Narbonne Gauchos Sean Riley making Los Al miss. Photo by Jevone Moore
Long Beach, Ca – The Narbonne Gauchos need all four quarters to come out with a strong victory over its last non-conference opponent. They had a touch front half of the season to prepare them for the Marine league and a deep playoff run.
Narbonne won this slug fest 35-28 over Los Alamitos at Vet’s Stadium on this Thursday Night Lights high school game. Running back Sean Riley grinded out some key first downs on and chewed up the clock before busting through on 18 yard touchdown run. This score put the Gauchos up 35-21 with only 3:02 left on the game clock.
Griffins’ Running Back Schuyler Whitehead in the hole picking up yards. Photo by Jevone Moore
Not too much different than last year game when Los Al allowed Narbonne to come from behind to take the lead and not relinquish the lead. Roman Ale made sure he kept his team calm and made good decisions when Narbonne was on offense. He finished the game throwing for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Ale favorite target on the night was DeVaughn Cooper who caught 5 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Los Alamitos had a balanced game plan to move the ball in the air and on the ground. Quarterback Jack Telenko kept calm most of the night completing 21/37 passes for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns with 2 costly interceptions.
Los Al A.J. Gonzalez crossing the Goal line. Photo by Jevone Moore
Schuyler Whitehead and R.j. Gonzalez proved to be good duo for the Los Al running game. Whitedhead found most of his success on the edges off tackle while Gonzalez fought inside and sneaked out backfield to catch few passes. The biggest catch for Gonzalez 23 yard touchdown that gave his team 21-14 lead in second half.
Narbonne’s backfield had a new star emerge on play action passes to Kameron Denmark who scored two touchdown with his feet and hands. Denmark was able to make some plays today due to a game time decision to hold out backup running back Justin Franks after watching him during warm ups. It proved to be a good move in gaining rest and finding depth to assist Riley carry the load.
Receiver Devaughn Cooper using his field vision to pick up more yards. Photo by Jevone Moore
The Narbonne Gauchos now (3-2) will host The Washington Prep Generals(2-3). Los Alamitos Giffins now (2-3) will travel to play Edison Chargers (2-3)
Utah Utes RB Devontae Booker & LB Jared Norris at Pac-12 Media Day. Photo by Jevone Moore
UTAH IS AUTONATION NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK Utes blast Oregon in Eugene
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Utah Utes won their first Pac-12 opener since joining the conference in 2011 in a big way, and made a national statement as well in a dominating 62-20 win at No. 13 Oregon. The Utes are 4-0 for the first time since 2010, and have earned the AutoNation National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 26.
Quarterback Trevor Wilson threw for 227 yards on 18-of-30 passing with four touchdowns, and also tallied 100 rushing yards and another touchdown as Utah (4-0, 1-0) racked up the most points its scored against a Pac-12 opponent in its five-year league history, and it was also the most points the Ducks have ever allowed in Eugene. Devontae Booker had 98 rushing yards on 22 carries and also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Britain Covey.
“This is great momentum for us going into the bye week. For right now, this is where we want to be,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “This should definitely give us some confidence and buy-in. They really controlled the game from start to finish. It really speaks well to how our guys prepared and the type of personnel we’ve been able to assemble. This program is not easy. It’s a tough program to be a part of, but if you do it the right way then you’re going to have good results and tonight is one of those nights.”
Utah scored on five consecutive drives to gain a 27-13 halftime lead, then scored on its first four series of the second half to tally 42 unanswered points and a 62-13 lead. The Utes held Oregon to 18 rushing yards in the second half.
Other AutoNation National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 26 included:
• Michigan (3-1): The Wolverines earned their first shutout win since 2012 with a dominating defensive showing, holding BYU to just 105 total yards and eight first downs in a 31-0 win. Michigan scored on five consecutive drives in the first half for all of its points.
• UCLA (4-0): The Bruins won their Pac-12 opener in convincing fashion, 56-30, at Arizona. True freshman Josh Rosen threw for 284 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and Paul Perkins added 85 rushing yards and three first-half touchdowns to put UCLA in control by intermission, 42-14.
As part of AutoNation’s history of charitable involvement, AutoNation will donate $1,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) in the University of Utah’s name. This charitable college football initiative culminates with the AutoNation Cure Bowl, a new post-season NCAA football game that kicks off bowl season at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla., and will be aired by CBS Sports Network. The aptly named AutoNation Cure Bowl also serves as a fund raiser for the BCRF, CharityWatch’s only A+ rated breast cancer organization in the country.
“We want to celebrate the very best of college football, while also helping to raise awareness for the importance of finding a cure for cancer,” says AutoNation CMO Marc Cannon. “This season-long partnership with the FWAA, leading up to the AutoNation Cure Bowl, puts a spotlight on a cause that we’re determined to tackle.”
“In our 75th season of existence, this a marvelous platform to get our players and the team of the week series excellent exposure as well as helping AutoNation in its effort to fight cancer and contribute to the educational funds of deserving student-athletes,” said FWAA 2015 President Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald. “It is very exciting to be able to help our organization as well as others in this splendid effort.”
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season AutoNation has presented the award. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2015 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National Team of the Week. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor.
AutoNation is also the presenting sponsor of the FWAA’s national offensive and defensive players of the week announced each Tuesday, the 2015 FWAA All-America Team and the 75th Anniversary FWAA All-America Team. The 2015 AutoNation FWAA All-America Team will be announced at the AutoNation Cure Bowl on Dec. 19.
About AutoNation, Inc.: AutoNation is transforming the automotive retail industry through bold leadership. We deliver a peerless automotive retail experience through our customer-focused sales and service processes. Owning and operating 293 new vehicle franchises, which sell 35 new vehicle brands across 15 states, AutoNation is America’s largest automotive retailer, with state-of-the-art operations and the ability to leverage economies of scale that benefit the customer. As an indication of our leadership position in our industry, AutoNation is a component of the S&P 500 Index.
About the AutoNation Cure Bowl: The AutoNation Cure Bowl a new post-season NCAA football game whose net proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The AutoNation Cure Bowl takes place December 19 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network. The bowl is scheduled to involve teams from the American Athletic and Sun Belt conferences.
About the Football Writers Association of America: Founded in 1941, the FWAA consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
2015 AutoNation National Teams of the Week • Weekend of Sept. 5: Temple Owls • Weekend of Sept. 12: Toledo Rockets • Weekend of Sept. 19: Ole Miss Rebels • Weekend of Sept. 26: Utah Utes
Kobe Bryant at Los Angeles Lakers Media Day 2015 Photo by Jordon Kelly
Head Coach Byron Scott at Los Angeles Lakers Media Day 2015 Photo by Jordon Kelly
El Segundo, Ca – The lights were shining bright at the Los Angeles Lakers training center at Health South. The media frenzy was normal on the Lakers practice court set up for the controlled chaos that took place. Every player had time to be under the bright lights and have some fun thinking how will this upcoming season be….
The Los Angeles Lakers missed the NBA playoffs last season which allowed them the pick in the lottery, this year newest pick was D’Angelo Russell of Ohio State. There will be a lot of youth on this year team that should results in some fast paced exciting basketball. Second year lottery pick Julius Randle coming off broken leg in his rookie campaign has been working closely with Metta World Peace.
For the last 20 seasons media day has had the presence of the Kobe Bryant aka the Black Mamba. Kobe looked excited for this season with all the youth on his team. He felt that this year he knows what his body can do and how to be the most effective. Most reporters wanted to know if this will be Kobe final year, he said “I’ve got enough to think about other than retirement” So don’t count out Kobe be back for his 21st media day next year with head coach Byron Scott.
Brandon Bass PF Tarik Black C Vander Blue SG Carlos Boozer PF Anthony Brown SF Jabari Brown SG Kobe Bryant SG Dwight Buycks PG Jordan Clarkson PG Michael Frazier II SG Roy Hibbert C Jonathan Holmes F Marcelo Huertas PG Ryan Kelly PF Larry Nance Jr. PF Julius Randle PF D’Angelo Russell PG Robert Sacre C Robert Upshaw C Louis Williams SG Metta World Peace SF Nick Young SF
SAN FRANCISCO – Quarterback Travis Wilson of UTAH, defensive end Kyle Kragen of CALIFORNIA and punter Tom Hackett of UTAH have been named offensive, defensive and special teams Pac-12 Players of the Week in football.
Wilson, a senior quarterback from San Clemente, Calif., had 327 yards of total offense (227 passing, 100 rushing) in his return to action after missing last week’s game due to injury. Wilson recorded five total touchdowns, four passing and one rushing, in then-No. 18 Utah’s defeat of then-No. 13 Oregon, 62-20, at Autzen Stadium. The senior quarterback went 18-of-30 passing to nine different receivers with no interceptions, and had a career-long rush of 60 yards. After Utah punted on its first offensive possession, Wilson led the Utes on five-straight scoring drives to take a 27-13 halftime lead. Coming out from halftime, Utah scored on its first three offensive possessions to go up 48-13. Utah’s 62 points were the most scored against a Pac-12 opponent since joining the Conference in 2011, and the most the Ducks have ever allowed in Eugene.
Kragen, a senior defensive end from Danville, Calif., registered career highs of six tackles and 1.5 sacks (-16 yards) as well as a career-high-tying 1.5 tackles for loss (-16 yards) in California’s 30-24 victory over Washington. Kragen marked his first forced fumble and pass break up of the year, assisting in Cal’s first win over Washington on Montlake since 2005. The undefeated Golden Bears (4-0, 1-0) return to the top 25 (No. 24 AP/T24 Amway Coaches) for the first time since 2010.
Hackett, a senior punter from Melbourne, Australia, had three punts for 181 yards (60.3 average), dropping all three punts inside the 10-yard line (8, 1 and 4-yard lines) in Utah’s 62-20 win over Oregon. Hackett had a career-long punt of 76 yards, which ranks seventh in program history, of which landed on Oregon’s 8-yard line. Hackett corralled a high snap on fourth-and-13 on a called fake punt and turned it into a 33-yard rush to the Oregon 39-yard line. Utah went on to score a touchdown on the possession to take a 48-13 lead. With the statement win, the No. 10 Utes received its first ever first-place vote in the regular season AP Poll.
Also nominated for Offensive Player of the Week: Kenny Lawler, WR, CAL; Seth Collins, QB, OSU; Christian McCaffrey, RB, STAN; Jordan Payton, WR, UCLA; JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC; Also nominated for Defensive Player of the Week: Blake Martinez, LB, STAN; Chris Hawkins, CB, USC; Jason Fanaika, LB, UTAH; Also nominated for Special Teams Player of the Week: Matt Anderson, PK, CAL; Devin Fuller, WR, UCLA; Adoree’ Jackson, CB/WR/RET, USC
El Segundo Eagles Running Back Taz Tauaese Storming through. Photo by Jevone Moore
Eagles Wide Receiver Shahman Moore Storming Past Few Tartars. Photo by Jevone Moore
Torrance, Ca- El Segundo’s dynamic duo in quarterback Jason Kehl and wide receiver Shahman Moore proved to be too much for Torrance to handle in Friday nights non-league match up.
After placing 62 points in last weeks win over Bishop Montgomery, the Eagles had no issue once again reaching the end zone on their way to a 42-7 victory over the Tartars.
Torrance (0-4) fell behind early, trailing 14-0 at end the first quarter allowing a 28-yard touchdown hook up between Moore and Kehl. On their next possession, Kehl would sneak it in himself from the 1-yard line for the score.
Eagles Linebacker Cameron Hayforth & Safety Kyle Pritchard on the Tackle. Photo by Jevone Moore
The Tartars had very little going offensively all night not getting on the board till the final minute of the first half on an 88-yard catch and run by freshman Eric Suarez.
“We’re still very young and very inexperienced at the line, but we aren’t rookies anymore. This is game four”. Said Torrance head coach Rock Hollis.
A higher dosage of Torrance running back Jeremiah Aiono might have done some good for the Tartars in the first half. He had 42-yards on just 8 carries.
The Eagles didn’t take long after the halftime break to put the game out of reach. A six-play drive capped by 53-yard catch gave El Segundo a 28-7 lead and Moore’s third touchdown of the night.
The senior Moore finished the night with 7 catches for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns.
“I was comfortable, coach told me to come out and make plays,” said Moore. “We had a hard time running the ball tonight so I’m glad I was able to step up for my team.”
Tyler Maseuli was the lone spark plug for Torrance totaling 4 tackles for a loss with one sack and 4 catches for 38 yards.
Torrance Tartars Quarterback Ryan Carroll Reading In The Pocket. Photo by Jevone Moore
Torrance quarterback Ryan Carroll threw for 164 yards on 11-27 passing and 3 interceptions, the last of which was returned for a touchdown with under 3 minutes. Aoino ended with 82 yards rushing on 18 carries.
El Segundo (4-0) are still undefeated and have beaten the Tartars four times in the past five years.
Kehl had 294 yards through the air on 15 of 22 passing with a total of 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Torrance hopes to put this loss behind as they are still in search for their first victory.
Los Angeles Clippers Media Day 2015 NBA Basketball Photo by William Jaye Johnson
Los Angeles Clippers at Media Day 2015 Photo by William Jaye Johnson
Los Angeles Clippers Media Day 2015
Playa Vista, Ca – It was all smiles today at the Clippers training facility. The core group remained intact barely with a few key veteran additions. This team seemed focused today with a sense of purpose to start the quest for something great….. “LARRY!”
This year training camp roster consist of following players:
Cole Aldrich Center Jamal Crawford Guard Branden Dawson Forward
Blake Griffin Forward Jordan Hamilton G-Forward Lester Hudon Guard
Wesley Johnson G-Forward DeAndre Jordan Center Chris Paul Guard
Paul Pierce Forward – G Pablo Prigioni Guard J.J. Redick Guard
Austin Rivers Guard Josh Smith Forward Lance Stephenson Guard
OLE MISS IS AutoNation NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK Rebels win in Tuscaloosa for first time since 1988
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Ole Miss Rebels beat Alabama on its home field for the first time since 1988, forcing five turnovers that led to 24 points in a thrilling 43-37 win in Tuscaloosa. Beating Alabama in consecutive years for the first time in the 60-game series earned the Rebels (3-0) the AutoNation National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Sept. 19.
Junior quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 21 yards and another score in handing Alabama its first home loss in three seasons. Senior wide receiver Cody Core caught four passes for a career-high 123 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Rebels ahead by 14 points.
“Oh man, what a game,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “It was definitely a four-quarter battle. We thought we had it put away a couple of times, and they just wouldn’t go away. The great thing about it is we can improve so much from this. Hopefully, we’ll take all the positives from it and be excited about the win, but look at everything that we didn’t do properly and get better for next week.”
This was the Rebels’ second straight win over a top-five team. Ole Miss beat No. 4 Mississippi State 31-17 last year. Ole Miss also scored at least 43 points for a third consecutive game, the first time that has happened in school history. The Rebels were perfect in the red zone (4-for-4, 2 touchdowns, 2 field goals) and remain perfect on the season at 15-for-15 (12 touchdowns, three field goals). Kelly has now accounted for 12 total touchdowns this season.
Other AutoNation National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 19 included:
• Stanford (2-1): The Cardinal overcame an 11-point second-quarter deficit and outscored USC 31-10 the rest of the way, topping the 6th-ranked Trojans 41-31 in Los Angeles. Remound Wright scored three touchdowns and Kevin Hogan passed for 279 yards on an 18-for-23 night, and the teams combined for 901 yards.
As part of AutoNation’s history of charitable involvement, AutoNation will donate $1,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) in the University of Mississippi’s name. This charitable college football initiative culminates with the AutoNation Cure Bowl, a new post-season NCAA football game that kicks off bowl season at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla., and will be aired by CBS Sports Network. The aptly named AutoNation Cure Bowl also serves as a fund raiser for the BCRF, CharityWatch’s only A+ rated breast cancer organization in the country.
“We want to celebrate the very best of college football, while also helping to raise awareness for the importance of finding a cure for cancer,” says AutoNation CMO Marc Cannon. “This season-long partnership with the FWAA, leading up to the AutoNation Cure Bowl, puts a spotlight on a cause that we’re determined to tackle.”
“In our 75th season of existence, this a marvelous platform to get our players and the team of the week series excellent exposure as well as helping AutoNation in its effort to fight cancer and contribute to the educational funds of deserving student-athletes,” said FWAA 2015 President Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald. “It is very exciting to be able to help our organization as well as others in this splendid effort.”
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season AutoNation has presented the award. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2015 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National Team of the Week. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor.
AutoNation is also the presenting sponsor of the FWAA’s national offensive and defensive players of the week announced each Tuesday, the 2015 FWAA All-America Team and the 75th Anniversary FWAA All-America Team. The 2015 AutoNation FWAA All-America Team will be announced at the AutoNation Cure Bowl on Dec. 19.
About AutoNation, Inc.: AutoNation is transforming the automotive retail industry through bold leadership. We deliver a peerless automotive retail experience through our customer-focused sales and service processes. Owning and operating 293 new vehicle franchises, which sell 35 new vehicle brands across 15 states, AutoNation is America’s largest automotive retailer, with state-of-the-art operations and the ability to leverage economies of scale that benefit the customer. As an indication of our leadership position in our industry, AutoNation is a component of the S&P 500 Index.
About the AutoNation Cure Bowl: The AutoNation Cure Bowl a new post-season NCAA football game whose net proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The AutoNation Cure Bowl takes place December 19 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network. The bowl is scheduled to involve teams from the American Athletic and Sun Belt conferences.
About the Football Writers Association of America: Founded in 1941, the FWAA consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
2015 AutoNation National Teams of the Week • Weekend of Sept. 5: Temple Owls • Weekend of Sept. 12: Toledo Rockets • Weekend of Sept. 19: Ole Miss Rebels
LA Kiss Football Donovan Morgan after Touchdown. Photo by Jevone Moore
2016 LA KISS SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS AND BUY TWO GET TWO FREE SEASON TICKET PROGRAM
LA KISS SEASON TICKET HOLDER SOCIAL MEDIA GIVEAWAY
STARTING ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd
Anaheim, CA (September 21, 2015) – LA KISS announced today that their season tickets for the upcoming 2016 Arena Football League (AFL) season are now on sale. LA KISS is also offering a limited number of seats available for fans to purchase two season tickets and get two season tickets for free.* There are seats available in several different price levels and locations. All home games in the 2016 season will be played at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“We know we have a great product with the LA KISS” said CEO of LA KISS, Joe Windham. “We want Southern California LA KISS fans to be able to experience an entire season at a great price.”
For the 2016 LA KISS season, Season Ticket Holders will receive exclusive amenities and benefits. They will include: Paul Stanley designed drawstring back pack, 2016 LA KISS collectible pin, No Ticket Goes Unused program, early entry to games, guaranteed same seat for playoff games, 10% discount at the team store on game days, fan appreciation night, and a commemorative lanyard & ticket sleeve.
LA KISS Season Ticket Holders are also going to be a part of an exclusive social media giveaway, starting tomorrow, September 22nd. This will be a bi-weekly contest where Season Ticket Holders are entered to win exclusive LA KISS items. Every two weeks a prize will be announced for the following week. The first prize of the giveaway is, four tickets in Gene Simmon’s and Paul Stanley’s LA KISS private suite at Honda Center to watch the Ducks take on the LA Kings.
LA KISS is dedicated to creating a fun, safe, family friendly environment at their football games, while providing an incredible entertainment experience. LA KISS Football is one of the best values in sports & entertainment in the Southern California area. You have to see it to believe it. LA KISS is also committed to giving back to the community with several charitable initiatives.
To purchase season tickets, please call LA KISS Football at 714-462-KISS (5477) or visit lakissfootball.com for more information.
ABOUT THE LA KISS:
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, two of the greatest showmen of all time, brought pro football to Los Angeles with the formation of LA KISS. In just one year, LA KISS has become a phenomenon by taking the KISS mentality and applying it to a sports team. LA KISS represents the fusion of entertainment and sports like no other brand and delivers an all-encompassing in-game experience that is second to none. LA KISS ownership combines over 40 years of success in entertainment, sports and business. The leadership team looks to challenge and redefine the term “sports entertainment” by applying the KISS mentality to everything they do. For more information, visitlakissfootball.com or follow the team on Facebook, facebook.com/lakissfootball, Twitter, twitter.com/LAKISS_AFLor Instagram, instagram.com/lakissfootball.
Stanford Quarterback Kevin Hogan showing off rocket arm. Photo by Jordon Kelly
PAC-12 ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Pac-12 Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Quarterback Kevin Hogan of STANFORD, linebacker Kenneth Olugbode of COLORADO and defensive back Cory Butler-Byrd of UTAH have been named offensive, defensive and special teams Pac-12 Players of the Week in football.
Hogan, a senior quarterback from McLean, Va., threw for 279 yards, completing 18-of-23 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions, in Stanford’s 41-31 win over USC. Stanford overcame an 11-point second-quarter deficit and outscored the Trojans 31-10 in the final two and a half quarters. Hogan helped the Cardinal maintain a 2:1 time of possession battle, with Stanford converting 8 of 12 third downs. Hogan claimed his fourth-best passing efficiency game of his career at 208.9. He is now tied for fourth in school history at 53 career touchdown passes.
Olugbode, a junior inside linebacker from San Jose, Calif., had a team-high 13 tackles (five solo), a third down stop and his first career interception in the 27-24 overtime victory over Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Olugbode returned the interception 60 yards for a touchdown, giving the Buffs a 24-17 lead with8:50 remaining in the contest. He became the 15th Buffalo since 1992 to return his first career pick for a score, all done on his 20th birthday.
Butler-Byrd, a junior defensive back from Compton, Calif., scored a touchdown on a 98-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter of the 45-24 win over Fresno State. His 98-yard kick return is the longest in the Pac-12 this season, ninth-longest in the NCAA and 12th-longest in school history. Butler-Byrd additionally contributed four tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss on defense.
Also nominated for Offensive Player of the Week: Anu Solomon, QB, ARIZ; Demario Richard, RB, ASU; Khalfani Muhammad, RB, CAL; Jeff Lockie, QB, ORE; Seth Collins, QB, OSU; Paul Perkins, RB, UCLA; Devontae Booker, RB, UTAH, Jake Browning, QB, WASH; Also nominated for Defensive Player of the Week: Jordan Simone, S, ASU; Darius White, CB, CAL; Tyree Robinson, S, ORE; Rommel Mageo, LB, OSU; Blake Martinez, LB, STAN; Isaako Savaiinaea, LB, UCLA; Jared Norris, LB, UTAH; Azeem Victor, LB, WASH; Peyton Pelluer, LB, WSU; Also nominated for Special Teams Player of the Week: Casey Skowron, PK, ARIZ; Matt Haack, P, ASU; Diego Gonzalez, PK, COLO; Aidan Schneider, PK, ORE; Nick Porebski, P, OSU; Conrad Ukropina, PK, STAN; Devin Fuller, WR, UCLA; Tristan Vizcaino, PK, WASH
Candace Parker driving to the basket on Lynx Maya Moore. Photo by Jevone Moore
Candace Parker & Jantel Lavender playing tough defense on Maya Moore. Photo by Jevone Moore
Long Beach, CA – Today was game two of the WNBA Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx, where the Sparks were able to pull off a warrior’s victory (Sparks 81 Lynx 71).
The Sparks went into today’s battle in a do or die position having lost the first game at the Target Center in Minnesota on Friday (September 18th). Looking at today’s game it was obvious the Sparks studied footage from Friday’s game where Maya Moore clearly owned the court putting up a hardy 33 points (a career high) and Seimone Augustus with a solid 17 points. Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler also brought to his team’s attention that even though they (the Sparks) had four players in the double digits that those efforts were all in vain if they allow the Lynx’s 23 points off of turnovers.
Alana Beard getting a step on Seimone Augustus. Photo by Jevone Moore
The Sparks answered the call to battle with zero hesitation. The Sparks looked energetic and assertive. The Sparks had at one point a 22 point lead over the Lynx. The Lynx attempted to make a run in the 3rd quarter and the Sparks looked like they were about to throw in the towel but unfortunately for the Lynx it was a false alarm. The Sparks were able to come out of the timeout with the right strategy to shut down the Lynx on those chance opportunities. During the game it was noted that the Lynx were not prepared for Ana Dabovic ( 19 points) to come off of the bench shooting nothing but fire. The Lynx’s Moore was still able to get 27 points in but with the Sparks blocking like they were antiaircraft missiles it wouldn’t be enough on this here night.
Candace Parker with fall away jumper looking smooth. Photo by Jevone Moore
The Sparks had four players in double digits (Candace Parker 25, Jantel Lavender 11, Alana Beard 11, and Ana Dabovic 19). This battle was not without its casualties. Nneka Ogwumike took a hard foul in the 3rd resulting in a strained neck. It is not know if she will be healed and back on the court for game 3. Candice was quick to credit this win to great teamwork, focus and playing the last minute like it is the first.
Tonight’s victory gives both teams a win a piece. The war will be picked back up in Minnesota on Tuesday September 22, with the winner advancing to the next round. Both of these teams have a war chest full of talent so it’s going to come down which team wants it more.
