2008 High School Football Season Preview
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 We want to continue to thank the high school football coaches who have submitted the information that is enabling SportZine to recognize their schools and, especially, their athletes in our Preview.
ROUNDING OUT our segment on those schools trying to make the turn this year after posting sub-par seasons in 2007, we are featuring Agua Fria HS, Arcadia HS, and Bourgade Catholic HS.
NEXT UP... the schools that were successful in 2007, but have set their sights on continuing their winning ways in 2008. Coming in the next segment: Brophy Prep HS, Buckeye HS, Corona del Sol HS, Deer Valley HS, Higley HS, Mountain Ridge HS, and South Mountain HS.
Agua Fria coach, Kelly Epley, says his Owls will know this week which way their season will go. They play Apache Junction HS Friday night and Epley says, "That's the game that's going to make or break our season. It's a game that we can win."
The Owls are a 4A I team that play in the West Valley Region. They are coming off a 4-7 season last year, but still managed a playoff berth. This year, they are counting on 15 seniors to lead the way back to the playoffs. Last year, they started a lot of juniors and sophomores, but Epley points out that "Every team is only as good as its seniors." And he feels he has some good ones in Justin Lewis, who will play both ways at defensive end and tight end; running back Jordan Yancey; and 250 lb. offensive tackle Ramon Lopez. The Owls' strength this year lies largely in the offensive and defensive lines.
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What did your team do this summer?
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The girls varsity basketball team at Notre Dame High School spent a little time in the cool climes of Flagstaff this summer, attending Team Camp at Northern Arizona University.
High school teams throughout the state, boys and girls squads alike, make the most of every summer in preparation for the season ahead. Did your team do something a little different and interesting this year? If so, we'd be interested in hearing about it. Drop us a note and we'll share it with our readers.
Last year the Notre Dame Lady Saints attended Team Camp at University of Arizona, where they stayed in the college dorms and lived the life of a college student for three days. That option wasn't available at NAU, so it was a Super 8 hotel that became home for the June 9-12 weekend - but the girls felt it was a good trade-off since temperatures were almost 30 degrees cooler!
Pictured here (from left): Kelsie Sanborn, Maddie Williams, Meagan Pagels, Kate Murphy, Megan Wells, Shea Fanelli, Emily O'Neil, Aleksa Krolls, Maggie Smith, Sammi Stolper, and Anna Hughes.
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Valley HS football players big part of ASU roster
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One-fourth of Arizona State University's football roster this season contains the names of players from high schools scattered throughout the Valley. More than a third of those are freshmen stepping up to the demands of a whole new level of play.
The lions' share of the local recruits are funneling into the program from Hamilton High School. The six former Huskies players include freshman wide receiver Gerell Robinson and freshman Patrick Jamison on the offensive line; redshirt freshman linebacker Colin Parker; sophomore wide receiver Kerry Taylor; junior linebacker Gerald Munns; and senior defensive tackle David Smith.
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Area Code Games conclude as local players shine
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Notre Dame Prep infielder Tony Piazza singled in the second game of the final day of the 2008 Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA., to give his Cincinnati Reds to tie the game in the third inning. The Reds scored once more in the top of the seventh when Brophy Prep's Jake Williams, son of former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, doubled.
But both hits came in a losing effort as the New York Yankees took the final game for both teams in the week-long showcase of elite high school talent that ended Monday. The Games were won this year by the team representing the Texas Rangers in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Notre Dame pitcher Casey Upperman was the first of a group of Arizona baseball players to make his mark at the Games. Upperman was credited with the Reds' opening night's 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, Aug. 5. In that same game, teammate Kirby Pellan from Corona del Sol HS doubled off Jeffrey Ames from Vancouver, Wash. Two nights later, Jake Barrett from Desert Ridge HS, took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Reds, but was tagged for the first home run of the Games, as the Reds fell to the Texas Rangers, 4-0. Lance Harper of Desert Mountain (Scottsdale) HS kicked in a single in the losing effort.
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MIND GAMES: Believe & you will achieve
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Prior to Super Bowl III, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath made one of the boldest statements in the history of sports when he guaranteed victory against the powerful and heavily-favored Baltimore Colts. Namath and the Jets made good on his claim, however, and defeated the Colts in what many consider to be one of the greatest upsets of all time. Broadway Joe (as Namath was called) certainly wasn’t short on believing in his ability to achieve his goals – and neither should you.
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A closer look at Wii Sports!
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 This time around, I'm reviewing Wii Sports, for the Nintendo Wii. This is the game that came packaged with the console itself, for free. Because it was free, this review is going to be fairly lenient. For many, this is the first experience with the Wii, which makes an important first impression. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the Wii, the controller is simplified and has various motion sensors on it, allowing its movement to be tracked in three dimensions. The graphic capabilities aren't on par with the PS3 and Xbox360, but the Wii is considerably more powerful than Gamecube.
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A simple, but effective, workout to build core strength
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Core Training (Part 1): A 6-Pack of Functional Strength
Having ripped-up six-pack abs should not only be for show, but also functional to perform in sports. Core training is not only focused on the abs, but it’s the complete area surrounding the abs, obliques, lower back, hips and glutes. It is this region that will transfer power from the legs to the upper body in order to generate the appropriate power to perform that homerun swing or allow you to drive through your opponent when running through the crowd into the end zone. The core will also help minimize lower back injuries by stabilizing the spine and creating a natural internal brace.
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