Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 392

49ers call off this week’s joint practices with Saints in Irvine

SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan alluded Saturday night that the 49ers’ injury-strewn state could impact this week’s joint practices with the New Orleans Saints, and indeed an audible has been called.

Those scrimmages no longer will take place Thursday and Friday at UC Irvine, where the Saints have spent training camp the past few weeks. It was a mutually agreed upon cancellation, the 49ers announced.

“Kyle reached out to me yesterday, making me aware that they have some things going on in terms of having enough able bodies to have some good practices,” Saints coach Dennis Allen told reporters Sunday in Irvine.

After Saturday’s 17-13 preseason-opening loss to the host Tennessee Titans, Shanahan said of the scheduled joint practices: “It’s awesome to get a chance to scrimmage against people. We’re a little banged up so we have to figure out how to pull that out.

“Last week we had 23 guys out last time practice, so hopefully we get more of them back so we have a decent scrimmage.”

More injuries and pains surely came Saturday night, although the only one announced by the 49ers was cornerback Ambry Thomas’ fractured right forearm.

Almost all 49ers’ regular starters were held out of the game, either as a precaution or because they were coping with a health issue, the latter of which is the case for running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring); linebacker Fred Warner (foot); and, wide receivers Rickey Pearsall (shoulder) and Danny Gray (shoulder).

Joint practices have been almost an annual staple of the 49ers’ preseason schedule since Shanahan came aboard in 2017. The 49ers hosted the Denver Broncos in 2017, then hit the road for joint practices at the Houston Texans (2018), the Denver Broncos (2019), the Los Angeles Chargers (2022), the Minnesota Vikings (2022), and the Las Vegas Raiders (2023).Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan surrenders play-calling duties for a night — and probably won’t again San Francisco 49ers | 49ers report card: What to glean from exhibition loss to Tennessee San Francisco 49ers | 5 guys we learned more about in 49ers' preseason opener San Francisco 49ers | 49ers Studs and Duds: Quarterbacks, Malik Mustapha impress in Nashville San Francisco 49ers | Titans 17, 49ers 13: QBs Allen, Dobbs lead brigade of backups in opener

The 49ers will resume practicing Monday, then give players a day off Tuesday before three consecutive days of 10:25 a.m. practices, all of which are closed to the public. Their next preseason game will be the only one hosted by Levi’s Stadium, on Sunday against the Saints.

“We’re going to be practicing against ourselves for the next four days and we’ll probably take some of that planned work against the 49ers and will take the skeleton of that to work against ourselves,” Allen said.

The Saints also opened their preseason Saturday night, winning 16-14 at Arizona and not taking on significant casualties in the process. They held a light practice Sunday and are off Monday.

All but two NFL teams — the Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs — scheduled joint practices in training camp, and the Rams were maximizing their allotted four days by spreading them out in one-day sessions against three different clubs.

Quarterback Josh Dobbs, who played the second half Saturday in his 49ers debut, said of joint practices: “It’s a great opportunity to compete, continue to grow within the offense, continue to help the young guys get up to speed.”

Added Allen: “I enjoy the joint practices. It’s good to go up against somebody else. but other than that, we’re still going to get some good work here.”

Baserunning proves costly as SF Giants can’t complete sweep of Tigers

SAN FRANCISCO — Arguably the biggest series of the season starts Monday at Oracle Park.

Welcoming the Atlanta Braves, who hold a slim lead on the National League’s final playoff spot, for four games, the Giants will hope the momentum they built over the past two weeks can withstand a loss Sunday afternoon in their series finale against the Detroit Tigers, 5-4.

They were left kicking themselves for two late mistakes on the base paths that potentially cost them a series sweep and a chance to make up more ground in the wild card standings.

Chapman said he was “disgusted” with himself for running into the first out of the eighth inning at home plate.

Representing the tying run, Chapman splayed out over the plate after being thrown out when he broke from third base on a chopper to short from Mark Canha, and just one batter later, Canha was caught in between second and third for the second out of the inning.

“Obviously in that situation, you want to be careful,” Chapman said. “I saw Mark hit it into the ground and off the bat I thought it was going to make (the shortstop) move a little bit more. I got caught being a little too aggressive there. If I could do it over again I definitely would have stayed at third base, but I was trying to make something happen there, got a little bit too aggressive and just made a bad read.”

Chapman, who already had driven in three runs on a pair of singles, led off the eighth with a triple to the track in center field, prompting the Tigers to bring their infield in to protect a one-run lead. Canha sent a sharp grounder to shortstop Javier Baez, and Chapman was dead to rights at home plate.

Canha was likewise caught in no man’s land when Patrick Bailey sent a ground ball back to the pitcher and he broke for third.

“Look, our situational at-bats haven’t been great recently, so he was just trying to make something happen, and Mark just read the wrong side,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I don’t think you can say we should have won that game because we ran into an out or two on the bases.”

The loss was only the Giants’ fifth in their past 18 games, but over that stretch they possess the lowest OPS — .576 — with runners in scoring position of any team in the National League. They stranded four runners in the first two innings against Tigers starter Keider Montero and finished with three hits in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position, dropping their batting average in those situations since July 25 to .193 (31-for-161).

“I know we haven’t gotten some of those runs in when we wanted to,” said Chapman, who contributed two of their timely hits. “I’m sure that was in the back of my head a little bit. … We still won that series. Obviously we’d have loved to get the sweep, but we’ve got four games against Atlanta, so I think we just have to turn the page and get ready for the next series.”

A fifth straight win and a series sweep eluded them, but for the first time since the end of May, the Giants’ recent hot play meant that even after a loss they ended the day with a winning record. At 61-59, they will have a chance this week to leapfrog Atlanta, which let a late lead slip away in Colorado and enters Monday 1½ games ahead.

The Giants must also pass the Mets (61-56), who wrap up their series in Seattle on Sunday Night Baseball, and hold off the Cardinals (60-58) and Cubs (59-60). In possession of the top two spots, the Padres (66-53) and Diamondbacks (66-53) are closer to catching the Dodgers (68-49) than falling out of postseason position.

“It’s just about winning as many games as we can right now,” Melvin said.

Looking to rebound from the roughest outing of his young career, rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong put the Giants in an early hole and was tagged for five runs over 4⅓ innings, including a leadoff home run to Matt Vierling and a two-run shot in the second from catcher Dillon Dingler.

Allowing 12 runs over his past two starts, Birdsong’s ERA has risen to 5.76 from a sterling 2.97 at the end of July. After allowing four home runs in his first six big-league starts, Birdsong has been tagged for four over his past two outings.

With 95 innings between all levels this season, Birdsong is nearing his total from last season (100⅔) but quickly shot down the notion that fatigue played into his recent struggles.

“No,” he said. “Not fatigued. Just mistakes and getting the ball where I need it to go. That’s a work in progress.”

Birdsong had walked multiple batters in each of his first seven major-league starts but issued only one free pass to the Tigers, which didn’t come back to bite him.

“It’s just two homers,” Melvin said. “You’d rather see him giving up some hits than walking guys. I thought he pitched better. He was behind a little bit early in the game, but only walked one. Not a lot of free passes and you make them work for it a little bit more.”

In his ninth game in the leadoff spot, Tyler Fitzgerald nearly provided a one-for-one answer to Vierling’s leadoff homer but had to settle for a ground-rule double. The Giants got the run back and more, though, as Chapman doubled home Fitzgerald and LaMonte Wade Jr., who reached on his first of three walks, to open a 2-1 lead.

There were two down in the second when Dingler turned on a first-pitch fastball and deposited it into the Tigers’ bullpen, flipping the score, 3-2. It was the rookie catcher’s first career home run, and he drove a nearly identical pitch in his next at-bat for a leadoff double that started a two-run fifth and extended Detroit’s lead to 5-2.

“He can hit a fastball,” Birdsong said. “I know that now.”

Fitzgerald gave the Giants runners at the corners with one out in the second with his second hit of the game, but that was the last hit they were able to muster against Montero until Michael Conforto started the sixth with a triple off the left field wall.

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The Tigers’ left fielder, Justyn-Henry Malloy, crashed into the wall, allowing Conforto to make it to third and kickstart a two-run rally that pulled the Giants within one, 5-4. Conforto was initially waved home on a balk. Umpires reversed their decision, saying the catcher called time, but it didn’t matter.

Chapman laced a single into center field for his second hit and third RBI of the game.

The Giants had two on and nobody out after Canha drew a pinch-hit walk, and it appeared they would have to settle for one run when Bailey grounded into a double play, but Jerar Encarnacion lined a two-strike cutter through the right side at 109.7 mph to drive home Chapman and make it a one-run game.

Up next

The Braves visit Oracle Park for a four-game series with significant wild card implications. Trailing Atlanta by 1½ games for the third and final National League playoff spot, the Giants will line up LHP Blake Snell (2-3, 4.31), LHP Kyle Harrison (6-4, 4.08), LHP Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.98) and RHP Logan Webb (10-8, 3.32) against LHP Chris Sale (13-3, 2.75), RHP Charlie Morton (6-7, 4.47), RHP Grant Holmes (0-0, 3.79) and LHP Max Fried (7-6, 3.56). First pitch Monday is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

High School Football Tour: Marina Mariners set for reboot after tumultuous season

EDITOR’S NOTE: Herald sports writer John Devine is spending most of this month visiting Monterey County schools to get a sneak peek of their football teams. This and other
previews will be available at www.montereyherald.com

MARINA – Expectations were through the roof. And why not? Marina High was coming off a school-record seven-win season in 2023.

It had momentum – had a taste of success. Yet, what Marina did not have last season was cohesiveness on and off the football field, or an understanding on how to handle adversity.

Being punched in the month in their season opener, the Mariners backpedaling over the next 10 weeks. Essentially the program never recovered during a tumultuous ride.

“It’s not just show up and suit up,” Marina coach Jason Dennis said. “We lost sight of what a thriving program looks like. It’s not a right, it is a privilege to play football.”

When the season ended, Dennis and administration agreed that he should step down and potentially reapply.

“It was a little discouraging how everything played out,” Dennis said. “It hurt how it played out. I have lived and learned. I was making plans not to coach football. I’m glad to be back.”

Encouraged to reapply, Dennis threw his name back in the hat, demanding change and support at the top.

“Part of it was administration challenging me to get better,” Dennis said. “Our foundation was shaken a little bit – the buy-in part. We weren’t reinforcing it. It’s not about pointing fingers.”

If there was any animosity from last year, it didn’t show up when Dennis held a spring meeting for football, as nearly 80 players showed up.

“There have been a lot of changes,” Marina lineman Paul Colman said. “We all want to play. We’re out here to have fun. Sure, winning helps. The biggest difference is this group gets along. We are all on the same page.”

During the summer, the number of players in the weight room and in conditioning was as high as Dennis has seen in his four seasons.

Paul Colman is a three-year starting offensive lineman. (John Devine – Monterey Herald)

“I see in their eyes that these kids are invested,” Dennis said. “Staying after practice to improve their route running. It makes my heart feel good to coach these kids up.”

Still patience is being preached as the Mariners begin their 15th season of playing 11-man football –13 on the varsity level – still looking for their first playoff appearance.

Coming off a 2-8 season, the program’s struggles over the years have been well documented, having gone 27-88 over 12 full seasons.

“I felt we had some of the better players in our division,” Colman said. “For whatever reasons, we just didn’t click. A lot of mental mistakes. It held us back. Correcting that starts in practice.”

Just once have the Mariners finished above .500, that coming in 2022 when Dennis rebuilt the program by not having a varsity season in 2021, letting his youth mature at the JV level.

While there will be a lot of inexperience at the lower levels, Dennis has developed a program that doesn’t have to go in that direction again.

“We don’t have to start from scratch because we have returners that are stepping up as leaders,” Dennis said. “We emphasize the future rather than dipping into our past.”

Part of the renewed optimism is the changes being installed, the discipline players are buying into with a new staff being on the same page.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt having quarterbacks Elan Espinosa and Titus Calvera, who split time in summer taking snaps, having had a full off-season to grasp the Mariners’ system.

Espinosa gives Marina a quarterback who can get the ball downfield with his arm. Calvera is a stronger runner who continues to improve his accuracy.

“Elan is more of a pure quarterback with a pass-first attitude,” Dennis said. “Titus is athletic. Both are competing and have a fighting heart. Both are looking to develop an identity.”

The return of receiver Noah Heath gives Marina a bonafide threat on the outside. The senior is a precise route runner who makes plays after the catch. Calvera could also see time at receiver along with Denzel Garvin.

Being balanced on offense will be critical for a program that struggled out of the gates, producing just 13 points in the first quarter in its eight losses.

“Negative plays destroyed us,” Dennis said. “We started a lot of games off hot, then fumbled, missed a block or had a penalty. It is about discipline, making that hard block. You can’t take a play off.”

Establishing a running game starts with Raju David, who was among the best linebackers in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Santa Lucia Division last fall. The senior will be part of a committee backfield, as establishing drives starts with the ability to grind the clock.

What crippled the Mariners last year was the lack of depth in the trenches. Dennis can’t teach size, but an off-season of building strength has created a different vibe upfront.

The return Colman on the line provides some stability on both sides of the ball, as the 245-pounder gives the Mariners size and physicality on the offensive line.”

Paul Colman is a three-year starting offensive lineman. (John Devine – Monterey Herald)

“We have some experience and some depth,” Dennis said. “But the gap between our starting unit and reserves drops off. Our biggest focus over the summer was getting them to understand why we do the things we do.”

If there was a silver lining last season, it was the improvement of the defense in the second half of the season.

Having given up 40 or more points in four of its first five losses, Marina held three of its final four opponents to an average of 17 points a game.

Colman gives the Mariners a presence in stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, while David and Donovan Maben provide depth and dependability at the linebacker..

“You can keep smacking us,” Dennis said “We’re going to be that annoying gnat that keeps getting up and fighting back. We will wear the underdog title. If we are tired of being the homecoming game for the other team, use it as a chip on your shoulder. Let’s work to change that.”

For all the drama that unfolded last season, the Mariners did close the season with a 36-point win, perhaps building momentum coming into this season.

“Let’s not dwell on the eight losses,” Dennis said. “Let’s talk about how we finished the season. I keep reflecting on that. Look where we ended. When we get into a rhythm, look at what we can do when we play with confidence.”

Clipboard: Names to watch this fall at the Division I level for college football

A number of Monerey County athletes will be spread out across the nation this fall playing Division I college football.

Among those who impacted their college programs in their first season was receiver Josiah Freeman at Fresno State.

The former Soledad High and Hartnell College receiver caught 19 passes for 249 yards in 2023, with a career-high 13.1 yards per catch average.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound redshirt junior had his first Division I touchdown catch in the New Mexico Bowl last season for the Bulldogs.

An all-state receiver at Hartnell in 2021, Freeman registered a 75-yard receiving game against Utah State and caught a season-high five passes against Boise State.

A member of The Herald’s All-County football team in 2019, Freeman caught at least one pass in eight games last season.

Former Fresno State teammate Abraham Montano has transferred to New Mexico State, where he will battle for the kicking job.

A member of Alisal’s 2019 Northern California champion soccer team, Montano kicked at Hartnell, setting a school record with a 50-yard field goal in 2021.

Montano converted 17-of-24 field goal attempts over three seasons at Fresno State, producing 70 points for the Big West Champions in 2022.

J.T. Byrne begins his junior season at Cal as a tight end, where was used last season as an extra blocker and on special teams.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Carmel graduate, who began his collegiate career at Oregon State, is in his second season at Cal, still searching for his first reception.

Byrne was a four-year starter in football, basketball and baseball at Carmel, earning The Herald’s Athlete of the Year honor in 2021.

Teammate and Salinas High graduate Nyziah Hunter is expected to see the field this year after redshirting last season for the Bears.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hunter, a former state meet 100-meter qualifier, is one of the fastest players on the offensive side for Cal.

Perhaps a coaching change will benefit Noah Pulealii, who has yet to see action in a game at UCLA.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman has spent the past two seasons working with the Bruins scout team in practice.

One of the higher-rated recruited athletes to come out of Palma, the Marina native was a four-star recruit by 247Sports.

Antonio Posadas begins his second season at Colorado after walking on and making the team last season as a tight end.

A former multi-sport standout at Carmel, Posadas impressed head coach Deion Sanders enough to make the team, where he was redshirted last season.

Redshirt sophomore Evan Johnson will battle for more playing time this fall as a defensive back for Brigham Young University.

The Herald’s 2022 Male Athlete of the Year from Stevenson, the 6-1 Johnson saw action in four games last year for the Cougars, assisting on a pair of tackles.

A four-sport standout at Stevenson, Johnson finished fourth at the state track and field finals in a county record 10.41 seconds in the 100 meters in 2022, Johnson’s brother Wesley is a defensive graduate assistant at BYU.

Logan Saldate will begin his first season at Notre Dame, after helping Palma to a State Division 4-A football title last season.

The Chieftains school record holder in the long jump and a podium finisher at the state meet in 2023, Saldate set a school record for touchdown catches and receiving yards last year.

A four-star recruit, the 5-foot-11 flanker was the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division Player of the Year last fall and earned an invitation to the Polynesian Bowl.

Former Seaside High and Hartnell College offensive lineman James Milovale will seek playing time after redshirting last season at the University of Hawaii.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound former volleyball player was an all-State Region selection at Hartnell in 2022.

Beginning his seventh season in college, Jeffrey Weimer has landed at Idaho State, where he was one of the biggest stories during spring ball.

Weimer, who has redshirted, has medically redshirted and been granted an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, played two years ago at UNLV.

The 6-foot-2 former Salinas High and Hartnell College receiver led Idaho State in receptions during its spring game and has caught the attention of pro scouts. His brother Ricky is playing linebacker at Division II CSU-Pueblo.

A teammate of Weimer’s will be former Alvarez multi-sport standout Messiah Johnson, who will battle for playing time on the offensive line at Idaho State.

The 6-3, 290-pound Johnson was a member of the Herald’s all-county football and basketball teams last season.

Having redshirted last season at the University of Idaho, 6-1 receiver Emmerson Cortez will be given a shot to see the field this season.

During his senior season at Salinas in 2022, Cortez caught 43 passes for nearly 900 yards and nine touchdowns. He also led the team in interceptions with five.

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Michael MacNeill is coming off a 10-tackle season last fall for Portland State.

The 280-pound Salinas High graduate – a two-time member of the Herald’s All-County team and former wrestler – produced three tackles in a win over Northern Colorado.

Having redshirted last year, Joey Finley is expected to battle for playing time on the defensive line for Stephen F. Austin State.

A former three-sport standout at Palma, the 6-3, 230-pound Finley earned all-state honors in his one season at Monterey Peninsula College.

Isaac Mancera has landed at UNLV, where the 6-foot-3, 215-pound kicker is one of three battling for the job.

Mancera produced 170 points in three seasons at Salinas High, with 98 percent of his kickoffs being touchbacks. He has a career-best 47-yard field goal.

Having earned all-conference honors last year as a defensive back and wide receiver at Hartnell College, Cade Smith will be on the defensive side of the field for Utah Tech.

Smith led the Panthers last year with seven interceptions, while catching 31 passes for 485 yards and five touchdowns.

The 6-3 Salinas graduate returned to the defensive side of the ball last fall for Hartnell out of necessity because of depth issues, leading the team in tackles.

July breaks record for California’s hottest month ever

July’s searing temperatures made it California’s hottest month on record, according to national weather data. The average temperature statewide was 81.7°, almost two degrees warmer than the previous record set in 2021.

“That is a huge margin,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA. “Not only did we break the previous record, but we essentially shattered it.”

Heat waves lasted through most of July in much of the state, with daily temperature highs soaring over the triple digits. And, crucially, temperatures stayed warm overnight, increasing the average temperature for the month.

Yet “people’s experience depending on where they lived in California was very different,” Swain said, with inland cities experiencing the worst warming.

Sacramento and Fresno each had their hottest July numbers on record at 81.1° and 90.0°, respectively. Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties each deviated more than 7 degrees above historical averages with July average temperatures of 76.7°, 78.3° and 76.5°.

Coastal cities experienced less severe increases. San Francisco’s July averaged 66.6°, about 3 degrees above its historical mean, but still the hottest it has ever recorded. Monterey County’s July saw an average of 74.5°.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded monthly temperatures for more than 100 years, and California has broken all-time monthly heat records three times in the past decade. A blistering July in 2018 averaged 79.6°F in California, which was knocked out by a 79.8°F average in 2021. The previous record of 79.5°F was set in 1931.

While July’s temperature spike was “remarkable,” Swain said, it wasn’t surprising.

“It is, unfortunately, very consistent with expectations that we’re going to see hotter and hotter summers,” Swain said.

California, alongside the rest of the world, is “stair-stepping upward” to a warmer climate, Swain said. Some years will be relatively warmer or cooler than others, so it’s possible next summer’s heat waves could be less severe. But on the state’s current climate trajectory toward warmer summers, a July as hot as this one will become “ordinary, if not on the cool side of things” in the near future, Swain said.

With July’s punishing heat came the most active start to fire season in more than a decade. Over 629,000 acres, nearly a thousand square miles, burned in the state through July 30.

The summer heat follows a wet winter and spring, which caused extra grass and brush to grow. Then, scorching temperatures “kiln-dried” the dense vegetation, creating a “one-two punch” for wildfires, Swain said. The lack of relief from the heat overnight also increases the risk of wildfires.

Fire season often doesn’t peak until later into the fall, Swain said. Wildfire activity “may continue to be more active than normal,” though we may see a shift in the location of the fires, Swain said.

Local Books: A gentle way to address sadness and loss

Crafting a book of poetry is different than writing a novel. Both have a story to tell, yet with poems, each conveys its own story, its own message, with emotions slipping out through the rhythm of each stanza, like tears staining the page.

This is particularly true in “Indelible Shadow,” award-winning poet Sandra Berris’ newest release of poetry. These poems don’t rhyme. Each within this slim book is crafted in couplets, a pairing carrying its own message, almost a story in two lines. By the end, we feel the weight of the tale.

If Only

If only you had been on the train

You would have felt its rocking

The hypnotic sway and swooshing

Sounds soothing your dread

Silencing dark thoughts

Bringing instead new dreams

Possibilities in an elusive future

But the train was fast

Challenging you in real time

When the mind

Snapped like a horse’s leg

And the boy now broken

Stepped onto the tracks

Every poem in “Indelible Shadow” quietly inks out the story of a boy who put himself in the path of a train. Not hers, but still, someone close. Berris’ carefully chosen words counterbalance the screaming in her heart like the whistle of the train, a softening made possible through perspective and poetry.

Our interpretation of the poems doesn’t have to be literal. How many of us have found or put ourselves “in the path of the train,” if only metaphorically? Just underneath the rhythms of her words, we can find ways to relate and, perhaps, heal.

Poetry is how Berris expresses her emotions, works through her feelings and, through this book, shares them with others, who might feel a kinship, if not to the story, to how it feels when we lose something.

“With poetry, I write from both feeling and knowing,” Berris said. “I think about people who have experienced loss to suicide or any cause of death, and how so many of us carry it inside, like a weighted stone in the heart. But we can ease the pain, soften its sharp edges when we find the words to write or talk about it.”

Berris recognizes that the poetry in “Indelible Shadow” (Finishing Line Press 2024) is a melancholy series. She wrote it, first, as a personal healing exercise yet realized as her poems took shape on the page, they might reach others as well.

On the cover of the book is a small, yellow-tinged bird, whose shadow extends a little farther across a line in the road, than he does. The cover art was created by April Pacheco, an artist who had taken a deep interest in Berris’ poetry and the story behind it. The cover art inspired the title.

“Indelible Shadow” is award-winning poet Sandra Berris’ newest release of poetry. (Courtesy photo)Becoming a poet

Although born in Chicago, where some 35 cousins reside, Berris grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and went on to achieve her undergraduate degree at University of Nebraska. Her poetry emerged at the University, under Poet Laureate Karl J. Shapiro, who had won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1945, after writing and publishing “V-Letter and Other Poems” throughout his service in the “Pacific Theater” during WWII.

“My very first poem,” she said, “was called ‘Blue Ford.’ As Shapiro was reading the poem to the class, as an example of what not to do, I was shrinking down in my chair, trying to disappear. Then he explained that I was going to rewrite my poem for the following week. I ended up becoming the editor of his class magazine and learned so much from him. He wrote my recommendation letter to Stanford.”

Berris went on to write a poem in Shapiro’s honor, called “Life,” she had been cautioned by the poet that we can’t write about “Life” unless we are describing the iconic cereal or magazine. Or a life lived well.

“He taught us not to generalize, that we can’t take on all of nature or define the breadth of love,” she said. “We need to be specific, writing from our own experience and the feelings that emerge, so our writing will resonate with our readers.”

Berris satisfied her “student teaching” requirement by teaching English at “University High School,” attended primarily by professors’ kids. After achieving her Master’s degree in Education and English at Stanford, she accepted her first teaching position at a junior high in Alamo, where she taught English and social studies.

Berris’ next assignment took her back to her roots, to teach “gifted” high school students in Chicago, who were interested in creative writing. The work pouring out of her students caught the attention of the English department chair, who asked her to launch a literary magazine based on student interviews with senior citizens, from which they would craft poetry or short stories. The outcome was “WHETSTONE” literary magazine.

“Once we started receiving submissions from teachers and others throughout the state,” said Berris, “I added two friends to my staff and, over the next 18 years, went on a real adventure with this magazine, winning 11 National Endowment for the Arts awards. We loved it while it happened.”

Ultimately, Berris and her husband retired to the community where they had begun their marriage, having honeymooned at the Highlands Inn in Carmel. Although they have owned and visited their Murphy-built Carmel cottage for 18 years, they took up permanent residence six years ago.

“One day, as the snow came down in February, I was on my treadmill, watching the AT&T Golf Tournament,” said Berris, “when they showed Carmel Beach. I raced upstairs and told my husband I was never going to live through a season of snow again. We put our house on the market and moved to Carmel, full time.”

Berris’ previous book of poetry, “Ash on Wind” (Muse Ink Press 2017) is a collection of her poems, published by various literary magazines and university presses, and inspired by her consideration of “the intimacy of matter,” a double entendre that explores what we are made of and the various ways we interpret what is important to us.

Both “Indelible Shadow” and “Ash on Wind” are available at Bookworks in Pacific Grove and via Amazon.

Names to watch this fall at the Division I level for college football

Beginning his seventh season in college, Jeffrey Weimer has landed at Idaho State, where he was one of the biggest stories during spring ball.

Weimer, who has redshirted, has medically redshirted and been granted an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, played two years ago at UNLV.

The 6-foot-2 former Salinas High and Hartnell College receiver led Idaho State in receptions during its spring game and has caught the attention of pro scouts. His brother Ricky is playing linebacker at Division II CSU-Pueblo.

A teammate of Weimer’s will be former Alvarez multi-sport standout Messiah Johnson, who will battle for playing time on the offensive line at Idaho State.

The 6-3, 290-pound Johnson was a member of the Herald’s all-county football and basketball teams last season.

Having redshirted last season at the University of Idaho, 6-1 receiver Emmerson Cortez will be given a shot to see the field this season.

During his senior season at Salinas in 2022, Cortez caught 43 passes for nearly 900 yards and nine touchdowns. He also led the team in interceptions with five.

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Michael MacNeill is coming off a 10-tackle season last fall for Portland State.

The 280-pound Salinas High graduate – a two-time member of the Herald’s All-County team and former wrestler – produced three tackles in a win over Northern Colorado.

Having redshirted last year, Joey Finley is expected to battle for playing time on the defensive line for Stephen F. Austin State.

A former three-sport standout at Palma, the 6-3, 230-pound Finley earned all-state honors in his one season at Monterey Peninsula College.

Horoscopes Aug. 11, 2024: Chris Hemsworth, change is up to you

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alyson Stoner, 31; Chris Hemsworth, 41; Ben Gibbard, 48; Hulk Hogan, 71.

Happy Birthday: Clear your mind, file what’s essential and let the rest go. You can’t change the past but can improve yourself and your circumstances. Reach out to people or organizations that are uplifting and offer insight and connections that can help you set a favorable destination. Change is up to you and dependent on how you disperse your energy to ensure you arrive at a place that brings you contentment and joy. Your numbers are 9, 16, 24, 27, 31, 35, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Embark on a journey. Whether it’s an adventure leading to learning, experiencing something new or returning to nature, the outcome will enhance your life, ease your mind and help you decide what you want to pursue. Set the parameters for success, and follow your heart. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The objective is to simplify your life to allow you to explore what makes you happy. Using your intelligence and physical attributes to hone skills that bring you joy will help you discover a means to earn enough cash to live doing something you love. Romance is favored. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll have to think and act fast if you take on a competitive position or you want to outmaneuver someone who challenges you. Consider what interests you most before engaging in something emotionally draining. Making your space more convenient or relaxing at home is favored. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Assess your accomplishments and what you are still striving to achieve, and you’ll develop a tried-and-true plan. Discussing your objective with someone close or well-versed will lead to stellar advice and bring you closer. Romance and emotional growth are favored. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Establish what’s working for you and what it will cost emotionally and financially to adjust to what’s having a negative effect. Change is never easy. Participate in something you desire, and it will motivate you to follow through with your plans. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Listen to your inner voice and decline the mumbo jumbo you receive from outside sources. A change may entice you, but without control and overseeing every detail, do not trust someone else. Self-improvement will give you a new lease on life. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t starve your brain. Participate in something that offers a vision regarding how best to use your skills and qualifications to suit your needs. Broaden your spectrum and follow through. Dreaming and making things happen are different, but whichever you choose will determine the outcome. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Turn your attention to socializing or discovering a new passion. A change is brewing, and your need to find your place in a world evolving in record time will require you to let go of the past to see where you belong in the future. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Look for deception, fake information and scammers. Online promises and offers will be less than satisfactory. Spare yourself grief by putting your energy into your emotional, financial and physical well-being. What you do to build strength will ease stress. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Assess your financial situation and redirect funds to care for expenses. Invest in your future instead of donating because someone guilts you into giving. Change is good if it benefits you. Keep life simple. Romance is favored. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Share your thoughts and interests with someone you feel akin to, and it will open a passage to new beginnings. Domestic improvements that make your daily routine function better will encourage you to push to incorporate more self-help options throughout your home. Explore, expand and act accordingly. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take your time, research and put everything in place before you move. Source out the cost or stress involved and eliminate any problems before you begin. Nurture relationships, and make it a priority to ensure you are in sync with those close to you. 5 stars

Birthday Baby: You are intriguing, intellectual and passionate. You are curious and guarded.

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.

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Pro soccer: Union fall to Birmingham in Stewart’s coaching debut

SEASIDE — A new voice on the sidelines didn’t quite provide the emotional lift or offensive fireworks that have been absence most of the season for Monterey Bay F.C.

Granted, it’s just one match. There will be an expected transitional period under new head coach Jordan Stewart, who made his debut Saturday for the Union.

Yet, with 11 matches left in the United Soccer League Championship season and a playoff spot at stake, the Union do not have an abundance of time to figure things out.

A second half charge Saturday provided glimpses of what Stewart wants. The Union’s inability, however, to capitalize on being a man up for nearly 20 minutes resulted in a 2-1 loss to Birmingham Legion FC at Cardinale Stadium.

Despite the loss, Monterey Bay F.C. remains in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 27 points, one point in front of defending USL champion Phoenix.

Stewart, who was hired last Monday to replace Frank Yallop — the only coach the franchise has had, has only had a handful of practices to orchestrate a brand of soccer he wants to play over the final third of the season.

Starring at a two-goal deficit in the second half, Monterey Bay F.C. went to an up-tempo style of play, cutting Birmingham’s 2-0 lead to one on Tristan Trager’s team leading eighth goal of the season in the 60th minute.

When the Legion had a player receive a red flag with 19 minutes remaining, the Union had a one-man advantage, yet failed to produce a shot on goal.

The second half magic that enabled Monterey Bay F.C. to salvage a tie last week with Tampa Bay under interim head coach and current assistant and former Union midfielder Simon Dawkins, didn’t materialize.

At 7-10-6, the Union are minus-nine in goal differential this season, having produced just 22 goals in 23 matches on the pitch — 19th in the USL among 24 franchises.

Winless in their last four matches, the Union return to the road where they will host Western Conference leader New Mexico United, a team they beat 1-0 on June 2. Seven of their 10 setbacks this season have come on the road.

Birmingham (10-8-5) is one of the hottest teams in the USL over its last six matches at 3-1-2 to sit in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. It also sports one of the better road records in the USL at 6-5-3.

A goal in the opening minutes of the second half by Birmingham took the Union crowd of 4,009 out of the game until Trager lit the lamp.

The two teams had met just once before, with Monterey Bay F.C. prevailing in Birmingham 2-0 in 2023.

49ers Studs and Duds: Quarterbacks, Malik Mustapha impress in Nashville

Welcome back to football, folks!

Well, something close to football. This surely wasn’t the full thing.

But it was good enough for August.

Here are the studs and duds from preseason game No. 1 against the Titans.

STUDS

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Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs

» Allen executed well, even with a couple of overthrows. Dobbs was impressive in the second half, elevating the bottom of the roster with nice throws and some necessary scrambles.

As evidenced by the order they played (Allen in the first half, Dobbs in the second), it’s clear where the depth chart stands. But Dobbs played well enough to justify the 49ers keeping three quarterbacks on the active roster come the end of the month.

Starting offensive line

» Credit where it is due: after seriously questionable practices, these guys played well against the opposition.

The Niners had to hold out Jaylon Moore, as he is the team’s starting left tackle until Trent Williams shows up to work. That put Chris Hubbard in the most important position on the line. He was fine. We also saw Nick Zakelj play center with the first unit — a telling move from the 49ers that could indicate the now-veteran is a lock to make this roster.

Malik Mustapha

» There’s every reason to believe he can be a special player. He made two get-out-of-your-seat plays in the run game. For a defense that is going to struggle in the run game (Saturday being the latest indication of that) this could prove huge, particularly in the season’s second half.

Eric Saubert

» The veteran blocking tight end was wiping out opposing defenders. The Niners were upset they lost Charlie Woerner in free agency. I think they upgraded with Saubert.

Kyle Shanahan

» The Niners’ head coach didn’t call plays for the first time since arriving in San Francisco, letting Klay Kubiak run the offense.

“I didn’t really know what to do with my hands,” Shanahan said after the game.

Cody Schrader

» The stat sheet says very little, but anyone who watched the game saw that Schreder was excellent, not only as a runner but also as a pass protector. He’s the team’s No. 3 running back until Elijah Mitchell comes back.

JP Mason

» There’s your No. 2 running back. That might be the case even when Mitchell returns from his injury.

DUDS

Jake Moody

» What was that first kickoff? Kicking it to the 7-yard line couldn’t have been the plan. Ambry Thomas and Curtis Robinson deserve scorn here, too, for Tennessee’s big return. Starting at the 49ers’ 15-yard line following a penalty is unacceptable.

Ambry Thomas

» A massive miss on the Titans kickoff. A hold to negate an excellent third-down, goal-line stop. Miss after miss in the run game. Thomas might have to consider himself lucky he was injured in this game — he can stay on the roster now.

The defensive line

» Kalia Davis had his moments, but the Niners received nothing from Yetur Gross-Matos, Robert Beal, Ty McGill, and the rest of the second unit that played in the game.

That’s a problem, because the 49ers will need to use the second-string defensive line frequently this upcoming season.

There’s a reason the Niners were looking for a defensive end in any trade for Brandon Aiyuk. We saw it Satruday.