Conference
Champions!
Undefeated
Rams Cruise Past Roadrunners
Rams 10-0 after defeating Butte College Roadrunners 48-33
By
Zuri Berry
Guardsman Staff Writer
The
Rams must have been feeling good as they ran over, around and through
the Butte College Roadrunners en route to Northern California's
regional championship, the Hawaiian Punch Bowl on Dec. 6 at City
College.
 Antwaun
Sherman and Aubrey McKay celebrate the Rams conference winning
victory of the Butte College Roadrunners.
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The 48-33
victory over the Roadrunners sealed an undefeated regular season
for the Rams who charged through all their competition winning their
conference championship and finishing with a 10-0 record.
The
game started like a typical Rams blowout with a 20-0 lead at the
end of the 1st quarter, but Butte quickly began to heat
up scoring ten points in the second quarter with a field goal and
a trick play off a pass by their halfback.
"Like
we thought, Butte was going to come out and play us hard," said
receiver Marcel Love, "They had their little trick plays but we
stayed calm and focused and came out on top."
Love
was one of three receivers including DeQawn Mobley and Ruben Jackson
who scored on receptions of 30 yards or more.
Quarterback
Joseph Ayoob dominated the game tossing for 266 yards and three
touchdowns and rushing for another.
"I feel
good, just glad we came out and we got a nice victory," said Ayoob,
"We're champions. We keep winning, it will all fall into place."
Although
Ayoob lit up the skies, it was the ground game that dismantled the
powerful Butte team.
Tailback
Tim Brown broke open in the second half with a 55-yard scamper.
He finished the game with 168 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
"The
line blocked great," Brown said.
At the
Hawaiian Punch Bowl, the Rams will play Reedley College. The winner
of that game will go to the state championships to play the best
team from Southern California.
"I think
we're trying to do it a step at time," said Offensive Coordinator
Dan Hayes, "Today it's a conference championship, now we want to
be the California Champs."
Changing
of the Guard: Rams Star Running Back Passes Torch
With
the departure of sophomore Tim Brown, who has led the Rams offense
scoring 19 touchdowns this season, second string freshman running
back Dallas Berstine has some pretty big shoes to fill
.
By
Zuri Berry
Guardsman Staff Writer
City
College Football epitomizes the glory and accolades that are hoped
for and wished upon every program nationwide.
Since
1945 City College has won 6 national championships, including three
consecutive titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
At the
heart of each and every one of these teams has been an extraordinary
runner that has led the team to prominence, and great runners continue
to exemplify the prestige of the program.
The
Rams have been graced with talented athletes like O.J. Simpson who
broke away at defenses and shed tackles on his way to an illustrious
NFL career and induction to the Hall of Fame.
More
recently City College has been powered by young stars in the making
such as starting tailback sophomore Tim Brown and his backup Dallas
Berstine.
Brown
has over 1,300 yards rushing this season and 19 touchdowns. He not
only leads the state in yard per carry (8.0), but in touchdowns
as well.
On his
current pace he will move into 4th place all time rushing
at City College behind Simpson.
Brown,
who has been playing since he was seven years old, is a slashing
running back reminiscent of the great Terrell Davis.
Brown
is small and quick, a combination that consistently causes problems
for defenses.
He works
hard at his position and is motivated by "just having the God-given
ability."
"He's
totally committed," said Offensive Coordinator Dan Hayes. "He's
a good kid."
But
it's all the little things Brown does that aren't fun, like the
film sessions, the extra meetings and the weight lifting.
Brown's
goal is to make it to a division-1A college, but there are things
that are holding him back.
"Size,"
says Brown. "They're (scouts) looking for that six foot one 220
pounder."
It remains
to be seen where Brown will go after this season, but his spot as
the Rams leading rusher won't be left up in the air.
Who
will try to fill Brown's shoes after he departs?
One
Answer: Dallas Bernstine.
If you
don't know his name, learn it now so you and your friends can willingly
claim you didn't jump on the bandwagon; after this season he is
going to blow up.
Bernstine
is currently Brown's backup and specializes in running down the
clock. He comes in and chews away at the life of the defense leaving
it numb and on the brink of death.
In the
second half against American River College, Bernstine rushed for
66 yards on only seven carries and scored a touchdown. At 9.4 yards
per carry, that's slightly higher than teammate Brown.
Although
he is slightly bigger at 190 pounds, he is not the prototype back
of the future.
When
asked how far he plans on taking football he responds with a cool
charm: "I'm (going) to ride it till I can't no more."
Opinions
are like...
Oh Nellie!
Give Don Nelson Some Love
by
Ben Schneider
Guardsman
Guest Writer
One
coach who has never received enough credit for his work is Don Nelson
who recently became the first coach in NBA history to win 250 games
with three different teams. Sports fans haven't realized just how
astonishing an accomplishment this is, especially in the win-now-or-pick-up
your-pink-slip era of pro basketball.
Coaches
in the NBA have about as much stability as a three legged table.
Nelson
worked wonders with the small market Milwaukee Bucks and won 250
games. Even more impressive was the job he did in Golden State.
Nellie
(as he is known around the league) took a team of low post players
who could have been easily mistaken for a high school team and quickly
composed a lethal three-guard arsenal. Run TMC, as it was then known,
was composed of super-ego binge-drinker Chris Mullin, legendary
ball hog Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway, a point guard who had
a shooting rotation similar to Boston Red Sox knuckleball pitcher
Tim Wakefield.
With
Run TMC on the court, the Warriors averaged 118 points a game, a
total that today looks like the over for points in a Raptors-Nuggets
game. Once again Nellie was let go due to management's incompetence.
They traded away Richmond for the rights to draft future bust Billy
Owens and he could never see eye to eye with primadonna Chris Webber.
Nellie
hasn't changed over the years. Despite dressing like Barry Manilow,
always looking perpetually hung over and never straying from his
old habit of whining at the officials, Nellie has mastered one thing-winning.
Sure,
Nellie has an All Star cast but to have the likes of Steve Nash,
Michael Finley, Antoine Walker and Dirk Nowitski buy into a pass-first
offense is surely amazing. Nellie also has to deal with childlike
Mavs owner Mark Cuban. Cuban micromanages the Mavericks like a pencil
neck geek playing on-line fantasy basketball while strung out on
too much caffeine.
Nellie
may not be blessed with sound bites similar to George Carl or wear
3,000-dollar Italian leather suits like Pat Riley, and he definitely
doesn't date the boss's daughter and preach Zen philosophy a la
Phil Jackson.
But
don't be surprised if Nellie and his cast of All Stars are competing
for the Western Conference title come June.
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