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FOOTBALL

  TC 48, Big Valley 8

Roxana Samano - The Turlock Journal - 9/12/07 

In Modesto, Turlock Christian High's Eagles rolled to a season opening, 48-8 victory against Big Valley High.

 

The Eagles jumped out to a 20-8 advantage after the opening quarter, and never turned back.

Eli Davis scored three touchdowns for the Eagles (1-0); one receiving, one rushing and one on the special teams unit. Davis' kick-off return went for 85 yards.

 

Trevor Brown had 12 carries for 89 yards, while both Jordan Buchanan and Kameron Holguin accounted for 65 yards on the ground.

Axel Morelli went 3-for-4 with 113 yards and tossed two touchdowns. Morelli's longest completion was a 55-yard strike to wide out Brad Abraham. Buchanan led the team with 11 tackles, and Abraham followed that up with six total.

The Eagles will meet up with Elliot Christian High this Friday at 7:30 p.m., at Livingston High School. 
 

 
 
 
TC 28, JIM ELLIOT CHRISTIAN 0

Highschool Roundup/Modesto Bee Staff Reports - 9/15/07

Jordan Buchanan ran for 97 yards and three touchdowns, and intercepted two passes to lead a dominant defense as the Eagles (2-0) blanked the Lions (0-2).  TC scored 21 first-quarter points, with Buchanan scoring on a 44-yard and then Axel Morelli hitting Trevor Brown on a 14-yard scoring toss.

FOOTBALL
Alex Cantatore - The Turlock Journal - 9/19/07

The Turlock Christian High varsity football club upped its record to 2-0 on the season after knocking off the Elliot Christian High Eagles 28-0 during Week No. 2. Coach Rusty Lyon's squad recorded 21 points during the opening quarter, and tallied the other seven after the halftime break. Jordan Buchanan scored three touchdowns, two from the ground and one through the air. He also tallied 97 yards on eight carries. Trevor Brown, who scored the Eagles' other touchdown, finished up with nine yards. Turlock Christian will meet up with Orestimba High of Newman this Friday at Delhi High School at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

 

EAGLES LIFT OFF / FLIGHT PATH TO VICTORY
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 9/26/07

TCHS EAGLES EDGE ORESTIMBA WARRIORS, IMPROVE to 3-0

 

Turlock Christian High School's multi-sport standout Eli Davis tallied four of the Eagles' totaled points with his foot Friday night, which proved to be the difference during a 10-6 preseason victory over the visiting Orestimba High Warriors. Davis connected on a point after a touchdown, plus made good on a 48-yard field goal right as the first half expired. However, that was not the only reason the Eagles' walked out of Delhi's stadium with a win.

Turlock Christian, who improved to 3-0 after Week 3 of the season, received clutch plays from just about everywhere on the field. Despite having such a shorthanded roster, the Eagles were still able to fight off the Warriors (0-3) with the use of their strength, heart and conditioning. "They have worked so hard throughout the summer on conditioning and being able to go four quarters," Turlock Christian head coach Rusty Lyon said. "That was required of us (Friday), and they stepped up to the challenge. "We played an aggressive style of defense, and we've changed up our fronts. We had great play from our line, and linebackers. We covered the few pass plays Orestimba did have."

The Warriors ran the ball 48 times for 129 yards from the ground. Orestimba standout running back Michael Campos ran the ball 26 times for 101 total yards. Vince Mattos, who plays quarterback and defense for the Warriors, recorded Orestimba's only touchdown in the fourth quarter with 4-minutes, 45-seconds left to play. Mattos ran the ball eight times for 33 yards.

Turlock Christian did all of its scoring during the first half. On the Eagles' third possession of the match up, senior quarterback Axel Morelli connected with Kameron Holguin fading down the left sideline. The pass was good for a 38-yard touchdown, and Davis' extra point handed the Eagles a 7-0 advantage. "We had tremendous opportunity on offense, and we moved the ball quite well," Lyon said. "We had a huge number of penalties. If we would not have had those we could have had some great offense."

Turlock Christian's second score came at the end of the first half, which was a field goal from Davis that gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead going into the half. Ben Larson picked off a pair of passes, and one was at the end of the first 10 minutes. On a fourth down during the middle of the second quarter, the Eagles' senior running back/linebacker Jordan Buchanan got behind the line to make a stop to force a turnover. Buchanan got behind the line of scrimmage and made a shoe-lace tackle to get the Eagles' ball back. "We had plays everywhere," Lyon said. " (Buchanan) had some great runs for us, and played stout defense. He must have had a ton of tackles.

"Coach Lyon has a lot of respect for a program like Orestimba. It meant a lot to our team to beat a quality team like Orestimba. This sort of puts us on the map." Turlock Christian will host Gustine High this Friday in Livingston at 7:30 p.m.

TC EAGLES MAKE A STATEMENT FRIDAY, NOW BATTLE-TESTED
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 9/26/07

Let me start by explaining what it means when I refer to a certain player/athlete as my ‘boy’. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re personal friends, or ‘boys’ in that sense. But when a sports writer happens to hear a certain player/athlete being discussed, then refers to that player as ‘his boy’, it simply means that player has evolved into one of that person’s top-five favorite athletes of all-time, at that particular level of sport. So, when I let the public know Eli Davis is my ‘boy’, it doesn’t necessarily mean what it sounds like.  I’m saying he’s one of the most entertaining, and enjoyable high school athletes I like to watch.

Davis is now a senior at Turlock Christian, and plays for the Eagles’ varsity football squad. However, this isn’t the only sport he competes in.  Davis is also on the baseball and basketball squads, and was formerly a soccer standout as well.  As a junior, Davis was a four-sport standout, and was a full-time soccer player while helping out the football team strictly with his part-time duties. Back then, all Davis used to handle was the kicking. This year, especially with Turlock Christian’s extremely shorthanded roster, Davis and the rest of the squad has been forced to take on an extremely extended list of on-the-field responsibilities.

 

The Eagles, who improved to 3-0 after a 10-6 victory over the Orestimba High Warriors Friday, are down to 17 players now, which isn’t even enough to field two 11-player units at one time.  The Eagles aren’t blessed with depth at any position, and 40 minutes of football can seem like an eternity.  But Turlock Christian, under a fantastic motivator like Coach Rusty Lyon, never stopped throwing punches.

 

I’m willing to bet that no one will blow the Eagles out this season. They have too much heart for that.  The desire and determination that TC’s football program brings to the table is just ridiculous. They never quit, and they never stop working - ever!

 

During last weekend’s game in Delhi, Turlock Christian had six players on the sideline ready for substitutions. They had seven, counting Kevin Kelly sitting on the bench with an injured ankle.  Plus, the Eagles’ only returning All-leaguer senior Jordan Buchanan was carted off of the field on a stretcher with an injury.  Buchanan was having a tremendous night. He was all over the field making a variety of tackles, and even carried the ball hard with his punishing style of run.

 

Quarterback Axel Morelli pilots the offense, and he anchors the defense. Morelli plays linebacker, and is one of the team’s biggest, and best hitters. He sealed the game on Friday with a clutch interception as the time wound away in the fourth. Another standout in Kameron Holguin also had quite a showing, even while limping on an injured ankle.  Ben Larson finished up with two interceptions, and he hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Morelli.  Larson and Davis are probably the most versatile and athletic players TC has to offer. While lacking in size, the Eagles certainly make up for it with a great deal of speed and agility. With a strong special team’s unit, thanks to the boot of Davis, who could probably connect on a 55-yarder on a good night, the Eagles actually have a lot of talent.

 

The Eagles still have six more regular season contacts left, not counting the playoffs. So being able to keep healthy is a big concern for the remainder of the year. However, it doesn’t really matter if Turlock Christian can stay healthy or not. With the heart, fire and the desire that the Eagles bring to the football field every Friday night, coach Lyon’s club is bound for success. All they need is 11 guys at a time, and I’m willing to bet Turlock Christian would suit up and play with the 10.

 

 

 

Turlock Christian is 3-0 and still celebrating Friday's 10-6 win over Orestimba at Delhi High. "We are every proud of this win," said coach Rusty Lyon, whose team plays its "home" games on the road since it doesn't have a stadium. "It's the first time in our program's history that we've beaten a larger (school)."

 TURLOCK CHRISTIAN ROLLS,

OFF TO ITS FIRST 4-0 START
Staff Reports - The Modesto Bee - 9/29/07

TC 35, GUSTINE 6

Alex Cantatore - The Turlock Journal - 10/2/07

TCH's senior standout Eli Davis flat out snapped on Friday night at Livingston. During the Eagles' 35-6 rout of Gustine's Redskins at Livingston High School, Davis scored five touchdowns and rushed for 141 yards.  Davis scored on a one- and 59-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and helped the Eagles to a 20-0 lead at halftime after scoring on a 22-yard scamper in the second period.

Davis scored a touchdown on an interception return in the third quarter, and tallied his fourth running score, which was his fifth on the night, on a five-yard rush.  The Eagles gained 280 yards of total offense in Week 4, and will be taking that into Week 5 on Friday night. Turlock Christian will match up with RIpon Christian's Knights at Ripon High School at Stouffer Field.

 

LIVINGSTON -- When Eli Davis, an all-Stanislaus District soccer player and one of the state's top scorers last fall, made the decision to play football this fall for Turlock Christian High, who could have guessed he'd have such an impact. The versatile senior displayed all his skills Friday night, rushing for 141 yards, scoring five touchdowns and accounting for all but two of the Eagles' points in a 35-6 win over Gustine. Davis ran for four touchdowns, including a 59-yarder in the first quarter for a 12-0 lead, and returned an interception 10 yards for his fifth. He also kicked three extra points. That raised TC's record to 4-0, thebest start in school history.

 

TURLOCK CHRISTIAN 45,

RIPON CHRISTIAN 8

John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 10/10/07

 

At Ripon High's Stouffer Field, Turlock Christian High's Eagles improved to 5-0 on the pre-season after a 45-8 trashing of the Ripon Christian High Knights. Turlock Christian will take its perfect record into the Mariposa High Grizzlies' home in Mariposa on Friday night at 7:30pm for a Southern League opener.

 


 

 

THIS EAGLE FLIES HIGH

TC do-it-all Senior Davis Helps Team to First 5-0 Start
Richard T. Estrada- The Modesto Bee- 10/10/07

The first time Eli Davis touched the football this season, he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Quite a debut, particularly since the Turlock Christian senior wasn't even supposed to be on the field.  "One of my good friends, Trevor Brown, hurt his shoulder the play before, so they sent me out," said Davis, who helped the Eagles to a 48-8 win over Big Valley in Week 1. "I ran toward our picket fence on the right side and, when I saw everyone had their block, I ran as fast as I could."

With that one play, Davis helped TC's football program turn a corner.  The Eagles had themselves a gamebreaker, a player capable of taking a kick and turning it into a touchdown. Four weeks -- and four more wins -- later, it's become clear Davis is a threat in other ways, as well.  He's scored on a punt return, a run from scrimmage, a reception and even an interception. Davis, who scored five touchdowns in a 35-6 win over Gustine two weeks ago, also has kicked 14 extra points and two field goals. "I guess you'd call me a utility player, because with only 18 players on our team, I'll do whatever they ask," said Davis, who is sixth in the Sac-Joaquin Section with 82 points. "The coaches have been pounding it into our heads that we've got 18 players, so we need to make the most of what we have."

Last fall Davis split his time between the soccer and football teams. He scored goals on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- earning all-Stanislaus District honors -- and kicked footballs and played in the secondary on Fridays. "I love soccer, but I thought it would be fun this year to dedicate myself to football," said Davis, a versatile athlete who was all-league in basketball and all-district in baseball. "I kicked and played defense in our last five games last year, but to do more on offense, I had to practice every day."

The 6-foot, 175-pounder has run for 180 yards and caught seven passes for 97 yards, while making 33 tackles and intercepting two passes. He's also averaging 40 yards per punt, including kicks of 54, 58 and 62 yards. Heck, the kid's even thrown a pass.

Though baseball remains his priority -- Cal, Oregon State, Oregon, Baylor and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo are among those tracking his progress as an outfielder -- Davis might have the opportunity to continue kicking in college. "I'm going to play baseball, no doubt about that, but some schools have talked to me about kicking for their football team, too," Davis said. Before worrying about college, however, Davis has a football season to finish.

The next step comes Friday, when the Eagles (5-0) visit Mariposa (4-1) in a Southern League opener. TC's wins are over teams with a combined 6-19 record, so Davis realizes this is the Eagles' first true test. "We've been criticized for the lack of competition, but we've also been beating those teams the way we should," said Davis, whose Eagles have won by an average score of 33-6. "If we play four strong quarters against Mariposa, that will answer any doubts. This is the game of the year."

TC 10, MARIPOSA 7 at Mariposa

DEFENSE DELIVERS FOR TC

Modesto Bee Staff Reports - 10/13/07

 

 

The biggest win in Turlock Christian's five-year varsity football history was capped by, of course, a game-ending goal-line stand.

Mariposa, one yard from victory, tossed an incomplete pass as time expired, preserving the Eagles' 10-7 win and triggering a muddy celebration Friday night.

The first Southern League victory by Turlock Christian (6-0, 1-0 SL) was exciting and hard-earned." We were so close so many times last year. To finally do it was huge," TC third-year coach Rusty Lyon said. "It was so muddy, but I was still dancing."

The Grizzlies (4-2, 0-1) were denied four times inside the 5-yard line and twice at the 1. Running back Kylan Brocchini was stopped on third down by linebackers Johnny Humphres and Jordan Buchanan. 

The clutch stand affirmed a big night by senior Eli Davis, a soccer and baseball star who scored all 10 points for Turlock Christian. His 40-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 3-0 halftime lead.

After Mariposa recovered its fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead midway through the third period, received the kickoff and, hustling behind a picket fence of blockers, raced 80 yards along the Mariposa sideline for the go-ahead scoreDavis.


WEEK SIX FOOTBALL RESULTS - TC EAGLES IMPROVE TO 6-0, 1-0 IN THE SL

TC 10, MARIPOSA 7
Turlock Journal Staff Reports - 10/17/07

TC High's varsity football team sent shock waves through the entire Southern League after opening conference with a 10-7 over the  Mariposa High Grizzlies in Mariposa Friday night.  After a scoreless first quarter, Eli Davis closed out the opening half with a 40-yard field goal that handed the Eagles a 3-0 lead going into the locker room.

After Derek Hooper gave Mariposa a 7-3 advantage in the third quarer with a four-yard touchdown run, the Eagles' multi-talented senior Davis answered with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.  That handed TC (1-0 SL, 6-0 overall) a three-point lead that they would eventually hang on to after a goal-line stand at the one on the final play of the ball game.

TC gained 86 total yards, and the Eagle defense held the Grizzlies to just 48 yards of offense.  This friday, TC will host the Delhi Hawks at Livingston High School. Kick-off is at 7:30pm.

 TC 43, DELHI 6

Modesto Bee Staff Reports - 10/20/07

 

PERFECT EAGLES - TC Wins Big Over Delhi; Moves to 7-0
Mark Rivera - The Turlock Journal - 10/17/07

Photo by Mark Rivera: Eagles quarterback Axel Morelli gets a pass off during their homecoming game against the Delhi Hawks Friday night.

Turlock Christian's roster is full of "all-around" players, considering the team only has 18 players, three short of having a bare minimum 22 players, 11 for offense and 11 defense.

Kameron Holguin is one of TC's best all-around players. Holguin lit a fire under the Eagles from all sides of the ball on Friday night, contributing points on offense and special teams, and making big plays on defense in Turlock Christian's 43-6 routing of the Delhi Hawks on homecoming night. Holguin started things off early by returning the opening kickoff 96 yards off of a reverse for a touchdown, giving his team a 6-0 lead that would grow throughout the game. The 6 foot, one-inch, 170-pound senior also had a 33-yard punt return, a 32-yard interception return and a 40-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that put the Eagles up 29-6. Holguin also made a 24-yard field goal right before halftime to give Turlock Christian a 15-6 lead.

Senior Eli Davis also had a big game for the Eagles, rushing for 135 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns, as well as kicking four extra points. Davis ran for 115 yards in the second half alone. He also made six tackles on the defensive side of the ball and made a key fumble recovery for the Eagles in the first quarter.

The Hawks fumbled on the first play of their first possession after Holguin's runback. Davis jumped on the ball and gave the Eagles great field position. Jordan Buchanan would punch the ball in for a touchdown four plays later. The Eagles missed the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 12-0 just two minutes, 35 seconds into the game. On Delhi's only scoring drive of the game, senior quarterback Jose Solorio connected with Taylor Ruiz for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Hawks missed their try at the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 12-6.

The second quarter was very slow, as both teams traded three-and-out possessions back and forth all quarter long. Turlock Christian finally broke through when starting quarterback Axel Morelli gained 11 yards on third down to keep the Eagles' drive alive. Turlock Christian would move the ball inside the 15 yard line before Holguin came in to tack on three points before halftime. Morelli finished the game with seven completions on 15 attempts for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles would blow the game open in the third quarter, taking a 29-6 lead off of Davis' first rushing touchdown and Holguin's touchdown reception. In the fourth quarter, Turlock Christian poured it on even more with two more scores. The Eagles got tricky with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Morelli to Ben Larsen on a flea-flicker, where Morelli handed it off to Buchanan, and then Buchanan tossed it back to Morelli after the Hawks' defense had already committed to the run, leaving Larsen wide open down the sideline for the score. The Eagles' final score came courtesy of Davis, who scored on a 19-yard dash to the endzone, weaving through traffic to put his team up by 37 points.

Turlock Christian ended the game with 316 total yards of offense, including 181 yards on the ground, and put up 43 points against a Delhi team that had only allowed an average of 15 points per game entering Friday night. The Eagles' defense held Delhi to just 48 yards of total offense on 45 plays, including the one touchdown pass from Solorio for 30 yards. The Eagles forced three turnovers and held the Hawks to 12 yards rushing on 27 attempts.

The win improves Turlock Christian's record to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southern League. Delhi falls to 1-1 in the Southern League and 3-4 overall. The Eagles will next face LeGrand on the road in another Southern League contest on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

TURLOCK CHRISTIAN 43, DELHI 6, at Livingston - Eli Davis did a little bit of everything for the undefeated Eagles (7-0, 2-0 Southern League) - 135 yards rushing, two touchdowns, a field goal and four extra points. Jose Solorio hooked up with Taylor Ruiz from 30 yards out for the Hawks' (3-4, 1-1) only score.

 

TC 27, LE GRAND 7 at Le Grand

Modesto Bee Staff Report - 10/28/07


The Eagles' (8-0, 3-0) record-setting season continued, as Ben Larson caught a 37-yard TD pass and returned an interception 35 yards for a second score to beat the Bulldogs (3-5, 1-2).
 
TC had never opened the season with four consecutive wins, much less eight in a row. The Eagles face Waterford next week, then have a potential championship game with Denair the last week of the season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TC 16, WATERFORD 13 at Waterford

Modesto Bee Staff Report - 11/2/07

WATERFORD - Eli Davis, Turlock Christian's do-everything star, has kicked the Eagles to within a win of an outright Southern League title. His 29-yard field goal with 2:03, followed by a dominant stand on defense, carried the surprising Eagles (9-0, 4-0) to a 16-13 win over Waterford on Friday night.
 
Turlock Christian, which dressed only 18 players due to several injuries, clinched a co-title and can finish an unbeaten regular season with a victory next week over Denair.
 
"I'm surprised a little bit that we're 9-0. I'm not surprised that we can compete. We haven't backed off against anyone," TC coach Rusty Lyon said. "Having come as far as we have, we're really motivated. We had a little letdown tonight, but there will be no letdown next week against a good Denair team." Ben Larson intercepted a halfback option pass at midfield to launch Turlock Christian's game-winning drive. Davis, subbing at quarterback for the injured Axel Morelli, passed 30 yards to Trevor Brown to the Waterford 10-yard line on a key third down. Undaunted by a touchdown called back by a penalty, Davis kicked for the winning points.
 
 
 

TC-Denair: 1st Annual Monte Vista Showdown!

 

John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 11/7/07  The game of the week is hands down, Turlock Christian vs. Denair varsity football. This is equivalent to placing two groups of pit-bulls in a cage, locking them up for nine weeks, then letting them run wild against each other like untamed lions. It's the most classic form of a 'Thursday night fight,' because for these two football programs, this game will forever go down in each of their history books.

Thursday night will mark the first-annual 'Monte Vista Showdown' between the Denair and Turlock Christian High varsity football squads. This rivalry has been brewing for the past four years - ever since Turlock Christian introduced its varsity football program. Over the last four years, the Eagles and Coyotes have had their fair share of battles on the gridiron. Not just in football, but in every single sport the two schools could possibly compete in. However, in football, there's a little more pride on the line. Not to mention the Eagles' perfect season, and a wagon wheel which will be awarded to the school that wins the rivalry game each and every November.

Yes, it's the 'Monte Vista Showdown,' and the winner of this match could either win a league championship outright, or have to share the Southern League title. Turlock Christian is currently 4-0 against the Southern League, 9-0 overall. The Eagles have flat out shocked the world, so to speak, especially with a short-handed roster that has been fighting injuries all season. If the Eagles are able to close out this 2007 campaign with a win Thursday night in Waterford, it will officially complete a perfect season. That's something Turlock Christian football has never done before, which could make for a historical night.

Denair is the defending SL champion. They finished 5-0 in 2006, and were the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V runner-up after falling against the Lindhurst High Blazers in the section championship. The Coyotes just suffered their first league loss in the last two years last Friday in front of a home audience. It was a ball game against the 2006 Southern League runner-up Mariposa High, a ball club that the Coyotes defeated in a quadruple-overtime contest last year. The Grizzlies came down from the mountains looking for revenge during Week 9, upsetting Denair 25-21 in front of a rather large home crowd on senior night. That dropped Denair's record to 3-1 in the SL, and 6-3 overall. Now the Coyotes will be looking for some redemption of their own.

With a victory, Denair could strip the outright title away from the Eagles' grips, which could force the two ball clubs to split a piece of the league crown. If Turlock Christian happens to lose, that could also cost the Eagles a first-round bye in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V postseason. The Eagles have never won a section title in football before, but never say never.

Turlock Christian is having a magical season thus far, and you can never count them out. And the Eagles' do-it-all senior Eli Davis is a legitimate reason why. Davis currently leads the Eagles with 16 touchdowns. Three other players below him are tied for second place with five apiece (Kameron Holguin, Ben Larson and Jordan Buchanan). Davis has 1,061 total all-purpose yards, and he's also the team's top kicker, and special team's returner. If the game happens to be a close one, at least the Eagles and coach Rusty Lyon have a reliable foot to count on.

Denair's leading scorer, senior Alex Correia, has tallied up 18 touchdowns this season, and has ran for 1,355 total yards rushing. Turlock Christian's defense will certainly have its work cut out for them against the Coyotes' potent offense and punishing running game.

No matter what happens, though, both teams are still guaranteed a spot in the postseason, considering the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoff committee lets the top two finishers from the Southern League in. There's just a whole lot of pride, bragging rights and a wagon wheel trophy at stake here. Not mention being named the winner of the first-ever Monte Vista Showdown.

 

 


 

 

Already-Soaring Eagles Eye 10-0, but Denair Looks to Ground Them

Richard T. Estrada - The Modesto Bee - 11/8/07 

Each week that Turlock Christian High wins another football game, it sets another record.

The Eagles had never opened a season with as many as four consecutive wins prior to this year, but they're 9-0 heading into tonight's Southern League battle with Denair at Waterford High. There's more at stake than just a record 10th consecutive win, a perfect regular season and a league championship. The winner gets the league's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs.

While Denair (6-3, 3-1) is familiar with success, reaching the section final last year before losing 30-7 to Lindhurst, playing for a football title is new for TC (4-0 SL).

The Eagles have been a small-school soccer power, particularly the previous three years. Potent scorer Eli Davis led the Eagles to a section crown in 2005. But Davis traded soccer cleats for shoulder pads this fall. He not only kicks, catches and runs, but his 136 points put him No. 3 in the section. He played quarterback in last week's 16-13 win over Waterford, completing six of 14 passes for 74 yards in place of injured starter Axel Morelli. Morelli is expected to play tonight, but he is listed as day-to-day.

TC isn't the only team playing for a title tonight, as Davis (5-4, 3-1) can clinch a share of the Modesto Metro Conference title by winning at Downey (6-3, 2-2). Davis is tied for first with Beyer (4-5, 3-1), which faces Enochs on Friday. Downey is playing for its postseason life, as a Knights' victory and a Johansen win over Modesto on Friday would send first-year coach Jeremy Plaa and his team to the playoffs.

Also, Ceres (0-9, 0-6) hosts crosstown rival Central Valley (2-7, 1-5) in the final game for both.

Turlock Christian Football

Submitted by wdeboard 11/8/07

So it's the fifth year that Turlock Christian has played football, and tonight the Eagles are going for history when they take on Denair for the Southern League championship. Should the 9-0 Eagles beat the defending SL campion Coyotes, they'll win an outright league title, the No. 1 playoff seed (and the fist-round bye that goes with it) and they'll finish 10-0 Merced is the area's only other 9-0 team, and there are currently 42 undefeated teams across the state. That's rare compaany.

I'll be curious to see what kind of crowd shows up for this game. I"m guessing most of the SL followers will be around, as will many small-school fans. It's the nice thing about a Thursday game - many of the area's other football players are off so they tend to show up. 

 

TC 32, DENAIR 30 at Turlock

Turlock Christian Rallies to Cap Perfect Season - Wins Southern Title!
Will DeBoard - Modesto Bee - 11/9/07

WATERFORD – The Turlock Christian High football team’s dream season nearly ended Thursday night. The undefeated Eagles trailed defending Southern League champion Denair by 16 points midway through the third quarter and hadn’t done much of anything on offense. But as he has all season for Turlock Christian, Eli Davis provided the spark. Davis scored four consecutive touchdowns in the second half – and five for the game – as the Eagles rallied to a wild 32-30 victory over the Coyotes at Waterford High School Thursday night. Davis also made several big defensive plays, including an interception and a forced fumble, both coming in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles (10-0, 5-0) capped a perfect season, their first Southern League championship, and a bye in the first round of the upcoming Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs. Denair (6-4, 3-2) will be either the SL’s No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the playoffs. About 1,700 people packed the stands by the opening kickoff, and those that stayed poured onto the field at the sound of the final whistle. They formed a tunnel at midfield, where the TC players ran after shaking hands with the Coyotes. “You want to talk about bravery, courage and camaraderie,” Turlock Christian coach Rusty Lyon said. “It’s the story of this team’s season.” It was an unlikely celebration after the game’s first 32 minutes. Denair struck twice on long passing plays. With only 34 seconds left in the first half, Coyotes quarterback Garrett Soares found Kevin Chance down the right sideline. Chance made a diving catch just into the front right pylon, beating the diving Davis. After TC got to within 8-6 on a short Davis run, Soares again found Chance behind the secondary. This time it was a 60-yard touchdown pass and a 14-6 lead with 7:04 remaining in the third quarter. That score became 22-6 just over a minute later, when TC quarterback Axel Morelli had the ball stripped. Rees scooped it up on a run for the 30-yard touchdown.

 

“Things looked grim,” Lyon said. “But the kids never gave up. Eli’s our go-to guy, and he never let us down.” The Eagles drove to the Denair 34, where Davis made a nice over-the-shoulder catch of a Morelli pass down the left sideline. He scored with 3:54 remaining in the third, and the Eagles had cut the lead to 22-12. Eagles’ linebacker, Jordan Buchanan, ended Denair’s next drive with a sack of Soares, and Davis went to work again. First, he rushed for 20 yards and a first down on a fake punt, then capped the drive with a 2-yard scoring run with 10:18 left in the game. TC trailed 22-18. The Eagles defense held Denair again, and Davis scored yet again. This one was a 53-yard hook-and-lateral play where sophomore call-up Cody Alldrin made the catch, pitching to the sprinting Davis for a 25-22 lead with 6:14 left in the game. “That’s huge by (Alldrin),” Davis said. “There’s a lot of timing involved, and he made the play.” Davis ended the next Denair drive by picking Soares off at the Turlock Christian 31. Two plays later, he broke free on a right sweep for a 66-yard touchdown and a 32-22 lead with 3:40 left in the game. Denair scored the game’s final touchdown with 22 seconds left, but TC recovered the onside kick and the celebration had begun.

Only 19 Eagles suited up Thursday night. The most they’ve ever had for a game is 20. “We knew we were going to be undermanned going into the season,” Davis said. “You see that number, and you think, ‘Thin.’ But we never thought that. We felt, if you execute and make plays, you can do it.”
Many fans lingered on Waterford’s field. Because they don’t have a home field, it was the eighth stadium the Eagles have played on this season. “I’ll never forget this game for the rest of my life,” Lyon said. “These kids gave the school a great memory, too.”

 

 

NOTE – This was the first game under its new name: The Monte Vista Showdown. The schools are about three miles apart on Monte Vista Avenue, and the school’s two athletic directors, Ron Cornell of Denair and TC’s Randy Hopkins, presented the trophy for the game: A wooden wagon wheel. Several TC players posed for pictures after the game while holding the wheel.

 

TC Outright SL Champs!
John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 11/09/07

WATERFORD - It's safe to say Turlock Christian's do-it-all senior standout Eli Davis sealed up his Southern League MVP campaign during a 32-30 victory against the Denair Coyotes during the first annual Monte Vista Showdown this past Thursday evening at Waterford High. Davis scored all 32 points during the last 20 minutes of the contest, and helped the Eagles rally back past the Coyotes, who were the defending SL champions.

Turlock Christian (5-0 SL, 10-0 overall) knocked off the defending champs, and earned an opening-round bye during the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V football playoffs. The Eagles will be the No. 1 seed in Division V, and are officially two wins away from the school's first-ever section championship title in varsity football.

"That has been the story of our season... different kids stepping up at different times," the Eagles head football coach Rusty Lyon said. "Eli (Davis) has been the most consistent, but everyone has been making contributions week after week. "Eli was our spark plug, and I was calling him greased lightning. He was coming through with the big plays, but other kids stepped up and made blocks, too."

After a scoreless first quarter, Denair didn't take the lead until there were 34 seconds left in the first half. Denair's senior quarterback Garrett Soares, who had 264 passing yards with three touchdowns, hooked up with Kevin Chance for a 39-yard touchdown toss. Soares finished up 10-for-21 passing, and hit Chance on a fade pattern to the right corner of the end zone that handed the Coyotes an 8-0 advantage after Alex Correia (12 carries, 41 yards) made good on the two-point conversion. Denair went into the locker room leading 8-0.

However, Davis opened the third frame with a three-yard touchdown run after sweeping all the way left. That was his first of three rushing touchdowns, and after a failed two-point conversion, the Eagles were down 8-6 with a little over eight minutes to play in the third quarter. On the ensuing possession, Soares hooked up with Chance for a 60-yard touchdown pass, which gave the Coyotes a 10-point lead after Soares ran home the two-point conversion. Chance finished up with four catches for 106 total yards.

With the score 16-6, Denair's defense forced a fumble, and Jeff Rees of the Coyotes' defense scooped it up and ran 27 yards for a touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion, Denair looked comfortable, leading 22-6 with a little under 18 minutes left to play. "We studied (Denair's) offense, and there's a certain way we run the 4-4," Lyon said. "This year, we're not reading at all, we're just attacking. The kids have responded well to that, and they have learned the keys to the places they need to be."

With just under four minutes left to play in the third quarter, Turlock Christian senior Axel Morelli hooked up with Davis for a 34-yard touchdown toss. Morelli finished up 12-for-29 with 214 yards passing, not to mention two touchdown passes to Davis. Morelli caught the Denair defense with a pump fake, and hit Davis to make it 22-12 at that point. Turlock Christian failed the two-point conversion, and that's what created the 10-point spread, once again. With 10-minutes, 18-seconds left to go in the fourth period, Davis scored a touchdown on the ground from three yards out.

After a missed extra point, the Eagles were trailing by four, 22-18. Approximately four minutes later, Davis struck again. This time it was on a precisely executed play by the Turlock Christian offense. "We used it one time against Mariposa," Lyon added. "We were thinking they would have saw it on film." The old hook-and-ladder play was ran with perfection. Morelli hooked up with Cody Alldrin for 10 yards, and Alldrin, who was pulled up from junior varsity for the postseason, quickly pitched it to a streaking Davis. Davis caught the pitch and raced up the field for 53 yards and a score.

After his extra point, the Eagles took over a 25-22 advantage. With 3:40 left in the ball game, Davis broke loose on a 66-yard touchdown run on a sweep right. He broke up the right sideline for seven more points after the extra kick, and all of a sudden Turlock Christian was up by 10 points (32-22). With 22 seconds remaining, Soares found Correia for a three-yard touchdown pass. Soares' extra couple of points after the score made it 32-30. The Coyotes were unable to recover the onside kick, and the Eagles walked away with the victory. Denair finished the season with 3-2 mark in the SL, and had a 6-4 record overall.

Eagles vs Denair

 

 

TURLOCK CHRISTIAN MEETS CHALLENGE

Will DeBoard- The Bee - 11/20/07

 

Turlock Christian is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the section, and the Eagles' story is different from the other two. Perennial powerhouses Elk Grove and Merced are 11-0, but TC (10-0) is in only its fifth season of football. The Eagles also opened the season with 20 players and played home games throughout the district. "The kids have risen to every challenge," Turlock Christian coach Rusty Lyon said. "Our schedule has become gradually tougher, and the kids have responded." This week, TC plays Lindhurst at Livingston High School in a Division VI semifinal. "They have speed that we haven't seen this year," Lyon said. "It's another big challenge."

 

 

SLEDGEHAMMER SYMBOLIZES TC'S STRENGTH

TC'S MAGICAL RIDE!

Big Valley Christian

W 48-8

Elliot Christian 

W 28-0

Orestimba

W 10-6

Gustine

W 35-6

Ripon Christian

W 45-8

Mariposa

W 10-7

Delhi

W 43-6

Le Grand

W 27-7

Waterford

W 16-13

Denair

W 32-30

Ron Agostini - The Bee - 11/23/07 


TURLOCK -- Everywhere the Turlock Christian Eagles go, they carry a sledgehammer.

 
Each day at practice. Into various classrooms on game day. Onto the field on Friday night. The investment? About $20. Its value to the team? Priceless. Says senior standout Eli Davis, the idea man behind the sledgehammer, "I'd say it's worth 10 wins."


The Southern League-champion Eagles, 10-0 for the first time in school history, are the nomads of the Stanislaus District. They have no real campus -- their enrollment of 200 is headquartered at Monte Vista Chapel -- and no football home. They've played three "home" games this season at Livingston, one at Delhi and one at Waterford. The Eagles have logged more road miles than NASCAR drivers. Small wonder why they cling to that sledgehammer; their symbol of strength and power, their identity. "We all signed that hammer and said we would work as one," strong safety-receiver Trevor Brown remembered. "We would not mess around in school or outside school. We said we wouldn't let our teammates down. Everyone who signed it had to keep that contract."


All championship teams are said to be close. The TC Eagles, however, take the concept to a new level. Only 20 players dot their roster, fewer than all but one opponent. At least nine play offense and defense. They are "Hoosiers" in shoulder pads, a Rockwell painting framed by the football lights.
Last season, Turlock Christian went 4-6 overall and 0-5 in league. Not much was expected in 2007. But no one factored in the force of that sledgehammer. Also unforeseen was the impact of Davis, the quintessential all-around athlete. He's already been All-District in soccer and is coveted by Pacific-10 Conference baseball teams. He bypassed soccer this fall, however, and focused all his talents on football. No one at TC questions his decision.

 
Two weeks ago in the Monte Vista Showdown against arch-rival Denair, Davis scored five touchdowns, rushed for 177 yards, caught three passes for 188 yards, intercepted a pass, kicked two extra points and, it was rumored, sold popcorn at the concession stand. A 22-6 third-quarter deficit turned into a 32-30 win for the Eagles, one of three unbeaten teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section.


Before the season, Davis acquired stakes to go with the sledgehammer. Each stake was attached with a keyword, a theme for the week. The Eagles grew from such ideas as "Unity," "Sacrifice," "Trust," and, fittingly for the Denair game, "Finish."  For Week 6 at Southern League favorite Mariposa, the keyword was "Leave Nothing," which Turlock Christian embodied in a dramatic climax. Leading 10-7, with Mariposa a yard from victory as the final seconds ticked, TC twice stopped the Grizzlies: a tackle by linebacker Jonny Humphres that pushed back Mariposa to the 3 and, as time expired, a pass knocked down in the end zone by cornerback Kameron Holguin. So excited were the Eagles, head coach Rusty Lyon danced in the mud. "They are resilient and unafraid," Lyon said. "Sometimes as a coach, you feel you have to urge the team to take the field with confidence. But with this team, I don't have to do a whole lot."


What TC has accomplished this fall may resonate beyond football. The school has hoped for years to build a campus at Monte Vista and Quincy in Turlock, but it has never leaped all the financial hurdles. Some observers believe the Eagles' football success could become a springboard to the future. "There are hopeful signs that within two or three years we'll have a campus," Lyon said. "The vision is there. The opportunity is there. I'm glad to hear it's coming."


Also coming to Livingston tonight is Lindhurst, Turlock Christian's opponent in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI semifinals. Not only is Lindhurst the defending section champion, its enrollment of 1,600 dwarfs TC's. By the way, Turlock Christian never has won a football playoff game in three tries. Sounds like a perfect challenge for the vagabond team which has surprised everyone except itself. "If you told me before the year that we'd go 10-0, I would have been happy," quarterback Axel Morelli said. "Now that we're 10-0 and we're in a playoff game, I really want that playoff game."  Would you mess with a team wielding a sledgehammer?

 

TC 19, LINDHURST 20 at Turlock

Not quite perfect; Turlock Christian falls

KELLY JONES - The Modesto Bee - 11/24/07

LIVINGSTON -- Their magical football season is over. Turlock Christian High made their first-round playoff game as memorable as their undefeated season, falling to Lindhurst 20-19 on a failed two-point conversion run with no time on the clock. Quarterback Alex Morelli had scored on a 5-yard run with four seconds left. The Eagles opted to go for it, and on their first attempt Morelli was sacked and fumbled the ball. But Lindhurst was called for a face mask penalty and Turlock Christian got another shot. "I was mad that I dropped it," Morelli said. "When they called the penalty, I was happy at the end. I thought, 'God will get us in the end zone this time.' "

But Lindhurst stopped Eli Davis' attempt at running in the conversion, and the Eagles lost in the Division V playoffs for the fourth time in as many appearances. "We felt we were kinda dinged up and the end," Turlock Christian coach Rusty Lyon said. "We could have maybe won in overtime, but we thought here's our chance to win."  The fourth quarter was a thriller. Lindhurst's Mike Bush scored his first of two touchdowns, a 35-yarder, with 8:25 to go. But the point-after kick by Kenny Teasley hit the left crossbar, giving Turlock Christian hope with the score 13-7. "We all thought that left a spot open for us," wide receiver Ben Larson said. "I had all the confidence in the world we were score again."

The Eagles (10-1) got down the field quickly. On a reverse, running back Eli Davis threw a 47-yard pass to Larson to put Turlock Christian on the Blazers' 21-yard line. Two plays later, Larson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Morelli to tie the score, 13-13. But the Eagles were left in disbelief as Davis' point-after kick also hit the left crossbar. "That's just the craziness of the CIF," Lyon said. "We were just very surprised because we usually never miss it. Eli just slipped."

Lindhurst (9-3) gave Turlock Christian hope again when Joey Villasenor missed a 24-yard field goal with 1:18 remaining. But on the first play of the Eagles' next drive, Bush swatted a Morelli pass into the air and brought it down for an interception. He ran for 13 yards to set up his own 16-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left to put Lindhurst ahead 20-13. The Eagles had time, but no timeouts as they started from midfield. They got down to the 5, helped by a 15-yard Lindhurst face mask penalty. Morelli said those last five yards were the longest of his career. He was happy to go for two points, and said it just didn't go the way Turlock Christian wanted. His teammates echoed the sentiment. "If we had to make that call 10 more times, I would have made the exact same call," Larson said. "You've got to go big or go home."

Going undefeated in the regular season is a pretty good accomplishment to go home with, Morelli said. He finished with 65 yards, completing 6 of 18 passes with two interceptions. Larson had four receptions for 64 yards and two carries for 22 yards. "Our other kids stepped up like I knew they would and did very well," Lyon said. "It was an awesome game, a memorable one the kids will never forget. That's the way we wanted it to be. I'm very proud of them."

Eagles Come up Short in Bid for Championship Banner

Roxana Samano- The Journal- 11/28/07LIVINGSTON-

In an effort to advance to the division VI Sac-Joaquin Section championship game, the Turlock Christian Eagles fell 20-19 against the Lindhurst Blazers. Both teams came ready to play, each holding the others' offense scoreless throughout the first quarter.

With 11:34 in the second quarter, Turlock Christian's quarterback Alex Morelli connected with Eli Davis for a 3-yard rush in the endzone. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Lindhurst got the motivation it needed to score. Blazer's quarterback Anthony Barrera tossed the ball to running back Reggie Bush for a touchdown late in the game. The Eagles didn't give up-scoring two minutes later with an 18-yard pass to Davis making the game 13-13. The Blazers got another opportunity to score after a late interception throw by Morelli led to a Lindhurst touchdown.

The Eagles tried turning the game around in the final minutes of the game, as Turlock Christian's Ben Larson scored a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. In an effort to win and advance to the championship game, Eagle's head coach Rusty Lyon made the decision to go for the two-point conversion in the final seconds of the game. Lindhurst's defense was able to contain Davis from scoring the conversion drive, leaving the Eagles with no time left to recover. The Lindhurst Blazers (8-4) will face Capital Christian (9-2) Friday for the division VI championship title.  

 

SOUTHERN LEAGUE FOOTBALL

The Modesto Bee - 12/9/07
(partial list)

MVP: Eli Davis, Turlock Christian

ALL LEAGUE FIRST TEAM: Grant Allard, Jordan Buchanan, Ben Larson, Brad Abraham, Jonny Humphres, Daniel Wright, Turlock Christian

HONORABLE MENTION: Trevor Brown, Axel Morelli, Turlock Christian

 

SOCCER

TC Eagles’ Varsity Soccer Team Looking to Repeat as SL Champs
  John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 8/28/07
 

 

 

 
Turlock Christian High's varsity soccer club is coming off of a Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoff semi-final appearance in 2006. Turlock Christian won the Southern League title with a 13-1-1 league record, 20-4-1 overall. But this season, with the help of a Brazilian foreign-exchange student and a handful of key returners, the Eagles will be looking to dominate the league all over again, and most importantly, make another playoff appearance. "We want to be able to finish in the top three, so we can make it to the playoffs," Turlock  hristian's fourth-year head varsity soccer coach Robert Darmousseh said. "Last year, only the top two from the Southern League went to the playoffs. "So, we need to play together and get enough wins so we can participate, and get some experience for next season." 
 
The Eagles lost two seniors, Eli Davis and Kameron Holguin, this season to the football team. Last season, the two soccer standouts were significant parts of the Eagles' run toward the section title. However, Turlock Christian does have plenty of returning talent, too. Marcus Garcia, Lucas Nyquist, Tony Campos and Bodie Warda should all be heading the Eagles' charge toward their second consecutive league title. Turlock Christian also has quite a talented newcomer in Caio Noronha, a Brazilian cultural-exchange student who will undoubtedly be an important addition to the Eagles' roster. "Caio is pretty talented," coach Darmousseh said. "He has good ball-handling skills, and he should be a good asset to our midfield." After losing six seniors to graduation, including Shawn Darmousseh, Sean Hallam and Dong Lee, Turlock Christian will certainly have plenty of spaces to fill.  "There's too many new players," coach Darmousseh said. "Right now, we're learning how to gel together, so it will take a while for us to see the outcome. "But, it will be more challenging than it was last year. (In '06), we were dominating." Last fall, which was Turlock Christian's debut season in the Southern League, the Eagles lost and tied just one game. The loss was to Mariposa High, 0-2, and the tie was against the Delhi High Hawks, 1-1.
 
This upcoming campaign, the Grizzlies, Hawks and Le Grand's Bulldogs should be the Eagles' top league competition. "Mariposa beat us once last year, and Delhi tied us," coach Darmousseh said. "In the Mariposa game, we outshot them 23-3. "If you would have saw that game, you wouldn't have believed the outcome. We just kept hitting the post."
 
Peter Cippiorie is expected to be the Eagles' starting goalie this season. Tyler Landmeir, Kyron Loving and Tony Campos are all sophomores on the roster, too. Kurt Lemos and Tevin Jones are a pair of freshman who should also help out Turlock Christian's cause. Turlock Christian's next scheduled contest will be Thursday against Orestimba High, at Orestimba at 3:30 p.m.
 
 DHS Coyotes Knock Off TC Varsity Soccer Squad
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 9/9/07

Dario Castrjon of the Denair High varsity soccer club registered a hat-trick during this past Monday's shootout between the Denair Coyotes and Turlock Christian High's Eagles. Castrjon, a Denair sophomore, didn't take too long to open up the scoring. He tallied his first goal during the fifth minute of the contest, which was just the start of a wild 6-4 victory for the Coyotes.  "Dario and Matt Lucas played incredible," Denair head soccer coach Aaron Donahue said. "They played really smart soccer. We moved the ball around, and controlled it well. So did Paul Oai. Those guys didn't score, but they made a huge difference."  Castrjon was responsible for the Coyotes' first two goals, and his brother, Jose Castrjon, also tallied up a score as well. Justin Langston had a score for Denair, too.

Turlock Christian (0-3 Southern League) lost its No. 1 goalie in Peter Cipponeri to injury during last week's Southern League ball game. Therefore, Bodie Warda and Steven Nyquist were forced to guard the cage. The two combined for 24 saves total.  "We have too many injuries, and we are short of substitutes," Turlock Christian head coach Robert Darmousseh said after the loss. "We were trying to get more goals than Denair, but as soon as we would score, they would get a go-ahead goal.  "I'm pleased with the way our guys kept going and never gave up. They played till the last whistle."

Warda, Nyquist, Kyron Loving and Marcus Garcia were each responsible for Turlock Christian's four scores. All of the Eagles' goals were unassisted, and they put up 14 total shots throughout the contest.  But the Coyotes' game-plan was just too strong for a shorthanded, injury-laden Eagles club to keep up with.  "The ball was moved around a lot," Donahue said. "No one really dominated, and both teams cleared the ball well (Monday)."

Denair will be at Le Grand High School this Thursday, and Turlock Christian High's Eagles will have a match scheduled against the Delhi High Hawks Thursday as well. The Eagles will face the Hawks at 4 p.m. inside of the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

TC Eagles Score a Draw Against Le Grand Bulldogs
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 10/3/07

 

 

Monday's Southern League match up against the Le Grand High Bulldogs wasn't a victory for the Turlock Christian High boys varsity soccer squad, but it wasn't a loss either. The Eagles, who improved to 0-6-1 against Southern League competition, 3-14-1 overall, earned a 1-1 tie against the visiting Le Grand High Bulldogs at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

"We didn't play well," Le Grand's head soccer coach Frank Ferreira said after the loss. "TC flat outplayed us. They wanted it more than we did, and they played very well."  Turlock Christian pieced together a solid performance defensively, holding the Bulldogs scoreless during the entire first half.  In fact, both teams were not able to put away scores for the first 40 minutes.

The game's first goal didn't take place until about 10 minutes into the second half.  Le Grand struck first, and it was Adam Ferdin who got the Bulldogs' only score. Turlock Christian goalie Luke Kiss had a solid game from the front of the net as he finished the contest with eight total saves.  But during the 50th minute of the contest, Ferdin of Le Grand muscled his way into the box and got a shot past Kiss for the 1-0, second-half advantage.  Alejandro Rosas recorded the assist on the score for the Bulldogs, who fell to 4-1-2 against the Southern League, 5-4-2 overall.  Le Grand held onto its 1-0 lead for 20 minutes after. It was during the 70th minute when Turlock Christian got its lonely goal of the contest.

It was Turlock Christian's new addition, Caio Noronha, a Brazilian foreign exchange student who comes with a great deal of skill and overall soccer awareness, that put the Eagles on the scoreboard. With 10 minutes left in the contest, the Eagles were playing with a great sense of urgency, just as they had been throughout the entire ball game. Turlock Christian's Jordan Bernum got his foot on the ball at about midfield, and somehow pulled off a 20-yard pass to Noronha, who gained control of the pass to say the least.

After Noronha got possession, he turned on Le Grand High's defender and dashed straight toward the net. Norohna swerved right, then left, then broke back right to the outside before firing a bullet into the left-far corner of the cage. That tied the contest at one apiece, and was certainly a blown defensive assignment for Le Grand, which the Eagles certainly took advantage of. "We had a breakdown in the defense to where (Caio Noronha) was let go, and that proved it cost us," Ferreira concluded.

Turlock Christian's next game will be this Thursday afternoon against Denair High School at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex at 4 p.m. "This was exactly what we wanted to do," said Robert Darmousseh, Turlock Christian's head soccer coach. "We wanted to keep it low, and we wanted to keep the game tied. The players played excellent at their positions, and Marcus Garcia did outstanding defense on guarding Le Grand's best player."

Waterford Wildcats Scratch TC Eagles in SL Match Up
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 10/17/07

Turlock Christian High's primary goal for Monday was to shut down Waterford High's leading scorer Carlos Navarrete, who also leads the entire state in scoring thus far in the season.  During Monday afternoon's Southern League contest between the Eagles and the league-leading Wildcats, Turlock Christian managed to refrain Navarrete from scoring, but the Waterford standout still distributed as the Wildcats downed Turlock Christian 6-1 inside the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.

"Our defense denied Waterford's top scorer," Turlock Christian head soccer coach Robert Darmousseh said after the loss. "We kept their top scorer from scoring, and Carlos has had goals in every game this season.  "In two out of three games with Waterford, we have marked him to where he wasn't able to score."  Though Navarrete, who is only in his sophomore year at Waterford, didn't find the back of the net, five of the other Wildcats did against Eagle goalie Luke Kiss.

During the opening minute of the match, Waterford (9-0-2 SL, 15-0-5 overall) jumped on top of Turlock Christian early with a goal from Diego Espinoza.  After Espinoza handed the Wildcats a 1-0 lead just a minute into the contest, Ulises Gonzalez copied the act as he put Waterford ahead two 12 minutes later. "That has actually happened three other times this year," Waterford head coach Barry Wixom said. "We have scored goals in the first 30 seconds three other times this year. It wasn't really a (designed) play, but our idea is we want to get off to a good start.  "Usually if we get that first goal we feel pretty good."

Turlock Christian fell to 1-9-1 in the Southern League, 4-17-1 overall following the loss to Waterford.

Turlock Christian's junior goalie Kiss finished the ball game with 10 total saves. The Eagles' offense was only able to attempt four total shots, and three of them were in the last 10 minutes of the ball game.  "We knew TC has a good outside trap," Wixom said. "They were targeting (Navarrete), and they kept him from scoring. We just came out here and tried to do what we do. TC has improved a lot, and I give credit to their coaching. Robert has done a good job there."

During the 15th minute of the contest, David Alvarez of Waterford put the Wildcats up by three goals just 15 minutes into the match up. During minute No. 20, Juan Gutierrez scored on an assist by Alvarez, which made it 4-0 ball game at the halftime break.  Gutierrez, who was the only Wildcat to score a pair of goals, registered his second during the 46th minute of the second half, which gave Waterford a 5-0 lead.  "The defense did outstanding," Darmousseh added. "Overall, the team gave it all they could against a first-place team like Waterford."  Juan Deccarett scored the Wildcats' final goal during the 55th minute of the contest, and the Eagles were able to hold Waterford's offense scoreless for the remainder.  Waterford goalie Victor Gutierrez finished with a pair of saves, and the Wildcats attempted just eight total shots.

Turlock Christian senior Caio Noronha registered the Eagles' only score as helped them dodge a shutout.

During the final 10 minutes of the contest, Waterford got called for a penalty that was outside the 18-yard line. Tevin Jones put the ball in play from the corner, and Noronha put his head on it for the score, which proved to be sort of a 'third time is a charm' for the Eagles' senior foreign-exchange student from Brazil.  During the last 15 minutes of the ball game, Noronha attempted three of the Eagles' total shots, and two of the shots were on-goal, not to mention very close to being banged inside of the cage.  "I want (Noronha) to play the midfield for us, but I still need someone to score," Darmousseh explained. "Scoring has been hard to come by this year. Last year we were averaging four goals per game, but this year we are averaging one."

Turlock Christian will host Le Grand High Thursday at 4 p.m. inside the Turlock Regional Sports Complex.  The Wildcats have a Southern League sate scheduled with the Denair High Coyotes Thursday in Waterford. 

 

 

 

VOLLEYBALL

 

Turlock Christian High's varsity volleyball team has an extremely talented cast of experienced players coming back this season, which will help erase the memory of two important now-graduated seniors a little bit easier. The Eagles lost Lyndzie Spycher from last year's Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship squad, and Michelle Reagor, who was an All-league setter.

Spycher was the 2006 Southern League MVP. The Eagles were also the 2006 Southern league champions in their first year ever competing in the SL. Under then head coach Marie Stucker, the Eagles had a perfect 15-0 record in league, and finished up 34-9 overall. Now, under new first-year head coach Keith Landmeier, the Eagles will be looking to repeat last season's success. "We plan on defending our title and going all the way," Landmeier said. "I know this team can (repeat), but right now it is one game at a time. "This team is starting to gel, and they're going to be hard to beat."

The Eagles will be returning quite a talented hitter in Greta Gonzalez, who can score points from both the inside and out. They also have Bianca Davoodian back for this upcoming campaign. Davoodian should be utilized as one of the defense's big blockers, as well as a strong hitter/scorer as well. Mallory Iltis rounds out the list of the Eagles' top returners. Iltis is expected to be a great hitter as well as one of the team's primary setters. "We have a very well-rounded squad this year," coach Landmeier added. "We have all the parts for a great team. There is strong offense, blocking and great ball handling. "(We have) multiple setters and very confident passing."

Two of the Eagles' top two newcomers are Johanna Muller and Aubrey Larsson, who are both setters as well as talented hitters. The team's captain will be Iltis, and the offensive leaders should be Gonzalez and Davoodian. Morgan Andre and Candice Balswick are a couple of great ball handlers also coming back from last season.

The Eagles' next scheduled game will be this Thursday against Ripon Christian at Ripon Christian at 7 p.m.

TC 3, Modesto Christian 1 at Turlock
Modesto Bee Staff Reports

Greta Gonzales had 12 kills and Bianca Davoodian and Mallory Iltis four aces as TC (2-2) prevailed 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-9.

Lauren Jamison had 11 kills and Lynelle King 17 digs for MC (1-5).

TC coach Keith Landmeier said, "MC was getting us on their short game, and we finally figured that out in the fourth game."

TC 1, versus East Union 3 at Turlock
The Turlock Journal 9/11/07

East Union High's standout senior Megan Spinks had seven kills during the Lancers' 3-1 victory over the TC Eagles Tuesday at the Calvary Baptist Gym. TC fell to 2-3 in the preseason, and the eagles' standout senior, Greta Gonzalez, finished with a team-high six kills. Mallory Iltis led the team in assists with five total, and in the blocks category with two.  Iltis and Bianca Davoodian tied up with five aces each. Iltis also led the team in digs with five for the night.

  

TC Eagles Slap, Scratch WHS Wildcats
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 9/15/07

The Turlock Christian High varsity volleyball club opened Southern League play with an all-around impressive performance during Thursday's league opener against the visiting Waterford Wildcats.

The Eagles, who are the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division V champions, improved to 1-0 against Southern League opponents, and 3-3 overall.  During Turlock Christian's 3-0 sweep over Waterford's Wildcats (25-13, 25-16, 25-12), the Eagles won each game by a little over 11 points per.  Turlock Christian seniors Mallory Iltis, Greta Gonzalez and Bianca Davoodian played like seasoned veterans, combining for 14 collective kills between the three.  "If Mallory, Bianca and Greta can play like this for the rest of the season, we'll be just fine," said the Eagles' first-year head volleyball coach Keith Landmeier. "Compared to the (East Union) game, we played as a team," said Iltis, the Eagles' captain who finished with three aces and seven kills. "I think we were clicking. "There is always room for improvement, but we'll take this (SL) win as a big one because we've struggled in the preseason."

During Game 2, Andre helped the Eagles earn a two-game lead with a service point.  Turlock Christian went on a 7-1 run which closed out the second game of the volleyball match.  Davoodian finished with one ace and three kills, while Gonzalez had four kills and multiple blocked shots.  Sophomore Candice Balswick had one ace and tallied four digs. Boyer finished with four aces, a few kills, a pair of blocks and one dig.  Johanna Muller had four kills for the Eagles.

Turlock Christian competed in the Golden Valley High volleyball tournament in Merced on Friday, and will be there on Saturday (today) for the second day.

 

Mariposa 3, TC 2 at Turlock
Modesto Bee - 9/27/07

 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 20-25, 17-15

Mariposa (6-3, 4-0 SAL) -- Kills: Hannah Jay 15; Aces: Gabrielle Forga 3; Assists: Jenna Gerken 16; Digs: Brittany Blecha 7; Blocks: Jay 5.

Turlock Christian (7-10, 2-2 SAL) -- Kills: Greta Gonzalez 7; Aces: Morgan Andre 3; Assists: Mallory Iltis 13; Digs: Gonzalez 5; Blocks: Gonzalez 4.

 

 

 

Modesto Bee - 10/10/07

 

TC 3, LE GRAND 2 at Turlock

 

Mallory Iltis had 12 kills and the Eagles (14-7, 6-2 SL) scored the final four points of the match for a 20-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-26, 15-11 win over the Bulldogs (7-1).

"From the very beginning, each game our girls came out better and better as the night went on. It was an incredible, thing," said TC coach Keith Landmeier, who got seven aces and three kills from Bianca Davoodian. "We've been looking forward to this match. Both teams swapped ties several times in the fifth game, last at 11-11."

The Turlock Journal - 10/13/07

Le Grand High's varsity volleyball team took the TC High Eagles to five games during a Southern League showdown this past Tuesday between two of the conference's toughest ball clubs.  The Eagles escaped with a 3-2 victory with scores of 20-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 15-11.

TC improved to 6-2 in the Southern League, and 14-7 overall. The Eagles were led by Mallory Iltis' team-high 12 spikes, and Johanna Muller led the club with nine digs.  Sophomore Candice Balswick registered six digs, and Muller tallied seven aces.  Iltis also led the Eagles with three blocked shots.

 

 

TC 3, MARIPOSA 1 at Mariposa
Modesto Bee - 10/12/07

Mallory Iltis had 11 kills and 11 assists and Johanna Muller five aces for the Eagles (7-2 SL) in a 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23 victory.  Carina Stephens had 11 kills for the Grizzlies (7-2 SL).  "It was a close match, but unforced errors did us in", said Mariposa coach Debbie Leonard.

Turlock Journal - 10/17/07

TC High's varsity volleyball squad upped its record to 7-2 in the Southern League after a 3-1 victory over the host Mariposa High Grizzlies this past Thursday evening.  The Eagles, who were led by Mallory Iltis, 11 kills and 11 assists, defeated the Grizzlies 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23. Johanna Muller led TC with five total aces during the four-game match up.

Bianca Davoodian led the ball club with four digs and four blocks. Carina Stephens led the Grizzlies with 11 kills, and Holly Earling finished up with 16 assists. Mariposa fell to 9-5 overall, and 7-2 against the SL. 

 

 TC 3, DENAIR 2, at Denair
Modesto Bee - 10/17/07

Janay Bankston's 14 kills weren't enough for the Coyotes (1-9 SL). Their upset bid was derailed on the final point of the match with the Eagles (8-2) escaping with a 20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 16-14 win.

 

TC Spikes Coyotes

TC Wins 6th Consecutive SL Match-Up
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 10/20/07

 

The Denair High varsity volleyball club had the Turlock Christian High Eagles against the ropes during this past Tuesday evening's Southern League contest between the two crosstown rivals. The Coyotes won the first two games, which had the Eagles facing a very unexpected two-game deficit. However, Turlock Christian was able to do something that has become very typical of the Eagles, and that was pulling off a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

Turlock Christian shook off the two-game deficit and came to back to win three consecutive, knocking off the host Denair Coyotes 3-2 by scores of 20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 16-14.  "That was, by far, the best complete match we have played all season," the Coyotes' head volleyball coach Steve Doerksen said. "They left it all on the floor last (Tuesday), and that's all I can ask for. We had chance to win right up to the last point. TC is a great team, and even though the score does not say it, this definitely felt like a win for us."

After Denair took a two-game lead, the Coyotes came as close as they possibly could get to handing the Eagles a loss. During Game 3, the contest was tied at 18 and 20 apiece. Denair scored the next three points, which handed them a 23-20 advantage. The Coyotes, who fell to 1-9 in the Southern League, 7-11 overall, were just two points away from giving Turlock Christian its first loss in five games. However, the Eagles (8-2 SL, 17-11 overall) rallied back to tie the game at 23 apiece.  

Photo by John-Joel Griffiths:
Turlock Christian senior Greta Gonzalez throws down a spike during the Eagles’ come-from-behind 3-2 SL victory over the host Denair High Coyotes

During the Eagles' final five points, Turlock Christian's standout senior Mallory Iltis registered two aces, and that included the final point which gave the Eagles a 25-23, Game-3 victory. Turlock Christian went on a 5-0 run to close out the third game, which made it a 2-1 series at that point. Turlock Christian lost two players during the contest, Johanna Muller and Morgan Andre, both important pieces to the Eagles' collective puzzle. Andre was forced to leave the third game because of a severely sprained ankle. "With all the injury issues, that meant more than any other game, every girl was forced to contribute," the Eagles' head volleyball coach Keith Landmeier said. "(Denair) shook us in the first two games, and right then we knew we'd be in for a long night. We were getting beat even before we were injured, and that was a wake-up call for us."

During Game 4, the contest was only tied once, and that was at three apiece. The Eagles jumped out 10-4, and led 20-12 before they knew it. A spike from Aubrey Larsson gave the Eagles a 22-16 advantage, and they got another point after Denair hit the net. The Eagles scored the last four points of the fourth game as they earned a nine-point victory, which tied the match at two apiece. Now a fifth and final game between the pair of old rivals became completely necessary. "After (Andre's) injury, they realized they had to dig a little bit deeper," Landmeier said. "Right then, the momentum changed, and we rallied behind it. "(Muller and Andre) are both two key players, and if the entire bench wouldn't have stepped up Tuesday, we wouldn't have won it."

During Game 5, Turlock Christian took a 2-0 lead after an ace from Larsson, but a couple of points later, Denair’s standout junior Janay Bankston tied the game at 3-3 with one of her game-high 14 kills. Samantha Dornan of Denair recorded a kill that made it 4-3, and Iltis got whistled for a net violation which made it 5-3. It was later 9-9, and another Bankston kill handed the Coyotes a 13-10 advantage. Once again, the Coyotes were just two points away from knocking off the second-place Eagles, but two Denair holds, and a Coyote out tied the game at 13 apiece.

 
The score was then knotted at 14 after both teams exchanged points, and Turlock Christian scored the last two to take the 16-14 victory and completed a very characteristic come-from-behind win. "We had a 'refuse to lose' attitude," Doerksen added. "They passed well, and we had some good offensive sets. I guess overtime in the fifth game is as close as it gets to winning it. "TC is always a class-act. I always enjoy playing with them."

Iltis and senior Greta Gonzalez led the Eagles with a team-high six kills apiece, and Gonzalez also led the team with four total blocks. Iltis finished with a team-high five assists, and Bianca Davoodian registered four digs. Iltis also tallied seven aces to go with the rest of her statistics. Bankston finished with eight blocks for the Coyotes, and Kortne Bacca finished with 13 digs, 21 assists and four aces. Courtney Nutcher had seven digs and six kills, while Mariah Bettencourt tallied up 10 digs.

The win put Turlock Christian in second place, all by itself, after LeGrand knocked off Mariposa High in a Southern League showdown last Tuesday evening. The Eagles have four regular-season matches left on the calendar, the first Tuesday at Delhi High at 6:30 p.m. They'll visit LeGrand on Thursday night, before heading into their final week of the season. The Eagles will be fighting to earn one of the league's two post-season bids, hoping to defend their section banner. Denair will host Mariposa this Tuesday, and then will travel to Delhi for a visit with the Hawks on Thursday.
 

TC 3, DELHI 0, at Delhi
Modesto Bee - 10/25/07
 

The Eagles (19-11, 10-2 SL), looking to improve their seeding for playoffs, topped the Hawks 25-15, 25-16, 25-20.

 
TC 3, MARIPOSA 2, at Turlock 
Turlock Journal - 10/31/07
 

After TC High's varsity volleyball club dropped the first two games of Monday's Southern League match up, the Eagles fought back to earn a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against the Mariposa High Grizzlies. The Eagles wone 23-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-14, 15-10, and improved to 11-3 in the conference standings.

After the win, TC took sole possession of second place, while Le Grand sits in first. Mariposa fell to third place, while only the top two make it to the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason. Mallory Iltis, A TC senior, finished with 13 kills. Greta Gonzalez recorded three aces, Johanna Muller registered a team-high 14 assists. Candice Balswick tallied up six digs, and senior Bianca Davoodian totaled up a team-high five blocks. Hannah Jay led Mariposa with 10 kills and five blocks. After the loss, the Grizzlies fell to 10-4 in the league.
 
 
TCHS EAGLES DRILL DENAIR COYOTES IN A SL FINALE 
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 11/2/07
 
 
For Turlock Christian High's varsity volleyball club, the road to UC Davis officially begins Tuesday. But in order for Turlock Christian to have guaranteed itself a berth in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V postseason, the Eagles had to finish off Southern League play by making a statement.
 
The Eagles, who finished up the regular season with a 12-3 league mark, 21-12 overall, helped bring Denair High's collective season to an end after defeating the Coyotes 3-0 by scores of 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 this past Tuesday evening at the Calvary Baptist gym. "We didn't know what to expect from Denair," Turlock Christian's first-year head volleyball coach Keith Landmeier said. "Especially with how they played us last time. "But, I'm happy with the way the girls played, and it was great for us to play back-to-back nights."
 
The Eagles closed their regular-season campaign by competing last Monday and Tuesday night. Turlock Christian handled Mariposa High 3-2, then dropped Denair's Coyotes on the very next night. The Eagles have had seven days off prior to this '07 playoff opener, which will be played against Victory Christian High Tuesday at 7 p.m. Turlock Christian's opener will be played at home at Calvary Baptist. The Eagles are the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division V champs, and will be looking forward to defending that title during the postseason. "I'm very comfortable with their ability to (repeat)," Landmeier added. "I'm not overconfident, there are a lot of good teams out there. But we have all the pieces together, and the last couple of months we have been looking pretty strong." Turlock Christian has 10 players on its roster, which includes Morgan Andre, who is recovering from a serious ankle injury suffered on Oct. 16 against the Coyotes in Denair. "(Andre) isn't 100%," Landmeier said. "But she was a big addition, and she should be healthy by playoffs."
 
Five of the Eagles' 10 players are returners from last year's championship squad, and three are seniors very capable of stepping up to the challenge ahead. Seniors Mallory Iltis, Greta Gonzalez and Bianca Davoodian are a trio of talented players who all bring a certain style and strength to the table. "It's the three seniors," Landmeier said. "It's a simple answer, but it's the truth. "You got Greta, a dominant hitter, and Bianca, who is a dominant blocker. And Mallory, who runs the team."
 
During the Eagles' 3-0 sweep over the Coyotes, the team's 'big-three' stepped up once again. Iltis led the Eagles with nine kills, while Davoodian finished with a team-high four aces, two digs and seven blocks. Johanna Muller registered six assists for the Eagles, who jumped out to an early one-game lead after setting the tone with a sound 14-point victory. Turlock Christian led 18-9, and a Janay Bankston kill, which was one of her eight, made it 18-10. However, the Eagles closed Game 1 on a 7-1 run as they took the opening contest, and the rest of the momentum.
 
After the loss, Denair fell to 3-12 in the Southern League overall, 9-14 overall. Samantha Dornan had two aces for the Coyotes, and senior Kortne Bacca led the club with 11 assists, and seven digs. Emily Wynn had six total blocks for Denair, who lost the second game by double-digit points as well. Turlock Christian jumped on top of the Coyotes 12-8 during the second game, and went on a 8-4 run after to make it a 20-12 ball game. A kill from Gonzalez handed the Eagles a 22-12 lead, and a point from Iltis helped give Turlock Christian a 2-0 lead in the series. During Game 3, the contest was the closest at 9-7. At that point, the Eagles went on an 11-4 run as they took complete control of the contest. Bankston had another kill to give the Coyotes' their final point of the season, but the Eagles closed off the contest by scoring the following two points. Division V playoff brackets, which feature the Eagles as the No. 5 seed, are available at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section web-site.
 

LADY EAGLES VARSITY VOLLEYBALL HEADS FOR

NOR-CAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH TUESDAY, NOV. 20!
 
 
TCHS VOLLEYBALL SOARS TO SJS D-V POSTSEASON VICTORY
 
TC 3, Victory Christian 1, at Turlock 
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 11/10/07
 

 

 
TC EARNS 2ND-ROUND PLAYOFF WIN
 
TC 3, Bradshaw 1, at Bradshaw 
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 11/10/07
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ripon Christian will play TC, a 3-1 winner over top-seeded Forest Lake Christian. This is the fifth consecutive section championship match appearance for TC, which won it all last year.  The Bee 11/14/07
 
 
Three Area Volleyball Teams Going for Titles
The Bee - 11/15/07
 
 
Three Stanislaus District volleyball teams will battle for Sac-Joaquin Section Division championships today at UC Davis...Ripon Christian (18-4) plays defending section champ Turlock Christian (24-12) for the Division V crown at 4pm. TC has been in the last four section finals, while RC was in the final four years prior to that. Section finalists earn automatic berths to the Northern California playoffs, with section champs hosting first-round regional games Tuesday.
 
 
RC OUTLASTS TC IN FINAL 

Will DeBoard - Modesto Bee - 11/16/07


DAVIS - Having played on the same volleyball teams since middle school, Ripon Christian High juniors Andrea Terpstra and Candice Adema have a strong chemistry on the court. In the final two games of Thursday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship against Turlock Christian, that chemistry was scary. Adema, the setter, found Terpstra, the middle hitter, with pin-point accuracy down the stretch as the Knights rolled to a 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17 victory over the Eagles at UC Davis. Terpstra pounded 20 kills -- most coming in the final two games -- and Adema dished out 38 assists in the victory. It was the Ripon Christian volleyball program's 11th section championship.

Both teams still have matches to play. By virtue of their section championship appearance, they qualify for the CIF Northern California Regional Division V playoffs. RC has a first-round match at home Tuesday, while Turlock Christian will play on the road against another section champion.
Ripon Christian and Turlock Christian split the first two games, and the Eagles held a 20-18 lead in the third. But the Knights' Kelly Van Elderen served the game's final seven points, and Terpstra had two kills and a resounding block to close it out. "We got a wake-up call in the second game (with the loss)," Terpstra said. "But the way Candice and I were connecting in the third and fourth, it was amazing." Adema found Terpstra on the outside, with quick sets in the middle and even with a few line-drive sets that nearly skirted the net before Terpstra came flying in for the kill. "Once our offense really started working, they couldn't stop us," Adema said. "We played so well in those final games." Ripon Christian opened a big lead in the fourth game, going from 7-7 to 21-9 before easing in for the win. "We knew we could hang with them," RC coach Tiger Shelton said. "The way we've been playing, I felt we were the top team in Division V."
 
 
Turlock Christian, meanwhile, was playing in its fifth consecutive section championship. The Eagles won it all last year, but now must prepare for a road trip in the first round of NorCals. "When they got all their tools going, it got pretty tough," TC coach Keith Landmeier said. "But we're hoping to play them again." While NorCals are old hat for Turlock Christian, it's been five years since an RC team made it this far. "We feel we've got a good chance at that first match," Shelton said. "We've just got to keep playing as well as we did through the section.  
 
 
KNIGHTS FALLS ON TCHS
 
 
RCHS, Terpstra ‘spike’ TC in SJS D-V championship
John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 11/17/07

DAVIS - Ripon Christian High School's 6-foot, 1-inch standout Andrea Terpstra had a dominant performance during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V volleyball final this past Thursday afternoon inside of UC Davis' Hamilton Court. The Ripon Christian junior registered a game-high 20 kills, and simply took over during a 3-1 win against Turlock Christian High, who was shooting for its second consecutive section-championship banner. The Knights, who improved to 19-6 overall after the section championship win, knocked off the Eagles by scores of 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17.

"(RC) is a good team, and they have a lot of tools," said Keith Landmeier, Turlock Christian's first-year head varsity volleyball coach. "They beat us earlier in the year during a Foundation Game, and they have a great ball club. "(Terpstra and Kelly Van Elderen) are tough ones to handle, and (Candice Adema) is a great setter, and did a great job. (Ripon Christian) ran their stuff, and we didn't have any answers for them."

The Knights and Eagles split the first two games of the series, and during a pivotal Game 3, the Knights tied the game at 20-20 before going on a 5-0 run to close out the contest. Ripon Christian won the third game 25-20 and took a 2-1 lead in the series. A kill from Terpstra put Ripon Christian up 21-20, and an ace from 6-1 Van Elderen put them up by two. A Turlock Christian penalty made it 23-20, and a pair of consecutive points from Terpstra, which included a block on the final play, helped close the ball game.

"We were on a roll," Ripon Christian's head volleyball coach Tiger Shelton said. "We pulled ourselves out of some holes, and (Adema) stuck with it. We ran our plays, and they couldn't stop it. "Mallory (Ilits) runs that program, and she's a good little player. (TC) is a great ball club, and we didn't get pushed at all in the playoffs. But they blocked, hit and didn't make many mistakes. Anything could have happened." During Game 4, a spike from Terpstra made it 8-6 in favor of the Knights. After that, Ripon Christian went on a 10-2 run, which made it a 18-8.

A couple of plays later, Terpstra put down another kill and made it 21-8. When it was 23-10, Turlock Christian went on a 7-1 run as they made it a 24-17 ball game. However, that was too much of a deficit to erase, and the Knights closed the ball game successfully. Along with Terpstra's 20 blocks, she also had a team-high eight blocks. Adema finished up with 38 assists, and junior setter Kailee Adams recorded 10 digs. Turlock Christian senior standout Greta Gonzalez had a team-high seven kills, while Johanna Muller led the ball club in assists with 16 on the afternoon. Gonzalez also had four blocks, and Morgan Andre had three aces. Sophomore Candice Balswick tallied three digs against the hard-hitting of Ripon Christian.

"We did what we had to do to get back to the final," Landmeier said. "I couldn't be any more proud of the girls, and we're not done yet. "We plan on playing a whole lot more. We're going to go back to work and try to fix what's broken." Turlock Christian's season is not over yet. The Eagles will be making an appearance in the CIF Northern California Division V state volleyball tournament this upcoming Tuesday.
 

TC's playoff road trip continues tonight
WILL DeBOARD - The Bee - 11/20/07

The Turlock Christian High volleyball team has yet another big playoff match on the road tonight. And should the Eagles win their CIF Northern California Regional Division V first-round match against Mt. Madonna of Watsonville, they'll be on the road again. "That's OK. We've played almost every playoff match on the road," TC coach Keith Landmeier said following the Eagles' loss to Ripon Christian on Thursday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship at UC Davis. "We're used to it." Landmeier's Eagles are one of three Stanislaus District volleyball teams playing in the NorCals tonight. All three have their hands full.

Turlock Christian drew the No. 8 seed in Division V and plays the top-seeded Hawks at Bethany Bible College in Scotts Valley. Mt. Madonna features 5-foot-10-inch senior outside hitters Alexa Rosendale and Hannah Meade; they average 10 kills a game. Division V section champion Ripon Christian drew the No. 3 seed and plays at home against No. 6 Marin Academy of Mill Valley. Should the Knights win, they would play at the Mt. Madonna/Turlock Christian winner in a NorCal semifinal Saturday.
 

NEWSPAPER SPOTLIGHTS

 

Modesto Bee, Sept. 17, 2007

 

TC's ELI DAVIS,

among the state's top scorers in soccer last fall, is now playing football and was 4 for 4 in Friday's 28-0 win over Elliot Christian.

Modesto Bee, Sept. 15, 2007

ALL-AROUND

JORDAN BUCHANAN, TC

Rushed for 95 yards and  3 touchdowns.

Had 2 interceptions and made 12 tackles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard T. Estrada
Modesto Bee, 9/26/07

With little size and plenty of speed, TC coach Rusty Lyon revamped his defense this season. The new philosophy gives his linebackers the freedom to attack the ball, rather than waiting for the play to develop. It has helped TC to a 3-0 start and allowed Buchanan to use his greatest asset.

"He's around 5'11", 180 lbs., but he's got really quick feet and good technique when tackling," Lyon said. "We're not real big, but we've got good athletes."

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

JORDAN BUCHANAN

TC Linebacker

Buchanan was in on 12 tackles Friday as TC posted a historic, 10-6 win over Orestimba. It's the first time the Eagles beat a larger school, according to Lyon.

"Jordan's able to hit and wrap, which is essential for a linebacker," said Lyon, who plays Buchanan on the inside of the 4-4 alignment. "He's aggressively hitting the middle and fighting through tackles, and penetrating on sweeps, getting between linemen. That's what we're asking from our linebackers - to be aggressive.

Richard T. Estrada
Modesto Bee, 11/14/07

With the first 10-0 regular season in school history and the Southern League title on the line, everyone -- including Denair's defense -- anticipated the Eagles would count on Eli Davis to play a huge role.

Despite being targeted by the defense, Davis had the game of his career, rushing 18 times for 133 yards, catching three passes for 188 yards, scoring five TDs, intercepting a pass and delivering a hard hit that turned a potential TD into a turnover.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

ELI DAVIS

Receiver/Safety

 

He also kicked two crucial PATs, as TC beat Denair 32-30. It capped a remarkable regular season for Davis, who was an all-district soccer player for the Eagles last fall.

"I knew from the start Eli possessed lightning-quick speed and a bulldog tenacity," coach Rusty Lyon said. "As the season progressed, at tailback on offense, Eli learned to use his speed and deceptiveness -- reading blocks and bursting through holes while running the ball and running crisper routes on pass plays."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

END OF SEASON SPORTS AWARDS

 

 

Most Valuable Player

 Most Improved Player

Coach's Award

League MVP

JV Volleyball

 Kaisa Spycher Amy Wright Megan Brown  
Varsity Volleyball * Mallory Iltis Emily Breuss Bianca Davoodian  
Varsity Soccer * Caio Noronha Joshua Kim Marcus Garcia  
JV Football Robbie Smallwood John Heller Geoffrey Retemeyer  
Varsity Football * Eli Davis Matt Moreda Axel Morelli Eli Davis

 * ALL-LEAGUE SPECIAL NOTES:

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL:
All-League First Team: Bianca Davoodian, Greta Gonzalez, Mallory Iltis; Honorable Mention: Morgan Andre, Johanna Muller

VARSITY SOCCER:
All-League First Team: Caio Noronha; Honorable Mention: Marcus Garcia, Joshua Kim

VARSITY FOOTBALL:
All-League First Team: Brad Abraham, Grant Allard, Jordan Buchanan, Eli Davis, Jonny Humphres, Ben Larson, Daniel Wright;
Honorable Mention: Trevor Brown, Axel Morelli

 

Modesto Bee, January 5,2008
All-District Football Results

 

ELI DAVIS, Utility
In his first year of football, Davis did it all for a 10-1 team with 629 yards rushing, 260 receiving, 88 tackles, four interceptions, two game-winning field goals and 175 points - second in the section.

Modesto Bee, January 5,2008
All-District Football Results

RUSTY LYON, COACH OF THE YEAR

The Eagles were expected to finish in the middle of the SL, but he adjusted the game plan to maximize his four or five marquee players. The Eagles went 10-0 in the regular season, allowing 10 points per game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will DeBoard - Modesto Bee, January 15,2008
All-State Football Selections

 

CalHiSports.com, which has covered high school sports across the state for 30 years, has released the overall all-state teams...Five local players made the small-schools second team...

...TC's Eli Davis received second-team multi-purpose honors!

ELI DAVIS, Multi-purpose
Second-Team Selection

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