Son of former Edison Viking gets play

Former Edison High star Derek Kennard, who won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys, has a son, Devon, who is a sophomore at USC. LA Times writer Gary Klein leads his notebook with Kennard’s progress on the Trojans’ defense. USC opens the season on Thursday at Hawaii.

By Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — The transition is complete.
Devon Kennard started one game at defensive end and four at outside linebacker as a USC freshman last season.
On Friday, Kennard officially was anointed as the starting middle linebacker when Coach Lane Kiffin released the depth chart for the Trojans’ opener at Hawaii on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Kennard displaces junior Chris Galippo, who started every game last season. Galippo, however, is expected to play multiple snaps in a linebacker corps that also includes senior outside linebackers Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan.
Kennard and Galippo had alternated with the first-unit defense throughout training camp, but Kennard this week began working almost exclusively at the spot.
“I’m just going with the flow, trying to get ready for (the opener),” Kennard said Thursday after the Trojans mock game at the Coliseum. “It’s game time now.”
Tailback Marc Tyler, a fourth-year junior who has been slowed by injuries at USC, will start for the first time.
Receiver Robert Woods and cornerback Nickell Robey are listed as starters and could become the first freshmen to start an opener for USC at those positions in the post World War II era, according to the USC sports information department.
The offensive line is in flux. Butch Lewis and Khaled Holmes are listed as the starting guards, but both are nursing injuries.

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The Hawk soars

Check out this video of Edison High graduate and Tennesse Titans receiver Lavelle Hawkins taking flight during a 22-yard run in a preseason game on Monday, Aug. 23 against the Arizona Cardinals.

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Please, please, please …

Here’s hoping the shakeup of the WAC creates a domino effect that forces Pacific to aggressively seek and ultimately gain entry into the WCC and leave the Big West, one of the nation’s most obscure and irrelevant conferences. Men’s basketball is the only sport that matters financially at Pacific. The Tigers should be in the best conference they can be for their most important sport. That place is the WCC. The benefits are obvious: geographic rivals in USF, Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s, an almost sure home sell out each season with Gonzaga, and potentially bigger NCAA tournament payouts. Recruiting would improve, fan interest would be greater, and TV exposure would increase if the Tigers produce a competitive team. The Big West is stronger than the WCC in baseball, but so what? Baseball doesn’t pay the bills.  The WCC makes sense for Pacific’s long-term survival.

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Streaking with Splash

The Stockton Ports’ 11-game winning streak inspired this portrait of team mascot Splash. It was posted on the Ports’ Facebook page this morning.

0819streaking

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Internet star joins Thunder

If you haven’t seen this, take a look.

The Thunder signed forward Scott Howes, who is the player who started one of the best goal-scoring plays you’ll see while playing with the Victoria Salmon Kings last season. He started the play with some fancy passes through the legs of a Bakersfield Condor. Adam Taylor scored, and Dirk Southern was the other player involved for Victoria.

This has been a big hit on the internet everywhere, accept probably in Bakersfield.

Enjoy.

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Something’s up

In a previous blog I wrote that the Stockton Lightning website had nothing on it but a one-sentence greeting saying they were gone but coming back soon.

A few days after posting this, word came that the San Jose Wolves of the American Indoor Football Association want a new home and they’re interested in relocating to Stockton. Scott Linesburgh broke the story. If the Wolves wind up playing in Stockton, maybe they would buy the logo from the team’s former owner Michael Reinsdorf. So, in a roundabout way, the Lightning might be coming back.

We’ll wait and see.

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Gone but coming back?

Go to the Stockton Lightning’s website and this is all that appears: stocktonlightning.com has been shut down and will return soon.

The Lightning folded after four years following the 2009 season, when the Arena Football League 1 failed to include a lower tier division. In a recent article by Record sports reporter Scott Linesburgh, former Lightning owner Michael Reinsdorf made it abundantly clear he has no plans to resurrect the franchise.

So what exactly do the words “… and will return soon” mean? Is something in the works? Doubt it. More likely, it’s wishful thinking or a soft landing.

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Tiger’s time has passed?

Check out the link below for a column written by Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated about Tiger Woods. Posnanski brings up some interesting points about Woods and suggests that he might not break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships. Give it a read and let me know what you think about it.

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/07/18/writing-off-tiger/?xid=siextraw_071910

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Thunder fans are amazing

The Thunder sent out an email to season-ticket holders inviting them to a question-and-answer session with owner Brad Rowbotham, president Dan Chapman and coach Matt Thomas. The team’s brass thought 75, maybe 80 would RSVP for the event on July 14 at Stockton Arena. They had seating for about 250. They were going to open the event to the general public, if they had room. They didn’t, as enough season-ticket holders responded to fill the available seating.

Thunder fans are amazing. They’re loyal. They’re passionate. And for about 90 minutes, some of them expressed their praise, concerns and ideas to the assembled team brass, who listened and took notes from their comments.

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Fun give-and-take at the Thunder’s meet-and-greet

Thunder Matt Thomas said he thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday’s discussion with season ticket holders at the arena. Thomas, team owner Brad Rowbotham and team president Dan Chapman fielded questions from about 250 fans, and Thomas often kidded back and forth with the questioners.

One person asked him when he planned to introduce his seven-month-old son, Devlin, to the game.
“He can’t use his hands,” Thomas said. “As soon as he can put a Cherrio in his mouth, I’ll give him a stick.”

Although Wednesday’s event was limited to season ticket holders, Rowbotham said he would like to do another meeting open to the public.

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  • Blog Authors

    Bob Highfill

    highfillb
    Bob Highfill has worked in The Record's sports department since 1990. He has covered a variety of sports, including high schools, Pacific and professional sports. In 2006, he was named sports editor. Bob is a graduate of Lincoln High and the ... Read Full

    Jason Anderson

    janderson
    Jason Anderson is an award-winning sportswriter whose work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, Associated Press News Executives Council, California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and other organizations. Anderson came to ... Read Full

    Stephen Roberson

    robersons
    1995 Sacramento State graduate with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Worked for the Oakdale Leader from 1996 to 1997, then spent 10 years with ANG Newspapers as the local sports editor for the San Joaquin Herald (formerly the Tri-Valley Herald's ... Read Full

    Scott Linesburgh

    linesburghs
    Linesburgh has been a member of The Record's sports department for 22 years. A native of Wantagh, N.Y., he has covered the Stockton Thunder hockey franchise since its inception in 2005 and has spent two decades reporting on motorsports and various ... Read Full
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