Last year: 10-1-1 (1st in Western, lost in D-IV semifinals) Top Players: RB Pierre Cormier (Sr., Arizona), WR Lee Walker (Sr., Arizona), LB/C …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/20/29938/ Maybe if the Padres could clone a bunch of Clayton Richards, maybe then the bats would also remain awake and pounding the ball, just maybe. Not that the other hurlers don't have their merits, but Richard has been due …

Pictured: Madison running back Pierre Cormier Red Zone Preseason Top 10 Records from last season, division in parentheses 1. Helix (II) (12-1) – Defending state champions begin the season on top 2. Oceanside (II) (9-3-1) – Pirates are hungry after …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/19/29876/ The San Diego Padres are on the wrong side of a streak, which is bound to happen during the course of a season, but what with new ownership on the horizon and little to play for but pride this …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/18/29860/ There isn’t always a lot that can be said after a blow-out loss from a team that was a victim of it. Padres starter Ross Ohlendorf failed to get out of the third inning, and the Padres were blown …

As Padres manager Buddy Black often points out, one can spin some events two ways. On the one hand, Braves starter Kris Medlen pitched one heck of a ball game, giving up only five hits while striking out six en …

As was widely predicted, a group headed by the O'Malley family, or perhaps Ron Fowler, or even the Seidlers, depending on how one wishes to figure it, were approved by MLB ownership on Thursday morning at the MLB quarterly owner's …

Padres starter Edinson Volquez is in a slump, mired in a streak where he can't get out of the fifth inning. Amazing stuff, considering that just a under a month ago, Volquez pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against the …

With Clayton Richard on the mound for the Padres and Tim Hudson going for the Atlanta Braves, the obvious expectation would be a pitcher’s duel. And that’s what happened on Tuesday at Turner Field, for a little while at least, …

After Sunday's loss - after having a good lead and then getting creamed by the Pirates in the last game of that series - the Padres could have experienced quite a hangover going into Atlanta to face the Braves in …

The Padres are doing what they wish they could have done from the beginning of the season. The idea in the long season of baseball in the major leagues, is to take as many series as possible and generally wind …

Off of the top of my head, I remember the greatest infield I ever saw play the game of baseball. Steve Garvey came up as a third baseman, believe it or not, and he couldn’t throw any better than could …

The High School Red Zone has returned for the 2012 high school football season. For the fifth straight year, the Red Zone will be the San Diego Reader’s home for high school football and provide in-depth coverage from throughout the …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/09/29439/ Padres starting pitcher Clayton Richard has a knack for making some things unnecessary. Like relief pitching. Like an abundance of offense. Like a meeting on the mound, except for in the ninth inning - wonder what that conversation was …

Seriously, Ross Ohlendorf? Really? So, no one wanted you and the Padres got lucky to sign you up because of the misfortune of their injured pitching staff? Hey, Ross, we know all about your thesis at Princeton. Sabermetrics, right? Who …

First it was Sandy Alderson that came to town his New York Mets in tow, and they dropped their series to the Padres winning only one of the three games. Now it's Jed Hoyer's Cubs, and Monday night they went …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/06/29268/ The Padres combined the long ball with solid pitching on Sunday for some excellent results, and more importantly, they took the three-game series from the Mets in convincing fashion. With home runs from Chase Headley, Yonder Alonso, and Carlos …

It's become an icon of the games. Opening day ceremonies, 1984 Olympics, Los Angeles Coliseum: the American team comes onto the field. Leading them a man holds the U.S. flag high in the air — with one hand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akCndyEaiL0 An …

In facing Jeremy Hefner of the New York Mets on Saturday, it could be presumed that the San Diego Padres might have had an advantage seeing as how Hefner was in the Padres minor league organization last season before being …

The New York Mets R.A. Dickey (pictured) is a knuckleball pitcher, and a dominant one this season in particular, entering Friday’s contest against the San Diego Padres with a record of 14-2 and a 2.83 earned run average. What types …

Getting into a deep hole against Reds starter Johnny Cueto isn’t advisable, as the Padres found out on Thursday. Padres starter Ross Ohlendorf didn’t get out of the second inning, putting up six runs in the frame, and the Reds …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/02/28967/ The key to beating the Cincinnati Reds seems to be in having your offense put up big numbers against their starting pitchers while holding off their offense late. Getting to the Reds bullpen is as tough as making ice …

Work ceases. TV goes on. I tolerate the steams of commercials and NBC's infinite stockpile of heart-wrenching stories about the athletes, their parents, pet, song, library card number, favorite brand of mustard. Like a blitz of Hallmark cards. For two …

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/aug/01/28904/ The Padres seem to be getting better, but are still often coming up just short. After losing in extra-innings in their last game in Miami this season, the Padres traveled to Cincinnati to face the Reds for a four-game …