While many things change, there seems to be one consistent in this world—the San Diego Sockers hoisting a championship flag.

Perhaps it has become contagious because the San Diego State basketball programs also captured Mountain West Conference Tournament titles, not to mention NCAA playoff berths.

Both programs were honored for their success as the Sockers’ Kraig Chiles and Paul Wright as well as San Diego State’s Jene’ Morris and Kawhi Leonard were selected Stars of the Month for March by the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Chiles was the overall Sockers’ leading scorer with 41 goals, including three-goal hat tricks in the 6-5 playoff victory over Mexico City and the 9-8 triumph over La Raza de Guadalajara for the All-Professional Arena Soccer League playoff title, their 11th overall.

Wright, the last remaining active player from the 1991-92 MSL championship team, accounted for five points in the 9-8 victory as he scored a goal and was credited with four assists.

Chase Budinger, who led La Costa Canyon High to the 2006 San Diego Section Division I title before heading off to the University of Arizona, was also honored on the professional level for his play in his rookie season with the Houston Rockets.

Morris, the senior whose stock soared as she led the Aztecs into the Sweet 16, and Leonard, the freshman who was a major force as the Aztecs rolled into the NCAA playoffs, led the list of seven collegiate standouts.

Joining them were USD baseball closer Matt Hauser and golfer Alex Ching, Aztecs Johan Carlsson (men’s golf) and Malin Enarsson (women’s golf) and the UC San Diego duo of high jumper Casey Ryan and infielder Blake Tagmyer.

High school athletes cited included Victor Dean and Norman Powell off Lincoln’s state Division II championship basketball team, track standouts Kortney Ross (Westview) and Darren Fahy (La Costa Canyon), plus pitchers Martin Romo (Otay Ranch baseball) and Jenny Lahitte (Granite Hills softball).

PROFESSIONAL

CHASE BUDINGER (Basketball, Houston Rockets/La Costa Canyon): Saved the best for last as the rookie out of the University of Arizona scored a career high 24 points, including the game-winner with 28 seconds remaining in a win over Washington. Budinger scored in double figures in three of the last four games as his minutes increased.

KRAIG CHILES (Soccer, San Diego Sockers/SDSU): A former striker with San Diego State, Chiles led the Sockers with 41 goals and scored three-goal hat-tricks in both of their playoff victories, 6-5 over Mexico City and 9-8 over La Raza de Guadalajara. Chiles was named to the All-Professional Arena Soccer League second team.

PAUL WRIGHT (Soccer, San Diego Sockers): Age was no factor as the 40-year-old midfielder, the only active player remaining from the 1991-1992 MSL championship team, scored a game-high five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in San Diego’s 9-8 North American Championship victory over La Raza de Guadalajara.

AMATEUR

JOHAN CARLSSON (Golf, SDSU): Led the Aztecs to the Barona Collegiate Cup title by a whopping 22 strokes, leaving No. 1-ranked Oregon 25 strokes behind. Carlsson had three sub-par rounds and five of even-par or better. At the Barona Collegiate Cup he finished second with a 9-under 207, including 15 birdies.

ALEX CHING (Golf, USD): Finished another big month by going 4-0 in the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championships at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Az. where he led the Toreros to wins over No. 7 seed Texas Tech and No. 1 seed Stanford. In the other two tournaments, Ching averaged 70.5.

MALIN ENARSSON (Golf, SDSU): Led the Aztec women to their first tourney title since 2006 when they won the 13-team BYU Dixie Classic by 15 strokes. She finished third overall at 219 for 54 holes. In the Anteater Invitational she was fourth, recording 11 birdies.

MATT HAUSER (Baseball, USD): Since moving into the closer role, the senior has been dazzling, going 1-0 while collecting five saves and posting a 1.17 ERA in nine appearances. In March he allowed just four runs, two of them earned, while striking out 10 and walking only two batters. His victory came against No. 14 Rice.

KAWHI LEONARD (Basketball, San Diego State): Even the TV announcers couldn’t find enough words to describe the play of the Aztec freshman who averaged 14.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in earning MVP honors while leading SDSU to the MWC Tournament title. He was All-MWC first team and Sports News All-Freshman second team.

JENE’ MORRIS (Basketball, SDSU): The Mountain West Conference defensive Player of the Year helped lift the Aztecs to heights never before achieved. The senior guard averaged 20.6 points a game with 26 steals, 26 assists, 18 three-pointers and an 89.7 free throw percentage as the Aztecs reached the NCAA Sweet 16 after capturing the MWC tournament.

CASEY RYAN (Track, UCSD): Setting a school record is one thing but the senior high jumper did it in back-to-back meets. Ryan erased his own record of 7-0 3/4, when he scaled 7-1 at the City Collegiate Championships then soared 7-3 ¼ to capture the Aztec Invitational at SDSU.

BLAKE TAGMYER (Baseball, UCSD): Racing out to a perfect 13-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Div. II play, the junior infielder was a major force, batting .444 with three home runs and 17 RBI. Tagmyer had a .722 slugging average and .488 on-base percentage. Against Cal Poly Pomona he had a three-run homer and a three-run double.

HIGH SCHOOL

VICTOR DEAN (Basketball, Lincoln): As the month progressed, the Hornets seemed to get stronger and stronger with the 6-foot-6 Fresno State signee leading the way to the San Diego Section’s first Division II state championship. In that game, a 74-59 victory over Mountain View St. Francis, he poured in 24 points.

DARREN FAHY (Track, La Costa Canyon): After stepping to the front in cross country, the Mavericks sophomore wasted little time establishing himself on the track as Fahy rolled to a then state-leading time of 9-minutes, 8.76 seconds in the 3,200-meter run at the California Relays held at Cerritos College. He won by more than 12 seconds.

JENNY LAHITTE (Softball, Granite Hills): Whether in the circle or at the plate, the Eagles senior was simply devastating to opponents. In the seven games she started, Lahitte was 6-1 with a 0.60 ERA while hurling five shutouts. She fanned 129 batters, walking just 10. At the plate she hit .448 with a homer, two triples and two doubles while driving in five runs.

NORMAN POWELL (Basketball, Lincoln): A junior, Powell’s reputation extended well beyond San Diego as the 6-3, high-jumping guard provided the spark in Lincoln’s 24-game winning streak, concluding with a 74-59 victory over Mountain View St. Francis for the state Division II title. Powell scored 24 in the championship game and was unstoppable inside and out over those 24 final games.

MARTIN ROMO (Baseball, Otay Ranch): Through 11 games, Romo led the Mustangs to an unbeaten record. In 33 at-bats, Romo had 20 hits which included four triples, a double and a home run. He drove in 11 runs and had another 11 runs scored. The senior leadoff batter was credited with six stolen bases and played flawless defense in center field.

KORTNEY ROSS (Track, Westview): Bound for the University of Oregon, Ross shattered the meet record by eight inches in the Mt. Carmel Invitational when she pole vaulted 13-feet, 2-inches despite running into a powerful headwind—a pole vaulter’s nightmare. Earlier in the week the section record-holder achieved a career-best 13-5 in a dual meet.

The San Diego Chargers can thank nearby San Diego State for two of their key players, Brandyn Dombrowski and Kassim Osgood, as they raced through the month of December unbeaten and into the post-season playoffs.

Dombrowski and Osgood were selected as Stars of the Month by the San Diego Hall of Champions along with six amateurs and another six high school players. They will be honored at the 64th Salute to the Champions Feb. 22 at the Town and Country Convention Center.

A swift, sure-tackler who always seems to zero in on the ball, Osgood earned a spot in the Pro Bowl for the third time in his seven-year career after leading the Chargers’ special teams.

Dombrowski was expected to learn his trade as a backup offensive lineman this season but was suddenly thrust into the starting lineup when the Chargers suffered injuries at both guard and tackle. The Chargers never missed a beat.

San Diego State’s men’s basketball team went 7-1 for the month as junior D.J. Gay and freshman Kawhi Leonard were key performers. They were cited along with Brandon Johnson and Sam Child off the USD men’s and women’s teams, Quenese Davis from SDSU’s 5-1 women’s club and Tiffany Kracy, who led the Point Loma Nazarene women to a second place finish in the NAIA soccer playoffs.

Oceanside High two-way lineman Thomas Molesi led the Pirates to the state Division I Bowl Championship and topped the list of prep standouts which included Poway wrestler Victor Lopez, Eastlake quarterback D’Angelo Barksdale, Foothills Christian’s high-scoring basketball player Troy Leaf, and girls hoop standouts Yvonte Neal of Mount Miguel and Deanna Bembry of Monte Vista.

PROFESSIONAL

Brandyn Dombrowski (Football, San Diego Chargers)—While players like Philip Rivers or Vincent Jackson can point to glittering statistics, they know it would be impossible without teammates like Dombrowski, the 6-5, 323-pound former San Diego State player who stepped up to fill glaring holes at both guard and tackle after veteran starters were injured. Dombrowski was a key member of the team that rolled unbeaten through December.

Kassim Osgood (Football, San Diego Chargers)–It would be difficult to find anyone who has made the most of his situation better than the former San Diego State wide receiver. Finding himself in a backup position at WR, Osgood grew with the Chargers as a special teams standout. The seven-year veteran was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl after amassing 15 tackles this season, all on kick return coverage.

AMATEUR

Kawhi Leonard (Basketball, San Diego State)—Freshmen rarely step right in and make an impact, but the 6-foot-7 Leonard has done just that for the Aztecs this season. When SDSU rolled to a 7-1 record for the month, losing only by three points to Arizona State, the Riverside Martin Luther King High grad was the leading rebounder in six of the eight games. His top performance came against Cal State Fullerton when he scored a season high 23 points while pulling down 18 rebounds, also tops for the year.

Brandon Johnson (Basketball, USD)—The senior started off the month with 21 points in a 69-62 overtime loss to San Diego State, and closed out the month with a personal-best 31 points in a 77-68 loss to Mississippi State. Johnson led USD in scoring (15.0) to go with 22 assists and 18 steals. He improved on his No. 2 all-time numbers for career scoring (1,583) and assists (461).

D.J. Gay (Basketball, San Diego State)—When the Aztecs needed someone to step up in two key December contests, Gay, a junior from the San Fernando Valley by way of Poly High, was the go-to player. The 6-foot guard tossed in 22 points as SDSU downed cross-town rival USD 69-62 in overtime and led the team with 18 points when Drake pushed the Aztecs into an extra session before SDSU prevailed, 76-73.

Tiffany Kracy (Soccer, Point Loma Nazarene)–A freshman goalkeeper, Kracy led the unseeded Sea Lions to a second place finish at the NAIA National Championships. Kracy was named as the Defensive Player of the National Tournament, which included 18 saves in four contests. She also stopped all three Azusa Pacific penalty kick attempts in a 3-0 shootout win in the semis. The All-American allowed only 12 goals all season.

Sam Child (Basketball, USD)—Child, a junior guard, led USD to a 5-2 record, including helping lift the Toreros to the championship of the Maggie Dixon Surf N Slam Classic where she was selected to the All-Tournament team. She paced the Toreros in scoring with a 15.3 average, including recording a career-high 28 points in the win over Nevada. In that same game, Child set a career-high with six steals.

Quenese Davis (Basketball, San Diego State)—Clearly, the senior point guard picked up her game as the Aztecs went 5-1. Davis posted a team-best 19.7 scoring average while pitching in with 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She had four 20-point games, including a career-best 26 on a 10-for-13 shooting night against Loyola Marymount University. Davis was named MVP of the San Diego Surf N Slam and MWC Player of the Week.

HIGH SCHOOL

Yvonte Neal (Basketball, Mount Miguel)–While the Matadors were racing to an undefeated month, Neal provided the push as she averaged 15.1 points a game, scoring in double figures in all 15 victories, capped off with a resounding 83-47 romp over highly-rated Bishop’s. Additionally, the 5-7 senior headed to Cal State Fullerton averaged 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 steals and hit 18 three pointers.

Deanna Bembry (Basketball, Monte Vista)–Just a junior, Bembry was a virtual double-double machine for the Monarchs as she collected 10 in her first 13 games. One of those was even better as she also had a triple-double in the season-opener when she scored 16 points, had 12 rebounds and dished out a whopping 12 assists in a 60-57 victory over Oceanside.

Troy Leaf (Basketball, Foothills Christian)—Sitting at the edge of the section career scoring record, the UC Santa Barbara signee put on quite a display in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic as his 42 points against Long Beach Jordan was high for the tourney. In the first 15 games Leaf averaged 29.5 points in leading the Knights to a 12-3 record.

Victor Lopez (Wrestling, Poway)–It isn’t often that a San Diego-area wrestler wins the Reno Tournament of Champions but that’s just what the freshman did, pacing Poway to the team title. Lopez captured the 103-pound weight class at Reno with an 11-6 victory in the title match, earning All-American honors. He also won the Grand Canyon dual meet competition and was second in the El Dorado Invitational.

D’Angelo Barksdale (Football, Eastlake)–When things weren’t going all that well for the Titans after the loss of Tony Jefferson in the section Division I title game against Vista, the senior quarterback rallied Eastlake, leading them to a 21-14 victory. Barksdale completed 7-of-11 passes, including a 52-yard TD pass to Jordan Hines in the third quarter and a 59-yarder to Daniel Diaz, as Eastlake recorded its first section football title.

Thomas Molesi (Football, Oceanside)–You won’t see a lot of stats next to Molesi’s name but the ones that really matter are in the record book—two state bowl championship titles anchoring the Pirates’ line. Molesi shook off an injury to stand tall on defense as the Pirates edged San Jose Bellarmine Prep 24-19 in the State Division I Bowl Championship in Carson after helping Oceanside to its sixth straight section title, 26-10 over Helix.

Professional

CHASE HEADLEY (Baseball, Padres): As the Padres were compiling a 17-9 record in September, Headley not only was one of the team’s top hitters, but he filled more than ably for an injured Kevin Kouzmanoff at third base. Headley batted .281 (27-96), scoring 16 runs and driving in another 15. He posted a .417 slugging percentage and a .360 on base percentage.

PHILIP RIVERS (Football, Chargers): Anyone who doubted the strength of Phillips’ arm walked away from the Miami game with newfound appreciation as he capped a strong September showing in a 23-13 victory. For the month, Rivers completed 67-of-114 for 991 yards and three TDs. Against Baltimore he passed for 436 yards and his 330-yard average is almost 80 yards a game ahead of last year.

PHIL MICKELSON (Golf, PGA Tour/USDHS Alum): Firing a 5-under par 65, Mickelson rallied in the final round to capture the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake by three strokes over Tiger Woods. Mickelson entered the final round two down but finished 9-under at 271 to win the event for the first time since 2000. His third victory of the year also allowed Mickelson to finish second in the Fedex Cup overall race won by Woods.

College

TABITHA HENKEN (Volleyball, Point Loma Nazarene): A 6-foot-3 sophomore, Henken leads the country (NAIA) with 303 kills in 17 games as the Sea Lions soared to No. 10 in the country with a 14-3 record. During the month Henken also recorded 166 digs, 21 blocks and 17 service aces and was selected the GSAC Player of the Week.

TATE FORCIER (Football, Michigan/Scripps Ranch High alum): Although he is just a freshman, Forcier moved right in and led the Wolverines to a 4-0 record. During the month he passed for 671 yards, completing 62 percent of his passes (54-87) with seven TDs and two interceptions. He also rushed for 183 yards and a pair of TDs.

JEREMY YOUNG (Football, Ouchita Baptist/El Cajon Valley): As Ouchita (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) rolled through its first four games, Young was the go-to receiver, grabbing 32 passes for 471 yards and two touchdowns, including 13 for 261 against Valdosta State. Young was also the team’s leading kick returner and accounted for a total of 749 yards.

VINCENT BROWN (Football, San Diego State): A junior by way of Rancho Cucamonga, the 6-foot, 180-pound Aztecs wide receiver was unstoppable as he caught 34 passes for 547 yards (16.1) and five TDs. Last year he grabbed 64 passes for 631 yards, so he was less than 100 yards behind his entire 2008 season total after just four games.

DALLON WILLIAMS (Cross country, Cal State San Marcos): Known better as a steeplechaser in track, Williams is off to a fast start this cross country season as she won the UC Irvine Invitational in 17-minutes, 21-seconds before rolling to a fourth place in the UC Riverside Invitational in 16:55.

ALI TROOST (Volleyball, USD): When USD caught fire and won seven straight matches, it was Troost who led the way. Troost had 115 kills, 58 digs and 19 blocks. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Denver Invitational as well as the WCC Player of the Week after recording 22 kills and 13 digs in a win over UC Irvine. For the month, she had seven double-doubles and earned Co-Player of the Month in the WCC.

High School

MOLLY GRABILL (Cross country, Rancho Bernardo High): There was no more dominant runner in the entire nation than Grabill who swept to victory in every major invitational. The two most impressive were the Stanford Invitational where she captured the Seeded race, featuring most of the state’s best runners, and the Mt. Carmel Invitational earlier where she not only won the Junior race, she took down the 14-year-old meet record along the way.

RICKY SEALE (Football, Escondido High): Another 1,000-yard rushing season isn’t very far away as the senior running back led the Cougars to a 3-0 record during the month, averaging almost nine yards a carry with 596 yards on just 67 carries. Escondido has jumped on opponents so early, Seale watched much the second half in those three games.

JAKE FELY (Football, Oceanside High): San Diego State will be getting a quality football player as the Pirates senior paced a defense that catapulted Oceanside to a 4-0 record and No. 1 in the state in the CalHiSports.com Division I Bowl rankings. Fely was credited with 20 tackles, 10 for a loss, and 28 assisted tackles from his linebacker position. He also collected four quarterback sacks.

CHRIS FAHLSING (Water polo, Cathedral Catholic High): The senior led the team in scoring as the Dons captured the American Finest City tournament with a win over Agoura of the Southern Section after dispatching six-time San Diego Section defending Division I champion Carlsbad in the semifinals. Cathedral also won the Menlo Tournament title and for the month Fahlsing scored 38 goals as Cathedral Catholic went 11-1.

DILLON BAXTER (Football, Mission Bay High): Although the Buccaneers are a much more balanced team this year than in the past, the catalyst behind a 3-0 start was the play of the USC-bound Baxter, who plays quarterback to get the ball in his hands every play. For the month, Baxter gained 998 total yards, rushing for 722 and 10 TDs in addition to passing for 276 and three more scores.

TAYLOR CRANDALL (Golf, West Hills): Coming from a family of golfers, it was only natural Crandall, a junior, would fit right in on the high school scene. In 11 matches during September, she medaled every time, twice shooting 1-under par 35s at Carlton Oaks and firing an even par 37 at the tough Steele Canyon Ranch course.

WILL VENABLE (Baseball, San Diego Padres)–Clearly a key member of the Padres’ future, Venable batted .313 for the month with a .383 on-base percentage to go with a gaudy.573 slugging percentage, boosted by six homers and seven doubles among his 30 hits. The Padres’ young outfielder, who tossed in some dazzling plays on defense, scored 16 runs and drove in 17 runs during August. Venable’s most produce day at the plate came against Milwaukee Aug. 11 when he slammed a home run, drove in three runs and scored one in a 13-6 romp.

BRIAN MATUSZ (Baseball, USD/Baltimore Orioles)–Called up at the start of the month, the Orioles lefty showed the same poise he displayed at USD as he allowed just one run in five innings to pick up a victory over Detroit in his major league debut. The Orioles were impressed enough to keep him in the rotation after losses to Toronto and Los Angeles, which paid off handsomely when he beat Tampa Bay, giving up four runs in 5.1 innings, before finishing the month with a 7-inning, 5-2 win over Cleveland, allowing just one hit through the first five and striking out eight.

Amateur

DESIREE DAVILA (Track, Chula Vista)–Running just her third marathon, the former Hilltop High and Arizona State standout rallied to finish 11th out of more than 60 runners in the World Championships in Berlin. Davila clocked a time of 2-hours, 27-minutes, 53-seconds, just five seconds behind the No. 1 American, Kara Goucher and 2:38 behind the winner. Her time was a four-minute PR (2:31:33 in Chicago).

SUSAN FRANCIA (Rowing, San Diego)–Francia collected a pair of gold medals at the World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. The resident of the Olympic Training Center added the Women’s Pairs title to the United States’ Eight victory earlier and with pairs partner Erin Cafaro of Modesto became the first two-time champs since 2001. Francia was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. Eight in the 2008 Olympics.

RITA HANSCOMB (Master’s Track)–Was selected Athlete of the Week by USA Track and Field after winning five individual gold medals at the 2009 Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland. Competing in the 55-59 class, Hanscomb won the heptathlon, 80-meter hurdles, long jump, pole vault and 300-meter hurdles. She set an age group record in the heptathlon, scoring 6,382 points, winning six of seven events and finishing more than 2,000 points ahead.

HOWIE KNODT (Senior Golf)–The Chula Vista resident continued to dominate Southern California senior events, winning the Senior SCGA Match Play Championship at Sandpiper in Goleta. Knodt also won the SCGA Senior Amateur.

HARRY RUDOLPH, III (Golf)–Although it has been more than 10 years since La Jolla’s Rudolph has won a major tournament, he obliterated the field in the 77th San Diego City Amateur, shooting a record 11-under par 205 for 54 holes. Rudolph’s 1-over 73 at Torrey Pines South, combined with a 5-under 67 on Balboa and 7-under 65 at Torrey North erased the record 9-under set by Pat Duncan (1998) and Bryan Gorman (1986). Leading by nine strokes heading into the final round, Rudolph bested former La Costa Canyon High and current UCLA junior Connor Driscoll by six strokes.

High School

BLAIR LEWIS (Golf, Francis Parker)—The co-captain of the Lancers golf team captured the Toyota Tour Cup Series at Sycuan when she fired a two-over par 146 in the 36-hole, two-day tournament. The Parker junior, one of the area’s top performers on the SCPGA Junior Tour, shot a steady 74-72-146 to win by a stroke over Thousand Oaks’ Lauren Diaz-Yi.

TONY WOLTERS (Baseball, Rancho Buena Vista)—Wolters dazzled a record crowd of 8,027 fans in the seventh annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic at PETCO Park. Wolters was named MVP after hitting a game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth inning as the West rallied to tie the East 4-4 in 10 innings. Wolters, who also played brilliantly in the field, making the defensive play of the game, collected two of the West’s five hits.

SAN DIEGO—Generally speaking, when the lone local player in a national all-star is selected as the MVP, there are cries of partiality.

But when Tony Wolters of Rancho Buena Vista High (Vista) earned the MVP Award at the seventh annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball game Sunday night at Petco Park, few could argue.

Wolters’ two-out game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth inning led to the series’ first-ever tie, 4-4, after each team scored a single run in a 10th inning tie-breaker that left the remainder of a record crowd of 8,027 uncertain how to react.

But the players thought it was an appropriate ending after battling for more than 3 1/2 hours to a standstill.

“You had the best players the nation, so a tie was OK,” said Wolters who played shortstop and second base, collecting two of his teams five hits. Additionally, he thwarted a first-inning rally with the game’s top defensive play by flagging down a pickoff throw headed for center field and tagging out the East runner at second in one sweeping motion.

But it didn’t look like Wolters would even get to the plate in the ninth inning after Yordy Cabrera (Lakeland, Fla.) easily got the first two outs of the inning. When Matt Lipka (Frisco, Tex.) coaxed a walk out of the 6-foot-4 right-handed Cabrera, Wolters had his chance.

“I just went up there looking to get a hit. When I saw the right-fielder playing in close, I wanted to hit it over his head.”

Wolters drilled a fastball into right field and although the ball did not go over the right-fielder’s head, it had enough to score Lipka even though the Texan fell down after rounding second.

Cabrera got a strikeout to end the inning and an unusual tie-breaker was employed where each team started the inning with the bases loaded. One out was also put on the board.

Tyler Austin (Conyers, Ga.) walked on a 3-2 count to give the East a 4-3 lead but Las Vegas’ Bryce Harper, the junior-to-be Sports Illustrated cover-boy, who will enter community college in the fall in hopes of being drafted next spring, drove in Lipka with the tying run and when the East escaped further damage, the game was over.

It looked for while like the West’s two-run first inning would hold up until Jacoby Jones (Richton, Miss.) singled across the go-ahead run for the East in a two-run eighth.

“I’d been watching and he (West pitcher Peter Tago) always followed
a fastball with a curveball,” said Jones, who also said he liked a tie. “After he threw me a fastball, I was anticipating the curve and he threw it.

“It was a great week and the trip to Rady Children’s Hospital put everything in perspective. The game was fun, but that’s what it’s all about.”

Proceeds from the game go to the hospital.

The crowd of 8,027 easily surpassed the record 5,622 last year at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and kept the series tied at 3-3-1.

ADAM JONES (Baseball, Morse High): A graduate of Morse High, Jones’ sacrifice fly drove in the winning run for the American League in Major League Baseball’s 80th annual All-Star game in St. Louis. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder clubbed a long fly to right field to score Detroit’s Curtis Granderson for a 4-3 victory, allowing the Junior Circuit to remain unbeaten in the last 13 games. It was Jones first All-Star appearance. For the month, Jones batted .270 with five homers and 15 RBI.

CHARDE HOUSTON (Basketball, San Diego High): Talk about your breakout seasons. Houston was chosen to play in the annual WNBA All-Star game in Connecticut, where she hit seven of 10 shots from the field and both free throws for 16 points in less than 17 minutes. Houston, a third round selection by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA draft two years ago, averaged 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. During the month she tossed in a career high 26 points in an 83-76 win over San Antonio and pulled down 12 rebounds against Atlanta.

DANNY WAY (Skateboard, Encinitas): For a while, all it looked like Way was going to get for his efforts in the Skateboard Big Air Jam event at the X Games 15 in Los Angeles was sympathy. But the creator of the new event came through despite hobbling with injuries, scoring 92 points to capture the gold medal.

HEATH BELL (Baseball, Padres): Being selected to play in the All-Star game was such a thrill for Bell, he didn’t let the fact he was the losing pitcher bother him. The reality was, it didn’t affect the Padres and that’s his main focus as the team’s new closer. Through July, Bell had 25 saves, including three during the month where he struck out 12 batters, walked just one and allowed only four runs. Entering the All-Star game, Bell had a glittering 1.69 ERA.

JAKE BROWN (Skateboard, Oceanside): Ask anyone who has seen it – fan or not – and the one lasting memory of the X Games is the fall that Brown took in 2007, plunging 46 feet and landing so hard his shoes rocketed off in opposite directions. Fast forward to this year’s X Games 15 in Los Angeles and Brown staged a triumphant return to the Skateboard Big Air event by capturing his first gold medal, winning on his second best run (91.33) after tying Vista’s Bob Burnquist for the top score at 94.0.

KELLY RULON (water polo, USDHS): It was Rulon’s penalty shot with just 3:42 remaining that gave the United States a 7-6 victory over Canada in the gold medal game of the World Championships in Rome. Rulon scored a goal earlier as well as the Americans defended their world title, their third in the last four years.

JENNIFER SMITH (Surfing, Pacific Beach): The 23-year-old captured the ASP Roxy Jam Pro World Longboard Championships in LaCote des Basques, Biarritz, France. The judges awarded Smith a 9.25 in the semifinal, which was the highest score of the event. The competition, which she also won two years ago, featured the best 32 women longboard surfers in the world.

MARISSA DAL SANTRO (Skateboard, Carlsbad): After coming close a year ago and capturing the silver medal, Dal Santo climbed to the top step of the victory stand to receive her gold medal in the Women’s Skateboard Street event at the 2009 X Games 15 in Los Angeles.

COLLEGE

STEPHEN STRASBURG (Baseball, San Diego State, West Hills High): The honors just seemed to keep coming for the former Aztec who was named the winner of the 2009 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, annually given to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player. Strasburg, picked No. 1 overall in the major league draft by the Washington Nationals, led the NCAA in ERA at 1.32 and strikeouts with 195.

HIGH SCHOOL

RONNIE YELL (Football, Lincoln High): It was the 71-yard touchdown scamper by Yell, who is headed to San Jose State, which was the difference as he led the South to a 10-6 victory in the 19th Alex Spanos Classic All-Star football game. Yell, a quarterback and wide receiver in the game, eluded a tackle in the backfield and showed his speed, racing away for the clincher.

MIKEY HEAD (Football, Ramona High): For a while, it looked as though Head’s 25-yard circus catch to set up the North’s only touchdown would be the play of the contest in the 19th Alex Spanos Classic All-Star football game. Even though the South rallied for the win, the sure-handed Head was selected the North MVP after hauling in six passes for 62 yards.

KELLIE FOX (Softtball, Mt. Carmel High): The slick-fielding junior was one of just two San Diego Section athletes to earn softball All-State first team honors as selected by CalHiSports.com. Fox was a major contributor for the Sundevils, who collected their third consecutive CIF San Diego Section Division II title. She committed just six errors in addition to batting .490 with a .571 on-base percentage and .971 slugging percentage for the 28-6-1 Sundevils. Fox slugged 10 homers and was 12-of-12 on stolen bases.

Ray Johnson, the Chuck Norris look-alike who dominated high school basketball coaching in the CIF-San Diego Section like no other, issued a typical reply when asked why he would leave El Camino High for Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

“Because it sounds like fun,” said the 57-year-old Johnson after accepting the job as an assistant to interim head coach Greg Vetrone on Monday.

Johnson always seemed to have fun while guiding the Wildcats to eight section Division I titles, including last season’s 59-45 victory over Torrey Pines which led to a 63-60 shocker over nationally-ranked Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda in the first round of the Southern California Regionals.

That was the last of a section-record 661 career wins while coaching the Wildcat boys and it doesn’t include the 88 victories and two section championships while guiding the girls.

Those 661 wins are No. 10 all-time in state history according to CalHiSports.com.

“We’re losing a terrific coach,” said Hoover High’s Ollie Goulston. “Ray has great compassion for kids and it’s more than just basketball. That will be his legacy when people look back on his accomplishments.

“Ray’s teams were always tough, defensive-minded clubs that made you be at the top of your game. He has set the standard very, very high while raising the image and visibility of basketball in San Diego.”

Johnson would be shaking his head and asking Goulston to stop if he heard those kind words. The Special Education teacher, who has taken a leave of absence for one year from El Camino High, simply did what he thought needed to be done.

Not that he didn’t like to win. He wanted to win every single game and did everything in his power to make that happen.

But he also liked challenges and new experiences, which would be the only reason for coaching the San Diego Wildcats professional team for a couple of years. Clearly, he views helping Vetrone at Fairleigh Dickinson as one of those fun challenges.

“This kind of came out of the blue,” admitted Johnson, who was contacted less than a month ago, “but it all fits. I’m not tied down, my son (Willie) lives in New York and all I have to do is coach—no recruiting or classroom teaching.”

Johnson, 57, has been a teacher and coach for 35 years. He lost his wife of 31 years this past year and admits if she were still by his side he probably wouldn’t have even considered taking the job.

Most successful high school coaches wonder how they’d do at the next level and Johnson is no exception.

Although the Knights won just seven games and his friend Vetrone is still in limbo as an interim coach, Johnson can’t wait to jump in on Aug. 31.

“The goal obviously is to get to the dance (NCAA playoffs) and with our top three scorers returning along with adding two quality players, we have a chance,” said Johnson. “Naturally, in the Northeast Conference we’ll have to win the conference and tournament.”

There wasn’t a trace of doubt in Johnson’s voice that such an outcome could happen.

“I want to do something I’ve never done before,” said Johnson, who took just 20 minutes to make his decision when he sat down with Knights AD David Langford. “We’re on the same page of wanting to get the kids through (graduate). It was the same thing at El Camino—I can’t wait to get going.”

Session 2 (Commuters Only):
Dates: Monday-Thursday, July 27-30 (9AM – 4:30PM)
Ages: 10-17
Cost: $350
Location: San Diego State University
Commuter Info

Contact Information
Phone: (619) 594-6249
Fax: (619) 594-2370

Click here for more information

For the third time in four years, 40 of the nation’s top high school baseball players will descend upon San Diego to play in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, the country’s premier high school baseball showcase. This year’s game will be played on Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. PDT in PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and will once again be televised live nationally on FOX Sports Net.

The seven-year-old baseball showcase features an East versus West matchup of the nation’s top high school players following their junior year. For the second consecutive year, the Aflac Classic will be played in a major league venue. The 2008 showcase was played in Los Angeles’ historic Dodger Stadium. The 2006 and 2007 games were held at San Diego State University’s Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The Aflac All-American Classic, however, is more than just a game. As part of Aflac’s ongoing commitment to the fight against childhood cancer, all game proceeds from the 2009 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic will benefit Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Since 2003, the game has generated nearly $685,000 for charity.

“The Aflac All-American Classic highlights baseball’s stars of tomorrow while enabling us to also extend our reach in the fight against pediatric cancer with Rady Children’s Hospital,” said Jeff Charney, Aflac’s chief marketing officer. “The city of San Diego has always offered tremendous support for this game and we are thrilled to bring it back to the community for another year.”

Hall of Fame shortstop, and former San Diego Padre, Ozzie Smith, will once again return as this year’s honorary chairman. In addition to helping promote the game, Smith will be on-site in San Diego for game week activities and to spend time with the players. This will be Smith’s third time as the Aflac Classic’s honorary chairman. Past honorary chairmen have included Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson (2006), Cal Ripken (2004, 2005) and Stan Musial (2003).

“It is an honor to once again be named honorary chairman for such a prestigious high school baseball showcase and return to the home of my first major league team,” said Smith. “This game has risen to such a level that the players have a unique opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a national audience and MLB scouts — an opportunity I wish I had starting out.”

The Aflac All-American Classic boasts alumni who have had a huge impact in Major League Baseball’s first-year player drafts. Since the game’s inception in 2003, 62 alumni have been selected in the first round, including three No. 1 overall selections: Matt Bush (2004, San Diego) and Justin Upton (2005, Arizona), and this year’s top pick, Tim Beckham (2008, Tampa). There were 10 Aflac All-Americans taken in the first round of the 2009 draft, including the No. 3 pick, Donavan Tate, by the Padres. San Diego also drafted 2008 Aflac All-Americans Everett Williams and Keyvius Sampson.

The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic is considered the country’s marquee prep All-American event. All participants must have just completed their junior year of high school, be in good academic standing and display redeeming qualities off the field that embody the ideals of the sport of baseball, including discipline, determination and hard work.

Click here for the Full Roster.

Visit www.AflacAllAmerican.com.