Mission San Jose’s Tony Lin hits a forehand shot in his singles match

against Irvington’s Eddie Sanghani.

For more photos from the week of April 21 check out The Argus Week in Prep Sports photo gallery

The All-East Bay Basketball teams will be released on Thursday in the Oakland Tribune, Daily Review, Fremont Argus and Tri-Valley Herald. The players of the year, coaches of the year as well as first, second and third teams are voted on by the combined staffs of the above-mentioned papers and take into account all schools within the East Bay.

I’m not going to tell you who we picked (you have to wait for Thursday for that), but why don’t you throw out some guesses on who you think the players and coaches of the year will be. You can even go all the way and try to select the five first-teamers we picked. Or you can just wait and see what we come up with when it’s released Thursday. We’ll also be posting a slideshow online from our player of the year photo shoot, which was done at Oakland’s F.M. Smith Park on Park Blvd.

American athletic director Steve Kline confirmed Tuesday that the baseball team (both varsity and JV) will forfeit the remaining three games of the season _ all Mission Valley Athletic League games.

That will give the Eagles a final overall record of 7-16 and a 3-9 MVAL mark.

Until the forfeits (varsity), the Eagles were in the hunt for one of the four MVAL playoff berths.

Dennis Dixon — San Leandro — Oregon — Pittsburg (5th round)
Josh Johnson — Oakland Tech — Univ. of San Diego — Tampa Bay (5th round)
Kyle Wright — Monte Vista — Miami — Vikings (FA)
Cameron Colvin — DLS — Oregon — 49ers (FA)
Robert Jordan — Hayward — Cal — 49ers (FA)

No word on Sam Keller (SRV, Nebraska) yet.

I guess it wouldn’t be the Hayward Area Athletic League if Bishop O’Dowd wasn’t at the top of the standings…or so it seems.

 The Dragons have won or at least shared the past six HAAL titles and it finally seemed like the run was going to come to an end in early March. That’s when Arroyo pasted the Dragons 13-2 and it really wasn’t even that close.  The Dons were on a completely different level at the time.

But on Friday was the second meeting between the two at O’Dowd’s short-porched field. And this time the Dragons matched the intensity of Arroyo with a seven-run flurry against Alex Jack in the bottom of the first inning. And then it was Game On!

Both teams played pepper with the 325 foot fences and runs were coming across quickly. There would eventually be a combined five home runs in the game, including two by O’Dowd’s Ryan Walterhouse. And after all the damage, it was the Dragons (9-1) still standing with, perhaps, a post-season saving 13-12 eight-inning victory to move them into a first-place tie with Arroyo (9-1)

The win was huge! Now O’Dowd is in prime position to capture at least a share of the HAAL crown for a seventh straight season and _ more importantly _ the league’s automatic North Coast Section 3-A playoff berth.

The Dragons entered the game clearly needing the win more than Arroyo. I don’t have the team’s overall records in front of me, but the Dragons struggled in non-league play and would have had a tough time arguing for an at-large berth into the NCS playoffs without the win over Arroyo.

Meanwhile, Arroyo had a great non-league season and is a lock to get a spot in the 16-team field without the automatic berth.

Everyone knew going in that O’Dowd wouldn’t just roll over for Arroyo. After all, the Dragons have held down the first-place spot for six seasons. These kids don’t want to be labeled as the team that ruined The Streak.

I give both teams a ton of credit for showing some real heart and ability to battle back against adversity. Arroyo’s ace Alex Jack was shockingly knocked out in the second inning, but the Dons continued to rip the ball around the yard in an effort to outslug the Dragons.

And what can you say about O’Dowd? What a great effort. Four fielding errors and I think it was four different pitchers and they still answered every rally that Arroyo threw at them. O’Dowd never got down after a mistake and that might be the key to its turnaround.

While it was an exciting game to watch, I am hoping these two teams don’t have to play in the first round of NCS. I like to see the league get a chance to show its strength against the other leagues first.

Outside of Bishop O’Dowd, baseball in the Hayward Area Athletic League hasn’t gotten much respect around the East Bay. And maybe it is rightfully, so. But this year, I expect Arroyo to get to at least the semifinals of the North Coast Section 3-A playoffs.

The Dons are certainly a lock for a spot in the 16-team field in the 3-A bracket. But Arroyo is thirsting for something else at the moment _ its first outright league title since 1978.

Arroyo has shared the league title many times since 1978, but haven’t had the crown for themselves in 30 years.

 Right now the Dons are a perfect 8-0 and with Bishop O’Dowd (7-1) up on Friday, Arroyo has a shot to move in prime position to capture the title outright. The Dragons have had at least a share of the crown for the last six years, and certainly won’t go down easily.

O’Dowd is at risk of missing the 3-A playoffs with a loss to Arroyo Friday. The last time these two met Arroyo breezed to a 13-2 victory and it wasn’t even that close. The Dons had a 10-run lead by the second inning and annihilated O’Dowd pitching.

But you never know what can happen in that little yard over at O’Dowd. The problem for the Dragons will be trying to score off Arroyo ace Alex Jack. The big left-hander has been phenomenal this season and is fielding offers from colleges at the moment.  He already has offers from St. Mary’s and Loyola Marymount.

The other problem for the Dragons is how to cool off the hot-hitting Dons. Arroyo, 1-9,  can smash. The Dons even have a couple kids that can come off the bench and hit lasers. The team is probably as deep as I have ever seen a team out of the HAAL the past three years. I got a feeling something special is going to happen with the Dons. But only time will tell. Can’t wait for the postseason!

Former San Ramon Valley High (Univ. of San Diego) pitcher Josh Butler, was was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2006 MLB draft by Tampa Bay, was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers today.Butler was in High-A Vero Beach and will join the High-A Brevard County when the deal is finalized. He was traded for the Brewers’ Gabe Gross, who is expected to stay in the majors with Tampa. He was set to start today’s game for Vero Beach, which, coincidentally, is playing Brevard County. 

St. Elizabeth’s Julian Purvis (left) races against James Logan’s Briana Stewart (LtoR) in the Women’s Varsity 100 meter hurdles at the Top 8 track and field meet.

For more photos from the week of April 14 check out

The Argus Week in Prep Sports photo gallery

Amador freshmen Catherine Breed and Tory Houston (Canada), Foothill sophomore Karen Wang and Granada senior Brandon Fischer will all be competing for a spot to go to the Olympics in various events.

From left to right (Fischer, Breed, Wang, Houston)  read more here

Newark’s Sasha Jones makes the throw to first, during their game against Washington.

photo by Anda Chu

For more photos from the week of April 7 check out The Argus Week in Prep Sports photo gallery

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