ESPNHS California

Blackburn no-hits team in the state rankings and shows he’s ready to raise his profile as a top prospect before next month’s MLB draft.

The pitching abilities demonstrated by Paul Blackburn from Heritage of Brentwood earned him a spot last summer on the Oakland Athletics Area Code team that competed in Long Beach.

It wasn’t until last week, however, that he finally achieved a feat every pitcher dreams of accomplishing.

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Before going to Arizona, Royal’s Bowling looking to roll up some strikes and pin some losses on her team’s opponents.

Had 2009 State Freshman of the Year Nancy Bowling from Royal of Simi Valley not missed a huge portion of her junior year due to a partial tear of her left patellar tendon, there’s little doubt the fireballing right-handed pitcher would be pushing for a spot in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book for career strikeouts.

Despite last year’s setback, the Arizona-bound student-athlete returned from the injury and hasn’t missed a beat.

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Marin pitcher mows down 37 batters on strikeouts in two days and picks a perfect time to get a no-hitter and hit a two-run homer in the same game.

The expression “some things are just meant to be” couldn’t be more appropriate than in the case of scholar-athlete Kim Scarsella from Tamalpais of Mill Valley.

With a 4.2 overall GPA and 4.6 this semester, plus having been a previous All-State selection, Scarsella has been under consideration for being honored as a State Athlete of the Week since the spring season began.

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Scrappy second baseman leads Clovis West to tourney title and shows how it’s done in the field, at the plate and in class.

When Scott Silva from Clovis West of Fresno steps onto a baseball field for a high school game, the Eagles’ second baseman usually isn’t one of the biggest guys around.

But don’t tell that to rival Clovis, the team that took out Clovis West from last year’s CIF Central Section Division I playoffs.

In the title game of the Fresno High Easter Baseball Classic last week against Clovis, and after the Golden Eagles had outscored their previous four tournament opponents by a combined 34-0, Silva and his team made a statement in an 8-2 victory.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

With All-American Brandon Ashley starring at Findlay Prep, Bishop O’Dowd remains a threat for D3 state title behind Washington State-bound Richard Longrus Jr.

Four-year varsity basketball player Richard Longrus from Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland was all grins and smiles until it came time to take his picture.

“That’s not me,” he told teammates who teased him about his serious look for the camera.

Maybe it’s because Longrus takes much of his business on and off the court very seriously.

Last week, just prior to Senior Night when the Dragons posted an 88-39 Hayward Area Athletic League victory over Hayward, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Washington State bound 4.06 GPA student-athlete was presented with a plaque.

The reason is that earlier this month Longrus broke the school’s all-time career rebounding mark of 797 held by 1982 Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year Tony Jackson.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

Gokul Natesan will end up No. 2 on the Cupertino all-time scoring list behind Kurt Rambis and knows when to take over a game. He’s perhaps even more impressive academically with a 4.38 GPA.

It was late in the third quarter and the Cupertino boys basketball team only led visiting Los Gatos 32-27 when star player Gokul Natesan got even busier than he already had been.

Natesan (pronounced Nah-tay-san) already had 19 of his team’s points, but then he completely took over. He scored off a steal, then drained an NBA-range 3-pointer to make it 39-31 entering the final period.

Gokul started the first two minutes of the fourth quarter with a block and a basket off a steal, another steal, another block and another NBA-length trey ball that pretty much sealed a 58-41 victory.

Even the Cal-Hi Sports caravan’s presence at the Wednesday night game earlier this week couldn’t kibosh Natesan’s performance. The 6-foot-3 senior finished with 31 points on six 3-pointers, five rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocks.

Last week, in a 54-47 win on the road at De Anza League rival Palo Alto, the 4.38 GPA student-athlete had 32 points and drained seven 3-pointers.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

She’s only 5-foot-7, but Workman’s Evelyn Herrera plays with a gigantic heart and has overcome a lot to become one of the state’s leading scorers.

It’s not often a 5-foot-7 girls basketball player gets credit for invigorating a community, particularly a girl who has only been in town less than two years, but that’s what Evelyn Herrera from Workman of the City of Industry has done.

Not only has Evelyn energized the atmosphere at Workman, she’s living proof that big things really do come in small packages and has literally put the girls basketball program on the map.

Last week, in a 71-30 victory over Bassett of La Puente, Herrera had 29 points, 10 steals and eight assists. She also had 26 points and eight rebounds in a 69-45 triumph against Sierra Vista of Baldwin Park.

It was the 11th straight and 20th overall game this season the CIF Southern Section’s second-leading scorer has been over 20 points for the Lobos, who were 18-4 heading into this week.

Now, for performances all season on the court and in school, plus for overcoming extreme adversity, the young woman, who along with her mother and brother moved to City of Industry to escape the turmoil of East Los Angeles, has been named the ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Week.

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Important announcement from Cal-Hi Sports | Archived Cal-Hi Sports content

Marcus LoVett Jr. tries to be as normal a freshman as possible despite 31.7 per game scoring average

After what he’s done so far this season, to say Marcus LoVett Jr. from Providence of Burbank has exploded onto the scene would be a bit of an understatement.

In fact, the freshman from a very talented Los Angeles-area Class of 2015 has taken center stage among his peers.

Last week in a 73-66 victory over Campbell Hall of North Hollywood, the 5-foot-11 combo guard had a statement game.

LoVett finished with 45 points and five assists, out-dueling another top freshman, Aaron Holiday (27 points), the younger brother of 2008 Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year and current Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday.

For that performance, plus a season that sees him leading the state in scoring, LoVett becomes one of only a handful of freshman to be named ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Week.

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