Sports Columns

ON DECK: One downside to coaching Bernie

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

There's a struggle Cibola distance running coach Kris Norton faces being the coach for Bernie Montoya. Recently I asked Norton if he ever allowed himself to take a step back and simply admire one of Montoya's races. As a lover of long-distance runnin... Full story

ON DECK: Emotional moment at this year's banquet

BY EDWARD CARIFIO @YSEdwardCarifio

Monday night was the 18th sports banquet I've attended in my time here at this paper.That's almost two days of my life so far at these banquets. And something happened Monday that I can't remember happening before.Emcee John Blabe went off script bef... Full story

Gone fishin'

BY JOHN BLABE

In the words of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: “See You in September” — actually, it'll be August. I have enjoyed writing this past year, mainly because of the responses I get from wonderful readers of the Yuma Sun. Your emails... Full story

Teachers win again in Staff vs. Students game at Yuma High

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

The students at Yuma High School are going to have to hear it from their teachers for another year.For the second straight time, the Staff brushed aside the Students 71-61 in the 2nd Annual Pros vs. Joes basketball game on Wednesday night at Palace G... Full story

ON DECK: Some unhappy campers at Cocopah Speedway

BY RANDY HOEFT @YumaSunSports

There are grumblings going on at Cocopah Speedway.Some drivers in the 2013 Cocopah Speedway Racing Series don't like the track's progressive posture, specifically the move to two IMCA racing divisions starting in 2014. That's when what is now known a... Full story

Best prep games of the year

JESSE SEVERSON - @YSJESSESEVERSON

Riding home from Mesa on Saturday was a big moment for me. After covering the state track meets, it dawned on me that it was the final prep sporting event I'd cover during this school year. The sports seasons are all done now, ready to give way to su... Full story

Pitchers only

By John Blabe

I was listening recently to a conversation on TV with Hall of Famer Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles. Palmer was comically, but truthfully, recanting a conversation with his former manager Earl Weaver.Weaver was making a trip to the mound in the s... Full story

ON DECK: Criminal jumpers the big story from first day

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

On the first day of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Track and Field State Championship on Wednesday, Bernie Montoya did what Bernie Montoya does and won state in the 3,200.Ho hum.Fellow Raider Monica Huston racked up a pair of second-place fi... Full story

ON DECK: An emotional night at Cocopah Speedway

BY RANDY HOEFT @YumaSunSports

It isn't often that I get chills and have to wipe away tears at a sporting event.But it happened last weekend down on the front straight at Cocopah Speedway during the opening ceremonies.I've seen a lot of opening ceremonies at the track, but not lik... Full story

Never give up

By John Blabe

It was enjoyable watching this year's NFL draft. The predictions, the fanfare, the detailed analysis by 10 different experts. I especially enjoy the experts that say, “This is a can't-miss pick.”NFL teams spend more time and money on draf... Full story

ON DECK: Fan fickleness

By Matt Carstens @YSMattCarstens

There is a certain fickleness to sports fans that does not carry over into everyday life.A pitcher can have a brilliant shutout one week and have the fans asking for his head when he gets shellacked for seven runs in his next start.A quarterback can ... Full story

ON DECK: NBA Playoffs

EDWARD CARIFIO - @YSEDWARDCARIFIO

As I was prepping Matt for his shift Sunday laying out the Monday paper, I told him there could be as many as four NBA Game 7s.About an hour late I said there could be three. Than I saw the Hawks loss. So I said two.Then a couple hours later, the Roc... Full story

ON DECK: Bench players need to cut trash talk

BY EDWARD CARIFIO @YSEdwardCarifio

Trash talking in the NBA has gone too far.Now, I love trash talking. But during the past day, a couple of instances seem totally ridiculous.Take Jordan Crawford, Celtics bench “player” — player is in quotes because he doesn't techni... Full story

ON DECK: Falling in love with a kind of car

BY RANDY HOEFT @YumaSunSports

It doesn't matter if you are a racing fan or not, you have to find humor in the philosophy of Brian Schultz.The driver from Casa Grande started racing in 2006 and won his very first feature event last week at Cocopah Speedway in the IMCA Modified Div... Full story

ON DECK: Weird baseball

By Matt Carstens @YSMattCarstens

Baseball is weird.Baseball can get weird in ways that other sports can't even dream of. Last night I got home from work at about 10, then went to the gym and did some grocery shopping before returning home at about 12:30 a.m.I then get a text from my... Full story

ON DECK: Pitcher of the Year

By Matt Carstens @YSMattCarstens

The Kofa softball team was quietly one of the best in the region this year, and snuck into the playoffs as a No. 24 seed in the last week of the season.Unfortunately for the Kings, their season came to a close Saturday when they suffered a first-roun... Full story

ON DECK: The very (un)important Sixth Man of the Year Award

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

On Monday, New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith won the coveted Sixth Man of the Year Award.And by “coveted,” I mean absolutely pointless. I get that a quality sixth man is important to the team — it usually is a scorer off the... Full story

Don’t lose the game

By John Blabe

It's so refreshing to watch two opponents congratulate each other after a hard-earned victory.I'm referring to Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera at last week's Masters Tournament.We don't often see that kind of sportsmanship in all the games we watch. But... Full story

ON DECK: Local teams living dangerously

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

Coming into the final week of the regular season, four local teams are living life on the edge.With 24 teams making the state tournament, the San Luis (No. 22 in Division I) and Cibola (No. 24) baseball teams and Cibola (No. 20) and Gila Ridge (No. 2... Full story

ON DECK: A bizarre rule in baseball

BY JESSE SEVERSON @YSJesseSeverson

Since I cover baseball around town, I get to see an anomaly of sports.Baseball is the only sport I can think of where the coaches are required to wear the uniform just like the players. Even softball — the counterpart to baseball — doesn'... Full story

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