Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 307

Saturday High School football: Stevenson claims Santa Lucia title after knocking SLV from unbeaten ranks

FELTON — It wasn’t so much the feeling of being disrespected as it was being forgotten. When the topic came to the postseason or chasing a title over the last month, Stevenson’s name didn’t appear in the conversation.

“It seemed like everyone forgot about us and the style of football we play,” Stevenson coach Kyle Cassamas said. “We started the year late, with a ton of injuries. We faced adversity. For us it was about staying focused on the big picture.”

The Pirates have locked up no worse than a share of their second Santa Lucia Division title in three years Saturday after knocking San Lorenzo Valley from unbeaten ranks with a 24-14 win in Felton.

“It’s just one step of many,” Stevenson linebacker Tommy Dayton said. “You have to battle through that adversity. We did a good job in rallying together when you need to muscle up and play football.”

The Cougars came into the game as one of two teams in the Pacific Coast Athletic League undefeated at 8-0, having knocked off a defending Central Coast Section divisional champion and a reigning league champion along their path.

Now San Lorenzo Valley will need to win its final game and hope for Marina to upset Stevenson to have any hopes of just making the playoffs as a ‘C’ league team.

“The kids were ecstatic,” Cassamas said. “I think where our heart developed was in those early season losses. It helped us prepare for a game like this. It’s about challenging ourselves. We started to build the pieces. We’re playing our style of football.”

Those building blocks actually began last season when Cassamas brought up eight sophomores, who endured expected growing pains. That core is now the heart of this year’s title team.

Starring at a 14-3 deficit, the Pirates changed the complexion of the game right before the half ended when Caden Olson returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to six.

“That was a momentum changer,” said Cassamas, whose squad is 5-0 since a 1-2 start to the year.

A touchdown run from Tono Borgamini put the Pirates up for good in the third quarter, before Fin Mink iced the game with an 88-yard touchdown pass to Derek Diniz late in the fourth quarter. All three were a part of last year’s sophomore class call-up.

“We’ve enjoyed this enough,” Cassamas said. “Now it’s time to start focusing on Marina. The kids were excited to beat SLV. We’ve been hearing all the noise all year. We wanted those expectations.”

Stevenson’s last postseason trip was a loss to Palo Alto in the Division V playoffs when ‘A’ league teams were allowed to compete based on points.

The CCS adopted playoff changes this year which constitutes only ‘C’ and ‘B league teams in Division IV and V. Stevenson will be a Division V team if it beats Marina in next Saturday’s home finale.

“As soon as we hit league, we set the tone for the year,” said Dayton, who is on pace for a second straight 100 plus tackle season as a team captain. “Today it was super high energy from all of us. We went out and showed we were the better team.”

During Stevenson’s run at supremacy in league play, it has outscored the opposition 199-74, with the average margin of victory being 26 points.

San Lorenzo Valley came into the game having allowed a PCAL low 55 points in eight games. It had held its last seven opponents under 10 points or less.

North County 34, St. Francis 26: Emotions, which had been building all week for Juan Cuevas, caught up with Condors coach — before and after the game.

“Frustration, followed by pure emotion,” Cuevas said. “I cried before and after the game. I’ve poured so much into this. We’ve never been here before. We need to act like it. I’m proud of how we finished. We showed some maturity.”

The Condors have ended one of the longest title droughts in the county after going into St. Francis of Watsonville earlier in the afternoon and knocking off them.

That coupled with Watsonville stunning Alisal later in the evening gives North County (6-3) no worse than a share of the Mission Division North title and a return to the playoffs

The last time the Condors won a league title was in 2003. The last time the Castroville-based school reached the postseason was in 2010. The last time they registered a winning record was in 2019.

Part of Cuevas’ frustration stemmed from a handful of kids missing practice, then not bringing all of their equipment to the game, in arguably the biggest contest of the season.

“I always bring extra equipment,” Cuevas said. “I spent the first hour gearing up kids instead of game planning schemes. I honestly didn’t know if we were prepared.”

Those thoughts were squashed when the Condors came out and built a 14-6 lead on the strength of touchdown runs from Marcos Mendoza and Chris Rasmussen.

“These kids proved me wrong and showed they’re ballers,” Cuevas said. “There was a change of attitude this week in practice. Kids were holding each other accountable. It was an unselfish performance.”

Having been humbled at Monte Vista last week, the Condors never trailed, opening up as much as a 15-point cushion in the fourth quarter after AJ Gomez connected with Rasmussen on a 4-yard touchdown pass.

“Chris’ catch was insane,” Cuevas said. “We called a play action, AJ rolled to his right. Chris stopped blocking and went to the back corner, went over two people and came down with the ball. The sideline was doing cartwheels for Chris.”

The discipline that Cuevas felt his team had been lacking over the last three weeks, was on display in executing its blocks on the outside to spring the running game, which included a 25-yard touchdown run from Josiah Carranza.

“We blocked amazingly on the edge with our receivers Kenji (Mellin) and JT (Islas),” Cuevas said. “That enabled us to sustain drives. Last week we forgot to do the little things. Last week we had bad frustration with each other. We’re still learning how to win.”

North Salinas 19, Soledad 7: Last year at this time, the Vikings practiced for a week, not knowing if there would be an extension of their season or not.

While a bye week in Week 11 isn’t ideal, North Salinas won’t be going through the motions after clinching the No. 2 seed out of the Mission Division South after beating Soledad.

“I think we know what we need to work on in terms of deficiencies and small details,” North Salinas coach Ben Ceralde said. “We’ll get back to the fundamentals and stay in shape because we have a game in two weeks.”

While North Salinas is going back to the playoffs for the third time in four years, last fall it didn’t learn of its fate until it was awarded an at-large spot at the Central Coast Section seeding meeting, after finishing third in Mission Division South.

“Last year was tough practicing without knowing if your season was over or not,” Ceradle said. “We had to wait and see. This feels great. We’re moving on.”

If playing for a postseason spot wasn’t enough of an adrenaline rush, the Vikings played Saturday’s game on campus, where a sea of red and blue greeted them as they came out of the locker room.

North Salinas who improved to 7-3 overall, normally plays their home games at Rabobank, where it shares a facility with Palma and Hartnell College.

“To me there is nothing like playing a game on campus,” Ceralde said. “Walking out of your locker room and on to the field that we practice on each day. I’d love to see this happen on a more consistent basis. As an alumnus, it felt really prideful.”

Because North Salinas doesn’t have lights, it continues to play home games at Rabobank, a short bus ride from campus. But it’s 3-0 in games on its facilities over the last three years, where it has bleachers that can seat up to 1,000 spectators.

“When we came out of the locker room and saw the bleachers full with red and blue, it felt so good,” Ceralde said. “It’s what a home game should be, should look like.”

Adversity aside, the Vikings have gone 4-1 since former slotback/defensive back Izaiah Gonzalez moved to quarterback because of an injury.

The junior continues to evolve with the position, utilizing his athletic abilities to have become a weapon with his arm and legs, as evident by Gonzalez producing a pair of touchdowns against Soledad.

Having opened the game with a 15-yard touchdown run, Gonzalez zeroed in on receiver Matthew Garcia for a 31-yard touchdown pass to stake North Salinas to a 19-0 halftime cushion.

“It was one of the better games we’ve played in the first half,” Ceralde said. “We came out on fire. For us coaches, it was another game we had to win to seal our spot.”

Some of the things Ceralde will work on during the bye week is mental preparation. Building a 19-point first half lead, complacency set in as a pair of turnovers grounded North Salinas in the second half.

“We did not play with the same fire,” Ceralde said.

The Vikings defense, who has produced three shutouts this season, nearly had a fourth before Soledad (5-4) scored late in the fourth quarter.

Harvey Xiong, Jason Valencia and Nathan Orozco contributed to the defensive assault as North Salinas recorded six sacks, while freshman tailback Dyla Reynoso added a 65-yard touchdown run.

Watsonville 33, Alisal 26: The Wildcatz are playing the role of spoiler down the stretch, knocking Alisal out of first place in the Mission Division North.

The Trojans will now have to hope Watsonville returns the favor and beats Mission Division champion North County next week to earn a share of the title.

Alisal (3-2) can still earn a playoff spot by closing the season with a win over Scotts Valley, who it defeated last year in the Central Coast Section Division III semifinals.

In the event of finishing in a tie for second with St. Francis and Monte Vista, the Trojans hold the tiebreakers by virtue of beating both teams in league play.

The Wildcatz (2-3) erased an Alisal seven-point lead with a touchdown with 12 seconds left, then elected to go for two and the win, converting the two-point conversation.

On Alisal’s final possession, Watsonville intercepted a pass and returned it for a pick six as time expired.

Jayden Durate accounted for all four touchdowns for Alisal, connecting twice with Kiki Jacinto on scoring tosses, while rushing for a pair of touchdowns.

Monte Vista 50, Seaside 7: The Spartans fell to 1-8 on the season as Monte Vista kept its Mission Division North title hopes alive.

Freshman quarterback Elijah Romero connected with Julius Escort for Seaside’s only touchdown in the second half.

The Spartans will close the season next Saturday at 2 p.m., hosting Monterey in the annual Battle of the Bay.

Harris appears on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as mirror image of Maya Rudolph

By Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long, Zeke Miller and Will Weissert, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolph’s version of her.

The first lines the candidate spoke as she sat across from Rudolph was drowned out by cheers from the audience.

“It is nice to see you Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph, “and I’m just here to remind you you got this.”

In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala,” declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America,” and delivered the signature “Live from New York it’s Saturday night!”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” with Maya Rudolph, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in New York. Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris made the surprise trip to New York City with the election looming, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show, where she was hoping to generate buzz and appeal to a nationwide audience.

Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop Saturday on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she’d be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.

Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show airs live at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

The visit wasn’t previously announced and an official familiar with Harris’ planning only officially confirmed it for reporters traveling with the vice president moments before the live airing began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss plans before they were made public.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” with Maya Rudolph, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.

Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President Joe Biden in his place.

Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was played again by former cast member Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey appeared as Biden.

Rudolph’s performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.

“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC’s “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”

Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” with Maya Rudolph, left, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.

Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”

Harris repeated that line in response to Rudolph’s portrayal of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.

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Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 — a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.

Long, Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

High School cross-country: Carmel’s Aldi sets course record, Marina, Alisal win Gabilan team titles

CARMEL — As Mack Aldi ran virtually alone for over 3 miles, the Carmel distance ace thought to himself when he might run the Palo Corona cross country course again.

“The next time I come back here to run, it will probably be with a dog and children,” Aldi said laughing. “It’s my last race on this course. I wanted to leave a mark.”

Not only did Aldi set a personal best Saturday, he shattered the Pacific Coast Athletic League course record, clocking 16 minutes and 21 seconds over 3.01 miles to help the Padres to a share of the Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division team title with Salinas.

“No way,” said Aldi, after learning of his time. “I wanted that record. I explained to my teammates ‘remember the last time we were one point off.’ Every place, each point counts.”

Bumped two levels to the Gabilan Division after capturing the Cypress Division last year, Marina embraced the challenge over the summer, finishing off a historic league boys’ season by knocking off perennial power and defending champion Alisal 47-70.

Yaretl Cornelio wins the Gabilan Division cross-country race, helping Alisal to a team title. (John Devine — Monterey Herald)

The Trojans left their mark in the girl’s division as sophomore Yaretzi Cornelio won the Gabilan Division title, helping her team and the program to their first-ever league championship.

“I’m shaking,” Cornelio said. “It’s not sinking in. I need to see the results. We have worked so hard for this. It probably won’t hit me until — I don’t know when.”

Shadowing Mission Division champion and course record holder and four-time league champion Katelynn Ruiz of Watsonville, Cornelio ran a career-best at Palo Corona, clocking 20:14.

“I needed to push myself more, so I ran with her (Ruiz) as long as I could,” Cornelio said. “I attacked the hills. I needed a stronger mindset in dealing with the pain.”

Alisal put its first five runners in the top 15 to outdistance North County, which it had battled back and forth with all season in previous Center Meets and invitationals.

“It was very emotional for us,” Alisal head coach Steve Munoz said. “We told the girls every girl that has run cross-country at Alisal was with them today. Two of my coaches are former Alisal athletes. It was emotional for them as well.”

Despite Nadia Anastacio’s 39-second improvement and runner-up finish to Cornelio, the Condors finished 12 points off the pace to finish second overall.

“One of the goals was to shorten my step and get up the hills faster,” Anastacio said. “I felt really good over the first mile. I started to cramp up with a mile left. I just had to get to the finish and push through it. Based on my time, it worked.”

Marina’s rise to the top in the PCAL has been a gradual climb under head coach Jacob Bernal, that has seen them vault themselves into the league’s highest division over the last three years.

Cypress Division champions last fall, Bernal looked at the overall results and realized his squad — six of whom had returned — were fourth overall among schools in the PCAL.

“We knew we were a team that makes big jumps,” Bernal said. “We could’ve gone to the Mission Division. But these kids wanted the challenge. It is pretty crazy.”

The Mariners had four runners in the 17-minute range, with Kevin Azpeitia finishing second to Alisal’s Gustavo Lopez with a mark of 17:02, a 20-second improvement from his last race at Palo Corona.

“I’m excited and tired,” a humble Azpeitia said. “I had a lot of confidence on this course. My goal was to run the hills hard. I just had to keep pushing. I’m just so happy. The goal now is to win CCS and get to state.”

Those are two things that have never occurred at Marina, who will be placed into the Central Coast Section Division IV bracket in two weeks at Crystal Springs in Belmont.

Conversations over the summer weren’t just about leaving a legacy at Marina, but pushing each other to new limits, grasping the team concept of an individual sport.

Seniors Miguel Flores and Tarin Riner cracked the top 10 for the Mariners with personal records, while Eduardo Bernal-Samaro dipped under 18 minutes.

“This group has been together for at least three years, some four,” said Bernal, who is in his 12th season. “You hope to be peaking at the right time.”

A state meet qualifier last spring in setting a Carmel school record in the 800 meters, Aldi has geared his season for the next two meets.

“The goal is to podium at CCS and get into the 15-minute range at state,” Aldi said. “To me, those are realistic goals. I slowed down over the last mile today because I lost the feeling of someone chasing me. That won’t be the case at CCS.”

Top five finishes from Salinas’ Tomas Rey-Avila and Ezekiel Sanchez lifted Salinas to the Mission Division boys league finals title, enabling them to share it with Carmel based on the points from the two previous Center Meets.

Behind Crystal Madrigal’s fourth-place finish and four runners cracking the top 13, Salinas won the girls’ Mission Division title, edging Watsonville 41-50.

Antony Gabrik won the Cypress Division title, with teammate Betinho Zunguze finishing second, lifting Pacific Grove to a team title. Palma’s Wells Lilly captured Santa Lucia Division individual honors, clocking 17:25.

If 49ers’ Bosa is fined for wearing MAGA hat, it probably won’t happen until after election

The NFL announced fines for 26 players Saturday and Nick Bosa was not one of them.

That doesn’t mean Bosa won’t be fined.

Although the NFL declined comment through a spokesman, it has been reported the league is looking into Bosa wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in in view of television cameras support of presidential candidate Donald Trump after the 49ers’ 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Jonathan Jones, an NFL on CBS insider and the Washington Post, no determination on a fine will be made until next week and any punishment will not include a suspension.

In other words, after the Nov. 6 election.

Article 8 of the NFL rulebook prohibits players from “wearing, displaying or otherwise conveying personal messages” and specifies “non-football” events such as causes or political campaigns. All such items are subject to NFL approval.

Bosa photobombed an interview with Melissa Stark and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Isaac Guerendo and tight end George Kittle while wearing the hat.

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In his postgame interview with the media, Bosa didn’t elaborate, saying only “I’m not going to talk too much about it. It’s an important time.”

The only player on the 49ers to be fined was linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who was docked $10,750 for unnecessary roughness in the first quarter of the Dallas game.

Kittle was fined $13,659 last season after the 49ers’ 40-12 win over Dallas for wearing a T-shirt with an obscene message related to the Cowboys following the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Wiggins returning for Warriors to tip off road trip

HOUSTON — Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, who missed the last two games due to a back strain, is set to return and rejoin the starting lineup on Saturday night against the Houston Rockets.

Golden State is starting Wiggins alongside Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Wiggins, 29, is averaging 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in his three games this season. The Warriors talked him up in the preseason, saying they were optimistic he’d return to his 2022 standard for a variety of reasons, and they’ve been proven right thus far.

Wiggins told reporters in Houston on Friday that he felt his back first flare up in the team’s season-opening game against the Blazers. But he’s feeling good and practiced in full ahead of Saturday’s contest — which tips off a difficult road trip.

Golden State’s first test is the Rockets, who are 3-2 and most recently defeated the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors then head to the nation’s capital for a tilt against Jordan Poole and the Wizards before three matchups against three of the best teams in the league: Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

“I think it’s a big challenge,” Kerr said before Saturday’s game. “We’re off to a good start, but clearly the competition is going to be much tougher. We’ll see how we respond.”

Wiggins will be back in the fold, and Steph Curry and De’Anthony Melton could soon join him. Both guards are ruled out for Saturday’s game, but they both got on-court workouts in during morning shootaround.

Curry, who sprained his left ankle (officially listed as a peroneal strain) against the Clippers on Oct. 27, will miss a third straight game before getting re-evaluated Sunday. Melton, who had serious back issues last season, remains sidelined with a strained lower back he described as much milder than what he experienced last year. The team is approaching his injury with caution, and he’ll be re-evaluated next Friday, ahead of the Cavaliers game.

Both participated in shooting drills and half-court live action during shootaround. They finished their workout with baseline-to-baseline sprints and some encouragement from Buddy Hield, who watched while shooting 3-pointers nearby.

“There you go, Melt, there you go, Steph. Top of the morning,” Hield said.

Without Curry, Wiggins and Melton for the past two games, the Warriors removed Jonathan Kuminga from the starting lineup to add more floor spacing into their starting unit while maintaining front-court continuity with Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Last game, Golden State started Lindy Waters III, Podziemski, Moody, Green and Jackson-Davis. The game before, Hield was in Waters’ spot.

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Off the bench, often in lineups with one other big, Kuminga put together his two best games of the season, scoring 17 and 16 points in a pair of blowout wins over New Orleans. The way the Warriors are setting things up, he’ll have extra shooting next to him coming off the bench in Hield and Waters.

“He’s handled this quick role change — with Steph and Wiggs off — really well,” Kerr said on Oct. 30. “He’s played back-to-back great games. He’s such an important guy for us, with his size and athleticism and his ability to score.”

Notable

— The Warriors rank second in the NBA in defensive rating, behind only the Thunder. Kerr has repeatedly said that this current group is more equipped to defend the ball than last season’s team. He and players have also praised new assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse for implementing new principles and instilling accountability.

“The number one thing in defense is always personnel,” Kerr told reporters on Friday. “Scheme is overrated. We are better able to stay in front of the ball this year. And because of that, we’re not having to get into rotations. We’re just putting ourselves in better shape every possession. With that said, guys are playing really hard and our defensive coaches are doing a great job preparing them.”

— Podziemski, who broke his nose in the preseason, will continue wearing a protective mask through this road trip. The mask limits his vision, especially in the periphery, and could be a major factor in his 20.7% start from 3-point land this year.

Aside from the outside shot, Podziemski has played well — especially in a starting role for the past two games. In those two contests, he registered 32 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists with four turnovers in 71 minutes. He currently leads the NBA in plus-minus (+17.4).

— Asked about the difficulties of guarding Buddy Hield, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said, “It’s Klay Thompson all over again, that’s how they’re using him.”

— Steph Curry went through his normal on-court pregame routine in the Toyota Center, another sign that he’s nearing a return. He’ll get re-evaluated on Sunday for his left peroneal strain.

— The Warriors coaches are wearing white shirts that say, “Vote” ahead of Tuesday’s election. “We want to encourage everyone out there to cast your ballot,” Kerr said. “It’s so important for us as a country. To be a real democracy, it only works if everyone takes part.”

SF Giants’ Robbie Ray declines to test market (report), Wilmer Flores exercises player option

Left-hander Robbie Ray did not opt out of his contract with the Giants and will remain in San Francisco, according ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Ray has two years and $50 million remaining on the five-year, $115 million deal he signed before the start of the 2022 season.

Additionally, infielder Wilmer Flores has exercised his player option for the 2025 season, the Giants announced on Saturday morning.

The news comes a day after left-hander Blake Snell opted out of his contract and became a free agent.

Ray, acquired via trade with the Mariners last season, didn’t make his debut for the Giants until late July as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. In seven starts with San Francisco, Ray had a 4.70 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 30 2/3 innings. The 33-year-old left-hander and former Cy Young Award winner stands to anchor next year’s rotation alongside Logan Webb.

Flores signed a three-year, $16.5 million extension with San Francisco in September 2022 with a mutual option for 2025. If Flores exercised his opt out, the Giants would’ve then had a club option for $8.5 million, which they would’ve likely declined.

Flores, 33, is coming off the worst season of his major-league career, posting career lows in batting average (.206), on-base percentage (.277) and slugging percentage (.318) with four homers and 26 RBIs. Defensively, Flores was worth -2 defensive runs saved at first base. In August, Flores underwent a Tenex procedure on his right knee that ended his season early.

Last season, the Giants used eight different players at first base: Flores, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mark Canha, David Villar, Trenton Brooks, Jerar Encarnacion, Tyler Fitzgerald and Brett Wisely. That group (when playing first base) combined for a .699 OPS, which ranked 21st in all of baseball.

During general manager Perry Minasian’s introductory Zoom, president of baseball operations Buster Posey said that the Giants will look at “every possibility available to make our team as good as we can.”

“When you think about roster construction, to me, it’s similar to the way I looked at being a baseball player,” Posey said. “As a baseball player, you want to be as complete as you possibly can on both sides of the ball. I think that’s ultimately how we want to create a roster, with strong pitching and strong defense and the ability to score some runs in different ways.”

There are several first basemen available on the free-agent market, a list headlined by slugger Pete Alonso. The Giants’ options on the open market, however, will not include Cody Bellinger, who picked up his $27.5 million player option for the 2025 season and remain a Chicago Cub.

Wade, who turns 31 in January, is entering his final year of arbitration and projected to make $4.7 million, per MLB Trade Rumors’ projections. He missed time due to a hamstring injury and finished the season with a .260 batting average, eight home runs and a .761 OPS.

Bryce Eldridge, the 16th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, could potentially factor into San Francisco’s first base equation next season. Eldridge began his first full professional season with Low-A San Jose and played his way all the way to Triple-A Sacramento, finishing the year with with a .291 batting average 23 homers and 92 RBIs. The 20-year-old will likely receive an invitation to spring training, but given that he’s only played eight games with the River Cats, he will likely start next season in the minors.

Johnson seeing the football field for nationally ranked BYU

A component to Brigham Young University’s 8-0 start his season has been cornerback Evan Johnson, who is making an impact in the secondary.

The fastest 100-meter sprinter in county history, Johnson had a critical quarterback hurry in the Cougars win last week over the University of Central Florida.

Coming up from his defensive back position, the 6-foot-1 Johnson has 11 tackles – 10 solo – on the season, with his first collegiate interception and a pass breakup.

Johnson came out of Stevenson as one of the premier receivers in the area, averaging 21 yards a catch, with 13 of his 35 receptions going for touchdowns.

The Herald’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2022, Johnson earned all-county honors in football and basketball, setting a county record in the 100 meters in track and field at 10.41 seconds.

Horoscopes Nov. 2, 2024: David Schwimmer, it’s up to you to implement positive change

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Marisol Nichols, 51; David Schwimmer, 58; k.d. lang, 63; Stefanie Powers, 82.

Happy Birthday: It’s up to you to implement positive change and make things happen. Incorporate new techniques into your skill set. Being a forerunner in your circle will put you in a good position and enable you to quickly field new possibilities, offering advantages. Explore your options and secure what’s meaningful and important to you, and you’ll sail through the year, building accolades that make you and your loved ones proud. Your numbers are 4, 10, 18, 22, 27, 32, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tune in to what’s trending. Listen, and use your intuition to guide you down the right path. A chance to turn something you enjoy doing into a moneymaker is feasible if you start slow and devise a marketing plan that suits current demands. Romance and travel are favored. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Embrace change and see where it leads. Focus on home, family and relationships; it will change your perspective regarding how you want to spend your time. Don’t be shy; let others know how you feel, and you’ll find out where you stand. Short trips and events will be informative. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refrain from getting into a discussion prematurely. Consider the motives and outcomes before jeopardizing your position or relationship with someone. Pour your energy into honing your skills or learning something new. Spend time with someone you love and trust to look out for your best interests. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take a unique look at someone or something of interest, and you’ll gain perspective regarding your next move. Communication will uncover feelings and possibilities that can change your lifestyle or the dynamics of a meaningful relationship. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone you love; romance will unfold. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be careful what you share. Sensitive information is best kept a secret. Channel your energy into activities that rely on your mental and physical attributes. Involvement in charity events or improving your appearance or health will add value to your life. Love and affection are favored. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Share your story, embrace the moment or invite someone of interest on an adventure. Getting to know someone better will help you transform your relationship into something special. Showing interest in the changes taking place will bring you closer together. A commitment will entice you. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll excel if you practice. Focus on doing something you love, and you’ll perfect your skills, making the time spent significantly more enjoyable. Pick up the pace, and don’t be afraid to show off what you have mastered. A trip or attending a reunion will lead to romance. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Jump in and do your part. Your enthusiasm will lead to popularity and offers you want to take advantage of. Keep moderation in mind; you’ll make gains. Don’t let someone’s uncertainty bring you down or deter you from doing what’s best for you. A positive change is apparent. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A positive attitude will help you navigate past anyone trying to manipulate you. Stick to those who enjoy the same activities as you, and enjoy the physical aspect of doing something that puts a smile on your face. Love and laughter are the path to peace and happiness. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Changing plans or your environment will trigger your actions or reactions. Talk to someone you trust to offer honest feedback; the input will help push you in a positive direction. Attend an event that provides insight and adds value to your decisions and plans. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll need to catch up if you let outsiders interfere with your plans. Stop worrying about what others do or think, and get on with what makes you happy. Change and opportunity begin with you and the choices you make. Personal growth and self-improvement will lead to fulfillment. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do things your way. Refuse to let anyone undermine you or make you feel self-conscious or uneasy about your choices. Avoid indulgence or putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Rely on your intuition and imagination, and you will discover a unique path that suits you to a tea. 5 stars

Birthday Baby: You are intense, brave and innovative. You are dynamic and adaptable.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Bridge: Nov. 2, 2024

Simple Saturday columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.

Today’s North-South reach 6NT in four rounds of bidding. South’s two hearts — a “reverse” — promises extra strength. (Some pairs, especially those who play a two-over-one response as game forcing, treat it otherwise.) When West leads the ten of clubs, South starts by counting sure winners. He has two spades, a heart, four diamonds and four clubs.

What chances does South have for a 12th trick? In what order should he try his chances?

THIRD SPADE

If East holds the queen of spades, South can get a third spade trick by leading from dummy toward his jack. He can get a second heart trick by finessing with his queen successfully. But if South finesses in hearts first, losing, he goes down; to get three spade tricks, he must lose one.

Declarer should win the first club in dummy and lead the deuce of spades. When East has the queen, declarer is safe. If West had it, declarer would probably finesse in hearts.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A K 6 2 H 7 3 D K 10 4 C A J 6 5. Your partner opens one diamond. North in today’s deal responded two clubs with this hand. Do you agree with that call?

ANSWER: Many players, including experts, would respond one spade, looking for a fit in the major. But since North had enough strength for several bids, to bid clubs and then spades was not an error. With AK62,73,K10,AJ965, everyone would bid two clubs.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S A K 6 2

H 7 3

D K 10 4

C A J 6 5

WEST

S 10 5 3

H K J 9

D 9 3

C 10 9 8 7 2

EAST

S Q 9 8 4

H 10 8 6 4

D 7 6 5 2

C 3

SOUTH

S J 7

H A Q 5 2

D A Q J 8

C K Q 4

South West North East1 D Pass 2 C Pass2 H Pass 2 S Pass4 C Pass 4 D Pass4 NT Pass 6 NT All PassOpening lead — C 10

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

High School football: Soquel makes statement in beating Salinas

SALINAS — Through its climb over the last five years from the lowest division in the Pacific Coast Athletic League to the highest, just one league title had been achieved in Soquel’s four stops.

Make that two.

Signature wins are hard to come bye when you’ve won a state football title. Yet, knocking off a six-time league champion constitutes that honor after the Knights 35-14 win Friday over host Salinas.

“Dwight (Lowery) has done a great job with that program,” Salinas coach Steve Zenk said. “Soquel dictated the tempo. We made mistakes we normally don’t make. We’ll get better on Monday.”

For Salinas to gather a portion of a seventh straight Gabilan Division title, it would have to beat Hollister next Friday and hope that the Knights get upset by Aptos.

Since joining the Gabilan Division in 2023 and falling to Salinas in their league opener last year, the Knights have won 10 straight league games, securing no worse than a share of the title.

Both teams came into the game riding six game winning streaks, with Soquel’s two non-league losses at the start of the year coming from teams a combined 16-2, while the Cowboys (7-2) lone setback was to Central Section power Clovis.

“Soquel’s defense might be better than what we saw from Clovis,” Zenk said. “Soquel clamped down and played great defense in shutting us down.”

The Knights also did a solid job in containing explosive receiver Emarrcis Turner, who came into the game with 25 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. The senior finished with just four catches for 31 yards.

Zenk, who came into the game needing one more win to achieve 100 for his coaching career, is now 42-3 in the Gabilan Division since taking the reins eight years ago.

“No question we’ve set a standard here,” Zenk said. “Whether we’re talking about wins or losses, we’re still Cowboys. The goal is to still get better on Monday.”

Both teams have already clinched playoff spots, which for Salinas will be its 16th consecutive trip to the Central Coas Section party. Both are likely ticketed for the Open Division/Division I bracket.

“I don’t follow it that closely,” Zenk said. “But we will still be in the Open Division no matter what. I’m guessing now we’ll probably be a seven or eight seed.”

Salinas’ last two trips to the postseason have ended in losses to State power Serra in the Open Division. Last fall Soquel won the CCS Division II title, enroute to beating Jurupa Hills of Fontana 28-7 in the State Division 4AA title game.

“We have to watch film and see where we need to get better at,” Zenk said. “The privilege of being a Cowboy is we always expect more.”

An impressive opening drive by the Cowboys saw them march down field, chewing up over six minutes of the clock before Brandon Palma took a handoff out of the ‘Wildcat’ on fourth down and scored from 1-yard out.

“We went right down the field and do what we do,” Zenk said. “Then we helped extend their drive and they scored. We did not have an answer, which is unlike us.”

In fact, the Knights, who are 20-4 over the last two years, ran off 35 unanswered points to build a 28-point cushion into the fourth quarter, as Salinas did not score again until late in the game when Rico Maturino found Madden Eubanks for a touchdown.

“They just played their brand of football,” Zenk said. “I thought the quarterback did a good job. He was always looking down field with his eyes. We’ve watched him mature over the last three years.”

Zenk was speaking about quarterback Sam Whelan, who tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, making critical throws to keep drives alive.

Salinas, however, couldn’t contain tailback Tyreis Lundy, who rushed for 219 yards, helping the Knights pile up 280 yards on the ground and 419 total yards.

“We did not capitalize when we had opportunities on either side of the ball,” Zenk said.

Zenk was referring to the Cowboys getting a stop on defense, then blocking a punt to put themselves at the 12-yard line in what was still a two-touchdown deficit in the third quarter.

The Knights, who have allowed the least amount of points in the Gabilan Division — 92 through nine games — stopped Salinas on four straight plays to take zap any momentum generated.

“We did some good things offensively and defensively,” Zenk said. “You just can’t make mistakes against a program like that. We will learn from this and improve. That is what we do.”